Treated Equal?

     Welcome to High School! The place to be if you want to be treated like everyone else! As soon as you walk into the door you are greeted by a welcoming committee of brutish, pot-heads who would like nothing more than to flush your head down the toilet. But that's okay because they are just wanting to let you know how much they care about your well being. While your head is being plunged inside the shiny bowl you might as well take a look at the artwork surrounding you and keeping you up with the latest gossip. You can learn how much of a "whore" Sally is, or how many people have slept with the point guard on the basketball team. If you tuck your shirt into your jeans or wear orthopedic footwear be prepared for some extra special attention from your new best friends.  Don't expect much mediation by the teachers part however. They spend much of their spare time sitting behind the comfort of their desks becoming more and more distant from their students. Parents be proud of your children's education, because for the thousands of dollars you put into the system, your children will come out being self assured and develop a great character from their four years of pure bliss.

Song or Poem?

Elephant in the Room - Richard Walters

Calling you to wake
Shouting in my car that's stalled outside
And it's pure coincidence I'm sure
Falling from my mouth, secondary doubts I've found myself in
Can't seem to look you in the eye

And I hope you can see
I'm more than this, this heap at your feet
Who are you to judge me?
Who are you to preach?
Control has slipped away from me again

How heavy are these words?
They're heavier than air
That rushes past your face as you drive away from me again
How heavy are these hands?
They're heavier than blood
That rushes to my head as you walk away from me again

Forcing you to speak
Snapping out my voice seems smaller now, it's only whispering my life
Paper cuts in time
I insist you keep these letters here and read them over if you can

And I hope you can see
I'm more than this, this heap at your feet
Who are you to judge me?
Who are you to preach?
Control has slipped away from me again

How heavy are these words?
They're heavier than air
That rushes past your face as you drive away from me again
How heavy are my hands?
They're heavier than blood
That rushes to my head as I will walk away from here again

How heavy are these words?
They're heavier than air
That rushes to my face as you turn away from me again
How heavy are these words, heavier than time
That rushes past your face as you would turn to walk away again


     The song "Elephant in the Room" by Richard Walters has many poetic devices in it. He uses personification when he talks about "how heavy are these words". Words do not literally weigh anything. There is a lot of parallel structure when he repeats the line "how heavy are these words" throughout most of the song.

    

     I witnessed a decrepit elderly man walk into the diner. He reached into his denim pocket and proceeded to pull out a handmade cigarette. The man's hands were as creased as an elephant's skin. His face carried a blank expression and his hands trembled with Parkinson's as he attempted to light the smoke. The rigid, speckled mustache that hung below his bulbous nose looked like it had been clinging on for centuries. From my seat, 5 booths away, I began to smell the smoke wafting in the air. I look towards him and realized that he was staring back at me. His eyes were glazed over like there was a layer of smoke consuming them. His brows were furrowed into the shape of a "V" as he glared in my direction. I began to get an uneasy feeling as he stood up and sauntered past me. The man's eyes glued on me as he passed and walked through the back door with his cigarette still hanging precariously from his mouth. I waited a minute then ran from the diner, with his image forever burned in my mind.

Pick Me!

     To whomever this may concern,

     I am vivacious, agile, and abounding. You have never seen a human being like me.

     I have stood on the North Pole, planted a tree, and sent a message in a bottle to Chili. Currently, I hold the world record for the most hot dogs fit in a humans mouth. I take all credit for the creation of ready made pizza. I have watched the Harry Potter series in one sitting and can cast spells with sticks from my backyard. At the age of 7 I preformed a lobotomy.

     I can fall backwards into pools of Nestea at any given moment. My greatest achievement has been sky diving with no parachute off the Eiffel Tower. I have saved children from a burning building. When I was 2 I read "Don Quixote" in a half hour. I have traveled back in time and saved John F. Kennedy from his asassin. I created myspace, mashed potatoes, and cell phone cases.

     People know me as the most interesting mortal alive. I have had a conversation with an elephant, stepped out of a plane while in the air, and been buried alive. I dance, compose, frolic, and have the ability to survive a nuclear attack. I have walked across the Sahara Desert and back in 12 hours. I have played all of Mozarts sonatas on every instrument possible.

     And the last thing I have to do to make my life complete is to go to your university.

There is Somethin' Missin'...

     Director Gary Sinise did a great job of transforming the novel "Of Mice and Men" into a film. This classic story of two men traveling together in search of work during the Great Depression played out flawlessly on the screen. Even though the movie was almost exactly like the book, the way it was potrayed was very well done. Gary Sinise also did a fantastic job of acting the part of George. He shows the true relationship between them and how protective George was of Lennie. This is shown throughout the whole movie when George trys his best to keep Lennie out of trouble. He ended the movie in a way that was quite different from the way I pictured it reading the book, but it worked out well. I feel that he could have been more angry and snappy when it came to him getting mad at Lennie, like the way the character is potrayed in the novel. Overall this movie was great at showing all the main parts of the timeless novel and gave the viewer a very good idea of how true the friendship was between the two men. I do feel, however, that it was a little lackluster in many of the scenes. The movie stuck true to what the novel said, but could have been executed in a way that the viewer became enthrawled with what was going on throughout the whole film, instead of leaving more to be desired. If someone enjoyed the novel they would absolutly love this movie, but if that someone enjoys movies filled with action and special effects stay far away!

The Celtics Come First

     As she slipped under the warm, cozy covers of her brand new queen sized bed she let out a massive sigh. "You have got to be kidding me, why are you still reading that paper?"

     He just glared at her, then went right back to reading the fine black and white print.

     "Can you just for one night put the paper away and talk to me? I'm sick of feeling like I'm talking to myself," she remarked.

     "If you were an understanding wife you would know that this is just part of my daily routine and you need to come to accept that."

     She rolled her eyes and replied, "This is so typical of you, never understanding my feelings!"

     "I try my best," he stated, "but sometimes you need to make some sacrifices."

     Her voice reached a high pitch yell, "I am always making sacrifices! My whole life has been sacrifices and you will never understand that."

     He flipped to the sports page and ignored her comment. "Oh the Celtics won last night!"

     "You have got to be kidding me! I will always come second to something else. Why am I still with you?"

     He decided that it was better for him to not provoke her by responding to the question. As she rolled over onto her side and placed her head against the firm pillow he slowly placed the newspaper down on his bedside table and rolled so that he was facing her. She drifted into sleep in his arms and as she did he whispered, "I love you."

Get on Her High Horse!

     The soft, cool breeze floats through the rickety barn door. George, a jack of all trades, was removing the saddle off of his trusty steed when a picture perfect woman walked in.
     "For the love of God," exclaimed George, "I'm to avoid you like the black plaque."
     Curley's wife stopped in her tracks and exclamed, "I'm just looking for Curley, but looking at you makes me feel like a kid in the candy store." George was confused on how to proceed. He knew that he was stuck inbetween a rock and a hard place by feeling this way, but needless to say she was too hot to hande.
     "Love is blind," George replied.
     "Your not one to beat around the bush eh?"
     "Not when it comes to you. You can bet your bottom dollar that i just fell in love," George replied.
     "Keep this from Curley or he will act like a bat out of hell."
     At that moment Curley's wife leaned in and kissed George. She pulled away and began to leave the barn saying, "You better bite your tounge boy."