Saturday, May 28, 2011

banned/challenged books

I've been noticing that a lot of the books that we read--really anywhere--have been challenged or banned in certain parts of the country and stuff. It's starting to really frustrate me because a lot of times it's for stupid reasons. I think that there are some books that really shouldn't be out there, but there aren't that many. At least not the amount that are challenged.

A lot of times there are books that are challenged because something in it is not what adults think people our/my age should read. I think that is ridiculous a lot of the times because the stuff they are trying to hide from us is what is actually happening in the world. Most of the times it's stuff that we really should read about to know what is going on in the world. Other times it's stuff that maybe isn't the best, but we see it everywhere else. Personally, when I read something that could probably be a reason to ban a book, I pretty much ignore it. It's not like I decide to start saying the words that characters say or doing the things that characters do. I think that the people challenging books need to be a little less strict.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Momento

I thought Momento was a very good and interesting movie. It was really different in the way that the scenes went backwards. I liked it a lot. I haven't watched the end yet because I didn't get to see it in class because of AP testing, but I am planning on watching it. I'm excited to see it all because I have a feeling everything is really going to come together and make sense. I like the intenseness of the movie.

One of the things that I thought about as we were watching the movie is that I have read a book that worked the same way. I can't remember the name of the book, but I remember I liked it a lot because it was different from the usual way a book is written. Both the movie and the book were the type that I didn't want to stop watching/reading.

Have you read/seen anything like Momento before?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan:
This movie is about a man that goes to try to save and get another man out of the war. He is doing this because all of his brothers have been killed at war. They don't want all the sons to be killed, so they try to save the last one.



Saving Private Ryan is similar to Slaughterhouse-Five not only because it is about war. Both aren't necessarily about the actualy war itself. They are more about the struggles that the characters have to go through. I think that Mary would like this movie because it kind of goes against the idea of young people fighting and dying in war. In the movie the goal is to get the Private Ryan out because there has already been enough killing of "children" (as Mary might put it). In that sense I think Mary would like the movie because it is almost like the movie is admitting to exactly what she thinks.

I haven't seen this movie in a long time, so I may be wrong about the movie...but I do think that Mary would like it.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Not alone this weekend!

This weekend my soccer team played in a tournament in Platteville. I really felt like we were all connecting and having a great time together. I didn't feel alone at all. I felt like I was a part of a nice group. I think that this helped us all win the tournament together. If we hadn't been together and working well as a team, we would have lost terribly. Instead, we united, and we won all of our three games.

I think that that's the nice thing about sports. Teams seem to lose and win together. When you win, there is even more a feeling of being together. It's nice to be on a team because it helps you to not have to be alone.

If you want...you should tell me about a time that you felt that being on a team really helped you feel like you were part of a group.... (:

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Yay for groups!!

One time that I really felt that I was a part of a group, and not alone, would be when my friends and I all got together. We didn't really have anything to do in particular. We were all pretty bored, and maybe that pulled us together.

Anyway, we gathered at one of our houses and then just went from there. We went all over McFarland trying to find something to do or somebody to bother. It seemed different from other times because everybody was getting along and caring about everybody else's opinions.

It made me happy to be able to be a part of that group of friends because we were able to just go out and have fun, even though there wasn't much to do. I think I really felt like I was a part of the group. I didn't feel alone. It was really nice.....yay for groups!!!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Metamorphosis

I wasn't really sure what to think about the book. I thought it was extremely strange on all levels. There wasn't much that really seemed to be realistic or make sense. First of all, someone changes into a bug....that's just nonsense...but I guess it's good story..? Anyway, I thought that everything was just strange. The family's reaction wasn't right, the guy's work place reacted strangely, and the bug was just weird.

At the same time, I kinda liked the book. The fact that it could make me feel frustrated and confused and pretty much everything just amazed me. I was sad at the end of the book. I didn't want the bug to die. I wanted it to change back to the human, but it didn't. It was just kind of a sad, strange, unusual book.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Metamorphosis...wolf

When I woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, I found myself changed in my bed into a wolf. When I looked down at my body I saw grey fur all over. I jumped out of bed and found myself on four feet. Obviously, something was different and wrong, but I couldn't figure out the details. The mirror in my room glared back and told me the answer. I had changed into a wolf! I quickly ran out of my room to my surprised family, and they screamed and chased me outside. I didn't have anywhere to go, and soon I was lost.
Then as I wandered the streets, I saw a man that looked like a loner. I walked up to him and he told me his name was Alan. He then went on to explain to me that he was a part of a one man wolf pack. He wanted me to join his wolf pack! I was so excited that I howled yes to him. We smiled together and ran away...the one man wolf pack now had two, and I was a part of it.