7th Grade Basketball - From Two Perspectives

Alex: This is when I began basketball on the 7th grade team. I needed a good social outlet, so I chose to join the team and, pardon the pun, give it a shot. The practices were right after school, and would normally last until around 5pm. The first two weeks were all practices, and you needed 10 to play in the first game, which I think was in the 3rd week of basketball, if not the 4th. Our coach had a huge impact on my life, and was probably the reason why I made it through 7th grade. If I hadn't joined the team, and if he hadn't have been our coach, then I don't know where I would be today, as I had just undergone a tough time, moving from across the United States to a place where I didn't know anybody, and didn't know anything. It was tough. But thanks to our coach, It got easier. He was the most influential person in my life during 7th grade, and he remains an influential person to me today. Seriously, I can't thank him enough. Not only did he teach our team basketball, he taught us amazing values and skills any person should have. He taught us to keep going, and to give it our absolute best. He also taught us to have a good heart and keep good sportsmanship before, during, and after the game. He helped model us into a real team.

Herbie: A young boy walked over a frost covered ground, the sky was gray and his thoughts were clouded. He wore a hooded sweatshirt and basketball shorts. He went into his garage and grabbed his basketball, and then went through his daily routine of shooting into a plastic bucket he used for a hoop. He had nailed it onto the side of his garage and to him it was the same as any other hoop, only the ball just barely fit into it. He liked basketball but had never really played on a team and had rarely played with anyone at all. He was small, even for a seventh grader, and had always thought of himself too short to play basketball. Then one day he got a call from a man named Chuck Todd, Chuck told him how he would like to have him on the team. The boy thought about it for a long time and decided he would give basketball a try. He practiced as hard as he could and Coach Chuck Todd ran the players hard, and encouraged them all to try hard and never give up. When the first game came, to the boys surprise he had made the starting line-up for the seventh grade squad. He was one of the shortest kids in middle school but he played tough because Chuck Todd had taught him how to use his strengths to make up for his weaknesses. His dribbling was below average, but his passing was good. His offense was not very good, but his defense was very good. Thanks to Chuck Todd the boy learned more than just how to play basketball, he learned how things are in life. He learned that you can’t be the best at everything, but if you try hard enough you can do almost anything. The boy was me, Herbie Sisson over three years ago, in the winter of 2008. Much has changed since that first season of basketball, but it will be in my memories forever. Thank you Chuck Todd.

So, from both of us to you; thank you so much Chuck.

You'll always be in our lives as an extremely influential person.

Sincerely,

Alex Grantham & Herbie Sisson

~The Blue Rabbit

The Entertainment World

Did you hear the friend at school who talks about one show after the other that airs on TV? Everybody has a favorite TV show or series that they love to watch off and on. At TV Guide, they have taken a survery to calculate the shows that are watched more and the shows that are less often watched. Since it is such a big list, I will give it to you short; the top ten tv shows are as follows: (1 being the most popular and 10 being the least popular)

#10:      Grey's Anatomy

Plot:
A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.

#9:       Criminal Minds

Plot:
An elite group of profilers analyze the nation's most dangerous criminal minds in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.

#8:       Bones

Plot:
A forensic anthropologist and a cocky FBI agent build a team to investigate death causes. And quite often, there isn't more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones.

#7:       House

Plot:
An antisocial maverick doctor who specializes in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way using his crack team of doctors and his wits.

#6:       The Game

Plot:
A spin-off of "Girlfriends" featuring a group of women who all have relationships with professional football players.

#5:       Dancing with the Stars     

Plot:
U.S. reality show based on the British series "Strictly Come Dancing," where celebrities partner up with professional dancers and compete against each other in weekly elimination rounds to determine a winner.

#4:       Glee

Plot:
A high-school Spanish teacher becomes the director of the school's Glee club, hoping to restore it to its former glory.

#3:       NCIS

Plot:
The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

#2       The Bachelor      

Plot:
Brad Womack - once considered by many to be the "most hated Bachelor" in the series' history - has spent the better part of the last three years going through a radical personal transformation after the shocking finale night that changed his life forever. Now he says he is really ready - and healthier both in body and mind - to make a genuine commitment to a relationship.

#1       American Idol

Plot:
Twelve finalists and/or future singers (six men and six women) who were selected from America, compete in a talent contest in which they were asked to sing any song they like on this "Star Search" clone. After each song that was sung, the judges, Abdul, Jackson and Cowell, then critique that finalist's chosen song. After each show's ending, America must vote for a finalist to whom they really think their performance is good using this AT&T (now Cingular Wireless) or any other cellular phone to cast votes with. Once the votes are locked in, the judges and America decides who has the most and the least amount of votes, and the contestant with the least amount of votes is eliminated, and it goes on each week's show until the winner is crowned as "American Idol," where he/she wins a recording contract worth up to $1,000,000. The rest of the other finalists to whom they have been voted off before (the runner-up) also get recording contracts, too.

If you want to check ou the whole list of the most popular TV shows go to imdb.com

What is my favorite television series you ask? None that are on here; I used to watch some pretty interesting tv shows. Ones like Robin Hood (excellent), Torchwood (spectacular), Primeval (thrilling). Feel free to check these titles out and read the plot summaries, they are really good.
-Rambunctious Commentator-

Caught Up? Psshh, not even close

Mr. Worley thinks he can even begin to beat the blogging master, the ruler of Adobe Photoshop, and the King of Confusion. Hahahah, sadly, he is yet again mistaken. This is why:

The-Constant-Name-Change-Person (Worley): 24 Blogs Total

-Rambunctious Commentator: 19 Blogs Total

~The Blue Rabbit: 32 (Now 33!) Blogs Total


With an 8 (Now 9!) Blog lead, I don't think Mr. Worley will beat me by the end of the year. Unless, of course,

He cheats.

They're making a Clash Of The Titans 2. No joke. I'm terribly sorry

~The Blue Rabbit

THE BEACH

I wonder what's important.  More to the point, how do we learn?  What makes us remember, and what will impact us later in our traveling (the earth)?  Today our history class went to the beach.  Worth while?  Hard to evaluate since we didn't have a quiz.  Hard to gauge since there was no notetaking or discussing Palin and Obama.  Rocks, driftwood, weird smells, and talk-it was worth it and it was educating at its best.  Really!

mm

Picture added by ~The Blue Rabbit

Blog Battle

Dear, dear Mr. Worley. How clever has your mind become to be influenced by my rapid posts of blogs. You now believe that you can win this race, but you are sadly mistaken.

Melancholy will sweep over you as you soon realize this most consequential mistake, and see my inevitable victory ahead.

You're watching me? Well I'm watching you, too. But not just with one eye;



I'm using both.

Supreme Photoshopper,

~The Blue Rabbit

Watch Out BR

\




Watch Out Blue Rabbit! -->










m a m

Big Huge Biggest Hugest

So what's a person to do?  Student comes up to teacher and says: "Hey, come to our bake sale today!  We're raising money for our softball team to attend the state tournament."
Now that's what I need!  I need food since my wife is gone this week.  What better place to get food than at a bake sale?
Can you smell those cookies?  What about those carmel bars?  I want some chocolate covered rice crispies.

So-come to the bake sale and indulge yourself.  You can always buy something and give it away.

m and m

Finals, Lock-In, and Softball!

"What?!"
The word rang out in the highschool as students started to freak out when surprise finals were announced. This would be my first high school year taking finals in every class. Kind of scary once you think about it, but I will definitely be working hard on the tests.

Wow, I didn't know that we were going to have another Lock-in. Lock-in's are fun because they are separate from the regular sleepover with the K-8 grades; It is a sleepover/hangout time with just the high school. The first high school Lock-in this year - my opinion - wasn't very fun. When we schedule different trips and plans away from the elementary and junior high students, it feels like a special trip for high school only; and I like that. That is just the way it has been all this time and I like the way it has been. People didn't act into the games when SA came up with the events for that night. I am being serious, and I may sound harsh, but I just didn't enjoy it like last year. Last year we had many well planned and thought out games to play, and plenty of alternatives were offered to those who didn't want to participate in the other games. Plus, there was a lot more upper classmen last year than this year. There is no harm or put-downs being said against the Student Council, I just know that they could make the event a little better than it was last time.

Go Lady Vikings Softball Team!!! We are off to state to kick some teams around. In this little message from our softball players Alicia Susol and Aliviah Garcia, there will be a bakesale today at the Island Market from 3:30-5:00'ish. Make sure to stop by and buy some interesting and exotic treats to take home and enjoy.

-Rambunctious Commentator

Monday School

Glad everyone was back to school today.  Some were feeling sick but only one high school student was missing.  Just over two weeks left.  Be safe.  Weigh carefully your decisions.

mm

Went To The Auction

Hey, I went to the 2nd annual OCS Auction.  Great things to auction and want.  Lots of great food.  The best part of the food was it was loaded with items that promoted something less than optimal health.

Interestingly, there were very few people there.  Well, I wonder why.  Why were there so few people at the auction?  Here are some reasons that people have given in the past for not attending school events that cost money.  If you don't want to read my opinions then stop reading at this very moment!

#1  I have so much on my plate that I couldn't squeeze in a silly old auction.
      PLEASE!  YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT.  I'M TIRED OF THE EXCUSE, "MY PLATE IS
      ALREADY TOO FULL!"  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE 250 CHANNELS ON THEIR
      TV PACKAGE.  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WATCH AMERICAN IDOL.  THESE ARE
      PEOPLE THAT SHOP FOR EXERCISE.  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER
      POLISHING THEIR CAR OR THEIR SILVERWARE.  TAKE SOMETHING OFF YOUR PLATE
      BEFORE YOU SPILL THE TRUTH.
#2  I don't like auctions.
      OH, I SEE, EVERY FUNDRAISER HAS TO BE THE ONE YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE.  SO
      BE SURE AND LET THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED HARD AT
      PUTTING ON THE AUCTION KNOW JUST EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF A FUND-
      RAISER YOU REALLY THINK IS COOL AND FUN-AND THAT YOU LIKE!!!!
#3 I'm really tired by the time Sunday night rolls along, and I can't drag myself to one more event.
     LET'S SEE, I HOPE THOSE AREN'T THE PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL OFF ISLAND TO
     SPORTING EVENTS, OR TO SEE A MOVIE AT THE MALL.  I HOPE THOSE AREN'T THE
     PEOPLE WHO GO HOME AFTER CHURCH AND EAT A HUGE MEAL, TAKE A SNOOZE,
     DRINK SOME LEMONADE, WATCH A MOVIE ON NETFLIX, EAT THE LEFT OVER
     DESERT, AND THEN HEAD TO BED.  BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE REALLY ARE TIRED
     BY THE TIME SUNDAY NIGHT ROLLS ALONG.
#4 BUT MY FAVORITE IS: I couldn't afford the $25 it cost to get into this event.
     NOW EVEN THOUGH I DON'T CARE IF I MAKE SOMEONE MAD WITH MY PREVIOUS
     ANSWERS, I WANT TO SAY RIGHT HERE THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE $25 IS A LOT OF
     TO ENTER AN AUCTION AND EATS TONS OF SWEETS, LOOK AT ODD OBJECTS AND
     THEN GO HOME.
     BUT PLEASE, THE REST OF YOU...SHAME ON YOU FOR EVEN HAVING THAT THOUGHT!
     WOW!  HOW FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THAT WHEN SOMEONE JUST GOT BACK FROM
     VISITING PARIS!  WOW! I LOVE THE THREE TO FOUR CARS IN YOUR DRIVEWAY! 
     WOW!  I LOVE YOUR 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.  HOW COOL!  YOU WERE ABLE TO
     FLY AWAY DURING SPRING BREAK (YES, I KNOW, YOU FOUND THE CHEAPEST
     TICKETS-AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ANYWHERE IF YOU HADN'T FOUND
     THEM JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!!!!!!).  SUPER!  YOU FOUND SOME NEW CLOTHES
     WITH THE LABEL, COLUMBIA, NORDSTROM, NORTHFACE, OAKLEY, AND _________.
     AND FORTUNATELY THE 25 PAIRS OF SHOES IN YOUR CLOSET WILL KEEP YOU IN     
     STYLE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.  TELL ME ANYTHING, BUT DON'T TELL
     ME YOU COULDN'T AFFORD IT!!!!

     HAVE A GREAT WEEK!  WHEN WILL I SEE THE BLUE RABBIT AND THE OTHER PERSON
WHO KEEPS CHANGING HER BY LINE?

CALM AND CALMER
    

Summer?

It seemed like summer.  All week.  Monday everyone showed up for school and then Tuesday morning 14 students and 6 adults left for the mountains and a science trip.  Six students, the principal, the history teacher, one of the math teachers, and the art teacher stayed on island to continue school in the normal manner.

The sun was bright everyday.  With so few of the high school students in the building, and the weather finally feeling like spring, it was rather unique doing school.  Tuesday I was intense and Wednesday the students said I made them feel defensive.  Thursday they told the math teacher (Anna Vedder) that they'd rather do math than the classes I was teaching.  Wow! Now I felt defensive.  Sean Haugen pretended to be Julius Ceasar.  Aliviah and Alicia pretended to do school and day dreamed of playing softball 24/7.  Kaylee went to Friday Harbor and got her driver's license, and Downtown Danny Brown drove his fancy wheel chair to school at the speed of 7 miles per hour.  Then he drove it in the hallways and up to the Jr. High building.  Sierra Haugen told me I was too intense and took a geometry test that lasted three hours (well not quite).
Mrs. Slavens drove to Auburn, Mrs. Harris helped the softball coach, Mrs. Fox got a new job, and Mr. Roosma walked into my class room eight different times.  Oh, he also went to the doctor and had X-rays taken.  I guess the only thing I did was make the students feel defensive.  My wife brought stevia drops to school so the students could see first hand what this substitute for processed cane sugar looked like.  Sierra said they looked like medicine bottles.

I got off track and somehow led the students into the trenches of World War I.  Then I remembered the Christmas song, "Christmas In The Trenches."  Sean found it on utube.  Sean and I almost cried but didn't tell anyone.  We prayed for the science trippers, softball games, traveling relatives, the health of the people we love, and thanked God for everything he's done for us.

It was a good week.  I wonder what it means-it was a good week.  When will the Blue Rabbit be back?  Go ahead Blue Rabbit, try and figure out my byline.

TFOTRF

Blogging vs Journalism

It's difficult. You have to come up with a topic, first. But there's boundaries.

In our case, it has to be 'clean', and in every one's, it has to be something that your target audience can relate to. It's not exactly like writing a book, but it's close. For instance, a book has to be defined by a genre before it can be published. A blog, however, needs no genre; no identification whatsoever. But it still has to be relative.

You can't exactly blog about your life all the time (though that does work sometimes), you have to talk about stuff people know about for a high amount of readers. However, this doesn't always work, as each person has a different opinion on something than the rest of the world.

See, it's not easy, not at all. I can't deny that sometimes I have to turn to CNN for something to blog about, and I certainly can't deny that I spend a few minutes almost every class period talking to Sierra about different things (basically, brainstorming). I guess you could say I could be a journalist, but if I'm a journalist, I'm just a glorified blogger who gets paid for what he does, but there's a catch;

I have to have a strict opinion.

Now, as everyone, I have an opinion. But mines naturally the same and different compared to another person's. But hey, you can't please everyone, right? But I don't think I could make it as a journalist, really. I can't be defined by one scenario, or even multiple scenarios. I'm a person who you can't judge. At all. It's impossible, because I make it so. You can name me with any given word (excluding indescribable, and words of similar definitions), and I'll be different the next time you look at me.

Sure, you can say that's a bad quality, but being different is good. It makes me, well, me. Plus, I can control it and be good when I need to be, and I can certainly stick with one quality to be described by. But if I were to write as a journalist, I'd get bored of writing the same way all the time, I'd need to change views - but I couldn't because then I'd lose all of my readers, and the ones that dissed my column the first time wouldn't know that I had changed, because they wouldn't be reading it.


Yeah, this blog was random, and certainly crazy. But that's me, and I like being me sometimes.

Zombies aren't interesting, so be indescribable.

Repeating the same action over and over again.
Still expecting a different result.
Still taking different approaches.

~The not-quite-yet-insane Blue Rabbit

"Hey! It's me...Yeah, you're on my TV. Awesome, right?"

Now how is this possible? What would make it possible to be able to see your friend on your TV, and talk with them practically over the phone? We can already do this on our computers through one application; Skype.

So, how could we be able to do this with our TV's? What would make this possible? Could it have something to do with an external device for our TV? A DVD player? A Blu-Ray player? But no, wouldn't you need a camera and a mic? How would that work out? Why don't we all just get a brand new laptop with a camera and a mic and use Skype?

Or is there something new on the horizon...? Possibly through a friendly gaming system. In case you like spoiling the surprise I'm trying to lead up to, you're probably right (Maybe you're wrong). Anyways, if you're not like me, and don't look up something before it is necessary, then this will be news to you.

Skype was bought out by Microsoft.

Here's the math to go along with it:

Microsoft

Xbox Platform

+                        Skype

Skype for Xbox



Pretty neat, huh? Yeah, all you have to do is pay even more money to get the new Xbox Platform (If you haven't already), pay a little extra for Xbox Live (If you haven't already), and pay even more to use Skype to make calls (If you haven't already). Sounds like the whole Netflix thing again...

The NHanced Extractor of Relevant Details,

~The Blue Rabbit

Slap...Snap...Slap...Got You!!!

One of the incredibly fun mixer games the high school played was a clapping game.

You choose one person to go outside of the classroom and then the people inside the classroom choose one person to be the "leader" to start us in a clapping/snapping/hand motion game. The person comes back into the room with everyone following the leader's hand motions. The person who came back into the room then tries to guess who the leader is. The leader can switch hand motions at any time just as long as they don't get caught by the person who is guessing. If the middle person guesses the leader and gets it right, then the leader goes outside to be the guesser, and the former guesser takes that persons spot and picks someone else to be the leader for the person outside of the classroom.

To start off with, Mr. Fox split us into 3 groups and for 20 minutes we would talk with the teacher about what the classes - that they would be teaching - would be like next year. For my group, we had Mr. Worley, and we talked about life lessons and what it takes to be cool. Well, what do you think it takes to be cool? I was thinking the whole time...just being yourself makes you cool. Who cares about what clothes you wear, what your hair-do is, what your personality is like, whether you are sociable or unlikeable for one reason or another. I myself don't care about what others think about me because I have never done anything to them to make them hate me. I don't let it get to me; I don't let it bug me. So just be yourself; if you are anything other than yourself, then you are putting on a fake mask and hiding your true nature.

-Rambunctious Commentator-

Who am I?

Today I, Anna Vedder, am playing Roger Worley, leading his classes.  But does that make me him?  I am doing what he was scheduled to do.  But I do not have his experience, his background, his knowledge. 

I have found many times and in many places that it is necessary to play a role, such as me being Roger Worley today.  I play the role of teacher.  I play the role of student.  I play the role of citizen of San Juan county (recently received a jury summons to prove that one).  Where do these roles end and I begin?  Or are  these roles simply demonstrations and visible aspects of who I am, of my charater?  Can we play a role long enough that we come to believe that is who we are?  If so, who writes the script for the roles we play?

I would suggest to you that the truest script to follow, as it is written by our Maker and the Author of our lives, is that of God in His Word.  He makes the claim that others will know we belong to Him through the love they see in our lives.  He states that to truly follow Him means caring for widows and orphans, in other words, those who have no power or ability to care for themselves.  His love flowing to others through our lives is what it means to be a Christian.  

While "Christian" may not define all of who I am, it must be more than a list of cherished beliefs.  It must be God living through me.  Mental acknowledgement of this religious belief, or that doctrine is not enough.  I need a relationship with a personal God, not a relationship with information about who He is.  And this relationship will permeate all other relationships I have, how I relate to anyone I meet, and every task I do. 

I suggest to you that only through the infinite depths of such a relationship with God can I truly discover the fulness of what it means to be me, or for you to be fully yourself.  Only the Maker knows the full potential of each of us.  Let each of us strive to honor Him, and discover the adventure He has planned for us in reaching for our full potential.

 

Democrats and Republicans?!

I usually avoid discussing politics in public.  I think the exception would be that we discuss what is happening throughout the world in my classes. 
It's hard to take.  It's hard to swallow.  Each of the two major parties are committed to bashing each other.
Why?  Because she who bashes the most will probably win my vote????
Recently, at the attempted capture and eventual death of Osama Bin Laden, a picture was shown on the internet of the President's inner circle watching the secret mission live.  In the picture seen below is Hillary Clinton.  It appears that she is aghast at the "horrible" thing taking place.  Now you get it!  She shouldn't be looking like she can't stand what she is seeing.  She should be rejoicing.  She had to speak on the issue because one political party is accusing her of being soft!  She says she was "probably" covering a cough that she had been experiencing because of her allergies. 
Do I care why she is covering her mouth?  No.  Democrats are just as quick to pounce on every "apparant" mistake that Republicans make.  Is there any objectivity out there, somewhere?

Sarah Palin

May the 4th Be With- Whaaa?

My brother showed me this video a few days ago, and it's got to be one of my absolute favorite videos of all time. Hmmm...seems like something I would do...

Hahahah, she must have heard about the cookies. Where are those, anyways? I joined over a year ago. And still no COOKIES!


May the 4th Be With You this Star Wars Day,

~The Dark-Side-ish Blue Rabbit

Our Trust is His Satisfaction

There are many things on every body's hearts; family, friends, God, lovers, or political crisis'. I can tell you what is on my mind this week. It all happened yesterday...

I have been ill for the past week (AGAIN) and I had my mother pick me up at lunchtime. She then had a doctors appointment to get a check-up on her body. Me; lying on the floor, laptop running, half asleep, feeling terrible, reading Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. An hour or two passes by and I here a knock on my bedroom door, it was my mother. The first thing she said was, "I have some bad news for you..." I looked up from my computer at her with a "what's the bad news" face. She then said that pills were prescribed to her to help her heart actually beat normally because she apparently has Mitral Valve Prolapse. This disease is not supposed to be harmful or life threatening in any way. But the doctor seems to think that she should see if the pills help her. It is a little tough for me right now because I know that she just got out of gallbladder surgery and is still recuperating from that.

So in this case, my mother is my top prayer priority. She seems to be having multiple health problems at once, and it's scaring me. But I know that if God is with her, then he will do everything to help her pull out of this and keep her safe.

We Are NOT FOX

No, no, no. Not the teacher (Then again, we aren't him either). I mean FOX as in © FOX.
Yeah, now you get it. (Thank you copyright symbol!)

So, I'm/We're/You're sure you saw the news regarding Osama Bin Laden, am I/are we correct?
(Okay, enough of the confusing stuff)
Anyways, © FOX decided it would assist in the whole Obama Bin Laden thing (See what's been done there?). So, basically, they screwed up. But not so basically. More like big-time news screw up.

Here's a video for all of you to see:

It doesn't get any better than that, am I right?
Oh, and as a play-on with our previous slogan (Changes normally every week, keep watching it), I so told you; Th OCS 360° is not © FOX News.

*Special thanks to Chris Ghazel for pointing it out on Facebook
**Special thanks to TodaysBigThing.com for posting it yesterday


Fairer and Balanced...er,

~The Blue Rabbit

this is doug



:incoming message from planet 03LT13(Doug):


well, i dont know what to put on here, but as far as i know Osama Bin Laden is dead so thats pretty awesome... and fox news said that obama is dead too so... thats cool... i guess...

:end transmission: