Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?
At the begginning of the year I was able to come up with some, not so interesting ideas for blogs which really sucked. For example, my first blog post in September, when I was writing about a movie. Honestly i dont know what i was thinking. I was able to meet the minimmum on the blog posts which was really all i cared about. So pretty much back then i could immediately complete multiple blog posts within five to ten minutes, rather than taking time to actually write something worth while. Now that i have progressed as a writer and i can pretty much still take a short amount of time (about half an hour) and make it actually good. Some blog posts I make up while I'm typing it, while others i actually already know what i am going to write (such as the diary type ones).
On some occasions during this long school year, you would ask us to blog about a certain subject or our quick-write (usually the quick-writes were started in class). If I was given subject, I was still able to complete these quick and in-depth with no worries. I think that the speed of my typing doesn't have much to do with it; even though I have gotten a really fast typing skill over the past years from being on the computer a lot. The part that truly counts is that I can think of the words in my mind and produce a blog fast enough if I am running late on a Friday night.
Probably one of my most favorite blog subjects I have had from the start was different "Just one of those fun days on a weekend." This post was the one that stood out the most to me because i could just describe every detail like i was still there. I guess i kind of felt like i could relive that memory over and over again. Some other posts that are in this category are the one's about fridays. I do not know why but fridays are always a big post for me. I like them a lot and there always (no matter if its raining or really sunny) something for me to write about
After that blog post about the amazing weekend i had had, i decided i needed to "step up my game" in the world of blog posts. I know it was a little late but i really liked the way i had written that blog post and i thought that all my posts should be like that.
Overall, I believe that this project of blogging has been one of the most rewarding and fun long-term projects I have had for school. I wish that we had started this for your class last year. It would have been fun knowing my memories from last year. Throughout the time in your class i have become a decent writer because at the beginning i was not a very good. I think i am going to continue blogging during the summer and throughout next year. Probably not as frequent but i will still keep it up and running.
How do you like having a blog? How has blogging changed the way you write, the way you think, or the way you think about writing?
We are almost approaching the end of the year now that we have finished our last weekly blog posts. My first thoughts on this weren't great. I was blog posts to be boring and lit circle blogging to be even worse. However, i did not think the class was going to be a sterotypical english class because i had you last year.. Fortunately, I was completely wrong about blog posts and lit circle posts as well. At the beginning of the year i remember hearing we could blog about anything we wanted when we wanted, which sounded kind of cool. So after hearing these things i loosened up a bit about this class.
Now that we're coming to the end of our school year, I'd like to look back on what I have accomplished. Having a blog has been a great opportunity for me to express myself and my own feelings towards school, life, and many other topics. This year i kind of wrote a diary about what i do during the week (mostly fridays). When we were asked to come with ideas that we would blog about, I had no clue what i would do. Honestly it was all a blur to me, i never thought i was going to have to blog at all. Most of the time i takled about sports, friends, and just life in general which really ended up working well for me.
After the first few weeks of school, I became more adjusted to my blog and with blogging in general and you could tell by the way my writing improved. For example, my first blog post about a movie was okay, i just described something i had watched. The posts after that turned into more descriptive peices of writing. As te months moved on and the school year had finally gotten kicked off my writing improved sufficiently. I started off venting or just ranting about things then i ended up writing with a purpose. I could even notice that when my blog posts were not just because i had to do them, but because i wanted to. I also noticed that blogging helped my emotions and behavior because i could just vent if i needed too and just save it as a draft.
In example, for the first few weeks of the year, I would always talk about how baseball was the main part of my life because i had just started a new team. Since I was able to rant through blogging on and on about it, I felt like i could write more because evertime i wrote about something i thought of something else to write.Now, I am not saying that this is just an easy way to blog (just write about something i can talk about forever)but rather being able to share my true feelings toward things, not just baseball. I think that this way was more effective than talking to someone in person about it.
Blogging has significantly helped my writing, reading, and redundancy skills. Quickwrites that we started in class usually somehow help me get my idea, even if it is not on the same topic. After getting a draft done i reread it and edit. This way i can make sure i am doing a good job on it. After checking for redundancy i can finally get my final draft. At the beginning of the year i never did this and i always just posted the first thing i had written. Now things have changed and all of these things do not take as long.
The improvements that originally started freshman year even (because i had you freshman year as well) have also come through for me in other classes. We have quick writes in History, Spanish, and even Chemistry. I do not have to take forever to start anymore due to the things you have taught me. I really apreciate that Sutherbro. Thanks a lot for a wonderful year.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
SuperFreakonomics Monthly Review
What was the author's purpose in writing this book, how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
The purpose of this book was to describe what different topics that may have seemed irrelevant to each other yet they were somehow tied to one another. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner wrote this book and still now continue the book on a blog. The book explored topics such as the similarities between Street Prostitute and Department-Store Santa's. Topics like these were some of my favorite but there were many more to choose from in the book.
The book started out with "How a street prostitute like a department-store Santa." It explained the salary of a department-store Santa and a prostitute. It also compared other aspects as well. It also explained how the salary of a prostitute is dropping significantly. The next chapter after that which i also found very interesting was the chapter about why suicide bombers should buy life insurance. In this section they talked about why terrorism is so cheap yet very effective, which is very bad in the long run. Other sections such as these two were very interesting. The whole book kept me on my toes wanting to read more.
The purpose of this book was really just a book for leisure i think. This book and the first on were very irrelevant to any other book i have ever read, because of these discussions of random topics and how they relate to each other the book ended up being really good. Because it was so interesting to read, the reader will never really want to put the book down.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
I think this book is for an older to teenage audience. I mean i would recommend it to anyone who just wants to hear interesting facts about stuff but i mean i would really recommend it to teens and adults. I find this book more for an older crowd one because of peoples reading levels and also just the topics they talk about seem to be for older people. For instance last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. Parenting came up as one that stood out to me that young kids or a younger crowd really would not care about.I mean i really thought about english when i read this section because it was all about selecting schools and what not. I think that a younger crowd would not get where the authors are coming from at all when they are reading this book so that is why i direct it more toward a middle to older aged crowd of people.
Another part of this book that just supports my idea of directing this book at an older crowd is the topic "What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?." Like really, what is that? I think that is one of the topics that is really irrelevant but i mean it was somewhat interesting just it seemed like the authors did not have a lot to write about it. I mean do not get me wrong i loved the whole book in its entirety but topics like this and some others are just not meant for younger kids and older adults that do not like things like this.
What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?
I think this book covers topics that are kind of boring. The authors may not think so but i found parts of the book really slow. For example, during the beginning of Freakonomics they talked about Pimps and Realtors and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Pimps. It explained how they started off as a person with one girl and that is all it takes. After getting one girl it explained how going from one girl can get you many. Then they talked about how they could gain more women and what techniques they used. Like they took a lot more time just to say that. So i thought that some of the book was really irrelevant. Here is a quote that i think describes the chapter really well.
Also when they talked about the Realtors they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying. This section was exactly like the first book Freakonomics.
In the book SuperFreakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. Some parts were way better than others but I really liked the book. I think if we get another chance to do a lit circle again we should read Superfreakonomics it seems just as interesting. Like i also said before in almost all of my posts about this book i would still love to hear what my group mates think about the book as well besides what is on their blogs. The blog also covers the first book, Freakonomics.
The purpose of this book was to describe what different topics that may have seemed irrelevant to each other yet they were somehow tied to one another. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner wrote this book and still now continue the book on a blog. The book explored topics such as the similarities between Street Prostitute and Department-Store Santa's. Topics like these were some of my favorite but there were many more to choose from in the book.
The book started out with "How a street prostitute like a department-store Santa." It explained the salary of a department-store Santa and a prostitute. It also compared other aspects as well. It also explained how the salary of a prostitute is dropping significantly. The next chapter after that which i also found very interesting was the chapter about why suicide bombers should buy life insurance. In this section they talked about why terrorism is so cheap yet very effective, which is very bad in the long run. Other sections such as these two were very interesting. The whole book kept me on my toes wanting to read more.
The purpose of this book was really just a book for leisure i think. This book and the first on were very irrelevant to any other book i have ever read, because of these discussions of random topics and how they relate to each other the book ended up being really good. Because it was so interesting to read, the reader will never really want to put the book down.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
I think this book is for an older to teenage audience. I mean i would recommend it to anyone who just wants to hear interesting facts about stuff but i mean i would really recommend it to teens and adults. I find this book more for an older crowd one because of peoples reading levels and also just the topics they talk about seem to be for older people. For instance last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. Parenting came up as one that stood out to me that young kids or a younger crowd really would not care about.I mean i really thought about english when i read this section because it was all about selecting schools and what not. I think that a younger crowd would not get where the authors are coming from at all when they are reading this book so that is why i direct it more toward a middle to older aged crowd of people.
Another part of this book that just supports my idea of directing this book at an older crowd is the topic "What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?." Like really, what is that? I think that is one of the topics that is really irrelevant but i mean it was somewhat interesting just it seemed like the authors did not have a lot to write about it. I mean do not get me wrong i loved the whole book in its entirety but topics like this and some others are just not meant for younger kids and older adults that do not like things like this.
What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?
I think this book covers topics that are kind of boring. The authors may not think so but i found parts of the book really slow. For example, during the beginning of Freakonomics they talked about Pimps and Realtors and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Pimps. It explained how they started off as a person with one girl and that is all it takes. After getting one girl it explained how going from one girl can get you many. Then they talked about how they could gain more women and what techniques they used. Like they took a lot more time just to say that. So i thought that some of the book was really irrelevant. Here is a quote that i think describes the chapter really well.
It turns out that the typical street prostitute in Chicago works 13 hours a week, performing 10 sex acts during that period, and earns an hourly wage of approximately $27. So her weekly take- home pay is roughly $350. This includes an average of $20 that a prostitute steals from her customers and acknowledges that some prostitutes accept drugs in lieu of cash— usually crack cocaine or heroin, and usually at a discount. Of all the women in Venkatesh’s study,83 percent were drug addicts.
Also when they talked about the Realtors they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying. This section was exactly like the first book Freakonomics.
In the book SuperFreakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. Some parts were way better than others but I really liked the book. I think if we get another chance to do a lit circle again we should read Superfreakonomics it seems just as interesting. Like i also said before in almost all of my posts about this book i would still love to hear what my group mates think about the book as well besides what is on their blogs. The blog also covers the first book, Freakonomics.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Romeo and Juliet
So during english we are watching a play by shakespear and i like it. My favorite one by him is Romeo and Juliet. I like the modern Romeo and Juliet better but the original one is cool. If i can remember correctly, i think we watched Romeo and Juliet last year in your class Mr. Sutherland.
So pretty much Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is about two love struck teens who are bound within their love but are unable to see each other because their families, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s are enemies. Compared to modern day teenagers, in the movie the teens had different clothing, different romance, and gang violence. This essay is going to show how the movie compares to modern day.
Gang violence during the movie was between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. There was a never ending fight between the two families. Whenever a person in one family was killed a person in the other family was killed as revenge. In the movie Mercutio was the first to die while sparring with Tybalt. Tybalt accidentally stabbed Mercutio in the torso. All of the Montague’s were very upset by the murder of Mercutio. As revenge, Romeo fought with Tybalt and won. Two men were killed and the Prince ordered that Romeo be killed as revenge. The Crips and the Bloods are two modern day gangs unlike the movie these two gangs would not have any code of honor. People on each side would try to get revenge but there was no sparring. Violence between gangs or rival families also happened because of romance between the rivals.
Teenage romance in the movie was very scarce. Not too much romance happened during the movie but the little that did was significantly different from that of modern day romance. In the movie the romance was done in secrecy because it was between two people in the rival families. The two teens were named Romeo and Juliet. They were both around the age of 15. During the movie the two teens would kiss excessively and would have unprotected sex. Compared to modern day romance the teens are not to far off. Modern day is not as secretive as the movie but if there is sex it is usually protected because of sexually transmitted diseases. Romance would also affect apparel in teenagers.
Clothing in teenagers in the movie was very similar throughout every person in the movie. Throughout the movie, men wore tights and loose fitting shirts. The men also carried swords on their hips. Women wore dresses and corsets throughout the movie as well. Clothing now is completely different. People have a much bigger variety of apparel for different occasions compared to what was in the movie. The characters also seemed to wear the same clothing everyday and it is the complete opposite now.
These points about Romeo and Juliet compared to modern day times are similar and different. Some points have bigger factors than others such as clothing while other such as romance have little to no differences. This shows how movies about centuries ago can tell a lot about what life back then was like and how people will continue to learn more about life back then.
(I just kind of felt like writing an essay about it. lol)
So pretty much Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is about two love struck teens who are bound within their love but are unable to see each other because their families, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s are enemies. Compared to modern day teenagers, in the movie the teens had different clothing, different romance, and gang violence. This essay is going to show how the movie compares to modern day.
Gang violence during the movie was between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. There was a never ending fight between the two families. Whenever a person in one family was killed a person in the other family was killed as revenge. In the movie Mercutio was the first to die while sparring with Tybalt. Tybalt accidentally stabbed Mercutio in the torso. All of the Montague’s were very upset by the murder of Mercutio. As revenge, Romeo fought with Tybalt and won. Two men were killed and the Prince ordered that Romeo be killed as revenge. The Crips and the Bloods are two modern day gangs unlike the movie these two gangs would not have any code of honor. People on each side would try to get revenge but there was no sparring. Violence between gangs or rival families also happened because of romance between the rivals.
Teenage romance in the movie was very scarce. Not too much romance happened during the movie but the little that did was significantly different from that of modern day romance. In the movie the romance was done in secrecy because it was between two people in the rival families. The two teens were named Romeo and Juliet. They were both around the age of 15. During the movie the two teens would kiss excessively and would have unprotected sex. Compared to modern day romance the teens are not to far off. Modern day is not as secretive as the movie but if there is sex it is usually protected because of sexually transmitted diseases. Romance would also affect apparel in teenagers.
Clothing in teenagers in the movie was very similar throughout every person in the movie. Throughout the movie, men wore tights and loose fitting shirts. The men also carried swords on their hips. Women wore dresses and corsets throughout the movie as well. Clothing now is completely different. People have a much bigger variety of apparel for different occasions compared to what was in the movie. The characters also seemed to wear the same clothing everyday and it is the complete opposite now.
These points about Romeo and Juliet compared to modern day times are similar and different. Some points have bigger factors than others such as clothing while other such as romance have little to no differences. This shows how movies about centuries ago can tell a lot about what life back then was like and how people will continue to learn more about life back then.
(I just kind of felt like writing an essay about it. lol)
SuperFreakonomics (Pt 3)
So the last part of SuperFreakonomics that i really liked was the part, "What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?" I found this part particularly interesting because i would have never thought these things had to do with eachother. During this lit circle blog post i am going to go back to my favorite section in the book which was about "How a pimp is like a realtor," because there were some very good quotes that i could not fit into my other blog posts. I honestly do not understand how someone could think of something like this but the quotes are very helpful for describing.
My first quote i had was very interesting because i never would have looked at these two topics in the same light. Pimp's are never really talked about a lot, and realtors are never really talked about unless trying to buy something. So when put together it is a very odd combination. This quote shows a small overview of what the chapter was about.
Another quote that i had was this. I thought this was a good quote because it was short and sweet. It got to the point they were trying to make (how they are alike) and i like that.
I really enjoyed the book SuperFreakonomics and i suggest it to anyone after reading Freakonomics.
My first quote i had was very interesting because i never would have looked at these two topics in the same light. Pimp's are never really talked about a lot, and realtors are never really talked about unless trying to buy something. So when put together it is a very odd combination. This quote shows a small overview of what the chapter was about.
A Realtor and a pimp perform the same primary service: marketing your product to potential customers," the chapter reads. "...the Internet is proving to be a pretty powerful substitute for the Realtor. But if you're trying to sell street prostitution, the Internet isn't very good -- not yet, at least -- at matching sellers to buyers.
Another quote that i had was this. I thought this was a good quote because it was short and sweet. It got to the point they were trying to make (how they are alike) and i like that.
So once you consider the value you get for each of these two agents, it seems clear that a pimp's services are considerably more valuable than a Realtor's.
I really enjoyed the book SuperFreakonomics and i suggest it to anyone after reading Freakonomics.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Rules of love
So the rules of love...
This is all from my quickwrite we did yesterday.
1. What rules dictate the behavior of young men and women in relationships today?
So when in a relationship or trying to be in one, there are specific rules and guidelines but they can not be very well described. First off you cant "be a dick" you have to be just nice in general if you expect to go anywhere with it. It's not really going to work if you are rude all the time. Honestly i think this one is the hardest to explain.I have had girlfriends but i just have mental rules to follow so it is kind of hard to explain
2. Name a situation in which the rules have clearly been violated. In other words, what are things "nice girls" just don't do? What are things "nice guys" just don't do?
Nice girls/guys do not cheat when they are in a relationship. They stay "true" to the person they like. When not in a relationship they are not desperate for a new one and if they just get out of one they do not go looking for another one. Its just as simple as that. The simple stuff is what matters the most. Like pretty much "Do not be a whore." lol. I do not know how to put that in better terms.
3. What are the possible consequences for breaking these rules?
If you break the rules of cheating or flirting with other people the extreme case is breaking up or being hated by your boyfriend/girlfriends friends. Its like the rules are just there because people know they should not break them, and if you break them you should not be going out with that person in the first place.
4. Where do these rules come from? Who "invented" them and who enforces them?
The rules are just sort of common knowledge. People know what they are getting themselves into when they get a boyfriend of girlfriend. They know not to cheat, flirt, or do anything that is a form of cheating when in a relationship. But a rule i keep for myself do not be hella questioning. Like you have to at least trust the person you are going out with if you expect it to work.
This is all from my quickwrite we did yesterday.
1. What rules dictate the behavior of young men and women in relationships today?
So when in a relationship or trying to be in one, there are specific rules and guidelines but they can not be very well described. First off you cant "be a dick" you have to be just nice in general if you expect to go anywhere with it. It's not really going to work if you are rude all the time. Honestly i think this one is the hardest to explain.I have had girlfriends but i just have mental rules to follow so it is kind of hard to explain
2. Name a situation in which the rules have clearly been violated. In other words, what are things "nice girls" just don't do? What are things "nice guys" just don't do?
Nice girls/guys do not cheat when they are in a relationship. They stay "true" to the person they like. When not in a relationship they are not desperate for a new one and if they just get out of one they do not go looking for another one. Its just as simple as that. The simple stuff is what matters the most. Like pretty much "Do not be a whore." lol. I do not know how to put that in better terms.
3. What are the possible consequences for breaking these rules?
If you break the rules of cheating or flirting with other people the extreme case is breaking up or being hated by your boyfriend/girlfriends friends. Its like the rules are just there because people know they should not break them, and if you break them you should not be going out with that person in the first place.
4. Where do these rules come from? Who "invented" them and who enforces them?
The rules are just sort of common knowledge. People know what they are getting themselves into when they get a boyfriend of girlfriend. They know not to cheat, flirt, or do anything that is a form of cheating when in a relationship. But a rule i keep for myself do not be hella questioning. Like you have to at least trust the person you are going out with if you expect it to work.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Just one of those fun days on a weekend.
Yesterday was amazing. Started out with my soccer game at 2:15. We won 3-0. Ricky, Alejandro, and someone Liam Scored. The goalie on the other team grabbed Ricky's crotch while he was shooting too. Weird stuff. lol. After the first half it was 2-0. During the second half i got like a couple more saves, and will got a red card. He really didn't do anything, it was all the black kids fault. After the game i got a ride home, showered, changed clothes, then went on my way to leydecker.
When i arrived at leydecker Shuan, France, Andrew, Alison, Angelina, Sandy, Steven, Laura, Raymond, and a couple other people were trying to make a pyramid out of people. They kind of failed but it was cool anyways. We started throwing the ball around and just hung out on the grass for about an hour and a half or so. After just chillin' angelina and alison went home and we went to the basketball courts to play basketball. We saw Kevin at the basketball courts and he kind of chilled with us for the rest of the day. We played basketball for another hour, it was kind of a fail though because everyone was just messing around. After basketball we all went to Laval's to eat some pizza! We ordered one large pizza and it was gone in like one second. After eating the pizza we hung out inside lavals and talked, played telephone, and i tried to crack a watermelon open with my head. It was really a fail though. I couldn't manage to do it. After failing i just slammed it on the table and it cracked open. So to avoid a mess we just went outside.
We went to the park and had a wrestling match. We saw Jacob and his brother while we were there and they joined the wrestling too. I was 2-0 (I won against Jacob and Kevin) but Trent also came out of nowhere and tackled me hella hard to the ground. lol. France lost to Kevin making him 9-2 and Sandy lost to Steven as well. After wrestling we all went to shoreline to watch the sunset.
By the time we got there the sun was setting (8:00) but the stupid clouds were blocking the view. So we just took some pictures and threw rocks into the water. After getting bored and really cold we all started to walk back to Andrew's house. We were all singing as we walked back which was really fun. We weren't very good but we just had fun doing it. We also saw a raccoon on the way to his house which was pretty scary. lol. After everyone went to Andrew's house except for Raymond, Shuan, France, and i. We went to Raymond's house to get the cake and Andrew's present (shoes). After we walked back to Andrew's house (9:00) and gave him the cake and shoes and then i had to go home after a long tiring day. (Oh and a shout-out to Alvin. Hope you had fun at prom man. )
When i arrived at leydecker Shuan, France, Andrew, Alison, Angelina, Sandy, Steven, Laura, Raymond, and a couple other people were trying to make a pyramid out of people. They kind of failed but it was cool anyways. We started throwing the ball around and just hung out on the grass for about an hour and a half or so. After just chillin' angelina and alison went home and we went to the basketball courts to play basketball. We saw Kevin at the basketball courts and he kind of chilled with us for the rest of the day. We played basketball for another hour, it was kind of a fail though because everyone was just messing around. After basketball we all went to Laval's to eat some pizza! We ordered one large pizza and it was gone in like one second. After eating the pizza we hung out inside lavals and talked, played telephone, and i tried to crack a watermelon open with my head. It was really a fail though. I couldn't manage to do it. After failing i just slammed it on the table and it cracked open. So to avoid a mess we just went outside.
We went to the park and had a wrestling match. We saw Jacob and his brother while we were there and they joined the wrestling too. I was 2-0 (I won against Jacob and Kevin) but Trent also came out of nowhere and tackled me hella hard to the ground. lol. France lost to Kevin making him 9-2 and Sandy lost to Steven as well. After wrestling we all went to shoreline to watch the sunset.
By the time we got there the sun was setting (8:00) but the stupid clouds were blocking the view. So we just took some pictures and threw rocks into the water. After getting bored and really cold we all started to walk back to Andrew's house. We were all singing as we walked back which was really fun. We weren't very good but we just had fun doing it. We also saw a raccoon on the way to his house which was pretty scary. lol. After everyone went to Andrew's house except for Raymond, Shuan, France, and i. We went to Raymond's house to get the cake and Andrew's present (shoes). After we walked back to Andrew's house (9:00) and gave him the cake and shoes and then i had to go home after a long tiring day. (Oh and a shout-out to Alvin. Hope you had fun at prom man. )
SuperFreakonomics (Pt 2)
So superfreakonomics is goin pretty well. I finished it so i really dont know where exactly to start. The quotes i picked were pretty much ones that were very well known by a lot of people that read the book. So my favorite part of the book for sure was the section where it talked about What do Al Gore and Mount Pinatubo have in common? So i did not know what Mount Pinatubo was because i did not understand how Al Gore could have to do with a mountain. It was very interesting to read about what was said in this book.
This next quote has to do with the section on global warming.
This quote also has to do with global warming. This section pretty much told about the science behind it and how everything and everyone is being affected
So far SuperFreakonomics has been an excellent book (Better than Freakonomics). I have already finished the book it was so good. So i am probably skipping around a lot with my quotes. I really suggest this book and the first one to anyone who is interested in reading about interesting facts and statistics. I can not wait for my next post on the book.
The answer is that Gore and Pinatubo’s eruption both suggest a way to cool the planet, albeit with methods whose cost-effectiveness are a universe apart.
This next quote has to do with the section on global warming.
In other words: it’s illogical to believe in a carbon-induced warming apocalypse and believe that such an apocalypse can be averted simply by curtailing new carbon emissions.
This quote also has to do with global warming. This section pretty much told about the science behind it and how everything and everyone is being affected
"A lot of the things that people say would be good things probably aren’t,” Myrhvold says. As an example he points to solar power. “The problem with solar cells is that they’re black, because they are designed to absorb light from the sun. But only about 12 percent gets turned into electricity, and the rest is reradiated as heat -- which contributed to global warming.
So far SuperFreakonomics has been an excellent book (Better than Freakonomics). I have already finished the book it was so good. So i am probably skipping around a lot with my quotes. I really suggest this book and the first one to anyone who is interested in reading about interesting facts and statistics. I can not wait for my next post on the book.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Not too many Fridays left this year...
Frisbee last week was amazing. All of the normal people came out and some new ones. Started out with testing for the first part of the day (Not fun at all). After testing we got out for a half day and went to get food. After the bell rang we all met up at the benches and got ready to walk to lunch. It took us all like thirty minutes to decide where we wanted to go. Pretty much we were all sitting around at the benches and talking about how the day was going. After about twenty minutes most of us decided to go to different ways for lunch and we would all meet up around four at Lincoln.
We all walked around and got food, i went home first though. After getting lunch France, Blair, Shuan, and i met up at Edison to play some basketball. We played basketball for a little while and met up with Carly and Angeline. We played at Edison for a good 3 hours and then decided to go to Angeline's house because her and Carly had to get some stuff. Ang brought her dog out and we all played with it for a little while. I think her dogs name is Patches. After we went to Angeline's house we all (France, Shuan, Blair, Ang, Carly, and i) started walking to frisbee.
We arrived at lincoln at four and then started to play basketball. I played a couple people in 1 on 1 and won. After playing basketball for a while we went to the grass and decided to play some soccer. It was France and I against Carly and Ang. It was really fun. France and i won. After the game we all kind of just hung out.
After the soccer game we (Alvin, France, Shuan, Andrew, Raymond, and I) went to the basketball courts again 3 on 3. It was me Alvin and Raymond against France, Shuan, and Andrew. The game started out pretty fair. They were keeping up with us for about the first five minutes. We killed them though, no contest. The final score was like 25 to 6. It was really fun beating them though. We had that great team chemistry. After the game we all went to decide what to do next, go home or wait around for Jon, Ron, and Danny.
In the end we all just hung out for another half an hour and then i had to go home because i had to get ready for my training with my personal trainer (for baseball). The training was fun. I learned a lot and had fun doing it. I got a lot of Batting Practice and also some fielding work in. The coach is really nice too. So now also on fridays from 7:30 to 8:30 i have to go to my trainer and do some work so i can be in top shape for the Hoots summer season coming along. Friday was really good and hopefully so is next weeks.
We all walked around and got food, i went home first though. After getting lunch France, Blair, Shuan, and i met up at Edison to play some basketball. We played basketball for a little while and met up with Carly and Angeline. We played at Edison for a good 3 hours and then decided to go to Angeline's house because her and Carly had to get some stuff. Ang brought her dog out and we all played with it for a little while. I think her dogs name is Patches. After we went to Angeline's house we all (France, Shuan, Blair, Ang, Carly, and i) started walking to frisbee.
We arrived at lincoln at four and then started to play basketball. I played a couple people in 1 on 1 and won. After playing basketball for a while we went to the grass and decided to play some soccer. It was France and I against Carly and Ang. It was really fun. France and i won. After the game we all kind of just hung out.
After the soccer game we (Alvin, France, Shuan, Andrew, Raymond, and I) went to the basketball courts again 3 on 3. It was me Alvin and Raymond against France, Shuan, and Andrew. The game started out pretty fair. They were keeping up with us for about the first five minutes. We killed them though, no contest. The final score was like 25 to 6. It was really fun beating them though. We had that great team chemistry. After the game we all went to decide what to do next, go home or wait around for Jon, Ron, and Danny.
In the end we all just hung out for another half an hour and then i had to go home because i had to get ready for my training with my personal trainer (for baseball). The training was fun. I learned a lot and had fun doing it. I got a lot of Batting Practice and also some fielding work in. The coach is really nice too. So now also on fridays from 7:30 to 8:30 i have to go to my trainer and do some work so i can be in top shape for the Hoots summer season coming along. Friday was really good and hopefully so is next weeks.
SuperFreakonomics (Pt 1)
This book is amazing! I so recommend it to anyone who just can read. I mean its for people probably from the age of 14 and up. I mean it just explores different views that you would not expect as a reader. Like this book does not even have a genre i would say. I could not place it under specific category. So one of the quotes that really stuck out to me which was pretty, "short but sweet" was one that was about global warming and how it is affecting humans, plants, animals, and pretty much every life form on the planet.
Pretty much it explains a lot in just one quote. Carbon dioxide is what is affecting everything! During the first part of the book even before the debate about global warming was about how a Street Prostitute is like a Department-Store Santa?
So it pretty much showed what the Street Prostitute was like and then later it talked about the Department-Store Santa. I thought this was a very interesting topic considering i would have never thought the two had anything in common at all. So overall the book has been pretty entertaining. I have gotten very far and can not seem to put it down because it is so entertaining. Can't wait for next weeks post and to hear what Ming has to say about the book.
Carbon dioxide is the right villain,
Pretty much it explains a lot in just one quote. Carbon dioxide is what is affecting everything! During the first part of the book even before the debate about global warming was about how a Street Prostitute is like a Department-Store Santa?
It turns out that the typical street prostitute in Chicago works 13 hours a week, performing 10 sex acts during that period, and earns an hourly wage of approximately $27. So her weekly take- home pay is roughly $350. This includes an average of $20 that a prostitute steals from her customers and acknowledges that some prostitutes accept drugs in lieu of cash— usually crack cocaine or heroin, and usually at a discount. Of all the women in Venkatesh’s study,83 percent were drug addicts.
So it pretty much showed what the Street Prostitute was like and then later it talked about the Department-Store Santa. I thought this was a very interesting topic considering i would have never thought the two had anything in common at all. So overall the book has been pretty entertaining. I have gotten very far and can not seem to put it down because it is so entertaining. Can't wait for next weeks post and to hear what Ming has to say about the book.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Freakonomics Monthly Review
What was the author's purpose in writing this book, how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
The purpose of this book was to describe what different topics that may have seemed irrelevant to each other yet they were somehow tied to one another. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner wrote this book and still now continue the book on a blog. The book explored topics such as the similarities between school teachers and sumo wrestlers, how the Ku klux klan and real estate agents are alike, common names for poor and rich areas, and many other interesting topics. Those topics were some of my favorite but there were many more to choose from in the book.
The book started out with Sumo wrestlers Vs. school teachers. This i found interesting because they talked a lot about cheating. The book explained how teachers would do almost anything for his/her class to look really good because if a class does well then the teacher in turn gets better pay or treated better. It also explained how school teachers will cheat for their class in a numerous amount of ways to make themselves look good as teachers (without caring about the students). When teachers do this it affects the students next year which in turn makes next years teacher look worse because of the insufficient teachings of the teacher who cheated. This also helps people figure out who the cheaters are. Cheaters are more easily found when there are patterns in the cheating.
With sumo wrestlers the cheating was kind of the same. The book explained how Sumo Wrestlers have fifteen matches and if they win at least eight out of the fifteen matches then they are considered upper-class wrestlers. The cheating part of Sumo Wrestling is in such occasions as when a 7-7 Sumo wrestler faces a 8-6 wrestler. The 8-6 wrestler will usually throw the match so the 7-7 can become an upper class wrestler.
The purpose of this book was really just a book for leisure i think. Because there is really no point in discussing random topics and how they relate to each other, but it is also very interesting to read and you never really want to put the book down.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
I think this book is for an older to teenage audience. I mean i would recommend it to anyone who just wants to hear interesting facts about stuff but i mean i would really recommend it to teens and adults. I find this book more for an older crowd one because of peoples reading levels and also just the topics they talk about seem to be for older people. For instance last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. Parenting came up as one that stood out to me that young kids or a younger crowd really would not care about.I mean i really thought about english when i read this section because it was all about selecting schools and what not. I think that a younger crowd would not get where the authors are coming from at all when they are reading this book so that is why i direct it more toward a middle to older aged crowd of people.
Another part of this book that just supports my idea of directing this book at an older crowd is the topic "Why do drug dealers still live with their mothers." Like really, what is that? I think that is one of the topics that is really irrelevant but i mean it was somewhat interesting just it seemed like the authors did not have a lot to write about it. I mean do not get me wrong i loved the whole book in its entirety but topics like this and some others are just not meant for younger kids and older adults that do not like things like this.
What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?
I think this book covers topics that are kind of boring. The authors may not think so but i found parts of the book really slow. For example, during the beginning of Freakonomics they talked about the Klu Klux Klan and Real Estate agents and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Klu Klux Klan. It explained how they started off as a group of people that went around in sheets and pillow cases and would do harmless pranks to people. Then they talked about how the pranks became no longer harmless. Like they took a lot more time just to say that. So i thought that some of the book was really irrelevant.
Also when they talked about the Real Estate agents they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying.
In the book Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. Some parts were way better than others but I really liked the book. I think if we get another chance to do a lit circle again we should read Superfreakonomics it seems just as interesting. Like i also said before in almost all of my posts about this book i would still love to hear what my group mates think about the book as well besides what is on their blogs. (Also on my last blog post i put the link to the freakonomics blog)
The purpose of this book was to describe what different topics that may have seemed irrelevant to each other yet they were somehow tied to one another. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner wrote this book and still now continue the book on a blog. The book explored topics such as the similarities between school teachers and sumo wrestlers, how the Ku klux klan and real estate agents are alike, common names for poor and rich areas, and many other interesting topics. Those topics were some of my favorite but there were many more to choose from in the book.
The book started out with Sumo wrestlers Vs. school teachers. This i found interesting because they talked a lot about cheating. The book explained how teachers would do almost anything for his/her class to look really good because if a class does well then the teacher in turn gets better pay or treated better. It also explained how school teachers will cheat for their class in a numerous amount of ways to make themselves look good as teachers (without caring about the students). When teachers do this it affects the students next year which in turn makes next years teacher look worse because of the insufficient teachings of the teacher who cheated. This also helps people figure out who the cheaters are. Cheaters are more easily found when there are patterns in the cheating.
With sumo wrestlers the cheating was kind of the same. The book explained how Sumo Wrestlers have fifteen matches and if they win at least eight out of the fifteen matches then they are considered upper-class wrestlers. The cheating part of Sumo Wrestling is in such occasions as when a 7-7 Sumo wrestler faces a 8-6 wrestler. The 8-6 wrestler will usually throw the match so the 7-7 can become an upper class wrestler.
The purpose of this book was really just a book for leisure i think. Because there is really no point in discussing random topics and how they relate to each other, but it is also very interesting to read and you never really want to put the book down.
For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)
I think this book is for an older to teenage audience. I mean i would recommend it to anyone who just wants to hear interesting facts about stuff but i mean i would really recommend it to teens and adults. I find this book more for an older crowd one because of peoples reading levels and also just the topics they talk about seem to be for older people. For instance last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. Parenting came up as one that stood out to me that young kids or a younger crowd really would not care about.I mean i really thought about english when i read this section because it was all about selecting schools and what not. I think that a younger crowd would not get where the authors are coming from at all when they are reading this book so that is why i direct it more toward a middle to older aged crowd of people.
Another part of this book that just supports my idea of directing this book at an older crowd is the topic "Why do drug dealers still live with their mothers." Like really, what is that? I think that is one of the topics that is really irrelevant but i mean it was somewhat interesting just it seemed like the authors did not have a lot to write about it. I mean do not get me wrong i loved the whole book in its entirety but topics like this and some others are just not meant for younger kids and older adults that do not like things like this.
What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?
I think this book covers topics that are kind of boring. The authors may not think so but i found parts of the book really slow. For example, during the beginning of Freakonomics they talked about the Klu Klux Klan and Real Estate agents and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Klu Klux Klan. It explained how they started off as a group of people that went around in sheets and pillow cases and would do harmless pranks to people. Then they talked about how the pranks became no longer harmless. Like they took a lot more time just to say that. So i thought that some of the book was really irrelevant.
Also when they talked about the Real Estate agents they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying.
In the book Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. Some parts were way better than others but I really liked the book. I think if we get another chance to do a lit circle again we should read Superfreakonomics it seems just as interesting. Like i also said before in almost all of my posts about this book i would still love to hear what my group mates think about the book as well besides what is on their blogs. (Also on my last blog post i put the link to the freakonomics blog)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Freakonomics LC Letter (part 3)
France (FDC), Ming (MSG), and Brandon (B. FOK),
The last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. As france pointed out the parenting thing came up. Race came into play and also parents selecting which schools appealed to their children's learning styles. When i read about the selection of schools by parents i thought of a discussion we all had in english. Sutherland was talking about how if you live in an area with good school's the property tax goes up. In the book this brings up the point that if you live in a nicer area the schools are probably better and the same for the poorer areas.
I think that Freakonomics was overall excellent. I would love to read the second book which i believe is called SuperFreakonomics. I looked it up and i read some reviews about is such as this one:
“This book is a lot like Freakonomics, but better… Levitt and Dubner have a gift for explaining precisely how a researcher discovers something. Their epilogue, on Keith Chen’s attempts to introduce currency to a monkey society, is a model of how to tell a gripping story of scientific research without compromising on accuracy.”
—FINANCIAL TIMES
I also saw online that there was a Freakonomics blog up. I was very interested in this book so i started to read and it is really just like the book. It just extends topics to an extent no one would think about. I will post the link to the blog as one of the comments but i really would recommend the book to anyone. If we do another lit circle i suggest SuperFreakonomics because i thought Freakonomics was good so why not read the sequel. There is not much to say about the book here but i would love to discuss about the book with you guys during class if we get time to do so.
The last part of the book Freakonomics was pretty good. Some new topics came up that were very interesting and some that were not as interesting. As france pointed out the parenting thing came up. Race came into play and also parents selecting which schools appealed to their children's learning styles. When i read about the selection of schools by parents i thought of a discussion we all had in english. Sutherland was talking about how if you live in an area with good school's the property tax goes up. In the book this brings up the point that if you live in a nicer area the schools are probably better and the same for the poorer areas.
I think that Freakonomics was overall excellent. I would love to read the second book which i believe is called SuperFreakonomics. I looked it up and i read some reviews about is such as this one:
“This book is a lot like Freakonomics, but better… Levitt and Dubner have a gift for explaining precisely how a researcher discovers something. Their epilogue, on Keith Chen’s attempts to introduce currency to a monkey society, is a model of how to tell a gripping story of scientific research without compromising on accuracy.”
—FINANCIAL TIMES
I also saw online that there was a Freakonomics blog up. I was very interested in this book so i started to read and it is really just like the book. It just extends topics to an extent no one would think about. I will post the link to the blog as one of the comments but i really would recommend the book to anyone. If we do another lit circle i suggest SuperFreakonomics because i thought Freakonomics was good so why not read the sequel. There is not much to say about the book here but i would love to discuss about the book with you guys during class if we get time to do so.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Spring Break.
So my spring break for 2010 was pretty good. I went to Lake Tahoe, saw Wicked, hung out with my friends, went to Great America, and made $90 umpiring some baseball games. Overall my spring break was really good. Overall my break was really good because i had a lot of fun with my friends and family.
I went to lake tahoe from Saturday to Tuesday. Started out pretty boring we spent Saturday and Sunday just hanging out at the cabin because my parents were being lazy for some reason. On Monday my mom took me snowboarding which was awesome. I went on the intermediate slopes with her and she kept falling. She actually slowed me down a lot. I had a lot of fun though. I was going really fast but it was also really cold. I fell a couple times and it really hurt but i am all good now. After snowboarding we went back to the cabin and started packing for the next days road trip back home.
The day we got back home which was Tuesday was really boring because we spent the whole day driving. The next day though we went to see Wicked with my Grandmother. I have seen and heard all the commercials for it and it looked a little weird to me but i actually really liked it. It was really funny and entertaining. It was pretty much a, i don't know the word for it, but a "knock off" (more or less) of the Wizard Of Oz. It had a lot of the same characters and the same themes and it was just like a part one of the Wizard Of Oz (Wizard Of Oz being the part two).
Thursday was more of a day for friends. We all met up at my house to go play basketball and bike. Made a couple of new friends that day too. I also saw France Darwin biking down Island Drive like a maniac trying to get to Andrew's house. It was a pretty chill yet really fun day. We should all do that more often except this time have our whole group there. After an exhausting game of basketball we all went home. We all had to end early because I had to go to Great America the next day.
Great America was fun. I went with Jared and ended up hanging with him and a bunch of other people we happened to know (Katrina, Helene, Kathryn, and Christy). We all just walked around the park, played games, and rode on the roller coasters. I figured out that day that i am terrified of roller coasters. I can not stand them. When they go down i have this fear of it not stopping and hitting the ground and it freaks me out.
Those were pretty much the highlights of my break. I had so much fun. I can not wait until summer, thats when the really good stuff is going to happen (Baseball Season!). The 2010 Spring Break was excellent!
I went to lake tahoe from Saturday to Tuesday. Started out pretty boring we spent Saturday and Sunday just hanging out at the cabin because my parents were being lazy for some reason. On Monday my mom took me snowboarding which was awesome. I went on the intermediate slopes with her and she kept falling. She actually slowed me down a lot. I had a lot of fun though. I was going really fast but it was also really cold. I fell a couple times and it really hurt but i am all good now. After snowboarding we went back to the cabin and started packing for the next days road trip back home.
The day we got back home which was Tuesday was really boring because we spent the whole day driving. The next day though we went to see Wicked with my Grandmother. I have seen and heard all the commercials for it and it looked a little weird to me but i actually really liked it. It was really funny and entertaining. It was pretty much a, i don't know the word for it, but a "knock off" (more or less) of the Wizard Of Oz. It had a lot of the same characters and the same themes and it was just like a part one of the Wizard Of Oz (Wizard Of Oz being the part two).
Thursday was more of a day for friends. We all met up at my house to go play basketball and bike. Made a couple of new friends that day too. I also saw France Darwin biking down Island Drive like a maniac trying to get to Andrew's house. It was a pretty chill yet really fun day. We should all do that more often except this time have our whole group there. After an exhausting game of basketball we all went home. We all had to end early because I had to go to Great America the next day.
Great America was fun. I went with Jared and ended up hanging with him and a bunch of other people we happened to know (Katrina, Helene, Kathryn, and Christy). We all just walked around the park, played games, and rode on the roller coasters. I figured out that day that i am terrified of roller coasters. I can not stand them. When they go down i have this fear of it not stopping and hitting the ground and it freaks me out.
Those were pretty much the highlights of my break. I had so much fun. I can not wait until summer, thats when the really good stuff is going to happen (Baseball Season!). The 2010 Spring Break was excellent!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Freakonomics LC Letter (parts 1 & 2)
PART 1
For the first part of Freakonomics they talked about Sumo Wrestlers and Teachers and how each of them are alike. Although they both seem like completely different topics both of the strategies they use are very similar. In the book they use cheating as similarities between the two. They say that teachers may cheat to help their students on exams or SAT's while Sumo Wrestlers cheat to help others in the ranking.
It starts with an Israeli day care center where they do a test on the parents about late pick-ups of children. What i did not understand is in the book they only chose one day care center and so the data did not really prove anything because it had no other evidence besides that one day care center. The data from the one day care center showed that parents would pay a small fee to pick their kids up late rather than picking them up on time.
The next part of the book was about the school teachers. It said how school teachers will cheat for their class in a numerous amount of ways to make themselves look good as teachers. When teachers do this it affects the students next year which in turn makes next years teacher look worse because of the insufficient teachings of the teacher who cheated. This also helps people figure out who the cheaters are. Cheaters are more easily found when there are patterns in the cheating.
After they explained the cheating with payments of Israeli parents and the cheating of school teachers they went to the Sumo Wrestlers. The book explained how Sumo Wrestlers have fifteen matches and if they win at least eight out of the fifteen matches then they are considered upper-class wrestlers. The cheating part of Sumo Wrestling is in such occasions as when a 7-7 Sumo wrestler faces a 8-6 wrestler. The 8-6 wrestler will usually throw the match so the 7-7 can become an upper class wrestler.
In the first part of Freakonomics it mainly talked about cheating and ways to cheat. Sumo Wrestlers do an honor system, teachers do it for themselves, and the Israeli parents that were tested did it for the money. There were also a couple of other examples that were not as big.
PART 2
For the first part of Freakonomics they talked about the Klu Klux Klan and Real Estate agents and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Klu Klux Klan. It explained how they started off as a group of people that went around in sheets and pillow cases and would do harmless pranks to people. Soon after the Klan started it turned into pranks that were more dangerous. Then after the more dangerous pranks came around they were then directed at certain groups of people.
When they talked about the Real Estate agents they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying.
In the book Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (i love how they have the same first name) pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. So far the book has been a pleasure to read and i have some things i would like to discuss with my group because i would like to hear their opinion on these topics.
For the first part of Freakonomics they talked about Sumo Wrestlers and Teachers and how each of them are alike. Although they both seem like completely different topics both of the strategies they use are very similar. In the book they use cheating as similarities between the two. They say that teachers may cheat to help their students on exams or SAT's while Sumo Wrestlers cheat to help others in the ranking.
It starts with an Israeli day care center where they do a test on the parents about late pick-ups of children. What i did not understand is in the book they only chose one day care center and so the data did not really prove anything because it had no other evidence besides that one day care center. The data from the one day care center showed that parents would pay a small fee to pick their kids up late rather than picking them up on time.
The next part of the book was about the school teachers. It said how school teachers will cheat for their class in a numerous amount of ways to make themselves look good as teachers. When teachers do this it affects the students next year which in turn makes next years teacher look worse because of the insufficient teachings of the teacher who cheated. This also helps people figure out who the cheaters are. Cheaters are more easily found when there are patterns in the cheating.
After they explained the cheating with payments of Israeli parents and the cheating of school teachers they went to the Sumo Wrestlers. The book explained how Sumo Wrestlers have fifteen matches and if they win at least eight out of the fifteen matches then they are considered upper-class wrestlers. The cheating part of Sumo Wrestling is in such occasions as when a 7-7 Sumo wrestler faces a 8-6 wrestler. The 8-6 wrestler will usually throw the match so the 7-7 can become an upper class wrestler.
In the first part of Freakonomics it mainly talked about cheating and ways to cheat. Sumo Wrestlers do an honor system, teachers do it for themselves, and the Israeli parents that were tested did it for the money. There were also a couple of other examples that were not as big.
PART 2
For the first part of Freakonomics they talked about the Klu Klux Klan and Real Estate agents and how each of them are alike. This section of the book started with the Klu Klux Klan. It explained how they started off as a group of people that went around in sheets and pillow cases and would do harmless pranks to people. Soon after the Klan started it turned into pranks that were more dangerous. Then after the more dangerous pranks came around they were then directed at certain groups of people.
When they talked about the Real Estate agents they talked about how they chose to sell a house and who too. Depending on age, race, etc. the Real Estate agents would act differently and would offer different areas according to the way the person presented themselves. I found that disturbing because just if a person presents their self in one way does not mean they are that way. If you get what i am saying.
In the book Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (i love how they have the same first name) pick the most bizarre topics to debate about but in the end the way they use evidence to prove their comparisons is very good. So far the book has been a pleasure to read and i have some things i would like to discuss with my group because i would like to hear their opinion on these topics.
Friday, April 2, 2010
4th Quarter writing goals.
What are my current goals as a writer?
For this quarter my writing goals are to keep my writing fluent, cut out redundancy, and learn to not get stuck while i am writing. My plan for this quarter is to just plan before each post instead of waiting until the last minute to do it. If i plan ahead of time all three of these goals should be much easier to achieve. One more goal i have for this final quarter of the school year is to brainstorm and write out what i want to write about before actually writing about it. This way i can know what i am going to write about so it will help me with these other few goals as well.
By keeping my writing fluent i will be able to finish my blog post faster and also be more efficient when taking the time to write it. If i already know what i want to write about before hand, i can just keep writing without stopping whereas i usually stop during the midst of it because i get stuck. This method has seemed to work in the past but it has seemed to be more time consuming in the end. I have planned out what i wanted to write on a separate piece of paper but it always ends up taking a while for me to choose what i actually want to write about. Though brainstorming before takes time, in the long run it is a lot more useful. By planning things out before i write i will for sure be able to cut down on time and also get my writing done completely without having to think about what to write.
Another goal which has always been a goal for me is cutting out redundancy. I tend to write things over and over again except in different formats. This is a bad habit which also is not a very good method of writing. I need to work on this by rereading my work before posting it or by even asking someone else to critic my writing. I could also plan as well for cutting out redundancy. By planning it will just make my writing smoother which will therefore not make me have to stop and think about what to write. If i have to stop and think about what i write then i might go back to the same sort of topic i was on before.
The last thing i want to work on is not getting stuck when i write. It is different from keeping my writing fluent because for that i want to just not get stuck. For this i want to become more fluent in my writing as in writing my posts like writing fluency when i write. Which also leads back to planning. If i plan then i can get everything done. Planning seems to be the main goal for me, so as of now my main goal is to plan ahead before writing my blog posts.
For this quarter my writing goals are to keep my writing fluent, cut out redundancy, and learn to not get stuck while i am writing. My plan for this quarter is to just plan before each post instead of waiting until the last minute to do it. If i plan ahead of time all three of these goals should be much easier to achieve. One more goal i have for this final quarter of the school year is to brainstorm and write out what i want to write about before actually writing about it. This way i can know what i am going to write about so it will help me with these other few goals as well.
By keeping my writing fluent i will be able to finish my blog post faster and also be more efficient when taking the time to write it. If i already know what i want to write about before hand, i can just keep writing without stopping whereas i usually stop during the midst of it because i get stuck. This method has seemed to work in the past but it has seemed to be more time consuming in the end. I have planned out what i wanted to write on a separate piece of paper but it always ends up taking a while for me to choose what i actually want to write about. Though brainstorming before takes time, in the long run it is a lot more useful. By planning things out before i write i will for sure be able to cut down on time and also get my writing done completely without having to think about what to write.
Another goal which has always been a goal for me is cutting out redundancy. I tend to write things over and over again except in different formats. This is a bad habit which also is not a very good method of writing. I need to work on this by rereading my work before posting it or by even asking someone else to critic my writing. I could also plan as well for cutting out redundancy. By planning it will just make my writing smoother which will therefore not make me have to stop and think about what to write. If i have to stop and think about what i write then i might go back to the same sort of topic i was on before.
The last thing i want to work on is not getting stuck when i write. It is different from keeping my writing fluent because for that i want to just not get stuck. For this i want to become more fluent in my writing as in writing my posts like writing fluency when i write. Which also leads back to planning. If i plan then i can get everything done. Planning seems to be the main goal for me, so as of now my main goal is to plan ahead before writing my blog posts.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monthly review prompt for "First They Killed My Father"
What was the author's purpose in writing this book, how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?
The purpose of this book was to describe what Loung Ung's life was like during these hard times. From what i could tell from the book, Luong wanted the reader to know how people were treated in this time by the Khmer Rouge and what life was like in general during the time inside and outside of camp. The quotes she used really made this book excellent. I can not express how well this book was written and how the quotes made described the scenes at hand. She seemed to make it very easy for the reader to tell how she felt, what was going on, and how other characters felt without them even really being in the midst of what was happening. These were just a few of the things that stood out to me. The purpose of showing the reader what life was like was definitely fulfilled from the very beginning of this book.
"This morning, I am stuck at a noodle shop a block from our apartment in this big chair. I'd much rather be playing hopscotch with my friends."-2 This shows that Luong goes to the noodle shop on a semi regular basis in the morning. You can tell this by her writing style and the way she describes the setting. She describes the setting well enough to not make it boring but to also get the point across to the reader that she wants them to be informed about her life.
Throughout the book she shows that her purpose of the book was just to inform people. She emphasizes the key aspects and even the ones that are not so relevant. During this book she helps the reader completely understand her purpose of wanting the reader to enjoy the story but also learn about her culture and how she lived through these hard times.
How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?
I would describe Loung Ung's writing more of a suspenseful kind of writer. I find her style very amusing and it always seems to keep the reader (in my case me) on their toes throughout the book. For example during the book this part stood out to me, "Leave me alone. Don't bother me," he yells and comes after me with a large rusty silver cleaver. With my knees shaking i run from him." (199) This part shows the tension in the air and also how the character feels at this time. Pithy's brother is sad and angry because his mother died. I find it ironic that he wants to be left alone but he chases after her.
Another part of the book that stood out to me again that also describes Loung Ung's writing style is this quote on page 183. "You will never be great. What makes you think you will be great? You are nothing. You are an orphan. You'll only be something if you become a hooker." Luong's Foster mother tells Loung that she is worthless. Her new family cares nothing about her. I thought about this throughout the whole book but i wonder why the mother is so petty that she has to make children feel bad about themselves.
One more quote that stood out to me the most over all the others was, "He wants us to follow him to get the water,"...He puts up his palm to stop us. He points to me and waves for me to follow him...I follow him into the woods leaving Chou and Pithy behind." (179) They way Ung describes this situation makes what is about to happen very clear. I could tell right after i finished reading that, she was going to be raped. These descriptions that she uses really helps the reader understand more and focus on her style of writing.
These are some quotes that just show Loung's writing style and how it is different from that of many other writers. She writes in more of a suspenseful thriller genre rather than a biography. I like that a lot more because biography's tend to be boring if the writer does write very enthusiastically, but Luong did a great job writing with enthusiasm while also keeping the book going at a very good pace.
Find out about the author. How did they end up writing this particular book? Is the author's true life reflected in the book in any ways?
I did some research and i found out that Loung does not know her own birthday due to the Khmer Rouge erasing all records of people. This was not put in the book but i found this an interesting fact about what the Khmer Rouge had also done. I also found out that after escaping "the Killing Fields" she emigrated to the United States of America where she wrote this book. She also wrote another book, a sequel to this book called "Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind" which is her second memoir about her struggles with the Khmer Rouge.
Loung Ung wrote this book as a memoir of her memories of being a child soldier. She wrote about how she was trained as a child soldier to become part of the Khmer Rouge. Her life is definitely reflected in this book because it is all about her life. Her personal stories are in this book and you can tell she remembers every single occasion that happened during her life that she showed in the book.
She reflects her life in her writing by explaining some quotes with such emphasis that a reader could tell that it had to be a first hang experience and not just a fictional piece. Loung does not just do this for a few quotes in the book, but for all. She definitely is writing more out of experience and from her heart then she is just trying to make the book sound good.
The purpose of this book was to describe what Loung Ung's life was like during these hard times. From what i could tell from the book, Luong wanted the reader to know how people were treated in this time by the Khmer Rouge and what life was like in general during the time inside and outside of camp. The quotes she used really made this book excellent. I can not express how well this book was written and how the quotes made described the scenes at hand. She seemed to make it very easy for the reader to tell how she felt, what was going on, and how other characters felt without them even really being in the midst of what was happening. These were just a few of the things that stood out to me. The purpose of showing the reader what life was like was definitely fulfilled from the very beginning of this book.
"This morning, I am stuck at a noodle shop a block from our apartment in this big chair. I'd much rather be playing hopscotch with my friends."-2 This shows that Luong goes to the noodle shop on a semi regular basis in the morning. You can tell this by her writing style and the way she describes the setting. She describes the setting well enough to not make it boring but to also get the point across to the reader that she wants them to be informed about her life.
Throughout the book she shows that her purpose of the book was just to inform people. She emphasizes the key aspects and even the ones that are not so relevant. During this book she helps the reader completely understand her purpose of wanting the reader to enjoy the story but also learn about her culture and how she lived through these hard times.
How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?
I would describe Loung Ung's writing more of a suspenseful kind of writer. I find her style very amusing and it always seems to keep the reader (in my case me) on their toes throughout the book. For example during the book this part stood out to me, "Leave me alone. Don't bother me," he yells and comes after me with a large rusty silver cleaver. With my knees shaking i run from him." (199) This part shows the tension in the air and also how the character feels at this time. Pithy's brother is sad and angry because his mother died. I find it ironic that he wants to be left alone but he chases after her.
Another part of the book that stood out to me again that also describes Loung Ung's writing style is this quote on page 183. "You will never be great. What makes you think you will be great? You are nothing. You are an orphan. You'll only be something if you become a hooker." Luong's Foster mother tells Loung that she is worthless. Her new family cares nothing about her. I thought about this throughout the whole book but i wonder why the mother is so petty that she has to make children feel bad about themselves.
One more quote that stood out to me the most over all the others was, "He wants us to follow him to get the water,"...He puts up his palm to stop us. He points to me and waves for me to follow him...I follow him into the woods leaving Chou and Pithy behind." (179) They way Ung describes this situation makes what is about to happen very clear. I could tell right after i finished reading that, she was going to be raped. These descriptions that she uses really helps the reader understand more and focus on her style of writing.
These are some quotes that just show Loung's writing style and how it is different from that of many other writers. She writes in more of a suspenseful thriller genre rather than a biography. I like that a lot more because biography's tend to be boring if the writer does write very enthusiastically, but Luong did a great job writing with enthusiasm while also keeping the book going at a very good pace.
Find out about the author. How did they end up writing this particular book? Is the author's true life reflected in the book in any ways?
I did some research and i found out that Loung does not know her own birthday due to the Khmer Rouge erasing all records of people. This was not put in the book but i found this an interesting fact about what the Khmer Rouge had also done. I also found out that after escaping "the Killing Fields" she emigrated to the United States of America where she wrote this book. She also wrote another book, a sequel to this book called "Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind" which is her second memoir about her struggles with the Khmer Rouge.
Loung Ung wrote this book as a memoir of her memories of being a child soldier. She wrote about how she was trained as a child soldier to become part of the Khmer Rouge. Her life is definitely reflected in this book because it is all about her life. Her personal stories are in this book and you can tell she remembers every single occasion that happened during her life that she showed in the book.
She reflects her life in her writing by explaining some quotes with such emphasis that a reader could tell that it had to be a first hang experience and not just a fictional piece. Loung does not just do this for a few quotes in the book, but for all. She definitely is writing more out of experience and from her heart then she is just trying to make the book sound good.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
First They Killed My Father
I forgot to post the last blog post about the book. During this section in the book they were in the village and they were instructed what to do within the village. I found it rather cruel the way the people were treated throughout the book. While they were in the camp i mean. Outside the camp when she had her life they seemed to be quite well off. Luong seemed to be very attached to a few things in this book that seemed to be shown in many different ways. Many of her morals and values were shown indirectly which i liked. The author did a great job of also keeping a great sense of how she felt and also keeping the story along at a very fast pace.
I found parts of this book very sad such as the "picking corn" part. The author described the scenario very well which made it all the more sad. She seemed to do it very well throughout the whole book.
The part where the girls were trained as soldiers was sad as well. I thought they were not treated too poorly yet there was still some really bad things going on within the camp. Even though the girls were treated very well they were also forced into many other things such as marriage.
Overall i thought "First They Killed My Father" was a very well written book. I found the writing style of Luong Ung very unique but it made the book a lot better because of the way she described things. I did have some questions on the book that i will ask my group mates during class but i just found the book very good. I think France was talking about a sequel as well so i would be interested in reading that as well.
I found parts of this book very sad such as the "picking corn" part. The author described the scenario very well which made it all the more sad. She seemed to do it very well throughout the whole book.
The part where the girls were trained as soldiers was sad as well. I thought they were not treated too poorly yet there was still some really bad things going on within the camp. Even though the girls were treated very well they were also forced into many other things such as marriage.
Overall i thought "First They Killed My Father" was a very well written book. I found the writing style of Luong Ung very unique but it made the book a lot better because of the way she described things. I did have some questions on the book that i will ask my group mates during class but i just found the book very good. I think France was talking about a sequel as well so i would be interested in reading that as well.
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Pretty Interesting Friday (3.19.10)
Today was so much fun, minus a couple things. Started out with school. Spanish was very easy. Chemistry same as always, boring and funny. Ms. Malik is so hard to understand sometimes its insane, and Huy always keeps the class amazingly funny when he gets Ms. Malik angry. So after chemistry i went to Math. I aced my test which brought my grade up even more :). After Math was History. I love history in general, Mr. Omalley is really cool, but today we took notes so it was really boring. After History we had lunch. Lunch was pretty good, i do not remember exactly what i had, i just remember we all went somewhere and it was really good. After lunch was english. No TED friday :(. Instead we went to the pit to read and discuss our books. After we had PE and it was extra credit pacer day. I ran 80 with some other dude from track. I was exhausted after but it got me a bunch of extra credit points.
After school we all met up at the benches and got ready to walk to frisbee. It took us all like thirty minutes to decide what we wanted to do. We were all sitting around at the benches and talking about how the day was going. After about twenty minutes most of us decided to go to frisbee and we were waiting for all of the other people to decide what they wanted to do. Finally, we decided to go to frisbee and play basketball because the Lincoln Middle School grass field was closed. On the way to frisbee we stopped to get water balloons and food before actually getting to Lincoln Middle School.
We arrived at lincoln at four and then started to play basketball. I played a couple people in 1 on 1 and won. After playing basketball for a while we went to the bathrooms to fill up some water balloons. In total we only filled up about twenty water balloons. The rest either popped or were already ripped. After filling them up we had a water balloon fight that lasted about five minutes.
After the water balloon fight we (Alvin, Myron, Shuan, and I) went to the basketball courts again and challenged CJ, Huy, Sean, and Stephen. The game started out pretty fair. They were keeping up with us for about the first five minutes. We killed them, no contest. The final score was like 25 to 6. It was really fun beating them though. We had that great team chemistry. After the game we all went to decide what to do next, go home or go to park street.
In the end we all decided to go home because it was almost seven(It took us like ten minutes to actually decide because a bunch of us had to call our parents.). So we all left frisbee in a semi good mood. I left out the bad stuff that happened. Overall the day was really good though. I can not wait until next friday!
After school we all met up at the benches and got ready to walk to frisbee. It took us all like thirty minutes to decide what we wanted to do. We were all sitting around at the benches and talking about how the day was going. After about twenty minutes most of us decided to go to frisbee and we were waiting for all of the other people to decide what they wanted to do. Finally, we decided to go to frisbee and play basketball because the Lincoln Middle School grass field was closed. On the way to frisbee we stopped to get water balloons and food before actually getting to Lincoln Middle School.
We arrived at lincoln at four and then started to play basketball. I played a couple people in 1 on 1 and won. After playing basketball for a while we went to the bathrooms to fill up some water balloons. In total we only filled up about twenty water balloons. The rest either popped or were already ripped. After filling them up we had a water balloon fight that lasted about five minutes.
After the water balloon fight we (Alvin, Myron, Shuan, and I) went to the basketball courts again and challenged CJ, Huy, Sean, and Stephen. The game started out pretty fair. They were keeping up with us for about the first five minutes. We killed them, no contest. The final score was like 25 to 6. It was really fun beating them though. We had that great team chemistry. After the game we all went to decide what to do next, go home or go to park street.
In the end we all decided to go home because it was almost seven(It took us like ten minutes to actually decide because a bunch of us had to call our parents.). So we all left frisbee in a semi good mood. I left out the bad stuff that happened. Overall the day was really good though. I can not wait until next friday!
Friday, March 12, 2010
A Pretty Boring Friday (3.12.10)
So i am going to write about how today was not the best friday due to the weather conditions. I do not know how to take up 500 words for this blog post because there is really nothing to write about because nothing happened today. So tomorrow and Sunday it is not supposed to rain but i would not have minded if it rained this weekend and not rained today. Friday is always the fun day for my friends and i but today it was just ruined by the rain.
So today pretty much was horrible because of the rain. It ruined everything we all had planned today after school and during the day. So first during school we could not go anywhere at lunch because of all the rain and everyone was getting soaked so we were all hating it when we went to go get food. Also, today was toga day and all these people were walking around in Toga's because of the spirit day. They all were even more soaked than us because no one seemed to have an umbrella today.
After school today everyone was trying to decide what to do because it was raining and everyone wanted to do something but the rain was just killing it. So Jon, Pranav, and some other people went to frisbee while Alvin, France, Shuan, Amanda, and I waited for the track people to meet up with us at the school.
After the track people met up with us we all went to park street and decided what to do. Amanda went with Alvin to buy some cookies first then they came back and we all stood on the corner and discussed what to do next. Alvin, Amanda, and I bussed to frisbee while France, Andrew, Shuan, and Steven went to Andrews house to play video games. Alvin, Amanda, and I took the bus to frisbee and walked from High Street to lincoln school.
When we arrived at lincoln no one was there. It was just Alvin, Amanda, and I. Jon, Pranav, and the other people must have left frisbee when they saw that no one was there. So we all waited there to see if anyone showed up. While we were there France called us and asked if we wanted to go to Andrew's house and play some video games but we all decided to go our separate ways from frisbee. So Amanda went home and Alvin went to James' house and I walked home (It took forever to walk to bayfarm and my shoes and socks were all soggy and wet by the time i got to my house.).
After walking home i ended up hanging out here for a while and just talking to people on the computer then going to see Alice In Wonderland with Katrina, Helene, Erik, and Sam. I found the movie entertaining, it started out a little bit weird in my perspective but got a lot better as the movie progressed. Overall today was fun even though after school started out boring.
So today pretty much was horrible because of the rain. It ruined everything we all had planned today after school and during the day. So first during school we could not go anywhere at lunch because of all the rain and everyone was getting soaked so we were all hating it when we went to go get food. Also, today was toga day and all these people were walking around in Toga's because of the spirit day. They all were even more soaked than us because no one seemed to have an umbrella today.
After school today everyone was trying to decide what to do because it was raining and everyone wanted to do something but the rain was just killing it. So Jon, Pranav, and some other people went to frisbee while Alvin, France, Shuan, Amanda, and I waited for the track people to meet up with us at the school.
After the track people met up with us we all went to park street and decided what to do. Amanda went with Alvin to buy some cookies first then they came back and we all stood on the corner and discussed what to do next. Alvin, Amanda, and I bussed to frisbee while France, Andrew, Shuan, and Steven went to Andrews house to play video games. Alvin, Amanda, and I took the bus to frisbee and walked from High Street to lincoln school.
When we arrived at lincoln no one was there. It was just Alvin, Amanda, and I. Jon, Pranav, and the other people must have left frisbee when they saw that no one was there. So we all waited there to see if anyone showed up. While we were there France called us and asked if we wanted to go to Andrew's house and play some video games but we all decided to go our separate ways from frisbee. So Amanda went home and Alvin went to James' house and I walked home (It took forever to walk to bayfarm and my shoes and socks were all soggy and wet by the time i got to my house.).
After walking home i ended up hanging out here for a while and just talking to people on the computer then going to see Alice In Wonderland with Katrina, Helene, Erik, and Sam. I found the movie entertaining, it started out a little bit weird in my perspective but got a lot better as the movie progressed. Overall today was fun even though after school started out boring.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
First They Killed My Father
So pretty much i thought the first part of the book was pretty good (I left off at probably the most suspenseful part ever in the book). First off i just wanted to point out that the title just seems so sad, but back to the book. I found it rather slow at first because it was just giving an overview of Loung Ung's life. Besides the fact that it was slow and boring for the first part where she explained her life as a child and her daily routines and what not, i found her life quite interesting. How she got up very early every morning and went to eat the noodles at the restaurant. I think the noodles seemed like Pho but i could be wrong. I think for her family's life they seemed to be in the upper class because Loung Ung seems to be not so much to the point of spoiled but in between spoiled and regularly treated. I was somewhat confused about the Khmer Rouge army. Where did they come from? Who sent them? All of these questions were haunting me because these soldiers just randomly popped up into the story and took them hostage and take them to camps to be trained as soldiers. This part where they were taken to these camps kind of reminded me of the Nazi camps and what they did to the jewish people. I am just using it as an analogy. Pretty much the book is getting better than it was before and i am running out of stuff to say about it. I hope Loung Ung and her family make it out alive so they can be together again. It must be hard for her to be without her family all alone in a camp training to become a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday (3.5.10)
So today was alright. First school which was average as always. I was so close to being late today, luckily the bell rang late. During school it was the same as any other friday always. Spanish, Chemistry, Algebra 2, History, Lunch, English, PE, then go meet at the regular spot. After school we all met up to go to frisbee. It took us one hour to walk to frisbee and we pretty much just played basketball and hacky sack. Hacky sacking is our new thing now. We all have our own hacky sack and pretty much at lunch, break, after school, frisbee, or any other time we just kick the sack around. It is pretty fun actually. We are all getting really good at it and eventually we are going to be beasts at it if we all keep up with it.
So at frisbee we pretty much started with hacky sacking and then went to basketball. I think our record for hacky sacking was seven or something near there. After we all got bored of hacky sacking because right now we all suck, we went to play basketball(because James had finally showed up with the ball.). When we played basketball, Ronald was insanely good. He is like the LeBron James of our group. He just beasted on all of us. He was just making everything like it was nothing. After frisbee i had to go home because i had to go to a dinner at Scott's.
After leaving frisbee i went home and got dressed into nice dress clothes XD. I hate dressing up its just not my thing. I look really awkward and stuff. After my mom, my brother(He had trouble getting dressed because he has a brace on his leg because he got twelve stitches on his knee because at school he was playing basketball with his friends. One of his friends shot the ball over the fence of the court and my brother went to get it. He went over the fence and got the ball and when he went around the fence he tripped and fell on some bricks. The bricks then put a gash in his knee that went all the way to the bone and he had to go to the Emergency Room and get seventeen stitches. It was really bad.) my dad, and i got dressed we drove to the dinner.
The dinner was extremely good. So pretty much the dinner took forever for us to actually get the meal. It started out with people talking for like an hour so my brother and i (hobbled)walked to the bar and got some shirley temples. After like an hour of waiting at the bar we went back to the table and waited for like another ten minutes for our food.
The meal started out with salad, then went to chicken or fish or something like that. I could not really tell. After dinner there was desert and it was peach cobbler. It was delicious, and i really liked it. After dinner we all went home and it was really late so i was really tired. So pretty much that was the end to my very long day.
So at frisbee we pretty much started with hacky sacking and then went to basketball. I think our record for hacky sacking was seven or something near there. After we all got bored of hacky sacking because right now we all suck, we went to play basketball(because James had finally showed up with the ball.). When we played basketball, Ronald was insanely good. He is like the LeBron James of our group. He just beasted on all of us. He was just making everything like it was nothing. After frisbee i had to go home because i had to go to a dinner at Scott's.
After leaving frisbee i went home and got dressed into nice dress clothes XD. I hate dressing up its just not my thing. I look really awkward and stuff. After my mom, my brother(He had trouble getting dressed because he has a brace on his leg because he got twelve stitches on his knee because at school he was playing basketball with his friends. One of his friends shot the ball over the fence of the court and my brother went to get it. He went over the fence and got the ball and when he went around the fence he tripped and fell on some bricks. The bricks then put a gash in his knee that went all the way to the bone and he had to go to the Emergency Room and get seventeen stitches. It was really bad.) my dad, and i got dressed we drove to the dinner.
The dinner was extremely good. So pretty much the dinner took forever for us to actually get the meal. It started out with people talking for like an hour so my brother and i (hobbled)walked to the bar and got some shirley temples. After like an hour of waiting at the bar we went back to the table and waited for like another ten minutes for our food.
The meal started out with salad, then went to chicken or fish or something like that. I could not really tell. After dinner there was desert and it was peach cobbler. It was delicious, and i really liked it. After dinner we all went home and it was really late so i was really tired. So pretty much that was the end to my very long day.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Once Again, Another Friday (2.26.10)
So now for blog posts sutherland wants us to do 500 words. I mean i am going to find it harder because usually when i am writing i can tell when i am nearing 300. So now i am going to have to write more which will take some time to get used to but i will eventually get the hang of it. So pretty much i am going to write about today and how my day went. Hopefully it is 500 words long because i am definitely not used to this.
So today was an okay day. Started out with the last day of spirit week, Super hero day. People were all sorts of super hero's (A lot of incredibles.). So during school was fun , we had short classes for the first three periods because fourth period we had the talent show assembly thing. It was pretty cool. It had singing, dancing, magic, music, and Michael Jackson. The Michael Jackson one was the ending to the talent show. Everyone seemed to like that one. He did the moon walk and danced very well (the second Michael Jackson). After the assembly came lunch at hawaiian barbecue, English with mr sutherland (Hotel Rawanda is good), and then PE (Test was not too hard).
After school all my friends and i met at the usual spot and spent like 30 minutes at school deciding what to do. We finally decided on going to Southshore. It took up like 20 minutes to walk to southshore because we all walk slow. When we got to southshore we all walked around for a little bit and then went to get some food. After food we went to See's candy and got like 6 peices of candy because we only had 5 dollars. i did not know candy was expensive. France and I bought some toffee which was really good. After buying the toffee we went to Lords ice cream and Steven bought some ice cream. Everyone else sat and watched Andrew and Raymond play Ms. Pacman. After they ran out of money for Ms. Pacman we all just sat at the tables and talked just about what was going on.
After sitting inside Lords for about two hours we all went to TJ max because Laura had to buy a water bottle for her dad or something. We pretty much just went through the store and just browsed all of the items. It was actually pretty entertaining. After browsing in TJ max we went to Kohl's and did some more browsing in there. Kohl's had much more variety and it was pretty cool. We just walked around the store's for about half an hour each.
After we were done browsing Angelina and Laura went home and we stood outside talking trying to see what to do next. We all ended up going our separate ways for the night becase there was nowhere we could really go. So that was the end to a pretty good friday even though there was no frisbee, and it rained.
So today was an okay day. Started out with the last day of spirit week, Super hero day. People were all sorts of super hero's (A lot of incredibles.). So during school was fun , we had short classes for the first three periods because fourth period we had the talent show assembly thing. It was pretty cool. It had singing, dancing, magic, music, and Michael Jackson. The Michael Jackson one was the ending to the talent show. Everyone seemed to like that one. He did the moon walk and danced very well (the second Michael Jackson). After the assembly came lunch at hawaiian barbecue, English with mr sutherland (Hotel Rawanda is good), and then PE (Test was not too hard).
After school all my friends and i met at the usual spot and spent like 30 minutes at school deciding what to do. We finally decided on going to Southshore. It took up like 20 minutes to walk to southshore because we all walk slow. When we got to southshore we all walked around for a little bit and then went to get some food. After food we went to See's candy and got like 6 peices of candy because we only had 5 dollars. i did not know candy was expensive. France and I bought some toffee which was really good. After buying the toffee we went to Lords ice cream and Steven bought some ice cream. Everyone else sat and watched Andrew and Raymond play Ms. Pacman. After they ran out of money for Ms. Pacman we all just sat at the tables and talked just about what was going on.
After sitting inside Lords for about two hours we all went to TJ max because Laura had to buy a water bottle for her dad or something. We pretty much just went through the store and just browsed all of the items. It was actually pretty entertaining. After browsing in TJ max we went to Kohl's and did some more browsing in there. Kohl's had much more variety and it was pretty cool. We just walked around the store's for about half an hour each.
After we were done browsing Angelina and Laura went home and we stood outside talking trying to see what to do next. We all ended up going our separate ways for the night becase there was nowhere we could really go. So that was the end to a pretty good friday even though there was no frisbee, and it rained.
Friday, February 19, 2010
A Crisis of Faith
As I grew up, it was natural to dress nicely on Sunday and go to church. My brother and I would sit in the pew and read the hymn books, searching for stories within the lyrics. Sundays seemed linger, and church always became a nuisance to my brother and I. Despite our distaste for attending mass every Sunday, we grew up with God. We learned how he forgave sins and responded to prayers.
I also grew up visiting my Grandma. She lived in a little house in the middle of Oakland somewhere. She had five children, Jose, Dora, Linda, Felix and Robert (My dad). My mom and dad would always take us over to her house. I remember all the statues of Jesus, and the pasture and all the little animals. I enjoyed visiting my grandma though, and I often looked forward to the twenty minute drive to her house.
I had never prayed for help before, I had never encountered anything that needed help from a person as mighty as God. But ever since I was little I was taught to pray before eating meals. I always just went along with the praying never asking why we prayed or what the point of it was. Nevertheless, I prayed before every meal, and cluelessly asked God to keep me healthy and safe.
Later on I started questioning praying more and more. My family and I stopped going to church and we just continued praying before meals. I was never really fond of praying before meals but I didn’t want any trouble so I did it anyways. One day I thought to myself, what is the point of praying and why do I do it. I thought about it for a long time and I still questioned it for a while after.
A week long break came upon me, and I traveled out of state with my family. We had a good time, and by the end of the week, we were looking forward to seeing our dog and all our friends again. That night we drove back home and it was a long drive. I don’t remember quite what happened but something happened to our car on the way back and we started slipping. We seemed like we were going to fall over a cliff.
As we were sliding on the roads of the hill nearing the cliff I started to pray. Naturally I didn’t expect anything of it but I did it anyways as a natural thing. I picked up from my family sort of a “When in doubt pray it out” kind of thing. I don’t know why I did it but I just did.
After making it safely down the hill without any troubles after that I question it some more. I was thinking, “Why did I pray even though I really don’t believe in it.“ I still could never figure it out why I had prayed when I was in my time of need. It was just a natural instinct I guess.
I have now decided after thinking about this topic for so long, that even if people do not believe in god they still pray when they need to. I have talked to friends, teachers, and even my parents about this topic but I get different answers. Recently in the years I have questioned if there even was a god. I have no proof of him, despite countless attempts of praying. There just seems to be no sign of this mighty figure in the sky.
As a result of questioning God I have gotten nowhere. My search for him has been pretty limited considering I can not get a straight answer out of anyone. People have their own different opinions and its hard to pick and choose which ones I want to believe. I am sure one day I will fine an answer to my questions and hopefully that answer will come before I die. Because who knows, when I die I could go to heaven and see God. I will never know until then. But this is my crisis of faith, trying to find God.
I also grew up visiting my Grandma. She lived in a little house in the middle of Oakland somewhere. She had five children, Jose, Dora, Linda, Felix and Robert (My dad). My mom and dad would always take us over to her house. I remember all the statues of Jesus, and the pasture and all the little animals. I enjoyed visiting my grandma though, and I often looked forward to the twenty minute drive to her house.
I had never prayed for help before, I had never encountered anything that needed help from a person as mighty as God. But ever since I was little I was taught to pray before eating meals. I always just went along with the praying never asking why we prayed or what the point of it was. Nevertheless, I prayed before every meal, and cluelessly asked God to keep me healthy and safe.
Later on I started questioning praying more and more. My family and I stopped going to church and we just continued praying before meals. I was never really fond of praying before meals but I didn’t want any trouble so I did it anyways. One day I thought to myself, what is the point of praying and why do I do it. I thought about it for a long time and I still questioned it for a while after.
A week long break came upon me, and I traveled out of state with my family. We had a good time, and by the end of the week, we were looking forward to seeing our dog and all our friends again. That night we drove back home and it was a long drive. I don’t remember quite what happened but something happened to our car on the way back and we started slipping. We seemed like we were going to fall over a cliff.
As we were sliding on the roads of the hill nearing the cliff I started to pray. Naturally I didn’t expect anything of it but I did it anyways as a natural thing. I picked up from my family sort of a “When in doubt pray it out” kind of thing. I don’t know why I did it but I just did.
After making it safely down the hill without any troubles after that I question it some more. I was thinking, “Why did I pray even though I really don’t believe in it.“ I still could never figure it out why I had prayed when I was in my time of need. It was just a natural instinct I guess.
I have now decided after thinking about this topic for so long, that even if people do not believe in god they still pray when they need to. I have talked to friends, teachers, and even my parents about this topic but I get different answers. Recently in the years I have questioned if there even was a god. I have no proof of him, despite countless attempts of praying. There just seems to be no sign of this mighty figure in the sky.
As a result of questioning God I have gotten nowhere. My search for him has been pretty limited considering I can not get a straight answer out of anyone. People have their own different opinions and its hard to pick and choose which ones I want to believe. I am sure one day I will fine an answer to my questions and hopefully that answer will come before I die. Because who knows, when I die I could go to heaven and see God. I will never know until then. But this is my crisis of faith, trying to find God.
Another Fun Friday (2.19.10)
So today was a pretty fun day overall even though i got cut from the baseball team. So yesterday i got cut, the coach gave me no reason for cutting me and everyone on the team (JV and Var) thought i should have been starting shortstop for Alameda. So everyone now thinks that since i got cut something is up. But back to today.
So first it started off with school which was alright pretty boring. Then after school i went to the normal meeting spot to meet up with my friends to see what we were going to do. Alvin, James, France, Ricky, Jon, Katrina, Drayson, and I decided to go play frisbee at lincoln. So France, James, Alvin, Ricky, Katrina, and I bussed there. As we were bussing James got off the bus a couple stops early because he had to go to his house to drop off his backpack and stuff and get a basketball. Everyone else just met us at lincoln.
When we arrived at frisbee no one had arrived yet and we just started to toss the disc around. About 10 minutes after we arrived Drayson showed up. He brought a soccer ball and we played soccer. James, who got off the bus early to go home then showed up with a basketball about another 15 minutes after Drayson. Finally after James and Drayson, Jon arrived. Jon arrived with steel wool and some other supplies so he could do some sort of fiery spark thing. It was pretty cool yet insanely dangerous.
After playing basketball and then soccer and tossing the disc around for a little bit, we all decided to do the fire spinning thing. Jon did it and it was pretty scary. Sparks flew off and landed on people (one landed on France's arm), and it was pretty fun. Then my mom came and i had to go home after a pretty long day.
So first it started off with school which was alright pretty boring. Then after school i went to the normal meeting spot to meet up with my friends to see what we were going to do. Alvin, James, France, Ricky, Jon, Katrina, Drayson, and I decided to go play frisbee at lincoln. So France, James, Alvin, Ricky, Katrina, and I bussed there. As we were bussing James got off the bus a couple stops early because he had to go to his house to drop off his backpack and stuff and get a basketball. Everyone else just met us at lincoln.
When we arrived at frisbee no one had arrived yet and we just started to toss the disc around. About 10 minutes after we arrived Drayson showed up. He brought a soccer ball and we played soccer. James, who got off the bus early to go home then showed up with a basketball about another 15 minutes after Drayson. Finally after James and Drayson, Jon arrived. Jon arrived with steel wool and some other supplies so he could do some sort of fiery spark thing. It was pretty cool yet insanely dangerous.
After playing basketball and then soccer and tossing the disc around for a little bit, we all decided to do the fire spinning thing. Jon did it and it was pretty scary. Sparks flew off and landed on people (one landed on France's arm), and it was pretty fun. Then my mom came and i had to go home after a pretty long day.
Friday, February 12, 2010
From redshirt to starting
So baseball season has started! It is a lot of fun already. Im playing shortstop and doing really well because i have been playing recently and been training hard so i could make it. So pretty much at practice we have done a lot of infield outfield work, some hitting (none for the returning players unfortunately.), and a lot of running. The running is pretty challenging but i am pretty used to it from my other team so i am not as exhausted as the freshman and some of my other teammates.
So today we started out with our daily warm-up, then stretching, and then a little catch. After catch we did some base running around the bases just to check out our speed and how our base running mechanics were. After base running we split into groups.
My group was Ryan, Keegan, Jack, Sean, and I(All the returning players.). We split into groups and did more base running by practicing leads and stealing and reading passed balls/balls in the dirt. We had a group at each base and then one batting at the plate. The rest of the groups were to play defense. So my group was the only group to not hit because we ran out of time at the end. Cody said that since he knew us already he needed to evaluate the freshman more. So pretty much we just stayed on defense the whole time and did a little base running.
After practice Cody said that the first cut would be monday and that it might be the only cut(probably not). Well that pretty much it. We got the weekend off, i was kinda upset because i wanted to play more. Practice monday should be fun, i cant wait. Our first game is in two weeks so we need a lot of practice if we expect to start the season off well. Hopefully this season will be better than last.
So today we started out with our daily warm-up, then stretching, and then a little catch. After catch we did some base running around the bases just to check out our speed and how our base running mechanics were. After base running we split into groups.
My group was Ryan, Keegan, Jack, Sean, and I(All the returning players.). We split into groups and did more base running by practicing leads and stealing and reading passed balls/balls in the dirt. We had a group at each base and then one batting at the plate. The rest of the groups were to play defense. So my group was the only group to not hit because we ran out of time at the end. Cody said that since he knew us already he needed to evaluate the freshman more. So pretty much we just stayed on defense the whole time and did a little base running.
After practice Cody said that the first cut would be monday and that it might be the only cut(probably not). Well that pretty much it. We got the weekend off, i was kinda upset because i wanted to play more. Practice monday should be fun, i cant wait. Our first game is in two weeks so we need a lot of practice if we expect to start the season off well. Hopefully this season will be better than last.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Project 365/Today (2.5.10)
So this blogpost was inspired to me by my dear friend France Darwin. So pretty much i made another blog that i am going to post to once a day for 1 whole year (365 days). So i have started now. I am on day 2. its pretty cool. I wrote about how i had the coolest day ever today (So much fun). We went to school like always and then went to lincoln and just played basketball the whole time. Actually there was a little bit of frisbee but not a lot because the field was closed due to all the mud :(. So far project 365 has been a lot of fun. I just write a little blurb everyday and have a picture i took that day. Then i post it to my tumblr account and its just an everyday thing. It pretty cool.
So today frisbee we all just played basketball. We got a freshman Vs. Sophomore game. It was like Ten freshman Vs. like 5 sophomores (Me, Ron, Shuan, Blair, and Pranav). Pretty much i just stayed on defense and blocked shots and then passed the ball up court to Ron or Pranav. After the game we all just shot around for a little bit. Then it got late and people started going home. I chilled with everyone else that decided to stay later. After chilling for a little while i played basketball against Anthony. He was beating me 10-7 (Playing to 11) and i came back and won with a 3-pointer in his face.
After playing one on one with anthony, jared started to rap. His rapping was......interesting. A little weird. He thought it was the best though. After listening to him rap we all decided to get a rather short game of frisbee in. I ended up scoring once for our team and then the game kind of died. it was fun though. Overall i had a pretty good friday, as usual. I am really looking forward to this weekend though. Street fest on saturday and Superbowl party Sunday.
So today frisbee we all just played basketball. We got a freshman Vs. Sophomore game. It was like Ten freshman Vs. like 5 sophomores (Me, Ron, Shuan, Blair, and Pranav). Pretty much i just stayed on defense and blocked shots and then passed the ball up court to Ron or Pranav. After the game we all just shot around for a little bit. Then it got late and people started going home. I chilled with everyone else that decided to stay later. After chilling for a little while i played basketball against Anthony. He was beating me 10-7 (Playing to 11) and i came back and won with a 3-pointer in his face.
After playing one on one with anthony, jared started to rap. His rapping was......interesting. A little weird. He thought it was the best though. After listening to him rap we all decided to get a rather short game of frisbee in. I ended up scoring once for our team and then the game kind of died. it was fun though. Overall i had a pretty good friday, as usual. I am really looking forward to this weekend though. Street fest on saturday and Superbowl party Sunday.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Just Another Friday (1.29.10)
So today school went so slow. PE 1st period was fun i guess. We pretty much just ran pacers and that was it. After PE i went to spanish. We took a test and then watched a movie. We watched Gol 2. I liked the 1st Gol. Gol it a soccer movie about a guy who plays for new castle. I liked the 1st one but we did not get to finish the second one yet. So after 2nd period i went to Algebra 2. Algebra we did group work which was a good way to learn the material. Then i went to history and then we went to lunch.
After lunch i had english. The most fun class of the day. Then Chemistry we had a sub. After school we all met up at the bench and just chilled there for a while. We all met up and went to frances house. Then i left frances house with Katrina and we started walking to frisbee. During the middle of the walk it started to rain, which sucked. I did not have an umbrella and it was horrible.
When we made it to frisbee it was like 5 o'clock. Everyone had left because of the rain except for France, Shuan, Andrew, Angelina, Sandy, Brendon, and Ronald. We all stayed there for another hour or so then everyone started leaving because it was getting late and everyone was all wet. So Andrew, Shuan, and i went to meet up with Alvin at Encinal Market.
We walked in the rain for what seemed like a long time then we finally made it to Alvin at Encinal Market. When we were there we got food and just chilled. Then i had my mom come pick me up and i went home. It was a pretty chill day.
After lunch i had english. The most fun class of the day. Then Chemistry we had a sub. After school we all met up at the bench and just chilled there for a while. We all met up and went to frances house. Then i left frances house with Katrina and we started walking to frisbee. During the middle of the walk it started to rain, which sucked. I did not have an umbrella and it was horrible.
When we made it to frisbee it was like 5 o'clock. Everyone had left because of the rain except for France, Shuan, Andrew, Angelina, Sandy, Brendon, and Ronald. We all stayed there for another hour or so then everyone started leaving because it was getting late and everyone was all wet. So Andrew, Shuan, and i went to meet up with Alvin at Encinal Market.
We walked in the rain for what seemed like a long time then we finally made it to Alvin at Encinal Market. When we were there we got food and just chilled. Then i had my mom come pick me up and i went home. It was a pretty chill day.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Final Exam
2. Choose one of your posts. (Your favorite? Your least favorite? The one that surprises you the most when you reread it? Any one you want to pick.) Analyze it in detail, with quotes etc.
My favorite post that i have written so far this semester would have to be "My Friday (9.18.09)". I feel that that one i could write with an insanely good amount of detail, while still keeping it in under 400 words. I would rather there be a minimum amount of words but not a maximum, because i feel like i could write a lot more than 400 words at times. I felt more like i could play with it a little more in a sense. This one surprised me the most when i read it because i seemed to put the most feeling into this post, because it was something that had recently happened, and it was rather exciting. I was surprised with the detail i used to describe my day. "The ball reached the fence (the tension all around the stadium) in the air and was over the fence when a player from the other team jumped up, grabbed the ball, and brought it back into the yard." This description of the home run being robbed was in my opinion the best thing i described. I have realized when i have more to write about i can describe the situation better. When i say this i mean that when i know what i am going to write ahead of time i will tend to make it a little more descriptive. I think that before each of my posts i should brainstorm a bit before i start to actually write. This way it would help me get rid of writers block and also help my writing become more fluid and detailed. This post was my favorite and was the most fluid and detailed in my perspective. I would like all of my posts to be as detailed as this and to do so i will brainstorm more and hope that i can work at the best of my ability.
7. What have you learned from your struggles with writer's block? Why do you tend to get stuck? How do you tend to get unstuck? Notice any patterns?
When i have writers block i usually do a quick write kind of thing. When i am stuck i usually have nothing to write about because nothing is going on in my life at the moment. When i blog its usually because something exciting has happened, or its friday night and i just have to put something online. Sometimes i can actually want to write because i have something to write about but other times i struggle. With those struggles i have learned how to manage to keep them to a minimum. I usually write about what is going on or what has happened recently. When i get writers block it usually takes me a while to think of a topic. The topics i usually write about are sports, and what is going on at the time. So i have decided that when i get writers block just as i said in the paragraph before, i will just start quick writing to solve it. I will also quick write before i actually blog so that i will somewhat know what i am going to write. This is just an idea but i have found out in the past that this is the best way i can work. I have noticed that i usually get stuck when i am either writing at the last minute, or have not brainstormed in a while. I do not really notice a pattern with my writing. I have also noticed that i get stuck when i am not completely focused. I have decided that with all of my struggles of writers block i can focus more while in a quiet environment. So to avoid writers block i will start writing in a quieter environment, i will brainstorm before i write my blog posts, and i will quick write my brainstorms so i will have more ideas. This way i will get my blog posts done faster, they will be more detailed, and i will feel better about my writing.
10. Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?
I usually get my blog ideas from what is going on in my life. I usually write about what has happened like if its baseball or what i did during the weekend. I enjoy writing about sports the most because that is what i enjoy doing. Usually my blog posts always have something to do with sports. I have written many blog posts such as My thanksgiving break, my christmas break, baseball, grades, talks with my parents, frisbee, an A's game, and just my life in general. Theses topics are inspired by the mood i am in, or the way i am thinking. What inspires me to write my blog posts is usually something that has recently happened. Like the post i talked about earlier, "My Friday (9.18.09)" was something that had just recently happened to me. I do sometimes have problems choosing ideas because i may have more than one idea to choose from. If i ever have a problem like this i usually just pick one of the several topics i have and i use that. If i do that i just use one of the other topics for a week i am having writers block, or the next week we have to post. This way if i am ever stuck i can go with another idea that i have previously had, or if i have an idea i can choose that one. I also like is because we do not have a maximum of how many blog posts we can post per week. I think that the blog posts have been a success for me. I have enjoyed writing them and also have gotten better at analyzing my work. I am inspired to write because we are forced to weekly. I am glad we are because ever since we were forced to i have loved blogging. It has been a great way to take my mind off something, or just like a journal to write in (kinda not really). That is where i get all my blog ideas from.
My favorite post that i have written so far this semester would have to be "My Friday (9.18.09)". I feel that that one i could write with an insanely good amount of detail, while still keeping it in under 400 words. I would rather there be a minimum amount of words but not a maximum, because i feel like i could write a lot more than 400 words at times. I felt more like i could play with it a little more in a sense. This one surprised me the most when i read it because i seemed to put the most feeling into this post, because it was something that had recently happened, and it was rather exciting. I was surprised with the detail i used to describe my day. "The ball reached the fence (the tension all around the stadium) in the air and was over the fence when a player from the other team jumped up, grabbed the ball, and brought it back into the yard." This description of the home run being robbed was in my opinion the best thing i described. I have realized when i have more to write about i can describe the situation better. When i say this i mean that when i know what i am going to write ahead of time i will tend to make it a little more descriptive. I think that before each of my posts i should brainstorm a bit before i start to actually write. This way it would help me get rid of writers block and also help my writing become more fluid and detailed. This post was my favorite and was the most fluid and detailed in my perspective. I would like all of my posts to be as detailed as this and to do so i will brainstorm more and hope that i can work at the best of my ability.
7. What have you learned from your struggles with writer's block? Why do you tend to get stuck? How do you tend to get unstuck? Notice any patterns?
When i have writers block i usually do a quick write kind of thing. When i am stuck i usually have nothing to write about because nothing is going on in my life at the moment. When i blog its usually because something exciting has happened, or its friday night and i just have to put something online. Sometimes i can actually want to write because i have something to write about but other times i struggle. With those struggles i have learned how to manage to keep them to a minimum. I usually write about what is going on or what has happened recently. When i get writers block it usually takes me a while to think of a topic. The topics i usually write about are sports, and what is going on at the time. So i have decided that when i get writers block just as i said in the paragraph before, i will just start quick writing to solve it. I will also quick write before i actually blog so that i will somewhat know what i am going to write. This is just an idea but i have found out in the past that this is the best way i can work. I have noticed that i usually get stuck when i am either writing at the last minute, or have not brainstormed in a while. I do not really notice a pattern with my writing. I have also noticed that i get stuck when i am not completely focused. I have decided that with all of my struggles of writers block i can focus more while in a quiet environment. So to avoid writers block i will start writing in a quieter environment, i will brainstorm before i write my blog posts, and i will quick write my brainstorms so i will have more ideas. This way i will get my blog posts done faster, they will be more detailed, and i will feel better about my writing.
10. Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?
I usually get my blog ideas from what is going on in my life. I usually write about what has happened like if its baseball or what i did during the weekend. I enjoy writing about sports the most because that is what i enjoy doing. Usually my blog posts always have something to do with sports. I have written many blog posts such as My thanksgiving break, my christmas break, baseball, grades, talks with my parents, frisbee, an A's game, and just my life in general. Theses topics are inspired by the mood i am in, or the way i am thinking. What inspires me to write my blog posts is usually something that has recently happened. Like the post i talked about earlier, "My Friday (9.18.09)" was something that had just recently happened to me. I do sometimes have problems choosing ideas because i may have more than one idea to choose from. If i ever have a problem like this i usually just pick one of the several topics i have and i use that. If i do that i just use one of the other topics for a week i am having writers block, or the next week we have to post. This way if i am ever stuck i can go with another idea that i have previously had, or if i have an idea i can choose that one. I also like is because we do not have a maximum of how many blog posts we can post per week. I think that the blog posts have been a success for me. I have enjoyed writing them and also have gotten better at analyzing my work. I am inspired to write because we are forced to weekly. I am glad we are because ever since we were forced to i have loved blogging. It has been a great way to take my mind off something, or just like a journal to write in (kinda not really). That is where i get all my blog ideas from.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Quick Write
I think writing groups would be good to share ideas and to make corrections. But what is a person does not want to share their work? I mean personally i do not care if anyone reads mine, but i am just wondering. Writing groups could also end up being a problem. People could get out of hand and/or off topic. That would not be good because then no one would get their work done. It could also be very successful if people would stay focused and not go off topic. People always have writing they want people to read and writing they do not. So i would not mind writing in writing groups, i think it would be pretty fun but people that do not want to share their stuff should either not have to or be forced to write something that they are comfortable sharing with the class.
Friday, January 8, 2010
My Friday (1.8.10)
So this friday i went to frisbee as always and i chilled with all my friends. It started out a normal day at school. PE first, we had a push up test. It was not fun at all, but i made all of the push ups required. After PE i had spanish. We watched a movie. It was "Gol." It was good. I have seen it before and i like it (Its about soccer). After spanish i went to math and history and then went to lunch.
At lunch i went with Alvin to his house because he forgot his cell phone and had to go get it. So we stayed there for lunch and chilled. After lunch i had English (best class of the day). We did a quickwrite as always. So far my favorite quickwrite was the one where we had to start or end it with "She touched the box in her pocket and smiled". That was a pretty cool one. We got to just make up a story. After english came chemistry which was not fun at all because Ms. Malik's class is just stupid. After chemistry school ended and i went to meet up with my friends.
Every day after school my friends and i always meet up at the same place. Right in the hallway downstairs in the main building. We met there and chilled for like twenty minutes before deciding we were gonna walk to frisbee. We started walking to frisbee and we were all listening to our ipods and talking and stuff. We were about three or four blocks away from Lincoln School when Steven's mom drives up to us and asks if we want a ride to frisbee. We of course take the ride and go to frisbee.
After she dropped us off we waited for everyone else to show up then we started playing frisbee. Well we started with soccer but then we ended up playing frisbee. During the game both teams were just going back and forth. Then finally France kicked the game off with a bomb to me and I caught it for a point. France and I seem to work well on the same team.
After the game we all played basketball for a little bit against some freshman. We played for like thirty minutes and of course we won. Then I ended up leaving and walking home after a long tiring day from school and frisbee. It was a pretty good way to start off the weekend.
At lunch i went with Alvin to his house because he forgot his cell phone and had to go get it. So we stayed there for lunch and chilled. After lunch i had English (best class of the day). We did a quickwrite as always. So far my favorite quickwrite was the one where we had to start or end it with "She touched the box in her pocket and smiled". That was a pretty cool one. We got to just make up a story. After english came chemistry which was not fun at all because Ms. Malik's class is just stupid. After chemistry school ended and i went to meet up with my friends.
Every day after school my friends and i always meet up at the same place. Right in the hallway downstairs in the main building. We met there and chilled for like twenty minutes before deciding we were gonna walk to frisbee. We started walking to frisbee and we were all listening to our ipods and talking and stuff. We were about three or four blocks away from Lincoln School when Steven's mom drives up to us and asks if we want a ride to frisbee. We of course take the ride and go to frisbee.
After she dropped us off we waited for everyone else to show up then we started playing frisbee. Well we started with soccer but then we ended up playing frisbee. During the game both teams were just going back and forth. Then finally France kicked the game off with a bomb to me and I caught it for a point. France and I seem to work well on the same team.
After the game we all played basketball for a little bit against some freshman. We played for like thirty minutes and of course we won. Then I ended up leaving and walking home after a long tiring day from school and frisbee. It was a pretty good way to start off the weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
