Do You Remember Mr. Sandor?

Actually, Jack, I was going to do the same with my album review. Unfortunately I haven't started it yet. I'll do it tomorrow. Right now I have too much homework that I should be doing. As for the random facts, I think between you and me, we have enough random knowledge to fill the entire school paper. We could definitely have enough for each issue. I'll post mine at the bottom of this post. Mine are extremely random, and have little to do with anything.

Anyways, I have very little to say today. Basically I felt the urge to blog, but I think it was a natural reaction to the thought, "Crap, I have homework to do for tomorrow." I have a physics assignment due, which is alright. I really didn't understand the Displacement stuff, but now that we're graphing vectors it seems easier. The assignment has something to do with bottle rockets.

I also have two monologues to memorize. Basically this means reading them 500 times each by the time I go to sleep. One I have almost fully memorized, but the other I only got on Friday. It's for my audition for A Christmas Carol. While I'm not prepared, I'm still looking forward to it.

On another school- related note, Jack mentioned that Reach would be starting up either this week or next. Unfortunately we're only doing one practice per week this year, but it should prove to be fun. This is the year that the Rawrdvarks will be reunited. I just hope the practices are on Tuesday or Thursday again, or I won't be able to make it...

Actually, talking about the Rawrdvarks reminds me of Mr. Sandor... God I nearly forgot about him! Funny guy, if you weren't on his bad side. That was a good year. Too bad he had to leave.

Alright I'm done procrastinating, and rambling. I'll probably have another post tomorrow of the album review I'm doing. I decided on Hot Hot Heat, because the Fiction Plane CD isn't out in North America yet. Thank you file sharing.

Till next time, when I'm done being lazy.
~V

PS i'm still going to buy the album when it comes out... So don't judge me!

PPS: RANDOM FACTS

Ants always fall on their right side when intoxicated
The White House has 35 bathrooms
The modern system of Mass Production was 'invented' by Eli Whitney
The dot over the letter i is called a tittle
In Cleveland, you cannot catch mice without a hunting license.

Let the Rain

Reviews seem like a good idea, V. I'm going to take that idea and do an album review: *

Kaleidoscope Heart is Sara Bareilles sophomore album, and within a week of its release on September 7 it was #1 on Billboard’s Top 200- with good reason. It’s full of a wide range of music; songs that make you laugh, make you cry, or make you want to dance. Though Bareilles stayed faithful to the piano-centric pop rock of her previous work, it’s definitely not a repeat of what’s she’s already done.

The CD begins with Uncharted, a feisty ballad that you just have to tap your foot along to. Keeping the up tempo going, Gonna Get Over You is a breakup song that isn’t remotely sad. The philosophical lyrics are wrapped up in sugary sweet melodies, which shouldn’t work but really does. The next track, King Of Anything, was the first single released from Kaleidoscope Heart. Much like her first hit, Love Song, she pairs an upbeat tune with sharply clever lyrics: “Who cares if you disagree? You are not me, who died and made you king of anything?”

Not all the album is straight pop though; there are a few slower tunes that really showcase her amazing voice. Hold My Heart, The Light, Breathe Again, and Bluebird all display Bareilles’ fantastic vocals to their full potential. When given the chance in more emotional songs, she really pours out her feelings with such strength- in Breathe Again, her voice is so sad it sounds like she’s physically wounded.

The other few songs on Kaleidoscope Heart are just plain fun. Basket Case is full of casual strumming and simple lyrics: it sounds like something you’d hear around a campfire. Machine Gun is not a serious piece of art, but it’s playful and Bareilles’ vocal performance is mind-blowing.

That leaves Let The Rain. This was my personal favourite from the album, and I can’t sit still while listening to it. With an infectious beat and perky melody, it gets into your head and stays there.

It’s hard to get overall impressions of the album as a whole: you can’t say that it’s all sweet sugar pop, but you can’t say that it’s a profound piano record. The best I could do would be to take each song as it comes: you’ll like at least one of the tracks on Kaleidoscope Heart, and probably more. If you’re like me, you’ll like pretty much all of them.

Hmmm, this doesn't seem like a very interesting post. Maybe I should add some random facts! But happy, cheery, uplifting facts. prepare to be awesome-ified.

In the last 100 years, the human lifespan has increased by over 35 years. 100 years ago the average lifespan was only 45 years. Now it's almost 80. And that number is increasing every year. If it keeps increasing at that same rate, the average lifespan of a child born in 2008 will be 98 years old.

Teen pregnancy, smoke and drug use have all decreased significantly since the 1990s

Rates of cancer have decreased steadily in the U.S. for 20 years and it's not just because people aren't smoking as much, though that's certainly part of it. It's also because new screening techniques that can detect pre-cancerous lesions in the colon and also because of the HPV vaccine which prevents the virus that causes cervical cancer.

Small Pox once killed millions of people per year, now it has been completely eradicated. It literally does not exist anymore.

Since 1990, global poverty rates have decreased by more than 30%. And they're on-track to have decreased 40% by 2015.

Divorce rates are much lower than people assume, and have consistently dropped since the 1970's in America. Only 20% of people who got married in the 1980s got divorced.

Violent crime rates dropped 5% between 2007 and 2008. And violent crime rates have been dropping consistently every year since 1993

The Red Cross collects 15 million blood donations per year. No one is compensated for those donations, except with cookies and juice. People just like helping other people.

In 1970 there were only 400 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles left in America, but the Endangered Species Act effecively saved the species. There are now more than 10,000 breeding pairs. During the same time Whooping Cranes returned from a much more serious 50 birds total in the entire world. There are now over 500.

What's red and smells like blue paint.

Red paint.

YOU LAUGHED! When you're laughingyou burn 20% more calories than you do at a resting state. So make sure you laugh as often as possible.

*P.S. I totally just used my school newspaper article and copy+pasted it here. Rebellious.

A book review? If it can be called that.

So, readers, today I finished a book. It was an addicting book (I read it in around 5 hours...), titled The Hunger Games. I just want to say this. IT WAS FANTASTIC.

I'm sure you've heard of the post-apocalyptic North Anerica scenario before. It's in Avatars by Tui Sutherland (book series), it's mentioned in V for Vendetta, and it's in other books/movies/comics that I can't remember righ now.

But this one is completely different. Now in this post apocalyptic world, a government has formed a sort of conglomeration of 13 districts and the Capitol. Each district has a different product. For example, District 12 mines coal, and District 8 produces agriculture.

Now, at this point I bet that you're expecting the story about a bloody revolution in which the Capitol falls. WRONG. The revolution has already been attempted, and failed, resulting in the 'celebration' of The Hunger Games. Basically, each year, one boy and one girl are chosen at random from each district to be thrown into an arena and duel to the death. Last person standing wins. The contestants can be between the ages of 12 and 18.

*In addition to the games, District 13 was decimated as a result of the revolution.

The story follows a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen, who has learned from her father how to hunt and kill illegally. Her father died in a mining accident, and so she was forced to take over as head of the family. By hunting both by herself and with her friend Gale, Katniss unknowingly prepared herself for... (Wait for the terrible cliche that happens in every book...) ...The toughest thing she's ever faced in her life. When put that way, it sounds terrible. But when you consider that she volunteered for the games to save her sister's life, the story becomes much more heartwarming. While the ending of the book may be predictable (she's the narrator; she can't die or the story ends), it has its own plot twists that have serious impacts on the story. But the ultimate ending is pretty much predetermined.

Obviously Katniss wins (Sorta). It's all the things that happen along the way that make the story interesting.
No details, read it for yourself. I recommend it, Jack does too, so if anyone sees this, READ THIS BOOK. Or... I dunno, I don't have any good threats.

~V

Scream Factor

Thank you pavel, for that kick in the pants. I wasn't really paying attention to nano- I was following so many other blogs through august for BEDA (Blog Everyday In August/April) that I hadn't noticed how spectacularly we were failing at it ourselves. No worries, I'm back now and hopefully will be posting more often.

Yes, courses are in. I've already been in to guidance to change up my schedule, and it's posted online anyways, so I know what' I've got;

Calculus, French, Physics, lunch C, Chemistry. And I do not have ms naylor for chemistry. This bothers me. I suppose Muvrin will be alright? I'm really not too concerned about it. Did you know she's engaged pavel? To Mr Mikitzel!

I'm also excited about the first day of school- chiefly because I'm a nerd who enjoys school and LOVES having calculus as my first class- but also because I'm helping out the new grade 9s with orientation. Ah, the perks of being a prefect. We went to a camp in peterborough (don't ask why we decided a 3hr trip made sense, because it DOESN'T) to learn leadership skills, icebreakers, games we could play with them.

I've spent most of today planning for next tuesday and- wait. that's not true.

Most of today I spent trying to fix my house's sump pump. You see, I love when it rains. And apparently the rain loves me too. because it did NOT STOP POURING for 3 hours at my house. That's not really a problem, unless the power goes out. Which it did, because a tree fell on the power wires. But even then, our sump pump has a battery backup. So everything is fine. Oh wait, NO IT IS NOT. The battery was dead, the pump was not working, and the water level in our well was rising far too quickly for my liking. By a quirk of the construction, or perhaps just by irony, once our well overflows it goes right into our basement.

Our basement already flooded in a torrential downpour a couple years ago, and it was not fun. We ended up replacing all the carpet. There is absolutely nothing in me that wants to go through that again.

Thankfully, our neighbours have a backup generator and were generous enough to let me run an extension cord over to their house to power our sump pump. Crisis averted. But it still makes for a good story!

So. After that debacle. And after the rain stopped. I went outside to take account of the materials at my house that might suit for whatever we had planned with the grade 9s. It shames me to say that there is nothing at my house that might work. We don't have any pool toys anymore, any sports equipment we might have had is either flat, broken, or missing, and I don't think the school would appreciate me bringing my bow and arrow.

Oh, I just checked my email and found a list of ideas from Ms Giardina (the prefect teacher). Thank time lord. In any case, we could always play Scream Factor!

For those of you that don't know it (which included me up to last tuesday) it's a really easy game that doesn't involve any equipment. You need a group of about eight, at least. it has to be a number divisible by 4. You take half the group and make one circle, then take the other half and make another circle. Everyone stands shoulder to shoulder and looks down at their feet. The leader counts down 3, 2, 1, and everyone looks up at someone else in the circle. If the person you looked at is looking back at you, you both scream at the top of your lungs and run over to the other circle. Repeat.

It might not be the most exciting description, but I swear to god it's SO MUCH FUN. And with people who don't know each other, it's a good ice breaker. I challenge you to scream in a stranger's face while they scream at you without at least smiling. Impossible.

Well I'd better stop writing before I exhaust all my creativity and don't post again for a month. I'll save some of it for next time. bye nano!

~WishIhadacooloutro

Addendum: If you haven't yet, check out the Triple Rainbow Awesome tour! They're going to be in Toronto end of october! if you like nerd rock of any kind, you should GO!

Live The Life You're Dreaming Of.

Woah, I haven't blogged in a while. Neither has Jack. And God knows how long it's been since Sasha posted on here... In fairness, it is the summertime (Though not for long). He's probably been doing other things, and so have I. And as for Sasha, I have no clue. I remember hearing that she went to Alaska, and then to someone's cottage. I think she's back now.
Anyways, I had band practice recently, I went to a trailer last week, and had DriveWise school this week. Overlapping with DriveWise was my job training.Busy schedule, but I absolutely LOVE my job. We've had timbits for the past two days, I get to take out DVDs and CDs after work, and I work with books!! It's absolutely brilliant! My next shift is this Wednesday, after school has started. It's my first night shift too.

Then, as I mentioned, there's school starting soon. And courses are in! Readers, you remember I took summerschool, right? That means my courses aren't set in stone yet; I have to switch English out for an elective. Photography, methinks. It runs in the family. My grandma says she still has my grandpa's 35mm camera that I can borrow. Shweet. I also have leisure gym. Get out your bowling balls and golf clubs! I'm kinda excited for it. It's gym class without the jocks and the intense physical activity. Well, I kinda like the running, but the jocks I can live without. Then there's drama. Yay! One of my favs. Right now I have it 1st period 1st semester. I honestly hope it stays that way. That would be a GREAT way to start my day.

Also, I took Chemistry. No surprise, but I really really REALLY hope I get Ms. Naylor. I don't know yet because the teachers aren't posted on the website, but I'll be disappointed if I don't get her.
Speaking of Ms. Naylor, Reach will start up again aswell. This year will be the Rawrdvark's reunion. I know I am excited. I'm sure Jack and Leah are aswell. And so is Suzi. I saw her today at Fortinos with James, and we talked about reach for a while. The only downside is that Ms. Naylor is staying with the grade 9's and 10's.

Well, I got distracted and forgot where I was... I guess that will suffice for now.
I'll try and get back to this more often now that the summer's done.

~V

P.S. The title is a song by Sloan. Picked at random. If you don't know them, look them up, they're fantastic.