Stats, Stats, Stats

     Today I was viewing the statistics of my blog and I was quite interested to see that the majority of people this week who viewed my blog were actually not from the United States- they were from Pakistan. This honestly surprised me, seeing as I have never been to Pakistan and most likely never will go there. Not because I have anything against your country, my Pakistani friends, but simply because I have no reason to visit you. I don't know anyone who lives in the Middle East and my only overseas relatives live in Germany, which is a far cry from Pakistan any day.
     This bit of information also led me to wonder why a person from a country so different from my own would be interested in reading what I have to say. Take my last post for example- "Marching Magic". I don't think you have marching bands over in the Middle East, but maybe I'm wrong? Or maybe you just enjoy reading about high school band geeks from the U.S. Who knows? 
     But whatever the reason you people from Pakistan read this blog, I encourage you to keep reading. For me, the idea of having such an international audience is quite fascinating, even if most of you probably stumbled upon Life as a Starving Poet by accident and left the page within moments of arriving. So don't give up on me alright? Even we bloggers need some encouragement now and again:)
Thanks for listening,
Maggs.      

Marching Magic

Dut. Dut. Dadadut (two three four). Dut. Dut. Dadadut (two three four). Dut. Dut. Dadadut (two three four). The sharp sound of a snare drum echoes off the brick walls of the local high school as I march in formation. The weather is just warm enough to make marching a sweaty task, and I find myself longing for the cold of this morning, when I had to scrape the frost off the car's windshield and when my breath showed clearly in the air. Welcome to October in Southern Wisconsin- warm days, cold mornings, and night temperatures below freezing. This time of the year is known as autumn, fall, or otono, if you speak Spanish (please excuse the lack of a tilde, by the way). But it has another name too. Autumn is marching band season. And marching is exactly what I'm doing outside on this fine October day. As the sun climbs higher, as it nears the climax of its daily journey, what do we do? We march. Around the school. In the road. 

     I know what you're thinking- you're wondering why I was marching in a road when I should've been in school learning about the chemical structure of carbohydrates or taking a test on Spanish verbs. But to tell you the truth, I don't care about that right now. Right now I'm in the zone. I'm keeping my head high, roll stepping to the beat as if my life depends on it, using my eyes to look around me and make sure I'm in line, make sure I'm "covering down" and "dressing to the form" and all that. I'm remembering the music I so carefully memorized,  letting it flow through me and gather emotion. I'm watching my section leader's feet, making sure my left foot hits the ground at the same time hers does. There is so much to remember that it seems impossible. But for a moment, I've got it- for just a second, I glimpse a bit of what this is supposed to be. 

     And then it's all gone, with one shouted "halt!" from the director. We keep marching for a few steps, and then understand what's happening. Many of us stop, but some keep playing the next few notes, trying to hold on to that perfect feeling when the music, the beat, and your feet are all working together and the practices you've been having since June finally pay off. It sounds perfect to us, but not to the director- no, not to him at all.

     "First of all," he says, "your feet aren't in time. You've got to listen to the beat! And tubas, that can't be so slow. You're the tubas, for Pete's sake! You're the engine of this band- it has to be better!" To him, there are a million things wrong. But to a freshman like me, it's perfect- pure marching magic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 
Thanks for listening,
Maggs   

Formal Apologies

When I visited my blog today, I was horrified to discover that I only posted once in the month of September. That is why I'm here now, offering you, my group of devoted readers (maybe not so devoted anymore, but I'm going to change that), my sincerest apologies. I now promise that I will write more than once in this wonderful month of October, and do my very best to entertain you all and add some more people to my audience.

And now, for the best part of every apology: the excuses. But please, before you remark upon my rather cynical belief that most people can't admit they're wrong without justifying said wrongdoing, listen to my personal excuses, and you'll see what I mean:

The Writer's Reasons For Ignoring Her Blog

• She has been braving the dreaded high school, and that frankly is enough for one girl to handle
• The homework epidemic grows worse each day, and it's hard to find time to write when there are four tests to study for, as well as a reading assignment and some algebra nonsense to complete
• Extreme lack of sleep
• Two words: marching band
• If she gets any time on the computer at all, the evils of Facebook distract her until she has to go to bed
• A busy schedule: after school, she has homework and more homework, and on the weekends there's band to be considered.
• Lastly, sometimes our intrepid writer is just too lazy to get her poetic heinie down the computer to write for a while

Those were my excuses, dear public of mine. Hopefully they have satisfied your craving for a post from moi (if there was any craving to begin with, that is), and now I'm off to see the Wizard. But never fear, I shall return before the month is over!

Thanks for accepting my apologies.

Love, Maggs

A Bit of Interest

Today, with the help of my Eastern Cultural Studies class, I discovered something quite interesting. This something is called Glogster, a site where anyone can start an account and then create all sorts of virtual posters. These posters can be used to try out some of your writing skills on the public or to vent off steam about a particular topic. You can also use a poster to advertise for a site, which, believe it or not, I did. So go take a look at Glogster (www.glogster.com), and who knows what you'll create next?

New York City

If I was given one word to describe New York, that word would be busy. Everywhere you look, people are running back and forth, speed-walking somewhere, jabbering into cell phones, or hailing cabs. But not only is the city full of locals! It is also filled with tourists.

One of my first thoughts on going to NYC was that whatever I did, I did not want to look like a tourist. Therefore, I purposefully didn't wear my Hawaiian shirt and tastefully left my camera neck strap at home. But once you set foot in Times Square, you realize something: it is quite impossible not to

gawk like a tourist if you haven't been to the city at least four or five times before, and what's more, once you're in Times Square, it doesn't matter- everyone there is at least as touristy as you are, if not more. Everywhere you look, there are people in "I Heart NY" t-shirts taking pictures of themselves in front of the square or pointing at any one of the huge ads that line the place.

Once you get out of Times Square, you begin to see fewer tourists and more New Yorkers. The two types of people are easily distinguished: the New Yorkers have cell phones, and the tourists have cameras. The New Yorkers are more likely to shove past you rudely, and believe me, this does actually happen. In fact, if given the choice, I would much rather be surrounded by tourists than in a place full of only the city's business executives.

Fortunately for me, this was actually what happened. Most of the places we went to were populated almost entirely by tourists. Take Rockefeller Center, for example. We went up to

the "Top of the Rock" to see the city from the air (the view is just as good as it is from the Empire State Building, and the lines are shorter). Up there, I heard people speaking every kind of language imaginable (French, Italian, German, and a few I couldn't identify). But I'm willing to bet that not one of them was a genuine New Yorker, except for the security guards.

There were a few places we did go that seemed to be filled mostly with locals, though. One of these places was the Plaza. On the inside, the Plaza looks nothing like it does in the Eloise

movies, but it is still incredibly fancy. And when I say fancy, I mean fancy- crystal chandeliers, oriental rugs, and marble columns galore! Another place in New York that seems to be reserved only for its locals was Grand Central Terminal. The place was absolutely filled with business people who actually ran to catch their trains. It looked like an anthill after

someone poured water on it, with people dashing to and fro and moving constantly. All in all, the city definitely fits my one-word description of busy, and I would most certainly say yes if anyone offered me the chance to go back.

Thanks for listening!

Maggs

All the Answers

Here are the answers to yesterday's Ultimate Harry Potter Quiz, for those of you who are truly obsessed with all things Potter:

Level One: 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c, 5-a. Level Two: 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-c, 5-b. Level Three: 1-b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-c, 5-a.

So how did you do? Did you bomb the quiz, or are you now a certified HP Fan? You can post the number of answers that you got right or wrong in a comment, or keep your results to yourself; it's your choice. But however well you did hardly matters. If you took the test, that alone shows your dedication to Harry Potter!

Unfortunately for you (my dear readers), I will be on vacation for the next few weeks so I won't be able to post anything. However, when I get back from the magical East Coast, I promise a full-length article on my adventures in possibly the greatest of all cities- New York.

Thanks for listening, and farewell until next time!

Maggs

The Ultimate Harry Potter Quiz

Today I introduce to you a brilliant writer, the master of quizzes, the authority on all things HP, none other than my dear sister, Lucy. And at the same time, I also bring on a new era for Life as a Starving Poet- the era of the guest-writer. So without further ado, I give you......Lucy!

Hey ya'll fools- this is my epic Harry Potter Quiz,

made just for you (not really, I just say that

to make you feel extra special). So, do you think

you're awesome enough? Take the quiz, and

find out.

The Ultimate Harry Potter Quiz

By Lucy

Level One

Any idiot should be able to answer these!

1. Who is the first person to tell Harry

that he is a wizard?

A. Vernon Dursley.

B. Albus Dumbledore.

C. Rubeus Hagrid.

2. The second book in the HP series is:

A. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

B. Harry Potter and the Secrets of Azkaban.

C. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Chamber.

3. Harry's worst enemy at Hogwarts is:

A. Neville Longbottom.

B. Draco Malfoy.

C. Luna Lovegood.

4. Which position does Snape teach at

Hogwarts in books 1-5?

A. Defense against the dark arts.

B. Charms.

C. potions.

5. What do people call Voldemort when they

don't want to say his name?

A. He-who-must-not-be-named.

B. Lord Voldie.

C. What's his face.

Level Two

If you call yourself a fan, you should be able to figure this out.

1. The name of Mr. Crouch's house elf is:

A. Winky.

B. Blinker.

C. Kermit.

2. Proffesor Slughorn puts together parties

for his favorite students, whom he calls:

A. Sluhorn's Super Students.

B. Sluggie's Gang.

C. The Slug Club.

3. Ron accidentaly swallows a love potion in

book six, causing him to fall in love with:

A. Hermione Granger.

B. Romilda Vane.

C. Parvati Patil.

4. In book two, Harry, Ron, and Hermione

brew the polyjuice potion where?

A. In the forbidden corridor on the 3rd

floor.

B. In the chamber leading into the school

kitchens.

C. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

5. What is the main spell Harry uses in the

first task of The Triwizard Tournament?

A. Confundus Charm.

B. Accio.

C. Batbogey Hex.

Level Three

Only really smart people know these answers, so I can't expect any

of you to figure these out.

1. In book four, Cedric lets Harry use the

prefects bathroom. What is the Password?

A. Mimblus Mimbletonia.

B. Pine Fresh.

C. Lemon Drop.

2. A Basilisk is made when you:

A. Inject a snake with Dragon's blood.

B. You cross a Komodo Dragon with a python.

C. Hatch a Chicken's egg under a toad.

3. When Harry moves into Dudley's second

bedroom, there's a cage that used to hold a

parrot. Why is it now empty?

A. He traded it for a real air rifle.

B. He threw it out the window after it

tried to eat one of his computer games.

C. He used it to attack a kid that

tried to beat him up, so his parents

got rid of it.

4.How do you get into the school kitchens?

A. There's a picture of a man eating toast

in the entrance hall. Poke him in the

stomach and the portrait swings aside

to reveal a door.

B. Whisper "Butter" into the face mask

of the suit of armor on the left side

of the staff table in the Grand Hall.

C. There's a picture of a bowl of fruit

in a small room off the great hall.

Tickle the pear, and a door handle

will appear.

5. In the first book, Vernon Dursley gets a

postcard from Aunt Marge saying that:

A. She's sick because she ate a funny

whelk.

B. Her bulldog, Ripper, attacked Colonel

Fubster the other day

(Ripper was provoked, of course).

C. She is going to be in Majorca on

holiday for the next fortnight.

Congratulations! You did it. How you did....

well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow

to find out.

Thanks for listening to my sister, and good luck on the quiz!

If you liked the quiz, hated it, or have any ideas or

corrections that would make it better, feel free to

share your thoughts in a comment.

Maggs