Pop and Hip-Hop

I usually don't like to change the genre of my music while I listen to the radio or my iPod or computer.  At the top has to be either pop, or hip-hop.  To me they go hand in hand they seem like the same music to me and I like them both equally or it really depends on what kind of mood I am in.  The station that this kind of music come from, which is my favorite without a doubt is Buffalo's #1 hit music station, Kiss 98.5.  I also kind of like some rock here and there especially during football season.  Songs like Thunderstruck by AC/DC and New Noise by Refused.  The only music I could easily live without is country music.  And even though it seem as though everyone here in the small town of Alden loves country, I really do not like it at all.  I don't really see how it is that good; all it is, is people pretty much talking in their songs.  They call it singing for a reason not talking.  Sure there are a couple good songs here and there but for the most part it’s ridiculous.  I really enjoy listening to music and it puts me in a good mood and pumps me up when I am on my way to a sporting event.  My favorite time to listen to music though is when I am cleaning my room, I'm not sure why but it just makes cleaning so much more fun.  And since my room doesn't even take that long to clean it makes it even better.  So pop and hip-hop are my favorite and I don't know if that'll ever change.  Music changes a lot of peoples’ lives in a way, and that is for the better, I don’t think music could die.

My Favorite Movies

I have seen some very good movies and it has been a while since my last one.  The last one in theaters I watched was "Dream House" about a month ago.  I went with my cousin to see that and overall I thought it was a pretty good movie, it had a lot of irony in the movie though as how it turns out the man is not who you thought he would be.  But aside from that my top 3 movies have to be "The Rookie", "Friday Night Lights", and "Hurricane Season".  All three of these movies are sports movies, but they all are true stories, which is what I love about them.  "The Rookie" is a baseball movie about this coach of a Texas High School Baseball team and his road to the major leagues.  He earns a second shot at the big leagues and lives his dream.  It is a very emotional movie and teaches people a lot about never giving up.  "Friday Night Lights" is a football movie about a Texas High School and their long and tough road to the 5A State Championship.  The team must overcome the loss of their star running back, after they barely squeak into the playoffs they play the best team in the state and you would never believe the result.  "Hurricane Season" is a basketball movie that takes place in the state of Louisiana.  It is about the disastrous storm, Hurricane Katrina, and how a high school basketball team must overcome the worst of all situations and find a team, a new gym, and other teams to play against.  The storm really affected a lot of the players and some of them even became lost or moved away.  I really enjoy watching movies especially if I see them at the theaters.  My favorite movies are either true stories or comedies.  I cannot wait to go again soon.

Heat

I used to read all of the time, but since then I have slowed down a ton.  I used to read for book reports and also just for fun.  I don't really have a certain favorite book but I do have a favorite author, and that is Mike Lupica.  Mike Lupica is a sports reporter and has written many books.  My favorite book of his though is Heat.  This book is about baseball and the journey of a boy and his brother.  The young one is 12 years old and his name is Michael Arroyo, his brothers' name is Carlos, who is 17 years old.  These boys are from Cuba and escaped to New York City and are living on their own.  Michael has some serious baseball talent throws really hard.  Michael and his brother have to dodge bills and people as if they are caught living on their own they will be separated from each other.  The fact that Michael is so good at such a young age worries people and make them think he actually is not 12, so they are looking for a birth certificate which they do not have.  It is a very complicated situation that could go very wrong.  Michael is on an all-star in New York City and they are underdogs and they must overcome a lot of adversity to become one of the top teams as well as being able to play in Yankee Stadium.  Michael leads his team to victory and feels very good and is happy and for that one moment all the obstacles and problems he has had to overcome, went away.  It is a very good book I think, and I would recommend this to most kids.  Mostly sports fans that are teenagers, because this is their life and this happens to some kids.

Thanksgiving: The Time for Family

Thanksgiving is a time to be with your family and enjoy the good times and thank god for your life and your health.  Thanksgiving I go to each of my grandparent's house at different times throughout the day.  I am truly grateful for this and appreciate at the fact that I have two great and normal sides of my family.  The main traditions of Thanksgiving besides being with your families and the great food, is football.  The football games have sometimes been disappointing, due to the Detroit Lions always having bad years and getting beat on, the Dallas Cowboys usually have some great games but you can't always get what you want.  This year though things will change.  No more turning off the TV due to blow outs.  The Lions are 6 and 2 and in second place in the NFC North.  They will be playing divisional rival and 8 and 0 Green Bay Packers.  I am really looking forward to this game as well as watching the exciting big play offense, led by star wide receiver, Calvin Johnson Jr., or as most people call him by his nickname, "Megatron."  He may be the best in the game and cannot be stopped.  I think the Packers should be on upset alert; it will be a great game.  Of course though, the dinner is the best tradition of all time.  I love the homemade cooking of my grandma and it is phenomenal, the turkey, the mashed potatoes, and the stuffing.  All of it is great and I am very excited for this year and will be the first in line.  Thanksgiving is a great holiday and one of the best, it's a great day to spend more time with my family, to catch up since the last time I have seen them.

Mr. O and Me

On the first day of school I came in looking good. I went to all my classes and the day was going phenomenal. Then I had gym class. I walked in, and much to my surprise, standing there in front of me, was me... actually a man that looked exactly like me. I thought to myself, "Did somebody clone me?" No, was the answer. I had not been cloned... this man was Mr. O.  Mr. O was a student gym teacher. He student taught in my gym class and every time I looked at him, I had to take a second look because I always thought it was me. I always got harassed. Everyone would say to me, "you look exactly like Mr. O!" At first it was really funny. After a while it got annoying. It was weird whenever I saw him because he knew that I looked like him as well. Not only did people say I look like Mr. O, they would call me Mr. O.  On top of that, they would call poor Mr. O, Hopcia. One time, in online publishing, Mr. O walked in and everyone just started to laugh. Another incident is when Mr. O and I got a picture taken together. This picture, of course, ended up on Facebook. I can't lie, it is a very funny picture and so I decided to make it my profile picture. So many people liked the picture and found it humorous as well. Now, unfortunately, Mr. O left. I kind of miss seeing him and laughing. I wonder to myself, "Will I ever see him again?" I hope I do in a few years, and see if we still look alike. I will always treasure the picture of Mr. O and me. I will never forget the beginning of my sophomore year and my second block gym class.

Christmas: The Best Time of Year

Of all the holidays, I like all of them, but a couple stands out to me and that is Easter and Christmas.  Now even though these are the main two, I do have a favorite.  I think Christmas has to edge out Easter for various reasons.  Easter is fun in the fact that the kids get to enjoy going on egg hunts and then on the morning of they get to search around the house to find where the Easter bunny hid their baskets, as well as discover the nice gifts and candy he has left.  It is more towards a religious holiday but so is Christmas.  This is another reason why this holiday is so great.  Christmas is a time to spend time with your family and give.  Sure the kids love to get their presents and that is what they worry about, but that is not the big picture of Christmas and they one day hopefully will figure that out.  My Christmas starts out by going to church on Christmas Eve in the evening and coming home and watching a movie with my family and my grandma.  We have been doing this for a while and I enjoy it and have a good time, this is when I really begin to realize what Christmas is all about.  I wake up Christmas morning and my sisters and I run downstairs to open our presents when the family is up.  After this I spend the rest of the day with my family on my mom's and dad's side; brunch at my mom's side, and dinner at my dad's side.  I really enjoy spending time with my families and it really helps that we all get along.  This is why I love Christmas, the family, the caring and sharing and the weather and playing in the snow.