SuPeR PoWeR

If I could have any superhero power in the whole world, I would want to read minds. I think it would be really cool if I knew what everyone really thinks without them knowing that I knew. It would be really fun. :)

Freeeeeeeee Write!

So we have a free write for today and i have no idea what to write. Everyone is just sitting here staring at the screen with no ideas what to write about. Well, lets see. I put my Christmas tree up in my house last night. It looks really pretty! And i got my class ring! its pretty too. I can't wait for Christmas. Except i think that commercials on t.v. are overdosing the entire world on christmas songs and jingles and annoying things like that. Even though im excited, i hope i don't get sick of Christmas before it even gets here. Gah i have that song from Juno stuck in my head. Dumb Mallory was singing it. I guess thats not such a bad song stuck in my head. la la lalalala lala la hm hmmm hm hm...........

Setting Goals

It is important to set goals for yourself so you have something to work for. If you have no goals, then you just kinda float along in life with nothing to try for. You should always set your goals high so that you really have to work hard to achieve it. Then you can feel good about yourself when you finally reach your goalzzzzzz.

Power

I'm not sure what exactly I have power over. Definitely what I eat, what I say, what I wear. There's probably more things but I cant think of them right now. I do not have control over a lot of things that happen in the world. Sometimes I wish I did, but that could be a lot of responsibility.

Me on the Moon!

If I could play any role in history, i would be....Neil Armstrong. I know, hes a man but I could be him. He went to the moon! That would be crazy cool! Armstrong made a huge impact on American and world history. He was the first man to walk on the moon which greatly impacted space travel programs everywhere. Even though there are a lot of people who believe conspiracy theories that we never went to the moon, they are all wrong. Those silly people need to watch the Mythbuster's episode that proves that we did, in fact, land on the moon. And that Neil Armstrong really did walk and jump across the moon's surface. I wish I could have done that.

"Be The Change You Wish To See In The World"

What does this mean to me? It means that if I want to see things change, I should take a step to start the change. Things won't change if no one takes any action. So the quote means that if you want something done, then do it. Don't wait for someone else.

I'm Gonna Write Whatever I Want

Omg so the opening night of the play was yesterday! Everything went so good. I'm so happy nobody screwed up. So we have 3 more shows left! yay. Theater has pretty much taken up my whole life for the past two weeks so I don't have very much to write about. Well I started driving my car to school which is super fun because I don't have to ride the bus. oh gosh its time to start class now so free write is over.

Honestly Honest

Is honesty the best policy? It should be. I think its easiest to just tell the truth because coming up with a really good lie is too much trouble. Sometimes a lie just slips out, but you have to keep lying to back up the first lie. Usually by then I mess up and get in more trouble for lying than I would if I just told the truth the first time. So, for me, honesty is the best policy. And I have terrible lying skills. I do this weird winking thing when I'm telling a big lie and I feel guilty, so its better for everyone if I just tell the truth. No winking.

The Worst Day

There is a day i wish i hadn't experienced and it was the worst day of my life. It was the day my granny died. I never had any close family member pass away before, so it was pretty terrible. I came home and i went with my brother to take my dog for a walk and when i came back everything was all weird. My dad told us that she died and he started crying a lot. It was really uncomfortable because i've never seen my dad cry before. That was the worst part. It was like he didn't know how to cry and i just didn't know what to do. Of course losing my granny was awful, but seeing my dad cry hit me really hard.

Weather and My Emotions

The weather does have an effect on my emotions. I love when its sunny and pretty outside and it makes me happy. I also like when it storms and I'm at home. If I'm out somewhere during a storm, I want to get home as quickly as possible. Snow usually puts me in a good mood too. I love when it snows and its really cold out. The only time weather puts me in a bad mood is when I have to walk around outside when its super humid. Then my hair is a frizzball and I get really mad.

Ugh Its November

I don't really care about November. Nothing special happens. But what I really don't like is this election. Yesterday was election day and I'm so glad all the campaigning is done. The presidential race was interesting at first, but then the news and media killed it. Everyday the headlines have to do with either Barack Obama or John McCain and I'm tired of hearing about it! Its not that I don't care, its just overkill. Now the whole country will have to deal with the outcome of the election. Whether people agree or not, things will definetly be big news.

Woah! Im a Millionaire?!

Haha no I'm not. But i wish i was! If I did happen to find a million dollars just laying around, I would use it for good things. First I would buy my family things that we need. Then I would put a portion of the money into a savings account for college or other things in the future. ...Well, if i just found a million dollars that wasn't mine, I would have to be a good person and see who it belonged to. If I wanted to be selfish I would take all the money and go on a shopping spree. Woohoo! Either way, I still wish I had a million dollars.

A Rainy Halloween

When I was about seven I dressed as "I dream of genie" for Halloween. I looked so cute in my little pink genie outfit so I was super excited to go trick or treating. But then the worst thing happened. It started raining, no, storming. It rained so hard that the streets were flooding. A lot of kids around our neighborhood still went out and faced the storm. My brother and I were so determined to get our candy that we put on our jackets, dragged my aunt and mom out the door and headed into the rain. It was so funny because the puddles were really deep and my aunt had to throw me over them and my mom caught me. We were laughing so hard! We didn't get much candy, but it was worth the trip. That was a fun, and soggy, Halloween.

STRANDED!

If I ever happen happen to be stranded on a desert island the person I would want to come with me would be..........well I can't decide. I would have to bring someone I really liked and got along with, but not someone I would get sick of and throw into the ocean. So this is a difficult decision. Well, I would bring one of my favorite bands in the whole wide world, the Arctic Monkeys. They could play all their music on the lonely desert island. I could talk to them I tell them how much I love their music, and especially how much I love Alex Turner and his cute British accent. Being stranded with the arctic monkeys on a desert island would not be too bad. As long as someone rescued me before everyone started to hate each other, because things like that always happen eventually.

Prior Review

In my opinion, prior review is a good thing. A school newspaper needs someone to make sure that everything is school appropriate. It is for school, not for fun so topics that are inappropriate in school should not be in the paper. Sometimes raising a controversial idea can be a good thing to make students think, but school officials have to make the final decision. If there was not any prior review, then anything and everything could make it into the school newspaper. People may be offended by some topics and things could get out of hand. Everything needs rules to keep things under control, including school newspapers, even in not everyone is happy.

Dress Code

I have seen plenty of people around school get in trouble for dress code for stupid reasons, like for tiny holes in their pants or wearing them too low. I think dress code for little things like that is dumb. Meanwhile there are girls running around with short short short dresses and they don't get in trouble for anything. I know this girl who wears super low cut shirts every single day. No one wants to see that, trust me. But she has never gotten caught for dress code. I don't like when the APs catch people for little things that no one ever notices, but when they give someone a dress for success shirt who really needs it, then I would consider it justified.

My Greatest Acheivement

Why are these journal topics so hard! I can't really think of my greatest achievement. I proud of all the things that I have done and accomplishments I have made, but there isn't a certain one that sticks out in my mind. My most recent achievement was finally becoming a good driver. I spent my whole summer driving around with my mom after I got my permit. I have to admit, i was a terrible driver. But now, after all my hard work, I feel I am ready to get my license in a few weeks! My mom thought I would never get better, but Im a good driver after all. I'm very proud of that.

Leads! Yay!

On Sunday, Senator John McCain said he was very happy with his campaign in an interview with Fox News, even though he is behind in the current polls.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/19/campaign.wrap/index.html

A six-year-old boy was returned to his father on Sunday after being kidnapped at his home in Las Vegas by mexican drug dealers that could be tied to the boy's grandfather.

http://www.rr.com/flash/index.cfm?startView=NEWS

Republican Colin Powell announced his endorsement of Barack Obama on "Meet The Press" Sunday morning after criticizing John McCain and his campaign.

http://www.rr.com/flash/index.cfm?startView=NEWS

Perfecto!

Perfect days for me are always different. I never say it was a great day until its over, because I have learned from experience that as soon as I say that my day will end horribly. When I do have a good day, it usually starts with nice weather in the morning. Like cold and not humid so my hair will stay the way it was when I left the house. Then..... good stuff has to happen. I don't really know what because it all depends on the situation. The next time I have a wonderful day I will definitely blog about it :) It doesn't take much to make my day so who knows, my perfect day just might be today. :)

Dinner

If I could have dinner with anyone in the whole world, I would definitely have to pick Adam Lazzara. He is from my most favorite band Taking Back Sunday and I love him. He is so talented and writes really great songs and I really want to ask him about where he gets his inspiration. It also helps that hes super hot. :) Adam Lazzara is someone I really look up to and I think it would be amazing to be able to meet him.

Interesting News

I think the financial crisis going on right now is very interesting. All the banks are going bankrupt and the government has to bail them out and its scary! The economy effects everyone's daily lives and its scary to the think that our bank could bail out at any moment. The government is trying to save our economy, but I'm not sure how much they can do if people in power cannot agree on a plan. This story changes everyday and I think its important to stay updated because it effects everything.

My First News Story

I had a pretty good experience with my first story. I liked my topic and it was easy to find interviews. Meeting the deadline was kind of hard because we only had one day to get interviews, but I guess its just like being a real journalist! I'm sure my writing needs improvement and as I practice more, my stories will get better.

Fall Is Coming!

I always feel like fall is an in between season. It comes before winter when it gets really cold and after summer when its really hot, so the temperature is kind of in the middle. My favorite part about fall is getting to wear fashionable jackets. I hate having to wear huge marshmallow coats in the winter, but I like wearing sweaters and light jackets when its chilly outside. That would have to be my favorite part. I don't really like anything about fall, except when I get to buy a new jacket.

My Greatest Childhood Memory...hm...

This memory isn't very great, its actually kind of sad. But when I look back on it my brother and I cant help but laugh a little. I was about seven and my brother, Ian, was about five years old. We used to play outside with two of our neighbors. So one day we were all playing with water guns and this boy decided to throw the water gun at my brothers face. And of course he started crying and ran back to the house, which he did all the time so I thought it was no big deal. Well, it was a big deal. My mom came out ten minutes later yelling at me to come home and asking what I did to Ian. When I reluctantly came in I saw that his nose was split open and we had to call 911. An ambulance and police came and the whole neighborhood had come outside to see what happened. Ian eventually had to get stitches but he was fine. We always think its funny because at the time we thought it was a huge, giant water gun but now we remember that it was just a little toy from Mcdonalds! So its not the greatest memory, but it always sticks out in my mind.

A Challenge?

To me, a challenge is something that is harder than everything else. Certain things come easy, and other things don't. Those are challenges. A challenge is like an obstacle that you have to overcome and when you do, you feel really good about yourself. I know that is kind of a random definition, but that is what a challenge is to me.

Me As A Cartoon

If I could be any cartoon character I would be Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoon. I think it would be fun to be her because she is always having to be rescued by Popeye. The cartoon is really cute and it looks like it would it would be fun to be in one of those old cartoons. Olive Oyl is always the damsel in distress and has to be rescued and always ends up with her man Popeye. How cute! That would be so fun if it were me! Or i would be Velma from Scooby Doo. She is so smart and always can figure out the crimes. And I totally love the orange sweater she always wears. Velma is really cool, except when she drops her glasses. But I do that too. :)

Passion

My biggest passion in life would have to be reading. I absolutely love to read. I know its kind of nerdy to say but its true! Whenever I get a book that I like, I could probably finish it in one day. But usually I don't let myself read a book too fast because I feel like I would miss part of the story. I also like to read magazines. They are cool because there is a bunch of mini stories and articles in one magazines. Maybe my passion will change as I get older and do other things, but right now I love to read.

Stay Interested From Beginning To End!

The reader must be interested in your story from the start to the finish. If they don't, then you pretty much wrote the story for nothing. An article can be really informational but if its so uninteresting that no one will read it then it does not matter. To keep to a story interesting, a journalist has to write a good lead. If it doesn't, then you lost your reader right at the beginning.

Seventh Anniversary of 9/11

Sevens years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Americans are still mourning that terrible loss. That event was such a horrible tragedy in the United States and memorials are going to be at the sites where the attacks happened. On Thursday, the first memorial at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The memorial is a very emotional place for family members of the 9/11 vicitms. Mayor Bloomberg of New York feels the building of the memorial is taking longer than he would like. He does understand that it is more important that the memorials are built right and are meaningful, but Bloomberg wants the process to speed up and set a final deadline for 2011. Both are supposed to be beautiful buildings paying tribute to those that lost their lives on that fateful day. I think it would be a very emotional experience to visit the 9/11 memorials and I feel like it is a place that most people should want to see. Even though it is taking a long time to build both, I think waiting and taking time to put effort into the memorials will have a greater reward than rushing the process. The article went into detail about what each memorial will look like and where it will be. It also had quotes from interviews with the mayor of New York and someone from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. I think this story was very newsworthy because 9/11 is still a very important date to everyone in the country and having a memorial to help us remember is even more important. This article had very good coverage, it was unbiased and gave the information on when and where we will see a place for rememberance. This was a very nice article to read while still reminding you of the purpose behind the memorials; to make sure America never forgets.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/11/911.memorials/index.html

Collapsed Building Kills One, Maybe Others

In a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, a retail/residential building under construction collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. The number of people who were trapped underneath was unclear, but rescue workers found the body of construction worker Scott Giordano six hours after the building fell. Emergency crews continued to look throughout the evening for more trapped victims and brought in sound sensitive equipment to sense any movements or sounds in the huge pile of wreckage. They even asked people at the scene to be quiet in case any noises needed to be heard. No one knows the cause for the collapse or who exactly was in the building, other than a few construction crews. Rescuers are doing everything they can to find out exactly what happened. I think this is a very newsworthy story and the coverage is unbiased and the article was very informative. But the information is what is suspicious. I thought it was a little strange that they had no idea at all why this happened or how many people could be injured or killed. The building fell at noon and the first victim was not found until six hours later. You would think the emergency crews would be in a hurry to help injured people, especially if they were unsure of how many people could be hurt. I also think instead of just listening for cries for help the rescue team should try to move some of the building to actually look for anyone underneath. Some of this might have been going on, but this particular article didn't say. There were unspecific quotes from a fire chief at the scene saying that the rescuers were looking for people. Overall this was a good news article, but not exactly one of my favorites.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/national/main4437350.shtml

America's Favorite Cities

This year travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News surveyed Americans on their favorite cities in the country. Shopping, food, culture, nightlife and cleanliness were all factors that played into what city be come out at number one. The results for 2008 were surprising and didn't follow the same patterns as last year. This year New Orleans was voted number one for the best fine dining. Las Vegas had the best singles scene and Portland, Oregon came out on top in the cleanliness category. New York is still the best city for people watching and Charleston, South Carolina kept its title as the friendliest city. I know this article isn't the best current event but its funny to read the things that people vote on. The story said Americans voted over 600,000 times in this survey. Its also nice to read what cities are known for things like dining and cleanliness. Even though it was short and did not have quotes or many facts, I liked this article. The story was lighthearted and made me smile.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/09/10/afc.results/index.html?iref=24hours

Fistfight on JetBlue Airlines

Imagine sitting on a plane, just enjoying your flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and a fight erupts between three grown men in the back row. That is exactly what happened on a Jetblue fight this past Saturday. According to the criminal complaint written by the FBI, Andrew Mark Thompson was on the flight with his brother and cousin. Thompson went into the bathroom to smoke a cigarette and was confronted and warned about not smoking on the airplane by the flight attendant, his brother and cousin. The complaint also said that Thompson later asked for an alcoholic beverage but could not receive one because he violated the no smoking rule. He then became very angry, cursing and yelling, and begged his brother to buy the drink for him. After his brother refused, Thompson lunged across the aisle and punched his brother in the left eye, causing it to bleed onto the aisle floor. The fight continued for 20 minutes and had to make an unexpected landing in North Carolina so the FBI could investigate and interview passengers. On Monday, Thompson was charged with assault and intimidating a flight crew in court. I really found this article intersting because it was such a dramatic scene and that usually doesnt happen on airplanes. I've flown to Ft.Lauderdale many times and its scary to think that a big fight could be going on right behind you while your still flying. The coverage of this event was good and gave all the facts in the story. The article mainly focused on the information from the FBI report, which was very informative. I liked this story and its good to get this kind of news out to people because anyone could be on a flight with crazy people like that.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/09/08/flight.diverted/index.html

81 Year Old Midwife Still Working Miracles

When most people think of what they will be doing when they are 81, I bet many do not plan on still working full time. Or delivering healthy babies. Ruth Lubic is a midwife at her own clinic in Washington D.C, where the infant mortality rate is among the highest in the country. She delivers babies for low income mothers on Medicaid living in the D.C area and gives them the help they need to have healthy babies. Lubic's clinic has delivered 800 babies in eight years and have never lost a child during birth. Ruby Lubic wants to do everything she can to make the U.S infant mortality, something she calls ,"a national disgrace", decrease as much as possible. To me, it is so inspiring that she can be so caring and dedicated even at such an old age. I really appreciate Wyatt Andrews at CBS news for writing such a positve story. Many things in the news lately are depressing and negative. Its nice to see something uplifting for once. CBS always has newsworthy topics and this is one. Andrews interviewed Lubic and D.C city coucilman David Catania to show that the government is supportive of her cause. Even though this article was not a headline story, I still think it was good to have in the news to show the American people that there is hope for the country.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/08/eveningnews/main4428250.shtml