Thursday, October 02, 2008
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie Trailer
Apparently this came out on July 28th, but I only got around to viewing it recently. The movie looks like it's going to be super exciting! My favorite part is when Tom Riddle is talking to Dumbledore about the snakes. And the background music is awesome!
With thanks to Miss Erin at misserinmarie.blogpost.com.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Johnny Jim Blue
Have you ever heard of Johnny Jim Blue
Who lived down in Hillbilly Town?
He always went around with a smile on his face
And his hair was very, very brown.
One day as he was leaping through the woods
Two bluebirds on his head
He stumbled upon something on the ground
A teensy weensy piece of bread.
Now Johnny Jim Blue wasn’t one for wasting
And this bread looked very, very new
He picked up the bread, wiped it off
And gave it to the birds to chew.
The birds carefully examined the bread
Then decided to try it out
Their bodies started shrinking, their feathers turned green
And they turned into two alfalfa sprouts!
Johnny Jim Blue went screaming down to Hillbilly Town
Tearing his hair out the whole way
And all the Hillbillians came running out of their houses
To see if everything was OK.
Soon everyone had heard of Johnny Jim Blue
Who lives down in Hillbilly Town
He now goes around with a frown on his face
For he wears an alfalfa crown.
Who lived down in Hillbilly Town?
He always went around with a smile on his face
And his hair was very, very brown.
One day as he was leaping through the woods
Two bluebirds on his head
He stumbled upon something on the ground
A teensy weensy piece of bread.
Now Johnny Jim Blue wasn’t one for wasting
And this bread looked very, very new
He picked up the bread, wiped it off
And gave it to the birds to chew.
The birds carefully examined the bread
Then decided to try it out
Their bodies started shrinking, their feathers turned green
And they turned into two alfalfa sprouts!
Johnny Jim Blue went screaming down to Hillbilly Town
Tearing his hair out the whole way
And all the Hillbillians came running out of their houses
To see if everything was OK.
Soon everyone had heard of Johnny Jim Blue
Who lives down in Hillbilly Town
He now goes around with a frown on his face
For he wears an alfalfa crown.
Warriors Book Signing
On September 13th, there was a Warriors booksigning at Borders Bookstore in Redmond, Washington. Over 600 people came to Borders to see the author of the popular bestselling Warriors series, who had just come out with the next book in the series, Eclipse.
Finally, finally, it was our turn. We got all six of the Warriors books we own signed, and I got to talk to Vicky and ask her a few questions...such as, "When will [my least favorite character] die?" and so on.
The signing started out with the reading of a short excerpt from the book. Then, there was a question and answer session- in which I got my question answered!!!! Finally was the signing.
My sister and were forced to wait for approximately three hours to get our books signed. We spent the time wistfully watching others getting their books signed and trying to get good pictures of the author, Victoria Holmes.
Finally, finally, it was our turn. We got all six of the Warriors books we own signed, and I got to talk to Vicky and ask her a few questions...such as, "When will [my least favorite character] die?" and so on.
The above picture is of me, Vicky, and my sister (left to right). I think we were really lucky to be able to see her and get our books signed when she was just ten minutes away!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
School Camp
During September 3rd to the 5th, I was away at school camp. The camp was in a learning center somewhere in the mountains, so we had several great views of the surrounding scenery both at camp and during the drive to and from camp.
Although I have to admit that the conditions of the cabins, bathrooms, and facilities at camp were not the greatest- in fact, they were horrible (the toilets didn't have locks so you had to have someone guard the door for you so it wouldn't swing open, and the bathroom stalls themselves were quite dark inside)- many of the activities at camp were not bad. There was a campfire the first night with lots of singing and skits performed by students, and as we were walking back to the cabins, we could see millions of stars in the night sky- more than I ever saw in the city. There were "Water Olympics," which consisted of a few games such as water-balloon-throwing and dodging wet sponges. I, unfortunately, was hit somewhere around the shoulder with a water-balloon. On the last day of camp, there was a scavenger-hunt-complete-the-activity-and-get-a-ticket game. Basically, you and your cabin group had a series of clues that would lead you to different areas around camp. At each area, you had to complete an activity within five minutes. Everytime you completed an activity, your team recieved a ticket. The team with the most tickets at the end won. My team tied for second place with two other teams, I believe.
The most memorable moments of camp for me were few and far between, but they were memorable all the same. One night at dinner, one of the counselors stabbed a big black fly buzzing around the table right through the middle with his knife. And the morning of September 5th, our group made our breakfast cleanup duty fun by running around with brooms and mops, pointing all the dirty spots out to the moppers, and...well...you get the picture. Not to mention a superbly annoying clapping-and-dancing-and-singing pony song that made my life miserable...at least for three days.
Although I have to admit that the conditions of the cabins, bathrooms, and facilities at camp were not the greatest- in fact, they were horrible (the toilets didn't have locks so you had to have someone guard the door for you so it wouldn't swing open, and the bathroom stalls themselves were quite dark inside)- many of the activities at camp were not bad. There was a campfire the first night with lots of singing and skits performed by students, and as we were walking back to the cabins, we could see millions of stars in the night sky- more than I ever saw in the city. There were "Water Olympics," which consisted of a few games such as water-balloon-throwing and dodging wet sponges. I, unfortunately, was hit somewhere around the shoulder with a water-balloon. On the last day of camp, there was a scavenger-hunt-complete-the-activity-and-get-a-ticket game. Basically, you and your cabin group had a series of clues that would lead you to different areas around camp. At each area, you had to complete an activity within five minutes. Everytime you completed an activity, your team recieved a ticket. The team with the most tickets at the end won. My team tied for second place with two other teams, I believe.
The most memorable moments of camp for me were few and far between, but they were memorable all the same. One night at dinner, one of the counselors stabbed a big black fly buzzing around the table right through the middle with his knife. And the morning of September 5th, our group made our breakfast cleanup duty fun by running around with brooms and mops, pointing all the dirty spots out to the moppers, and...well...you get the picture. Not to mention a superbly annoying clapping-and-dancing-and-singing pony song that made my life miserable...at least for three days.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Magic Mirror
As I stared into the depths of the magic mirror, I saw an elaborate illusion slowly forming through the swirling misty arabesque. A stone castle with tall towers, turrets, and waving red flags filled the magical mirror. Bright green ivy snaked up the walls of the castle. The sturdy wooden drawbridge with its taut, strong rope was open, stretching across the churning waters of the moat. In the moat, a scaly green tail occasionally curled out of the water, and unblinking yellow eyes stared around the castle grounds, boring into my eyes. The colorful castle gardens surrounded the majestic fort, with white, red, yellow, blue, and pink flowers bursting into bloom before my very eyes. Giant stone fountains in different shapes were randomly placed around the flowers. The sunlight streamed through the sparkling water of the fountains, forming a hazy rainbow. Knights in shining chain mail constantly walked around the castle grounds, patrolling for any dangers.
I blinked my eyes, and the illusion vanished. I found myself staring at a polished glass mirror with a pearly frame. I stared back at my own reflection, and wondered if I would ever see the magnificent castle again.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Alaska Cruise
I recently went on an one-week Alaska cruise to visit the northernmost part of the United States of America. The cruise ship was very large and elegant, and the nature scenery in Alaska itself was quite nice, although the civilization there was quite old-fashioned and clearly behind in technology.
To see some pictures from the cruise, you can go to my website, www.priyaganesan.com.
Click on "Photo Gallery", then "August 2008 Alaska Cruise Photos" on the left side.
To see some pictures from the cruise, you can go to my website, www.priyaganesan.com.
Click on "Photo Gallery", then "August 2008 Alaska Cruise Photos" on the left side.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Baskets
I apologize for not writing sooner; I have been a bit busy.
Here's a poem I wrote recently. I sat down and just started writing it with no sense of idea in my head- I let the poem carry me and look how it has turned out!
I sat upon a rocking chair
With two baskets at my feet
One was overflowing and full of mess;
The other one was quite neat.
The messy one was painted red
The neat one painted blue
The first one was covered with tape all over
The second with homemade glue.
I picked up the first basket
I undid the red tape
What did I find inside?
One rotten, sour grape.
I threw the grape into the fire
Dropped the red basket on the floor
But suddenly through the night I heard
A frantic knock at the door.
A tall wizard came in
He said, “I’m looking for a grape.”
“I believe it was in a basket-
All covered with red tape.”
“I’m afraid I threw it in the fire,” I said
“Just before you came.”
“But you can have the blue basket-
I daresay they’re quite the same.”
The wizard glanced at the blue basket in doubt
For it appears to be nothing like the red
He looked at me, I looked at him
And told him to go ahead.
He picked up the blue basket
He scraped off the homemade glue
Then he peered inside and gasped in wonder
For what I said was quite true.
He clasped the basket to his chest
And did a little twirl in joy
Because inside the neat blue basket were
Two rotten, sour grapes to enjoy.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Reminder
Just dropping a little reminder that all articles, writing, etc. on this blog are my own work and copyrighted.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Internet Pop-Ups and What I Think of Them
Flashing mouse cursors. Animated screen savers. The "you-won-the-jackpot--millionth-customer" deal. What do I think of these?
Absolute junk.
As a harried student is frantically trying to do research for his school paper, he/she encounters several pop-ups. He/she shuts the window quickly and tries to continue on, but once again is blocked by another pop-up. As soon as this one is shut, there is a brief period of peace. And then again, another pop-up!
This is what many people face as they try to use the internet. The "try-out-new-cursors" pop-up with flashing hearts and smiley faces and who-knows-what-else doesn't even work! Even if by some miracle it does work, who wants some distracting, flashy cursor that they have to blankly stare at every time they get on the computer? Next, the screensavers. Fine, there's a cute little doggie dancing on the screen, or dolphins jumping in the air. But doesn't the screensaver start up when the computer isn't in use for a while? If the computer isn't in use, that means that YOU AREN'T USING THE COMPUTER, so YOU'RE NOT THERE TO SEE THE SCREENSAVER! Unless, of course, you're one of those people who find entertainment in sitting in front of a dusty screen with your eyes bugging and your drooling tongue hanging out of your mouth as you watch your amazing fabulous screensaver all day! Finally, the "you-won-blah-blah" pop-up. Did the inventors of this useless idea think that people would actually fall for it? If you click on the pop-up, you are taken to a page where you are requested to fill in all your personal information. Would you really give up all that information for something you don't even know is reliable? If you do fall for it and give your name, address, phone number, etc., you'll find that someone's now using your bank account, or you're being stalked by strange people in black! Whatever happens at any rate, I doubt you'll be getting your jackpot money.
I'm sorry if I have unintentionally offended anyone in this article, but I just wanted to say that people in charge of Internet pop-ups should think twice before sending them out, because they are very annoying to most people and are almost always ignored.
Absolute junk.
As a harried student is frantically trying to do research for his school paper, he/she encounters several pop-ups. He/she shuts the window quickly and tries to continue on, but once again is blocked by another pop-up. As soon as this one is shut, there is a brief period of peace. And then again, another pop-up!
This is what many people face as they try to use the internet. The "try-out-new-cursors" pop-up with flashing hearts and smiley faces and who-knows-what-else doesn't even work! Even if by some miracle it does work, who wants some distracting, flashy cursor that they have to blankly stare at every time they get on the computer? Next, the screensavers. Fine, there's a cute little doggie dancing on the screen, or dolphins jumping in the air. But doesn't the screensaver start up when the computer isn't in use for a while? If the computer isn't in use, that means that YOU AREN'T USING THE COMPUTER, so YOU'RE NOT THERE TO SEE THE SCREENSAVER! Unless, of course, you're one of those people who find entertainment in sitting in front of a dusty screen with your eyes bugging and your drooling tongue hanging out of your mouth as you watch your amazing fabulous screensaver all day! Finally, the "you-won-blah-blah" pop-up. Did the inventors of this useless idea think that people would actually fall for it? If you click on the pop-up, you are taken to a page where you are requested to fill in all your personal information. Would you really give up all that information for something you don't even know is reliable? If you do fall for it and give your name, address, phone number, etc., you'll find that someone's now using your bank account, or you're being stalked by strange people in black! Whatever happens at any rate, I doubt you'll be getting your jackpot money.
I'm sorry if I have unintentionally offended anyone in this article, but I just wanted to say that people in charge of Internet pop-ups should think twice before sending them out, because they are very annoying to most people and are almost always ignored.
Riddles
The bottom of me is as thin as a cane,
In times of need I provide shelter from rain.
I come in many sizes and shapes,
You could compare me to a warm black cape.
My spindly arms are welcoming and wide,
Under me is one of the best places you might want to hide.
What am I?
I am the cause of a damsel in distress,
I create quite a mess.
I feed off the chocolate that you eat,
To turn that into something else is a rather amazing feat.
I leave you clutching your mouth all day,
But you can get rid of me if you wish to pay.
What am I?
I have many hands, usually two or three,
If you want to know what's late or early you can just look at me.
My hands move without missing a beat,
When they've gone all around me the pattern repeats.
If I've got numbers at my edges, around all 360 degrees,
What in the world do you think I could be?
I awaken by the sun's brilliant leave,
Upon the ground I glow and the darkness I weave.
I am a dove among a sea of black silk,
As smooth and white as milk.
I get smaller and smaller as the days go by
Until I am non-existent to the human eye.
And then I slowly begin to become revealed,
Until I am once again as white as an ice field.
If as the sun comes up I wave goodbye,
What am I?
I decided not to post answers to these riddles on the blog post itself in case I spoiled someone's thinking. If you would like the know the answers, click on the comments link for this post.
In times of need I provide shelter from rain.
I come in many sizes and shapes,
You could compare me to a warm black cape.
My spindly arms are welcoming and wide,
Under me is one of the best places you might want to hide.
What am I?
I am the cause of a damsel in distress,
I create quite a mess.
I feed off the chocolate that you eat,
To turn that into something else is a rather amazing feat.
I leave you clutching your mouth all day,
But you can get rid of me if you wish to pay.
What am I?
I have many hands, usually two or three,
If you want to know what's late or early you can just look at me.
My hands move without missing a beat,
When they've gone all around me the pattern repeats.
If I've got numbers at my edges, around all 360 degrees,
What in the world do you think I could be?
I awaken by the sun's brilliant leave,
Upon the ground I glow and the darkness I weave.
I am a dove among a sea of black silk,
As smooth and white as milk.
I get smaller and smaller as the days go by
Until I am non-existent to the human eye.
And then I slowly begin to become revealed,
Until I am once again as white as an ice field.
If as the sun comes up I wave goodbye,
What am I?
I decided not to post answers to these riddles on the blog post itself in case I spoiled someone's thinking. If you would like the know the answers, click on the comments link for this post.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Horses in the Rain
Two white horses and one tan, racing in the rain
Galloping across the grassy meadow with ease
Their manes whipping behind them
Like streamers waving in the breeze.
Their pale bodies standing out
Against the dark green of the pine trees
Their agile hooves trampling the slippery grass
Jumping over tree stumps with expertise.
The rain pours harder, lightning strikes
Thunder sounds in the distance
One white horse rears up, too frightened to go on
The other two keep racing with determination and persistence.
They reach a river, crashing against the jagged cliffs
With foamy waves and churning water
The tan horse veers sharply to the side and disappears into the fog
Knowing that crossing the river would surely be slaughter.
One lone white horse, crossing the dangerous river
Fighting its way through the waves
Finally, it reaches the other side and continues on
So tired, wanting to go home to the caves.
Suddenly, after what seems like forever
The moon comes out, a shining ball of white
The majestic horse looks up as the storm ceases
Calmed by the sight.
Galloping across the grassy meadow with ease
Their manes whipping behind them
Like streamers waving in the breeze.
Their pale bodies standing out
Against the dark green of the pine trees
Their agile hooves trampling the slippery grass
Jumping over tree stumps with expertise.
The rain pours harder, lightning strikes
Thunder sounds in the distance
One white horse rears up, too frightened to go on
The other two keep racing with determination and persistence.
They reach a river, crashing against the jagged cliffs
With foamy waves and churning water
The tan horse veers sharply to the side and disappears into the fog
Knowing that crossing the river would surely be slaughter.
One lone white horse, crossing the dangerous river
Fighting its way through the waves
Finally, it reaches the other side and continues on
So tired, wanting to go home to the caves.
Suddenly, after what seems like forever
The moon comes out, a shining ball of white
The majestic horse looks up as the storm ceases
Calmed by the sight.
Monday, May 26, 2008
What Happened Yesterday
Maya and I were biking up and down the road outside the house. Since I recently got a 21-gear bike, I was fiddling with the gears, trying to work out which ones I was supposed to use. I hated the times when the bike sort of shuddered or convulsed when I changed the gear.
Maya and I were going for our last round. There were several cars parked in the road, and besides, there was some high school graduation party going on in some house down the street. All those seniors were leaving, causing the road to be extra-cluttered.
So, I was just happily riding along at top speed alongside Maya, who was trying to show off by sticking her feet in the air. Her bike swerved all over the sidewalk and she crashed into some bushes, fortunately managing to stay on her bike and continue. We were both laughing, and Maya, not paying attention again, ran right over a "Tru-Green Chem Lawn" signpost in the sidewalk, flattening it to bits.
On top of this, while coming back up the street, Maya continued to show off. She ran right into these soil patches in the sidewalk (where trees are planted) and skidded to a halt in the soil, her bike tipping over with her on it. She ended up with a scraped knee and ankle and limped back to the garage in shameful disgrace.
What a day!
Maya and I were going for our last round. There were several cars parked in the road, and besides, there was some high school graduation party going on in some house down the street. All those seniors were leaving, causing the road to be extra-cluttered.
So, I was just happily riding along at top speed alongside Maya, who was trying to show off by sticking her feet in the air. Her bike swerved all over the sidewalk and she crashed into some bushes, fortunately managing to stay on her bike and continue. We were both laughing, and Maya, not paying attention again, ran right over a "Tru-Green Chem Lawn" signpost in the sidewalk, flattening it to bits.
On top of this, while coming back up the street, Maya continued to show off. She ran right into these soil patches in the sidewalk (where trees are planted) and skidded to a halt in the soil, her bike tipping over with her on it. She ended up with a scraped knee and ankle and limped back to the garage in shameful disgrace.
What a day!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Peter and the Starcatchers
By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Have you ever wished you could fly? Or meet pirates? Well if you have, then Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson is the book for you. This book is the first of a trilogy, the other two books being Peter and the Shadow Thieves and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon. The trilogy is a humorous fantasy story that tells what happens before the classical Peter Pan story.
The first book follows Peter, a young orphan, and his orphanage friends on a long sea voyage on a dingy ship along with a new friend, Molly Aster. However, also roaming the seas is the Sea Devil, the most-feared pirate ship commanded by the infamous Black Stache, or Captain Hook. (At this point he doesn't have his hand cut off.) The pirates are after magical treasure, and the search for the treasure leads the pirates to a picturesque island (Never Land). Peter and his friends end up on the island too, as well as some men who want the treasure to present to the Evil King Zarboff the Third. The pirates, men, and children face dangerous Mollusk warriors, clever mermaids, hairy spiders, giant crocodiles, as well as "starstuff" (a.k.a. the treasure) which gives people and animals the ability to fly. This thrilling and adventurous insight into the origins of a popular fairytale story will leave your thoughts whirling with wondrous images, you imagination spinning with fantastical tales, and your mind sighing in pure satisfaction.
The first book follows Peter, a young orphan, and his orphanage friends on a long sea voyage on a dingy ship along with a new friend, Molly Aster. However, also roaming the seas is the Sea Devil, the most-feared pirate ship commanded by the infamous Black Stache, or Captain Hook. (At this point he doesn't have his hand cut off.) The pirates are after magical treasure, and the search for the treasure leads the pirates to a picturesque island (Never Land). Peter and his friends end up on the island too, as well as some men who want the treasure to present to the Evil King Zarboff the Third. The pirates, men, and children face dangerous Mollusk warriors, clever mermaids, hairy spiders, giant crocodiles, as well as "starstuff" (a.k.a. the treasure) which gives people and animals the ability to fly. This thrilling and adventurous insight into the origins of a popular fairytale story will leave your thoughts whirling with wondrous images, you imagination spinning with fantastical tales, and your mind sighing in pure satisfaction.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Random Thoughts
Right now I am on the computer typing this (duh) as the glorious sun sets in a haze of red, purples, and yellows. No, just kidding. Right now I am on the computer typing this (duh) as the night sets in, sending a blue/black inkiness spreading across the dusky sky. Ooooh.....
My sister is strangely giggling next to me as she listens to her screechy music and types on her shiny black laptop, sucking her thumb (or so it appears). Suddenly, she leaps up shouting that it's going to snow tomorrow. Hooray. More frost and coldness. Not that I don't like snow, but...after the spring equinox, the weather has to actually act like spring, right?
My stomach is groaning as I just finished a sumptuous dinner of spaghetti, carrots, and peas. Actually, the cause of my groaning stomach might be due to some uncooked snowpeas with sharp ends cleverly hidden among the blood-red chaos of pasta and tomato sauce. I'm starting to feel a little sick as I imagine my dinner as a battlefield after the battle is over, with the carrots and peas (the two armies) laying helplessly, wounded (or stained with sauce) as a sharp, shiny pronged fork zooms toward them, ending their tragic stories and sending them to their doom.
My sister is strangely giggling next to me as she listens to her screechy music and types on her shiny black laptop, sucking her thumb (or so it appears). Suddenly, she leaps up shouting that it's going to snow tomorrow. Hooray. More frost and coldness. Not that I don't like snow, but...after the spring equinox, the weather has to actually act like spring, right?
My stomach is groaning as I just finished a sumptuous dinner of spaghetti, carrots, and peas. Actually, the cause of my groaning stomach might be due to some uncooked snowpeas with sharp ends cleverly hidden among the blood-red chaos of pasta and tomato sauce. I'm starting to feel a little sick as I imagine my dinner as a battlefield after the battle is over, with the carrots and peas (the two armies) laying helplessly, wounded (or stained with sauce) as a sharp, shiny pronged fork zooms toward them, ending their tragic stories and sending them to their doom.
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