Thaaaanksgiving.

Thaaaaank God.
Iiiiiit's here.

BREAK!

the pits of hell

Hello all,

Just got back from my third

shoes plus geometry equals I'm hungry.

Between the two, I mean, really.

too cool for school--well, weekday school, at least.

So I just got back from my classes at the local state university. I'm really psyched about them. The first one, Historical Mysteries, Conspiracies, and Intrigue, is taught by this really wacky guy who reminds me of the instructors at CTY. His teaching style is quite eccentric. First of all, he's very excitable, and when he gets enthused about something, he starts shouting. Then he goes back to speaking in this very soft, low voice. I find it entertaining. Also, he goes off on magnificent tangents--we went from Lizzie Borden to Galileo and ended up spending 20 minutes on disproving his famed 'the cannonball and feather will fall at the same time' statement. Personally, I was saddened to learn that my teachers had been lying to me about this for the past eight years, but I'd always suspected them slightly anyway, and besides, that's how it goes. The regular people lie to you, and then the weirdos reveal the truth.

The second class, Preparation for PSAT/SAT Mathematics, is taught by this very pretty young teacher who seems slightly anxious. She's good at these specific types of problems, though. She's taught high school math for a while, so it is to be expected. I think it's going to help prepare me for the SSATs next weekend if I do the homework she gave us, and for other tests in the future over the next ten weeks. Plus I have definite room for improvement in math. I can use all the help I can get.

(PS- I have decided I love Jack Johnson.)

"endless summer"

It's funny how you can use something once and then decide that you'll never use it again, even though it's perfectly good. It just isn't right to use something with that much emotional value again.

For instance, I'm sitting at my desk, and I'm noticing the three-quarters-full Endless Summer Moisturizing Mist and Linen Spray on my window ledge. I'm thinking about the fact that I used that spray so excessively at camp, and I'm thinking about the words "endless summer," and what a lie that is, and I'm thinking about my view of the city from my window, which is perfect, but no one else can see how perfect it is because when I show them how it looks in a picture, they just can't tell. (I'll upload my view later, because right now Blogger is being uncooperative. You can't tell, but actually, people who make postcards would totally pay to set up their tripods and whatnot in my room because it's so amazing.)

Seems to happen a lot. Something is really incredible, but others just cannot see it from the pictures. It looks meaningless to them.

Oh my God. I really need to delve into my drawings or something. Listen to me.

I'm going to go sketch something now. You better hope it's not more eyes--for your own sakes.

ciao
the smart one

here, chicky chicky chicky

Yup, that's right--we're talking about STOCK!

It's okay if you don't get it.

Anyway, we spent a day in History class this week talking about the crashing stock market: between Dow, AIG, Merill-Lynch, and the tragic Lehman Brothers, I came up with the following for the class forum. My teacher liked it. What do you think?

As I understand, the American economy has suffered a few pretty substantial losses recently. Merrill-Lynch was taken over by Bank of America, and Lehman Brothers declared itself bankrupt after giving out too many mortgages that it couldn't maintain. Also, AIG's stock dropped 60 percent, Dow had its worst percentage drop since 2002, but neither of those are as big a deal.

I think the events happening in America's economy today are pretty concerning. Actually, the events happening in America today in general are pretty concerning. But the events in the economy are especially concerning because if there is as little attention paid to them as there has been to most of the other issues lately, there isn't much hope for the American economy.

My only question (that I can think of, at least) is why all of a sudden everything is collapsing.

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry

I know I haven't posted for eight days! For lack of a better word, I am so sorry! I wish I had had more to write about, or even just the stamina and presence of creative mind to write about nothing, which is what the really talented writers could do. Unfortunately, I'm not that good yet.

So. I love rainy days. I think they're great. Rain is so romantic if it's done right. Not necessarily romantic romantic, though it often is, but romantic as in the style of writing, as in the feeling of calm and classic and perfect. Many things can be perfect in the rain--if it's done right.

happy!

You guys!

They published me on TeenInk RAW! I'm so happy. I was just starting to wonder when I'd hear back from them, and I did! I've been published. Yes.

I love getting published. I adore feedback.

Here's the link toTeenInk RAW. I can't give you the direct link to my poem because then you'd know my name and where I live. Look at it this way--it'll really be honest feedback if you comment on my poem without knowing it was mine.

Thanks for reading and bye.

back to cool

That's what they say!
And speaking of speaking (man, can you tell how much I have always wanted to use a segue as cheesy as that?), my little brother just started at my school and says it's the best school ever and he never wants to leave.

I have just one thing to say: !

Actually I have a lot more than that to say. I got into the car with my mom and just started blabbing and didn't stop for ten minutes until she forced me to listen about my brother's first day. So first of all, I have what my last-year social studies teacher calls "the dream homeroom." I have several friends in there, and all in all, it should be great. In fact, it's one of the few things I'm optimistic about. My ex-teacher also said the funniest thing. She told me that the popular girl, let's call her Grace because there are no Graces at my school, actually has a lot in common with me once removed from "certain social influences." This is to me a fascinating concept because I have never been popular and find it close to unimaginable that I could be friends with the popular girl. However, my mom had a friend in college who was just that type--popular pretty cheerleader--and they were practically inseparable. So I'm interested in this possibility.

short and sweet (unlike obama's 43-minute speech)

Hey everyone,

You see the Democratic convention last night? What a great speaker! I don't think the guy who wrote the NY Times article I read was as enthused about it as I was.

And I didn't read the article about it yet, but did you hear McCain picked a woman for VP on his ballot? Wannabe much?

finally I can nap

I have finished The Chosen!
I have run three miles in 30 minutes without stopping!
I have had a fully efficient and effective day, which, believe it or not, has only been going on for five hours so far!

Also, I have used up my daily reserve of exclamation points. Phew.

the unexpected

You never know when someone's going to do the unexpected.

It's interesting.

the houses may be prefab, the mindset may be postfab, but I'm fab for all eternity

I am kidding.

I know it means prefabricated. God.

Develop an appreciation for humor, wouldja?

Well, I went to MoMA on Thursday--for those of you like my friend who came with me and had never been to MoMA, that's the Museum of Modern Art in NYC--and saw a couple of awesome things there. I've been dying for some intellectual activity ever since I got back from New England, and I was only too thrilled to go. All I did for a month was walk and bike and hike--and of course, forget the book I was supposed to read for summer homework. The only museum-resembling place I got to go was the Loon Center, meant a hike, which was only supposed to take us about 45 minutes but ended up taking three hours when we got lost.

So anyway, see the first picture? That's something I took on my phone of the description of one of the housing units, System3. The structure, my least favorite, captured my mother's eye because of the text here highlighted: the units may be STACKED. Stacked! How thrilling! I've always wanted to have the freedom to stack my living space.

My favorite was Burst*008, the one created with a computer formula, but I didn't get a picture of it, and I don't believe in finding pictures on the Internet from things at which I was physically present. (Of course, if I could only be there in spirit, bring on the Google images.) Instead, I provide ici a photo of the Micro Compact Home, 76 square feet of living space. I thought the irony of me liking that one was harmonious with the irony in my life: similar to the way I prefer the tiny house, my favorite friends and guys tend to be short. Even my sister, my life consultant, is short for her age.

Sorry. I know it can get dangerous when I talk about irony.

Well, I'm going to go figure out how to scan drawings onto my laptop, because it's making me sad that the latest ones on here are from January. Don't worry, the reasons for that are not because I've stopped drawing, they are that

a) MY BAT MITZVAH, HELLO, NEED I SAY MORE?

b) midterms/final tests/projects/4th quarter report cards flung me into a time-sucking pit of stress

c) suddenly I decided I wanted to join the track team

and

d) after that whole crapload of work, I was off and running on a long summer of travel.

But I'm back now.

But now I'm going to the scanner.

So bye.

how does it feel to be a problem?

Yeah, I'm asking you! The pressure is on!

No, but actually, that's the title of this book I heard about yesterday on my way home on WNYC. The full title is How Does It Feel to be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America, and it sounds great. They interviewed the author and one of the subjects--I don't remember her name, but her story is that she won for high school president at 15 against all odds and then was forced to resign because her religious beliefs wouldn't allow her to attend the dances, and she was supposed to be present at every school event.

This guy supposedly just asked around his Brooklyn neighborhood in the Arab community, and, by word of mouth, it turned into enough stories to write his book.

So... here's the WireTap article. If for some reason you do read it, not that anyone who reads this blog would want to, but if you do, please tell me how it is--I still have to finish my summer reading. That's me, the bad student.

I love my dad

There are two wonderful things my father did for me today.

1. He drove me home, at longest last, from New England back home. It was an eight-hour drive, but I'm thrilled beyond all possible expression to be here.

2. He presented me, God bless him, with a copy of the 2009 Poet's Market!!!! Over 1600 listing for presses, magazines, journals, contests and more! WHERE AND HOW TO GET YOUR POETRY PUBLISHED! Oh, I am so happy.

i love not camping

Well, I'm pretty much done with the country. Between the water bugs, ants, crickets, and spiders all keeping us company at the breakfast table, I think I've had enough.