More Journals

10/15
What is the most annoying pet naming convention?

I hate the normal obvious pet names like...Spot, Fluffy, Shadow, Paws, or Sunshine. They are so stupid. The only time these names are acceptable for a pet is when they are ironic misnomers. For instance, if one were to name a fish Paws, or a snake Fluffy. Then, it's kind of cute. I also hate when annoying people give their friends, boyfriends, or girlfriends pet names. I can't stand passing a couple in the hallway and listening to them call each other something stupid like "Pookie Wookie Kins" or something equally lame.

10/16
Of all the pets you've ever had, which one had the coolest name?

Well, I have had many, many pets in my lifetime. I have had dogs: Saidie, Samson, Pongo, Delilah, Baxter, and Edgar. I have also had cats: Katy, Bridget, Allison, and Teaspoon. I have had cats: Smoke, Bitsy, Calpurnia, Donder, and Boxer. I have had fish as well: Sapphire, Archer, and Angel. I once had a pet bird named Moccasin, and a snake named Delacroix. I have also cared for two lizards by the names of Veronica and Houdini. Most recently, however, I have adopted three Antilles Pink-Toe Tarantulas, whose names are Hecate Selene, Persephone, and Violette Mystique. I feel that most of my pets, if not all, have had wonderful names, but I would have to say the title for the coolest name would lie evenly among Calpurnia, Delacroix, Hecate Selene, and Persephone.

10/18
Suggest three journal topics.

How do other people see you, and what leads them to their opinion? Describe your most interesting, strange, and/or entertaining friend. Do you ever have free time? If so, how is it spent? If not, what activities fill your schedule?

10/19
Great job, lousy pay. Lousy job, great pay. Which one? Explain.

Great job, lousy pay. I would rather spend my life poor while enjoying my career than dreading that which makes me wealthy. If I am going to be rich in the future, it will be earned from a job that I love. You are only given one chance at life. If you live it miserably for money alone, you're an idiot.

10/22
Which is better: an easy class with loads of homework or a hard class with very little homework? Explain.

Well, I have trouble completing my work, as I'm sure you've noticed. However, in easy classes, I have a special talent for spending the entire term goofing off, getting all my work in by the end of the term, and pull off an A. In easy classes, you can get all of the work for the entire year done in one weekend, and they always take it late. In hard classes, the teachers don't accept late work (ahem, Clark). Due to my frequent changes in Attention Defacite elevation, easier classes with loads of homework, are no problem.

10/23
Which of these decades has the best music? 60's, 70's, 80's, or 90's?

80's!!!!!!! 80's is music! I love 80's rock and grunge. It is the best music ever created, and it is soooo sad that most of the artists are dead now. I literally feed off of the musical talents of Dokken, Styx, Ratt,Alice Cooper, Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Cheap Trick, the Scorpions, Motley Crue, Cinderella, and many, many others. However, Nirvana's introduction to grunge makes me partial to 90's as well. R.I.P. Kurt Cobain, deceased but never forgotten. He will forever live on in our hearts, minds, souls, and CD players.

10/24
Do you like to hunt? Why or why not?

I despise hunting. I despise hunters. Hunting is an awful and sadistic sport in which mankind enters the home of an innocent animal to murder and devour him or her. In my mind if hunting is supposedly "ethical" than it should also be perfectly acceptable for one to enter another man's home and shoot him dead in front of his own refrigerator, cut him up and eat him, leaving his family to fend for themselves. There's really not much difference. If someone finds murder entertaining in any context, his or her philosophy greatly lacks something to be desired.

10/25
Nearly nine weeks, into the school year...has your initial new lunchline opinion changed?

No not at all. It still reminds me of a Pink Floyd music video. But, I have gotten used to it. It completely angers me that they always run out of food during third lunch, though. It's like they have no clue how many people are in the school.

10/26
Do you, or will you someday, play the lottery?

Currently, I do not play the lottery. I, personally, feel that it is a waste of time and money, and the chances of winning are slim to none. I will probably play sometime in the future, though. I believe one should try everything at least once. You never know what could happen.

CONTACT ME IN CYBERSPACE

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Journals 9/10-9/27

9/10/07

DOL
Plant these Japanese iris bulbs next to the daffodils, Pam, if you want an attractive display next spring.

JOURNAL
Comment on the salty hamburger incident.

The story is ridiculous/hilarious/a total bummer for the chick involved. Neither of the two people are without fault, though. When the girl spilled the salt, she obviously should not have continued to prepare the tainted meat and distribute it to a customer. However, the policeman should not have arrested her because, for instance, if I got sick from eating a bad hamburger, I couldn't have anyone arrested for it. The cop was using his title to avenge his lunch. Also, was the cop really that much of a dunce that he would continue to consume a burger tasting of excessive amounts of salt? I mean, what an idiot.

9/11

DOL
Terry doesn't run very well but he always enters Run For Your Life, a five-mile race held on labor day.

JOURNAL
Do you believe the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 happened as reported or was/is there a sinister conspiracy/cover up?

It's difficult to tell nowadays. As always, I'm almost positive there are facts that the government is keeping from the public. For instance, the real reason why they attacked us in the first place? I'm sure it had nothing to do with our religion because there are hardly two Americans with the same religion anymore.

9/12

DOL
Neither of my parents is able to take me to the Village Theater to see Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest.

JOURNAL
Would you consider Britney Spears to be "fat"?

Certainly not. People whose bodies are 60% synthetic generally aren't. Britney Spears is repulsive for many other reasons.

9/13

DOL
Adriana, please set those books of Shakespeare's plays on this stand; we'll be using them later in class.

JOURNAL
Do you prefer this year's "enrichment" block to last year's study hall/tutoring? Explain.

Enrichment is basically the same thing as study hall. The tutoring thing last year was completely absurd, though. With all of the homework that I know everyone had, it was ridiculous how we were expected to use our extra half hour to do worksheets on material resurfacing from second grade.

9/14

DOL
Shawn said that neither of the singers was professionally trained, but their rendition of "Maria" was stunning.

JOURNAL
"Cheaters never prosper."<--True statement???

It may have been a true statement once upon a time. However, nowadays, everyone is too concerned with victory over virtue. I don't think anyone can achieve anything without bending/breaking the rules at least a little. In most situations, cheaters are actually the only ones that do prosper.

9/17

DOL
Neither my friend nor my sister has the time to address these envelopes; maybe someone else can help.

JOURNAL
Personally, is it more comfortable for setting or location (house, classroom, etc.) to be too hot or too cold.

I would much rather be cold than hot. It is much easier to get warm when you are cold than it is to cool off when you're hot. If you are cold, you can always put on more clothes, start a fire, run around and get your blood flowing better, rub your hands together, or sit closely to someone else and feed off of their body heat. In opposition, the only solution to excessive heat is ice or air conditioning.

9/18

DOL
Rob told us that the picture has not been hung properly, and it will have to be taken down and done correctly.

JOURNALS
Design a new candy bar. Describe its composition and name it.

My candy bar consists of: crumbled barbecue Frito's, chocolate Teddy Grahams, peanut butter, and coffee grounds strategically assembled, dipped in melted dark chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Freeze for at least three hours. Serve with a cold can of Grapette. I call it, "My Delicious Early Death". Believe it or not, I do enjoy these from time to time. They are really fun to make because the concoction is gooey and messy, and you'd be amazed at how delicious it is.

9/19

DOL
Keiko and I have to order these items: two dozen pizzas, three cases of juice, and, I suppose, enough place mats for everyone attending the festival.

JOURNALS
Which McDonald's item should be permanently removed from the menu.

In my opinion, sweet tea should be permanently disposed of. It is addicting and mind poisoning, and for the most part, evil. Sweet tea must be stopped.

9/20
Which fast food franchise should open up in Keyser? Which one would you eliminate?

I think it would be wonderful to have a local Taco Bell. Not only is the food tasty, but they also have sporks! I also love the annoying quirks on the hot sauce packages. KFC, however, has got to go.

9/21
Have you ever eaten octopus? Would you?

I have yet to consume anything eight-legged...or tentacled...whatever. But I've always felt that nearly everything should be tried at least once. If the opportunity should arise to eat an octopus, I will definitely let you know what it's like.

9/24
Are you (or were you) nervous to get your driver's license?

Not at all. I'm ecstatic to get my license. I can't wait until I need not be accompanied everywhere by my vicious, bickering, over-criticizing, fire-breathing dragon of a mother. If anything, I'm nervous that once I drive a block, I'll not be able to stop myself from driving to Michigan and changing my name so she will never find me. Mwah ha ha ha!!!

9/25
Is it fair to punish the entire class for the transgressions of a few? Is it effective?

It is unjust to punish everyone because some jerk gets in trouble. It doesn't help matters either. You can't get defiant students to follow the rules by punishing those that do. I get in enough trouble on my own. I don't need anyone else's help.

9/26
Video games: Which one has frittered most of your life away.

I would have to say that despite the fact that I don't have much free time due to guard and dance, an approximate daily minimum of three hours is collected by Guitar Hero II. It is insane how addicting that game is. Once you pick it up, you can't put it down until your fingers are numb and your wrist is in excruciating pain. Then, it's the only thing you can think about while awaiting recovery.

9/27
Video games (continued): Which one is most entertaining to watch others play?

I H A T E watching other people play video games!!!!! It drives me crazy. While I'm watching someone else play, all I want to do is play myself but I'm unable to because of the person playing. It's too frustrating.

Book Synopsis

TITLE: The Traveling Vampire Show
AUTHOR: Richard Laymon
PUBLICATION DATE: March, 2001
PAGE COUNT: 391
TYPE: Fiction
BEGAN: September 26th, 2007
COMPLETED: September 27th, 2007

MY RATING: B+
PUBLIC RATING: C-


1. Why did I decide to read this book?
I decided to read The Traveling Vampire Show for a few reasons. I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Games, which was the first book I read by Richard Laymon. I figured that his other novels must be equally as interesting. In addition, this book was recommended by my English teacher and I, therefore, decided it would most likely be entertaining. I also just enjoy anything vampire related.

2. Plot summary (avoiding major spoilers when possible):
It is nearly impossible to actually depict events in the plot without ruining the ending, so my plot summary is as follows. The Traveling Vampire Show is basically about a boy, his sister-in-law, his best friend, and his best friend/love interest and their experiences with the "Traveling Vampire Show" coming through town. You join the four as they encounter sweaty chores, vicious dogs, angry parents, creepy fields, annoying younger sisters, and a LOT of blood. This book is filled with suspense, horror, mystery, and action, as well as comedy, romance, and lust. It will keep you entertained until the very last page.

3. What is the setting, and why is it important to the novel?
The story takes place during the summertime in a small hick town known as Grandville. Apparently, it is a place where nobody ever visits and nothing ever happens. In fact, most of the troubling situations encountered in Grandville are due to the neverending search for something to do. The protagonists spend a lot of time at Janks Field, an area with a lot of violent history including satanic rituals, car accidents, murder, teenage fornication, animal sacrifice, and a lot of broken glass. The suggestion of ghostly apparitions that may inhabit the field makes the perfect creepy setting that adds to the eerie feel of the entire story.

4. Who are the main characters, and what roles do they play in the novel?
The story is narrated by Dwight Thompson, the main character. His best friends are Russell (known as Rusty) and Frances (currently known as Slim). Rusty is the curious and mischievous character who is always getting himself and the others into trouble. Slim is the eccentric, tough, and clever character whose skills always seem to get them out of the trouble Rusty causes. Dwight's sister-in-law, Lee, serves as the kids' protector and refuge and does whatever she can to ensure they stay out of trouble and have lots of fun. Julian Stryker runs and operates the Traveling Vampire Show itself and basically represents the antagonists and antipathetic forces as a whole.


5. What is/are the main conflict(s) in the novel?
First, the three main characters set out to see if they can get a look at the star of the Traveling Vampire Show beforehand. Unfortunately, they come in contact with a vicious dog who attempts to rip Slim to pieces. After Dwight saves Slim from the dog, the Rusty and Slim hide from the animal on top of the run-down concession stand building. Slim is injured and Dwight runs to Lee's house for her help/car. Dwight and Lee then encounter Julian Stryker for the first time and get tickets for the show. The four main characters will later encounter angry parents, annoying little sisters, missing best friends, and the stunning, deadly Valeria herself.

6. Describe the climax of the novel.
Since the climax of the novel is a big surprise, there's very little I can say without ruining the book for you. The climax of the novel occurs when the team finally attends the Traveling Vampire Show. Describing this discreetly, the "show" consists of volunteers from the audience battling the vampire in a cage before a crowd of people. The children soon discover the conspiracy behind the Traveling Vampire Show. The team of friends are faced with defeating the vampire, rescuing her victims, and escaping unscathed.

7. What is the significance of the book's title? Is the title appropriate, or would I change it to something else?
The title refers back to the main event in the book. Since the "Traveling Vampire Show" is mainly what the book is about, it is perfect for the novel. I wouldn't change the title, because it fits the story well. If I were to change it, though, I would change it to Caged With Fate And Beauty. However, the original title makes more sense.

8. What is my opinion about this book? Why (give specifics)?
This book is very entertaining. The plot combines horror, romance, mystery, and comedy throughout. Laymon's books tend to give off an eerie atmosphere. I love his imagery and detailed descriptions of even the most intricate aspects of the setting. The novel could live on with a bit less sexual content, though. I find those details a bit unnecessary. Overall, the book was very interesting and fun to read.

Journals 9/28-10/5

9/28
Do violent video games negatively influence those who play them? Will playing violent video games make someone a violent person.

Violent video games are made for/played by violent people. If you are not a violent person already, you more than likely will not want to play such gruesome games in the first place. Video games also do not negatively influence people. By playing violent video games, the violent people are given a change to let out their aggressions on the characters in the game rather than the kid they sit next to in Spanish class. I believe that many people have been rescued by the detailed graphics supplied by Xbox...or whatever gaming system you may have.

10/1
Did you have trouble completing the quotes assignment?

I found the quotes assignment to be fairly simple. I completed it the day it was assigned and printed it out that weekend. The assignment was then left in my folder patiently awaiting the due date.

10/2
Who is your hero?

I have an unhealthy fascination and/or obsession with Emilie Autumn and the Bloody Crumpets. I can't explain the reason. Some of their music really sucks, and a lot of their gimmicks are really cheesy. I have ALWAYS wanted to play the violin more than anything else, and either never had the money for the instrument, couldn't find local violin lessons, or both. Therefore, I adore Emilie Autumn mostly because she plays the violin like a goddess. She's also an idol of mine because of her Victorian clothing...too awesome.

10/3
Critique each hallway's homecoming decor.

The hallways that were assigned a graduating class look amazing. However, I am concerned about the lack of spirit in the remaining areas of the building. The main hallway has not a single homecoming poster or balloon. That's sad. Also, I'm a bit irritated with the miscreants that attend this school. Quite a few people gave up their weekend to come deck the halls with Keyser spirit, and the other ingrateful students in this school find it comical to tear down, rip up, rearrange, or vandalize their own school's homecoming decorations. No one likes school, but that's no excuse to ruin the fun things about it that some people cherish.

10/4
Based on your life now, predict your death.

I seem to offend everyone I come in contact with. I also seem unable to comprehend rules and regulations. Therefore, if I were to die of something other than old age, my death would most likely be due to murder or the death penalty. Looks like big fun awaits me.