VINE CRAZY

The Mixed Girl Status

There's a stereotype. And if you know me(you probably don't) you'd know I dislike stereotypes. At school people automatically stereotype me as the nerdy Indian girl. Unless I dress like this.

More often, I dress like this.



















 Likewise, I'm not here to talk about appearance, even though my peers often refer to my "inner white girl", or whatever the fudge that means.

Things that make me "white."

• I love Starbucks. I talk about it all the time. I see plenty of black girls in Starbucks.
• I actually don't wear UGGS because I feel bad for the sheep. I instead wear mockery UGGS. To others it doesn't matter. Still classifies as a sort of stylish Autumn boot, even if the inside feels like a wet towel.
• Pretty Little Liars. I hate myself for loving this addicting show. The most iconic drama-mystery on TV. To preteens, at least. With its horrendous role models and cringe-worthy family themes, what's not to love? And apparently, loving it also makes you white.
• Yoga pants. Don't even start with me on this.

So, yes. Even though there are plenty more offensive white girl stereotypes, the ones listed above have been mentioned to me by others more than once.

I have one thought to leave you with. Stay in school, kids, and learn something, so you don't become and offensive blockhead.

Why IXL Math is highly ineffective without prior knowlegde

Parents think they know everything, correct? Even when they don't, they trick you into believing they do. My parents signed my brother and I up for IXL math a few years ago.



Over the years, I've found these issues:

• IXL is NOT flexible with the input. Get a problem wrong? Deducts 10 points. Also, say you enter a hyphen or slash mark by accident, or enter a certain symbol that doesn't affect the answer. Nope, wrong. It frustrates me how incomprehensible and glitchy this site can be. Is it run by a team of monkeys? In some units, you have to use the little provided term boxes to enter in fractions and square roots. If you get your symbols elsewhere, it's marked wrong. Again, this is with certain units.

• Also, instead of actually teaching the skill with a tutorial video before the problems, it throws you right in and expects you to already know how to do it. If Quia had a team of intellectuals, they would know that most users of their site are using the site to learn, not to just review. And the "explanations" are extremely unhelpful most of time. They are not detailed, and leave out things. To be honest, they would be much more helpful BEFORE you did the problem. 

• Khan Academy is a much more useful learning tool. Smaller children may become bored with it, but as an older child, I find the site easier to learn with. Salman Khan can be a bit slow, however the practice units are only 5 questions long. If you answer one incorrectly, however, you must start over.

I mean, it's a math practice site. I shouldn't have to go into parent account to test things out before doing it in my own account. That's stupid, and totally defeats the point IXL so discreetly advertises.(Blunt example of sarcasm)

Last year in 7th Grade, my Algebra 1 teacher told us she wanted to try a new method of teaching. She would send us home with a worksheet and watch a video she would post on her website about the subject matter of the next day. Then, we would come to class the next day and she'd give us more problems.

Maybe IXL should be more like Khan Academy. I'm not saying IXL hasn't honed my mathematical skills at all; in fact, it has improved then more than once. But it was only because I'd learned the skills prior either from Khan Academy, school, or another website.

If I was a tenacious dolt, I'd go on Amplify and write a bashing review of the place. In a way, I just did, but I did it all formal-like with adult words to prove that I'm so much better than all those morons out there.

Just kidding. 2/5 stars.

Jeff's Dating Profile

YouTube Girls and Boys

Lately I've been spending less of my time on Netflix and more time on YouTube, watching baby-faced and heavily idolized college drop - outs attempt to entertain 13-year-olds and partially succeed due to our lack of experience and common sense.
Not to say that's bad. Look at Michelle Phan. She's making millions.

Some of my favorite youtubers are nigahiga, iiSuperwomanii, Connor Franta, etc.

I particularly like iiSuperwomanii(Lily Singh) because she is one of the only Indian youtubers, and she's of course hilarious.

I myself have a YouTube channel I'm currently working on. I have yet to get a tripod so I'm working on my content as of now. I already have some videos up, so like, comment, subscribe, and share.

Anyway, here are some things I've noticed about YouTubers:

·        They are overly emotional and easily excited.

·        They use a lot of hand gestures.

·        Some of them are actually extremely awkward on camera but are attractive so they get popularity.

Some YouTubers try to venture out of their zones, and end up giving WRONG, unhelpful advice that clearly states they have no idea what they are doing.

So, leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Don't forget to visit my YouTube page! 

How to Avoid Doing Chores

Flappy Bird - a Trend

Every once in a while there comes that infuriating, phone-throwing, hair-pulling monster of a game so overrated you wonder what exactly you've done wrong to deserve such torment.

Flappy Bird is that monster.

I discovered Flappy Bird when my friends started posting their scores on Instagram. They were raving about how hard it was, but I was like...

"Yeah, uh huh."

So I downloaded it, and then the addiction arose.
While I couldn't get higher than seven (mostof the time, barely that) my friend used my phone and got me to ten.

Later I got to twelve, but by then my brother had found out about it.

Just like Temple Run and Angry Birds, Flappy Bird will rise high in the media and gaming world...
 Just to be forgotten about and left to float aimlessly.

That said, I will not lie.
Flappy Bird is fun.
But it's too simple.
And reminds me of Mario *shudder*.


So, if I had to rate it...

4 out 5 stars. Just because it's so difficult and the controls are so slippery.

My new Youtube channel!

Hey guys! So I made a new youtube channel. Unlike, my old youtube channel for my old blog, this new channel is much more diverse!
I will review things, AND talk A LOT!
And probably make a skit or something.

Yes! I have posted my first video! It's all about me, naturally (because I'm so awesome).

20 THINGS ABOUT ME

What's Left Of Me - Book Review

WHAT'S LEFT OF ME: The Hybrid Chronicles
Kat Zhang
Published 2012

Genre: Science/Drama Fiction

PLOT

Eva and Addie are twin souls living together in one body. Totally normal, right? It is, but what's not normal is the fact that they haven't settled yet. At four or five, the stronger, dominant soul stays, gaining control of the body, and the recessive, weaker soul dies.

Eva was declared dead at 12, but she's still alive, living in Addie's shadow. All Eva wants is to be normal, just like Addie.

Okay, here's what Priya thinks!

I saw this book at my school book fair. It was either this or Maze Runner, I only had fifteen bucks. I went with this, and Chris Woodham's Silver, since Maze Runner will probably end up like Uglies; old, worn out, and forgotten about, replaced by the now slowly fading Hunger Games.

ANYWAY (See how easily I get distracted?)

What's Left Of Me is a dystopian novel, very much UNLIKE any I have ever read before. I expected it to be incredibly lame, but NO! It was actually enjoyable. Here's why:

1. The Cover
This one's pretty easy to figure out. People only give books a chance if the cover is even worth glancing at. The techy white font, the rainbowish girl - it's all gripping. My kind of cover.

2. The relationship between Eva and Addie
We'd expect Eva and Addie to at least get along somewhat - heck, they share the same body. They're like conjoined twins, except they're not. Yet, the girls obviously love, and need each other. I'm going to shut up about this before I reveal too much.

3. The vivid wording
This book is packed with adjectives. Everything is described so beautifully. It's so... vivid.
See what I did there?

Guess not.

Conclusion
I highly recommend this book! It's the first in the Hybrid Chronicles. I cannot wait to read the two sequels; the third sequel has yet to be released.
 This book was imaginative and dramatic, and kept me engaged. I couldn't even put the book down.

Just like with my food, I'ma  picky reader. If I can't put a book down, you know it's good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Holidays! Today was fun. My friend and my brother and I went to the trampoline park in our area. Then we took endless selfies. Best Christmas Eve ever. 
Right now, it's Christmas Morning here. I'm still up, waiting for Santa... ^___^

Seasonal Panic Attacks and Candy

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while... I've been busy.

News

• I'm starting basketball. -_-
• I might be starting dance again, most specifically contortion.
• My brother still believes in Santa, even after explaining to him that it's virtually impossible to travel the world in one night AND have time to eat cookies AND feed the reindeer. Nope.
• All my friends are away for the holidays. 
• It was snowing. Then it randomly started raining. I hope it snows for Christmas.
• Monty got really fat.
• I'm writing a the first book in what is supposed to be a trilogy.
• I "made" a gingerbread house in Home Economics.
• I learned that some people are just stupid.
• I wrote a slightly "harsh" review of the fall play at my school for my school newspaper. Some people took it personally.
• I made some friends. Pied a teacher in the face. Watched all-out brawls take place. Observed my pied-up social studies attack my FEMALE English teacher from behind, rubbing shaving cream into her head.

Good times.

ANYWAY, I'm now off for two weeks and some, and am very bored. The good news is that one of my friends is still here, so I'll probably be hanging out with her over break, but for now all I have is my seven-year old accomplice.

Oh, and Merry Christmas. 

Today my mom took me shopping for my gifts. I dragged her into PINK and we got the CUTEST STUFF! All these sweatshirts and stuff. EXPENSIVE!

Also, my dad is rebuilding my computer. My brother is about to break his for the 2nd time in 3 years, so I'll see how that turns out.

That's all. Merry Christmas and enjoy the end of 2013, which wasn't so bad actually. 7th grade is borderline awesome(most of the time, anyway) and I actually really enjoyed 2013; it went way too fast.

Oh, and check out my friend Hannah's page, Chicken Tenders and One Direction! She's a little new to the blogging community.

http://chickentendersandonedirection.blogspot.com/

BYE!

Funny Pic of The Day

Winter Stories, Courtesy of Priya

I'm 12, so as you can imagine, Christmas is beginning to lose its magical glow. However, I still have a devoted(if not slightly hysterical) passion for snow. I love it! Just a few days ago it randomly started snowing here, and we got about half an inch. When I returned home, a lot had dried, up but it snowed a little that evening. Most of the snow has dried up now, but some are saying that it might snow a lot this year.

I feel guilty about saying this, but I really enjoyed the Snowmageddon of 2010. I got a week of school, and a month's supply of snow in my large yard.
I was hysterical. I don't even think my five year old brother was as excited as I was.

Funny Winter Story #1:

Every year , my brother somehow manages to smash a heaping pile of snow in my face, and I end up having to stand over the stove for half an hour since we don't have a fireplace.

Funny Winter Story #2:

When I was 11, I took my brother out to play in the snow. I put him on our little plastic sled(we destroyed it with our weight last year) and pushed him down the hill. He was going to fast, and sledded into the neighbor's yard, and fell into a deep pile of snow. It took me a while to pull him out.

Funny Winter Story #3:

I guess this could technically be considered a Christmas story.

When I was in 5th grade, my grandma came for Christmas. She was staying for a while, and the day she came I was still at school. It as the beginning of Christmas vacation, however, so that was the only day she saw me come home from school.

Anyway, after I waltzed through the door in my snow-covered boots, and ran upstairs, I found my grandmother sleeping in my bed.

I turned on my computer, and started watching Nickelodeon's version of "Jingle Bells." They'd played it in school that day.

As soon as I turned it on, my grandmother awoke and started dancing awkwardly, eventually forcing me to repeat the song over 15 times. She claimed that it was, "Her jam."

That's it. Bye.

Why Thanksgiving needs a mascot besides the turkey...

October 31st:


November 1st:


Okay, um... what happened to the Thanksgiving decorations?

Because that was totally uncool.

In a flash, your local Rite Aid transforms its Halloween spooky section into a Christmas wonderland, forgetting all about the one in the middle.

Why? Well, because nobody gets anything. All you do is pretend to be thankful, and stuff large portions of food into your mouth. But, unlike Christmas, there are no trees or presents, and unlike Halloween there is no begging random strangers for glucose.

That's what it's about.
Being thankful.


That's all. Bye.

The Model

I've been thinking... my bird could be a model! I mean, he's cute, he has a nice color, and I've gotten some simply magnificent shots of him in hilarious poses, serious ones, and just plain odd ones.

Take a look...

Photo credit goes to me!

NO doubt about it... this bird's got star quality.

And not to brag... but I'm an okay photographer!

Halloween... Late!

Happy Halloween! I didn't get to post last night because I went out my wee baby brother in the terrible, violent rain storms of autumn. We earned a lot of candy from trick-or-treating!

Here are my full-sized candy bars.

I'd describe how school on Halloween went... but I'd probably scar you in some way, so no.

Inception

Inception Review

by Priya

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Science Fiction

Released: July 13, 2010

Director: Christopher Nolan

Inception centers around a failed architect, Dom Cobb, who has resorted to illegal measures to try and fix his enormously complicated and dark past. His partner, Arthur helps him conduct corporate espionage using highly advanced technology that enables them to travel into the subconscious of subjects, and steal secrets, thoughts, and memories inside of their minds. Most of the movie takes place inside dreams, and almost none of it takes place in the reality.

Dom and Arthur try to steal from a rich businessman named Saito, and make him believe that they are trying to help him. Also, while performing the mission, Mal, Dom's deceased wife from his own mind arrives and messes everything up.

In actuality, Saito had been testing the two men, and wanted them to infiltrate the mind of business heir Robert Fisher, as his dying father Maurice Fisher's large company was engulfing Saito's smaller company. He wanted inception, the act of inserting an idea into someone's mind while they rest.

Influenced from the idea of clearing his name, Cobb and Arthur take the challenge, and gather their team for the job. In Paris, he recruits young architecture student Ariadne to structure the worlds and mazes inside of the dreams. He also gathers Eames, a conman, and Yusuf, a chemist, and together, they do the impossible.

Afterthoughts....

When I first saw this movie, I was astounded. I didn't really understand it, but it amazed me. Everything about it was so intriguing, and the events of the story were more chaotic and real than they actually were.

I decided to watch it again, and try and figure out the details I either missed or forgot from the first time I saw it. I was able to grasp the plot and most of the details, as well as the fast-paced action and swift, yet deranged characters.

The whole movie itself was demented, but not necessarily in the way one might think.

After seeing this movie, I immediately recognized how well the movie was played out. Every corner was covered, and everything came together in the cliffhanger ending. It was not only a science fiction film, but an emotional drama that dealt with the importance of family, and the dark secrets of Dom's mind explained just why he acted the way he did. Mal, Dom's deceased wife, played an important part in the movie; she was the real reason the movie had a purpose. Even though he never saw her alive in the movie, he saw her as his own interpretation of her; it was only what he remembered about her. However, because he couldn't let her out of his mind, she began to work against him, and made everyone's job increasingly more difficult.

The actors did a splendid job, in my opinion. The main cast included Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, Ken Watanabe as Saito, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, Ellen Page as Ariadne, Tom Hardy as Eames, Dileep Rao as Yusuf, and Marion Cotillard as Mal.

The actors and actresses captured the suspenseful moments, the dramatic moments, the sad ones, as well as the comedic ones. The movie's computer-generated effects were astounding as well; the effects made the movie feel so real, and the music added more liveliness.

Overall, this is a must-watch. It's unlike any movie you will ever see, and it's so increasingly difficult to explain that it's easier if one watches it. A warning, though. You may find yourself wanting more after the credits start to roll out, but there is no sequel!

Inception earns a 5 out of 5 from Priya Ray.

Spelling Bee

Yesterday was my middle school spelling bee.

I had been preparing for it, and gone over the word list millions of times.

On Wednesday, I got to school a little early, and had to go to the bleachers and sit with the other kids. Normally I would go to band at that time, but since I was participating in the spelling bee I didn't go. I had my friend test me on my words a few more times.

When I got to homeroom, I stayed at my usual desk and studied until they announced that it was time for the spelling bee to start.

I grabbed my books and walked out of the room, and up the four flights of stairs to the third floor
to the classroom where the bee was held.


The bee began, and an eighth-grader went first, and spelled her word incorrectly. She was asked to leave. A few more kids went, and then it was my turn.

One of my words was, "genetic," and I spelled it correctly!

By the second round, there were only four of us left. They were hard words, but I was prepared.

The boy ahead of me got his word right, but so did I. The two boys that went after me both got their word wrong, however.

Then it was just me and the other boy. One of us would be champion, and the other would be runner-up. I knew what I would be.

The boy was asked to spell, "lucrative."

He spelled it wrong.

My word was, "sedentary." If I spelled that word right, I would be champion.

And so I did.

"S - E - D - E - N - T - A - R - Y," I said.

I won.





So I was the winner of the School Spelling Bee. I'm advancing to the regional bee in March.

After the regional bee comes the Scripps Spelling Bee.


WISH ME LUCK!!

Monday

Today I woke up, and began to moan because I knew I had to go to school for another 9 hours. Then I remembered that I had a doctor's appointment before school. I relaxed, and went back to sleep.

Since the doctor's appointment was at 8:30, we woke up later than usual and left the house in the pouring rain. My mom had planned to take me to school after the appointment, but that never happened.

Traffic was horrendous for an unknown reason, but that was a minor occurrence. We got to the podiatrist's office, and my mom had a heart attack when she realized her flat tire. The appointment went smoothly, but my mother had to call roadside assistance while I stayed in the waiting room and watched the horrible weather forecast for the US.

Unfortunately, the lug nut on the tire had cracked in half. The mechanic put the donut tire on, and my mother drove slowly to Mozda, where we sat in the waiting room for 3 hours watching Rachel Ray while they put on an entirely new wheel.

It was expensive.

For some strange reason, that morning, I knew I most likely wasn't going to school. It wasn't for the reason I thought, which was the appointment extending for longer, and then getting stuck in traffic.

If a child is not in school by 11:30, they are not allowed to participate in any after-school activities, which means that if by some chance my mother had taken me to school afterwards, It would really have been for nothing.



Today was actually really good. I had some McDonald's hash browns, a Crunch bar, and a salad and fries from Wendy's. And of course, I got to skip school.

I owe it all to the cheap and inexperienced mechanics that put the original tire on!

Remembering 9/11

Today is September 11. It's been 12 years since the tragic events that took place in New York. Planes crashed, people died, and things were on fire. We will forever remember this day.

But that's the problem. Most people don't remember that day. They choose to try to forget it, and some don't even know much about it. Why?

Because children in the 10-12 age range were either babies or not even born yet when the towers fell.
My teacher said that we live in another world now. On September 10, 2001, everything was different. Security wasn't as stressed, and people could get away with showing up for a flight 15 minutes before takeoff.

However, I used to visit Washington D.C. often through ages 2-5. I remember seeing the burnt Pentagon and wondering what the heck happened.

He also said that the first sports event to take place was a Steeler Game... in Heinz Field. His buddy had two tickets, but rumours were spreading about something happening at the sporting event, and no one wanted to go with him. So, my teacher went with him, and it took three hours to get in the stadium.  The searched EVERYONE, patted them down and there were marine corp men with machine guns on either side.

 They finally got to their seats at the end of the third quarter.


Now, it's 2013. The "future." The World Trade Center HAS been rebuilt. There are memorials that mark where each tower stood, and at night TALL light beams shine up, towards the sky, forming the tall buildings that used to stand there.