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After having a difficult time emotionally and physically recovering from the fire of his home, it is decided that 16 year old Jamie is to stay with his Aunt Jane and daughter Allison. He leaves his busy life to laid-back living in the countryside, in a town called Crownhill. Jamie hopes that by leaving his home, all the troubles and emotions brought by the fire will be left there, too. The first night he goes to sleep he is remarkably surprised. He has a horrible dream about the fire and a witch who chases him, trying to get him. As every day turns to night, he keeps having these dreams and they get more and more intense each time. However as they continue, he doesn’t dare tell his Aunt Jane or her daughter, Allison, because he believes he may just be delusional.

As the days continue on, Jamie’s family plans to restore an old monument that is built on the hill overlooking the town. The monument is an image of a Crown, representing “Crownhill”, that is made of lines of chalk laid on the hill. It is not visible anymore though because it has been overgrown with weeds and bushes. Janes plan is to gather the entire village and get everyone involved to clean and restore the crown. However when they clean the “Crown,” they are quite surprised. What they find sets of anger in the village, confusion in the family, and clues in an unsolved case of a 16 year old “witch.”

The way Jamie felt about himself after the fire strongly affected his self-image. He felt worthless due to the fact that he didn’t save his sister when he easily could’ve. He also felt like he was “losing it” because these dreams were strongly affecting his everyday life. But instead of coming forward about his feelings and his dreams, he kept it inside. Jamie didn’t want anyone to know what was happening, he wanted to go on with his day and pretend like nothing was wrong. By not coming forward, Marcus Sedgewick was able to capture what happens when feelings and emotions build up inside. Because of Jamies actions, he couldn’t seem to pay attention to people around him and caught himself continuously wondering off in his thoughts. Most importantly however, his emotions kept building up and eventually he had a break down, something that can happen to many individuals.

While reading Witch Hill, I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Shack. Like Jamie, Mack continuously thought about Missy’s death and it seemed to be keeping his at a distant with the rest of his family. Mack also blamed himself everyday for not being able to save his daughter. Like Jamie and Mack, many humans have had a situation where we blame ourselves for specific situations. The hardest thing for us to realize is that eventually the guilt will go away. Down every dark tunnel there is a light, just like at the end of this book and in The Shack

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I’m reading a book called Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This book revolves around the murder of a young fourteen year old that tells her story from her heaven, she goes by the name Susie Salmon. On the day of Dec. 6 1973 susie was brutally raped and murdered by a man named George Harvey. George was a very unusual man that didn’t really associate with anyone, he lived a few houses down from the Salmon family. George wasn’t very involved in the neighborhood, and was known to be an odd, unusual man.

Susie wasn’t Mr. Harvey’s first victim, there had been many more. Mr. Harvey was very discrete when covering the evidence after any murder he committed, none of his murders had ever been uncovered. There had been slight traces of evidence but it could never lead to him. The longer Susie’s murder took to uncover the more her family would give up, but her father did not want to let go of hope.

Suspicion grew in Susie’s father, he began to wonder who was commit such a disgusting disturbing act, and how would his daughter would have reacted. He wished, like any other parents that lost their child to a murder, that she could have gotten away and succeed in getting who ever committed the crime in jail. He wished that he knew who did it to her, Susie and her murderer were the only one that knew, he just wanted some connection to who ever it was.

One day Mr. Salmon came across Mr. Harvey and they associated for a few hours. As he spent those few hours with Mr. Harvey something sparked, he thought “this man is odd and seems slightly uptight around me.” He knew he could feel tension around his odd neighbor, something was off about this man. Days went by and Susie’s day became more and more suspicious. He was convinced that Mr. Harvey was the main suspect in his books, but he had no proof there was no lead and the police could do nothing about the possible danger that this man could carry out.

Suspicion is a feeling a person has that can be possible or likely. To Mr. Salmon everything clicked in place and he a strong suspicion that the man had taken tProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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life from his daughter, it hurt him that he couldn’t help Susie. There was no proof.

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Every man and woman in modern society has been placed in a situation where inequality was present. Whether it was when they were young and attended high school, or when they found a career and in the workplace, every single human being cannot deny being familiar with inequality. Perhaps, it wasn’t them personally who was experiencing the inequality, but rather the nerdy Asian kid in the cafeteria, or the African American in the workplace. So why does inequality exist if it only creates complications? And when are we responsible for protecting our pride, or our friends, or just a random stranger? And when it is time to speak up, how do we deal with the unjust and unfair situations? I have personally ran these questions through my head countless times. Whenever I feel like a peer has gone too far in speaking against a friend or I, I question myself. Is this the way it has to be? Should I speak up, or will that just make it worse? What should I say when I speak? I, and many others, run these questions through my head before I do anything in a situation. I would advise anyone who is placed in a situation where a individual, or group, thinks they are inferior to another, to think of these questions before doing anything.

Discrimination, or inequality, does not only occur between different races, but also between different genders. I was recently watching a TV show on MTV and one of the commercials that came on during the break really made me think. I do not remember the exact words but it was something like this. “Because I am a girl, I stay home while my brothers go to school. Because I am a girl, I take care of my family.” There were many more references starting with the phrase because I am a girl. It made me think about how different it is to be a female in this country as apposed to a place like Africa. I am privileged to be able to go to school, and to play sports, and all the other luxuries I enjoy. Sure, my life isn’t perfect and my family has to constantly worry about money, but at least I can go to school and get an education so I can get a high paying job when I am older. For the girls in Africa, or any other 3RD world country, it is an entirely different situation. They do not get the necessary education, if any education at all, to go to a post secondary school. So instead, they help their mother with providing for the family, until they are old enough to have a family on their own, and then the cycle just repeats itself. Have you ever noticed that the doctors that we do get from India, or the Middle East, are male? I have not seen a female doctor since I moved from Edmonton, and even then she was Caucasian. Another example of gender inequality is in child toys. I already did a post of the significance of this, so I will just briefly cover it. When we are younger, girls play with girl toys, and boys play with boy toys. Girl toys teach them to be loving and caring, while the majority of boy toys teach them to be touch and about guns. And then we wonder why men expect women to stay at home at take care of the kids and the house, while they go be the big boys of the house and make the money. We are teaching them at a young age to put a barrier between what males and what females are supposed to do. Now is this the way it is supposed to be? Not in my opinion. There are many resources out there that the wealthy people of this country could put their time and effort into. They could donate money to the Because I Am a Girl foundation and help them get an education. Then maybe we would have more female doctors around. There is always a way to help, and society needs to learn this.

The most popular, or publicized, version of discrimination is, of course, race. I am currently reading a book called Finding My Voice by Marie G. Lee. The book is about a Korean girl named Ellen Sung, and although she is physically Korean, she is not mentally. She does not speak the language, eat the food, or partake in any of the Korean traditions. She was born and raised in a little town in Minnesota, so when others ask her where she is from, she tells them Minnesota. Ellen considers herself a regular American girl, and does not like the barrier that her appearance builds. She is constantly called a ‘Chink’ and it has made her grades slip from A’s to D’s. When I was reading this book, a certain event stuck out to me. I had to read it over again, because I could not believe the nerve of a teacher. I have read enough, experienced enough, and seen enough current event to know that name calling because of race happens very often among peers. But I was not expecting a teacher to be so blunt. In chemistry, Ellen has broken a pipette and offered to pay for it. Her teachers response? “Oh you don’t have to do that, you Orientals are always trying to save money.” And if that wasn’t enough, he continues, “Are you Chinese or Japanese?” Ellen tells him Korean and then he says the punch line in his mind. In my mind, that would have been the point where I almost smacked him in the face. “Oho, you Koreans! You Koreans wok your dogs!” and then he walks away. Like honestly, who does that? What kind of teacher is so dumb to not even realize what he just did to Ellen, and to top it all off, in front of the whole class. When Ellen tells her friend Jessie about it later, I can relate to Jessie. She encourages Ellen to tell the principal, which Ellen insists she cannot do because she needs to get an A in that class to live up to her parents expectations. This really bugs me, and I hope when I finished this book, Ellen will have told someone who can do something about that teacher.

I learned of another example of discrimination between cultures in social class this year. In 1994, Rwanda had a genocide but it was considers just a civil war, so no other countries stepped in because it was too late already. Ever since German and Belgian made Rwanda a colony back in the late 1800’s there were two social classes. There were the Tutsis who were the politicians and the doctors and all of those jobs that were high in society. And then there were the Hutus who were the shoe makers and the blacksmiths and the jobs that served the Tutsis. When Belgian came into power of Rwanda, they took the discrimination to a whole other level. They made citizens carry signs identifying themselves as either Hutu or Tutsi. Now eventually, the Hutu’s got sick of this unwarranted discrimination between the two groups, and started a mass killing. Hundreds of thousands died, most of them being Tutsis. When I was learning about this, I started thinking. I would guess that if the Imperial powers that claim Rwanda did not distinguish between the two groups, the genocide wouldn’t have happened. If the Hutu’s were treated equal, they wouldn’t have felt the need to start the genocide to try and claim equality. Another example of inequality because of race struck me when I was looking for an example on CBC. There was a news story questioning what the United States was doing about terrorist attacks. The first line read, “The United States government is not taking necessary steps to protect the country from the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and terrorism.” I am sure that many others, including myself, are guilty of thinking of a man in a turban. I feel bad that this is the first thing that comes to my mind when the word terrorist is spoken, but it is like a reflex. I grew up in a very discriminatory society where it is considered normal to think that. All the peers that I have associated myself with, think the same way. We think of a Arab, or Muslim. I do feel guilty about thinking this way, and I am not going to try and defend myself further. I do not consider myself a racist person, nor do I consider my friends racists. I have friends from different cultures. But whenever I hear of a terrorist attack, it is always someone from the Middle East, so that is who pops into my mind when the word is mentioned. I claim responsibility for that, and I do not believe there is anything society can do that can change peoples mind about who terrorists are. Unless a Asian, or Russian, or German, or any other ethnic group attempts a terrorist attack on the United States, this is the way people are going to think.

Age is another factor that creates inequality in the world. Another book I have read recently explored this issue. The book is called Sold and is by Patricia McCormick. Lakshmi is a thirteen year old girl that lives in Nepal with her family. They live in a small hut and are very poor. To try and help her family get into a better living situation, Lakshmi is sold to this lady that promises her a job in the city. Little does she, or her family know, that she was just sold into prostitution. She is taken to a place called The Happiness House, and forced into the lifestyle. She finds refuge in the other girls there and forms some friends to help her through this. I read this book a couple weeks ago, and cannot remember the names but there was a mother, and her baby and daughter. Both the mother and the daughter were sold to the men for sex. Then there was another girl, who like Lakshmi, had been sold at an early age and had been in the House for a couple of years now. This girl had developed HIV/AIDs and was dying. One of the lines in book stuck out to me. It read, “In between, men come. They crush my bones with their weight. They split me open. Then they disappear. I am hurt. I am torn and bleeding where the men have been.” There were many more details and other situations like this that really made me feel sorry for this girl. If the girls refused a man, then they got a stick with burning hot coals stuck inside of them instead. The woman who ran The Happiness House took advantage of young girls living in poverty and used them. She knew that they were too young to try and escape the house and wouldn’t last long if they did. She knew that they would come back begging for their job. The most depressing thing about this book, is that this kind of abuse of children actually happens. It make me so sad that someone would take advantage of young girls, just because she is older and can control them. I think that this is an even bigger issue then inequality among races. But how can we stop this? There are houses like The Happiness House all over the world, and it is impossible to stop them. We cannot try and guilt trip the owners into giving up the children that make them so much money. And once these girls get to old, they are thrown out onto the street to fend for themselves. No money, no nothing. So being sexually abused for years was basically just a waste of time since no money was even sent back to their poverty stricken families. It is these stories that make me want to get a good job, and make lots of money, and do something about it. No child should have to suffer through that, or worse.

The last example of inequality that I am going to explore is with animals and infants. Just because it is a baby and cannot understand what is going on doesn’t mean it isn’t scarring them. When we receive a placement in foster care, it is like seeing what is happening to those kids in India up close. The children that come to us are abused, sexually, physically, and mentally. The parent do what they want and expect their kids to bend around them. If the parent does not come home at night because she is passed out from drugs or alcohol, the kids have to put themselves to bed and make their own supper, or if they are too young, just starve. If their mother brings home a guy that she met at the bar, and the guy is high and decides to try something with one of the children, they have to take it because their mother is so doped up on drugs, she doesn’t even realize what is going in. It is cruel to see how messed up some of these kids are when they come to live with us. And with animals, just because they are not human and do not speak, doesn’t mean they do not realize what is going on. The first post I ever wrote was about puppy mills. These dogs are kept in cages for years at a time. They sleep with their own pee and poop. They do not get fed, so they end up eating their, or another animals, feces. Their paws are permanently indented from the criss cross pattern of the cages. And through all of this, they are expected to produce healthy puppies for the owner to sell. These dogs are scarred, bleeding, and most can’t even walk anymore, all so that dog owners can get pure breeds at a low price. Sure don’t feed the mother, as long as the dog is $200 dollars cheaper. And when a female is unable to produce more puppies, she is simply left to die and then thrown in the trash. Many of the dogs die, and lay undiscovered for months and rot. Many of the buyers do not know that this is where the puppies come from, but if they put more effort into it they could. Insist on seeing the mother and father, and where they live. If anything raises suspicion, contact an organization that are able to help. Puppies mills should not be aloud to continue.

So whether it be with race, gender, age, or animals, inequality exists. Society passes by it every day, and doesn’t take notice. But we need to speak up, we need to do something about it. No matter what age you are, what gender you are, what race you are, or what social class you fit into, there is always something you can do. Maybe you are too young and cannot donate money because you don’t have a credit card. Well then raise awareness to the adult who do have the resources to help. If you are African American and do not think anyone will listen to you, write a letter or a poem or anything, and mail it anonymously to your towns newspaper. Just do something. One person can make a difference. If everyone put in an effort, the level and severity of inequality in modern society would greatly decrease. So do what you can, but don’t do nothing.

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The focus question that I am using is; What is right? What is admirable? What is not-so-admirable? Does everyone agree? Throughout the history of sports there has always been young stars arise to become champions. In hockey there has been many young men trying to become the next “one.” It all started in 1966 with an young boy named Bobby Orr. He played in the NHL for over thirteen years. He was a dominate defense men who ruled over everyone on the ice. He was one of the toughest players out there with having over a dozen knee surgeries. He was a very admirable person and ended his NHL career with 953 points.

The next “one” on the list was a boy from Brantford, Ontario. His name was Wayne Gretzky. Wayne’s father Walter was one of the most persistent coaches anyone could have. Every time Wayne and his younger brothers had free time Walter made them skate, and do drills, and practice their shot. Walter had built his own backyard rink for the boys to practice on. Wayne was definitely the star out of his other siblings and everyone in the town knew that. Wayne played minor hockey in Brantford and most years he would play a age level ahead of him. Gretzky was so competitive and not in the gritty way. Wayne was a gentleman on the ice and rarely got into tussles. Gretzky kept gaining skill and zipped into professional hockey. The parents and crowd in Brantford were very critical of Wayne and his success but it didn’t seem to bother Wayne.

When Wayne entered the NHL he flourished like no other. Wayne lead the league in points and in his second year of the show he won a Stanley cup. Later in his career with the Oilers he won three more Stanley cups. He was unstoppable but after his last cup with Edmonton his dad had a talk with him. Walter told Wayne that the GM of the Oilers, Peter Pocklington was going to trade Gretzky. Wayne couldn’t believe the news. The greatest team in the league was going to lose the greatest player that had ever played. Pocklington needed money bad and knew Gretzky was worth a fortune. To me this isn’t right to screw over a team and a player that worked so hard and then get torn apart because of money.

Wayne was not happy to leave the city of champions. In his last interview before leaving he could barely spit out a word. Tears were flowing out of the grown mans eyes. Gretzky knew his time with the Oilers was done but it was hard for him to swallow. Luckily for Wayne his wife lived in LA where Wayne was going. Wayne’s wife was Janet Jones, who was an actress/ entertainer in Hollywood. The media saw Janet as a thief, and that she took Wayne away from Edmonton but that wasn’t the case. Because of Pocklingtons greed and his unprofessional, not-so-admirable way of using his money Gretzky had to leave.

In LA Gretzky played for the Kings. The Los Angeles Kings weren’t very popular and had competition with the Lakers for fans. The Laker fans were much greater than the Kings fans until Gretzky arrived. Wayne added just the ingredient to make the Kings exciting and talented. Some people think that Gretzky should have stayed in Edmonton and got rid of some other players. Others believe it was right to give him away and start a new job with a new organization. I think Wayne should have stayed and won five more cups with Edmonton.

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“I never said to be like me, I say to be like you and make a difference.”- Brian Warner

Through the intentionally provocative, and darkly humorous content I found this book to be incredibly helpful and really aid me on a personal level. The hardships we’ve had to endure, and the skeletons that are hidden in our closets all contribute to who we are today. It’s up to us to embrace our differences and be an individual, and avoid conforming to the rest of the society.

At a personal perspective, the things I have dealt with in life, have made who I am today. As bad as they may have seemed at the time, I have learned that it is up to me how to deal with the experiences I have had. I have discovered that we can always learn from these experiences and better ourselves for the future. Although when I was younger I have always felt inadequate to everyone else and was teased for being different, I have decided that I really don’t care what other people think. I am who I am, and no body is going to stop me from being something great someday.

I wish more of the world could see things through Brain Warner’s eyes. He sees society as intricate and vast. Unfortunately, the T.V, the magazines, anything that influences the public has brain washed us into wanting to be someone else. Just like him, we should not be afraid to show our true colours and contribute to the colourful spectrum of human character. I feel that many people are wasting their short lives in pretending to be something in which they are not.

“What nobody understood then is this: The only way that you achieve what you want and fulfill your dreams and become great is by demanding that sort of attention. You have to make it happen.” – Brian Warner

This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time. If I believe I deserve the best, then that’s what I’m going to work hard to achieve. If you want something in life, it is up to us to go out and get it. Life is too short to settle for mediocre. Brian’s biography has taught me that I need to work hard, suffer hardships, and failures in order to succeed in life. Life is never easy, but if we can overcome disasters, we can conquer anything.

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It has been said that when a person is in love, they would give everything for the other, including themselves and everything to make their other happy. The title, Hanazakari No Kimitachi E, means “For you in full blossom;” so to say one person giving everything they could for another, due to love. Mizuki Ashiya is infatuated with Sano Izumi; which is defined as someone thinking they are in love when it is indeed just a like for another. Of course, the infatuation you have for a person can be transformed into what we call love; although only after having the opportunity to get to know and connect with them.

When Mizuki made the decision to cut off her hair, change her appearance, and move to Japan, she had no idea that her relationship with famous High Jump Athlete, Sano Izumi, would turn into anything more than friendship, even though she hoped it would. The reason for that being: Mizuki looking like a boy, and attending an all boys school; where no one could find out she was really a girl. Throughout the series, Sano becomes protective of Mizuki because of her secret that she is a girl; not to mention falling in love with her. Mizuki also falls in love with Sano, but the catch is that neither can tell each other for fear of Mizuki having to leave if her true identity becomes known. This is referred to as a secret love; when two individuals love each other, but the fact isn’t known by others, and sometimes even themselves.

The term “love” can be referred to many different feelings, but most of them are merely just feelings that have been confused with love. Hisaya Nakajo writes such an intricate storyline, that it leaves you with almost no doubt that what Sano and Mizuki are feeling is what some people refer to as true love. True love has been described as being your soul’s recognition of it’s counterpoint in another being; your soul being an eternal part of you, although separate from your body in existence. The soul has been deemed essential to consciousness, personality, mind, spirit, and self. The fact that your soul is connected to every aspect of your life also includes it in being the one to recognize who, when, and how you will “fall” in love.

When people say that you “fall” in love, it is merely a metaphorical term to describe the feeling. Really how it happens is that you grow into love, after you try to have a connection with that person, and learn about them. Throughout all the time that Mizuki and Sano spend together from being roommates, a special relation thrives between them that none other could share. By getting to know each other, they are able to connect on an entirely different level than they would have been able to if they had just “hung out” from time to time. Although Sano and Mizuki love and care for each other, Sano’s best friend Nakatsu Shuichi grows to love Mizuki as well; posing a problem and a tedious love triangle for all three.

If you like books filled with love, humor, and difficult life decisions, than I highly recommend Hana Kimi. It has a storyline filled with sweet sensitivity, as well as chances to make the wrong or right choice. Although it is meant to be more of a love story than a life changing tale, I feel as though it has changed me. Other than just changing my fandom and genre types I enjoy, Hana Kimi has also converted the way I feel about others. Sano and Mizuki’s twisted tale of hidden love is by far one of the most charming relationships I have come across in books, and it deserves to be known by far more than those who are already aware of it.

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What would it feel like to be fighting for your country. and your life, right after graduating from high school? Get a close-up view of the beginning of the current Iraq War in Sunrise Over Fallujah, another powerful novel by Walter Dean Myers. Against his father’s wishes, Robin Perry chooses the military over going to college in 2003. He finds himself near the border of Iraq, struggling to understand who he is and what he is doing there.

Jonesy, a soldier from Georgia, is Robin’s best friend in the military. He plans to open a blues club someday and compares everything to music, but for now they have each other’s back. Robin is not too sure about Marla, who dubs him “Birdy” and seems to enjoy teasing him endlessly. They, along with Captain Coles, are assigned a Humvee for their work on the Civilian Affairs team. In between missions they enjoy each others’ company over meals and in the safe zones during downtime. They even try to play soccer against some Iraqis. They lose of course.

The Civilian Affairs soldiers are supposed to help the people living in a war zone by providing them with medicine, water, or assistance in developing a new independent political system after Saddam Hussein is gone. But the Rules of Engagement change frequently, and Robin and his fellow soldiers learn that some civilians are from different warring tribes or simply want Americans dead.

When some people in an ambulance try to kill Robin and his comrades, Robin realizes he can no longer relax anywhere. Another time he sees an officer from his company killed by an IED (improvised explosive device) set off from a cell phone. Pulling that man from the remains of his vehicle haunts Robin’s thoughts for a long time afterward.

Soldiers who Robin talks to one day are kidnapped (or worse) the next. The author refers briefly in the story to Jessica Lynch and her comrades who were abducted. Details are well researched and recognizable, and readers will relate to the young soldiers. Through translators and contact with locals, Robin struggles to understand the way of life for the people in this sometimes beautiful, sometimes war-torn land.

At one hospital, Robin is forced to act quickly to save a female Captain. With each new experience, he feels he has become a different person, doing things he never would have imagined doing back in Harlem. As a result of their good work, Robin’s unit is asked to help with a dangerous and highly political assignment. It changes everyone involved.

Walter Dean Myers draws readers right into his story with alternating beautiful scenery, searing emotions and life-threatening situations. Loosely set as a sequel to his notable Fallen Angels, in which Robin’s Uncle Richie fought in the Vietnam War, Sunrise Over Fallujah offers an unforgettable look at the war being fought by many young adults who will never return home.

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Nikki Sixx was born on December 11, 1958 in San Jose, California. Nikki only had his mother and his grandparents there to raise him because his father had left him at a young age. Nikki never really lived a good life. In his early life Nikki broke into neighbors’ homes, shoplifted and he got expelled from school because he was selling drugs. When Nikki was 16 he had already started playing the bass guitar. By the time he was 17 he had already left his home, moved to Los Angeles, starting working in liquor stores and started auditioning for different bands. Even though Nikki lived on his own at the age of 17 he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a rockstar. He was able to play the bass guitar at a professional level and really put his emotions and feelings into writing his music. In 1981, Sixx founded Mötley Crüe, and ever since he was in the band his life completely went to hell and the life he was living helped him write the book called, The Heroin Diaries.

Having a good time, hanging out with friends and family, and fulfilling personal dreams sounds like a good life. Everyone has a different perspective on what is a good life. Someone might say that living a very dark and hellish life might be the best way to live. Nikki Sixx really lived a life full of demons and was always trapped in hell. Nikki was addicted to acid, cocaine, alcohol, and the hardest drug heroin. These addictions really changed how he lived, his emotions, his song writing and his personality. The good life for Nikki was sitting in his dark room shooting up heroin, talking to his demons, playing in his band, and writing in his diary. Everyday when Nikki did cocaine he always became an crazy animal and he had to resolve to heroin because it would calm him down. Even though Nikki was a rockstar and living the life of any musician, his “good life” wasn’t so good after all. Actions speak louder then words, and his actions  showed the best life for him was through his addictions.

Besides being a great bass guitarist Nikki was one of the best at writing his music. He was always making catchy songs that caught everyone’s attention and made them want to hear more. Its weird because Nikki wrote the best music when he was all drugged up. When Nikki wasn’t high he couldn’t write songs because he was so used to writing his music when he was high. I’m not saying that drugs are good but imagine what his music would have been if he was never addicted to drugs. On drugs Nikki always wrote about his feelings and what was going on when he was hiding in his room. He used these feelings and writings to help him create his magnificent music. Music was his life and Nikki put everything towards is music even when he was fighting his addictions.

This book is a real life story on how someones life as a rockstar isn’t  always  a good life to live. Most of us don’t even realize what really happens when huge bands like Motley Crue are created. Lots of the time we just listen to their music and become huge fans of them when there is actually even more to revel backstage. If anyone has read this book they will realize its more sex and drugs then rock and roll. The band members are always partying really hard, shooting up drugs, and when their at home its complete hell. When Nikki went to rehab and starting becoming sober he said his life was more alive. He was never feeling sick, he was able to go out riding his Harley, and he got to enjoy his life a lot more. Once Nikki was sober his career went higher and higher in fame.

I would recommend reading The Heroin Diaries because its a real life lesson. It shows that when someone is famous they don’t always live a good life. The book also shows how much drugs and alcohol can really destroy someones life. When I read this book it really should me how horrible Nikki Sixx’s life was. He was always sitting in his room shooting up his drugs and when he decided to write his diaries it showed that he wanted this book to changed peoples ideas about drugs. Nikki wrote this book to show others around the world how much pain and suffering he went through while pursuing his dream.

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I had a lifetime dream of playing of the Canadian Women’s fastball team at the Olympics. I dreamt of wearing that Maple Leaf on my chest and seeing my parents smiling back at me. My family understood what was needed to be at that level and they completely supported me with every move I had to make. My closest friends did not understand the lack of time they could spend with me but they also respected the time we did have.

I have been on a ball field all my life and have played since T-ball. At the age of 15 my parents and I agreed that I was not being challenged enough with the softball in the area and started looking for something more. Lloydminster was our answer.  Playing ‘A’ caliber of fastball helped show off the skills I had learned from various coaches, and my parents. Tracy, the scout of the Canadian women’s fastball team, soon took me under her wing and taught me the needed advancements that allowed me to go with the Calgary Diamond Devils to San Diego.

The pressure of playing at this level was very intense and demanding. The Diamond Devils had four coaches one outfield coach, one infield coach, nutritionist, and one head coach. We all had a small contract to follow which included a no eating list, no cell phone rule, respect clause, and further more. This fastball allowed for little social life because the travel was difficult, and time-consuming. My dad and I normally made the trip to Calgary every weekend and I had to work out every other night and practice on the off days. All my time away from school was to be focused on fastball.

People did not understand how I balanced aspects of my life . I honestly tried to put on a face that showed I had all my life under control but truly the pressure was getting to me and distancing me from friends and my sister.  I changed the amount of communication that I was involved in, I was changing myself I quickly learned. I did not want people to notice the stress I had in my life because it was not their dilemma to be faced with. I never wanted to cause others problems. I wanted to have a separate  life from fastball and home life.

I did not like what this caliber of fastball was doing to my life. My life was changing as I knew it I wanted my old life back. I never thought I would ever pass the chance of my dream up but I had to choose my life or fastball. As I was conflicted between keeping my dream alive or having a social life, my dad and I had numerous, deep talks about our shared dream. My dad kept saying “I will support you in whatever you do, as long as you want to be doing it.” I decided to stop playing this high-end caliber and to regain my social life.

Fastball gave me a rush of freedom, excitement and relaxing joy. Sports are a big part in my families lifestyle, we are strong-headed towards staying fit and spending time together. Family time is limited in our family so sports have brought us together, so sports symbolizes family and being together. I am not losing that feeling just pulling back on the caliber, although I may have the chance to play on a ‘A’ caliber fastball team in edmonton.

Playing in the Olympics was a lifetime goal and dream I shared with my dad. I would have done anything to get to that level but once I found out the amount of time needed to be at that level I couldn’t handle the pressure. The pressure had me change who I was and how I interacted with my family and friends. Being under that pressure caused me to buckle and alter my dream. Family and friends helped me get as far as I did because of their respect, love, help, and commitment.  I owe them all a great amounts of thanks.

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Jane Austen has called Pride and Prejudice her “baby” and Elizabeth her greatest character created. I have not read any other Jane Austen publications, but I can agree with her that Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth is a character unlike any I have been exposed to before. She is witty, strong, rational, and yet still compassionate and loving. She is the young woman who I can see myself striving to be, along with the majority of other young women like me. Jane Austen is not scared to show flaws in her characters, even Elizabeth, and that is what makes Pride and Prejudice realistic enough to be enjoyed by an intellectual reader as well as purely entertainment readers. Austen proves that even in the 1800s, development of independent and strong willed young women is not only occurring, but is needed to develop a strong society.

Relating to Elizabeth in her rational ways of criticism and expectation of her family and friends is easy for me. Her and I both assume the best way for our individual self to be presented in the best light is to be surrounded by respectable people. Elizabeth is embarrassed by her mother’s illiberal mind and incapability of rational thinking, her father’s refusal to correct her mother, and her younger sister’s devotion to reckless flirting. I have at times been embarrassed by my mother for her overly out-going personality, my dad’s intimidation, and my siblings proceeding reputations in school. I can connect to Elizabeth in these rational criticisms, but also in her sense of strong ties to those closest to me. Elizabeth is devoted to the happiness and pleasure of her elder sister, Jane, and her most intimate friend, Charlotte,  as I am to my older sister and closest friends. This devotion and dedication to a select few is often, and in the case of both Elizabeth and myself, due to the reluctance to openly trust new or relatively unknown acquaintances. Elizabeth and I are similar in the deepest connections, and because of this, I have found reading Pride and Prejudice so intriguing and inspiring.

Ability of a book character to become so appeasing to me has not happened often, but in Nicholas Sparks’ The Last Song I found myself dearly attached to Ronnie, the main character. Ronnie existing in the 21st century, and Elizabeth in the 1800s, they appear resoundingly opposite. Ronnie is a rebel child, dressing in dark clothing with dark hair and make-up. She rejects her father and mother and ignores advice from anyone. Elizabeth is a proper young woman, taught every respect for elders, and receives constructive criticism well. It is on the inside where these two characters caught my attention. They are caring and compassionate, yet careful to show it. They are introverted in their thought processes, never quick to draw attention to themselves or any situation they might be in. They do what they know is right, even when they are ridiculed for it. Being created 200 years apart, they still possess the characteristics which make young women so respected and important to society. Elizabeth and Ronnie are not just characters in their separate books, but inspirations to readers like myself.

Oprah Winfrey, Princess Diana, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, are women that will never be forgotten in history books. They have all played a role in the emphasis of women’s rights and abilities in our developing world. They have seen the change in respect for the female population from women’s suffrage to the current availability of women’s studies in universities. I have had the privilege of always knowing equality between genders, I can do almost anything a male can do if I put my heart into it. Elizabeth knew she was capable of doing the same, but with the time she was in it was unladylike to act as a man would. I am the young lady I am because I can challenge and learn from women and men alike. Without this experience I would feel held back and restricted in my abilities, I could not step back like Elizabeth was forced to do. Modern women like Oprah and Martha Stewart are inspirations in the way they have commanded respect and gratitude as women. I will make a difference myself, I will not be held back by anyone or anything standing in my way.

Women in business, medical, education, entertainment, or any other employment are making a difference in the lives of the women around them. We are not going to be slaves to men, only knowing how to cook, clean, and care for children. Elizabeth demonstrated the ability of women to do much more in the 1800s and modern women have proven this ability can be of advantage to everyone. I am striving to make a difference in the lives of others, not just in the profession I chose, but also in my attitude towards my peers and superiors. I will command respect, but also give it to every deserving person. My future will see a positive influence upon others by myself, and I have already begun in high school through student council, leadership, and just being a friend. I am on my way to be the woman Elizabeth was held back from being.

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