"Les Physz": The Combination of "Les Misérables" and Foxtrot (Independent Reading Post)

        Normally, I'm not a big fan of cartoons. I occasionally find a few ones that are exceptionally funny, but other than that, I don't really read them. Well, yesterday morning I happened across a Foxtrot cartoon that made me literally burst out laughing-something that should happen when I read cartoons but didn't until I read this one. You see, I love the music from the musical Les Misérables, just like so many other people who declare themselves "Les Mis" fans. It is such an emotional play with so many amazing characters. Therefore, when I saw that Bill Amend, who wrote this Foxtrot cartoon, had combined the ideas of Les Misérables with physics, I just could not stop laughing. I took pictures of the cartoon and pasted them below so that you can see what I am talking about in the first place.

        In order, the physics phrases refer to "I Dreamed a Dream", "Do You Hear the People Sing", "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", "On My Own" (my personal favorite), and "Who Am I?". If you have ever seen Les Misérables, you can see why this is the best cartoon I've ever seen. It relates the emotional music from songs like "I Dreamed a Dream" to physics, of all things. I think what makes this cartoon so hilarious is that it combines two totally unrelated things together. I mean, who thinks of something like physics when they are singing songs powerful enough to bring tears to your eyes? I know for a fact that this is the first time in my life that I have connected these two completely different ideas. I have to give the writer credit for having such a creative mind. Not many people can take two random concepts and combine them into a piece of writing that looks and sounds good. 

        I also like this cartoon because it shows how sometimes people do some crazy things when they are bored. I admit, even I have on occasion bursted into song after working on homework for so long that I can't think anymore. Sometimes I sing random things about what I am working on. It's just something that happens when your mind is so dead that you have words and equations running through your head and you don't know what to do with them. I can also relate to this cartoon because I have a problem with distraction, as many people do. I'll be working on something when I'll get distracted and start working on something else. Then, once I finish that task, I'll forget what I was doing in the first place! As you read through the cartoon, you can tell that as the scenes progress, the character gets more and more distracted. He starts out with a kind of multi-tasking attitude and eventually ends up belting out "Les Physz" and forgetting about all the homework right in front of him. 

        To sum things up, I now know what happens when you combine Les Misérables with physics. I honestly can say that I have never actually questioned what would happen with this combination, but now I know. We are all learning new things every day, whether they be character-building, educational, or just plain random. In this case, I'm perfectly fine with learning something random. After all, sometimes the random things are what we remember best!

        

Arabian Horses are the Best Breed of Horse (Convince Me Post)

       I grew up with a love of horses. Every single year for Christmas, all I asked for was a horse. Of course, my parents said no, but I still dreamed of one day owning my very own horse. I truly enjoy riding horses and taking care of them - it's just one of the things I love. Even though I have never owned a horse before, I still have been able to ride occasionally. You see, one of my aunts owns two arabian horses. She lives in a different city than me, so it's difficult to visit her a lot. Still, I never fail to ride at least two or three times a year. Every time I visit my aunt and ride with her, I am more convinced that arabian horses are the best breed of horse.
        Other than riding with my aunt and her arabians, I have ridden quite a few different types of horses. From summer camps and riding lessons that lasted a few years, I gained experience with quarter horses, draft horses like percherons, and mixes of different breeds, like horses that are part arabian and part quarter horse. The thing that makes arabians unique, in my opinion, is that they are so graceful, while at the same time sturdy. Arabians have a very distinct, fine-boned build. They have dished faces, unlike most horses, and very compact bodies. This is because they are built for speed and strength. Arabian horses are the most durable horse that I know of. For example, when I go camping with my aunt and her horses, one of her friends brings a few horses as well. Her quarter horses each eat one full bale of hay a day, while my aunt's two arabians go through a mere 3/4 of a bale together. They can also go without water for a much longer time than other horses. If I was going to ride through a desert, I would choose an arabian over another breed without hesitation.
        Another reason that arabians are the best is because of their personalities. Let me say one thing: Arabians are frisky. Some people are deterred from them for this reason alone, but people like me love them for it. A frisky horse is a horse with character. Whenever I ride arabians, they want to run. They cannot wait to break free of their bonds and fly through the wind as far as it will take them. I'm exactly the same way. Maybe this is why I have grown so fond of these wonderful horses. I see myself reflected in them and as soon as I hop onto their back, both of us are ready to take off. Other horses tend to be more stubborn about moving. One time I rode a horse that stopped every five feet because she wanted to eat grass (she was a paint). A lot of horses like to run, but not nearly as much as arabians.
        The first time I rode a horse alone was when I was about five years old. I had always wanted to ride alone but my aunt said that I was still too young. Finally, she said that I could try. So, she put me on top of her grey arabian, Candace, and I sat there peacefully for about two seconds before she took off, galloping towards the barn where the other horse was grazing. I had no time to think so my first instinct was to grab onto her mane. Looking back on it, that was the best thing I really could have done. I had no experience using the reins so her mane was the only option. Either way, I held on and never fell off. This may make arabians seem way too frisky for kids to ride, but any horse is hard to ride when you are little. Besides, as I grew older, I learned how to control horses and what to do when they do take off. After a while, you begin to understand horses and how they think. This helps you to make good decisions while riding them. The point is, arabians are amazing horses and once you learn how to control their friskiness, they truly are the best horses out there.
        There are so many reasons I love arabians. They are passionate horses will a pure spirit and a creative mind. It would take days to explain just how amazing these horses really are. There is no question that they are my favorite type of horse. Arabians just aren't like the other horses. There is something about them that makes them more interesting. They have this way of being that is unlike any other breed I've seen or heard of. I guess this ends my long explanation of why arabian horses are the best. One day, people will see what I see in them. All horses are amazing, but I love arabians the most.

The Mysterious Evolution of Music (Free Write Blog Post)

        Let me just say, I love music. So, of course, for my "Free Write" blog post, I couldn't think of anything else to write about. There are so many different types of music, and all of them have such unique qualities. There's Pop, Country, Broadway, Rap, Rock, Oldies, and so much more. Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong generation because I tend to like older music instead of the newest songs that have come out. For instance, I listen to a lot of the songs that one of my sisters listened to when she was my age, and she's twenty five. I also love oldies and musicals from the 1900s. This may be because my absolute favorite type of music is without question Broadway. I just love the emotion that is put into Broadway music and shows! Like in The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof, some musicals just can't be replaced. This leads me to question why people choose to remake such amazing classics.
        Recently, I found out that The Sound of Music is being remade, and I almost cried. It was such an amazing movie to begin with, and who could ever replace Julie Andrews? She was truly amazing in The Sound of Music as Maria Von Trapp, and no other actress will ever be quite the same. In the new movie, they are casting Carrie Underwood as Maria, and I am very questioning as to why. I have nothing against Carrie Underwood, I just can't seem to see her as Maria. Someone who plays Maria needs to have a very powerful musical voice. Julie Andrews pulled this role off nicely. When I think of Carrie Underwood however, I think Country and Pop, not musical. I have never heard Carrie Underwood sing in a musical, so I have no right to judge. Still, I feel like it is an almost impossible feat to remake The Sound of Music. I can see new actors for the Von Trapp family and the other parts, but I just cannot picture The Sound of Music without Julie Andrews. It just won't be the same. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what comes out of this.
        This got me thinking about how as time goes on, it seems that many of the old musicals and songs from earlier years are slowly being forgotten. This truly makes me sad. There is so much beautiful music from before this generation. I feel like the people who remake musicals such as The Sound of Music do so in order to evolve the ideas from the past into the future. This is a brilliant idea, but it still makes me sad to think about the original forms of music that tend to be forgotten over time. I know that nothing lasts forever, but music is so pure, and so universal. If I could choose anything to be everlasting in this world, it would be music. With music, there are infinite possibilities. When writing a song, there are numerous pathways and outcomes. New ideas are always being created, and the foundation of music will continue to grow as the rest of the world changes. No matter what, music will not disappear. It is a part of everyone's lives, whether they know it or not. Without music, life would be a cold, dark place. It livens up the world in an array of colors, emitting a strong sensation to strive towards a new day, never forgetting the past, but always looking forward into the future.

The Wonderful World of Mail :) (Class Connection Blog Post)

        Last week in AP Language class, when we were talking about how to categorize essays into a grading system, I started thinking about mail. Since we were reading many different essays all about the postal service, I couldn't really help it! I started to think about the importance of mail, and how it has slowly been disappearing from my own life.
        I've always felt a strong connection to mail. I used to love walking down to the mail box and finding letters from my relatives for birthdays and holidays and other things. Okay, I still do! But the difference between now and when I was little is that I used to be able to find a lot of letters for me every once and a while. These days, I'm lucky if I find even a bank statement every other month! I can't help but feel nostalgic. I remember going to summer camp for about four or five years in a row up near Spring Lake. It was a horse camp, and I was always ecstatic whenever I got a letter from home or from one of my sisters who live in different states. Then, after the first few years, the letters turned into printed off emails, and these felt somehow less exciting than the hand written ones, where I would occasionally even get a package. It felt like the people writing were taking less time and just marking something off of their to-do list instead of writing a very personal letter.
        The world is accepting email and online messages so quickly that the post offices don't know what to think. Of course, people do still get mail, but it tends to just be junk mail and bills. Personally, I really do miss all of the hand-written letters people used to send me and my family. It was fun to pass letters back and forth and await the next one that would come in a few days. The internet truly does make it much easier to get things done and to get ahold of people, but I can't deny the fact the I love getting mail. I honestly do not know what I would do if I had to completely rely on the postal service because I use email and the internet all the time, including right now as I am writing this blog post. Still, I really miss being able to find lot's of letters in the mail box. Mail is just so nice to have! I still get a few birthday and holiday cards, but it isn't really the same. I realize that this world is changing and it is necessary to send things and get responses quickly, but I still wish people used the mail system at least occasionally.
        No matter what happens, I hope that the idea of mail doesn't die out completely. I would miss finding post cards and other letters in the mail, as well as creative packages that make my day. Although I find it essential to use the internet and telephone for most of my communication, I really do hope that this fun tradition does not fade away.