One more NBA post

So I'm watching the Celtics game against the Hawks, and this is just embarrassing right now. Neither team is really standing out. With the Celtics' win streak on the line, one would think that Boston would do all it could to make the streak 12. But apparently not. While the Celtics are making their fair share of points, they are making minimal efforts to keep the Hawks from scoring, which is half the battle.

At this juncture, I definitely see the Celtics going deep into the postseason. Atlanta, though, is in the same division as the Magic and Heat, and as such, doesn't stand a chance of going anywhere. I don't see why they're even trying.

Other major contenders include the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks. The biggest postseason surprise looks like it will be the Thunder - a team that just moved in the past few years from Seattle to Oklahoma City and has been bottom of the barrel since Ray Allen left. All in all, it will be an interesting, Hawk-less spring, I believe.

Dear Ozzy Ozbourne,

First of all I’d like to speak in a way you taught me was cool, and say “You’re the man!” I’ve seen your television show, listened to your music with Sabbath as well as solo, and as a huge Black Sabbath fan, I was wondering what happened to make the band break up? Was there some tension between the band members or was the crazy party scene lifestyle just too much for you all? I feel like a lot has changed since the time when you were a frontline rock star, is it nice to have survived that generation of drug use and rock star mentality when some did not? Or is it sad to see some of your fellow musicians pass away due to their lifestyle and fun loving mentality? Either way I’m sure your still livin’ it up, keep on rocking.

John Staiger

Far too much

Everyone always talks about senior year being the easy year. The one where you don't have to do much work. When you can relax and pretend to care about school while actually procrastinating on everything you do. But it's not really like that I've found. There is lots of work to be done and things to worry about. Grades still count; colleges still see how you're doing at least for the first semester. As I write this, Im watching the end of a movie I have to watch for spanish. My dartmouth class is taking up way too much of my free time. CAPPS is the only class I've ever taken that doesn't give x periods, and religion is a very reading-heavy class. Really, I can't wait for vacations.

The really confusing thing, though, is that while it's a hard year, I don't really want it to be over, because then everybody starts leaving. So I find I have mixed feelings about everything. But I guess when it's all said and done, there's nothing we can really do. We're all graduating and leaving eventually. Unless anyone has a time turner?

Weather Musings

I love writing the narrative papers, but I really don't like writing the letters/blogs. I feel like I have no direction and I just ramble aimlessly. I want summer. Not even for the vacation, just for the sun and warmth. November is the ugliest month. Who wants cold, wet, muddy rain? I would so much rather be surrounded by grass and flowers and sunshine. I really wish I lived in Hawaii. 70-80 degrees all year long would be heaven. It's kind of funny how much weather effects peoples attitudes and moods though. On rainy days everyone's grumpy, on dark days people are sad and quiet, when its warm out people cheer up, but when it gets too hot people turn grumpy again.

letter

To whom it may concern,

I am having quite a lovely day. I love the rain, all I want to do is go home, start a fire, and hangout. I wish it was snow though that falling and not rain. I want it to snow SO very bad!

I didn't bring a lunch today, which was a bad idea because now I have to walk to the Coop, in the rain, with puddles everywhere. Oh well, it happens to the best of us.

Well now the period is ending because it is a short day--thank goodness--and I must go to class. I hope everyone has a good day!

Niki

Squirrel Story

I wonder what would happen if I tried to create a story and just kept continuing it or made a different one each time... Hopefully it turns out okay seeing how the blog's. I kind of feel like doing a children's story with an unhappy ending that's slightly disturbing like the Grimm Brothers. Those fairytales in their original forms were pretty gross/not for children. Like in Cinderella with the step sisters cutting off toes and heels to fit into the glass shoe and the birds pecking out the step sisters' eyes in the end. I think I'll do something that's not that disturbing, but just sad.

Even through his dreams he felt the deep vibration. It was coming. Sammy Squirrel snapped his eyes open and sniffed the harsh spring air. The sun hung low in the sky and as he unfurled his bushy tail, he shivered. The frosted branch under his toes hurt. He had to leave his tree to find food otherwise the squirrels would steal the best nuts and seeds. But, it was coming. He could hear its faint screech. He had to go; he couldn't move. His breathing sped up, his pupils dilated. "Go now! Go now!" cried a voice in his head. He stared in horror as he viewed other squirrels flocking around the hazelnut tree across the tracks. Wait any longer and he wouldn't eat. Honk Honk! He could see its steel grotesque. His peanut brain's fight or flight response came, and in that moment, he raced across the tracks. HONK. As he fell into the gaze of its blinding eyes, he became disorientated and fell over. He knew it was over and squeezed his eyes close. The conductor saw the skinny gray squirrel limp ahead and threw on the brakes. The train screamed in protestation but couldn't stop in time. When he felt a slight bump, he knew the squirrel was dead. "Stupid frickin' squirrels," he muttered.

Checkboxes

Sometimes I wonder if writing a letter would be simpler. But then I'd have to take the initiative and get the envelope, pick a person, find the address, get some stamps. Simply too much work. Yes I could ramble off about nothing but it's easier to type the write anyways. Plus, who would I write to when, thanks to technology, I can contact them all instantly anyways. The problem is, even on here, I still don't know what to write. Yeah anybody can type on and on and on if they like. But honestly, what's the point in this? I love writing circles and I see the good in Telling Writing, but for me at least, this is just fulfilling a requirement. Five points, check. I guess it's that same old "needing direction" problem I always run in to. Point me in the right direction and get me started and I'm good to go. But without that initial shove I'm like a sailboat, becalmed in the middle of a lake. Well, not that bad, but close. That type of dramatization, is it wrong? People tell me to play certain aspects up when I write but if it's not true, does that mean I shouldn't be saying it? So many questions, so few answers, everything is just a mumble-jumble of confusion. But yet again, I checked this box off.

NBA Analysis Part two

So now that we've seen the beginning of the NBA season, it's time to check in and see how my predictions are going.

THREE CHEERS

1) Miami Heat. Well, they came out weak. I'm fairly sure that the Kings could have beat them the way they were playing against the Celtics opening night. However, they have since pulled it together and are now enjoying a 3-game run. If they keep this up they could go deep into June.

2) LA Lakers. They're doing me justice, starting their season on a 3-0 run. If they keep it up I would not be surprised to see them in the finals. Again.

3) Boston Celtics. They dominated the Heat, who were supposed to lead the league...and then lost to the Cavs, who were supposed to be at the bottom of the barrel. Not sure what this means, but I see them going strong. And Shaq's not hurting.

THREE TEARS

1) Cleveland Cavaliers. Again, they beat the Celtics. But then they went and lost to the Kings...a win against a top 3 and a loss against a bottom 3 team...I'm not sure what this means.

2) Houston Rockets. 0-3 start to the season. Not their best. At this rate it looks like I should have put them in the Three Jeers section.

3) Charlotte Bobcats. They, too are playing on an 0-3 start. However, I don't see them in as bad a light, because honestly, they weren't that good to start with.

THREE JEERS

28) Indiana Pacers. Off to a 2-1 start? Interesting. Not really what I was expecting. But we'll see what they can do with it.

29) Minnesota Timberwolves. They're weak, their scores are weak, their record is weak. They may not be second to last in the league, but they're certainly bottom half.

30) Sacremento Kings. Well, they are 2-1, but all of their games have been against low caliber teams. The Cavs and T'wolves both caved to them, and the Nets only squeaked out a 6 point difference in their win.

Overall, I stand by my original rankings. I'll check in again later and see where we stand once the season is really underway.

Letter #3

Dear Chris Paul a.k.a CP3,

You were my first round pick in fantasy basketball this year, and I would like to thank you for putting up good numbers this week. When picking my team, there were lots of options the first round, but when it came down to it you were my main man. I know you were selected 4^th overall in your draft class, and I thought you’d like to know I took you 3^rd overall because you’re ill. I have always admired your commitment to your team, and ability to score points for yourself as well as spread the love with assists aplenty (I read that you have averaged 10.0 assists per game). In this year in particular, with lots of big-power loaded teams like the Celtics and that other team from Miami, I’ll be cheering for you and your team all the way, and I think with your selfless play and great teamwork abilities you will bring your team far. A question though, I saw a video online of you, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and Chris Bosh eating in a gas station, and you made a comment about slims jims and Wendy’s. I was wondering if as a professional athlete you have to watch what you eat, or if you can just eat whatever you want and you just exercise and work out so much that it doesn’t matter?

John Staiger

Letter

Dear Mr. Randy Moss.

I know one of my fellow students sent you a message and you did not reply so I thought I would give it a shot. You quit the vikings!? I would love to know the real reason behind all of this. I can imagine playing the patriots was hard, but are you and the coach not getting along? I would love to see you go right back to the pats because that would make everyone in New England's day. You are always welcome here good sir. You are indeed straight cash homie. Hope everything turns out good.

-Kyle

Questionings

Here are a string of questions that just popped into my head... If anyone cares to answer, it would be cool to see what questions people answer/what people's opinions are.

What really matters in life? Is jumping in crisp fall leaves more important than being cooped up indoors writing college apps? Old people only remember important moments in their lives, if all you do is boring and habitual, what fond memories are there to remember? Is working hard worth it? Should "fun" be a priority lest you burn out later in life? Why is life set up so that very few can what they want? Can anyone make a difference? Does anything matter? Since everyone travels the same path in the end, should we all just watch TV and eat nachos? Society urges people to be "successful," but how can anyone be successful if they don't make a difference in the end? Why is "success" normally considered in material terms in our country? Is it because we're capitalists? Does having more things make people more miserable? Are these questions silly? When people feel safe, like in their car, why are they more likely to be abrasive towards others like when people give others the middle finger yet wouldn't do it if they were exposed? Why are people nice to other people yet insult them behind their backs? Why not treat everyone with respect? Where does laziness come from? If we know things are bad and know how to fix them, why don't we do it? Why don't we take solace in our kind like other species do? Why are we greedier than other animals? Why can't we ever be as content as other animals? Why do we feel we should control the world? Why are we basically at the top of the food chain?

RED Movie thoughts

I went into the theater last weekend eager to see RED (retired, extremely dangerous), a high profile action movie boasting an impressive cast of Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovitch. I was expecting to see an entertaining semi-comedic flick with great action scenes. I was greatly disapointed.

First of all the action scenes where pretty stale. The enemies the protaganists where facing, instead of being the elite of the US government, seemed little more than bumbling thugs. A team sent to kill Bruce Willis is taken out one by one from behind, without any of them even firing a shot, despite there being three of them and one of him. The next squad's strategy revolves around firing fully automatic from the hip while walking slowly towards Willis' house, without even bothering to find a target. The assasins also never seem to need to change magazines, despite shooting fully automatic for a good couple minutes, with guns which fire 700 rounds a minute and only hold 30 bullets.

In most of the other scenes none of the characters actual seem to want to kill each other, only pointing their guns in the vague derection of the enemy and shooting without aiming. Helen Mirrens in one scene fires a .50 cal heavy machine gun, which is accurate to over a mile, solidly for an entire firefight, at enemies ten feet away, and doesn't hit anything. By far the worst firefight was at an airport. Previously you learn the CIA had a helicopter with a machine gun watching them at a secluded bayou. Instead of shooting them there, the CIA decides it would be a good idea to attack them at an airtraffic control tower in the middle of a commerical airport. Once again the CIA just shoot half-heartedly in the general direction of the heros, not actually aiming. Later in the airport scene, a CIA agent fires an RPG at one of the protaganists, even though A) she had to go through a lenghty reloading sequence when either one could have shoot each other B) the US does not use RPGs C) the range was so close the RPG would not have detonated anyways.

Many important plot points are not explained either. The one that annoyed me most was how some how explosives where planted on a get away car, without any of the characters being in a position to do so. And SPOILER ALERT why did they wait until the vice president was surrounded by body guards before assasinating him. And why are they even trying to assasinate him? Why don't they just bring the case to court. Deciding to go shoot-up every one seems to be the least logical option, despite other alternatives being presented.

Decent humor might have made the movie passable, but sadly there was none. The only joke I can even remember had something to do with a banjo, and I only remember it because it was really unfunny. Most of the laughter of the audience came from mocking the stupid scenes, not any intentional humor.

In conclusion, RED falls flat on its face. An action movie without decent action is nothing. If one makes a Bruce Willis movie, the body count needs to pile-up, and/or the enemies need to be at least worthy of fighting skill wise. The bodies, however, do not pile up and the enemies are also all fumbling idiots. Action sequences need to either believable, such as in Black Hawk Down and Green Zone, or completely over the top, like Die Hard or The Matrix. The violence is neither over the top nor credible, which makes the film kinda boring. Humor could have saved the movie, but was barely present. To wrap it up, the plot, almost never the strong point of a action movie, just left me confused to all the character's motives and led me to seriously question the basic decision making skills of all involved.

Letter to Bethesda SoftWorks

To whom it may concern,

As a huge fan, I would just like to say a few words about the impact that your games have had on me. I remember in my middle school years and before, my friends and I would play games like Kirby’s air ride and CoD2 on game cube and the original xbox. Then the 360 came out, and we played Gears of War 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas.

However, the game I always liked best was your own; The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. I remember countless days before I had a 360, after a day of sledding in the snow, me and my friend would sit in his room and dive into the world of Tamriel. Because it was his house he always got to play, and I would have the guide book and give him instructions. It was the coolest game I had ever seen. Previously I had thought RPGs were all turn based and anime, which is something I hated. Oblivion completely changed my perspective. When for the christmas of my freshman year, my parents said I coudl get a 360, and what game I wanted with it, there was no hesitation in my mind. The only game I wanted was Oblivion. Since that Christmas, there has been no game I have played more. Even now, four years later, despite having increased my game collection, Oblivion is still the one that holds the dearest place in my heart, as much as a video game can. Fallout 3 was a fantastic game, and in many aspects much better than Oblivion. The soundtrack of ‘30s songs also widely broadened my musical tastes, and now I like nothing better than listing to Billie Holiday, and I will be sure to pick up New Vegas. However no game since has taken hold of me like Oblivion. The opening and battle music is one of my favorite tunes, and still never fails to send a thrill of excitement through my heart. In no other game have I ever enjoyed simply exploring as much as in Oblivion, and it has even inspired me to go exploring and looking for adventure around my local area. In no other game would I have ever got a little bit excited about harvesting flax seeds, as I have in Oblivion. You folks at Bethesda probably get hundreds of letters from people wondering about the next installment in the Elder Scrolls, and I am no exception. Please, Please come out with another one. If you do release another one, there are several things that I would really be awesome to see introduced. More weapon and armor variety would be really cool. Once I got to a certain level I stopped caring about the effectiveness of armor, and just wanted more variety to make my guy look cool. Another couple things would be more cool creatures, but no more oblivion gates. The only thing I really disliked was closing Oblivion gates (exploring and bandit hunting, though I could do forever) even though they were an integral part of the game. More region specific dialogue from townspeople would also be great. When one finds a chapel in the middle of the woods, or a village tucked away in the mountains, one wants to know what its history and reason for being there is. Thank you very much for you time, if you read all of that.

Sincerely,

Harry Voelkel

DEION

Dear Mr. Branch,

As Randy Moss left I was very upset to be receiving a fourth round pick for such a great player, but when instead of that fourth round pick I learned we were receiving you I was very happy. As a Super Bowl MVP in New England I'm sure you are pretty excited to come back "home" as well. Deion, you were, and always will be my boy. I hope with you back on the squad some tension in the locker room will be dispersed and that we will win yet another Super Bowl.

Great to have you back,

Graham

letter

Dear, Mirabel

We are sitting next to each other now, and it is a not so good day outside. You just informed me that you are going to be getting two new kittens this weekend. That is so exciting. I have two cats of my own and they are the best. I hope that you enjoy their love and that you chose good names for them there is nothing worse then a cat with a bad name, especially if they are crappy cats. Well the period has ended and I must depart, good luck with your next class.

Until next time!

Niki Lawless

letter

Dear Kobe Bryant

I am the only fan of yours this side of the Mississippi. Any shot is a good shot for you. Fade away jumper all day. You and Shaq had your differences, but still managed 3 championships. I was wondering how long per day do you practice? The finals last year will go down as one of my favorite 7 game stretch to watch. Ball well this season sir. My fantasy team depends on it.

From Kyle

one day.

Colleges, colleges, colleges. Everything ties back to that. The classes I take, decide whether I get into college. The test scores I get and how much I study for them, decide whether I get into college. 250 words, can decide whether I get into college. And what college I go to "decides how I do in life". See I don't believe this, yes those factors all contribute to what college I get into and yes good college degrees help you get good job interviews but if you have the capacity to succeed, no matter what you'll find a way to do it. I'm not even sure if I'm applying to the right colleges, there's hundreds and hundreds of them, hundreds you will never even know existed. What I wonder is why college is even such a big deal? And then there's the other problem, writing the college essay. Finding a story that works since everything is supposed to be stories and descriptions that reveal something about your character. But when I write, its usually musings, like this, where I just write out my thoughts, instead of describing random things. I could write narratives on random events, but would they tell anything about me? Blah I want answers to these questions. Or really, I just want this year to be over. That would be so much more satisfying. One day. One day.

NBA, get ready!

So I think that with the approach of the NBA season, it's time someone did a pre-season analysis of the best and worst teams in the league. So here we go (Sportscenter style):

THREE CHEERS (top 3):

1) Miami Heat. Kobe is good and the Celtics are trying to put together a "big five," but with the shooting and strength of LeBron and D-Wade, the rebounding skills and height of Ilgauskas and Bosh, and House, an ex-Celtic point guard who's got an unnatural shooting touch, the Heat are untouchable.

2) LA Lakers. Sure, the Celtics have won more championships. Yes, they have KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, and Shaq. But if Bynum comes out strong with Pau Gasol and Kobe does what he does, then the Lakers can prove that beating the Celtics in the Finals last year wasn't a fluke.

3) Boston Celtics. They've been hyped up. For good reason. Allen and Pierce, while old, have still got some left in them. KG is a ridiculously good shooter for someone of his height. Rondo came out like a man on fire at the end of last season and looks to stay on that path. And then there's Shaq. The Big Shamrock. The Celtics should be a good fit for him; compared to other teams, they play more at his pace. They should be contenders for another year or two. But once they lose their starters, they may drop to bottom five.

THREE TEARS (what happened?):

1) Cleveland Cavaliers. They were good. Were being the operative word. Without James and Ilgauskas...they don't really stand much of a chance. Somehow Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams must be keeping them alive in the preseason, but come the season opener, I feel that ESPN's ranking is right - bottom five. Too bad. Maybe LeBron can win one in Miami.

2) Houston Rockets. They had a chance. Then Tracy McGrady moved to New York (then Detroit) and Yao broke his foot. Then they didn't have a chance. That pretty much sums it up.

3) Charlotte Bobcats. After being swept while posting a surprisingly strong performance against the Magic in the first round, the Bobcats seem to have lost all heart. They're winless in the preseason, and with their biggest names being Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton, they can't expect to do well in the postseason. Or even make it to the postseason.

THREE JEERS (bottom three):

28) Indiana Pacers. They're bad, and their 1-3 preseason shows it, with their only win being over #29. They have a decently strong player at every position except center, so they should be able to avoid being dead last at the end of the season. Sadly, they only have one decently strong player at each position, and that's not enough to keep them out of the bottom five.

29) Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love made a full-court shot back in college. One end line to the other. This team's going to need some more of that luck; even though they have a player on Team USA and an all-star, the rest are bad enough that those two are only enough to keep them off the bottom of the heap. I refuse to believe a 3-1 start to the preseason is an indication of what is to come.

30) Sacramento Kings. The only names they really have are Tyreke Evans and Marcus Landry. And they've both had one year of pro experience. Not really enough to compete with the likes of LeBron. Perhaps a franchise name change is in order? It doesn't seem like a name befitting the worst of the worst.

About Childhood

By the way, I don't even know why I always say "you" as if addressing an audience. I don't even think people read the blog (except Mr. Bourne). I guess sometimes you feel the need to express your thoughts. That's kind of what this is, just small musings about life/journally stuff. Also by the way, when I said I watched this when I was little, I was actually 3-5. I'm not just trying to cover up as if I watch it everyday and say "when I was little" to not embarrassed myself.
Do you ever read through your old picture books, or try to find old movies you used to love as a kid? SATs were today and since I felt totally brain dead, I ate some lunch, tried to do some homework, but basically slacked off the rest of the time to watch "The Grand Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", a childhood classic. Such a good movie. It's funny because a lot of children movies have adult references too so that adults can watch it with their kids and not get totally bored, and I actually got some references that I never got as a kid. There's also a lot of clever little funny references. At one point Owl's telling this story about his aunt who eloped with a pussy cat in a sea green boat which is an allusion to the classic The Owl and the Pussycat poem. There's even some slightly advanced vocab like when Gopher's calling Rabbit a "supercilious scoundrel." Definitely didn't know what that meant when I was little. But, there were some things praised in the movie that when I think about it shouldn't have been praised. So basically, there's a huge wind storm which turns into a flooding of the hundred acre wood and Owl's house gets knocked down. Eeyore looks for a house and comes up with Piglet's. Everyone's really confused and try to tell Eeyore that the house is Piglet's but Owl likes the house and so Piglet "heroically" gives up his house while starting to cry. Everyone commends him and Pooh says he can live with him instead. What kind of lesson is that? Give up your house just because someone else likes it? Seriously, Eeyore could have easily just found a vacant house or all of them could have worked together to build a new one. Sure, sharing and helping other in need is a good lesson, but doing so unnecessarily? It just doesn't seem right. When it came to the end, it was depressing as I remember it being. Christopher Robin tells Pooh he's going to school and won't be back for a long time. He's says for Pooh to think of him and wait. It seemed a little sad because it's like childhood ending by physically leaving his (imaginary?) animal friends and growing up. Sure, he could come back, but everything changes and so each time one goes back it's different. That's kind of a sad thought and reminded me of how once something's gone, you can never recreate it. It's like birthdays. Every year you're older and can never be younger again. You just go through life, not fully appreciating it, and keep plodding along until you don't. (Not trying to be histrionic by the way, just thinking...)

hmm.

I'm not sure if what is written here is supposed to mean something, or if it should just be random babblings. Looking through what people have written tho, it mostly just seems like entries in a journal. Almost as if there was some little brown book sitting on a path, pages wrinkled and worn, corners turned up and ripped, and everyone who walked along that path picked up the book and jotted down what came to mind as they sat on the little stone slab nearby. So what do I have to say? Really, what does anybody have to say? Although I think everyone has something to say, but who is actually listening? It's thoughts like these that make me keep to myself. Because sometimes I just wonder, who actually cares? What if there was somebody out there, that found all the random blogs on the internet, and read through every one. What if there was somebody who read other peoples troubles, and cared. But even if they read and cared, what could they do? So often, even when you are talking to your friends about what's wrong, there's nothing they can do either. In reality, the only one who can fix your problems, is you. But I guess I'll never know if anybody reads it, all I know is sometimes it helps to just write.

College English prep

So I went to that oh-so-fun senior college night last night. Between the moments of yawning and drifting off, I caught a few tidbits of information that may have been useful if I was considering sending off a few applications to college, such as needing to take two SAT IIs before I apply most places. When I looked at the packet, I saw that literature was one of the ones that many people take. I need to take a second one at some point, so I was wondering if that test is easy or difficult. Looking at the scores, I came to the conclusion that it's not a test that you can ace with ease, but most people, especially at HHS should be able to do well on without too much trouble. Therefore, I think I'll look into taking it fairly soon so that I have my scores ready for early action if I choose to do that. I would suggest that anyone else who needs another SAT II should double-check with their teacher, and if the teacher approves, sign up to take it soon.

Mr. Moss

Dear Randy Moss,

Your spectacular plays over the years have never ceased to amaze me. On the Raiders you were a very talented athlete who had a arrogant attitude. However, based on your ability your self proclaim was and is deserved. As a patriots fan I was ecstatic when you came to the patriots. Over your few years on the Patriots you have become a seasoned veteran who now, more than ever, acquires respect from players around the league as well as people around the world. Your catch this past Sunday against the Jets is just another testament of your ability, and was in your lingo: straight cash homey. Good luck and keep on playing the way we all know you can.

Sincerely,

Graham Miller

Letter

Dear Mr. Deadau5, your music hits so hard that you have to rock your head with the crispy bass. The grimy electric synth wobbles out as your sets build and drop with enough force to cause an earthquake. It is truly a musical renaissance. Even the most innocent person can’t hold in a few fist bumps when Ghosts n Stuff blasts the speakers. Who would have thought that wearing a mouse head could become a part of your identity? Well, you wear it well sir. How long does it take you to make a song? However long it takes I’m sure it’s worth it. Hit me back.

Sincerely – Kyle Schlosser

One of those days...

I'm trying to work on what the Telling Writing book was talking about with writing quickly and truthfully. Hopefully this turns out ok, but will probably have tons of spelling errors and bad grammar.
Today was Wednesday, not Thursday. That was the problem, besides the other that was I had 3 tests. I woke up early at 8:00 and studied science problems. After I got to school, I checked in and headed straight for silent study- which I normally never do. I studied for a long time and then realized that I was five minutes late for Common Ground and rushed out. At least I'll be able to study for math during that time. I opened our common ground room and realized that no one from my common ground was there. "Am I too early?" I asked a teacher, my voice quavering at the fact no common ground people were there/ the sight of a girl's angry eyes glaring back at me for disturbing the class. "It's Wednesday," the teacher replied frowning at me. My mind started racing through thoughts like "seriously? oh, no!!! well at least we have break. oh my god! it's wednesday and i'm late for math! i have a test in math today! vie de merde." I stumbled/ran to class but fortunately the teacher understood and told me that everything was "ok". Head still reeling from the stress of being really late to class and not having much time left, I sat down and hastily wrote. Luckily, the teacher was really nice and let me stay later, but I was late again for the next class and awkwardly joined them. After that, the rest of the day was uneventful. I felt really stupid the rest of the day, but at least the tests weren't too hard. Hmm.. maybe my crazy studying paid off. I hope I don't have another day like it for a long time.

I saved this for the blog

Today, a college of ours decided to talk about sports. Cross-country track, he explained, is not a sport. Neither is curling (agreed, friend-o). Nor dancing. Out of perhaps an acknowledgment of the sheer number of people here at HHS involved in swimming and crew, he decided, albeit inconsistently, that they were sports.

Nice opinion. Here's mine.

We can't argue what is and is not a sport, really. Words are so subjective that deciding what does and does not fall under a one-word category is ultimately futile. I'm not here to argue about words.

In any case, people participate in cross-country track because they love doing it, purely out of appreciation. One can set goals for themselves most effectively in running. Today, three miles. Tomorrow, five miles. Also, proven purely because it isn't done around a circular track in a building, it is about appreciation of nature; of scenery. When you run, you experience the outdoors on a very interesting level: the contours and formulas of the land become apparent to you. That's why people run. Appreciation of nature is also, I'll argue, a large part of why people do crew. The Connecticut River at five in the morning: cold bites unsuccessfully against the inner heat of your body as the boat rhythmically and methodically cuts through the mist tip-toeing on the surface of the black waves. This is only part of the purpose of these activities, sports or non-sports. And it's more than this. You run, you swim, you row, you become a better person. Simply put.

You don't find this appreciation in Hockey, Shane Walter.

Hockey, and all the other mainstream sports exist for one purpose, and one purpose only: entertainment. It's always been that way. So yes, I lied, I do want to argue about words. If hockey is a sport, than sports are meant purely for the entertainment of the masses. Grizzled town members at the bar. Joe Six-pack on the couch. They are funding your sports, friends. That's why professional NFL players are paid as much as Johnny Depp: because they're performing. Apart from that, nobody cares. They don't say, "Wayne Gretzsky, you're just so skilled, man. We have to give you money because of this." Doesn't happen. As far as I'm concerned, Hockey isn't what everyone thinks of as a sport, its not even really a game: it's a past time. Nothing more, nothing less.

Which brings us to dancing, which I find ironic. Hockey and dancing are very similar: entertainment, friends. Except, when you think about it, hitting pucks on ice skates is a little far-fetched, don't you think? You'll find I am very impressive with chopsticks and tennis balls, but really, who cares.

"[insert activity] isn't a sport because it doesn't require skill. You can practice and practice, and still get nowhere: you need skill," says our classmate. Sounds to me like dancing. Sounds to me a lot like dancing. You can stretch for hours, practice your grande battement en cloche for years, and you aint getting it right. You need more than just skill, you'll need stones. My eleven year old cousin practices harder than any professed athlete I know, and I can tell because of the amount of blood she's spilt for dance. Her feet are deformed, her muscles snap almost every month, she doesn't have a life, ultimately, outside of dance. As a result, she's already getting paid for dancing in real performances. Give me one hockey player in HHS with that dedication. You can't, because hockey, the past-time, doesn't inspire that kind of devotion. To me, that means it isn't a sport.

Besides, in the realm of entertainment, I'd pay twice as much money to see a dance than to see a hockey game. Maybe I'm just a snobby, artsy 'hipster' (is that the term) who thinks "we're better than you, and we know it", but god do I find watching hockey boring.

Of course, the most money I'd spend would be on being able to see the HHS varsity hockey team last through one ballet class. One.

And yes, I am man enough to say I love dancing. What courage does it take to say you play hockey? None, my friends. Absolutely zero

2nd to last entry

I didn't have television when I was young. I wonder how much of an impact that has had on my life. I've always been rather misplaced in school, happily of course, but even still ... I wonder if not having the common ground of TV had something to do with that. How much did kids really talk about their favorite episode of the Simpsons? Or whatever people watched. I know it's trivial talk, but when I went to summer camp one year (yes, I did, weird...), the first thing anybody talked about was their favorite TV show. Me, in the corner, playing the guitar, mouth shut.

I have resentment towards high school social quotas too, deeply engrained in my sentiments ... now is that due to the lack of television? I don't relate well with people straight off the bat, and for all I know it could be from not watching kids on the tube go through the same experiences as I did.

Now I watch TV shows on my own, on Hulu, or I rent the DVD's. I'm on a diet of whatever Joss Whedon is doing currently. Which may be Dollhouse, now that Fox in their infinite cluelessness of the nature of entertainment and art may NOT be canceling (too late guys...). Last time I talked to anybody I didn't know about TV, they told me Dollhouse was pretentious and for moody high school kids. Jeez, thought I, maybe that's true. But then I learned they watch and enjoy The Cleaveland show. Which is obviously watched by ... I don't even know. Does anybody really watch that?

I don't know. I watch Dollhouse because it's good, and there's not much more I can say. That's not true, I could rant-worship about Dollhouse for a while...

I don't know, maybe nobody cares.

:-P

3rd to last entry

I'll tell you what's interesting to read: articles in the Dartmouth newspaper written by Freshmen. You read their articles, and you realize that they're good writers, but reads funny. It reads, well frankly, like a scared Freshman eager to not sound like ... a ... Freshman, really. It's full of references, saturated with any metaphor and half-clever line that they could stuff in there along with the story. It comes off as just too obvious; too overdone. Senior writers who are less astute and talented still write honestly, making articles more readable.

So when I'm in college, and a Freshman, will I be as shaky and scared as the Freshmen in the Dartmouth paper? Grabbing frantically at everything I can to be noticed and treated equally. How does somebody in that generality of being the baby of the school gain recognition on a serious level? Here at Hanover, we notice the Freshmen who can sing really high and we imagine the breakdown they'll have when their voice drops. As somebody as socially neurotic as I am, I don't know if I can handle being thought of in that way again. I guess ultimately I'll just have to chill out, but it's hard to go from being top dog to being the youngest again. Whatever.

examsssss

So, I guess im writing this blog instead of my letter. This is for the letter number five. Final exams are coming up, and I am NOT looking forward to them. Not only do I have to take them, but I have to take the Physics exam. That exam is going to kill me. Literally. There is nothing I hate more than Physics. In my opinion, it is never a good idea to mix science and math, let alone offer them separately. Science has never been my strongest subject, so adding math to the equation doesn't make it any easier. Still, considering I really only have 2 exams I need to worry about, I think my exam schedule is going to treat me pretty well.

Saturday was an interesting day for me. I was skiing at Burke Mountain with a friend, and we had just had lunch. We went out to the ski lift to do a couple more runs untill we had to drive home. Anyway, being the very coordinated person I am, I fell and slid into a tree while going very fast, down a steep hill. We found my ski, so I was able to ski down. I ended up having to go to the ER. The doctors there said I had had a mild concussion and needed four stitches. I had forgotten how much it hurt when they injected the numbing stuff into you. I think that might be the end of my skiing for a while. But knowing how nothing actually stops me from doing something I like, I'm probably going skiing next weekend.... :p

Mr. Bourne, I am taking Coming of Age as my English class next semester. I was wondering if you knew anything about that class, or what Ms. Cluff is like, since she will be my teacher. Would you be able to tell me in class tomorrow?? Thankyou =]

Last Entry

So I think this is probably the last entry. What should I say? It's a new year, and soon I will have a new English class that will be much different than this one. It's gonna be sick though. The plan now is to read the Sandman graphic novels, one each week, and then do some analytical papers on them. So that would take 10 weeks, so 2.5 months. And since 2nd semester begins at the end of Jan, that leaves about 5 months or so for the semester. So for the other half of the semester I'd probably read more into world mythology that I haven't already studied. Hopefully IRW will be fun, and not too much work.

It's funny how there are illusions that seniors don't have to take exams, or that they have so few exams that it doesn't even matter. I think teachers unintentionally trick you by saying, "Oh, we're just gonna have a project" and then everyone is relieved. However, if you think about it, these projects are just as time-consuming and make you delve into new things as opposed to reviewing what you've already learned. This aspect of the midterm projects is good and bad; good because you do learn new things, but bad because you are not forced to remember what you've learned from the beginning of the course. Don't get me wrong; I'd rather have a project than a midterm, but as a picky perfectionist, especially in Powerpoint, it does take a very long time to get together these presentations. One creative midterm that I am going to have in Latin is Jeopardy. We are going to split into groups and then play Jeopardy; how well your team does in the game determines what grade you get. This form of an exam is fun, but it has its weaknesses. For one, you have to have faith in your teammates, that they've studied enough. Secondly, the grading system will be hard to figure out. Does the winning team get an A, and the losing teams get B, C, and Ds? These are some questions that my Latin teacher has asked his students to think about, so if you have any comments/solutions about it, please feel free to comment.

medeski martin and wood are baaaaad bad mo' fu'as

i had the fortune of seeing these dudes back in december at higher ground in burlingtown. no, there are no lyrics so you don't need to follow the words, and no, they are not on the radio. but yes, at all moments, they are working harder than any other musician (or for that matter, any other dude who can cower behind a computer, slice-up other peoples material, change the beat, press space bar and call it their own club remix, dance music or whatever the hell you damn kids are into these days. and THEY become famous for it and get to dj the holiday dance. hah bumbug, but that's neither here nor there.) THESE guys are spontaneous; improvising and conversing, owning their instrument, time, and space, but simultaneously focused to the nano-second (especially the drummer Billy Martin, who spines this weirdly grown skeleton). They all have their own little-big jobs, I deduced: Martin holdin it down on percussion, forever changing it. Accenting off/on Chris Woods low ends (bass) and John Medeski's high organic trills (organ). The ultimate love triangle/power trio. No one crowds each other's air, but they are free to play absolutely anything. but don't get me wrong, there is structure to this creature (chorus and repeated themes and all that). Some call it jazz but i don't know the last Coltrane or Thelonious album that made me groove this hard. it's different music that takes you into a different setting and state of mind. i felt like a was scratching a really good itch the entire night. i was altered. it was toight. did i mention how absolutely filthy these guys are at their instruments? check out their new release, radiolarians: they pioneered this system where they wrote and worked out material on the road, then recorded it, then repeated the process two more times. yielding three discs that have been on somewhat constant rotation at my house. toight. note: medeski is mouthing the notes to himself as he plays them. sick? yes.