Blogging.

Blogs are a weekly event in the grade 8 classes, and for most people, a huge hassle. As I sit here writing this blog I am 2 blogs behind, and am currently using the spare time given after our LA exam to cram this in. We're all busy, whether with extracurriculars or just other homework, and no one wants to have a weekly hassle of having to write 3-5 paragraphs of original creativity.

Though the majority of grade 8s would disagree with me, I think blogs are a good thing and have helped me a lot throughout this year in improving my writing skills. As most experts say, practice makes perfect. And just like in sports where we practice every week, we should also practice our writing.

At the beginning of the year I was getting low 70s on all my blogs, and about midway through the year I began getting high 70s. Recently all my blogs have been marked within the mid 80 range, and I am extremely proud to have made that progress. Though I don't plan on becoming a writer, I am extremely glad that I acquired this skill and it also just motivates me knowing that I accomplished something like improving my grade in writing.

Though students may not like it, I highly recommend blogging as a weekly task as it has helped me enormously. Remember, it will start out as a pain in the butt, but no pain no gain!

Starbucks Vs. Tim Horton's

Everyone knows and loves a good hot chocolate or coffee from Tim Horton’s or Starbucks. It’s the world’s boost of energy when they start their day. But which one is better?

Starbucks. It’s known around the world for it’s unique drinks and nutritious goals. Starbucks supports good causes, such as fresh water in developing countries, helping cure HIV/Aids, Youth Action, and it has a whole section of the company devoted to making the Earth more green and saving the environment. They support recycling and saving energy, so when you buy a drink from Starbucks, not only are you quenching your thirst, you are also making us one step closer to solving world issues. Though Tim Horton's is delicious, it doesn't come close to having the same greatness as Starbucks.

As a Canadian, I’m proud to have Tim Horton’s, a restaurant that sells sandwiches, bagels, doughnuts, hot drinks, and their signature Timbits, and it is unique to Canada. But if told to choose, I would definitely go with Starbucks over Tim Horton’s. The selection at Starbucks is much wider, and every drink is unique. They also have tons of healthy food there, as well as cakes and muffins. It’s the package deal and people all over the world love it. One day Tim Horton's may rise to the top and become the most popular beverage/snack company in the world, but for now, Starbucks claims that prize.

I commented on Harley's blog.

Facebook

You tell yourself you're just signing in to check your notifications, you'll be in and out in 5 minutes. You know you are lying to yourself though, and sure enough, one of your friend has posted some new pictures that you just HAVE to check out. You notice a girl you don't know in one of those pictures, so you decide to check out her profile. Soon you are caught in a frenzy and have to force yourself to shut off you computer after what was supposed to be 5 minutes, turned into an hour.

Facebook. Everyone has it, and those who don't have heard about it. It was launched in 2004, and has already become the most popular social networking site in the world, with over 400 million users! Facebook was originally meant for university students to stay connected with their family and friends, but quickly evolved into a site for people of all ages. Though the minimum age to use Facebook is 13 years old, many kids even younger than that use it!

Facebook is used to connect with friends, whether you are having a live chat or just posting on each others walls. There is also an application called inbox, which is just like emailing. So really, if you have Facebook, there is no need for MSN or an email account. Facebook is also used to post pictures of you and your friends, and you can tag everyone in it, so that everyone knows exactly who is in the picture. There are many other applications on Facebook that suck up your time and attention. Though Facebook is really useful for staying connected, it also has many downfalls.

Too many students spend all their free time on Facebook, and then never get their homework done. I am one of them. It's addicting, and I can't help myself. On average I would guess that I spend about 2 hours on Facebook every night, and about 4 hours on all social networking put together. Social networking, especially Facebook, has gone crazy in the past few years, and something needs to be done about the amount of time teens spend online.

I commented on Maddie's blog.

Justin Bieber-King of Pop?

Justin Bieber. Two words that have caused girls around the world to cheer, cry, and even faint. Every girl worships him for his amazing singing voice and extremely good looks. But is he good enough to be the King of Pop?

Lately people have been comparing Justin to Michael Jackson, and saying he is the new King of Pop. Michael Jackson was a legend who will be remembered forever, and is Justin? I don't think so. Sure, Justin has and great voice, but he isn't even in the same league as Michael Jackson. People are saying Justin is the King of Pop solely

based on his good looks and age.

Justin Bieber has produced 2 hit albums and some awesome singles, but in comparison to what Michael Jackson has done, that is nothing. Not only did Michael Jackson sing (from a very young age), he also helped out charity a lot. Michael Jackson had some troubling events in his life, but in the end he was an amazing person and a great role model.

Justin Bieber also started singing at a young age, and is on the right track to stardom. With lots of support and help from his fans one day in the future he might become as great as Michael Jackson, but for now, Michael Jackson still holds the title of King of Pop.

I commented on Andie's blog.

Dance

Dancing is a high energy sport that requires flexibility, strength, and balance. I do dance for about 8 hours a week, and it really pays off. Some people say that dance doesn't qualify as a sport, but I think they're wrong.

There are lots of different kinds of dance, for example jazz works your fitness and energy, and ballet works your strength, flexibility, and coordination. Different styles of dance all have different routines. Not only does dance help you physically, but it's also really fun. You get to get exercise while hanging out with friends and competing on a team. There is really cool costumes for each dance you do and you wear lots of costume make up. Dance involves a lot of glitter, hairspray, and gel.

But dance isn't all just glamour. I do a lot of sports and dance is by far the hardest. You have to work for long hours to learn and perfect the techniques and moves. And once your good at certain things, you move on to harder things, so its a constant learning and working process. Dancing can be something that you continue all through your life, no matter what your age is. I know plenty of adults who dance competitively!

I believe that a sport is something that you do to get some exercise, gain fitness, and have fun whether it's competitive or not. Dancing meets all of these requirements, so I really don't see why it isn't a sport.

I commented on Cassie's blog.

Goals.

Setting goals is a really important ingredient for planning your future and having a successful life. If you don't have a goal, or something to aim for, you'll never get anywhere. Even if it is just a small goal that you can build on, it is better than nothing.

It may seem like an impossible task to set a goal, or maybe you have too many things you want to do and you can't decide which to aim for. Some people feel that if they set a goal and work towards it, they may change their mind and end up with nothing. The most important thing is to stick to your goal. Even if it gets you somewhere that doesn't help your circumstances, at least you know you have the ability to reach it.

Reaching goals gives you the confidence to set new, bigger and better goals. When you feel like you can do something, you're more motivated to do it. If you continue to accomplish things you can set more and more goals until you are extremely successful. For example, you set a goal to get to level 5 in piano. Once you reach that goal you feel like you can accomplish other things like playing guitar, or even singing. And motivation from all these things to keep trying and moving on to better things.

When you have a goal, you have a place to go. There is a destination ahead of you and when you reach it you will feel the pride of getting there and know you can keep moving forward. Without a goal you're just wandering around taking what's given to you and hoping for the best. But you will never be the best or truly good at something unless you aspire to do so. Without a goal you are always second best, you will never go above and beyond.

If you don't know where you are going, you will get lost. I believe that everyone should have a goal so they never get lost in life. Goal setting is the key to success in all things you try.

You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.
-Yogi Berra

I commented on Olivia's blog post.

The Lone Nut

Have you ever wanted to start something, but you were too afraid to? Were you unsure if people would follow and catch on? Most people feel this way when they want to start something, but if you are too afraid to start it, chances are other people will be too and nothing will happen.

Everyone thinks that the person who really makes a difference is the one who starts the trend or idea, and sure they may have started it, but it would be nowhere if it weren't for the first followers. Once there is some followers people may realize it is "cool" and they will catch on too. The people multiply after that and soon it becomes uncool to not follow.

For example, one day a girl comes to school wearing a pink ribbon to support breast cancer research. Everyone thinks she is weird at first for wearing this ribbon because it's not making a difference. She keeps wearing the ribbon anyways, despite a group of people who make fun of her. Soon, some friends join in and wear the ribbons, and then friends of friends until a whole bunch of people at the school are wearing it. Now so many people wear these ribbons that the group who made fun of her before start wearing them too. It has become the new fashion trend. And this is how it starts. The leader is the spark of the fire, but the first few followers are the gasoline poured on top to make the whole thing ignite until it is spread to everyone.

So in my opinion, being the first follower is just as good as being a leader, and you should never be afraid to be these things, because sometime soon, whatever you start will become the big thing, and people will look back and connect it to you. Don't be afraid to make a difference :)

I commented on Maddie's blog post.