J= Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

Jimmy Buffett's Maragaritaville is one of the best restaurants I have eaten at. There aren't many restaurants located in the northeast but if you're ever traveling south there is one in Myrtle Beach (the one I went to), Nashville, Florida, New Orleans, Arizona, and a few other locations out west. Margaritaville has a great family environment. The restaurant is so upbeat and fun with its tropical setting. Right in the center of the restaurant is a humungous statue of a margarita! The last time I went there was a parrot outside! They have live music playing every night of the week and on a rare occasion you might see Jimmy Buffett himself!  They even have a gift shop in another part of the restaurant with Jimmy Buffett souvenirs. The service there is always friendly and entertaining. The restaurant in Myrtle Beach is located in the perfect spot; right at the center of Broadway at the Beach with shopping, rides and plenty of other attractions. The menu includes plenty of delicious burgers, sandwiches, chicken, shrimp and tons of other seafood. The meals are reasonably priced with burgers and sandwiches around $12 and seafood and steak around $20. I would definately reccomend going to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville for a night of entertainment, great food and great music!

The Book that Changed My Life

The book that changed my life is A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer. This book is an autobiography about a boy (Dave Pelzer) who was brutally abused as a child. I think the reason this book is so powerful and inspiring is because it's an autobiography. The author is telling us his story from his point of view and that makes the experience so real. Reading him describe how he was so badly abused throughout his childhood was heartbreaking. I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't imagine any parent would be cruel enough to torture their child over and over again to the point where they are near death. The author doesn't hold back anything. He describes in detail the pain of being beaten and starved by his alcoholic mother. Some of the suffering she put him through brought me to tears. At some parts it was almost too much for me to handle just reading about the misery he had to deal with every single minute of every single day. It seems unbearable for a child to live like that and put up with such horrible torment. I can't understand why or how a mother could ever harm her own child to the point where she sees them as just an "it". Reading Dave Pelzer's book made take a minute to stop and think about how fortunate I really am. Not only that but also made me realize that child abuse is a real and horrible thing, that it does happen, probably more often than we think. This book took me away from my happy life and made me look through someone else's eyes. There are so many horrid and terrible things that happen in this world that most people don't even notice. We live in a world with so many faults and tragedies and reading Dave Pelzer's story broke my heart in more ways than one. I am thankful for everything I've been blessed with and I can only hope and pray for anyone who is suffering in this world. I will never forget A Child Called "It".

Bucket List

1. Go to Australia. I've always been fascinated with this country because of the wildlife and the environment. I also love their accents!

2. Play soccer in college. Soccer is something I love doing and to be able to play for my school with new teammates and friends would be an amazing experience.

3. Ride a motorcycle. Even though it can be dangerous it looks so thrilling!

4. Go water skiing. I've gone tubing and I absolutely love it. Water skiing seems like just as much fun!

5. Go scuba diving. Underwater life amazes me. I'd love to see it up close.

6. Go horseback riding on the beach. The beach is one of my favorite places to be. A nice horseback ride along the shore sounds perfect to me. Expecially at sunset!

7. Sing karaoke. This has always been something I've wanted to do. Even though I'm not a good singer I still love to sing and dance!

8. Jump from a cliff into deep water. I love the feeling of anything that is breathtaking and maybe a little scary.

9. Learn to surf. I think surfing is an incredible sport and something I would enjoy learning because I love the ocean.

10. Ride in a hot air balloon. A view from up that high would be magnificent!

The Language of Song

Je Cours by Kyo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1QnH2RypYYnglish
Song lyrics French and English translation: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/Le-Cours-Le-Cours.html

Today is the big day, the day my life changes and I start a new chapter. Today I go to college. As sad as I am leaving my friends and family, it's time for me to begin a journey that will lead me to the rest of my life. I have so many mixed emotions passing through me. I'm scared, excited, nervous, anxious and hopeful, all at the same time. I finish packing me last bag and zip it up as my mom walks in the door.

"Ready to go, honey?" she says.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I reply.

We pack up the car and in minutes were on the road. The whole way down I was pretty quiet. All I could think about was how much this matters in my life. After almost dropping out of highschool I'm lucky I got into college. It wasn't easy but I dealt with it one step at a time. School has never been my forte. I always fell behind the other students and needed extra help. I won't be able to get as much help in college though, so this is my chance to prove to everyone that I can do this. I need to do this. I need to prove to myself that I can accomplish something on my own.

"You know your father and I are so proud of you," my mom says as we near the campus.
"I know we've been hard on you but it's only because we want you to succeed and we know you are capable of that," my dad adds.
"I know," I respond. "I think I hit rock bottom last year but that's what brought me to where I am now."

We pull up to the campus and start unpacking the car. I notice my parents take their time because they want to savor every minute with me before it's finally time for them to leave. I know I'll miss them everyday but this is something I have to do alone no matter how hard it is. It might be a struggle everyday but in the end it will be what saves me.

Irish Blog

TU Tuesday- Crime

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Mo-man-convicted-of-murdering-infant-son-3407642.php

http://www.crimevictimsunited.org/measure11/murderguidelines.htm

http://www.ehow.com/about_5466082_murder-sentencing-guidelines.html

Question: How does a jury determine how long a person's sentence is? What factors contribute to the sentence?

I read an article about a man who was convicted of killing his 8-month-old son who he claims was kidnapped by intruders while the man was knocked out. The article explains "The 31-year-old Carthage man faces 10 to 30 years in prison when he's sentenced April 30." According to the Sentencing Guidelines as Applied to Murder "Sentencing guidelines specifies "presumptive sentences" for each crime. The presumptive sentence depends on the classification of the offender based on his or her prior convictions." So a huge factor in determining a sentence is their history and if they have previously comitted crimes or been in trouble with the law. Although most people recieve the original sentence the judge can make changes or alterations based on certain circumstances. "Under specific aggravating circumstances, the judge can go up to twice the presumptive sentence (upward departure). Under specific mitigating circumstances, the judge can order a lower sentence (downward departure). " Factors like whether the offender cooperated with the state or played a minor role can make a sentence longer or shorter. Judges must oversee all aspects of the crime. The Murder Sentencing Guidelines describes what they look for. "Murder sentencing guidelines in most jurisidictions take into account considerations such as the the reason for the murder, how it was committed, why it was committed, and any special characteristics of both the victim and the murderer, such as age, disability, or vulnerability. Courts may also consider the murderer's criminal history, and whether the death was related to other crimes such as a drug deal or robbery." Sentencing can vary depending on the state or country you live in. Some states require a death sentence, some have manditory life sentences and others have different minimum sentences.

Creative Contest II Blog

"Well it looks like it's clear who the winner of the race is!"

Scruples

10. You lose a $25 bet with a friend. Do you wait until the friend demands the money before paying?

If I lost a bet of $25 with my friend I would wait until they demanded the money to give it to them. If they don't ask me for the money then I wouldn't feel bad not giving it to them. I'm not hurting them in any way because they're not losing any money and nothing bad is going to happen if they don't get the money. They would be okay without an extra $25 in their pocket because it isn't a huge amount of money. If they really wanted the money I'm sure they would remember to ask me and make sure I give it to them. I don't think a bet over $25 would affect anyone's friendship and I think a lot of times if it's a bet with your close friend you won't take it as seriously as a bet with someone you might not like. Usually people make bets with eachother to prove the other person wrong and have the satisfaction of being right. The money is just another way to rub it in the other person's face that you won. I wouldn't give my friend the $25 unless they demanded for it.

My Blog Idea

Now that we're all sophomores in high school we have to start thinking about our future, whether we like it or not. Most of us are 16 years old or will be turning 16 this year and have made many great accomplishments throughout these years. For this blog describe what you hope to accomplish in these next 16 years of your life. Where do you see yourself in the future?  Will you go to college? Will you get a job, get married or have kids? Where do you think your life will take you?

My example: With all the hard work and effort I put into school to get good grades, and also playing competitively in soccer, I would hope to have accomplished a great number of things in the next 16 years of my life. I will have gone to at least four years of college, maybe more, depending on what I study in college and what is required for my profession. Right now I am looking into studying communications in college but that could change. I believe I will be able to get into a prestigious college if I continue to keep my grades where they are. I also hope to continue my soccer career through college. I play on a highly competitive team that is ranked 4^th in the state. I don’t want to base my college decision on soccer but I will use soccer to help me get into certain schools that may be very hard to get into academically. After college I would definitely be looking to get started in my career, maybe an internship somewhere and gradually work my way up from there. I hope I can move out of my house and be independent. With a few years of working I think I could earn a salary that would allow me to pay for my own living conditions instead of relying on my parents. Once I get comfortable with my job I think I can become very successful if I work as hard as I do now. I see myself getting married and starting to raise a family 16 years from now. Before I do that, though, I would love to travel around the world. Seeing Europe, South America and Australia would be an incredible experience. If my life turned out exactly like this I would have almost nothing to complain about when I’m 32, but along the way I know many things will change. I hope to be a successful and accomplished person but this is only the beginning and I have a long way to go.

Revisions

Blue

I stare at the aqua ripples of the waves

as they swiftly roll to the sand, over and over.

I look far out to the horizon

where the deep water and bare sky meet,

and are blended together by a sapphire pastel.

Almost as if someone rubbed their thumb over the colors, creating brand new ones.

The endless periwinkle sky is everywhere I look.

I feel calm as I lie down and gaze

at this indigo picture, painted so smoothly, perfectly.

Each component is a different brush stroke.

A cool breeze sweeps over me.

I'm so relaxed I could fall asleep

to the sound of the waves

as they hit the sand over and over.

I Wish I Knew

I can't even begin to explain

or morph it into words.

I can't take it back

when I’m not sure where I went wrong.

I know it makes no sense;

I can’t say I know the answer.

I'm trying to figure it out,

but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.

This time will be different,

I can promise you that.

But I can't promise it will work,

we'll have to take a chance.

Lauren - your first poem, Blue, is lovely with strong images.  I think your second poem would be improved if you also used imagery instead of being so direct in telling the reader what is going on.  I suggest you free-write for 5-10 minutes, and see what images pop up.

Mimi Moriarty

I Wish I Knew

I wish I knew how to tell you

but my voice is on mute.

Trying to morph my thoughts to words

is an impossible struggle.

I wish I knew what was

running through your mind.

The deep look in your eyes

makes me yearn for answers.

I wish you knew

how much this is haunting me.

I wish I knew whether to follow

my mind or my heart.

Blue

The aquamarine ripples in the waves

climb on top of one another

as they roll to the sand, over and over.

Where the deep water and bare sky meet;

they are blended together by a sapphire pastel.

It’s as if someone rubbed their thumb on the horizon,

morphing together the calm navy ocean

and endless periwinkle sky.

This indigo picture is a beautiful combination

of peace, harmony and calmness.

I believe that my second poems are better than my first ones.  I thought Mimi Moriarty’s advice was very helpful for my poem I Wish I Knew. In the first poem I was too direct with what I was saying. I told the reader exactly what I meant instead of showing them with imagery. I used her advice and free wrote for a few minutes just to see what images popped up in my head that I could use for the poem. In the second poem I said “my voice is on mute” and “this is haunting me”. This gives more visual for the reader and room for their interpretation. My second poem for Blue was also better than my first one. I decided there were certain things that I could take out that weren’t very important. I also decided to take myself out of the poem instead of saying “I look out to the horizon” I just described it without saying “I”. I think cutting down the poem to just descriptions made it a lot better because there was no extra lines or unnecessary things like me being in the poem.