The Unmissables Vol. III

These are Unmissables numbers 21 through 30. Enjoy!



21.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
When the earth is destroyed, one man embarks on a journey that will take
him far beyond his wildest dreams, not to mention his galaxy. He meets the
president of the universe, an depressed robot, and the love of his life along
the way. If you like and understand British humor (ie. Monty Python),
Hitchhiker's Guide is a must.
Starring
Martin Freeman, Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, and Sam Rockwell
Tagline
Don't Panic

22.
Rat Race
Nine people are chosen at random to race across the country where two
million dollars awaits the first to cross the finish line. Rat Race is hands down
one of the funniest movies you will ever see as the incidents that occur along
the way become more and more full of unbelievable hilarity.
Starring
John Cleese, Whoopie Goldburg, Seth Green, Rowan Atkinson, Amy Smart,
Brekin Meyer, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Jon Lovitz
Tagline
563 miles. 9 people. $2 million. 1001 problems!


23.
The Sixth Sense
In M. Night Shyalmalan's masterpiece thriller, a psychologist must help a little
boy, Cole, who believes he can see dead people. The ghosts don't know
they're dead, but Cole must find out why they haunt him. Excellent, filled with
suspense and intrigue.
Starring
Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis, and Toni Collette
Tagline
Not every gift is a blessing


24.
Airplane!
At 41,000 feet, the two pilots and the navigator are dead, and the
passengers are falling ill as well. It seems as though the only ones who can
save the dayare an ex-pilot who hasn't flown since the war, a stewardess,
and a wacky doctor. Despite its apparent seriousness, Airplane! is a
comedy that willleave you rolling on the floor laughing.
Starring
Robert Hays, Leslie Nielson, and Julie Hagerty
Tagline
What's slower than a speeding bullet, and able to hit tall buildings at a single bound?


25.
Blades of Glory
After being banned from Men's Singles Ice Skating for life, Chazz Michael
Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy must work together to be the first mens team
in the history of Pairs Ice Skating. It won't be easy, since Chazz and Jimmy
are polar opposites. This is Napolean Dynamite meets Talladega Nights. On
ice.
Starring
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder
Tagline
Kick some ice


26.
300
The Persians are hell-bent on ruling all of Greece, only Sparta stands in their
way of complete domination. King Leonides and only 300 faithful soldiers
stand up to the Persian army, numbering more than one million. Based on
Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300 is a gory, stunning, and stylized
Unmissable.
Starring
Gerard Butler and Lena Heady
Tagline
Prepare for glory


27.
Sin City
In the city of sin, trouble is brewing. A serial killer is on the loose, the fragile
peace between the prostitutes and the police is about to be broken, and the
only heroes are the worst of criminals. Sin City is based on Frank Miller's
graphic novel and is a stylized portrayal of true justice, honor, and loyalty.
Starring
Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Elijah Wood, Anthony Hopkins, Alexis Bledel, Rosario Dawson,
Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, and Mickey Rourke
Tagline
There is no justice without sin.


28.
Sleepy Hollow
In the town of Sleepy Hollow, a monster has awoken: The Headless
Horseman rides again, claiming the heads of those involved in a secret
conspiracy. Inspector Ichabod Crane is sent to investigate, but he must
uncover the truth before the Horseman comes for him. One the best Tim
Burton/Johnny Depp collaborations, full of thrills, chills, and plenty of morbid
humor.
Starring
Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Walken
Tagline
Heads will roll.

29.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
In the sleepy town of Endora, nothing much happens, especially for Gilbert
Grape, who must care for his obese mother and handicapped brother after
his father's death. When he meets Becky, everything changes and he begins
to see that life can be beautiful.
Starring
Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliette Lewis
Tagline
Living in Endora is like dancing to no music.


30.
Top Gun
Maverick is a student at Top Gun, the best flight school in the nation. He is
determined to live down his father's reputation and make a name for himself
as the best pilot in Top Gun history. But he won't get there without a little
help from his friends.Dramatic and funny.
Starring
Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis
Tagline
I feel the need, the need for speed.

Out of these last ten, I would especially recommend Sin City or Rat Race- completely opposite films, but superbly done. Second choices would be Sleepy Hollow and The Sixth Sense. (Or 300 if you like gore.)

The Unmissables Vol II

This is Vol. II, numbers 11-20, of the 100 movies you can't miss and must see.


11.
Braveheart
The story of how a man became a legend and how the Scottish people
fought back against tyranny.
Starring
Mel Gibson


12.
Lord of the Rings, the Trilogy
Join Frodo, Aragorn, and their friends as they embark upon an epic
adventure to fight for good and destroy evil forever. Based upon the beloved
masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkein.
Starring
Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortenson, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, and Ian McKellen


13.
A Beautiful Mind
A mathematician, possibly the most brilliant in the country, finds himself at
odds with his own mind. Will he overcome, or will madness consume him?
Starring
Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly


14.
Last Samurai
When American military captain Nathan Algren is recruited to train the
Japanese army to fight against the uprising Samurai, he never could have
dreamed that it was his destiny to become one of them.
Starring
Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe


15.
Garden State
A young man returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral. He must come
to terms with his father, whom he hasn't spoken to in ten years. When he
meets a girl named Sam, he may just realized that life is worth the living.
Starring
Zach Braff and Natalie Portman


16.
Titanic
This heartwrenching tragedy is seen through the eyes of Jack and Rose, two
passengers on the great oceanliner, Titanic. They find themselves madly in
love with each other although their social status forbids such union. Will love
triumph?
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet


17.
Chocolat
When a woman and her daughter come to town to open a chocolate shop,
the townspeople find that such sinful temptation will teach them about love,
acceptance, and forgiveness.
Starring
Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, and Johnny Depp


18.
War of the Worlds
Aliens are attacking the earth, and it's one man's mission to keep he and his
family both alive and together.
Starring
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, and Justin Chatwin

19.
Pay It Forward
A class assignment to better the world becomes a nation-wide movement.
One boy decided to change someone's life for the better and instead of
asking for a favor in return, he asked that the favor be passed forward.
Starring
Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Jim Caviezel

20.
Mission:Impossible
Ethan Hunt, a top spy for his agency, finds himself under suspicion of being a
mole. Hunt must discover the true mole before it's too late- without his
agency's help.
Starring
Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Jon Voight


Recommendations: Titanic, Braveheart, and A Beautiful Mind

The Unmissables (Vol. I)

The 1-10 of the 100 movies you MUST see in your lifetime. According to me.

1.
Boondock Saints
Two brothers are determined to rid Boston of its worst criminals, but they
must avoid the FBI agent hot on their trail.
Starring
Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, and Willem DaFoe.


2.
V for Vendetta
The hero is a terrorist who fights for freedom. The heroine is a girl uncertain
of where she stands in the fight.
Starring
Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, and Stephen Rea


3.
Forrest Gump
Forrest tells the story of America through his eyes; from JFK to Elvis to
Vietnam. All the while he is searching for his one true love, Jenny.
Starring
Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, and Gary Sinise


4.
The Notebook
The story of two young lovers, separated by time. The story is read to an old
woman by an old man in a nursing home. Dramatic and romantic.
Starring
Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, and James Garner


5.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
El Mariachi, his two partners, a corrupt government, an errant CIA agent,
and one too many lovers. Not to mention blackmail and betrayal. Love
hurts. But revenge is sweet.
Starring
Johnny Depp, Antonia Banderas, and Salma Hayek


6.
Gladiator
A Roman general is betrayed by a emperor, his family brutally murdered. He
He returns as a gladiator to seek revenge, defying emperor and empire.
Starring
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielson


7.
Snatch
Everyone, including ruthless hitmen, bumbling burglers, bare-knuckle boxers,
crooked collectors, and clever gypsies, are racing to possess a diamond
worth millions. The confusion makes for one of the most hilarious movies.
Starring
Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, and Stephen Graham


8.
Armageddon
Time is running out as a Texas-sized meteor heads for earth. The world
depends on a team of deep-core drillers who must nuke the meteor from the
inside.
Starring
Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thorton, Liv Tyler, and Ben Affleck


9.
Orange County
When his dreams of going to Stanford are shattered, Shaun Brumder sets out to put those dreams back together with the help of his brother and girlfriend.
Hilarity ensues.
Starring
Colin Hanks and Jack Black


10.
The Fifth Element
Far into the future, a corrupt bussinessman, Mr. Zorg, wants to destroy
Earth. It's up to a former military man, a clueless priest, a warrior princess,
and a clueless talk show host to save the day in the funniest action movie
you'll ever see.
Starring
Bruce Willis, Mila Jovovich, Chris Tucker, and Gary Oldman


The movies above all deserve at least four out of five stars. Superb acting, real plots, excellent storylines, comedy, drama, romance, and action. Stay tuned for the next ten!

Special Recommendations: Boondock Saints, Snatch, and Forrest Gump (And the Notebook.)

Cirque du Soleil

On April 13^th, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada, I received the opportunity to attend a performance by a world famous company. This company currently has five separate shows performing at five of the most luxurious casinos in Las Vegas, doing two performances a day. “Ka”, “O”, “Mystere”, “Zumanity”, and the Beatles “Love” are unbelievable presentations of the beauty of the human body, music, and interpretive dance by Cirque du Soleil (Serk doo So-LAY).

“Love” is a phenomenal Cirque du Soleil exhibition of grace and fluidity. Set to various Beatles songs (original tracks only), “Love” is a flurry of activity. Featuring “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, “While my Guitar Gently Weeps”, and “Yesterday”, dancers show their skill in more and more astonishing ways. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, think again, because Cirque du Soleil is about to bring out something so fantastical, you won’t believe your eyes.

Ethereal fairies descend from the heavens, octopi leap from the depths, Eleanor Rigby makes multiple appearances, and ever more colorful dancers emerge from the curtains. Blackbirds swoop overhead, hippies bounce away from policemen, and mourning lovers twist and tumble in ways you’ve never seen before. Nothing will prepare you for the spectacle that is Cirque du Soleil.

A true tribute to the Beatles and the phenomenon known as Beatlemania, Cirque du Soleil brings to the stage a performance that will blow your mind. The psychedelic colors and the classic rock with a twist highlight the dancing styles, which include (to name only a few) break dancing, stomping, and ballet, will take your breath away.

All in all, the Beatle’s “Love” performed by Cirque du Soleil is a performance no one should miss, Beatles fan or no. Afterwards, you’ll have to reassure yourself you haven’t been dreaming. Welcome to Cirque du Soleil.

Shooter

Wind speed, humidity, temperature, location, “even the rotation of the earth” are all important. No, this isn’t the weather channel, this is Shooter, an action film starring Mark Wahlburg, Michael Pena, and Danny Glover. Filled with eye-popping explosions, car chases, and gun fights, Shooter is a movie with a message: any problem you have, no matter how big or how small, can be solved with a really big gun.

Mark Wahlburg is Bob Lee Swagger, an ex-Special Operative who happens to be one of only a few snipers in the world who are capable of hitting a mark from over a mile away. When the government comes knocking on his door, asking him to foil a sniper’s plot to assassinate the president, Swagger is unknowingly framing himself. Realization hits and Swagger is off, running from the government he trusts, accused of a crime he tried to stop. The pressure mounts, a girl enters the picture, and so do lots of bad guys. Again and again Swagger proves the movie’s message right. Guns are the answer. Always.

Luckily, Shooter has a pretty good plot, excellent special effects, and superb acting to make it on the whole a good movie. When you think you have everything figured out, you’re probably wrong. Make a special trip to see this film because it’s definitely worth it.

The Epidemic

There is an epidemic in my school, a disease that creates a rotting stench in the air. As I walk down the halls I want to cover my nose and mouth because of the pungent fog that hangs low, but I refrain. This plague has destroyed lives, ruined relationships, and been the cause of countless cases of violence. This sickness has infected at least half of the student body of my school, but it affects everyone who crosses their paths.

This particular disease has appalling side effects, which include uncontrollable hate and violent outbursts. The epidemic has bee affecting my school since its inception and has now reached a critical stage: normalcy. The infection has survived so many generations and infected so many people that it has become second nature to this town to ignore its presence and turn a blind eye to the frightening side effects.

Many citizens attempt to rationalize the behavior of the infected. They try to pretend as though the contagion is not an issue that needs to be addressed. Instead, the infection is allowed to spread its vile filth unchecked. There is no vaccine to protect against the illness, nor is there any way to tell where it might strike next. Young and old, male and female can all be infected. No formal cure has been approved by the FDA, but it is my opinion that our only chance against this horrifying sickness is education.

You may be wondering what disease I’m talking about and why you have not been informed of such an epidemic. The disease is called racism, and it affects men and women of all nationalities.

Moving to rural Nevada has opened my eyes to the repulsive reality of this ailment. I try my hardest to show respect to those of all ethnicities and beliefs. I was stunned to discover that so few my age feel the same way. Here, the sad reality is this: anyone whose skin is dark, despite their true ethnicity, is stereotyped as a Mexican, and all others are labeled as racist, whether on not they truly are

This ugly disease brings nothing but hate and misery, yet those who even recognize its existence are too afraid to speak up. I, however, can no longer remain silent, but feel I must express my utter disgust for those who cling to their illness and refuse to open their eyes. So I charge you, reader, with this responsibility: If you are a follower, follow a leader who fights against this nauseating disease. And if you are a leader, be one of the few brave enough to stand up for what is right. And for all of you reading this- show some respect to your fellow human beings and have the courtesy to assign names where they belong. Don't prejudice yourself against the people who walk by you in the hall based on the color of their skin.

A Century Plus One

This letter was written to me by a woman whom I knew as Grammy Darling. She was one hundred and one years old when she wrote this letter, six months before her 102^nd birthday and her death. I met this great woman only twice, but I felt a connection to her because she was the only grandmother I had known at that point. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents had passed away. Grammy Darling was an amazing woman who had more than her fair share of incredible experiences under her belt. Born in 1900, she passed on in 2001. This is her New Year letter, in which she reminisces about the past 100 years that she had experienced, attached was the first and last letter she ever wrote to me.

A millennium has just flown by

A new one has begun

The world has altered a million ways

As be begin two thousand one.

Realizing the miracles of this century, it seems only a moment compared to the marvels and advancement of progress worldwide.

My daydreaming returns to the horse and buggy days- the open-air carriage that slowly sputtered over unpaved streets. Curtains with fasteners that hooked to the interior partially shielded the new invention from rain and breezes.

A fortunate few added crystal radio sets with earphones to their possessions

An electric light bulb dangled from a cord, which entered the room from the ceiling, offering the luxury of light that now replaced the oil lamp.

Intellectual geniuses were stretching their busy brains to create delicate flying machines to become airborne.

This mode of travel is now a convenient means of commuter travel plus circumventing the globe that has become too small.

Outer space is the challenge – even a man on the moon was a present day accomplishment toward exploring other planets.

And now we speak casually on a hand-phone via satellite.

May I expect in the future, space travel as a sport or hopping to another planet as a vacation holiday?

All this has been or is on the verge of accomplishing during the 100 years of my life, which includes a mere portion of the past millennium.

Dear Katy

It was taken quite a long time to answer your letters, which I appreciated, and how very pleased I am that you are taking an interest in cursive writing. I am proud of you!

My writing is not improving as it has become more difficult to write plus a problem with my vision. I was so pleased to hear from you.

I have been in the hospital again. This time- a virus which has left me quite weak. I must use my three-wheel walker at all times now and my trips are limited. It was a three-day “stay”. My apartment is fortunately close to the dining room where I take only my evening meal.

I expect the earthquake was quite an experience for you. It has been many years since I had experienced another. When I lived in El Salvador, we had many. San Salvador was called “Hammock Valley” then.

Thank you for your very thoughtful letters and I am so pleased to have known you.

Much love,

Grammy Darling (Elmamae Olsen)

Under the Knife

It's Saturday and I have an appointment with an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth extracted. I only have two, they're on the bottom. Unfortunately, the teeth are "impacted", meaning that they're facing sideways instead of straight up, and not only that, but they're growing that way and pressing on my other molars. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause all sorts of problems, cysts, infections, not to mention destroying other teeth. So I have to have them removed before any of that stuff happens. So far I've had a lot of toothaches in that select area in the back of my mouth, and some popping noises when I chewed, which is incredibly annoying. Most problematic, I get cramps on one side of my jaw. It usually happens when I'm chewing gum, and my jaw will just lock and I'll have this shooting pain up my jaw. It sucks. So anyway, I'm going to this oral surgeon guy to get them fixed.

My dad and I get there at 12:45, the time of my appointment, and then sit around for 45 minutes while the receptionist does nothing after checking us in. Finally a nurse comes out and takes me and my dad to a room. We sit there some more, then the nurse plays a video about informed consent. (If the patient doesn't know the risks of the operation they're about the have, the doctor is liable for any complications.) The video is incredibly cheesy, but it goes on and on about all of the awful things that my happen to me while I'm out. (ie. My jaw could be fractured, the nerve in my jaw could be damaged, other teeth might be ruined, I could get an infection, my face could be badly bruised, and oh yeah, I'm going to be in a hell of a lot of pain.

So I'm a little more nervous now, but the doctor puts me at ease. He lowers the chair back, and the nurse takes my right arm and takes my blood pressure and puts something on my finger to monitor my pulse. The doctor takes my left arm and straps it to the arm of the chair. I'm confused, but then I realize that he's about to insert the IV needle. I look away, but I can still hear the paper being torn off of the syringe. He tells me to make a fist like I'm going to punch someone. I do. Then he does a pretty good job of distracting me by asking me about my Christmas vacation. He says there will be a little sting, but I barely feel anything as he inserts the needle into my arm.

He tapes the needle to my arm, then turns around and connects the needle to the bag of fluid by a tube. I'm expecting the doctor to say something like, "Count backwards from ten" or, "you're feeling veeery sleepy", but neither he nor the nurse say anything. The nurse smears some vaseline on my lips so that they won't dry out too badly during surgery. She gives me an oxygen mask that only covers my nose. She tells me to open my mouth, and then she shoves something into my mouth, I can't remember what. The last thing I remember before I went out was her opening a glasses case and taking out a pair of glasses.

I remember nothing after that. I'm told they completed the surgery without complications, so no broken jaw or damaged nerves. I woke up in a different chair. I was pretty groggy, I think the nurse and my dad were talking to me, but I can't really remember what they said. My dad went out to get the car and pull it around to the back. The nurse helped me to the door because I felt like I was gonna pass out. I got out to the car okay, and my dad and I started driving home. I was fine for about half of the car ride. The lower half of my face was so numb, i could feel anything. I thought my face was wet, but I guess that's a common reaction to the anesthesia.

The second half of the car ride was terrible. The numbness was beginning to wear off, and we hadn't gotten the Vidcodin the doctor prescribed, so I could feel my jaw just fine. Let me try to explain the pain to you so you can understand. It felt like someone had ripped open my gums with their fingernails, ripped my teeth out with a pair of pliers, then sewed them back up with fishing line. After that someone had smashed my forehead with a hammer and given me a strong right hook to the jaw. I was hungry (you can't eat/drink 8 hours prior to surgery) and thirsty, and even the Starbucks frappe tasted bad because it was mixing with the blood still coming from my gums.

When we got home I had some of the Vicodin and promptly threw it back up. Apparently nausea is one of the side effects. So it's straight motrin and ibuprofen for me. I'm feeling much better now that I have pain killers in me. My jaw is still pretty stiff and I can't open my mouth very wide because it still hurts, but all in all I'm okay.

The End.

Guess What I'm Craving?

I enter the restaurant of my choice tonight, Morton’s, and leave the noxious smells of the street behind There are dozens of people waiting already, but I’m not too worried. A hostess, as well as dozens of delicious smells greets me. The smells are an augur of the wonders to come. The hostess asks if I am alone, and I reply to the affirmative. Without looking up from her clipboard, she informs me wearily that the wait will be as long as forty-five minutes. I nod agreeably, but she doesn’t see because her head is still ducked close to the clipboard. She asks for my name, and when I give it, she perks up. Immediately, she reaches for a menu and tells me that she’s sure she can find something for me. I smile, thanking her for her consideration.

She leads me through a bevy of tables. The sight of succulent steak and palatable mashed potatoes with sautéed asparagus assaults me. Morton’s has some of the finest gourmet cuisine in the United States. Fresh dough for rolls is flown in everyday from Texas. Morton’s employs only the best chefs. The beef these chefs use is not just any meat; it comes from the finest meatpackers in Chicago. After this premium beef is procured it is aged for a period of two weeks, allowing it time to become naturally tender.

Needless to say, Morton’s is famous for its incredible steaks, and I cannot wait to get one bite into my watering mouth. The head chef himself leaves his station in the kitchen to welcome me, and to my delight, he does not come alone. He rolls a cart along with him, which has a beautiful display of raw, crimson steak. I let my eyes rove over the selection before choosing one that is the perfect thickness with the right amount of marbling. The chef murmurs his assent before rolling the cart back to the kitchen.

As I wait for my steak, I munch on a warm roll and sip icy water. As I watch the waitresses go back and forth from the kitchen with steak after juicy, dripping steak, I can hardly stand it. The scents issuing forth from the kitchen are divine. I am about to stand up from my seat and burst into the kitchen when a waiter appears. He carries with him a tray, and on the tray? My filet mignon, cooked to perfection, mashed red potatoes with butter, and those wonderful asparagus. I am in heaven.

Slowly, I torture myself further by carefully cutting a small piece of steak away from the rest. I impale this piece on my fork and carefully bring it toward my mouth. I can feel it in my mouth, though it is not there. I can feel the juice running down my throat. I can feel the warmth of the steak and the release of flavor mixing with my saliva.

The steak is almost in my mouth, when out of nowhere, my mother appears. She stands next to me, her hands on her hips, and cries, “What are you doing still here? Get out of bed!” Confused, I look around, but Morton’s is melting away. The smells and the steak I was about to enjoy are now gone, replaced by the drab colors of my room. It was a wonderful dream all the same, I suppose. I smile to myself as I catch a whiff of that warm steak.

American Culture

American Culture is so weird, you know? Our children believe that a fat guy slides down their chimney once a year to give them presents. If that's not weird, I don't know what is. What's with the Easter bunny, you know? What about the tooth fairy. I mean, what strange and odd things Americans value. A fat dude, a giant bunny, a someone who steals your teeth in the middle of the night. Kind of says something about our country. We're a country of people who eat out all the time. We watch television, we spend time on the internet.

When was the last time you picked up a book? Kids these days don't care about literature. What will happen to greats like Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas? How many people reading this entry even recognize those names? What will happen to classics like "Pride and Prejudice" and "A Tale of Two Cities"? Who will read "The Man in the Iron Mask" or "The Count of Monte Christo"? I very much doubt that any of today's youth have read those books, it's unlikely that they've even seen the movie. Authors like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George Owell are forgotten in the new world of science fiction and fantasy begun by Rowling and Paolini. What will happen to Chaucer, Homer, and Shakespeare? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, O'Henry, and Agatha Christie are lost among a myriad of contemporary mystery authors. John Steinbeck is known only as a cursed name by high school students "forced" to read his masterpieces.

Art is disappearing into a black hole. Who painted the Sistine Chapel? Who carved the David? Who painted Madonna on the Rocks and the Last Supper? What about the Mona Lisa? Do you have any idea who built the Guggenheim? Do you even know what that is? Quick, tell me who painted Starry Night! You don't know, do you?

Art and Literature cannot be appreciated by a generation who has no interest, no knowledge, and no hunger for such things.


Am I the only one?

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire was a master at what he did. His elegance and grace have never, and could never, be matched by another dancer. Astaire brought charm to film and a delightfulness to song. Fred Astaire was a singer and an actor, but most of all an dancer. The fluidity to his dance numbers is awe-inspiring. The key to Astaire's success was that he made his dances look easy. An incredible amount of strength is necessary to dance like he did, but Astaire made each number a masterpiece. Watching his movements, the perfection of each step, the grace of his hands, is something so beautiful it's hard to take in.

If you're interested seeing beauty interpreted through dance by one of the greatest dancers to ever set foot on a stage, I would encourage you to look into Fred Astaire's collection of movies. I highly recommend his films with Ginger Rogers, but especially "Top Hat", "Swing Time", "Shall We Dance", and "Follow the Fleet". With a signature smile, and his regular top hat and tails, Astaire is astounding in each of the above films.

Tap and ballroom, ballet and swing are encompassed in his dances. In "Shall We Dance" a scene that took 150 takes, in which Astaire and Ginger tap with a twist-in roller skates. In "Carefree" A scene in which Astaire taps-with golf balls. Two weeks and six hundred golf balls later, the scene was finished. In "Follow the Fleet" Astaire and Rogers raise the roof with the song-and-dance number "Let's Face the Music and Dance". In "Swing Time" both a gorgeous tap tribute to Bojangles and one of Astaire and Ginger's most amazing dance numbers ever choreographed, which appears effortless after 350 hours of rehearsals. Each one of Astaire's performances is utterly delightful and, as always, incredibly beautiful and astoundingly choreographed.

In tribute to one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen, I salute you, Mr. Fred Astaire.

"Can't act...can't sing...balding...can dance a little"-review of Fred Astaire's first screen test

I'm Speaking Out

Dear Teachers, Staff, and Administration of Albert M. Lowry High School:

I feel that my classes are not fair in grading students. I put in about twice the amount of work as my fellow students, yet even those who put in no effort to their projects receive an equal or better grade.

Some classes (ie. Spanish classes and social studies classes) are ridiculously easy. This allows students who do not understand the material to receive a passing grade. This passing grade sends the student on to the next level when the student has not really learned anything from the class at all.

Cheating at Lowry is rampant. Teachers know it, but are often incapable of proving the fact, or they do not care. Students know it and see it, but never speak up to tell someone. As a student, I have often been approached before a test and asked if I will allow someone to cheat off me. I have always replied to the negative, but that doesn't prevent the student from cheating off of someone else. I know students who regularly copy homework from someone else and cheat on tests, but I don't know what to do about it or who to say something to. If teachers really want to make cheating more difficult, they should appeal to the students.

Winnemucca has a reputation. It's town of drug-abusers. Most of these drug-abusers are students. Teachers often see this and do nothing. Or, in most cases, students walk across the street to smoke their pot, putting them off school property and out of the school's jurisdiction. I opt for a closed campus. Not only will this allow the school to benefit because students must eat on campus and most will buy their lunches, but a closed campus would also keep drug-abusers and smokers from leaving campus for their habits.

Fighting is common at Lowry; there is at least one everyday. Teachers are often not privy to the information of the whereabouts of the fights, but I don't know how they could possibly be blind to the fact that there is fighting. Oftentimes, teachers respond slowly, and arrive on the scene long after a fight is over. Other times, teachers are afraid to come between two students because they are afraid of being hurt. If this is the case, teachers should get help, not just stand there and watch helplessly. If the teacher believes the fight will be over by the time he or she comes back, the teacher should send a student.

Less fighting, fewer druggies and smokers, and less cheating will make for a better learning environment for students such as myself who would actually like to learn something in school. Teachers must take the initiative and make some radical changes. I don't know if this means interrupting your lives to help students, or changing the system, or employing a closed campus, but something needs to be done. The students of Lowry High School, and I, depend on you.
I appreciate a chance to voice my opinions.

Sincerely,

Katy

Letter to the President

Dear Sir:

I am seriously concerned for the future of our country. Just the other day I was informed that you had signed a new space policy stating that the United States has given itself the right to deny people access to outer space if they deem said people to be hostile to U.S. interests. Sir, the United States cannot own space. It is space. One doesn't own it, one can shoot astronauts into it, orbit satellites in it, or launch probes into it, but one simply cannot own space. The other day a man paraded an elephant an a mariachi band back and forth across the mexican border, and didn't get caught. How is it possible for the United States to regulate who enters and exits outer space, Sir?

By saying that space now belongs to us, the United States is displaying a dangerous amount of arrogance. This arrogance is exactly what makes Americans believe that everyone in the world speaks English, rides in airplanes, and drinks from the faucet. This arrogance, therefore, is also a pathetic show of ignorance and a ridiculous grasping of straws. The United States government has trouble controlling its own country, let alone many other countries around the world. We cannot also govern space.

Ignorant people make for a country of ignorance, Mr. President, that should be pretty self-explanatory. Sir, please make an effort to reduce the amount of blind ignorance that shrouds this country. Please attempt to be a leader in humility instead of arrogance. Practice peace, not warmongering. Show respect in place of condescension. Model leadership, instead of idiocy. And please realize, Sir, that I mean this letter with all due respect. And please realize that the respect that is due you, Sir, is draining into the hole you've dug yourself.

Sincerely,

Me

Abracadabra

"The Prestige" will dazzle you. It will show you the impossible and you'll love it. It will impress you. It will flabbergast you. You will sit in the theater after having seen it and try to figure out what you just saw. You will want to run back to the ticketbooth and buy another ticket to watch it again. You will want to watch it again, to catch it. One question will haunt you. Was it magic?

"Prestige" is certainly movie magic, there is no doubt about that. After having waited in anticipation for many months for "Prestige", I was pleased to have it exceed my expectations. Starring Christian Bale ("Batman"), Hugh Jackman (Wolverine from "X-Men"), Scarlett Johansson (The Island), Rebecca Hall, and Michael Caine (Secondhand Lions, Alfred from "Batman"), "Prestige" is certainly filled with prestigious people. The cast also include Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis (Gollum), and David Bowie.

Chris Bale and Jackman play two magicians who begin as friends, but the friendship turns to obsessive rivalry when tragedy strikes. Bale is obviously the better magician, but Jackman has flair. When Bale performs "the greatest magic trick he's ever seen", Jackman decides to get even and the make a name for himself at the same time. Their hatred for each other puts Bale's wife and child and Scarlett Johansson in the middle of it all. The danger increases and the intensity rises as the men make attempt after attempt to outwit the other.

Chris Bale and Michael Caine had the most impressive acting, and I loved every minute they were on camera. That's not to say that Johansson and Jackman aren't great too. Surprisingly, Bowie gives a pretty good performance, not at all reminiscient of "The Labyrinth", which is a relief.

According to Caine's character, "Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called "The Pledge"; The magician shows you something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn"; The magician makes his ordinary some thing do something extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before."

The magician of this movie is the director, and the actors who make his film come alive. When you see "The Prestige", you will see something shocking you've never seen before. You will look for the secret, but you won't find it. Because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. Interestingly enough, movies, just like illusions, consist of three acts. "The Prestige" converts a film into a magic trick. If you think you have it all figured out, think again. Because the only parts you've seen are the Pledge and the Turn. The Prestige is still to come.

Survey #10

Survey Question 10-3-06: The real reason we invaded Iraq was terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), neither, or both?

Number of surveyed: 84

Guys: Terrorists 5%
WMDs 5%
Neither 39%
Both 50%

Girls: Terrorists 10%
WMDs 15%
Neither 23%
Both 52%

Totals: Terrorists 8%
WMDs 11%
Neither 30%
Both 63%

Unfortunately, considering that the Iraqis do not have WMDs, never had WMDs, and never will have WMDs, and the 9/11 tragedy had nothing to do with Iraq and everything to do with a terrorist network called Al Qeda, our country really invaded Iraq for no reason at all. Very few people who said neither actually thought our invasion was for good reason. Most of them just hate Bush, but a few said, "We went to IRaq to set up a new government for them."

Just think about that for a minute. It is any of our business what other people's governments are like. It is not our business to replace all monarchies, dictatorships, etc. with democracies. If we were going to replace a government with our own, why not Cuba's? Cuba's DICTATOR, Fidel Castro, has been ruling in that country for how long? Here's another example: Darfur. Darfur is a region in Sudan, which is in Africa. An ethnic cleansing is going on in Darfur. FOr those of you who don't understand the term "ethnic cleansing", think Hitler and the Holocaust. A radical Muslim group is forcing the Christians and those who practice traditional African religions out of the country. The key word there is "force". This force involves raiding, burning and pillaging defenseless villages. Kidnapping children and forcing them to watch their parents be killed. Giving the kidnapped orphans guns and forcing them to shoot people. Using children as sex slaves.

The whole world has just sat back and watched this atrocity go on. And America, the self-named "peacekeepers of the world" have ignored it too. We can't just leave Iraq, it's too late for that. But doesn't this speak volumes about the US priotities and values? Doesn't this make you think twice about our government and our goals as a country?

Is anyone else crying for Darfur? Is anyone else speaking out? I am.

Survey #9

Survey Question 10-2-06: Do you think our country is doing the right thing in Iraq or do you agree with the Iraq War?

Number of surveyed: 98

Location: Lowry

Guys: YES 38%
NO 49%
NUETRAL 13%

Girls: YES 19%
NO 53%
NUETRAL 28%

Totals: YES 30%
NO 51%
NUETRAL 19%


At last, survey results that please. Most of those who voted neutral didn't know enough about the Iraq War to choose anything different. Many people said yes and then when I asked why told me that the Iraqis had bombed our towers, so of course we were going after them! I would close my eyes and slowly shake my head and then inform them that no one bombed us, and the Iraquis hadn't produced those terrorists, nor harbored them. Confused, they would attempt to argue, but it was no use. "Why did we declare war on them?" They'd ask, and I had no answer for them. Is there an answer to that question? A justifiable, reasonable answer for the war in Iraq? You tell me because I can't think of one.

Survey #8

Survey Question 9-29-06: Can you name the 8 continents?

Number of surveyed: 52

Location: Lowry

The Results:

Guys: YES 48%
NO 33%
There's 7 19%

Girls: YES 32%
NO 23%
There's 7 45%

Totals: YES 48%
NO 27%
There's 7 35%

Does this make any of you think twice? Considering that there are only 7 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica) it should. Girls spotted the trick question from a mile away, but it took guys forever to figure it out. I had to tell them to count those continents again. Usually they said Africa twice. Or named the North Pole or India or Canada. Sadness, eh?

Survey #7

Survey Question 9/28/06: Of these three actors, whose autograph would you get?

Number of surveyed: 67

Location: Lowry

The Results:

Guys: Johnny Depp 30%
Samuel L. Jackson 63%
Orlando Bloom 7%

Girls: Johnny Depp 60%
Samuel L. Jackson 8%
Orlando Bloom 30%

Grand Totals: Johnny Depp 50%
Samuel L. Jackson 30%
Orlando Bloom 20%

This survey proves that guys will choose the macho action hero over everything else. Girls on the other hand will choose the cute, smooth, and romantic. AKA, Johnny Depp. Poor Orlando Bloom got slammed by all the guys I talked to. He ended up getting about 14 votes in all to Johnny Depp's 32. I voted for Mr. Depp.

Survey #6

Survey question 9/27/06: Beatles or Rolling Stones, which is better?
Number of surveyed people: 122
Location: Lowry

Guys: 36% Beatles
29% Rolling Stones
11% Both
25% Neither

Girls: 47% Beatles
24% Rolling Stones
10% Both
18% Neither


Making for the grand totals of:

40% Beatles
27% Rolling Stones
11% Both
22% Neither

Sadly, classic rock has lost much of its appeal. And just as sad, the majority of the girls had no idea who The Beatles were. When I mentioned Paul McCartney they understood, but they didn't recognize The Beatle's name. How unfortunate, how much they're missing out on.

Survey #5

Question: Do you think Timbuktu is a real place?
Number of surveyed people: 121
Boys: YES 73%
NO 27%

Girls: YES 72%
NO 28%

Total: YES 73%
NO 27%

Well at least we know something about geography. Timbuktu, also spelled TOMBOUCTOU, is a city in the West African nation of Mali. (source: http://thesalmons.org/lynn/wh-timbuktu.html just in case you'd like to read more about it)

Survey #4

Question: Of these three TV shows, which would you rather watch, Simpsons, 24, or Lost?

Location: Lowry H.S.

The Results:

Boys

Simpsons: 72%
24: 4%
Lost: 8%
None: 16%


Girls

Simpsons: 44%
24: 5%
Lost: 34%
None: 16%


Totals

Simpsons: 56%
24: 5%
Lost: 23%
None: 16%

This most scientific over surveys serves to point out that teenagers are much more interested in the rude and crude than in the suffering of others, or government or politics. And just think, in a few years these teenagers will be voting for our next President, signing papers, driving cars. You parents and teachers out there: These are your kids. I sometimes feel responsible for the education of my peers. But in reality, that's your responsibility. You are sending your kids out into the world knowing everything there is to know about crude jokes, fashion, and movies, but without any opinions of their own. Children go out into the world, not knowing anything about politics or our government. As Happy Bunny says: "Kids are the future. Frightened?"



Because you should be.



Am I the only one who sees this disastrous future looming over us?

Be afraid. Fear for the future. And use that fear to do something constructive. Teach us something. Please.

I am ashamed of my fellow students, of my peers, of my generation. Will we learn nothing? And go out into the world to do nothing?

Your blushing blogger,

Katy

Survey #3

Survey question 9/21/06: Do you know the first Disney Princess, Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty? Number of peopled surveyed: 92. Location: Lowry H.S.

Guys:

24% Cinderella
42% Snow White
33% Sleeping Beauty


Girls

47% Cinderella
34% Snow White
19% Sleeping Beauty


Making for the grand total of:

39% Cinderella
37% Snow White
24% Sleeping Beauty.

My very scientific survey proves that because of Cinderella's media coverage and the numerous rehashes of the Brothers Grimm's story, it has become most famous. Sleeping Beauty was thought by a few, very passionate believers to be the first, but as it turns out, the majority of voters were wrong. Snow White was in fact the first Disney Princess, being released in 1937. Cindrella followed thirteen years later in 1950, and Sleeping Beauty nine years after that in 1959.

Tomorrow's survey question and its result will be posted tomorrow on this blog as well as on my myspace blog. See the sidebar links to go to my myspace.

Survey #2

Today's survey question was, "Can you name the current vice president of the United States?" Out of 204 people, here are the results: Men: 58% YES 42% NO Women 45% YES 56% NO Making for the grand total of: 51% said YES 49% said NO Tomorrow's survey question and its result will be posted tomorrow on this blog as well as on my myspace blog. See the sidebar links to go to my myspace. Your favorite surveyor who still faithfully blogs, Katy

Survey #1

For the last few days, my sister and I have been taking a different survey everyday. It started out pretty silly. We asked about 15 people throughout the day if they knew where Genovia was, or if they were afraid of sunlight. By the way, Genovia is a nonexistent country in the movie Princess Diaries. Anyway, today I decided to ask people if they considered themselves to be beautiful (or good-looking for the guys). I approached around 163 people and asked them the above question. I received 162 "yes"s, "no"s, and "not sure"s. And one, "What the heck to I care?". But anyway. Here are the results:

Men:

58% YES
32% NO
9% NOT SURE


Women

54% YES
32% NO
11% NOT SURE


Making for the grand total of:

57% said YES
32% said NO
12% said NOT SURE

I'll post the results of tomorrow's survey tomorrow. Please leave comments on whether or not you consider yourself to be beautiful or good looking, and especially ideas for other survey questions.

Your blogger-and-now-recent-surveyor,

Katy

My Dream Guy

Do you guys out there want to know what women want? Are you dying to understand the woman's psyche? Would you kill for a chance inside a girl's head, to figure out exactly what they want from you? Well here's you chance. A look inside my head. Your chance to find out what I'm looking for.

My perfect guy has a great personality. He is funny and charming, he always has a comeback and he loves to tease. Dream Guy is sweet and romantic. He buys me a dozen roses on my birthday and signed the card, "with love". This Guy cares about me. He's not just looking for a pretty face, but he actually cares about me.

When we cuddle on the couch and watch a movie, he puts his arm around me and we eat popcorn, and drink sodas, and laugh at all the right parts and cry when the hero dies. When we watch something scary he lets me hold his hand and laughs when I close my eyes. When I get scared, he holds me tight as I clutch his arm tightly and bury my face in his shoulder. This guy knows when to talk and when to be quiet during a movie. If he was one step over perfect, he might even watch The Notebook with me. :)

Dream Guy is well-read. Reading might not be his favorite past time, but he has read a wide variety of books and knows who I'm talking about if I say C.S. Lewis or JRR Tolkein or Orson Scoot Card or Victor Hugo. Dream Guy will let me retell the entire storyline of the book I just read.

When I come to school in the morning, he's there with a coffee in his hand. He knows that I like it with plenty of milk and sugar, and that even though he may prefer it black, I don't. He hands me the coffee and asks me how I am. He tells me how great I look, even if I don't. Whether I've showered or not, he'll tell me that I smell nice, and we'll smile at each other.

This Dream Guy takes care of me. He knows my favorite foods and my favorite kinds of movies. He knows my favorite color and the title of my favorite book, the name of my favorite authors, my locker number and combo, and any other details about me. This information doesn't come from Dream Guy becoming my stalker. We've gotten to know each other over time, and I tell him secrets and things about me because I trust him.

I know his locker and combo too and we leave messages for each other inside. On my birthday, he comes to one of my classes with a cupcake and a candle and singshappy birthday to me. That day is awesome. He has decorated my locker and gives me a roses and a box of my favorite chocolates. I grin and know I've picked a great guy.

He's willing to embarass himself for me. He stands up for me and holds my hand. If I'm having a bad day, he knows how to comfort me. If I'm depressed he knows how to lift me up. If I'm angry, he can calm me down.

This guy is no ordinary guy. He is probably taller than me and he probably has beautiful eyes and a cute nose. Most likely he dresses well. But I don't really know. This Dream Guy, this Mystery Man is just that. A Mystery. I don't know when I'll meet him or if I already have met him. Maybe I talk to him everyday in the hall but don't know who is is quite yet. Like I said, I don't know. I might find him now, or I might find him later. But what I do know is that he is out there. And he's looking for me.

Life

It's going okay lately, I'm not too swamped with homework, although my English teacher gives me enough homework for six classes.

I like almost all of my teachers. Mrs. Dawson. my English teacher, is (surprisingly) a woman after my own heart, and I really appreciate having a kindred spirit near. Mrs. Grady is my Spanish teacher, and she's pretty awesome. We both share a pet peeve: the incorrect pronunciation of Spanish words. Then for Art II I've got Mr. Anderson, who's totally the best art teacher ever. I learned so much and improved so much last year that I made sure I signed up for a class with him. Fourth period is Biology, and Mrs. Doyle teaches that. She's pretty laid back and she's not big on tests or quizzes, so Biology, which I expected to be hard, is actually pretty easy. I have Algebra 2 for fifth with Mr. Conner. Mr. Conner is a different sort of teacher, with a lazy, comfortable classroom atmosphere. It's a nice break really. After lunch, which is after fifth, I've got World Geography, taught by a Mr. Stotler. I find him to be one of the most irritating teachers I've ever had. Half of the time he calls me Kathy, which drives me mad, and he calls the girl I sit next to "izzle" when her name is actually "Izell". Anyway, I won't go on, but the list of complaints about Mr. Stotler is sadly quite long. Seventh is PE, which is not fun. All we do is run around and do stretches and play weird games. Plus it's taught by Mrs. Millikan (I'm not even gonna go there) and there's a bunch of incredibly annoying guys in the class.

I'm going to be helping at WCF with an overnighter girl's discipleship event. It's called Girls Growing Up, and it sounded cute. There's a different theme every year, and this year the theme is Girls on a Mission. So I get to dress up like a spy and run around to Mission Impossible music. Cool, huh?

My brothers filmed a movie lately, and I got to meet some people and make some friends. Hi to Vance aand Brett! Brett and I were joking at the soccer match yesterday (The first soccer match I've ever seen) and so now my friends call him my fake husband. I'm not really exactly sure why. But that's okay.

I can't believe how much better I'm able to handle my homework load this year. I think I have way more homework than last year, but it doesn't seem like it. I'm able to work faster in class, and I get some of it done at lunch or right after school while I'm waiting to be picked up.

I've got to do my health now, so I'll catch ya later, my word-starved readers!

Katy

School

School starts t0morrow. I'm excited, nervous, and pretty blah-ed. I'm excited to start in on my English class again, and I'm nervous about Biology. I'm blah-ed/annoyed that school is starting again though, I wish summer could go on forever.

I need to finish my online health class from BYU, and make up a log to log 90 hours of Phys. Ed. that I did last year, 60 of which I spent skiing. 10 days of skiing, 6 hours a day. Another 30 hours and I'll be done with that.

Registration was last Wednesday, and afterward Mary, I, and a few friends met at Burger King for lunch and to hang out and compare schedules. I'm really looking forward to seeing the drama team's work this year, because a couple of my friends are on the team. I think I'll try out next year, but I don't know if I can think of a two-minute monologue, let alone memorize it. Actually, I think I could, I just don't know if I could perform it.

I'm also taking a couple of classes I didn't know I was taking. Scratch Advanced Web Design and put in World Geography, and instead of Art I I'll be taking Art II. Apparently, Mr. Anderson, my art teacher, recommended that I be advanced to Art II and completely skip Art I! So that's pretty cool.

This is the end of my entry about school. I don't even want to think about it until tomorrow morning. I'm getting up at 6:15 so that I can take a shower and do my hair (which I had cut on Saturday) and eat a donut and some coffee, and do my make up and get dressed and get out of the house by 7:15 so that I can walk my sister to her first class, and drop my stuff at my locker and get to my first class on time. And that's that.

Your absolutely favorite blogger who needs a lot of sleep tonight and a lot of prayers tomorrow,

Katy

Camp

Wow, I haven't written in a while. At least this time I have a good excuse. The last two weeks have been insane. On the 11th, I got up at five o' clock in the morning, my mom drove me to the airport at 5:30, we arrived around six, I walked through security at 6:30, and was on the plane by 7:00 AM. The plane took off right on time, I had a wonderful flight, and arrived at SeaTac at the projected time of 8:35. A couple of friends of mine, who happen to be the nurse and his wife of the camp I was going to, picked me up and drove me to Lacey. We met up with the rest of the Christiand and Missionary Alliance Camp (CAMA Camp) staff at Lacey Community Church, had a meeting about policy and rules and such, got our pictures taken for our IDs, and basically got to know each other.

Just driving through Washington, seeing the trees, it was awesome. More than that, I felt alive again. I hitched a ride with Darin, who was also drving Andrea and Malia. It wasn't too far from the church. We mostly talked about nothing. When we got to Millersylvania, where CAMA Camp is, we all got ready for the next day.

Tami and I had 7 girls in our cabin: Michelle, a small girl with a gigantic vocabulary; Molly, a girl from my old church, SPCC; Amy, an outgoing and take-charge kind of girl; Carli, the daughter of my old music pastor; Jackie, who accepted Christ at camp; Mariah, a shy, homesick girl; and Megan, the talkative one. They were all great. We only had one fight between two of them, and it was resolved with a simple apology.

I had an amazing time at camp. Bill, the music pastor from SPCC, was there to lead morning worship and staff devotions. Two of the children's pastors from SPCC were there, Harry to do chalk talks, and Duane is the camp director. Kelly from HomeLink was there to lead evening worship for the kids. There were so many people from SPCC there, it was so awesome to see everyone again.

I've been to CAMA Camp twice as a camper, once as a kitchen staff, and now as a CIT. I hope to go back next year as a counselor. CAMA Camp has always been a huge growing experience in my faith. And this time was no different. I thought about God every second of every day. I thought about being an example to these young kids at camp. I thought about shining God's light and about loving my girls. I thought about making good decisions quickly and keeping my kids safe. I thought about praising God and thanking him for such an opportunity as this. CAMA Camp was an amazing experience for me. And it will continue to be.

The schoolyear is fast upon us and I pray that as we go into our schools and classrooms, as we walk the halls and chat with our friends; I pray that as we sit in the cafeteria, as we answer questions in class, and as we write research papers and essays, that we would be mindful of our actions and thoughts. Think about what God would have you do. Think of every minute as an opportunity to be a light in a world that is fast decending into darkness. Be a light in this dark world. Be a sparkler among matches. Strive for exccellence in every area of your life. Put your priorities in order. Put God first. Keep your eyes on the goal. Let people see the difference between you and others. Be careful in what you say. Be cautious in what you do. Be strong in standing up for yourself, for others, and for God. Be persevering in reaching others. Be defiant in resisting Satan.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, stand firm.


Your sister in Christ,

Katy

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
-Philippians, 4:8

Books

Here's a list of books that I've read lately:

The Client, by John Grisham
The Runaway Jury, by John Grisham
Hart's Hope, by Orson Scott Card
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by W. Shakespeare
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

NOW READING:
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

NEXT ON THE LIST:
Hart's War, by John Katzenbach
Twelfth Night, by W. Shakespeare
As you Like it, by W. Shakespeare

I'll update this list every once in a while. Every month or six months or something. I just finish Huck Finn and Mice and Men, which I was reading as summer A.P. English work. Just to let you know, both are insanely good. Steinbeck is so great at creating characters. If you like his stuff, I'd also recommend The Pearl, because it's a great story; short, too-you can finish it in two sittings max. Mark Twain is incredibly funny. As you read Huck Finn, the plans and plots become so elaborate, so ridiculously convoluted, it's hilarious. Actually, the best part begins when Tom Sawyer shows up. Kind of ironic, considering it's a book about Huckleberry Finn.

Beauty

I've been thinking about beauty a lot lately. Here's what I've decided:

Beauty has nothing to do with perfection

Beauty is found in the extraordinary

Sometimes the extraordinary can be found in an ordinary shell.

Sometimes the ordinary masquerade as something extraordinary.

Everything and everyone has the potential to be beautiful, but that doesn't mean it is.

Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms.

Death does not change beauty.

School

Well, I'm going back to school on the 28th of August. I'm pretty nervous, because I'll be taking on a full load of seven classes, plus a few really difficult classes. Here's the classes I'm taking and my thoughts:

AP English II (or Honors English II):

I got into this class automatically, I didn't have to take a test, because I had an A in AP Eng. I. Advanced Placement English II is considered to be one of the more difficult classes to take as a sophomore. Summer work included reading Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Both were great books, I really enjoyed them, and I would recommend both for any avid reader. For Huck Finn I need to pick a quotation from each chapter and then explain why it represents what the chapter is about. The Mice and Men work is a bit more involved. I have to identify the symbolic images used in the story and explain them (both of which I am terrible at), and analyze the character development of the two main characters. I'm almost done with both assignments.
Teacher: Mrs. Dawson
Length: 2 semesters

Biology:

In my freshman year, I took Physical Science I, which is a one-semester class. Phy. Science I and II are the prerequisites for Biology. This is a class that I'm pretty worried about, considering that I have no idea what everyone else learned about in Phys. Sci. II. This class threatens to be more than challenging.
Possible teachers: Mr. Storm, Mrs. Pasquale
Length: 2 semesters

Art I:

At last, a class I'm actually looking forward to! Most student take Art I in their freshman year, but I took Basic Drawing instead. I'm glad I did, it was an awesome class, I learned a lot, and I was able to meet some new peoples. Back to Art I. While Basic Drawing was about drawing (gasp! what a surprise), Art I will encompass various techniques, principle of design, and color theory. Art I is a prerequisite for almost all other art classes.
Possible teachers: Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Anderson
Length: 2 semesters

Spanish I:

Spanish I is an introduction to the language. The class will involve writing, speaking, and listening. Spanish culture will also be incorporated into the curriculum. I'm not sure this class will be easy, but because of my history with Spanish-speaking, I think this will be a good class.
Teacher: Mrs. Godinez
Length: 2 semesters

Advanced Web Design:

I will be building and maintaining a site for a teacher, club, sport, or other school. Real world expreience is the idea. I'll get to use programs like Dreamweaver and Fireworks, and use other scripts besides HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language), such as JavaScript. I took Web Design I last year and really enjoyed it. I was given an award for my outstanding performance (which really means that I built a cool-looking website with 25-pages instead of the required 3 pages). I'm thinking about being a Teachers Assistant for Web I in a couple years.
Teacher: Mr. Espinola
Length: 2 semesters

Algebra 2:

Math. What else is there to say? Next year is Pre-cal, and my senior year, Calculus.
Possible Teachers: Mrs. Knight, others

Phys. Ed:

I didn't take it last year, so I'll be taking it this year, and then we'll fill out a log that says I did so many hours of P.E. so that I can get credit for last year. Believe me, three ski trips of skiing all day, everyday, is a lot of exercise.
Length: 2 semesters


Right now I'm taking an online health class from Brigham Young University, to get credit for that class. I'm going to try to find a driver's ed class somewhere too. The only available driver's ed class is from the college here in town, and it's an online class. My parent would really like me to get more experience behind the wheel, so they want me to try to find a class in Reno that I'd only have to go to once a week or something. Personally, I think they're grasping at straws, but whatever. So long as an online class will qualify for a discount on insurance, I'm fine with it. And that's about it.

With love from your intellectually superior blogger,

Katy ;)

Cars

This weekend, my town is having an car show. People from everywhere have brought their old cars. Half of them don't drive them, they actually tow their perfectly good cars on a trailer. We entered our '69 Impala, and that's been fun. Brad and Pete have had a really fun time with it, they get to show off their car and tell the story of our family heirloom.

My favorite, by default, is our Impala, but my second favorite, by choice, is the Ford Mustang Mach 1. Check it out:

This car may look familiar to a few of my readers, and that's because Byron has one just like it. Ever been inside that car? It's pretty sweet. Anyway, that's about all that's going on.

Your favorite blogger who's even cooler than the Mach 1,

Katy

Nightmares

I had a terrible nightmare last night. Around 8 or 9, I was sitting in my bed drawing, and I fell asleep. I woke up 3 hours later, hot and sweaty, dry-mouthed and breathing hard. It was this really creepy, freaky scary dream. I've never had this happen to me before. I was actually afraid to go back to sleep. I guess I was pretty shaken.

I got up and wrote down what it was about, and then I prayed. I read a little bit of Psalms. I turned a few pages, and there was this verse that said, "Lord, protect me from my enemies, who plot to take my life." It made me feel better to know that God was there, watching out for me. So I got my dog and had him sleep in my bed, and then I went back to sleep. I am happy to say that I had no more nightmares. There was a weird dream in which I was running around in a commando suit, but that's another story...

Your Dreamcatcher,

Katy

I was listening to Superchick's "We all Fall" on the Last one Picked album, and I could really appreciate what they were saying. Because I've fallen. I've turned away and come back. I've failed. But God still loves those of us who fail. We can fall, but it doesn't change how God feels about us. And that is so reassuring.

We all Fall

we all fall sometimes

we all let ourselves down

sometimes there's nothing left

but to live with what's been done

and know you're not the only one who falls

we all fail sometimes

we all let someone down

sometimes there's nothing left

but to promise to ourselves

that next time we won't be the one to fail

i want to tell you you can go on

that beginnings come from ends

i still believe in you and so does God

He's the one who still believes in those who fail

He's the one who still believes in us who fall

Fires

It's been a whole year since I moved to Winnemucca. I still don't like it. It's as brown and dry and hot as ever, but I don't resent it so much. I would never consider living here permanently, but I think the next three years will be okay. Everyone told me that Winnemucca was beautiful in summer, that it really bloomed, but I think they're confused, because it looks the same. Not as bleak as winter- there are leaves on the trees- but it's still flat and sagebrushy.

Saturday night there was a huge lightning storm. No rain, which, being a Washingtonian, is a little strange, but there was just these huge cracks of lightning everywhere. Sometimes it was just a flickering light in the looming clouds, and other times it was a white jagged rip in the sky. Since our house is up on a hill, we could see everything really well. Then, I spotted a flickering orange light down amongst the lights of Winnemucca. Smoke began to obscure the flames. The lighting had struck a spot in the sagebrush, and a fire had sprung up. Before our eyes, the fire spread lightning-fast (if you'll pardon the expression). Soon it engulfed a large area. We saw the fire trucks heading in the direction of the smoke as fast as they could. They reached it pretty quickly, and in a matter of minutes, the fire was gone. It was a pretty amazing sight. Scary, but amazing, because it demonstrated the power and ferocity of such a fire.

Your slightly pyro blogger,

Katy

Revolutionaries by Bethany Dillon

Many have traveled this road before

I see their tracks in the dirt

But maybe I don’t agree

With where they are leading

And who am I, just a youth

But why has that become the excuse

A monotone voice

In my head saying

Dreaming all the time

It’s so foolish

Your flood of empty words

Will drown you in ruin

So we listen

Should we listen?

They shake their heads

As they drive away in the bandwagon

Didn’t feel like hitching a ride

Oh, but I’ll be fine

Some nights it’s hard to be alone

I want some kind of kinship

But the finish line

It drives me on

When they say

Dreaming all the time

It’s so foolish

Your flood of empty words

Will drown you in ruin

So we listen

Should we listen?

Come with me

They’ll call us revolutionaries

Come with me

They’ll call us revolutionaries

Revolutionaries

Revolutionaries

Dreaming all the time

It’s not foolish

Your flood of life giving words

They will refresh, they will refresh

Dreaming all the time

It’s not foolish

Your flood of life giving words

They will refresh

Should we listen?

Revolutionaries.

This is Your Life

Switchfoot's song, "This is Your Life", is an excellent song. And it brings to light an important point that many people miss in life.

You only get one chance-are you who you want to be?

Take a look at yourself right now. Are you the person you thought you'd be 2, 5, 10 years ago? Every once in awhile, you've just got to sit down and take an honest look in the mirror. You only get one shotat life. You can't go back and try again. What will you do? Will you be famous, or infamous? Will you go down in history? If so, what for? Will people remember you name, or the things you accomplished?

Be bold. Speak out, and speak up. Don't you dare sit down and shut up just because somebody doesn't like what you're saying. Stand up. Be passionate about your beliefs. If you have an opportunity, talk with someone. Give out smiles. Be alive, be happy with yourself, and where you are right now.

This is your life. Are you who you want to be?

This is a pretty funny video on YouTube. If you like Jon Stewart, then check it out. If you've never heard of Jon Steart, this is a must-see. Very funny.

Click here to watch Jon Stewart's take on President Bush.

Your absolutely favorite blogger, who loves the Daily Show,

Katy

Hmmm...

Well, unfortunately, my pledge to blog at least once every other day isn't working out quite as I'd planned. I'll try to work on that, and blog more often. I wonder if anyone is even reading this anymore, seeing as how I've haven't been writing in a long time.

This blog is like a journal, except that I'm terrible at keeping one. It takes me so long to write something down, that I usually just say forget it. But I can type so much faster than I write, that I can say everything I want to say pretty efficiently. Plus, I can never lose this. Notebooks, journals, and diaries are easily lost or misplaced. It would be pretty difficult to do so with this internet journal. I'll be able to look back in ten years, and say, "wow, I've come a long way."

Restart

In the last few months I've come to realize that I'm on a downward slope heading unstoppably, at 120 mph, toward a train, which is going to slam into me, and I'm going to crash. Hard. I've tried to turn the situation around. I've tried to regain control of my life, but it just keeps spiraling downward, faster and faster. Until last week I thought that crashing was inevitable. That there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. The train was just going to keep coming.

But I've changed my mind. I've made some pretty bad choices in these last four months. I turned my back on God, because I thought He had abandoned me. I never left my belief in God, just my faith in him. I tried to find my own way in the world. But I just became more and more lost in the darkness. I couldn't find the path, and I was reduced to wandering around in circles, looking for the right way to go, waiting for that train. No more. I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself. I'm tired of being tired all the time. I'm tired of always having a poor self-image, and feeling worthless and alone every second of every day. I'm tired of being miserable. And I am so, so tired of being insecure and Godless.

Before I walked away, before I abandoned God, I felt secure and safe. I felt as though nothing could ever hurt me, and I didn't have to be afraid. This past year I've been increasingly stressed and insecure. There were days, far and few between to be sure, when I wasn't sure why I was still alive. Being dead inside, why wasn't my body dead as well? I've just been sitting on the train tracks, waiting to be hit. But now I realize that I'm not tied to the tracks, and I am capable of stepping off the tracks, and away from danger. The train is not inevitable. I felt trapped where I was, like I couldn't move, even if I had wanted to. I was too busy being miserable to realize that I'd given up trying to get away.

But no more and never again. I'm going to try to turn 180 degrees. Back to God, and away from hopelessness. I have to remember to look up, to keep my eyes on the goal, on God. I want my self back. I want to be me again; and the me I know is happy and optimistic, friendly and caring, passionate about things she believes in. This is who I want to be. And I am determined, that with God's help, I can do it. If you're reading this, and you're a Christian, whether you know me or not, will please pray for me? I think I'm in for a hard ride, full of a lot of spiritual warfare. Satan had me right where he wanted, and he'll fight hard to keep me there. The trouble is, I'll have to sit back and let God do the fighting for me. Anyway, thanks for listening.

Your blogger who's fighting for her life (figuritively, of course),

Katy

House, M.D.

I don't know if any of you have ever seen the show, "House", but it's an awesome show. Incredibly hilarious. Hugh Laurie says the funniest things. Check it out

Just as addictive is the WB's "Smallville" Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, and Alison Mack make it all worthwhile. Good show -- watch it from the beginning though, because it gets complicated. Great fansite

Booklist

Here's a list of books that I've read lately:

The Man in the Iron Mask, by Alexander Dumas
Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card
The Client, by John Grisham
The Runaway Jury, by John Grisham
Hart's Hope, by Orson Scott Card
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by W. Shakespeare


NOW READING:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

NEXT ON THE LIST:

Of Mice and men, by John Steinbeck

I'll continue to redo this list every once in awhile. I recommend all of these books, as they're amazing pieces of literature. Each of them is great for a different reason, though. The Man in the Iron Mask is a classic. Both of the John Grisham books are intriguing and they keep you guessing. Ender's Shadow is completely mind-blowing (read Ender's Game first, though), Hart's Hope is by Orson Scott Card, who is an amazing storyteller of science fiction and fantasy, and Romeo and Juliet is a great story, that, if you're intellectual and well-read already, you'll definitely enjoy.

9/11

Just in the last few months the full horror of the 9/11 tragedy has really hit me. I was 10 years old at the time, almost 11. Just before the event, I was in Texas, visiting my aunt and uncle. While I was there, I begged my parents to let me stay a few more days that planned, but they wouldn't let me. Two days after my flight back, four planes were hijacked. Two hit the World Trade Center, one flew into the Pentagon, and the other crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. I really didn't have any idea what was going on. My mom and dad gathered all of us kids in the living room and told us the jist of what had happened. They said that we might hear people talking about it, and that we didn't have to be scared. Not that I understood why I'd have reason to be. New York was a long way away, and I had no scale to measure the 2,986 dead. I didn't know about the bravery of the passengers of flight 93; I didn't know about the people who jumped to their deaths to escape the flames of the World Trade Center buildings; how could I know about the 9-11 calls, the frantic people trapped inside, who couldn't understand why no one came to save them; how could I know about the 400 firefighters who would die in the buildings' collapse? But it's hitting me now, and it makes me hurt inside.

This is a recorded 9-11 call from a woman named Melissa Doi. She was trapped in one of the World Trade Center buildings.

Melissa Doi: Oh my God, I'm on the 83rd floor! I’m on the 83rd floor!
9-11: Ma’am how ya doing?
MD: Is it… is it… are they going to be able to get somebody up here?
9-11: Well of course ma’am. We’re coming up for you.
MD: Well, There's no one here yet and the floor's completely engulfed. We are on the floor and we can't breathe and it's very, very, very hot.
9-11: I understand. You’ve got to be very, very careful… how they approach you, ok? Now you stay calm. How many people where you’re at right now?
MD: There’s like five people here with me. Everybody’s having trouble breathing, some people are worse.
9-11: Unconscious? Everybody awake? And its very hot there but there’s no fire there right?
MD: I can’t see because its too hot.
9-11: Very hot. No fire for now and no smoke right?
MD: Of course there’s smoke! There is smoke! I can’t breathe! I think there is fire because it’s very hot. It’s very hot everywhere on the floor.
9-11: I’m documenting what you’re saying ok? It’s very hot, you see no fire but you see smoke right?
MD: It’s very hot. I don’t see any air anymore. All I see is smoke. Please…
9-11: Listen. The call is in, I’m documenting…
MD: I'm going to die, aren't I?
9-11: No, no, no.
MD: I'm going to die.
9-11: Ma'am say your prayers.
MD: I’m going to die.
9-11: You have to think positive because you got to help each other off the floor.
MD: I’m going to die. I know I’m going to die.
9-11: Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. You’re doing a good job.
MD: Please God. No. It’s so hot. I’m burning up.
(9-11 operator talks on radio)
MD: Wait, wait, wait! We hear voices! Hello! Help!
9-11: Hello ma’am?
MD: Help!
9-11: Stay calm, stay calm. Just don’t move.
MD: Oh my God. Find out if there's anybody here on the 83rd floor.
9-11: Ma'am stay on the phone with me.
MD: Find out if there's anyone on the 83rd floor because we thought we heard somebody.
9-11: Ma'am I already notified the lieutenant, ok? I already notified the lieutenant that there’s five people on the 83rd floor right? Very hot and smoky so they won’t overlook you, ok dear?
MD: Can you... can you stay on the line with me please?
9-11: Yes ma’am.
MD: I feel like I'm dying… they’re here?
9-11: Are they inside with you yet, dear?
MD: No.
9-11: Ok, Stay calm.
MD: Can you find out where they are?
9-11: Ma’am, stay calm until they get inside.
(9-11 operator talks on radio and tape ends. At the end of her call, Melissa can be heard yelling, "Help! Help!")

This is a tribute to those who died in the September 11 attacks; to the courageous efforts of those aboard Flight 93; and to those who are bravely carrying on after the meaningless death of their loved ones.

The Higher Standard

Here's something I don't believe in: boyfriends. Let me ask you something. What's the point? I mean, it's not like you're evil or something if you have guy friends, I do. But why do you need a boyfriend? The truth is, you don't.
An adult friend of mine believes that she needs a man to complete her. That without a male someone in her life, everything will collapse. She is almost helpless without this guy figure. She has to get a new one if the old one leaves, or she leaves him, or something happens and they split. That's not right. Not right at all. God didn't make us that way. We're built to want companionship, to desire a partner of the opposite sex, but that partner is supposed to stay with you for life, not just till next week, or month, or year.
God wired us to search Him out. He wants us to be happy, he gave us free will. But I promise you, happiness doesn't come from physical love. People have a lot of ideas about what love is, and most of them are a lie. Society tells us to get a boyfriend, to dress a certain way, to speak, act, and walk in certain ways. But here's the catch: Society never actually says anything to your face.
It's whispered in your ear, and gobbled up through your eyes. No one has ever actually told me, "get a boyfriend," but the urge to be like everyone else is so strong. We must resist this thing that has been titled, "society". Dating is for those mature enough for marriage, not just anyone wanting to practice kissing.
In Romans 2:2 it says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We have been set free, we don't have to conform anymore. You don't have to give in to the silent visual messages being poured into your brain. Resist. Don't be a candle under a basket. Let your light shine. Spread God's Truth.
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It's within. I'm not going to have a fist fight with myself, but there is always an internal battle going on. I have to constantly remind myself that I can't hold myself to this dark world's standards. I am held to something much higher.
1 John 2:16 "For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." God knows us, okay? He made us, he understands how our minds work, and He gave us His Word to guide us. The cravings of sin are not for us. We are held to a higher standard. We cannot be distracted by lust. We are held to a higher standard. Do not give in to pride. We are held to a higher standard.
1 Corinthians 3:3 - "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" We are not, under any circumstances, "mere men." The Holy Spirit is in us. We shouldn't be worldly, we shouldn't be conformists, we don't need to put on a performance for society.
When I see girls fighting over a guy, I am disappointed. When I see a couple kissing, etcetera, I'm saddened. Sure, it feels great. Yeah, he says nice things to you, about you, but what are you giving yourself away for? Can you truthfully see yourself living the rest of your life with your boyfriend right now? Do you think he sees it the same way you do? Just think about that for a minute.
What is the use of having a boyfriend, and giving your heart away, only to have it painfully ripped to shreds and thrown back in your face? I've seen girls go through a breakup. My friends have gone through breakups, and it's just not fair. They are in so much pain. Inside, they hurt, they ache, and they don't understand why he was so cruel, to have wounded them so deeply. After having seen the pain in so many friends' eyes, I just don't understand the point. There's definitely a lure. As humans, our brains are wired to start to notice those of the opposite sex right now, it's the way we are. But that doesn't mean we have to give in.
We are held to a higher standard, ladies and gentlemen, God's. It really is okay to not have a boyfriend. It is okay to be different. It is okay to not look or dress or act or walk or talk like everyone else. If your are such a person, someone who is different, then I applaud you, I look up to you.





P.S. I am not attempting to look down on those who have a boyfriend. My message is that you don't have to have one. You don't have to become part of the wallpaper, part of the weave, part of the grain, part of the pattern.