The meaning of annoying

The fashoin world has reached a new low.

Avatar the Last Airbender Part one

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted I've been crazy busy! Instead of writing a review of the whole series I am going to write a review on each character. Then I will do a review/ summery of the whole thing. This TV show is by far the best media I have seen this year! For those who are going to watch the show DO NOT READ this whole thing is a big spoiler!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first character is Aang, the very last air bender. He is a master air bender which means he can bend air to his will. He grew up in a monastery called the southern air temple. When he was twelve he was told that he was the avatar. That placed a tremendous responsibility on him and changed his life forever. When he over hears other monks saying that he must be separated from his mentor, Aang runs away on his flying bison Appa. When he is caught in a Storm he makes a frozen air bubble and passes out. He stays in this state for one hundred years and reawakens when Katara and Sokka find him. He feels guilty and thinks that he abandoned the world. There are really good qualities about him, he is very loyal and uses his power for good and never to hurt. Although he can be childish he takes his responsibilities seriously. Friends are very important to him and Aang constantly risks his life for them. All around he is a good character and I love him to death.



On to Katara, she is the last southern water tribe water bender. After her mother was killed in a raid she steps up and assumes the role. I like the fact instead of focusing on herself and her water bending she takes care of her gran gran and her brother. She is caring and hates seeing people in need. In one episode she disguises her self as a local legend and helps a dying town. By cleaning the river that was the towns source of income. Protecting Aang is one of her main concerns and she always helps him out. When she has a chance to kill the man who killed her mother, she lets him live. I love how strong but feminine she is. She is lovable and very deep. Sometimes she is annoying and bossy but that is rare.

Sokka is one of the funniest characters I have ever seen. He can be serious but he is usually the comic relief. When his father leaves to fight in the war Sokka strives to take his place and be a worrier. At one point in the show he feels second rate because everyone else can bend an element and all he can do is sword fight and use a boomerang. He goes to a sword trainer and becomes a master. The master has him make his own sword, which is made out of a meteorite and is black. It is really cool. He is protective of the people he loves, like once Aang burns Katara and Sokka get really mad. Even though I feel bad for Aang in that part I love that Sokka gets mad when his sister gets hurt. I think he is an all around great character and show wouldn't be the same with out him.

Taph Is a really awesome character. At first I really, really, really did not like her. But over time I began to like her. She is a blind master earth bender. Her problem for me is she is very masculine, but I still like her. Back at home she duels other earth benders and has never been beaten. Her parents treat her like a fragile little girl who can't do anything, so they don't know about the earth bending. That's her bad thing:( What's really cool is her resourcefulness, when she is trapped in a metal cadge she earth bends herself out. After that she works on metal bending!! That is pretty awesome.

Zuko is by far my favorite character of all time. Fire bending never came easily to him so he worked very hard to become a master fire bender. He is a banished prince who is the villain in the first season, an anti hero in the second and a hero in the third. When he was thirteen he challenged an old general in his fathers court, since the offence was in his fathers court he had to do an Agni Ki. Which is a one on one combat. When he sees it's his father that he has to duel Zoku begs not to fight him. Yet Fire Lord Ozi ( his father) gives him a savage burn across his face. Since he refused to fight Zoku was banished to capture the avatar. Only then could he return home and regain his honor. I was crying so hard when I hear this story. Zoku is very driven and focused, he has anger problems and doesn't trust very many people. He gets angered by his uncle's laid back nature, but eventually comes to love him. In one of my favorite scenes in the whole thing Zuko apologises to his uncle for betraying him. He was crying, and then his uncle reaches out and hugs him. His uncle says he was never mad but only afraid that zoku had lost his way. I was baling so hard when I watched this. I could go on for ages about how awesome this guy is but I have to stop. He has an awesome pony tail in the first season but the in the second he cuts it off and lets his hair grow out.

General Iroh is really funny and awesome. He is sort of a father figure to Zuko and offers him advice and wisdom. Iroh is a master fire bender and teaches Zuko. I love how wise and kind he is, he loves Zuko even after being betrayed by him. He is extremely smart and caring. Iroh loves his tea and at the end of the show has his own tea shop. He has the nick name dragon of the west. Due to the fact he killed the last dragon. Really he said he did so that he could protect the last two dragons. He is part of a secret organisation that involves most masters of the elements. His advice is wise and in a fight I'd want him on my side. While in jail he trains and becomes so strong he can bend metal with his bare hands! Over all he is a great character.

That's part one I'll be back with part two next week! I hope you like it!

Alexa

Narnia Teaser Trailer

Hi everyone,

doesn't the trailer look cool? I have a few problems with it and I don't like the fact that Peter and Susan are in it. I don't like Ed's glowing sword, it looks like a video game. The Dawn Treader leans toward the fake side, and looks kind of plastic. I'm hoping it will look better in the movie. I love the dufflepuds they look perfect!!! The producers some how manage to put the White Witch in this movie too. I liked it in PC during the werewolf/hag scene, but she is already in The Magicians Nephew. We don't need her in every film. I sound kind of pesimistic don't I? Well, tell me what you think about it and we can hope that this is just a bad teaser trailer .

Alexa

Sorry

I haven't been posting recently b/c I'm very busy. Sorry ...
Thankyou for reading my blog if you do.
Alexa

Spanking

This is a bit random but I just read an article on spanking. This is a very controversial subject but I had to to post this.

"Study: Spanking Kids Leads to More Aggressive Behavior

By Alice Park – Mon Apr 12, 1:50 am ET
(TIME Magazine Article)

Disciplining young children is one of the key jobs of any parent - most people would have no trouble agreeing with that. But whether or not that discipline should include spanking or other forms of corporal punishment is a far trickier issue.


The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not endorse spanking for any reason, citing its lack of long-term effectiveness as a behavior-changing tactic. Instead the AAP supports strategies such as "time-outs" when children misbehave, which focus on getting kids to reflect on their behavior and the consequences of their actions. Still, as many parents can attest, few responses bring about the immediate interruption of a full-blown tantrum like a swift whack to the bottom. (See pictures of the evolution of the college dorm.)


Now researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet against the use of spanking: of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were more likely to be aggressive by age 5. The research supports earlier work on the pitfalls of corporal punishment, including a study by Duke University researchers that revealed that infants who were spanked at 12 months scored lower on cognitive tests at age 3.


"I'm excited by the idea that there is now some nice hard data that can back up clinicians when they share their caution with parents against using corporal punishment," says Dr. Jayne Singer, clinical director of the child and parent program at Children's Hospital Boston, who was not involved in the study. (Read "Should Kids Be Bribed to Do Well in School?")


Led by Catherine Taylor, the Tulane study was the first to control simultaneously for variables that are most likely to confound the association between spanking and later aggressive behavior. The researchers accounted for factors such as acts of neglect by the mother, violence or aggression between the parents, maternal stress and depression, the mother's use of alcohol and drugs, and even whether the mother considered abortion while pregnant with the child.


Each of these factors contributed to children's aggressive behavior at age 5, but they could not explain all of the violent tendencies at that age. Further, the positive connection between spanking and aggression remained strong, even after these factors had been accounted for.


"The odds of a child being more aggressive at age 5 if he had been spanked more than twice in the month before the study began increased by 50%," says Taylor. And because her group also accounted for varying levels of natural aggression in children, the researchers are confident that "it's not just that children who are more aggressive are more likely to be spanked."


What the study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, shows is that outside of the most obvious factors that may influence violent behavior in children, spanking remains a strong predictor. "This study controls for the most common risk factors that people tend to think of as being associated with aggression," says Singer. "This adds more credence, more data and more strength to the argument against using corporal punishment."


Among the mothers who were studied, nearly half (45.6%) reported no spanking in the previous month; 27.9% reported spanking once or twice; and 26.5% reported spanking more than twice. Compared with children who were not hit, those who were spanked were more likely to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, get frustrated easily, have temper tantrums and lash out physically against others.


The reason for that, says Singer, may be that spanking instills fear rather than understanding. Even if a child were to stop his screaming tantrum when spanked, that doesn't mean he understands why he shouldn't be acting out in the first place. What's more, spanking models aggressive behavior as a solution to problems.


For children to understand what and why they have done something wrong, it may take repeated efforts on the parent's part, using time-outs - a strategy that typically involves denying the child any attention, praise or interaction with parents for a specified period of time (that is, the parents ignore the child). These quiet times force children to calm down and learn to think about their emotions, rather than acting out on them blindly.


Spanking may stop a child from misbehaving in the short term, but it becomes less and less effective with repeated use, according to the AAP; it also makes discipline more difficult as the child gets older and outgrows spanking. As the latest study shows, investing the time early on to teach a child why his behavior is wrong may translate to a more self-aware and in-control youngster in the long run. "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGtSBR3hg7g

Day Four

Today is day four of second hand fashion week. The shirt I am wearing was given to me by my older sister, and the pants I got at a thrift store. (Thank the Lord for for thrift stores!!!) I was dead tired today so I didn't take very many pictures. Please excuse the rats nest on my head.

ART

What I'm Wearing:

Pants: DKNY

Shirt: sonoma

Vest:AMI

Thank you for visting my blog!

Alexa

Today is day three in Secondhand Fashion Week. The rain cleared up so I was able to to pictures outside. The shirt I am wearing was bought at a thrift shop and the skirt was passed down from my older sister. The black flats that are also passed down from her. Thanks sis! Then necklace I am wearing was given to me for Christmas.

What I'm Wearing

Skirt- Still Kids Clothing

Shirt- L.A. Blues

Shoes- I've had them for so long the lable has worn out

Thank you for visting my blog.

Alexa

Day Two

Today is day two of AmandaBethOnline Secondhand Fashion Week. The shirt that I am wearing was bought at an antique store. The black tanktop was a hand-me-down from my mom. My skirt was given to to me by my older sister and is one of my most worn. Sorry the picture are bad quality my camera is slightly broken. I love the details in the shirt it's is so pretty.

What I'm wearing:
Shirt- Antique's at Mayfair

Skirt- Levi's

Tank Top- GAP

Leggings- Sears

Thank you for visting my blog!

Alexa

First Day of Secondhand Fashion Week

Today's the first day of AmandaBethOnline's Secondhand Fashion Week. Go to this link for more details

http://amandabethonline.blogspot.com/2010/03/secondhand-fashion-week-has-officially.html


The corduroy jacket I'm wearing I got from a hand-me-down bag. The skirt is also second hand, from my older sister.

What I'm Wearing

skirt- Coldwater Creek

jacket- Levi's

shirt- Old Navy

sandals- Land's End

Second Hand Fashion Week

Next week is Second Hand Fashion Week!!!! I will be posting pictures of what I am wearing everyday. Each outfit will include clothing which has been given to me used. Most outfits will be clothes my older sister has outgrown.

That is all for now. But I'll be back.

Alexa

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom

Summery:

This movie is one of my all time favorites!!!! (it's number 2 on my list). The basic story is that Jason (Michael Angarano) is sucked back in time to return the Monkey King's staff to him. He has the help of Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), Golden Sparrow ( Liu Yifei), and Sun Wukong/ 'Monk' (Jet Li). When he returns the staff and over throws the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) he can return back to the 21st century. In our world he is harassed by bullies and is forced by them to help them steal from a pawn shop in China Town. He his friends with the owner who happens to be an old man. While the bullies are searching for the money the shop keeper give Jason a staff and tells him to return it to it's rightful owner.

The Good:

The acting in this film is great and the sets are awesome!! The story line is gripping and you are sucked into the plot. Jason is a hard worker at what he wants and he is very selfless. at first he and the other characters have little respect for each other but that slowly changes. He is a good friend and risks his life for one. Monk cautions Golden Sparrow about taking revenge for her parents death. She is angry because the Jade warlord murdered both her mother and father.

"She will not offer him forgiveness,Monk." Sparrow says.

" Vengeance has a way of rebounding on oneself." The Monk answers.

SPOILER: When Jason returns to our world he uses his new fighting skills to defend himself against bullies. When he does defend himself he does it very reluctantly.

"You don't have to do this." Jason says after a short scuffle with the leader of the bullies. SPOILER.

The Bad:

There is a lot of martial art action in this film and this includes kicks to the face/chest/everywhere else. There is a tiny bit of blood and some scrapes. When Monk and Lu are training Jason they use methods that could be put in a book for torturers. Just take a look at the picture below. ;). There is the element of immortality involved though out the whole movie. There is crude humor . The Jade Warlord has the help of a witch. She carries a whip and doesn't hesitate to use it. (You see her wrap the whip around an inn keepers throat to get information.) SPOILER: When she and Jason dule shen uses the whip and he gets hurled into walls. At the end the Jade warlord falls into a pit of fire and sies.SPOILER

There is some swearing and insults. And Jesus' name is abused once.

Conclusion:

This movie is great for most audiences (10 and up). I love how all the characters are developed and they are real. I can watch this movie any day, anytime. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes kung fu or anything like that. This about sums it up enjoy the trailer I put below.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e66Og0lOCcE

First Movie Reveiw

Summary:

This story has been told dozens of time before. It's the typical 'poor' kid competing against the spoiled rich kid. Now I'm not writing off the movie as bad. But it is a bit cliché. The basic story is Patrick McCardle (Zac Efron) wants to be a jockey and ride in Steeple Chase. But his father wants him to be a baseball player like him. The next part is very cliché. He knows an old horse trainer named Houston Jones ( Bill Cobbs) who had previously won the derby. He also has a rival, Randy Adams (Mike Nardelli) who has it all. And what would be a movie without romance (I hate when they do this). A new girl has moved in to town named Jill Overton (Crystal Hunt). Patrick is torn between what he wants and what his father wants.

The Good:

Patrick loves his family and is dedicated to what he is doing. He stands up for Houston when Randy and his friend Donald (Colton James) vandalize his property. His parents have a healthy relationship and try to give wise council to Patrick. Patrick is a good influence on Houston and vise versa. Houston encourages hard work and has Patrick help around the farm. Jill tells Patrick that if he wants a good relationship with his Dad he has to talk to him. Later they have a talk and his father tells him he's proud of what he is doing. (SPOILER) After Houston's death Patrick decides to quit but, Jill gives Patrick a letter that she found when she was in Houston's house. So he decides to go and do the race.(SPOILER)

The Bad:

Patrick is not the most respectful person to his parents. He tells his dad that he won't always be 'under his roof' after he gets scolded for missing curfew. He gets bullied by Randy Adams and Donald. They don't hit each other ( except when Randy pushes Patrick during the race) but they call each other names. Also Houston calls Randy a spoiled brat and Randy mouths off to him. Randy also is VERY rude to his trainer. He flirts with Jill and then stomps off after she refuses to go on a date. Not to mention Winning is emphasized in this film a bit too much.

The Ugly:

There are few minor swears and God's name is taken in vain. Jill wears some clothes that are tight and a bit low cut. You see Patrick and Jill kiss at the end of the film. At the race Donald has few girls hanging around him. Randy disables Patrick's car in an effort to win.

Conclusion:

This is a pretty good movie. I like it but then again I like practically anything that has to do with horses. I would've like it a lot more if they omitted the romance. But of course they left it in. I wouldn't recommend the movie to everyone due to every one's different convictions. If you watch this movie and there is any thing that I didn't say in here I would like it if you left a comment.

Alexa

OLIVER!

The cast of OLIVER!
(not everyone was there this night)


The hungry children line up

Food! Glorious food!

We're anxious to try it

Three banquets a day !

Our favorite diet!

"Please sir, I want some more."

The Widow Corney

At the Sourberrys

Where is love?

This is a beautiful/sad solo!

Noah Claypole and Charlotte (me!)

Noah being Noah

Oliver is in the coffin
(The coffin was a sarcophagus in another play)

Mr. Bumble was supposed to be in this scene,

but he couldn't make it that night.

Oliver meets Dodger

Consider yourself one of us!

Smile for the camera

Oliver meets Fagin and the gang

It's a Fine Life!

Art

I'd Do Anything for You

For you dear, anything.

Here I'm doing my solo

Fagin's gang

I love the angle of this shot

Bill Sykes!

Nancy's moving solo

Art

Who will buy my sweet red roses?

Two blooms for a penny...

At Brownlow's house

You can see me in the front row in the green skirt

Old Sally dies

"Don't take him back Bill!"

Nancy's murder

Right after the climax of the story

Fagin ends the play with a song

This was a great experience and I had fun. It was a whole ton of hard work , late nights, and endless rehersals (we had one that lasted five hours!) I have to go now but I'll be back!