Friday, October 30, 2015

Rico Sanchez: Scare Tactics

The air was like ice, cold and damp just like the Amazon. Rico woke up not knowing where he was or what he was doing in this strange place. What bothered him the most was the eerie sound coming from behind the locked door.  As he put his giraffe head to the door a loud bang sounded off and startled him raw. Rico scrambled back into the corner, hiding in the dark from whatever had made that noise. He was scared for the first time in his life, never before had he encountered a situation such as this. 

After several days passed Rico’s situation still had not changed and was starting to get hungry. Everyone knows that a giraffe can only live a week without food and that date was speedily approaching. In order to survive Rico had to devise a plan for his escape. Within hours Rico had something that he thought would work. Using his mad prison knowledge and awareness of his surroundings, he had created a plan so genius that it had to work. At once he got started. Taking the lamp that had once illuminated the room, Rico throws it at the barricaded wooden door and smashes it into pieces. Casually he walks out of the room like nothing happened. However, the next room he walks into is the same as the last. “How can this be” Rico proclaims. Is this a dream or real life? Maybe both, but only time will tell.


Depressed that he was so close to freedom, Rico contemplates what to do next. Food is still an issues and he does not have many choices. As a last resort he submits to his animal instincts and eats the broken door that he had just busted. It goes down rough but it hits the SPOT. No longer hungry, Rico finally has time to relax. He cleans up his prison and sweeps the floor to make things look nice. He encounters a few ghosts and rats while cleaning, so he captures them and takes them as his prisoners. After hours of interrogation he gets the information that he has initially after. He knows where he is being held captive, and according to one ghost he is one where in North Dakota. Outraged by this atrocity, Rico screams at the top of his lungs. It takes him a while to calm down, but after he does things go back to normal. Rico and his prisoner play some card games to pass the time, nothing too serious just some Gold Fish and Slapjack. Of course Rico wins all the games because he is a master of the dark arts and card games. Rico eventually gets bored of playing card games and kills his prisoners. Alone once again Rico decides to make one final attempt at escape. He looks around the room and notices a ladder leading up to another room. As he climbs he notices something familiar about the place that he is in. It is as if he has been there before, and as it turns out he was in his basement all the time.

Comment Summary

These are the comments I posted on Riley's blog:

Hello there, 
Nice job of this piece Riley! I like how you personified the lights and gave them there own unique personality. It helped lighten up your story and added a little humor at the same time. Keep up the good work!-Ben

Hello there, 
Well done Riley. This story is was very entertaining and it was nice to finally find out how Owl Pichino came to be himself. The sick owl puns also helped keep the reader interested. I also liked the star wars references you threw in there. I especially liked the line, "I'm not talking Star Wars, although I was a Sith Lord for a little later on down this rocky road we call life, I'm talking police force." Nice work and keep it up man.
-Ben

Hello there,
I really liked this article. It had a little something for everyone. It was really nice to see so many characters come together in one story. It was truly riveting. There were so many twist and turns that I did not know what was going to happen next. Anytime the my attention started to fade you brought in a new character or setting which helped keep me interested and made this story that much better. I hope to see more of this in the future. Good work!
-Ben

These are the comments I posted on Riley's blog:

Hello there,
Good work of this post! It was very entertaining and your responses seemed very thoughtful. I liked how you said, "My best hiding spots as a kid were in really small spaces like cabinets under the sink because I was really small." I also remember doing that as a kid and how fun it was to play. Your post was very relatable and helped for a connection between the author and the reader. Nice Job!
-Ben

Hello there, 
Nice work as usual. It is so nice to see another fan of Toby McGuire. He was a close second to who I would want to play me in a movie. In addition, I agree with what you said about how you could not pick you favorite movie because there are so many. I also find this hard because there are so many good movies to chose from. Nice work.
-Ben

Hello there,
I thought you raised some good questions and would also be interested in how much a typical author makes off of a children's book. I would also agree that life never turns out how we plan and we just have to make do with what we have. You gave good and meaningful advice. Keep it up!
-Ben

These are the comments I posted on Josh's blog:

Hello there, 
I liked how creative your post was. It was spooky and the plot of your story was very interesting. I also thought that the specific potion and details you listed really added to the Halloween spirit.
-Ben

Hello there,
Nick job on this post! I also agree that "movies that keep the viewer wondering what could possibly happen next and ones that make you think about how it could have gone any better or worse for the characters" are the best movies around. In addition I also like to have a comfy seat when I am watching movies. Keep up the good work.
-Ben

Hello there,

Nice Job! I enjoyed this piece quite a bit. I can relate to climbing trees as a child because I also used to do that. Overall, a very good post and keep up the good work.

-Ben


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Rico Sanchez: If There is an Answer, He Will Find It

The day came when Rico was no longer accepted as one of his fellow tribe members. To old and too wise for these school boys to play around with, Rico knew it was time to go. So he left his family behind in Africa and started his new life in another part of Africa. Here he would be free to pursue his passions and look for an answer to life’s innermost questions. Contemplating for days questions that deal with time, space, and the final frontier. Rico found himself unbound to the space time continuum. He could travel back and forth through time by trotting at supersonic speeds. This allowed Rico to finally take some time off and get back to the real stuff. With all of this time on his hands he did not know what to do with himself. He realized that he was unique and needed to use his time travel abilities in a way to help others. So, he formed a plan. Rico traveled so far back in time that he was walking with dinosaurs, it had always been a dream of his to see a velociraptor.  Although, he did not know it at the time, those dinosaurs are not good friends. He still tried his hardest and after time he had talked his way into a herd of these animals. At last Rico was one with his kind. He roamed the earth, doing as he pleased with his dinosaur brethren at his side. It seemed Rico was finally happy, it nothing last forever. One day as he was chowing on some leaves, he looked up at the sky, and to his horror, he saw a giant meteor. Right then he knew it was time to leave this time, but he knew he was abandoning all of his fellow dinosaurs. With a heavy heart, he went back home and never looked back. Some say Rico is an animal for what he did, they would be right. He is a giraffe.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Rico Sanchez: A Rico Sanchez Halloween

On Halloween night, while trick-or-treating we passed the cemetery. Suddenly we all felt a cold and spooky wind, imagine my tongue in your mouth. That’s what it was like. Kermit, Rico, and Chip all had their equal share of candy that night. Man were they jazzed. We of course are not talking about real candy, we are talking about the sweet sweet taste of crack cocaine. Perched on top of Rico, Kermit and Chip ride that spotted beast bareback as they jam out to Monster Mash. As we stumble through the graveyard, we make our way to our boy, Jason Seagull’s grave. Can we just add a few sentences on Jason Seagull real quick? Is he a Muppet or a man? I will tell you, he is somewhere in-between. This is the essence of the Seagull, he flies by his own rules riding on the wind of destiny. Not bound by the mortality of man, but sadly he passed away five years ago in a freak Seadoo accident. No one loved their Seadoo like Seagull, he went down doing what he loved, just like Paul Walker.  Oh it’s been a long day without you my friend. I will tell you all about it when I Seagull you again. Back to the story.

I’m not usually one for wet faces, but mine was like a flippin rain storm, pitter-patter pitter-patter. The sound of my pain echoes in my brain. Rico and gang were surrounding Seagulls grave now mourning the loss of a great man. In the corner of their eye they see a giant frog king, nothing too crazy. But don’t get me wrong, it was crazy. He was performing an ancient ceremony only know to the frog people. He drew a 100 emoji on an unmarked grave with the blood of his enemies. I felt witchcraft in the air, and then I saw the corpse of my once good friend Owl Pacino rise from the huna emoji. He was wearing a black robe and a red light saber. He could only be one thing, a Sith Lord. There back baby, and were are not talking Star wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. We are talking about real Sith, original trilogy bro. Luckily, we double jumped away in the wrong direction with Frog King in tail. Again we were left alone with Jason. Why Jason?

They were after us. Owl’s vengeance was like that of an angry old man. Crazy but stern like a ship. Starship, Star Wars. Yeah baby! As they levitated off the ground, no more than three maybe four inches. They force lighting Chip in the back. He was dead. It’s okay though, no one really knew why he was there. He just kind of showed up, did he even know Jason? Idk man. Honestly, the less weight on my back the better. He always talked up his pool game, newsflash buddy squirrels can’t play pool. One thing lead to another and we were on the Titanic, couldn’t tell you how, maybe Jason, I know you’re out there somewhere. As it turns out Leo was on this same departure. No one could fill the void that Jason left, but Leo did a pretty good job. I dreamt of him. Inception. Now back to the story.

Sith Lord AquaPacino flew in to see it set sail. As the gang made their maiden voyage, Owl had his own plans. Calling forth all spirit animals of the deep in both dimensions, he was attempting to sink the Titanic for the second time. Little did he know one guy claimed it was unsinkable.   Owl didn’t care. Like a pine in the winter, Kermit was still green. Any hoot, a lot of sea creatures started fondling the boat, I think I even saw the Kraken. I was awakened from my dream of Leo by moans of the deep. It could only be one thing. Owl had finally found us. Luckily we had recruited the Jack Sparrow and he had been following us the whole time in the black pearl. Jack Sparrow and crew suddenly board our ship, eager to engage in ballroom dancing. Prior to getting on the Titanic, everyone agreed to have a formal before the final battle royale. I put on my best suit and so did Kermit, and we went just as friend’s maybe more. We will see how the night goes. Everyone was there, Kraken on Piano and as the stand-up comedian. Boy was he Kraken everyone up. Our eyes locked as Owl entered the room, looking as suave as ever. Dang could the talons fit in a pair of nice oxfords. We decide to dance. We were once close partners, but this would be the last time we were partners.  We requested “Forever Young” and hit the floor.  Swaying to and fro I realized I missed the old times.  I think I saw a tear in his eye. I knew he felt it too.  After the dramatic finale of that great song Owl took off his white glove and slapped me across the face with it.  “I trusted you,” he said, “and you betrayed me.  See you on the battlefield bub.” With that he exited and the party died down a little after that.  Me and Kermit went back to the room and got a good night sleep before the big fight.

The morning was the first time we realized how screwed we were. Man. It was literally just me and Kermit and Captain Jack against Owl and the creatures of the deep.  Luckily we had made an ally during the dance.  His name was Jim he was a pretty cool guy.  Once the battle started Cap Jack shot at the titanic attempting to hit the Kraken, but he punctured the hull and hit Jim.  Direct impact, I’ve never seen anything like it.  A little embarrassed Captain Jack sailed away, and we were alone.  Backed in to a corner on a sinking ship we thought it was over. But behold, the Seagull lives.

Riding on the back of a giant Seagull, Jason flew into our rescue, and took us away from the troubles of the world.  Like he always does. Force throwing his light saber he executes the kill command, dealing 10 damage directly to Owl Pacino. Death upon impact. Not a tragedy. The light saber returned to Jason’s hand with the blood of many, he killed the entire ship without leaving the seagull. This is why I love him. When the hammer fell, Jason and gang stood resolute. He keeps me safe. . .

. . . After we came off the drugs we realized it was all just a dream.  That cocaine was laced with something man.  We came to in a bath tub with a titanic toy.  I and Kermit were okay, but Chip drowned, he wasn’t a strong swimmer.  Jason was the one to come and drain the bath and give us a towel.  Jason Seagull is my boy.



Written in part by Ben, Brown, and that other guy(DAN).

Friday, October 23, 2015

Dan In Real Life Questions

17.) Describe your perfect day.
Answer: My perfect day would start with me waking up at exactly 10:30. From there I would go out to breakfast and enjoy the morning. Next, I would read for a little while and maybe take a nap on my hammock outside. After my mid-morning nap I would wake up well rested and ready for the rest of the day. Then I would head back inside and make myself some lunch. Nothing fancy, probably just a sandwich and some chips. Then I would go hang out with my pals and have an all around good time. From there, we would hangout till dinner-time. I would go back home and eat dinner with my family. later that night I would watch some television and just relax. Going to bed at 11:00 on the dot.

18.) What are some good pick up lines you have heard?
Answer: Some of the best pick up lines I have heard over the years are: Do you live in a corn field, cause I'm stalking you. Are you a banana? Because I find you a-peeling. Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see! Are you lost ma'am? Because heaven is a long way from here. Are you Jewish? Cause you ISRAELI HOT. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put 'U' and 'I' together. You're so hot, that if you ate a piece of bread, you'd poop out toast! You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.

29.) Where would you like to have a vacation or getaway home like the one Dan's family has? What would the place be like?
Answer:If I were to have a vacation home anywhere in the world it would have to somewhere near the mountains in Colorado. I have been skiing and snowboarding many times, but having a house in this region would allow me to go more often. In addition, it would also be a nice climate change from Missouri. Where I live now we do not get much snow, but my vacation would get quite a bit. I love the snow and huddling around a fire when it is snowing outside. In the summer having a house would also allow me to go white water rafting and biking in the mountain. This would be the perfect vacation house for me.

30.) Are you a good bowler?
Answer: I would say that I am a below average bowler. My professional bowling career started and tragically ended in the fourth grade. That was the year I participated in the bowling club at my elementary school. The team consisted of me Cole, and Logan. Three of the most average bowlers around. We did okay throughout the system but lost the majority of our games, probably because of me. Even though we did not win a trophy at the end of the year. We all had a good time and I have been bowling several times since. Every time I go there is noticeable improvement in my skills as a pro bowler.



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Movie Quotes





Real Life


My favorite movie has to be Rise of The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior, specifically on blu-ray. That movie has a little something for everyone, action, adventure, mystery, and a little romance. Some of the movies that I generally do not care for are horror movies. I like to go to the movies to enjoy myself and escape from the world, and horror movies just make me anxious and I get no pleasure out of watching them. I do not go out to the movies very often, but when I do it is probable once a month at Campbell 16. I watch most of the movies at my house because it is more comfortable and enjoyable. In order for me to have the proper movie going experience I need a few things. The room must be dark, providing the optimal viewing experience, I must have popcorn and something to drink throughout the movie, and people can not be talking or else the movie is ruined. These are the conditions in which a movie going experience is best for me. I go to Campbell 16 the most mainly because it is closest to my house and is easy to access. I can quickly go there and catch a movie within 15 minutes, which is nice if I have nothing to do on a Saturday. After taking the survey, it revealed several facts about my movie going self. It said that I watch movies manly for escapism and I would have to agree with that. I like to watch movies that capture my attention, which allow me to loose myself in the movie.  If my life were a movie I would be played by the fantastic Tom Cruise. They would make up a ton of stuff about my life and make it seem action packed. Tom Cruise would swoop in and save the day, but would be tragically killed at the end.  Everyone loves a good tearjerker. That would be a good movie if you ask me.

Future Responses

Two interesting ideas that Mr. Odom talked about on Monday was how difficult it is to publish a book and how effective a critique group can be to your writing.  I never realized how hard it would be to publish a book and that writing it would be easy compared to selling it to an agent or publisher. In addition, the information he shared about critique groups was very helpful to anyone who hopes to become a writer or who go into a career related to writing. One questioned posed to Mr. Odom yesterday asked him about his writing style and he shared that there is no right or wrong way to go about it, just write however you are most comfortable with.

In 1 year I hope to be completing my first year of college, in 5 years I plan on having an introductory job in my career or still in college, in 10 years I hope to have a steady job and a family, in 50 years I hope to be retired and living life to its fullest.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Rico Sanchez: A Night Out

This tale beings just like any other, with Rico Sanchez. The man of the hour. The unstoppable and lovable Giraffe that has broken the hearts and souls of every person or animal he has ever met. We find him this week in a special NECK of the woods. He has gotten himself into trouble yet again. Oh Rico, what are we going to do with you.
FLASHBACK!

The year 2010. Rico 10/10. He is looking great today. His skin is illuminated by his habitual use of skin lotion. He takes care of himself. That is beside the point though. Today for breakfast Rico has decided to venture down to the local diner. He has not been there since he was thrown out last time for eating their shrubbery. This time will be different he tells himself, after years of therapy and meditation Rico has converted to being a carnivore. As he enters the diner the staff seems to have forgotten the incident so he trots over to the bar and takes a seat. He orders some chicken-fried steak, a delicacy from his homeland. While he waits for his food he sneak out the back to take care of some unfinished business. He goes down to the bank on fourth and scouts the lobby. Years of research and careful planning have lead up to this exact moment. I place boom box on the ground and start playing, “Born to be Wild” and put my plan into action. I start prancing around and swinging my neck like never before. I hit a few people with my neck swoops before security starts to shoot. They’re too late though, you cannot stop Rico once he has begun dancing. In prison they called it the helicopter of doom, and it got me out of a lot of sticky situations. Within minutes the room was cleared and the vault was wide open. I open my money pouches to receive they well deserved money. I walk out of the bank, clean as a whistle. As I walk down the street I here sirens and play it cool. They fly by and I can see them stopping at the bank, they don’t suspect a thing. I stroll in back to the dinner and my food has just been served, it is still hot, just like Rico. I eat my steak with dignity and reach into my pouches for the money I just robbed. It is just enough to cover the bill, I scored big today. Rico out.

-Written in Cahoots with Kermit

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Michelangelo Poems


Pieta for Vittoria Colonna

Hey man stop that,
why cant we just be friends and have a nice chat
its seems like everyone is trying to be a cool cat.
Hey man stop that,
come kneel down on my prayer mat
we can have a good time and talk about Pat
Hey man stop that,
don't wear that straw hat
you look like a naked mole rat
that is never a good thing.



The Conversion of Saul

As a beam of light comes down he all stare in awe
where does it come from, should we question the law
I think I've got it, aha!
We all clap and yell hurrah
The day is saved, now we must withdraw.
We go about the day as normal, but we know what we saw
lets take the rest of the day off and go to the spa
we need to escape from the devils' claw
never must we speak of this, not even a blah
the rest is history, there is no flaw.







Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Art Walk: Rico Sanchez

If there is one thing that Rico enjoys in life, it would be flowers. Boy does he love a good flower. If there is anything to say about Rico and his flowers is that he loves them very much. He has become an avid gardener producing many flowers on a daily basis. On the weekdays he tends to his flower, but on the weekends he goes on crazy adventures in search on new flowers. To sum up Rico's love for flowers in one word would be impossible. Even though there is no natural connection between a flower and a giraffe, Rico has created one. He plans to grow old with his flowers. They give him comfort and a piece of mind. Without them he would be lost in time and wouldn't be able to live. All in all, the Rico and flowers mean one thing, goodness.

At an early age Rico showed a keen ability to like flowers. Instead of eating vegetation like his fellow giraffes, he encouraged it to grow. He started with dandelions and graduated his way to roses. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed the flower way of life. Eventually, he grew up and his love for flowers only grew. He join clubs and associations about flowers and the rest is histoy.

Artist Profile: Michelangelo

One of the most famous artist of the renaissance period and a prominent figure among turtles, Michelangelo is considered among the greatest sculptors and painters of all time. He was born on March 6, 1475 in what is now considered Tuscany, Italy and died at the age of 88 on February 18, 1564. He had a rough childhood.  His mother died when he was only six years old and his father lost his job. After a few years, he found some apprenticeships and found his footing in the art community. He would later go on to create famous works such as The Statue of David, The Last Judgment, and Pieta.