Last Post of the Year!

        Over the last school year, I've done about 30 blog posts. For my last one, I'd like to focus on a few assigned questions, starting with "In what ways can writing online be liberating?  Limiting?"
I think writing online can be both limiting or liberating, depending on the writer. Some would feel liberated because they have the guts too some some opinions online that they wouldn't normally say. Or, they feel limited because they know other people will be reading their writing, so they're self-conscious. Basically, the writer either limits or liberates them self. This question ties into the question "Do you think that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like facebook? Do people type things they would never say to a person's face? Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?" As I said before, yes, I do believe that people say things online that they wouldn't say in person.  But I don't really know if this can be titles as "abusing."  I say this because certain websites such as facebook give you the freedom to say things, whether you'd say them in 'real life' or not. But if the creators of websites like these REALLY though that this would happen, they are so wrong, and so stupid. When people are online they get the courage to say things because they're protected and far away from the reader of the things they type. I don't think that this can be immediately classified as good or bad. Yeah, I think it's stupid when people have the courage to have conversations with you on facebook but not in person. But I wouldn't consider it bad at all! However, if you are dissing someone and being anything from rude or down right bitchy to another person online, that's not okay. I think this because once you say something online (like this), it's gone. Anyone cans see it. And two, if you don't have the courage to fight with a person face to face, than don't fight, because that show's your obviously not a strong or smart person.
      Another question I would like to address is " Can you imagine yourself keeping up this blog or creating another one?  What would it be about?  What's your opinion of blogs in general and why?"  I don't think I could keep any blog. If I don't have too, It's hard for me too maintain things that I don't particularly enjoy. Yeah, blogging is fine, but I don't really like to write that much, especially when it's so hard for me to think of topics for writing. This is my opinion of blogs for myself. However, I think blogging is fine for anyone who actually enjoys blogging, because they're very fun to read because I'm a nosy person, so I have to know everything.

The Virgin Suicides, number 2

   " 5 blond sisters, the Lisbons live in suburban Michigan in the mid '70s. They are all teenagers, ranging from 13 to 17, who live under the strict Catholic no-boys policy of their parents. As bad is this sounds, it gets so much worse. Within the first 30 pages, Cecilia, the youngest, succeeds in killing herself." This is what I said last week while describing the Virgin Suicides. However,  have read most of the book since then. Another main event that has happened since then is Homecoming.
     However surprising it is that Mrs. Lisbon allowed her 4 remaining daughters to go to Homecoming, it happened. It started when Trip Fontaine fell in love with the 14 year old daughter, Lux. Trip, who fell for Lux just by looking at her and admiring her from a far, asked her father for permission to take her. Mr. Lisbon said no at first, but after some good tips and promising to get dates for his other daughters as well, the Lisbon's were convinced. However, there would be certain rules.
     I feel like it was really good that the Lisbon girls went to Homecoming. Not only did they get to leave the suffocating house, but four boys actually MET them. Before, the Lisbon girls just seemed like sacred angles. The were admired and cared for deeply from a far, but no one really knew them or what the were like. After that night, the boys danced with them, talked, laughed, shared with them. Two of them kissed their dates. The Lisbon girls became real people, as opposed to who they were before to these boys. 

The Virgin Suicides

     The Virgin Suicides   is one of the books my book group and I have decided to read for ELA. Although I'm only 30 pages in, I know everything that's going to happen. This is because I have seen the movie. The movie of this book, so far, does a great job of portraying the book. However, I definitely regret seeing the movie. Although the book so far is still really good, I now have no surprises coming and I picture everything I read as it was in the movie. This is what has happened so far in the book: 5 blond sisters, the Lisbons live in suburban Michigan in the mid '70s. They are all teenagers, ranging from 13 to 17, who live under the strict Catholic no-boys policy of their parents. As bad is this sounds, it gets so much worse. Within the first 30 pages, Cecilia, the youngest, succeeds in killing herself.
         I think the writing is really good. The mood was expressed so well. Even though I have seen the movie and know what will happen, the writing and descriptions still force me to shudder and close the book. It's just so  horrific and miserable that you kind of have to. In describing Cecilia's limp body after her second, and successful, suicide attempt I just had to stop reading. However, before this part, it expressed sunny days that Lux, the fourteen year-old sun tanned outside. It expressed the awkwardness of some situations, like the party the Lisbon Girls were allowed to throw. Is just rushed from one mood to another so smoothly and nicely. I think this is great because this book is about teenagers from the point of view of teenagers, and teenagers have so may emotions.
     The perspective of the story is from a group of teenage boys who live near the Lisbon family. I think this is really cool. The boys think of the Lisbon Girls as goddesses. They think they are sacred, even though they have had really limited interaction with them. These boys hardly know what the girls look like from up close, yet they value their lives so much. Multiple times, some of these boys were blessed with the opportunity to enter the Lisbon house. When they went, they'd record every detail they could in their heads to tell the other boys. It's kind of humorous, yet moody and strange. 
     It's hard to describe the greatness of this books writing. But it is great.

Around the World in 80 Dates ( Blog posts 1 and 2, because I missed one last week.)

What I said in my blog post was  "80 dates in 6 months in 18 different countries. That's Jennifer Cox's challenge in the memoir, Around the World in 80 dates. At 38, Jennifer is at her breaking point. She can no longer just sit around in London, waiting for "Mr. Right" to come for her, going through bad relationship after bad relationship as she waits. So, she goes to find him. After much planning, emailing and quitting her job, Jennifer is prepared for journey." However, I have progressed very much in this book. Already, I'm up tp after date 55 in her journey. And this date is special. In this date, she finds her soul mate.
       I find it really interseting that this is gow Jennifer attempts, and succeeds in finding love. Many people just hope they will meet the person right for them, and continue there lives. Sure, some people make small efforts like going out hoping to meet someone, but Jennifer really takes this matter into her own hands. I don't really think she wants love any more than most people, just deals with it differently. Most people don't plan 6 month long trips  around the world dating many many various strangers.
      I think how Jennifer Cox handles her loveless life really says something about human nature. The fact that she wrote a memoir that people actually read, or just common knowledge, tells us that this really is different. And the fact that this is different really emphasizes people and how the regularly deal with love. Are we supposed to just sit around waiting for the right person for us to just show up? Or are we supposed to go out looking for them?
     Truthfully, I'm not sure.
Something I might disagree with Jennifer is that how do know there is "a one." Maybe they're are just people whom we can love and love to spend time with. But that doesn't mean there is one set person out there for you. There could be multiple, or no "Settness" at all. Just getting along, and loving it. However, I don't think we are supposed to go looking for them.  Yes, it's fine if you do. Because if you don't look for them, you may never find them. This is the case for Jennifer and her soul mate. He lives in Seattle, and she lives in London. If her journey hadn't started, then they'd never have met. But, as I said before, we probably don't have one set soul mate. If we did, yes, go look for them. But since we don't, we should just sit back and let them stumble upon us.






    Another Idea this got me thinking about is fate. My blog post above is talking about how they're may not be "a one soulmate." And the question my book brought up about whether or not you should search for love.
     Jennifer Cox did search for love. In her memoir, Around the World in 80 Dates, she's on a journey searching for her soul mate. However, i'm not so sure this is the way to go. I don't know if I believe in fate. But, the idea that we shouldn't go searching for our soul mate because we probably have multiple people to love got me thinking that fate could have a roll in that.
   Could the reason our human nature is to not go searching for our soul mate because we believe fate will bring them together, or not, depending on if they are actually meant to be together? I don't mean that stuff thats like " fate wants us to be together forever." No. I mean more like we are not supposed to go looking for our soul mate because we have multiple people we can love. And fate  will lend a hand and  help bring two people together. Fate doesn't determine who is supposed to be together. It brings them together. They determine if they're supposed to be together.
    So, I believe that if there is not a single soulmate for people, it's human nature not to go on a search for love because fate will bring a person you love to you.

Around the World in 80 Dates

      80 dates in 6 months in 18 different countries. That's Jennifer Cox's challenge in the memoir, Around the World in 80 dates. At 38, Jennifer is at her breaking point. She can no longer just sit around in London, waiting for "Mr. Right" to come for her, going through bad relationship after bad relationship as she waits. So, she goes to find him. After much planning, emailing and quitting her job, Jennifer is prepared for journey.

     One reason that I chose to read this book is because it's a true story. I'm a really nosy person, so I love to just know everybody's business and everything about them. So memoirs are just like windows into someone else's life, where you can just get full detail. However, with Around the World in 80 dates, not only do I get to see through this window, but I get to see into someone's life who I think has something very interesting to say. Jennifer Cox's dating quest for true love through the globe is not a common story. I have never traveled out of North America, so this is also like a travel guide for me, which I love. It's funny and gossipy, which I really love. And, last of all, I know that I'm reading about a true experience of a real person, and I think it's so weird that Jennifer Cox experienced this in such a more true way than I did.

    I'm not far into this story at all, so I have only read about her first 2 dates. So far, neither men fit her description of "Mr. Right." Will she find him?

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

      Nicks world is crashing down. When she broke up with him "three weeks, two days and 23 hours ago," Nick only asked his ex not to come to his shows. But there she is, standing in the crowed manhattan club with a new guy. Bobbing her head to the music, staring right at him. Problem. Nick is still in love with Tris, even though she's been cheating on him the entire six months the went out. Even though she laughed at the songs and poems he made her.
      Ironically, there's another new-jersey teen who feels just as passionately about Tris in the room. Another who doesn't even know Nick. However, Norah's passionate feelings are of hatred. For that cruel girl who stomps on nice boys hearts, who wears disgusting yellow tights and who's the least subtle person out their.
     So isn't it's  a  strange coincidence that Nick chose Norah to be his temporary girlfriend in a moment of panic as Tris was walking right towards him. But this small desperate move alters the rest of his night, or more.
     This is about how much progress i've made in  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. So far, it's been really entertaining and the characters are all out. I know them already. Their personality, their wants, their humor, their plans, their problems. The book goes back and forth from Nick and Norah's perspective, and I really like how close I can already get to the characters.
       Nick is kind of sheepish, and he's definitely kind. He loves music and his friends but he was really devoted to Tris. I feel like if Nick was real, he'd be the person to devote himself. To work, to love to music. Just in general he's really committed. One way I noticed this is that even though his ex had moved on, Nick was still really out of it and dejected during the whole night. But his niceness and devotion is not to the point where he's different from everyone else, he's still like an average teenage boy. He's interested in girls, and  cars and parties. He just has a unique view on things.  Well,  I guess he's not average in this sense with friends because he, in his words, is "a non-queer in a queercore band."
      Norah is, in my opinion, really funny. She's also very caring and affectionate. But when she needs to be cold and straightforward, she is. For example, she has a friend Caroline. Whenever the go into the city, Caroline gets crazy drunk and leeches herself onto a guy. Every time, Norah takes it upon herself to makes sure Caroline gets home safe, she holds her hair when she barfs, and she pulls her away from sketchy guys. But when Tris tried to manipulate Nick into lending her his car, and Norah was his "girlfriend," Norah took the matter into her hands, and made Tris leave. Also, when her ex was a jerk to her, and attempted manipulated her into staying with him, she got the strength to glare at him, yell at him, and leave him. But when she's not in a state of strong emotion, Norah's very playful and funny.
         These characters really have character. They are really realistic. Maybe the seem more real to me because I know people like them, or they're onlycouple years older than me. But the seem more real to me than most other characters, because I can clearly define their personality.

The Monsters of Templeton

 I am still reading this book. Although it's very good, it's taking me a long time.  Last week, I wrote " In this novel, Willie Upton returns to her suburbean  home town of  Templeton, New York, from an archeology mission in Alaska, the same day a horrific yet beautiful beast surfaces on Templeton's Lake Glimmerglass. Willie doesn't return to "recharge," and she certainly doesn't return home because she adores her home town. She returns because 29 year old Willie Upton is pregnant with her married professors child. Scandalous, I know. Not only this, but she attempts to slaughter her professors wife in a Bush Plane. However, this isn't really relevant. At least not yet. It's all just leading up to her returning to Templeton." Since then, the one of the main things of this book has entered the plot. Vi, Willie's mother, tells her that her father is not the random chicago hippie like she grew up thinking. In fact, he is a respected templetonian man with a family. Of course, this comes as a shock to Willie. Her father could be anyone! One half of the source of her life lives in her very town.  You see, Willie has roots in Templeton. Marmaduke Temple, the founder of the town, was an ancestor of her. But the Temple family has two sides. The side with Marmaduke's wife, and their children, and their children's children. Also, the is the side in which supposedly quaker Marmaduke Temple has an affair with his slave. (This is in the last 1700s.)It's the Temple's and the Averall's. However, another shock. Willies unknown father is also a descendent from Marmaduke Temple. So, Willie starts a mission. Tracing bake to her ancestors, she finds everything she can about her family.

           Now, I want to talk about Vivienne, or Vi. Willie's mother. I have mixed emotions about this character. Sometimes, I really like her, and others times, I hate her. My feelings contradict each other, just like Vi's "sides" contradict each other. All Willie's life, she grew up with a hippie mother who completely believed in equal rights for everyone, who lied to Willie by telling her she was allergic to sugar to keep her from eating it. She grew up with a mother who found some religions insulting. But when Willie comes back, everything is different. Her mother has gone eats fatty foods, and is church-crazy. We soon find out though, one reason she's so religious now is her relationship with the fat, greasy minister.

           I think the reason this really bothers me is because it's obviously not who she really is. Vivienne is drastically changing herself for her new boyfriend, when it used to be leaping from one partner to another. I understand how in a relationship, people would change small things to make their partner happy, but what Vi did isn't right. She's  basically masking herself for the satisfaction of, as Willie calls him, "Reverend Milky."

          So, what if she really has changed? If she isn't truly masking herself, I still find her new personality annoying. Because she is completely going against herself. I  personally think she is masking herself, because it's impossible to just completely change your view on everything. Her two opposing opinions just clash.