Parent meeting

I think that Greg will talk about the fact that I've never missed a homework assignment and Martha will talk about my writing in writing class. I hope she doesn't exactly say what I write about because some of my thoughts on religion might scare them a little. I do want her to tell them that I've read aloud to the class what I've been writing. I believe that Greg will talk about lit and how I think outside the box and find very creative symbols. 

Should parents let toddlers play with iPhones?

Parents are finding out that a new app, 'Toy of Choice', can amuse there little kids for hours. They can press buttons to see the screen light up, watch videos, or do educational apps, But a new study says it can be as neglectful as putting them in front of a tv for a few hours. Kids don't need anymore screen time and need to learn how to interact with the outside world. Do they really need a iGo Potty app?

Are moms too mean to their daughters?

British parenting website Netmums says that moms are twice as likely to be critical of their daughters than their sons. They conducted a survey that concluded that women were twice as likely to criticize their daughters then their sons. It also said that 55% felt like they had a closer bond with their sons vs. daughters.
It turns out that being meaner to girls can scar them: It can make them more self-critical in adulthood. But don't judge your mother because gender is a huge part of our identity. Moms and daughters have a 'special bond' that makes them more openly direct and critical to the people closest to them.

Verizon iPhone

Apple is claiming that the new iPhone compatible with Verizon will be coming out in the first quarter of 2011, but some aren't buying it. Right after Apple released the first iPhone, customers began to complain about AT&T horrible service. Rumors then started to follow that a Verizon iPhone would come out soon and have more reliable service, but that still hasn't happened. After saying that the new and improved iPhone would come out in 2008, every year that date has changed and given them a longer due date. Just a couple days ago a new rumor has started that now it will come out in early 2011, changing the last one from January 2011.

Twist

The theme in twist is that you always need to believe in who you are no matter what other people tell you. In Twist, people kept telling him since his mother was white and his father was black that he was an 'accident', but he didn't listen to them because Twist believed that they loved each other even though he did know anything about them. 

Twist's mentor was Mr. Prodhome. Prod Home gave him his first real home and took him in without anyone asking. He believed Twist when he said that he didn't know that he was selling bootleg and showed Twist how to trust people when no one else does. He was one of the first people to love Twist and take him in.

Having Twist as the title of the story gives it a deeper meaning because it shows how he is a Twist of two different cultures, Blacks and Whites. He is a mixture that makes him a target for people to make fun of and for the Klu Klux Klan. The thing is that he does care. He doesn't care that people might make fun of him and mistreat him. All he wants is someone to love him and give him a home like Mr. Prodhome.

The orphanage acts as a symbol of a jail and a trapped place. He is stuck there and it might keep him safe from his uncle, but it is a horrible place to live. Della's locket also acts like a small piece of Twist's mother which Della decided to hold on to because she couldn't let go of her. 

What I'm going to send

I am going to send a small soccer ball keychain. I love soccer and to me it's my life. I know that in some parts of africa that people are really in to soccer and I hope that the people who will receive this gift love soccer too. To me, the place I feel the best is when I'm on the field, standing right there in front of the goal. Most people think that being a goalie is just a way to get out of running, but it's not. It's more than that. Being a Goalie is the way I can make peace with the world. The game of soccer is amazing, a team of many moving as one. Connecting passes or Connecting minds? Scoring a goal or succeeding in your goal? Feeling the way as everything tunes out as all the sudden it's just you and the ball. Afterwards, after the game, people will come up to me and tell me I did a good job but I just shrug them off. I don't play soccer to get praise. I play it to get better. To feel accomplished. To make peace with myself.
What do you think of when you hear the word peace? I think of no yelling, shouts or cries. Nature is the loudest noise, not cars. And most of all, Everyone is at peace with themselves. They're not mad that they forgot something or that they did something stupid, but they are respecting what they did and learning from their mistakes.

7th grade

Junior High is great. I did know what it was going to be like because of my brother, who told me all about it and the huge homework load. It was a little different then he said though... it was the view of a jennifer and tony's student, thought. I wasn't ready for the speeches and the whole 'trek' from music to science every morning.

The thing I like about junior high the most is being able to see friends in different classes so much. Last year if you weren't in the same class you never got to see them in school. Now, this year, I see everyone between subjects and in the halls. I thought I was going to die when I found out all my friends were in Shom, but now I see it's not so bad. I'm surprise by the speeches. I thought they would be more why we want to run then the story.

I like our teachers a lot. I don't really know much about Martha since she has been more with the eighth graders, but she seems okay. Greg is really cool. I was so excited when he said Freaks and Geeks because I L0VE that show. He and I both don't eat gluten, and although this seems a little weird, I'm kind of happy. I felt so alone thinking I was the only person out there, and Greg is just an awesome person all around. He does have a great sense of humor and adventure by deciding to teach seventh grade kids.