White Lies - "Death"

I am not the biggest fan of White Lies; I have only heard a couple of their songs but of the ones I have heard are good.  “Death” is one of my favorites.  I also like the song that probably most people know called “Unfinished Business” by White Lie (obviously).  The beats in the song “Death” are pretty gosh darn nice and I like that it’s different from pretty much all the songs you now hear on the radio.  The vocals aren’t the main focus of the song; they are distant sounding as if you were under water calling you.  

I instantly liked the group because of their mellow sad songs and the main singer’s voice is deep these are other differences between other singers.  I know, I know, ME LIKE SAD SONGS?!?!?! CRAZY!  But tis true. I do like a lot of kinds of songs too but today I chose this one.  

listen : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnF6T59jm4&NR=1

jAY AND nICK

I think that the relationship between these two characters in The Great Gatsby is based on being fake.  I think that the only reason Jay Gatsby reaches out to Nick Carraway is because Gatsby found out that Carraway was “good” friends with Tom, Daisy’s husband.  I can see the relationship between them maybe get stronger into actually becoming friends but with Daisy now coming into the “actual” picture Nick may be pushed out.  I think that Daisy will look at Gatsby and see a new man not the same man she once new.  She may realize that she is no longer in love with him (so I am assuming for I am not completely sure if they were involved romantically).  This will bring Gatsby back to Nick for guidance into winning Daisy back.  Jay may have to reveal many of his secrets he has spent so much time and effort into concealing, to Carraway.  Their relationship will be pushed to braking point or be strengthened but all on the Jay’s fake pretence on just wanting to be friends for no particular reason.

(All of this is based on my speculation and thought from reading the first five chapters so I may be terribly wrong about all of this.  I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.) J

Golden Snowflake BATTLE *pew pew*

Sticky snow was falling from the gray sky

It was so cold I thought I might keel over and die

I needed a warm drink before I breathed my last

For I did not want to be a thing of the past

Once I was feeling alive and ready to go

We decided to build man made of snow

Gloves for our finger, we each took a pair

And we all emerged from our warm winter lair

                                                                         

Rolling and rolling, that was the game

Until we had three spheres almost the same

Stacking them on top, he needed something more

We figured it out and down the road we tore

We stole a carrot from a horse man’s carriage

Then we grabbed as much coal as we could manage

And snagged a few twigs on our run back in

The snowman looked good with all his fixins

Oh No! We forget the most important last touch

It was the hat that we hated so much

For it belonged to the witch named Mrs. Fing

Someone snuck in and grabbed the dreaded thing

As we put it on the snowman’s head

He awoke quickly and to our surprise said:

“I see you young twits and I must thank you

I’m alive once more, away with you I shall do”

Screaming we fled and watched our whole life fly by

As the angry fat snowman was shouting “DIE DIE DIE”

I guess I was wrong the cold would not be my death

But this crazy snowman, tweaked up on meth.

Granma came out with a six inch barrel

To shoot the beast that was so feral

There was a BOOM and an explosion of snow

And an evil snowman there was no mo’

Thankful For My Class Buddies

I am thankful for Maxwell O’Hagan (Most people call him Max) and Edmund Obermeyer (Most people call him Eddie).  If you don’t know, we all sit next to each other.  You may know because Mr. McCarthy is always saying Max and Eddie are cool and you may know me because of Mr. McCarthy’s WONDERFUL way to say my last name, “Boulababhab” J.  Max and Edmund  are always fun to talk to and accept me into their group even if I’m a pain sometimes.  Whenever I am unable to answer a question in class about The Scarlet Letter, The Crusible, or anything else I can always count on them to help me.  And the same thing happens goes for them, I’ll help them if they ever need help. 

I like everyone in our class because were all such cool people.  Right? Who doesn’t think so? Cuz if you don’t agree then you’re a fool!  Everyone around me are nice too.  If I ever need help I can always ask them as well.  I’m thankful to be in Mr. McCarthy’s 7^th period American Lit. class.  I hope Mr. McCarthy is glade to have us and I hope all of you are thankful to be in Mr. McCarthy’s class.  Plus I’m thankful for having Mr. McCarthy as a teacher.  He is a great teacher that gives us some freedom, so we don’t feel like we are chained to a desk.

I AM A PLOW

PLOW plow plow I may not need to plow my land but I do plow through other things.  I have to plow through homework after Pole vaulting so my mother doesn’t get in my face about not finishing homework fast enough and threaten to pull me off the team.  I have to plow through my thought because my mind can wander.  I have to plow through my feelings so people only see my happy side.  People probably do all of these things just like me.  What kind of plow are you what do you plow through every day?  Or maybe just once on a while?  But plows are also quite helpful tools.  I like to think I can be a helpful person but you never who I’m kind of a cluts and that not always a good thing :P.  I think everyone is “a plow” whether they like to admit it or not.  Plows come in all colors, shapes and sizes.  What plow are you?

Pros and What Cons :P

        I hear that may students are jealous of me because I am in Mr. McCarthy's class.  Many people don't like their American Lit class because their teacher is making them do pointless work; well i shouldn't say pointless but work in which the kids don't like, they are given work that they don't necessarily learn from.  In Mr. McCarthy's class we are given work that enhances what we are learning so it better sticks in our heads.
        I also like that we are able to lead discations within the class.  If we do not understand something we can easily ask and the whole class will attempt to explain or at least make clearer what we don't get.  I think it is a good learning environment but wherever there are pros there are bound to be cons too.
        The only thing I don't really like about the class is the period I have American Literature.  I have the class during seventh period which is Mr. McCarthy's last class of the day and because its his last class of the day and (so Mr. McCarthy tells us) we are the class that always has to ask questions and can't just do what we are told. I feel that with those too things put together, we really bother Mr. McCarthy and weather down nerves till one day Mr. McCarthy will snap....

Modern Slavery

When someone asks if there is slavery going on now most people will say no.  Well at least I would have said no, so I had to get my handy dandy online dictionary and look at the definition of slavery. This is what i found:

slavery  (ˈsleɪvərɪ)

— n

1.	the state or condition of being a slave; a civil relationship where by one person has absolute power over another and controls his life, liberty, and fortune
2.	the subjection of a person to another person, esp in being forced into work
3.	the condition of being subject to some influence or habit

 Number one and two was what I thought the definition would be.  I think of back in the day when African Americans where brought over and forced to work on plantations.  Number three made me understand the slavery is not always forcing someone to do your bidding.  So I came up with these modern day things that fall under the definition of slavery.  

The first one I think everyone would think of right away, at least if they watched or watch as much Criminal Minds, NCIS, Castle, or other murder series on T.V. human trafficking.  Human trafficking is a terrible thing that people do to poor innocent kids. They either bring them in from another country by promising them a better life in American or find kids that ran away or lure kids off.  Whichever way they get kids to follow them it doesn’t matter they drug the kids and use them for money.  

          The second modern day slavery thing I thought of was linked to the human trafficking.  It is being a slave to a drug.  The people in human trafficking are usually given a drug and even if they can escape the trafficking they are usually hooked on the drug.  That is not the only way to become a slave to a drug. Just by doing the drug you can become addicted. 

          So there are probably way more things people can think of for the modern day slavery but my imagination button is broken so I had to make do.  Hopefully it’ll be fixed for the next blog.

Puritans are a crazy bunch of people in my opinion sorry if you don’t think so and I’m sorry if you’re offended but what I think but seriously; come on! Well they think men are just so much better than women allllllll the time and well that kinda just bothers me. In “Adultery, in many states, is still a crime” by Jonathan Turley says that it is “illegal for a married woman to cheat on her husband and make it a crime for single women to have sex at all.” But it does not say anything about men cheating.  And might I remind you that this is present day 2010. What up with that dumb crap! Excuse me but like I don’t think that you should be punished for cheating at least not by the government. You may get a divorce and that punishment enough.  I have lived though my parent’s divorce. Though I don’t remember things about it I have recently stumbled upon letters my father had sent to and from with a friend.  These letters were about what happened during the divorce and the emotional strain it put on him.  The custody battle that was over max and I was the worst because it was overseas so my parents never knew where it would be and if the lawyers should be American or French. I think that is sufficient is punishment for cheating.

I think because Nathanial Hawthorn was born into Puritanism he believed that adultery was a crime that was punishable but after reading other book I feel that his views have changed and he like to write his opinion in his books while being a little bit more liberal then what he was razed to believe.

Puritan beliefs are still in play today but many have died down. The true hardcore puritans go by the same rules as long but I don’t cross paths with them very much so I don’t see their old laws.  

When did I know I was an American

The moment I knew then I was an American was when I finally understood what citizenship was, I could speak English and when I felt like I was home.  I moved to America when I was 3 years old; I was like every little kid, (yes I did grow and yes I’m still little no need to remind me) (O and Ps: my goal is to grow to 5 foot 5 inches. I think it’s quite reasonable) I wanted to have fun and hang out with friends.  As I got older and I would visit people in France and they would ask me “What am I” I would always say I’m American.  I felt that I was an American because that was where I lived and where my home was.  I link home is what you are.  Home is where you feel at ease.  Home is where you need to be.

Us Vs. Them... Us and Them

People can be pushed to their limits about things that they believe in or that others want them to believe in.  Just like in gangs, which are pretty much people under the influence of peer pressure.  They have a longing to want to fit in with a group and will go to extreme measures to make sure that they do.  Rather than being rejected, the gang member will engage in illegal activity such as stealing things, vandalizing and even killing.  It is not that they desire to kill someone but that the task or conflict that they have engaged in requires them to.  Instead of being rejected by the other gang members they choose to believe in the cause of the gang and show that they are strong enough to be accepted in the gang.  The other side of the coin is when people believe in something so strongly that they will kill for it.  The Holocaust would be a good example of this.  Hitler believed so strongly that anyone that did not fit under his qualifications for an “ideal” human being should be killed.  He carried his plans out, gained many Nazi followers and saw his plans to completion until thousands and thousands of people were killed.  This also works in the opposite way when someone stands out for what they believe in and they are not supported by anyone.  Just like Corey in “The Crucible”.  Corey is being pushed to give up names but he refuses and even through torture he will not get honest people in trouble.  His moral convictions about what he believes him lead to his death.      

P.S. I was not really sure what I was supposed to write about but my friend from another class told me I was supposed to write about “the causes of conflict that leads to death”.  

John Proctor Hero or Stooge.....

Well John Proctor is many things probably both a hero and a stooge. But I feel like Mr. Proctor is more of a hero that a stooge.  I believe he tried to save his name because in this small town of his everyone knows each other.  After the trails had gone on long enough Proctor finally realizes how out of control these witch hunts had become.  At this point he tries to stand up and tell the truth.  He knows that Abigail made everything up and that she is trying to cover up her behind area so she won’t get in trouble.  At first no one cares because Abigail and the other girls say they saw the devil with poor people and undistinguished people of the town. These people were hung after going through a “trial”. But when the girls go after reputable people of the town things get a little hairy.  That was Abigail’s real goal, to get rid of Elisabeth Proctor that way she would have John Proctor for herself.  John Proctor came forward and told the truth about Abigail and told everyone that he “knows her”.  Mr. Proctor though by telling the whole truth all this madness of witch hunts would be over.  Unfortunately Proctor let the situation snowball too long and he could not stop the girls.  Too many people believed their crazy rants about seeing the devil with others of the town.  John Proctor tried desperately to stop them but in the end he finally gave in but lying and saying he signed with the devil. But because John Proctor would never say he saw anyone else with the devil when he was approached he was hung.  John did not want to drag anyone else with him and get them killed for doing nothing wrong.  For this, he is a hero.  

Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God

These are the three things that would happen to you if you stepped one foot of the path to God.  There was an arrow always pointing to your heart, a flood to come rushing at you if God ever chose to lift his hand and you dangling from his fingers ready to fall into the firey pits of hell.

Ps: sorry my drawing isn't as great as other peoples.

O neighbors!

There are people from all different countries living around me. There are Scottish, French, Russian, and Indian people. We seem to all get along, as we say hello to each other whenever we meet.

One of my best friends lives in this complex so I'm always at her house or she's in mine.  I love her family, but I think if I didn't know them I might be kind of annoyed.  Whenever they take their dog out for a walk, her and her brother makes SOOO much noise.  

I don’t really know many more people in my complex because I'm slightly antisocial towards my neighbors... so I really don't know them well.  BUT my mother and step father talk to the people around here and sometimes I hear what they think about the neighbors.

 There is usually not much going on here but if anything happens everyone become very gossipy.  I recently found out that Caitlin O'hara is my neighbor too!  I have lived here since 2004 and she has lived here her whole life, shows how much I know the people that live around here. 

My family likes our neighbors living in the complex number 9. Their dog is the most skittish thing you will ever see.  Whenever she sees anyone, she gets excited, but if you take just one step closer to her she freaks out and runs away. 

In unit 10 there is a woman and sometimes there’s her 20 something year old daughter, who is living on and off there.  Her mother isn’t the nicest lady in the world. She is one of the only people that NEVER says “Hi” to me whenever I see her.  She lets her SUPER CUTE cat outside to wonder the complex.  Many people leave messages for her on the white board of news complaining about her cat being out since they have may have dogs.  Can you imagine, taking your dog outside for his or her stroll and having your animal seeing this cat?  They start barking like crazy and pulling the leash. The cat is very nice and my mom has many times given this cat food, as the cat can meow loudly around the complex for a few days.  She is the sour apple of the bunch (I mean that in the nicest way possible…)

So that’s everything that goes on in this complex. Not much.

My Introduction

I am Jenny and welcome to my blog.  I born in Montpellier, France.  My twin brother Max and I lived there until we were three and a half.  We moved to Chicago, Illinois with our mom and my dad remained in France after their divorce.  I went to Abraham Lincoln Elementary School from Kindergarten to eighth grade because they had a bilingual program for French speakers.  One of my favorite things to do in elementary school was hang out with my friends and get bubble teas from a cute old Vietnamese man.  I also enjoyed being on the soccer team and track team.  I still love hanging out with friends, walking around the city and finding things to do.  Another interesting fact about my life is that I have traveled to every continent except for Australia.  My family loves to experience different cultures and travel.  My favorite place that I have been so far is Thailand because it is "The Land of Smiles".  We were in Thailand right after the tsaumani hit.  It was very interesting to see how a city recovers after such a large natural disaster while still keeping their smiles.  They were so happy to see and meet foreigners and were extremely welcoming even after this hardship.  That is a little bit about me and I look forward to sharing with you more over the next few months.