We'll be seeing ya grade eleven.

So today is the last day of grade eleven and the last day I will be posting on this blog. I am so excited. I have been waiting for this day since the first day of school! All I have to do is get through the dreaded exams... FML. I have to write a grade twelve accounting exam, chemistry, and pre calc and I have not studied at all! I am so excited for summer and next year! We are in grade twelve and after that done! Done with this hell hole of a school! I cannot wait to get out of here and out into the real world living on my own doing whatever I want, no rules, just me and my life! No more highschool drama, no more homework, no more teachers, and best of all no more principles! When I am done school I am hoping to go to college or university for accounting and hopefully get a job working at my dad
s store for a couple of years. In the future I am planning on moving into the country and having a few horses. But enough with my future. That's too personal for this! I just wanted to say that thanks to everyone who has read my blog, followed me, and commented on my posts! We'll be seeing ya grade eleven!

Outside Article
How to Study for an Exam!

1. Rewriting. Rewriting your notes is great if you're a kinesthetic learner. Also, when you re-write something, you will probably think about what you are writing, what it's about, and why you wrote it down. Most importantly, it refreshes your memory. If you took notes a month ago and just found out that those notes will be relevant in your exam, rewriting them will remind you of them when you need it for your exam.
   
   
2. Find the right hours. Don't study when you're really tired. It's better to study for two hours in one day than to try and cram in that daily hour of studying at two in the morning. You won't remember much and you're likely to stop before you have studied what you need.
3. Don't cram. Cramming the night before is proven to be useless, because you're taking in so much information at once that it's impossible to memorize it at all -- in fact, you'll hardly retain anything. I know it's been preached to you many times before, but it's true: Studying before and going over it multiple times really is the best way to learn the material. This is especially true with things like history and subjects dealing with theory.
4. Subjects. If it's math you're studying for, work on the problems. Don't just read over it like you would for a history class, because you can actually do math, but you can seldom do history. Working problems out will help burn them into your mind, and remember: if you can't solve the problem before the exam, you won't be able to solve it on the exam either. If you are studying for a more social subject, do your research! Make sure you know what you're talking about!
5. Surroundings. How do you study best? In your PJ's, or your favorite t-shirt? With music or without? In your room or outside? Regardless, you probably won't be able to study while there are distractions like:
   • Your darling little brother or sister is running screaming around the house. You are going to end up watching movies because they are far too distracting.
   • Your older brother or sister is bothering you on purpose.
   • Your music is not relaxing, or is a song you want to sing along to instead of studying.
   • It's too dark. Your eyes will strain in dim light.
   • You're in a mess. Clean your room, as the mess around you really can distract you from what you're doing.
6. Correct lighting. For men, try studying with a dimmer light (though not overly dim). Statistics say that 75% of guys that do this will focus better. For girls, it's indicated that 90% of the time, they study and focus better in a brighter room with little noise.
7. TV. Some people like to have the TV on quietly in the background. This can cut both ways in that it can distract you from time to time, but also can help you to continue studying. It's a risky strategy to have the TV on: nobody really knows how much it takes away from your attention and may be distracting you more than you realize.
8. Take Breaks. You need some time to have fun and it is better to revise when you are feeling relaxed than to exhaust yourself studying all day! The only caveat is, you need to avoid procrastination.

Minneapolis!

Last summer my mom, dad, two brothers, me, and my parents friends family went to Minneapolis to watch a baseball game. We were there for about a week. It was really fun. I had never been to an MLB game before so it was an awesome experience for me. We stayed at a hotel right across from the Mall of America! We went to the mall a couple of days. It was HUGE! It even has an amusement park in it! We went to the amusement park for a day and the other day we just shopped. The coolest thing about that mall was I saw Zac Efron! He is SO much hotter in person! I didn't buy very much at the mall, but one of the days my family went to this big shopping center with a bunch of outlet stores. I can't remember what it was called, but it was super cheap there and I bought a whole bunch of new clothes and a couple pairs of shoes too! Finally, it was time to go to the ball game! It was awesome. We got to ride this little subway train type thing all across the city that took us right to the diamond. The downside of the ball game was it was really busy and we had to sit below people who kept throwing peanut shells in our hair. My dad turned around and yelled at them. Funniest thing that happened that whole weekend because they kept doing it. What's even funnier about it was they were old people and usually old people are respectful enough to stop, but nope! These ones acted like they were five years old. Eventually I got mad and turned around and yelled at them too. They stopped. My family is going back to Minneapolis this summer to watch the Twins vs the Red Sox. I am super excited!


Outside Article

Mauer takes at-bats in simulated game

MINNEAPOLIS -- Injured catcher Joe Mauer had five at-bats in a simulated game on Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla., and is scheduled to take live batting practice against right-hander Joe Nathan on Wednesday.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire initially said Mauer would play with Class A Fort Myers on Tuesday, but with the Miracle traveling across the state to play in Jupiter, Mauer stayed back to take some swings and work out at the club's Spring Training facility.

Gardenhire also said that "in his mind," Mauer will not rejoin the Twins on Thursday, as he's still slated to take swings against Nathan, who is rehabbing after being placed on the disabled list retroactive to May 24 with a right flexor muscle strain, on Wednesday.

"I'm waiting to see what they tell me," Gardenhire said. "I know he had a day today and he did his water therapy. And I know tomorrow he'll take live BP off Joe Nathan and then we'll evaluate and see where he's at."

Twins general manager Bill Smith said he "agreed 100 percent" with Gardenhire's assertion that it's unlikely Mauer will rejoin the Twins on Thursday, but said they will reassess Mauer's condition after his session with Nathan on Wednesday.

"Re-evaluation after that and we'll make the decision whether we need more time or not," Smith said

Alberta!

I have family that lives in Calgary, Alberta and my family and I have gone there a few times. It's my dads brother and his wife and three kids. They used to live in Virden but moved in 2003 because my uncle got a new job. My favorite part about going to Calgary was everytime we went we got to go to Calaway Park. It is this amusement park on the outskirts of Calgary. I went on my first roller coaster with loops at this park. I was really scared, but I wanted to so bad and after I went on it for the first time I spent the rest of the day there because I liked it so much. My cousins have lived in a total of two houses there. Their first house was this medium sized one across from a park and tennis courts. We went to that house a couple of times and everytime we went, my cousins, my brother, and I would always be over at the park or playing tennis. The house they live in now is way bigger than their old one and is so much nicer. I can't really remember the location it is in because I have only been there once and it was a couple of years ago. I hated traveling to Calgary because we drove everytime and it took so long to get there and my brothers get super annoying when you are around them for too long. We would get to my cousins house and I would climb over my brothers to be the first one out of the vehicle because of how sore my legs are and because I am so sick of hearing them fight and talk that I just can't wait to get away from them. Now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever gone shopping in Calgary! What is wrong with me! Every city I go to the first place I usually want to go to is the mall. I know that is definitely how it is going to be the next time we go there and I am hoping we get to go back there very soon because my cousin is graduating this year and because i miss them all so much. I also miss my cousins in BC too and hope to go back there because I loved it there!


Outside Article

How to tolerate an annoying brother

Whether you are a boy or a girl, it seems there is nothing worse than an annoying brother. Boys, however, retaliate physically letting the brother know he needs to back off. Girls however, have a tough time learning to tolerate an annoying sibling. Here are some tips for tolerating an annoying brother in a non-confrontational manner.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Do not react. As with bullies--and constant annoying is a form of bullying--his actions are only fun for him if you react. When he begins annoying you, continue doing whatever it was you are doing and do not react to him in any way. Eventually he will see that his efforts to get on your nerves are fruitless, and he will find someone else to annoy.

   • 2

     Kill him with kindness. If failing to react does not stop his attempts to annoy you after about a month, begin being very nice to him. Fix meals and snacks for him. Play games with him. Give him compliments. Take him places with you. The reason for these suggestions is that brothers are likely to annoy siblings because they want attention from you. Give them positive attention whenever you can.

   • 3

     Hand it over to your parents. If ignoring his efforts to annoy you and being kind to him are still unsuccessful, it may be time to hand the situation over to your parents. To do this without sounding like a cry-baby or tattle telling, you can position yourself near to your parents whenever he is harassing you so that they can see his actions for themselves. If he is too smart to annoy you in front of them, keep a log for two days to a week of everything he does to harass you. If possible, take pictures or secretly video tape his actions. Give this list and any proof to your parents along with a note of how your brother’s actions are affecting your happiness and peace of mind. Reasonable parents will tell him to back off.

   • 4

     Ignore him. If all previous efforts to stop your brother from annoying you fail, then it is time to make believe he does not exist, as it is obvious that you are in an impossible situation. If he speaks to you do not respond. If he touches you, move away. Secure your belongings so that he cannot annoy you by taking your things. Retreat into your own world.

   • 5

     Get away from him. This may be difficult if you are young, but sometimes the best way to stop a brother from annoying you is to get away from him. This means if you 18 or older move out of the home. If you are in high school, get a job and find activities that do not include him. If you are a pre-teen or younger, ask your parents to put you in activities that will get you out of the house.

British Columbia

As I mentioned before I have family that lives in BC. A few years ago my family and I took a trip to BC to the Shuswap Lake to go house boating. We went for a good week. It was so much fun. Our houseboat had a water slide off the back and the water is so deep you could jump off the top deck and not even touch the bottom when you were like 20 feet off shore. After we were done house boating my family went their separate ways back to their own homes except mine. We went back to Vancouver Island with my dads sisters family and stayed there for a couple of nights. It was awesome because we got to go swimming in the ocean. I found a purple star fish, lots of sand dollars, little jelly fish, and a whole bunch of little crabs. I love BC so much. I want to go to school there after I graduate I think it would be a great experience.



Outside Article

Nestled amongst vast BC mountain valleys, the beautiful Shuswap Lake in the North Okanagan, accessed through Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada is the home for Waterway Houseboats. This magnificent lake, half way between Calgary and Vancouver is a recreation and houseboating paradise. Countless kilometers of pristine shoreline on Shuswap Lake await your exploration. Sun drenched beaches, beautiful waterfalls and awesome fishing are yours to discover from the comfort of your home away from home. Swimming, hiking, water skiing, golfing, ATV riding and mountain biking are some of the activities available for those with the need for more vigorous action. Come and experience Canada's best houseboating in our Shuswap Lake paradise. Waterway Houseboats caters to your needs whether you are on vacation, having a family re-union, birthday, a special anniversary or your very unique wedding. Waterway vacations are exceptionally affordable and we offer a good number of options to save you even more money!

Waterway Houseboats is proud to announce the world's first exclusive 'on lake' high speed internet access! Our entire fleet will be equipped with full internet capabilities. Cruise n surf while enjoying the best a BC houseboat holiday can offer. We have introduced our new Waterway Quality Assurance programme. Every boat goes through an intensive 200 point inspection to ensure our guests have a truly first class houseboat vacation. We are also stepping up our customer service with the addition of numerous unique amenities and services. Families may wish to utilize our complimentary Safety Turtle water alarms for peace of mind. All of this and the finest fleet of houseboats on Shuswap Lake, you can't go wrong. Spring, Summer or Fall, book today for the time of your life!

Africa

I want to go to Africa because I want to see a zebra. I also want to go on a safari. I love African animals, actually just any animals in general almost except for snakes! They scare me! Another reason why I would want to go to Africa would be to help out all the little children and their families and help build a school or something for them. I want to go see what it would be like to live in Africa. Maybe it would change my perspective on life. But the main reason I want to go is for the weather and the safari and zebras!

Outside Article

Zebras are African equids (horse family) best known for their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and asses, zebras have never been truly domesticated.

There are three species of zebras: the plains zebra, the Grévy's zebra and the mountain zebra. The plains zebra and the mountain zebra belong to the subgenus Hippotigris, but Grevy's zebra is the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus. The latter resembles an ass, to which it is closely related, while the former two are more horse-like. All three belong to the genus Equus, along with other living equids.

The unique stripes of zebras make these among the animals most familiar to people. They occur in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, thorny scrublands, mountains, and coastal hills. However, various anthropogenic factors have had a severe impact on zebra populations, in particular hunting for skins and habitat destruction. Grevy's zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered. While plains zebras are much more plentiful, one subspecies, the quagga, went extinct in the late 19th century.

Vegas Baby;

When I turn 21 in 5 years on November 14th I am hoping to take a trip to Vegas with a bunch of my friends. I think it would be so fun going to Vegas for a week or even a weekend and experience the gamblers atmosphere. Some of the places I would like to visit would be the wax museum and the casinos. Ever since I saw the Hangover and What Happens in Vegas I have always wanted to go there. Those movies are so funny and they look like so much fun. My parents went to Vegas a few months ago with their friends and they said it was a blast and they wanted to go back. Some of the pictures they had were hilarious and others were rather disturbing.. But it looked like a great experience and I would definitely not mind going there!

Outside Article
This attraction is a blast ! The wax figures are strikingly realistic and up to date. You must take your camera as posing with the figures is all the fun. The interactive part of the figures is the most enjoyable part of the exhibit. As this is on the Central part of the Strip (the museum is in front of the Venetian) we parked for free at the Venetian's multi-storied lot.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean is one of the places I want to visit the most. I would love to go on a cruise there because of how pretty the water is or stay in a hotel that is just off the water so it would only take a couple minutes to walk to a beach and so I could see the water all the time. One of my favorite things to do is go swimming, but swimming in an ocean or a sea is so much better than a lake or a pool. I have been in the ocean a couple of times; once when I was on Vancouver Island where my cousins live, but that wasn't much fun because the water was freezing cold, but I found a purple starfish and lots of sand dollars and little crabs; and the other time was on my trip in Hawaii. We were in the ocean almost everyday and I loved every second of it. The thing that got me hooked on wanting to go to the Caribbean was the movies: Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean movies are some of my favorite movies and if there is a place in the Caribbean where I could experience something like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie i would be there in a heartbeat! My favorite Pirates of the Caribbean movie is At Worlds End because of all the neat locations and scenes you get to see. Jack Sparrow is my favorite character in this movie and Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. My outside article is going to be on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End because of how amazing it is! I recommend you watch this movie, but watch the ones before it so you get a better understanding of it!

Outside Article
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" has laid siege to theaters across the country today, and it's a whale of a tale indeed. Over the course of its two hour and forty minute run, every mystery left dangling from the first two films is resolved. Characters grow and change, adventure is encountered at every turn, and the action is nonstop.

There are two things to consider in advance of purchasing your ticket. First, to best appreciate the brobdingnagian set designs, pick the largest screen available. Second, keep in mind the length and the setting: there's a lot of water underneath, and often a lot of water falling from above. With that much water on the screen, it'll be hard to hold your own for nearly three hours. Skip the Coke.

At the end of "Dead Man's Chest", our anti-hero Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) had been sent to a watery grave, courtesy of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and a kiss of betrayal from Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly). But now that he's gone -- taken, body and soul, to Davy Jones' locker -- the pirate world suddenly needs him back. Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) has begun a bloody purging of anyone even suspected of knowing a pirate, an act which results in the calling of the nine pirate lords from around the world to convene. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is one. Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) is another. But there's a ninth pirate lord who can't make the meeting. Any guesses, me hearties?

So the Black Pearl must set sail for Davy Jones' locker, with the help of an ancient map and an assist from the witchy Tia Dalma ( Naomie Harris), to bring back Captain Jack Sparrow from the dead. But to what purpose? Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is still willing to turn traitor to either side in order to rescue his father from Jones' crew of the damned, Elizabeth Swann ascends like a rocket into more and more powerful positions within our pirate band, and Captain Jack Sparrow is just as likely to cut all their throats if it allows him his one opportunity to achieve immortality -- or grab a peanut. In fact, Sparrow is literally all over the screen in this movie -- something you can't really appreciate until you see it happen.
Much speculation has been bandied about as to how big a part Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards plays, in the role of Sparrow's father. The answer: a small role, but an important one. Watch for him to enter his scene with a bang.

Director Gore Verbinski has pushed the limits of PG-13 to its very limits with "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". Parents who may have given nary a second thought to letting their children watch the first film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl", may take pause at letting them see this one. From the very opening credits, the movie makes it clear that it is going to be full to the brim of not very pretty death. And to be certain, the film is rife with violence. But it's also packed with some hilarious humor, heroism, cowardice, love, and sacrifice, all of which leads up to an ending that's satisfying and simultaneously a tragedy of epic proportions. It certainly lives up to the hype, and deserves to be called a blockbuster.

So get your ticket, buy the giant tub of popcorn, and drink up, me hearties -- this one's a monstrous treasure of fun and adventure.