FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moneyball

Billy Beane had it all.  The talent. The looks. Intelligence.  He lacked one thing though: mental toughness.  Drafted out of high school to play for the New York Mets, Beane was suspected to be even greater than the now legendary Darryl Strawberry.  Both outfielders were drafted at the same time and came up through the minors at the same time, but Darryl seemed to possess a poise in the batter's box that evaded Billy.  Billy could catch, field, and run but he could not swing the bat to save his life.  He thought too much, and the batter's box made him feel clausterphobic, trapped, immersed in the anger that followed each failed at bat. 

Billy thought too much.  He focused on everything he did wrong and never on what he did right.  Growing up he always excelled and did not possess a failure mechanism to help him bounce back.  What astounded me was the fact that he gave up.  He gave it all up to become a scout, even with over half of his career left ahead of him.  I do not think I could accomplish such a task.  I love baseball too much to throw it away after a couple years of failure.  That's the beauty of the game of baseball: you can fail 3 times out of 10 and still make it into the Hall of Fame.  It's a game of mental toughness and overcoming adversity. 

After finishing the Hunger Games Triology, I found myself looking for different novels that would suit my fancy.  Since baseball is what I sleep, eat, and dream about I figured Moneyball would be an interesting selection.  It has been my experience that stories about baseball tend to become boring with stats and figures, not bad aspects of the game, but it doesn't make for a good novel.  Moneyball, so far, has incorporated the present with the past to examine and predict the future.  I sit reading and keep wanting to flip the page to find out what happens next to the players in the MLB posed in the novel. 

I am hoping this book continues to develop a plot though.

Victory?!?

The Capitol has fallen, but with grave consequences.  Prim was killed in a bombing.  What made me confused and conflicted was the fact that the bombs were similar to the ones that Gale had designed in 13.  When the time came for the execution of President Snow, Katniss killed President Coin instead.  THis really surprised me.

How would you feel if your entire was turned upside down and one of the two people you could trust couldn't be trusted anymore?  Well, this is what happened to Katniss.  Living in 13 is difficult.  Everyone looks to her as the "mockingjay" a symbol of the rebellion.  The president of 13 has a secret agenda, trying to use Katniss as little as possible, but that's not how Katniss wants it.  They want to air promos of the rebellion just like the Capitol did.  I personally don't like this because it shows the numerous similarities of the Capitol to the resistance.  The only noticable difference is the treatment of the Districts, but even that is iffy.  Katniss also has the issue of chosing a man, and when Peeta is captured by the Capitol after the Games, it seems that the decision is simple, but hold the phones.  Peeta is recaptured, only this time by the rebels, but is severly unstable.  The Capitol had performed various experiments and tortures to his mind and body, including injecting tracker jacker venom, causing him to turn on Katniss.  He even tries to kill her when they first see each other again.  What I don't understand is what comes next, though.  They allow him to train with the army, with weapons!  I personally think that President Coin, the leader of 13 intended or hoped that Peeta would surely kill Katniss, still using her though as the symbol of the resistance from the grave.  Kinda twisted. 

Favorite Diction Paragraph

In the excerpt from the novel Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Salinger’s slightly vulgar, familiar diction depicts the ill-educated, juvenility of the narrator. At first, the character introduces the reader to the point of the passage. The character “[doesn’t] feel like going through all that crap” of describing his life and “what [his] lousy childhood was like” because he is a lazy youth and possibly has poor writing skills if he must rely on vulgar words. Words such as “damn near” and “crap” are straight from the vulgar lexicon of immature teenage youth, hence emphasizing the narrator’s juvenility. Then the teen bounces around topics from an autobiographical style to the purpose of his writing to randomness about his brother, “D.B” who’s “in Hollywood without describing them very well. That isn’t too far from [the narrator’s] crumby place.” The vulgarity of the familiar diction highlights the juvenility of the undereducated narrator.

http://ariadna-permelia.blogspot.com/

BINGO!

1. rule 3: too vague when discussing the negative connotation http://amandaprindle.blogspot.com/
2. rule 8: punctuation goes inside quotation marks: "towering volumes of marble and glass",             http://runskunkrun.blogspot.com/
3. rule 6: avoid the verbs "use" and "shows." uses very low and denotative words http://vikingdeathmetal.blogspot.com/
4.  rule 3: too vague  http://xchoosier3366.blogspot.com/

Practice Diction Analysis

Nicholson Baker's formal and controlled language depicts an imagistic, yet literal, setting.  Nicholson describes the escalators as "a pair of integral signs swooping between two floors they served."  This stiff description contrasts with imagistic comparison, stating that the handrails are "like the radians of black luster," offering a figurative twist to the business-like latter.

Currently

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Pages this week: 301 pages
Pages this semester: 1818 pages

Top 3 Sentences

1. In Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road, the straightforward descriptions of the stripped wilderness give the text a minimalistic feel and forcing attention to the rare dialogue between the father and son. (Norwegian Wood)
2. In Light in August by William Faulkner, he utilizes a connotative sense of language illustrated in his poetic phrases and figurative diction. Faulkner also incorporates a sense of humor into his writing giving it a light tone.(As Told by Ginger)
3. 1984 by George Orwell uses straightforward and exact diction, colloquial formality, and dull sound to create a harsh feeling for the reader, much like how Winston feels the chill of the bright cold day and the enormous eyes of the face watching him. (Lucky)

What?!? ANother games?!?

Katniss is supposedly safe from future sufferings.  Shes set up with a new house, plenty of food, and immunity for upcoming Games.  Safety immures her in a clean, shiny prison.  She occasionally goes hunting with Gale, providing for his family, but life seems strange.  Peeta professed his true love for her and Gale obviously has feelings for her too.  Shes conflicted with these two men, thus adding a third dimension to the story's plot and storyline.  Also, I feel that the scent of President Snow provides a further insight into the complexity of every situation in the book.  It says he smells of blood and roses, two obviously conflicting themes.  I feel that the blood symbolizes and foreshadows the upcoming blood shed in the rebellion, as well as Snow's malicious attempt to control Katniss in her travels.  The roses on the other hand protrude with the feeling of corrupted love; how Katniss will be forced to choose between the two men she has feelings for.  Also, I feel that it symbolizes the attempt of the Capitol to put a cut little spin on their disastorous and harmful actions toward the people of Panem. 

The Quarterly Quell is a Hunger Games with a twist that occurs every 25 years to further imbue the citizens with the harmful repercussions associated with defying the Capitol.   President Snow states that all past victors would be in the Reaping to compete in the Quarterly Quell meaning that Katniss will be forced back into the arena.  Peeta goes back in too.  His goal is to keep her alive while her main goal is to keep him alive because of his ability to speak and potentially lead a rebellion against the Capitol.  Things to not go as planned...Dunh dunh duh Oh snap! Cliffhanger!! GET AT ME!!

Hunger Games is AWESOME!!

All I've got to say is wow! The Hunger Games Trilogy is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.  I love how the characters evolve throughout the novel without really losing the essence of values.  The confusing love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, I find, really captivates the reader by twisting and turning the relationship inside out every chapter or so.

Style Mapping

In Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy utilizes a lower elevation, giving common details to set up the plot such as when he states, "The candleflame and the image of the candleflame caught in the pierglass twisted and righted when he entered the hall and again when he shut the door." William Faulkner incorporates a harsh sound to his opening page when he writes, "She had never even been to Doane's Mill until after her father and mother had died."  George Orwell gives a denotative connotation in his novel 1984 when he gives a straight forward account of the Hate Week when he states, "It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate week."

Quarterly

This quarter has been amazing! I have read more than I think I've ever read in my life.  I surprised myself with reading a whole 300 page book on the first Friday that the reading was assigned.  Reading the controversial, blunt writings of Chris Crutcher opened my eyes to the gamut of emotions that can be experienced through reading.  His use of vulgar language and difficult subjects, really allowed me to experience what other people's lives are like.  Then, after reading 4 of his books, I began to read the Hunger Games trilogy.  I read these novels mostly during my assistantship 1st period, in the backroom, next to the distilled water maker, bringing a jolt and excitement to my day.  I think these books have been the most enjoyable novels I have ever read with intense, suspensful action lurking behind every corner.  I think my goal for the rest of the semester will be to finish the Hunger Games trilogy, and discover a new author.

New Book

So I started the second Hunger Games this week, and I really enjoy it already.  The intense action of the first book has yet to come, but has been foreshadowed many a time so far in the novel.  The President is very angry with Katniss for "thwarting" and "rebelling" against the Capitol with her and Peeta's romantic end to the Games.  Now she lives a victor in Victor's Village, confused about the life she now needs to lead.  Her relationships are deteriating: Gale is distant and Peeta will not speak to her or look her in the eye.  Katniss and Gale, I believe, belong together.  They have known each other for a long time, and have relied on each other for food and safety in the illegal boundaries of the woods.  Gale made a move, kissing Katniss, but both of them acted like it had never happened and went their separate ways.  Also, during the Games, a rumor was spread that Gale and Katniss were cousins, further complicating their relationship even further.  They were able to share secrets to each other before the Games, but now everything is mainly work between them. 

The President visited Katniss smelling of "roses and blood".  I felt that this was a weird combination of smells, giving the fact that they can be conceived as polar opposites.  Roses symbolize a blossoming love, while the blood symbolizes death and pain and suffering.  I believe the author inserted this into the novel because she wants to emphasize the importance that Katniss and Peeta continue their blossoming romance, but with the fear of numerous deaths if they do not succeed.  The Districts are beginning to rise in an uproar and defiance toward the Capitol.  The president threatens Gale's life if she does not do as he says.  He even knows about Gale and Katniss's kiss and their hunting together...I thought that was kinda creepy.

Reading

The Hunger Games is quickly becoming one of my favorite books.  I have found that through this reading requirement and books I have chosen to read, I have become more knowledgeable on the various outlooks on life that different characters and personas (vocab lol) possess.  And its all thanks to Mr. Hill.  Thanks Mr. Hill!!

The Hunger Games

What would you do if the people in power told you that your younger, weaker sister was going to have to train for a week and then fight against boys and girls from other Districts to the death?  Oh and not to mention they will probably be twice to three times her size.  I would like to believe that I would step in for my younger sibling, take her place, knowing that I probably would not make it out alive.  Just knowing that she would be alright would ease the pain and worry of the oncoming death.   That is what went down in the Hunger Games, a new book I started reading, and really enjoy.  Katniss is a hunter, a survivor, desiring to stay alive in the worst District in the country of Panem, which is controlled by the Capitol.  See there was a rebellion by the Districts, 13 at the time and 12 now, and the Capitol emerged victorious, making it mandatory for a boy and a girl from each District to fight in what they call the Hunger Games, a brutish struggle to stay alive in an unknown arena deep into the Capitol.  Well, Prim, Katniss's sister is chosen to be in the Hunger Games, even though she is 12 and not very capable of fighting.  Katniss on the other hand is a master with the bow and has been providing for her family for the duration of the time elapsed since the death of her father in a terrible mining accident.

Katniss goes into the Games not expecting much.  I mean c'mon.  Your gonna go against some of the toughest, meanest, and well-trained teenagers in the country.  She is paired with a boy from her District that saved her life once and now feels indebted to him.  Great...a weakness already.  She tries to forget it, and eventually just uses it as motivation to win the Games.

Throughout the process, their mentor, Haymitch, a drunken victor of a past Hunger Games, pushes them closer together.  How would you feel if you had to become allies with someone you knew, or thought, you would have to kill or would die somehow in the Games?  I kept trying to picture this in my own mind, and could not seem to wrap my thoughts around it.  It just seems too difficult, too heart wrenching.  I think the reason they do this though is for them to receive more bonuses in the Games when they need it from donors and sponsors.

I really have enjoyed this novel so far, and cannot wait to read more, and perhaps move onto the next book in the series soon.  I am telling you, you should REALLY read this book.  IT IS INTENSE!!!!

Currently

Stotan! by Chris Crutcher
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
1776 by David McCulloh


Pages this week: 159
Pages this semester:951

1. "The arrow skewers the apple in the pig's mouth and pins it to the wall behind it."
2. "Then I give a slight bow and walk straight toward the exit without being dismissed.
3.  "Entrails. No hissing.  This is the closest we will ever come to love."

Pushing on

I just can not comprehend the feeling of losing a close friend forever in a tragic way such as death, in which I will never be able to communicate with them again, even if I desired to.  The swimmers on the Frost Swim Team all try to come to face the reality that they may have to say goodbye to their best friend and teammate, Jeff.  They push on and swim to the point where they have nothing else to give.  They desire to give something to Jeff before he passes.  When I contemplate on this subject matter, I can not seem to contemplate ideas of how I would honor my friends if I knew one of them was terminally ill.  Pondering and deep thought cause me to reflect into my ideals and the value that my friends possess.  This idea that they're here one minute and could be gone the next rips deep into the tissue of my folderolic (if that is even a word) self. 

Anyway, they all swim well, to say the least.  They all place in the top 10 in each of their categories in the State and Nortie and Walker both are either number 1 or 2 in their races.  They all desire to give this State run as a gift to their Stotanic brother, and pull out with style, winning multiple races.  When they get to the relay, which requires four teammates, the Stotans decide they want to still race to honor Jeff.  This thought is cut short by the officials, but that of course does not stop the Stotans from honoring their friend.  They disguise themselves as another team and just jump into the race at the last second.

Oh, I forgot to mention Marty O'Brian.  Well, he crossed the line for the last time, insulting Nortie and his girlfriend, and then beating Nortie up.  Lion is sick of Marty's taunts and evil ways, and the boys put his 'Stang into a ravine, watching the terror on his face as he comes out of baseball practice.  I hope that after reading this book people do not think all baseball players are racist, caniving little turds because frankly, that would be unfair.  Anyway Max, the swimming coach becomes involved and threatens Marty if he ever tries anything again to Nortie or any of the other swimmers.

Sickness

Jeff has become sick, REALLLL sick, and the member of the Frost High School Swim team do not know what to do...Will he recover or with the sickness overcome his body and destroy him from the inside out? 

Currently

This week I continued to read "Stotan!"



Pages this week:156
Pages for semester: 948


Favorite Sentences of the Month:

1. 'Not what looks like the center; what feels like the center."
2. "Because if I were an animal in these woods and I  saw you here, I'd come up to you."
3. They let me figure it out for myself; demanded that I figure it for myself; but they never deserted me.
4. I guess what I'm saying is that my life is more valuable because I got knocked out of my favored spot.

Brother Troubles

What happens when your older brother gives illegal drugs to your best friend and he doesnt remember what he gave him?  Well, this is exactly the situation Walk and his brother were confronted with.  Nortie had been beaten bad because a member of the Aryan Nation told his father that he was dating a black girl.  He showed up to the Christmas dance all beaten up and on a trip.  Angry, frustrated, and dissapointed, Walk walked over to the roughest bar in the town and confronted his brother like a champ.  Of course his brother was sincerly messed up too and had no idea what he had given Nortie, just "something to take the pain away".  Walk knew that he better be careful in this bar, although he had Lion and Jeff with him, because these guys were certainly not lean but extremely mean biker fighting machines.  To add a little comic relief, Crutcher had Walk roundhouse kick his brother and hustle out of their like a scared animal. 

Walk, Lion, and Jeff were sick of Nortie's dad beating him and took action.  They marched into his house and demanded that his parents give them Nortie's stuff.  They were resilient but not violent until Nortie's dad pulled a gun on the boys.  This abuse thing really makes me sick.  Makes me glad that I have a loving family.

Nortie and the Abuser

Nortie's dad is an abuser, wife beater, scumbag; simple as that.  In fact, when Nortie was younger, he had an older brother.  To make a long story short, Nortie's brother endured the same horrible acts of cowardry (if thats even a word) that a 13 year old boy should have to take.  He could not take the pain and humiliation anymore, and on Nortie's 7th birthday he received a present he shall never forget...Nortie's mom told him to walk into the garage to find his bike that he was getting for his birthday only to find his brother hanging from the ceiling, dead as a doorknob, with a note stating that he was sorry.  Let's get one thing straight here: I do not really cry during books or movies or stuff, but this section in the book, well, lets just say I sniffled a little. It really makes you think about the horrors of child abuse in American and other societies around the world.  Child abuse makes me sick.  I can not understand how a parent could hit their child to the point that they are driven to commit suicide before their life has really begun.  Life's too grand for someone to miss it before its started and I consider it a shame that this man was not imprisoned. 

STOTAN WEEK IS OVER!

Athletics propel people into a deeper commitment to find the greater strength within them.  Stotan week for the four boys seems to drive these young men to their breaking point, bring them back to normal, and destroy their spirits again.  Oh, I forgot to explain what Stotan week is!  It's basically a brutal week of land and water exercises that has these athletes looking like a bunch of wimping babies.  Stotan is a combination of a Spartan and a Stoic: someone who trains like a champion but can still think for themselves. And boy does this come into play a lot.

Claims of the Day

1. In this picture of lightning striking the Serengeti you are overwhelmed by it's explosive power, seductive presence, and docile setting which creates a sense of euphoria, fear, and loneliness. 
2. The music group Ok GO and dance group Pilobolus' smooth and elegant costumes along with the modern aspects of movement portray the lyrically pleasant mood of the collaboration in the music video.  
3. Emerson's chubby cheeks, varying moods, and melodic giggles highlight the sincere, playful, and cheerful innocence of children.

 The most interesting claim I found was the one by Chillin in The Nyle of the lightning strike.

Currently

This week I read "The Sledding Hill" and started "Stotan!", both novels by Chris Crutcher.
Pages read: 154 pages
Semester: 792 pages

Top Sentences:

1. "Eddie runs directly at the congregation, reverses direction three inches from two elders' outstretched fingers, and sprints past the pulpit; jumps curls his fingers over the window ledge, pulls himself up far enough to get a grip on the handle at the bottom of the window, and pulls himself the rest of the way."
2. "In fact I might be Jesus."
3. "And a mouse runs across his foot."

I chose these sentences because I thought they were comical, as number 2 as an exception.  The first sentence shows the dedication and obstacles Eddie has to face both in the service and in everyday life.  The second sentence I thought was extremely controversial.  Eddie is preaching his testimony and does not seem to know when to stop.  He keeps going and going and going until he goes too far and says that he might be Jesus.  He was thrown into the looney bin for that statement.  The third sentence was a kind of comic relief in the novel when Eddie is terrified in the basement trying to hide from the voices when a mouse startles him, almost to insanity.

Stotan!

What in the heck is Stotan?!? That's the question  that has been haunting me as I started this new book by Chris Crutcher.  I know from prediction and literary clues that it is probably something to do with swimming and that it will be difficult for the characters to get through, but I don't know exactly what it is.  Guess I'll have to read a little more to discover this hidden secret!!

Crazy Man (really?!)

Man, it feels like I haven't blogged in forever! But hear it goes...

Eddie has faced a lot of loss in a very short time.  I really feel sorry for the guy.  I mean losing a best friend and your dad in the same month right before you start high school is pretty harsh.  Then, to make matters worse, Eddie's mother starts turning to the Reverend Tarter (and his corrupt self) for comforting.  He wants Eddie to forget everything his father had ever told him, and get baptized.  He said that baptism is the only way for Eddie to stop seeing things and being afraid.  While I believe baptism is a good thing and going to church and believing in God are things that are important in everybody's lives, and should be taken seriously, I think that the Reverend's vantage point is a little off.  It can take away a person's fear, but that should not be the only motivation for a person coming to the church.  They need to have a personal relationship with Jesus and through the teachings of the Bible, they will find the peace they are seeking. 

Eddie then goes for a while without talking, attempting to find out what he stands for and sort out his thoughts.  One of the only things that allows him to do this is running or other strenuous exercise.  He runs forever and his thoughts get clearer and more focused.  While he runs he also communicates with his dead friend, Billy, who still hangs around in order to help Eddie get through this tough time in his life.

The YFC, or Youth for Christ, group wants Eddie to be apart of their opposition to the book Warren Peece, and he decides to infiltrate their ranks and finally speak at the town meeting to ban the book.  When it comes time for Eddie to give his testimony at church, he stands up and preaches about how much the book makes him feel less lonely and is helping him get through his losses.  He also hints that he might be Jesus (even though he knows hes not) and that gets him sent to the looney bin.

Overall, I believe that this book embodies the life of Chris Crutcher in someway...all of his books do.  They all take place in a close proximity of wear he lives and each of the events have to do with kids, intelligent yet not academically, that have a death or serious loss that has happened to them.  I think that Crutcher may have had this happen to himself or to a close friends because it seems that all of his novels revolve around the same subject.  I could be wrong and he just likes to write about that stuff, but I doubt it.  This is the 3rd Crutcher book that I have read, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them.  Although they contain some offensive language and the stories are a bit sketchy, I believe it challenges me to incorporate a greater understanding of the world around me and the events that take people's lives.  I also like that most of them revolve around athletics, which really appeals to me.

Currently

The books that I read this week were Running Loose, The Sledding Hill (both by Chris Crutcher) and Dante's Inferno.

Pages this week: 160
Semester total: 495

1. "Jasper didn't take my advice; it was a duplicate of the other one.  What Jasper did do was camp out overnight in his office for about a week with a .22 loaded with birdshot, waiting for me to show.  But I've learned patience.  He's tucked away at home in hown bed tonight, visions of beating me to death with a blunt instrument dancing in his head.  In about five minutes I'm going down to the station to get the hammer."

I picked this passage because it shows the commitment and humor Louie puts into standing up for what he believes in.

Woah!!! There's a Ghost in my Bedroom

How would you feel if you saw the ghost of your recently deceased best friend lurching in your room and closet?  I would be freaked out of my mind, I'll tell you that much! Billy although weighing like 23 grams or something, makes quite a ruckus (funny word lol) in Eddie's room and freaks Eddie out so much that he does not talk for weeks, even months.  I wonder how I would have reacted to the same situation...How would you have responded to the situation?

Sledding with a Ghost

How would you feel if you lost your father and best friend in freak accidents, all in one month? Pretty devestated, huh?  To top it off you're a little different in terms of the way you think about things; your thoughts move rapidly through your mind.  Eddie's life turned upside down and backwards in less than a month.  The two people that understood his unique style of thinking have just parished and his mother has engulfed herself into a corrupt church with a minister who has nothing better to do than to punish children.
  I chose this book thinking it would be similar to the other two Chris Crutcher books that I have read, but boy did I soon find out differently.  Eddie, to my astonishment, is not the main character...woah! Crazy right!?! Instead it's from the viewpoint of his dead friend, Billy, who is now kind of a ghost.  It's hard to label him with a term like that because he does not act very, well, ghostlike.  Now that he's dead, Billy knows everything and while there are things in the universe ten times better than hanging around Earth, he decides to stay to help him friend through the tough times in high school.  The other two Crutcher books that I have read both deal mainly about sports (which I like because I can relate well to athletics), but this book's emphasis was laid mainly on the life of a troubled teen.  I asked myself, "Why would Crutcher write books so far apart in plot and/or topic?" Well, I think that while he has people like me who are interested in sports and have become interested in those books, we might decide to keep reading his books and discover this one.  It's got more of a omnicent view on life and the world, and deals more with a seemingly "stupid" kid, who really in all actuality is extremely intelligent, and his troubles.  I guess I'll have to continue reading to figure out more about the oddness in this plot/topic change.
 Another funny thing is that Crutcher inserts one of his novels, Warren Peece, into the story, and the book gets banned by that minister dude I mentioned earlier.

Running Loose

The title of the book really encaptured the plot of the novel.  First, Louie runs in order to get into better shape for football and ultimately gains a better outlook on life.  Then, Louie runs from the poor coaching that plagues his football team and school.  After that, he finds a girl that he loves and who loves him back, but that is run off by fate and she ends up dying.  Its funny because Louie had not run from anything that was not a direct opposition to his morals and beliefs.  He stuck to his guns and tried to do the right thing.  Not until he was asked by the track coach to run the 2 mile did he start to realize the purpose for everything in his life.  He began to contemplate his decisions and the death of Becky on these runs and pushed himself past the normal bounds he was accustomed to.  Ultimately, Louie ran to his future instead of letting his future run over him.

Sentence of the Week

1. "Because if I were an animal in these woods and I  saw you here, I'd come up to you."
2. "Washington stretched it out all the way to the sideline in front of their bench and finally unloaded a bomb.  Just as he released, Boomer planted his head in his sternum, lifted him up, and slammed him into the bench...I heard a low moan and the air leaving his lungs."

I chose these sentences for basically the same reason.  The first sentence I chose because it represented a turning point in the novel and Louie's life.  He had finally gone out with the girl of his dreams and she liked him as much as he liked her.  The second passage I chose because this too was a turning point in the life of Louie.  His coach had been telling his players all week to take Washington, who was African American, out of the game.  Boomer, one of meanest and stupidest players on the team, followed through with this act and nearly killed him.  Louie took a stand and left the game, never to return to a football field again.

Currently

This week I read another one of Chris Crutcher's novels.  It was called "Running Loose".  Here is a picture of the front cover...








This week I read 160 pages
Semester total: 456 pages

Funeral

When life gets you down, you just have to get back up and dust yourself off.  Thats what Louie had to do.  His life was turned upside down and backwards.  He had issues with his coaches, teachers, and now some of the churchgoers after his charade at Becky's funeral.  Oh crap! I forgot to mention Becky's funeral! Well to say the least, it was a DIASTER!  Becky's mom flew in from the East Coast and totally took control of all the arrangements, making it a circus like she always seemed to do.  She even brought in a big time preacher from the East and had him speak at the viewing, even though he had never met Becky.  I felt like Becky's mom brought a negative vibe to a horrible situation and made things go downhill.  Anyway, Louie barely even went to the viewing...it was just too much for him to handle at first.  Then he decided to go and the preacher started talking about how everything happens for a reason and stuff like that.  That blew Louie's gasket off! He went wild!  He yelled and screamed and blamed God for everything and embarassed himself in front of the whole town.

Love's Harsh Disappointments

Louie just started to date this girl, but not just any girl.  This girl is the one every guy wants to date, every girl wants to be, and every parent wants to have as a child.  She's smart, attractive, athletic, and her name is Becky.  The funny thing is that SHE CHOSE HIM!  He's just a slighlty above average, second string football player with barely any prospect of every leaving the small town of Trout after high school.  He was just as surprised as I was that she chose him over any other guy in the school.  But when he asked her, she started talking about animals...kinda weird right?! But she rationalized that animals have a good sense of character and that animals would come up to him because of his good character.  Anyway, they kept dating and even had a romantic evening at her cabin during the winter.  They had plans of going places together, living a life together.  Until one day... Becky was driving down a road when she suddenly had to dodge a group of kids on a motorcycle and plunged into the lake.

Friday

The personality test that I took told me that I was an expressed introvert.  I believe this is somewhat true based on the fact that I do tend to analyze situations in my head before I act on them.  But I don't think this totally embodies the fullness of who I am as a person.  These tests can give you an idea of who you might think you are but letting them dictate the way you feel about yourself can lead to dangerous self esteem issues.  The uniqueness of every individual cannot be contained into the simpleness of a test on the internet.  Rather, deep social and individual analysis along with extended time thinking about the basics of who each person is as an individual can give the best insight into the soul of yourself.

Principles

Hard work, dedication, and a desire to be the best all exemplify some of the most vital traits that can be associated with a student-athlete.  Louie, a second string football player, displays these qualities into his summer workouts with the star quarterback, Carter.  He strives to get a respect that he thinks can only be attained through sports glory; life revolves around football.  As the team works through two-a-days, and the season is fast approaching, the team is anxious for an unbelievable record: 10 and 0.  After they blow out the team in their first game, their coach begins to act oddly, at least a little more than usual.  The next game they play is against a team that has a new kid from California: a black kid.  In the town of Trout, people are known for their kind spirits, but there are still hints of racial tension among the citizens and players.  The coach informs the team that he wants this kid out of commission early.  As gametime rolls around, the players are hyped and ready to continue their soon to be incredible season.  Boomer, Louie's arch enemy, a man-child mean enough to act on the coach's malicious gameplan.  He tackles the star of the other team into the bleachers, bruising 3 of the kid's ribs and ultimately putting him out of commission.  This infuriates Louie.  He lashes out at first the referee and then the coach, telling them about the evil gameplan instituted before the game.  He rushes off the field and quits the team.

I think what Louie did was right.  He took a stand for something he believed was right.  He had put in hours upon hours of work into putting his body in the best physical condition of his life, and yet he was willing to throw all of that away based on principle.  All I can say is whatta trooper...

Currently

This is the cover of the book I just finished.

Page Count for this Week: 296

Sentence of the Week

1. 'Not what looks like the center; what feels like the center."
2. They let me figure it out for myself; demanded that I figure it for myself; but they never deserted me.
3. I guess what I'm saying is that my life is more valuable because I got knocked out of my favored spot.

I picked these sentences because of what they say to the human condition.  People decide the way they are going to live there life, or their center, based on what the previous definition of what was expected. But this is not how we should live; every person is different, independent in their own way.  Too many times we let people dictate too much of our persona, thus destroying the unique personality with which we were all born.  It's sad that sometimes people have to be knocked off their pedestal in order to realize the uniqueness that they possess, but it allows people to see both sides of the life they lead.

Pimp got Feelings

Lacey's son is a topic that I think really complicates the whole plot of the story.  His son is living in a mental institution, basically brain dead and out of it, waiting for life's ticker to fade away.  Lacey feels horrible for how his son has become because he beat him into this living coma.  Lacey's ex-wife continually calls and harasses him and not until now does it become apparent the reason for her rants and raves.  Obviously, his son is a rough spot in Lacey's life and causes him to act in ways that will allow him to forget about the pain that he has caused his wife and son.  Willie is a redemption for Lacey; a way for him to earn some brownie points back with God.  By taking care of a crippled kid, Lacey believes he will at least have something to offer when he dies in order for him to get into heaven.

Day One of "The Crazy Horse Electric Game"

Life for Willie Weaver was a game: a hero to all in his small hometown.  When he is involved in a water skiing accident and receives brain damage from the crash, his whole life is turned upside down.  He can't talk correctly, his parents distance themselves from him, and his girlfriend leaves him.  When he leaves for San Fransico, Willie expects to start over in a totally different world, but finds himself trapped in a situation that changes his vantage point on life and his disability.

Willie lives with a man named Lacey Casteel, a bus driving pimp from Oakland.  Mr. Casteel is a complex individual, not fitting into his all of his expected social stereotypes and behaviors.  When he first meets Willie, he attempts to save him from a group of gang members.  Although, instead of helping him when he really needs him, Lacey comes to Willie's aid after the gang disperses with Willie's money and dignity.  Then, he offers to pay for Willie's bus trip back to Montana, and when Willie refuses the offer he lets him crash at his place.  Even after Willie breaks Lacey's arm and sends him to the hospital for beating one of the girls that work for him, Lacey seems to forgive and forget and allow Willie to continue to live with him.  When Willie mentions his ex-wife and her phone calls, Lacey seems to feel a genuine remorse or as much remorse as he can muster.  Drinking is another one of the activities in which Lacey is involved.  I believe drinking for Lacey is not out of the shear pleasure of the alcohol, but rather to wipe away the pain and suffering that plague his life.  His ex-wife calls constantly and destroys his self confidence by tearing him down bit by bit.  His life is one of complication and as I read I hope to discover an inner truth behind the actions and life decisions made by Mr. Casteel and the effect that those choices will have on Willie and his attempt at rehabilitation.

As I read this novel, I begin to contemplate the possibilities of this situation happening to me.  How would I act toward my friends? Would they continue to treat as the person I was before or would they become so enveloped in sympathy and sorrow that they would blind themselves to my true pains and sufferings?  Would my family treat me the same way? How would I treat them?  All questions that filled my mind as I read the pages in this book.  I would like to think that I would continue to have good relationships with the people around me and keep a positive outlook on life, but nobody really can answer those questions unless the circumstances actually occur to them in their own life.