What books should do

When in doubt this is a class about language, but to say that we have an understand of our language is something that can never be true. For with language we create a place as real as London in any time period, or as fictional as middle earth, and Narnia. Books create and inspire. That is why in the end reading is such a great thing. It leads to those who are willing to learn and look into the future to become more than just a normal person. Even those who just read for fun, have something that people who don’t read have.

What should you read though? Books only in one area of literature or in more than one area. The choice is yours, but to be a well-rounded reader is as good as being a well-rounded person, it just helps those in any way possible and is never a bad thing. Books give us knowledge not just in a way of writing and style but in how to think. They can teach you right from wrong and these books in our great world can teach us about the past and maybe something’s about what the future may hold.

The real point is that what you read should bring you joy, it should entertain you as much as add to the knowledge you have. Books when reading then should make you think question your outlook on life and push you to new heights. These dreams that the author put out for you are yours for the taking if you just can crack open that cover of a book, and then begin to read it.

So in the end what you must start to do is read. Whether you have read books and stopped to do to other things, or have never quite liked read. There is a book out there for every person. It will speak to you in ways that no other book has for that writer will have written it for an audience that is you. Now they won’t know that but a book will change your life. I know it; it has been seen and done. It is that book that a person can quote by heart just because when they read it, it fit into their life so completely it became an addicting book.

For me that book was “the Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this book, the main character Mary is a spoiled brat and when she moves to England you read about how a garden, brings on a transformation from a little girl who is often sick and the most unpleasant person to be around to a real child who laughs and plays. This transformation is also brought on to the child who lived at the house before Mary got there. His name is Collin and he is in his mind a cripple, which because of the garden he over comes.

I loved this book, because I like to garden also, and so when I read this book. It moved me, as I read about the healing and change brought on by only a garden.

Disorderly Conduct

Yesterday I went to see a comedian named Jeff Dunham. I went with my family, who I must say were all old enough to hear the colorful language that was present at this show. This would be one thing that I would be careful of if you don’t like to hear cussing or have small children, then I would say leave them at home or, they should leave you at as they go to enjoy a fantastic show.

The show that I went to took place in Peoria, Illinois. It was a little bit of a drive but, we got there in time. The show started at around 8ish. Mr. Dunham came out and did some standup comedy to start with. My favorite bit from that part was how he had some penguin humidifies on stage and threw out the show the dummies would comment on them.

  The first dummy used was Achmed the dead terrorist. Achmed is famous for his line “Silence I kell you.”  His next dummy was Bubba J, and in this part of the show, Jeff did some improve because he messed up in the bit. It was one of the funniest parts of the show because he was making the whole thing up I think. It was great.

The third dummy to come out Little Jeff, the reason he did this was that he now sells little Jeff’s, they are for sale and it was funny because the little Jeff made fun of big Jeff while telling him a sellout. His fourth act was peanut, and jose jalapeno on a stick. This act went well other than that he sounded like he didn’t know what he was doing.

                  His final act was with Walter. Walter is an old man who has never been happy on stage.  He did the bit with an interaction with the crowd. The letters were written before the show and then read as a improve bit. The show ended with Walter, and it was a very good show.  

http://www.jeffdunham.com/home

Valentine's day ideas

Valentine’s Day a holiday for couples but was it is a holiday that goes back to the time of the Romans. Back then it wasn’t called valentine’s day and for sure it wasn’t sweet and lovey dovey. No it was a pagan holiday, and like most holidays christen churches created Valentine’s Day to combat this pagan with a celebration of their own.  This celebration was called St. Valentine’s Day by Pope Gelasius and was to take place on February the 14^th every year.  

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day

This holiday is spent showing affection to people you care about or love ones, but really what is the best way to do this? In today’s economy it probably won’t be the best idea to go out and spend the average amount of 150 dollars spent by men or the 74 spent by women. But have no fear because I’m on a mission to find the best Valentines for your money.   http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/interactives/valentines-day-by-the-numbers

 For your friends Valentine ’s Day would be good for giving cards.  These cute robots are the way to go for friends I think. They can be made out of scrapes of different colored paper and the body is a candy bar.  You can buy a bag of mini chocolates at you locale grocery store and make as many as you’d like. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/valentines-day-ideas-robot-card_n_2552851.html?utm_hp_ref=crafts

 

  If you have kids then these yarn hearts would be a good idea for you. All you have to do is cut out some cardboard paper hearts and then let the little kids wrap different shades of pink and red around the hearts. Then paste them on to a blank card and you have a valentine that you kids can be proud of and will love to give away.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/06/valentines-day-ideas-yarn-hearts_n_2615536.html?utm_hp_ref=valentines-day-gift-ideas

My final thing is that if you’re feeling very creative, that you should do a valentines scavenger hunt. I got this idea form pinterest and it sounded really cute. You hide hearts in nature and then threw, the scavenger hunt you leave really cute hearts. this could be the best idea for a cute valentines day activity. 

Football

This evening I watched a little bit of the super bowl. Now I wasn’t really paying attention to the game that’s when I got most of my blogging done, but I did watch the half time show. This year it was done by Beyoncé. I have some of her music and some of her songs I just jam out to. The two form the show I liked the best was “crazy in love” and “Single Ladies”.

          Now because I’m one of those people who like looking at the stage and special effects I found that her show was very much a lot of lights. She also had fireworks and her stage didn’t really move around, she did. Over  all it was a great show and I can’t wait for next year’s one.

A knight of books

       

Sir Terry Prachett, has been a published author scenes 1971 and he has written over all 56 books. Most of those books are in his Discworld series, which you don’t have to read in order because inside Discworld there are a bunch of characters and stories.

  My brother loves this author and I think he is also a good author.  If you haven’t read any of his books these are the ones I would recommend you start with.

I would say any of the books that involve the witches are good. That series of books I would start with “equal rights”. This one is a feminist one because it is about a girl who is a wizard but because she is a girl, she can’t be a wizard. So she and another witch go after the wizards and prove that she can be a wizard.

In my favorite one which is called “Masquerade” we have a little ripe off of the phantom of the opera taking place. The new witch that we meet is a girl who has the magical ability to sing, but she is not pretty so she goes into town from the country and tries out at an opera house. She makes it in but her part is to sing in the back.  The book really is a great one because in the end the phantom turns out to be the one person you expect but didn’t really, which makes it even more my favorite.

The next one would be the wee free men and the Tiffany Aching books. Those ones I love because Tiffany is a really smart girl and she wants to be a witch! The comedy part comes in when she meets the wee free men, a bunch of fairies, but they aren’t your normal fairies.

A book not in   the discworld series but good would be nation. This book takes place on an island. The island suffers a natural disaster and the people who survive this have to rebuild from what they have which isn’t a lot. It is a coming of age book for some people, taking on responsibility.  It is one of the funnier ones also so if you like comedy I would read this one.

These are just a few of Terry Prachetts work but they are the ones I have read so far. If I read anymore I will tell you about them and if they are any good.

Dodger

The new book that I am reading right now is called “Dodger” by Terry Pratchett. His book dodger is one of his newest books. It is set in the historical fiction world of London in the 19^th century when London was either really rich or dirt poor; Not very many people in the middle.

We start our story on a dark and stormy night in London. There we read about how Dodger saves a girl form some men she was running from. For Dodger takes two men single handily. As you read this book you find out they don’t call Dodger for nothing.

One of the interesting things about the book so far is what the main character does for a living at the start of the book. He is a Toshers that means that everyday Mr. Dodger, would go down into the sewers and dig around in the muck and try and find random items of value.  It may have been one of the worst jobs I have heard of and to think people really id this for a job is just horrifying.

This book is historical fiction but so far two people who I have read about are real and are quite famous., Charles Dickens and Henry Mayhew. They have both been introduced so early in this book because of what they did in real life. They both wrote about how the underbelly of London was so bad and how the rich and no idea what was just across the way. Charles Dickens writings were all fiction in some way But Mr. Mayhews were all about reality.

Some it though is just urban legend, like how Dodger faces down Sweeny Todd the Demon barber of fleet street. The interesting thing is even though the Barbar almost kills him, Dodger doesn’t like to think of him as getting locked up because in this tale. Sweeny Todd   was in the war and crazy because he couldn’t have saved people.it just shows that Dodger has compassion and he can think for himself.

Dodgers character comes off to the rich as this dirty little kid who will steal your money the second he sees it but really that isn’t the case. Most of the time he will let you keep your money.  What he is a good kid who just has been in the wrong side of town. Or thast is what the rich people think, to Dodger, he thinks himself well off and pretty lucky. Which is a way that this character grows on you.  

So far I have liked this book. It has a good history but is an engaging read, but from Sir Terry Pratchett. On the next blog I will talk about this author and books by him you should read.

  http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/06/quite-likely-the-worst-job-ever/

All-State speech

This weekend I volunteered at the state speech event at Kennedy. I was in the auditorium and working with the one act performances.   These shows are plays in one act and the goal is to tell a story in that one act. If they were very good your group would get to go all-state on February 16  they will perform for the final time if they past this weekend.

             Speech is a very interesting thing because you just don’t make speeches. There is along with one act, mime, choral reading and many others that are listed at this link http://lchs.lewiscentral.org/departments/fine_arts/speech/large_group_speech_categories/  . These categories showcase all kinds of acting and are great to see.

 The only thing about it is that speech performs only really have three completions. First one is districts and if you don’t pass the judges standers, you don’t get to go onto state. That isn’t really a challenge if you practice hard and work hard. The next completion is State and after state is All-State. All-State is this month on the 16^th.

Here at Kennedy our groups improve team has won at All-State speech for the past three years for sure.  Speech is one of those things which I find to be a great thing to watch so if you’re thinking about going to watch All-State speech this year, you should go.