AVATAR

I just came back from the psychedelic (not to mention dizzying) joyride that is the blockbuster AVATAR. Never have I seen so many beautiful colors or dragon-like creatures zipping through a scenery of majestic mountains and forests. And one extremely large tree. The plot of AVATAR is pretty straightforward. It's about a guy in a wheelchair, okay that makes me sound kind of ignorant and stupid, okay fine. It's about an ex-marine who gets paralyzed legs, but gets a chance to become an avatar, and go to the new planet of Pandora and get to know the people. Once he gets there he realizes that Pandora, though beautiful and filled with oodles of creepy animal-things, has become terrorized by us earthlings. Though some avatars, such as one played by Sigourney Weaver has a tree-hugging scientist who had actually become friends with the native blue aliens, many seek only to destroy and look for a rare metal called unobtainiun...cute and punny, am I right? This sends the story into a whirlwind of fantastical journeys, adventures, and sometimes what can seem more like an Al Gore public service announcement, but this time we're trying to save blue, tribal like clans with pointed ears, than sweet polar bears. All and all it was beautifully done, and a bit heart-wrenching, but maybe I'm just a sap. Seeing it in 3D was amazing, though made me a little nauseous in the end, but great fun!

Post-Christmas

The after Christmas vibe is always nice. You may be a little bored, but you have leftovers from a hopefully delicious meal from Christmas night, presents to enjoy and play with, and most importantly: contentment that you will not be rushing out to buy presents for every person who sent you an oven mitt (office reference) or a handmade clarinet (spongebob squarepants). Family is what makes the holidays great, in my opinion, though to tell you the truth presents don't hurt. I'm enjoying a nice cup of tea, wearing a new pair of pajama pants, and don't have school for more than a week. What else can you ask for? Hope your Christmas (or your Chanukah or Kwanza) was as great as mine!

Next bout to tackle: Ringning in the new year!

Joy to the World Jews and Christians alike

Hurrah! It's Christmas Eve! As happy as I am that tomorrow will be filled with mountains of presents and tons of "thank you"s' and "You shouldn't have"s', as well as my mother wanting to know where all the receipts to her presents are, I can't help feeling the holiday spirit! I kind of feel bad for all the jewish people of the world...they don't get off for Chanukah, whereas us christians, wanna-be christians, and people who just believe in the commercialism of corporate America get Christmas commercials, the wonderful and spunky Peanuts special, even the cheesy Nickolodean specials about trees and presents and feeling 'the holiday spirit'. All jewish people get is a punchline in a Christmas episode.....or the Rugrats special. Every day they come to school with their new clothes, and talking about their lovely presents. I sometimes think it would be fun to be a jew, with their menorahs (though, actually, I made my mother buy a menorah at a bookstore when I was at the tender age of 8), and the lavish bat/bar-mitzahs I got to attend as a middle schooler. Oh well, when it comes down to it, I love Christmas. Simple as that. Now...what about muslims? But I'm guessing that is a completely different story. More posts soon, now off to bake cookies and look in splendor at our tree. Adios!

BRACES

Oh you little braces, with your vile metal taste

Please hurry up and straighten, quickly and in haste!

Oh what horror, what unbearable pain

If only the dentist had better aim

They ache, I moan, I can't chew only swallow

And feel pity and mouthfuls of unbearable sorrow

No apples, no gum, not even hard bread

Sometimes with braces, you're better off dead

No laughing, no smiling, no happiness galore

Being a metal-mouth sure isn't a bore

Just hurry up and straighten, you little metal witch

I should just be grateful that braces don't itch.

My Views on High School

In the nineties, high school perils and dilemmas made for great TV. From the sweet as sugar before-the-Olsens-went-anorexic and family-oriented Full House that ended every episode with the sentimental music, to the cute and peppy trying-to-be-diverse-but-not-succeeding Sister, Sister, it seems that high school was what drove everyone to their limits. It used to be that high school was the zit of life, you popped it the night before for a better tomorrow. But in this day in age Teen Vogue has announced acne prone to medication! The horror! Would this mean the end of the painful pop and beautiful and glowing skin afterwards? Was there now a permanent pustule of red and pink, forever to haunt you, no matter how many dermatologists you saw, and how much benzoyl peroxide you slather on? Though at the moment it's a bit hard for me to think about having a disgusting pimple on my face. Perish the very thought! The holidays near, and carolers have already come, though they visited the halfway house across the street. I also got to ride the decorated trolley, with streams of lights and colorful christmas posters. Nothing more to get me in the holiday spirit!

With love

A thankfully pimple-less high schooler

Route 13

Hello World and all the bright young minds that are hopefully reading this.

My first blog entry! How exciting!

You may wonder why I named my blog, the supposed 'window into my cyber soul' after a mere name that sounds more like a highway road than anything else. Or you think that I'm trying to be ominous with the oh so dreaded number 13. In all serious, I am doing neither. The route 13 is my morning and afternoon commute. It is the trolley that seems to have the most people, and yet the fewest number of trolleys. The trolley usually has an unpleasant odor, wafting just below our nostrils, and is constantly visited by unfriendly people, that aren't completely sane. But the thing is, the trolley is my way of life. It is where I ponder, where I read, where I talk, and even have a few adventures. So what a better title to name my blog then after the trolley that I take for granted, hate, abhor, and love.

So there you have it. If you found it remotely interesting this is just the beginning.

Yours truly

Your average trolley rider