Borders Is Closing... D:

Hey everyone,

In case you haven't heard, Borders Booksellers is going out of business. This makes me sad. Sad enough that I wanted to make a video for my YouTube channel about it. So here it is:



Please Note: The quality of my webcam isn't very good, so neither is the quality of the video. Also, this is the first video I've made for YouTube specifically, so I'm kind of nervous and awkward.

Ciao

I Just Learned About This Awesome Thing Called NaNoWriMo...

Hey everyone,

While watching the one of the epic videos by author Jackson Pearce (www.youtube.com/JacksonAPearce), she introduced me to NaNoWriMo. She did a really good job of describing it, so here is her video:



So there is the description of NaNoWriMo in a nutshell. In case you're having a "blonde" moment, NaNoWriMo is the shortened form of National Novel Writing Month. The website Jackson gives you is www.nanowrimo.com, but it's actually www.nanowrimo.org. It doesn't really matter which one you use though, because they both get you there. And hey, if you are this blog, you might be interested in also checking my profile on NaNoWriMo's site (because I signed up). You can see it at http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/827599. We can even become writing buddies on there. (Their term for "friends" is "writing buddies"). If you send me a writing buddies request, or however that works (haven't actually tried requesting any friends yet), and I don't accept it, let me know you sent it in the comments.

If you sign up this is what happens:

1.) You get a profile through NaNoWriMo that gives you an Author's Info and Novel Info section.

2.) Starting November 1st, your word meter will start keeping track of all the words you submit to NaNoWriMo.

3.) Your little word meter will show your progress through the month of November.

4.) The goal is to write 50,000 words in November even if it's the worst thing you've ever wrote, ever.

5.) If you achieve this, you get a little winner's badge on your profile (and a few other things that I'm not completely clear about... visit their site for more info).  If you don't achieve this, nothing really happens.

So why am I so excited about this, even though it's July?
Because I am the worst at actually pushing through novels. I always write 5 pages, and then I constantly edit, and re-edit those 5 pages. So I never get anything done. But with NaNoWriMo, the goal is quantity, not quality. As crazy as that sounds, it will at least give you something longer than 5 pages to edit.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for any fellow writers to attempt NaNoWriMo with me this November. Don't worry if you don't make the 50,000 word mark- chances are I probably won't either. But, hey, it'll be fun to try. Also, NaNoWriMo gives you tips ("pep talks") and allows you to discuss writing with other aspiring authors. Oh, and a lot of published authors still love to do NaNoWriMo. If you're willing to do NaNoWriMo with me this November, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Ciao!

Mischief Managed! :D

Hey everyone,

For anyone living under a rock who might not know, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 came out this morning at 12:00am. Yeah... I was at the midnight release ;) Can I just start off by saying that this movie was quite possibly my absolute favorite out of all the Harry Potter movies. I was impressed by how close to the book the movie stayed. The only pet peeve of mine: Neither Lily nor Harry had emerald green eyes like in the book. Which wouldn't even be that big of a deal, except in the movie they talk about Harry having "Lily's eyes". Uh, no. In the movie, Harry had blue eyes, and Lily had brown. Since when are blue and brown the same??? Anyhoo, aside from that it was really good.

I have to say that my two favorite parts of the movie (without spoiling it), were the flashback to Snape's past, and the epilogue. I thought that the film production people did a really good job on it.

I'm very sad to see Harry go, however... I owe him and J.K. Rowling a lot. Why, you might ask? Because without Harry Potter, I wouldn't have the amazing friends I have now. I went from no friends as the new girl, to the girl with many close friends all because of a passing comment to my now-friend, Breanna (www.kiruthefirestarter.blogspot.com) with just one conversation during gym class:

Breanna: Hey, can you think of any magical creatures besides the ones I have listed here?
Brandi (Me): *looks at list* Umm... what about a hippogriff?
Breanna: I can't believe I forgot that! So, are you a huge Harry Potter nerd, too?
Brandi (Me): Are you kidding? I live and breathe Harry Potter.
Breanna: Me too!
*Awesome friendship that led to other great friendships formed*

So thank you, Harry Potter.

If you haven't seen the movie: YOU SHOULD GO SEE IT!!!

Here's the trailer:




Enjoy! XD

Ciao!

So, I'm Finally On That Thing Called Twitter...

Hey everyone,

I'd just like everyone to know that I'm on Twitter now (though it originally was not by choice). My Twitter account was created by my fellow Yearbook Editor-In-Chief, Danielle Bixler. She it so that our Yearbook page http://www.twitter.com/#!/FHHSYearbook would have more followers. I finally decided to actually take control of the account and do something with it, however.

I don't actually think I'll be using Twitter much. Why? Because I honestly don't see the point. Pretty much anyone who I'd be interested in contacting on Twitter is already my friend on Facebook. Facebook let's me do so much more- I can post longer statuses (because 140 characters is NOT enough), I can share pictures, and videos, and more in-depth information. Twitter seems like the wannabe-facebook to me. Maybe that's just because I haven't used it much yet. I don't know.

If you want to check out my Twitter account, you can find it at http://www.twitter.com/#!/BrandiMcConahay.

Ciao!

My Sweet 16th Birthday

Hey everyone,

Today is my Sweet 16th Birthday!!! :D It's crazy to think that I am already 16. Today, I have received tons of "Happy Birthdays" via Facebook and my phone. Thanks again to all the people who wished me a happy birthday!
Today, I also decided to make my first YouTube channel. It's going to be filled with random videos about all the weird things that happen in my life. If you love me and you have a YouTube account, you should subscribe and send me a friend request (If you send me a friend request and your info doesn't let me know who you are, send me a text also. I only accept friend requests from people I know. But everyone else can feel free to subscribe!)

The URL for my channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/BrandiNicole2013

I hope to see you in YouTube world!

Ciao!

Call Me A Nerd, But I'm Addicted...

Hey everyone,

While randomly checking out the YouTube homepage yesterday, a video caught my eye because it was about Harry Potter, and I LOVE Harry Potter. So, I checked it out, and it is amazing. Yesterday is had around 400,000 views, and it's already above 600,000 views. It's been up for only 3 or 4 days. So, here it is:



Watch it... it's totally awesome. It's a music video, but it only lasts for half the video length. The other half is the two main stars thanking everyone who helped them. You should listen the first minute of the "thank yous" because they're funny. After that, it's just up to you.

Enjoy XD

Ciao!

Happy Independence Day!

Hey everyone,

Happy 4th of July! :D Today is an awesome day because it means that a long time ago, colonials got tired of being "posh" and listening to a fat guy sitting on a fat couch (er... throne :) across the ocean who had no real reason to be in their business other than the fact he wanted to take their money.

That being said, I still love Twinings tea, imported straight from London :D (even though I kind of bought my lifetime supply of it from Disney World's Ecot England stand... it was imported straight from London to Disney World).

Anyhoo.... my favorite part of this time of year is actually my birthday (which is in two days), but I also love the fireworks. I mean, who doesn't love fireworks?

Well, that's pretty much it for now.

Ciao!

The Crazy Amount of AP Homework I Have To Do This Summer, But That I'm Yet To Start...

Hey everyone,

So, I've been putting off this insanely large amount of homework that I have to do this summer for my AP English III and AP European History classes. I didn't feel like doing anything for the month of June, because I felt like after an entire school year, I had earned a month off. Now it's July, and I still don't want to do it. But I have a feeling that if I wait till August I'll regret it.

For AP English III:
1.) Read the instuctional part of On Writing by Stephen King found on pages 111-249. Take detailed notes. You will need to turn in your handwritten notes on the first day of school, and you will have a test over the required reading.

2.) Read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Take notes on how Stephen King's lessons apply to Gruen's writing. You will need to turn in your handwritten notes on the first day of school, and you will have a test over the required reading.

3.) Know the definitions of all the summer reading terminology below. Be able to recognize them through examples. This will be apart of your summer reading test.
     -1st Person
     -2nd Person
     -3rd Person
     -Alliteration
     -Euphemism
     -Metaphor
     -Personification
     -Simile
     -Situational Irony
     -Symbolism
     -Verbal Irony
     -Adjective
     -Adverb
     -Antecedent
     -Infinitive
     -Noun
     -Predicate
     -Pronoun
     -Subject

For AP European History:
1.) Answer 34 research questions (that I don't feel like typing out) that covers European History before 1450 (where the class picks up).

2.) Read Chapters 1 & 2 of your class text A History Of The Modern World by Palmer, Colton, and Kramer and write a synopsis of at most one typed page for each chapter.

3.) Read the two packets given to you by Mr. Matejic with exerpts from A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman and The Black Death and the Transformation of the West by David Herlihy and write the following:
a.) One typed page on the impact of the Black Death on European Society.
b.) Two typed pages describing the economic, political, and cultural structure of society during the Late Middle Ages, paying extra attention to family, the church, chivalry, and peasants.

4.) All writing assignments must include paranthetical references (Author, pg. #). All assignments are due the first day of school.

Sometime this summer, I will have to tackle it :P

Ciao