Favorite Non-Fiction Hero

I know how cliche it is to choose a singer/songwriter/famous person as a personal hero, but this person truly is one of my favorite role models. John Mayer has released many heartfelt albums in his music career so far. Besides really enjoying listening to his music, the lyrics in his songs mean a lot to me. I appreciate his lyrics because a lot of songs nowadays have pointless lyrics that don't personally have an influence on me, but his do. I feel like because a lot of the songs were created because of experiences he went through, good or bad, his songs really come from the heart. They are the voice of his emotions, and combining that with his musical talent is what makes his wonderful songs.

The reason he is a hero to me is because if it weren't for his music, I would not have the ability to let go and move on in life. There were a few times within the past few years that have been difficult. Nothing completely life changing, but things that were significant enough to change my perspective on life and other people, as well as people's perspectives on me. There were a few times in particular when I wanted to give up, or when I thought there was nothing that could bring back my self-esteem and optimism.

I was already fond of John Mayer's music, but I had never truly taken the time to just listen. I did, and his first album in the music industry, Room For Squares, became my absolute favorite album. Of course there are a plethora of other songs of his I love, but the Room For Squares album is by far the best. Although he didn't direct his music toward me, and being my hero was not his intention, he is still a hero to me.
:)

Kinetic Killers

Sweat dripped down the back of my neck. I adjusted my thin-chained necklace's clasp- ensuring its security during the greatest concert in the world. The noise and energy of thousands of people surrounded me in this concert arena. Screams echoed through the packed venue. One of my favorite bands in the world was in San Diego, and I was a teasing ten feet away from the microphone! My cousins and I were extremely lucky to be where we were at.

The lights dimmed and immediately the crowd went wild. I knew this would be a night I would never ever forget, but I never knew it would change the way I saw one of my already favorite bands! The moment the four members of the Killers walked onto the stage, the crowd went insane, crazy fans jumping up and down with their hands in the air, me of course one of them. It was so loud you could hardly hear your own shouts as they opened the concert with Mr. Brightside.

The picking of the electric guitar's strings for the introduction of the song rebounded off of the walls of the arena and back at the audience. Screams washed tsunamis over the stage. Insanely loud drumbeats boomed through my eardrums and vibrated through my skull. My heart felt like it was ricocheting like a little silver ball from a pinball machine inside my ribcage. Forgetting I had already been standing and jumping around in the pit for three and a half hours, I exploded with joy when they played All These Things That I've Done.

Their confidence and talent beamed from the smiles on their faces- who knew a rock band could serve as such an incredible inspiration? For me it was not just an invitation to join the music industry, but they were also enormous role models to me with such poise and such exuberant energy- it made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to.

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I sang along with the Killers and the rest of the audience. The odd smell of pumpkin and flowers wafted off of the woman next to me. Strobe lights blinded me as I strained to see the stage and justify whether this insane performance was a dream or not. My hair was bouncing out of control and I could taste only the salty sweat on my tongue and on my lips- I attempted to wipe my cheek dry with my moist shirtsleeve but was only partly successful.

When they ended with my favorite song, When You Were Young, and clearly the audience’s favorite song as well, I screamed and cheered in spite of my soar throat when the confetti burst and rained over us, tickling my arms and cheeks as it added layers to my skin. This was a once in a lifetime experience, and it couldn't have been any better.

Sensory Detail: Sound

My eyes widened in confusion. I could hear my muscles cringing at the gasps and short unbearable breaths. It was like people struggling to have their voices heard- like they were trying desperately to speak but they simply were unable to. The shrill wheeze of a hardly successful inhale was suddenly halted by the forced partial cough of an incomplete exhale. An unexpected murmur of a language I never knew existed bubbled for a mere moment in the audio, and then vanished. Following a paltry, practically nonexistent moment of calm hums, a storm of tongues clicking, lips smacking and puckering up to make grandmother-like smooches echoed continually. A surprising gust of air being sucked hopelessly down their throats haunted me again and were cut short by a far away, hearty cackle, drawing my attention to its clearly sinful intentions. Displaying the features of a broken record, the ululating branding into my memory. As if trying to choke me in the middle of listening, distressed hiccuping sounds pierced my eardrums and spiraled down my throat breaking through the narrow opening to my quickly condensing lungs. Loud grunts shadowed mystifying howls as it hauled my unwilling mind closer and closer with each deepening caterwaul. Short snippets of baby coo-like noises bounced off of the edges of the sharp spikes of the slow wails. My ears vibrated with the pressure of the consistent backward smooches from their puckered lips. The tongues were still smacking away in rhythm with the snaps of hundreds of fingers. I grimaced in pain with the suffering of those hundreds of people reluctantly snapping along to the tempo of the pulsing discomfort. With a mutter of perfunctory jumbled words, it all stopped. Leaving me stunned and lost in silence.

Click here to experience it for yourself...

Locker Problem

M.W.B. Character - What I Did This Weekend

I gripped the bat, clenching my fingertips tightly around the neck. I watched Uno as he spat onto the dirt mound he was pitching on.

"You ready?"

I nodded.

I turned around to where all the neighborhood kids were watching. Liberty was there. Wearing a white shirt and jeans, she seemed to look pretty in anything, with her long silky black hair running down her back. She made eye contact with me, and I immediately turned away. A ball came whizzing past me.

"Yo, Danny, you gonna hit or what?"

I nodded again and shifted my feet over the home plate. As if in slow motion, I watched the first ball come flying toward me. I locked my eyes on it and then, SMASH. Crushed it with the bat. I watched as it soared over the two houses behind Mr. Rodrigez's house, like it did the first day I hit in this cul de sac.

I looked down at my arms. There were scars from yesterday morning.
Sofia's pop was telling him he should go to the fair again and see how fast he could pitch, this time without being drunk. When all Danny could think to do was lower his head in discomfiture, Uncle Tommy lifts up his head.

"It's all right D," he said, "there will be other Saturdays to go to the fair. Besides, it's not your fault you're half white and not wantin' to be around all them full crazy Mexican kids partyin' all the time." Danny dug his nails into his arm. Hard. He'd love to be one of 'them full crazy Mexicans.' He cringed as Uncle Tommy took another gulp of his 'Pepsi' and snorted, "But don't sweat it, D, you still familia." He tripped over the carpet and shut the bedroom door behind him, still laughing as if what he said was hilarious.

I dug my nails even harder. My arm was numb and bleeding now. Digging was the only thing that stopped me from shouting my lungs out at Uncle Tommy.

Focusing back on the baseball game, I wiped the sweat off my forehead with my t-shirt sleeve. I knew I caved under pressure at the pitching mound, and it was my turn to pitch for Uno. Uno jogged towards me.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

I nodded again.

"Alright, man," he said, tossing the ball to me, "You can do this, man. Just don't freeze up and you'll be good." He smiled, pat my shoulder, and jogged to the home plate.

He picked up the bat, and nodded.

Order Of Operations

Solve:

1. 8+(4^2x3)/1

2. 2x(3+8+1)/2^2


Insert parenthesis:

1. 14-7+18/9=9

Favorite Fictional Heroes

My favorite fictional character is Ando Masahashi from the science fiction television show, and comic, Heroes.
The series is telling the tale of multiple people with special abilities. Some people can fly, some can read minds, some stop time, some can control other people, and the list goes on and on. Ando is a unique character though. He starts out as simply the best friend of Hiro Nakamura. Early on, Hiro discovers he has the ability to bend time and space. Ando does not have a power, but just serves as a trustworthy, strong willed, and loyal friend to him. There are many times when Hiro and Ando lose their way with each other and try to work alone, but they always end up realizing how much they really need each other.

Although Ando does not start out with any abnormal ability, towards the end of the third season of the television series he gets a hold of a syringe filled with a drug created by Dr. Mohinder Suresh (a scientist struggling to find a cure to the Shanti virus and many other side effects concerning people with powers), designed to give a normal person a power. He, without any supervision and without taking any precautions, injected himself with it. His powers as far as we know are still untamed and are simply the ability to absorb and accelerate another person's power for his own temporary use.

Throughout the ups and downs of being Hiro's best friend he always stays true to him, and never lets Hiro give up on himself or his mission to save the world. This is the main reason Ando is my favorite character. He never fails to be there for his best friend, even though at one point Hiro shuns him, stops listening to all of his advice, and even accuses him of being a traitor- though he ended up not being one. To me, he is truly a great example of what a friend should be. He serves as a fantastic role model for Hiro when he needs someone to look up to, and he is perfect as someone to be the base of Hiro's support and encouragement when he needs it.

I also really like his character because even though he doesn't seem like too much of an important character in the beginning, he proves himself many times, and you learn just how important he is in the big picture. This is really important to me, because even though someone may seem like they have no purpose in the real world, there is no such thing as a useless person. Everyone has an influence, and everyone has a purpose.