The Outsiders: Ponyboy Curtis

Pony is a fourteen-year-old boy with greenish gray eyes and light brown hair, which he wears long. His parents were killed in a car accident, so he lives with his two brothers, Soda and Darry. All three of them belong to a gang known as the Greasers, which is a bunch of teenagers from the poor east side of town.

Unlike most of the Greasers, Pony is a sensitive teenager. He likes to be by himself to think or to read. He also enjoys going to the movies alone. His older brother, Darry, yells at him a lot for being by himself outside the house, because he feels it is too dangerous, since the Socs, the rival gang, are always looking for a Greaser to jump. Darry also worries about Pony's grades. Although he is a good student, Darry wants to make certain that Pony does his best in school so that he can rise above being a Greaser and make something of himself. Darry had to drop out of school in order to support his brothers after the death of his parents. Through much of the book, Pony dislikes Darry because of his constant criticism.On the other hand, Pony worships his middle brother Soda, largely because he has a happy-go-lucky attitude towards life and stands up for him against Darry. Because Pony does not want to be separated from his brothers and put in a boy's home, he avoids getting into any kind of trouble, especially with the police.

Pony is very conscious that he is underprivileged and scorned. The Socs look down upon him and the rest of the Greasers as though they are dirt and treat them as hoods. Pony is bitter about the fact that people never blame the Socs for any trouble because they look decent with their short hair, nice clothes, and expensive cars; instead, the Greasers are always blamed because they have long, oily hair and wear scruffy clothes. Pony knows that it is ironic that most of the Greasers are quite decent people who want to be left alone, while most of the Socs are cold-blooded and mean trouble makers.

Pony becomes friends with Cherry Valence, one of the Socs' girls, when he stands up for her against Dally's abusive language and rude behavior. Through her, he realizes that not all of the Socs are alike, for she is a nice, kind, understanding girl. He discovers that she is a dreamer and enjoys watching sunsets, just like him! As a result, Pony feels close to her and tells her things he does not tell anyone else. He talks to her about how nervous Johnny has been since he was beaten up by the Socs and how sad Soda was to be separated from Mickey Mouse, a horse that he "adopted." He even realizes from his conversation with Cherry that the Socs also have problems in spite of their money, nice clothes, and fancy cars.

Pony is usually afraid in the novel. When he walks home from the movie theater alone and is attacked by the Socs, he screams loud and long for help from his brothers or anyone else close by. When he sees Bob lying dead on the ground, he is absolutely terrified, unable to think or act, so Johnny has to tell him what to do. The only time that Pony acts courageous, is the time when he rescues the children from the burning church.

Through most of the book, Pony misunderstands his oldest brother, Darry. Because he often criticizes him, Pony thinks that Darry does not like him at all. Then when Darry rushes to see him in the hospital, nurses him for three days while he is delirious and unconscious, and calls him little buddy, Pony begins to realize that Darry truly loves and cares for him. He has been strict with Pony because he does not want him taken away and put in a boy's home; in addition, he wants Pony to make something out of himself in life. Soda then makes Pony realize that he has always selfishly expected Darry to be understanding, without ever trying to understand Darry in return. As a result, Pony tries much harder to get along with his oldest brother.

How To: Tie Your Shoe!!!!!

Need to go out? Wanna go for a run? Well then, your going to need to tie your shoes. If you don't know how, read on!

Step 1: Grab the laces (string-like pieces) by the plastic tips.

Step 2: Cross them in an X.

Step 3: Pull the back lace around the front one, and through the hole you created by making an X in step 2.

Step 4: Pull each lace to the sides tightly.

Step 5: Make a loop using one lace, but hold the other lace, so you don't lose maximum tightness.

Step 6: Make a loop with the othe lace, still holding the other in its loop, and still holding both tightly to the sides.

Step 7: Now, cross these loops in an X, like step 2.

Step 8: Now pull the back loop around the front one and through the hole, on the bottom, that you made by crossing them. Remember to leave enough of the loop in the hole to be able to tighten it.

Step 9: Now pull each loop to the side tightly, but dont pull it all the way through, or you will have to restart.

Step 10: For a double knot, please repeat steps 5-9. Never pull to tightly on the double knot, or you will have an extremely hard time undoing your shoe.

Well, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for How to Tie Your Shoes 2: Undone!

Place Desription: My Room

Peaceful is the only way to describe it. Houses everywhere, with large front windows, but although every home was very different, in a way they were the same; they all had friendly people with friendly families living inside them. Different cars, vans and trucks, ranging in colour from dark purple to bright yellow, but there was one home that had a great difference. Inside there lived triplets! this house had a large willow/maple tree in its front yard, provididng shade. Two cars, a yellow Ford Ranger, and a White Ford Windstar, sat in the driveway, along with a trailer, that was white, and had a pop-up ceiling, beside which was a basketball net.

In the backyard, there was a large, round, aboveground pool, which had a deck wrapped around one end, directly next to the house. next to the pool was a garden, that took up the space all the way along the back of the yard, ranging from two small maple trees, to a variety of colourful flowers. Along the fence, in the middle of the open grass, their was an evergreen tree, which, although it was fading, still looked very majestic. Next, was the house, which had a large deck, leading up to the back door of the home, which was glass with a white frame and slid to the side.

Inside the house, from the back door, there was a kitchen. Inside this kitchen, there was a large stainless steel fridge, directly across the room fro mthe door, with a table lying betwwen them, surrounded by the chairs that the family sat in to eat dinner. Next to and above the fridge, were cabinets and cupboards galore, filled with everything from food to garbage bags. Beside the door, there is a small garbage can, with a foot pedal lid, and beside that, the counter, which had the dishwasher under it, with its stainless steel door. The counter was spwecled black and white, and had a sink and cupboards filled with kitchen supplies, and above the sink were more cabinets, for the bowls, cups, plates, and other such dinner items. Next, was the stainless steel stove, which had a group of drawers, cubpoards, and cabinets surrounding it. Beside the stove, was a larde archway, which led to a room that had a hall, which led to a young boy's room.

This room, had a white wooden door, with a Steve Yzerman Detroit Red Wings poster on the front, and Lord of the Rings poster on the back. behind the door, was a Harry Potter poster, under which was a set of hooks in the shape of a hockey stick, on which hung sweaters, and a bath robe. Next to this was a closet, filled to the brim with clothes and toys long forgotten. Beside the closet was computer, black, with a glossy finish, made by Gateway, next to a desk, filled with trophies on its top shelf, and under these trophies was the monitor to the computer, made by samsung with a black glossy finish, widescreen, 22'. Beside this was a shelf, with pictures of many events in the owners life, and under these, an old CD plater, with a VCR in front of it. Under this was a series of drawers, filled with many different items, from video games and movies, to old medals from sporting events and even a drumstick signed by the drummer of the band Destroyer. Next to the desk was a TV, with an old Xbox and VHS movies underneath it on a shelf. In front of this was the boy's bed, large, a double bed, with striped blankets, and a blanket with a picture of the old Detroit Tiger's stadium on it. above this was a window, with a Tecumseh Eagles Sticker on it, and a red blind. Beside the bed was a book shelf, filled with hundereds of the many books the owner had read plus a model viper, and some souvenirs from his vacations. On an empty wall beside the shelf. there was three posters of cars, a Saleen, and two Ferraris, on a Ferrari Enzo, and the other a Ferrari Spider. Next was a blue dresser, with a certificate from the optimist club above itm and a globe, an old music box, a metal Knight statue, a clock, and many other items, including the owners most prized possesion, his money!

NEW MUSIC AND VIDS!!!!!

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW AUDIO SLAVE'S LIKE A STONE!

Samantha Funkenhauser of Grade 4F

She sat on her bed, with its bright pink covers, and four posts with a canopy, in her bedroom, with its bright green walls spotted with frogs, her computer in the far corner of the room, covered in stickers of frogs and soccer balls and other sports stickers, with its very clean desk. Beside her bed late for many webkinz piled up, growing with every year, as her birthday passed. There she said giggling with her friends, as they discussed and their likes and dislikes of their siblings, with Samantha having a brother and a sister, with the brother being younger and her sister being older, while they played with her webkinz, slightly fidgeting because they were so uncomfortable.

They smiled happily as they knew they were both very popular amongst their friends and they both liked to talk a lot. Then her friend asked what she been reading lately, and Samantha grew very angry!

“Leave this instant and don’t come back!” Samantha yelled.

After her friend had left Samantha quickly tidied her room, and then sat down on her computer to talk to her friends on MSN, play online Webkinz, and to play on miniclips.com, which is a gaming site on the internet. As she sat, playing on her computer, her surroundings look almost like they were part of her, frogs on the walls matching her love for them, webkinz piled around her, and her bright pink bed sheets with their smiley faces, that went so well with her face, that never stopped smiling, unless she grew angry. On her computer background was a British flag with a line through it, and her favorite sites linked directly there. So, she blended in as the night drew on.