Journal #41 PPHS in Mythology

Pleasant plains High School is the Mount Olympus of Pleasant Plains Illinois. It is the area of higher education that teaches all of the small village and its suburban neighbors to the west. In charge of running this Olympus is Mr. Ward, the Zeus of our school. He watches the halls and shoots anyone who dares to mis-behave with 200,000,000,000 bolts of electricity in the form of lightning bolts.
Athena, the goddess of knowledge is represented by Mrs. lee. She is head of the science department and in my experiences knows everything there is to know about anything. its actually kind of ridiculous how she always has a smart and logical answer to present to any questions.

Pleasant Plains is a combination of Athens and Sparta. Students who wish to learn and grow mentally are able to select from a wide variety of courses, similar to Athenians. The Spartans among us are trained in the gymnasium and weight room by men such as King Tadla, Admiral Cameron, and General Debar. The young men enrolled in SPartan training are trained in the toughest of conditions and prepared for any combat scenario. King Tadla is merciless in his general P.E. course, where if anyone cannot perform under the intense amount of pressure he presents, he kicks them out and shows no mercy. I am with Admiral Cameron where he has trained me to lift any amount of weight and never give up.

Another thing important in Pleasant Plains, as in any Greek or Roman city, is the prophet. This is Mr. Scropos, whos knowlege of the stars and in all things magical and mystic, is recognized as a wise man. He is in charge of the newspaper, The Pleasant Plains Cardinal, and fills it with truth and magic. he is trully a wise man.

In Athens, Democracy and government were important. This case was the same for the Romans. It is also important to us here at Pleasant Plains. mrs. Crossland enriches us in the way of our government via her civics courses. In here, the students learn how our government functions and what it truly means to be an American.

Every Mythological story must have some form of evil, and Pleasant Plains is no exception... Our mythical beast is fearsome and ruthless. it eats the souls of our young and breaks the dreams of everyone else. In fact, his office smells of dying children and broken dreams. His office is the Hades of our small village, Hell on Earth... if you are unfortunate enough to be called in then you are dealing with a serious problem. This man/creature is Mr. Peterson... i would reference him to the Minotaur.

side note- this comes with the job that mr. peterson has chosen, not my personal feelings. Therefore, any lawsuits that might be filed against me for this blog are now rendered void.

These are some of the examples of PPHS described with ancient Roman and Greek descriptions.

I would like to point out that all descriptions and references were based mostly on occupation within the school, and not on personal opinion. Therefore, mr. peterson, if you read this, I apologize. No harm was intended.

Thank you, have a nice day.

Journal # 40 Decide process

When I need to make an important decision I have only one process that I know will help me make the most effective decision. This process is used by many famous people including Jesus and bill Gates. It is known as The Decide Process. DECIDE is an acronym. Allow me to explain.

D-Define the problem. This is an important stage because a clear solution cannot be drawn if the problem is not identified. Here is where the problem must be analyzed and it must be known what the problem is.

E- Explore Alternatives. What other solutions are there that can be used? that is why this stage is important, you must find out all possible routes to be taken.

C-Consider the Consequences. You will be accountable for te actions you take so you had better accepot the consequences.

I- This stands for "I forgot the next three letters so see Matthew Tomaw's blog if you want them...

D- im pretty sure this one doesn't mater either...

E-not imprtant.

This glorious process was taught to me by Professor Tadla during my freshmen health class. He taught it with the passion of a thunderstorm and with the dedication of a first chair violinist. He was like a magician touching each and every one of our hearts with a little bit of magic every day.

Here is an example of how effective this process really is.

You open the fridge because you want ice cream. However, you instantly hit a dilemma. there is chocolate and Vanilla... What do you do? most people would panic but i didn't because I'm not afraid to be a hero. I went with a bold strategy and chose vanilla. I came to my conclusion by using the decide process. My problem was that I didn't know which flavor to choose.

This is not as much of a life or death situation but it is a simple example to show you how effective this process really is. It is important to analyze the consequences of the decisions you make so that you are prepared for the effects they will have.

Journal #39 Multi tasking

I feel that I am a decent multi-tasker. I would not say that I am a great multi tasker because I am easily distracted. I know that I do my best work when I am focused on one thing at a time and can finish everything faster that way. However, if I were forced to multi task I would not do as bad as alot of other people would. Most of my multitasking ability depends on what I am multi tasking on. If I am watching tv and doing homework than I fail miserably and accomplish very little because tv is much more entertaining. If I am doing math homework while im also doing other homework than I am ok because I am in my working mentality. Still, I don't want to brag and say that I am an exceptional multi tasker because that would be naive of me.

During speech class I often try and finish other homework assignments so that I can have less to do when I get home. However, this does not often work out because I need to be polite and listen while others are giving their presentations. This slows me down because I can only work in between speeches and their is almost no point in that because I am very distracted from my train of thought. It is nearly impossible for me to do any homework because almost all of it takes a great amount of concentration.

There are other times, when I am trying to type my blogs and the women that surround me try and flirt with me, also distract me and make it hard for me to think. I understand that it is not their fault but still, it would be much easier if I could have some time to do my work. If I were asked if I thought that I was a good multi tasker i would say yes, I am decent because I can hold my own when I need to. However, believe it or not, Im actually not an idiot and understand that multi tasking is dumb. My best work is brought out and i am at the peak of my effectivness when i am focusing on one thing at a time.

Journal #38 Valentines Day

valentines Day is a magical holiday filled with love and togetherness, but its history is a but of a mystery for many people. Most people think Valentines Day was created for love. However, it was not. This is the real story of Valentines Day and its creation.

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jace Vaninger and he was a legend. He was not afraid to be a hero and to him, most things were too easy. He liked a challenge. Anyway, the important thing is that he was a legend and again, he was not afraid to be a hero. Jace had a friend named Matthew tomaw and they were the best of homies. They destroyed everyone on the basketball court and when they entered three on three tournaments they didn't have a third man because they were too good. Jace was especially great and dropping three point shots, which the ladies loved him for. During one tournament, in the first round, Jace shot a half court shot and swished it. The referee blew his whistle and declared the game over, and matthew and also declared us the winners of te tournament.

The two heroes were eating lunch one day, wonderfully prepared by Matthew's mother Joyce Tomaw, who had a knack for creating miracles in the kitchen when Jace had an idea. He was tired of all the women that kept texting him and asking for rides in his '97 Chevy Malibu. I know this sounds crazy but Jace was getting tired of the constant bothering given to him by the women. He decided enough was enough when the lunch ladies got involved too... Back to the point, Jace's idea was that he would go for the girl he like the most and all the others would leave him alone. Simple in concept, yet elaborate in the details. It was a brilliant plan. So Jace walked up to the girl he liked and said, "I could sweet talk you and try and impress you, but why waste the time? we both know how this is going to end." She agreed that that was a great way to save time. I think it was the tuxedo I was wearing that helped win her over. In honor of my accomplishment they named that day, February 14, Jace Vaninger is not afraid to be a hero day. I changed it to Valentines day instead because Im not a braggart and I have enough accomplishments so I don't need a day specifically named after me. The end.

Journal #37 My favorite meal

You can be sure that my favorite meal is the most delicious assortment of foods known to man. To start off, I need to have an excellent chef, clad in a white apron with intricate designs to fascinate the eye, to cook me chicken Alfredo with the creamiest of sauces. It has to be cooked to perfection with a touch of magic and a dash of love, no garlic... that's just nasty. However it does need to be topped with a spiraling pattern of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, that's how a real man eats chicken Alfredo. Speaking of the chicken, it is preferable to me if it has been raised for nine years in the wild forests of Europe, and then hunted with a bow my a skilled marksman. If that cannot be arranged I will settle for store bought chicken, I'm easy going.

Next, there needs to be a lavishly decorated side of applesauce with cinnamon and other rich spices that are a delicacy to be indulged upon by mankind. There needs to be loaves upon loaves of magnificent bread. This bread needs to come from dough compiled from the most perfect yeast, coming from the valley of the kings, in Egypt. It cannot be too hot but it cannot be too cold. it must be perfect. No exceptions.

Now, lets get on to the necessities, I absolutely demand some peanut butter jelly sandwiches. The jelly needs to be extracted from the finest of sugars and wild berries, I prefer non-poisonous berries, but poisonous berries build character, and I'm not afraid to be a hero.

The peanut butter must be extracted from the most exquisite of Keebler elves' factories hidden deep within the a red wood Oak tree.

Now, lets get to the desert. I want ice cream. Straight up ice cream.

for a drink I want Dr. Pepper. Endless amounts of Dr. pepper, with a half bannana-half chocolate milk shake.

this is the best meal, if you don't agree, I will fight you.

Journal #36 ACT preparation

The ACT is commonly portrayed as an important test. Don't get me wrong, it is important, but it is nothing to get upset about. This test measures your capabilities and as long as you work hard in school and try your best you will be fine. The score essentially goes away once you get into college and then graduate and start your career. So, in essence, there really is no point in getting worked up about this because doing your best is all you can do.

When I took the ACT back in December I was not afraid to be a hero. I woke up early so that i could shower and eat a hearty breakfast. I double, then triple checked my equipment (calculator, pencils, etc) and got into my car to drive to the designated rendezvous point, Matthew's house. I was nominated to drive us out there because we all decided my 97' Chevy malibu was the best car and would make us look like all-stars.

The test itself was tricky... The math and science ate me alive and im pretty sure its not passable for most people. The reading and English got torn up by me and i did very well on them.

There are many steps you can take to prepare for the ACT, including prep classes. I personally took classes with Jason Franklin. Together the two of us (and everyone else in the room) tackled math and science problems and it gave me the confidence I needed to not panic during the actual test. There are also ACT prep books available for students to use.

The most important thing to remember is to simply not panic. Worst comes to Worst, you can retake the test, so just keep a level head. When people panic they perform worse and don't score as high. If you walk into the testing area with confidence you are one step ahead of most people. When you go to take the test just remember, bring all your necessary pencils, calculators, etc. and just don't worry about it. Worrying about this test simply isn't worth your time.

Journal #35 Square Deity

In this poem Whitman uses many of his common poem writing characteristics. He makes many references to the bible and mythology. He mentions Greek gods such as heroes. THe first verse is being used to reference the old testament God, which is a vengeful God. The second verse references the New Testament God, which is a more forgiving God. This is in order to show that if you believe in the good God, you must also believe in the Devil as well. This shows both sides of the table so to speak, God is good on one side. The devil is evil on the other side. The Devil used to be an angel, but then was banished from Heaven by God for being disobedient. Whitman commonly enjoys messing with his readers and portraying both sides to a conflict or example. For instance, Im almost positive that he wrote this poem for the sole purpose that one day he knew i would have to analyse it... That is a problem for me because poetry is a bit of a weak point on my academic spear, which I use commonly in school, to ward off the foe that is school. Perhaps Whitman enjoys seeing me attempt to come up with something logical after reading his poem. But in all honesty I was able to comprehend the spanish story about the fox that played dead in the chicken coop more than this poem... I didn't even comprehend half of the words in that story either. Excellent... another nice job by me. Anyway, Whitman commonly portrays both sides of the spectrum in his poems. Such as how he described life and death as the planting of crops. Which was the life process, and then the harvesting process as death. In this case Whitman has references to both God and the Devil. Which takes me back to the Fox that played dead. The fox taught us a priceless lifer long lesson, that is, to tolerate that which we can bear, but if something is unbearable, then we need to banish it. WHitman, in essence, shows this same lesson. He could no longer bear having the devil in Heaven, so he banished him forever. A bold strategy if you ask me, because now they are enemies and the prospects for them becoming friends do not look good at all.

Journal #34 Ground Hog's Day

Every year on an early February morning, a groundhog named Nutters pops out from his hole in the ground. If he sees his shadow he becomes scared and crawls back into the comfort of Earth.

Likewise, a young boy by the name of Matthew Tomaw wakes up everyday to run and play outside. This particular Ground Hog's Day had a slight chance of rain so Matthew's mom refused to let him go outside without a scarf, hat, winter coat, sweatshirt, winter glove, snow boots, and wool socks, needless to say, she also made sure that he had his most important item, the water wings. He also had a thermos of warm milk and a metric ton of warm freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

In case all of his primary safety features failed, he was also equipped with a helmet, knee pads, flashlight, and elbow pads. He also had a flashing safety light for when he walks across the street, he won't get hit by a car. Finally, the next most important item, is the tracking device embedded in is collar so that Joyce (his mother) always knows where he is.

This is where our adventure begins. matthew was finally allowed to go outside after being outfitted with the proper clothes, and when he recied the safety song to hi mother. he decided that he would walk to his best friend Jace's house. When he tried to cross the street unsupervised, he was shocked because he is not allowed to do this. You might think that matthew and i are around five years of age, but the truth of it is that we are seventeen... So I drove over to his house. His dog Lucy was running around the yard when a little ground hog popped his head out and saw his shadow. Lucy ran inside and Joyce saw that the animal had come within fifteen feet of our hous so she made us take a nap. She gave us some warm milk And cookies, but she slipped some anti-groundhog rabie pills into them. THE END