Religion is all over Lord of The Flies. One of the most significant things in the book actually was hidden in plain sight. The fact that the book is "Lord" of the flies took me about 3 chapters of reading to realize. I should've known this was going to be in my opinion the biggest focus Goulding had in this book the instant I read that title for the first time. This is obviously significant because the title is key to getting people to read your work and give people ideas of what your book about.
Another religious moment is in the middle of the book. The narrator describes the Lord of the Flies as "the sleeping leviathan" (105). Not many people know about the leviathan, but this is the most interesting chapter of the Bible to me. In Job 41, It talks about a huge creature that couldn't be tamed called the Leviathan. You should consider reading it. A third religious hint Goulding lays is soon after the Leviathan reference. It states "The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or hunt. Kill the pig! Cut his Throat! Kill the Pig! Bash him in!" (114). This doesn't have do to with a specific religion, but it deals with general religion. This quote sets the scene like the killing of this pig is a ritual instead of just killing it a pig. The sacrificial aspect of this scene gives it a religious allusion that I think is fairly hard to detect.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Books I've read
LOTF ch 9-11 95 min. (heavy annotations) literary analysis work 60 min.
Palace Walk
LOTF
In Defense of Food
My Life and The Beautiful Game
Same Kind of Different As Me
The Westing Game
And Then There Were None
Nation
Over the course of the semester, I have learned many things about myself as a reader that I didn't previously know. For some odd reason, my attention span has plummeted this semester. I used to be able to read books in 2 hours. Now it would probably take me 2 days to read the same book. One reason for this is I haven't really found a good book that I can't wait to sit down and read in a really long time. This semester it seems like it's been more about fulfilling the 2.5 hour requirement than finding a good book to enjoy.
I have a big goal for next semester. This could be the gamechanger that I've needed this year. Next semester, I will double that list. The list above is 7 months of reading. I'm going to double it in 5. It's a big task for me to do that. Those were some long books (Palace Walk) and they challenged me like no others, but that list WILL be doubled by the time I leave this class. It will get done.
Palace Walk
LOTF
In Defense of Food
My Life and The Beautiful Game
Same Kind of Different As Me
The Westing Game
And Then There Were None
Nation
Over the course of the semester, I have learned many things about myself as a reader that I didn't previously know. For some odd reason, my attention span has plummeted this semester. I used to be able to read books in 2 hours. Now it would probably take me 2 days to read the same book. One reason for this is I haven't really found a good book that I can't wait to sit down and read in a really long time. This semester it seems like it's been more about fulfilling the 2.5 hour requirement than finding a good book to enjoy.
I have a big goal for next semester. This could be the gamechanger that I've needed this year. Next semester, I will double that list. The list above is 7 months of reading. I'm going to double it in 5. It's a big task for me to do that. Those were some long books (Palace Walk) and they challenged me like no others, but that list WILL be doubled by the time I leave this class. It will get done.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Reading Focus
My focus in Lord of the Flies in religion. I'm pretty sure I picked the hardest topic of all. I haven't found a single reference so far outside of what Dr.D has already said in class. Every chapter I read, I look for things but I just can't find them. The one that Dr.D told me about was in the beginning of the book AND the bible so I'm thinking Old Testament as I read.
That one reference so far has actually changed how the book has gone. With my religious reference, the kids have a little Garden of Eden. This random, uninhabited island has everything they could possibly want to live. It has given them food, water, shelter, and many other things. If this island didn't have any of those three things, then the kids would already be dead in my opinion. I think that religion will become a larger part in the book as we continue.
That one reference so far has actually changed how the book has gone. With my religious reference, the kids have a little Garden of Eden. This random, uninhabited island has everything they could possibly want to live. It has given them food, water, shelter, and many other things. If this island didn't have any of those three things, then the kids would already be dead in my opinion. I think that religion will become a larger part in the book as we continue.
Major Units
Reading Times: LOTF 154 min. chapters 1-5
Over the course of semester, there were some things that I learned easily, but others that took me a while to get the hang of. Things like the writing process and literary elements were no challenge for me. I was able to memorize the literary elements and the writing process in a day. LOTF is also pretty easy for me too. I'm understanding what's going on and am getting pretty good guesses for what everything means. Those are probably the three easiest topics to me that we've had all year.
Those three topics were easy, but the rest presented their own challenge. It's kind of hard for me to clearly remember summer reading and literacy narrative since that was in the first month of school. After I review my notes though, I'll probably remember it. The hardest thing for me so far this year though has been literary analysis. It's been kinda hard for me to get the hang of. Hopefully I take advantage of the upcoming work days.
Over the course of semester, there were some things that I learned easily, but others that took me a while to get the hang of. Things like the writing process and literary elements were no challenge for me. I was able to memorize the literary elements and the writing process in a day. LOTF is also pretty easy for me too. I'm understanding what's going on and am getting pretty good guesses for what everything means. Those are probably the three easiest topics to me that we've had all year.
Those three topics were easy, but the rest presented their own challenge. It's kind of hard for me to clearly remember summer reading and literacy narrative since that was in the first month of school. After I review my notes though, I'll probably remember it. The hardest thing for me so far this year though has been literary analysis. It's been kinda hard for me to get the hang of. Hopefully I take advantage of the upcoming work days.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Plane Crash Activity
Reading Times: LOTF 11/11- 40 min. pp 8-32 My Life and The Beautiful Game By Pele 11/5- 25 min 11/6- 30 min 11/7- 25 min 11/8 30 min pp 171-210
I had many observations about our class. I noticed that he didn't have any control over everyone else. Everyone who even talked wanted to be the person in charge. That meant chaos. Everyone was talking at the same time and was trying to voice their opinions, but didn't get their word in because somebody else would speak louder than them, and someone would be louder than that person, and the chain would grow until everyone was screaming.
Another thing I noticed is that we didn't get anything done. Had we actually crashed and landed on an island, we would've died as soon as we starved. We had no organization of who would get food, water, shelter, or anything. We didn't even choose how we were to lead ourselves. WE were just a bunch of people on a stranded island screaming at each other but not doing anything.
I had many observations about our class. I noticed that he didn't have any control over everyone else. Everyone who even talked wanted to be the person in charge. That meant chaos. Everyone was talking at the same time and was trying to voice their opinions, but didn't get their word in because somebody else would speak louder than them, and someone would be louder than that person, and the chain would grow until everyone was screaming.
Another thing I noticed is that we didn't get anything done. Had we actually crashed and landed on an island, we would've died as soon as we starved. We had no organization of who would get food, water, shelter, or anything. We didn't even choose how we were to lead ourselves. WE were just a bunch of people on a stranded island screaming at each other but not doing anything.
Monday, November 5, 2012
A Busy Weekend
I had one of the busiest weekends of my life. I woke up on Saturday with a positive feeling. It was going to be a good day capped off with an LSU victory. By noon, I'm in my happy place. I'm at a tailgate eating a surprisingly good hamburger and watching football. That's all I want on a Saturday, just peace and football. By the time I get into Tiger Stadium, I'm ten times more excited about winning thanks to the help of 2 cokes and a Dr. Pepper. Due to the rest of the nights events, my paragraph about Saturday ends here.
I opened my eyes on Sunday realizing what had happened last night wasn't a dream. It really happened. I looked at the clock and realized it was noon. I walk out to see my parents reading the paper. They had let me sleep in through church. It was a change from the norm but I decided to accept it and move on. 3 hours later, I had a soccer game. I played the full 80 minutes without getting subbed out, so I was exhausted. Even though I felt like I had lost all my energy, I had a scavenger hunt across Baton Rouge in an hour with my youth group. That was going to take more running than my soccer game. When I get the questions for the hunt, I realize they're all on LSU's campus. Nothing like a scavenger hunt across LSU to remind you of last night. To find all of the clues, I ran like I had super speed. Some of the many highlights included: Running around the Parade Ground, PMAC, Quad, Union, and one of the LSU lakes, Taking too many pictures with people I didn't even know, and driving (not me but a friend's mom) 60 mph. on a 35 mph speed limit. Overall it was the best fun of my weekend. It was a great experience and one to remember.
I opened my eyes on Sunday realizing what had happened last night wasn't a dream. It really happened. I looked at the clock and realized it was noon. I walk out to see my parents reading the paper. They had let me sleep in through church. It was a change from the norm but I decided to accept it and move on. 3 hours later, I had a soccer game. I played the full 80 minutes without getting subbed out, so I was exhausted. Even though I felt like I had lost all my energy, I had a scavenger hunt across Baton Rouge in an hour with my youth group. That was going to take more running than my soccer game. When I get the questions for the hunt, I realize they're all on LSU's campus. Nothing like a scavenger hunt across LSU to remind you of last night. To find all of the clues, I ran like I had super speed. Some of the many highlights included: Running around the Parade Ground, PMAC, Quad, Union, and one of the LSU lakes, Taking too many pictures with people I didn't even know, and driving (not me but a friend's mom) 60 mph. on a 35 mph speed limit. Overall it was the best fun of my weekend. It was a great experience and one to remember.
Reading Response
Reading Times: The Autobiography of Pele 10/28- 25 min. 10/29- 30 min. 10/30- 40 min 10/31- 10 min 11/1- 20 min 11/2- 10 min 11/4- 10 min pp. 120-170
This autobiography has its moments. Sometimes, its a static plot. He always talks about how nervous he was about playing at a big stage so early in his life. If I were in his position I would completely understand but to talk about it for 10-15 pages just bores your readers. Also, Pele' spends forever talking about one specific event too often. He'll have something going and then when he has already covered it with great detail, he adds in an extra 5 pages to make the book as a whole longer.
Although its a somewhat static plot, he describes his early life really well. He talks about living in poverty in Brazil and how his family had to move often to find a job. He even gets into so much detail that he talks about how he would make a "ball" out of borrowed clothes from clotheslines. His description of his life in poverty really shows just how poor they were. Now that I'm getting into the book a little bit, he's starting to talk about how he's selected for the National squad. To be selected at 16 is almost unheard of. The fact that he did just shows how great he was in his day. I would argue that Pele' is the best to ever play soccer.
This autobiography has its moments. Sometimes, its a static plot. He always talks about how nervous he was about playing at a big stage so early in his life. If I were in his position I would completely understand but to talk about it for 10-15 pages just bores your readers. Also, Pele' spends forever talking about one specific event too often. He'll have something going and then when he has already covered it with great detail, he adds in an extra 5 pages to make the book as a whole longer.
Although its a somewhat static plot, he describes his early life really well. He talks about living in poverty in Brazil and how his family had to move often to find a job. He even gets into so much detail that he talks about how he would make a "ball" out of borrowed clothes from clotheslines. His description of his life in poverty really shows just how poor they were. Now that I'm getting into the book a little bit, he's starting to talk about how he's selected for the National squad. To be selected at 16 is almost unheard of. The fact that he did just shows how great he was in his day. I would argue that Pele' is the best to ever play soccer.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Independent Short Stories
Reading Times: The Autobiography of Pele: 10/22- 25 min. 10/23- 30 min. 10/24-25 min. 10/25- 40 min. 10/26- 10 min. 10/27-25 min. 155 min total pp.79-120
I read 3 completely different stories this week. They are Hills like White Elephants by: Ernest Hemingway, The Sniper by: Liam O'Flaherty, and The Return by: Ngugi Wa Thiongo. In Hills, there was almost no plot whatsoever, or at least none that I saw. I found absolutely nothing to write about in that story. In Sniper, I found something that right now is my lead topic. In Return, i could probably find something, but it wouldn't be nearly as good as my idea for the sniper.
Right now, my lead statement is one about The Sniper. And my statement is.... The main character (he has no name) and his brother(also no name) are not close and didn't have good memories with each other in the past. This matters because it ends up being the whole story, especially at the end. I think that I can definitely expand on this in a literacy analysis.
I read 3 completely different stories this week. They are Hills like White Elephants by: Ernest Hemingway, The Sniper by: Liam O'Flaherty, and The Return by: Ngugi Wa Thiongo. In Hills, there was almost no plot whatsoever, or at least none that I saw. I found absolutely nothing to write about in that story. In Sniper, I found something that right now is my lead topic. In Return, i could probably find something, but it wouldn't be nearly as good as my idea for the sniper.
Right now, my lead statement is one about The Sniper. And my statement is.... The main character (he has no name) and his brother(also no name) are not close and didn't have good memories with each other in the past. This matters because it ends up being the whole story, especially at the end. I think that I can definitely expand on this in a literacy analysis.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Reading Times
The Autobiography of Pele By: Pele 10/15- 30 min 10/16- 20 min. 10/17- 35 min. 10/18- 25 min.
10/19- 35 min. 10/20- 15min. 160 total pp. 26- 78
10/19- 35 min. 10/20- 15min. 160 total pp. 26- 78
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Observation
Reading Times: The Autobiography of Pele by: Pele and short stories10/10- 35 min. 10/11- 45 min. 10/12- 30 min. 10/13- 20 min. 10/14- 20 min. pp. intro plus 1-25 (total of 35 pages)
In To Da-duh, In Memoriam, you can't go a paragraph without seeing some sort of characterization. There is always at least 1 example of both direct and indirect on the first page. In the third sentence of the story, the narrator says "...being only nine years of age." That is the first blatant characterization, and for a while, you see characterization every third sentence at a minimum. While I was annotating this story, I felt like I was highlighting the whole story. I was amazed at how much characterization there was in this story.
This observation definitely matters. This observation is key to helping not just myself, but anyone to understand the story. If you are able to understand all of the direct and indirect characterization, the story is much easier to read. With the characterization scattered throughout the book, you can relate to the characters and be able to understand the culture in Barbados. If you just read this story through, then you would think it's some crazy story about two women and how one dies. This is, in my opinion, the most important observation that you could have in this interesting short story.
In To Da-duh, In Memoriam, you can't go a paragraph without seeing some sort of characterization. There is always at least 1 example of both direct and indirect on the first page. In the third sentence of the story, the narrator says "...being only nine years of age." That is the first blatant characterization, and for a while, you see characterization every third sentence at a minimum. While I was annotating this story, I felt like I was highlighting the whole story. I was amazed at how much characterization there was in this story.
This observation definitely matters. This observation is key to helping not just myself, but anyone to understand the story. If you are able to understand all of the direct and indirect characterization, the story is much easier to read. With the characterization scattered throughout the book, you can relate to the characters and be able to understand the culture in Barbados. If you just read this story through, then you would think it's some crazy story about two women and how one dies. This is, in my opinion, the most important observation that you could have in this interesting short story.
First Quarter
I feel that I have adjusted to the procedures of the class very quickly. Usually it takes me longer to adjust to a class, but surprisingly I got used to all of the procedures. I've never not had what I was supposed to have for class, and I obsessively check my email. Since I have gotten used to the procedures earlier than normal, the class overall is more enjoyable. I can go to english and focus for an hour because I have what I need and there's no reason for me to leave class. Whenever it comes to lectures/class discussions, I found out about myself that I learn more about the topic whenever I'm a participant in the discussion. By engaging in the discussions, I can't daydream or get off track, I have to pay attention so that I know what is going on. Since I have started participating more, my grade for the class has gone up.
While I'm working by myself, I get stuff done and I do it well. I don't have outside distractions and I am able to focus on the task. Whenever I have to work in a group, I don't get as much done and it's not done nearly as well. The group tends to get off task and and we don't get anything done. So far this year, I've preferred to work by myself.
My definite weak spot this quarter is Wordly Wise. I know that I haven't studied enough for those quizzes, but I'm now starting to realize how important they are. If I am able to improve on those quizzes, then my grade will be MUCH better.
While I'm working by myself, I get stuff done and I do it well. I don't have outside distractions and I am able to focus on the task. Whenever I have to work in a group, I don't get as much done and it's not done nearly as well. The group tends to get off task and and we don't get anything done. So far this year, I've preferred to work by myself.
My definite weak spot this quarter is Wordly Wise. I know that I haven't studied enough for those quizzes, but I'm now starting to realize how important they are. If I am able to improve on those quizzes, then my grade will be MUCH better.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Reading Times
Reading Times: Short Stories and Same Kind of Different As Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall10/3- 55 min. 10/4- 45 min. 10/5- 40 min. 10/6- 20 min. pp. 161-225
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Reading Response: Plot
Reading Time: Literacy Narrative and Short Story 9/24-30 min. 9/25-20 min. 9/26- 20 min. 9/27- 60 min 9/28-25 min.
In And There Were None, the plot was constantly changing. There were many different subplots, 10 to be exact. Each murder was a subplot on its own. The exposition was very concise. It introduced nearly 15 characters in as many pages. It took almost a quarter of the book for the exposition to make sense. The rising action was pretty obvious in this mystery. The tension of the house in the first couple of days was the majority of the rising action throughout the book as a whole. The rising action for each of the 10 subplots was the setup of each murder, with the climax of each subplot were each murder. Then there would be a quick falling action and it would go back to rising action again.
And Then There Were None has a very unusual plot. Although it's unusual, it works. You want to read more and more with each little climax. Once you reach the final climax, you can finally take a breath. You finish the book on the falling action, which I thought was very strange. Everything was very open still. I had tons of questions. I decided to read the epilogue, which I never do, and it answered all of my questions. The whole resolution was in the epilogue. I think that this was very risky thing to do. If I were Agatha Christie, the author, I would have just made the epilogue the last chapter so that everyone would read it. Although she takes risks, they're risks that, in my situation, worked.
In And There Were None, the plot was constantly changing. There were many different subplots, 10 to be exact. Each murder was a subplot on its own. The exposition was very concise. It introduced nearly 15 characters in as many pages. It took almost a quarter of the book for the exposition to make sense. The rising action was pretty obvious in this mystery. The tension of the house in the first couple of days was the majority of the rising action throughout the book as a whole. The rising action for each of the 10 subplots was the setup of each murder, with the climax of each subplot were each murder. Then there would be a quick falling action and it would go back to rising action again.
And Then There Were None has a very unusual plot. Although it's unusual, it works. You want to read more and more with each little climax. Once you reach the final climax, you can finally take a breath. You finish the book on the falling action, which I thought was very strange. Everything was very open still. I had tons of questions. I decided to read the epilogue, which I never do, and it answered all of my questions. The whole resolution was in the epilogue. I think that this was very risky thing to do. If I were Agatha Christie, the author, I would have just made the epilogue the last chapter so that everyone would read it. Although she takes risks, they're risks that, in my situation, worked.
I am a writer...
I am a writer who has his difficulties
I am a writer who sometimes has a tough time adding meaningful length
I am a writer that has good ideas, but has trouble putting it on paper
I am a writer who has trouble concentrating for a long period of time
I am a writer that has many strongpoints
I am a writer that is writing more developed papers
I am a writer who's word choice has recently skyrocketed
I am a writer that has a very good future
I am a writer
I am a writer who sometimes has a tough time adding meaningful length
I am a writer that has good ideas, but has trouble putting it on paper
I am a writer who has trouble concentrating for a long period of time
I am a writer that has many strongpoints
I am a writer that is writing more developed papers
I am a writer who's word choice has recently skyrocketed
I am a writer that has a very good future
I am a writer
Friday, September 21, 2012
Literacy Narrative Update
Reading Log: Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore 9/18- 70 min. 9/19- 40 min. 9/20- 30 min. 9/21- 15 min. pp. 127-160
I didn't have much time to read this week because of my literacy narrative, so when Dr. D said I could use my time working on my narrative, I was extremely lucky. Same Kind of Different As Me is coming along. Ron and Denver are getting even closer than they were before. For my literacy narrative, my writing group was very productive. I was able to hear examples of good writing so that I could improve mine. I received some good constructive criticism from my writing group to improve my literacy narrative.
I have some pretty simple revision plans. I plan on finishing my draft that I started in class for Monday and going from there. By the time I turn in my final draft, I think this could be one of the best pieces I've written. If I can do two drafts before the final, I think that this will be a really good literacy narrative. I fell confident that even though writing is a general weakness for me, this will be something great.
I didn't have much time to read this week because of my literacy narrative, so when Dr. D said I could use my time working on my narrative, I was extremely lucky. Same Kind of Different As Me is coming along. Ron and Denver are getting even closer than they were before. For my literacy narrative, my writing group was very productive. I was able to hear examples of good writing so that I could improve mine. I received some good constructive criticism from my writing group to improve my literacy narrative.
I have some pretty simple revision plans. I plan on finishing my draft that I started in class for Monday and going from there. By the time I turn in my final draft, I think this could be one of the best pieces I've written. If I can do two drafts before the final, I think that this will be a really good literacy narrative. I fell confident that even though writing is a general weakness for me, this will be something great.
Free Post
This week at soccer, I was enlightened. On Tuesday, I show up to soccer 10 minutes late because of an orthodontist appt. and one of my teammates comes up to me and says that we are scrimmaging a team that came up from Honduras. Central American countries are usually very good at soccer, and this team definitely lived up to expectations. As I start the game I have no idea what I'm in for. In 5 minutes they score 3 goals. I was completely shocked. This team passed with perfection. I had never seen a team get past a defense this easily. I did what I could, but I had to stay up the field because I was a forward, meaning I was on offense.About ten minutes after it was 3-0, I finally touch the ball and with one touch, I scored. This was almost as crazy as giving up 3 goals in 5 minutes. I felt accomplished to score against this team.
We ended up losing this game by so much I lost count at 6-1. After the end, we shook hands and as I was walking to my bench, a Honduran dad wanted a picture of me and one of the players. Why they chose me I don't know, I don't take Spanish. He took the picture and all of a sudden comes up and gives me a hug. I thought that was kind of crazy until he picks he up. A man that lives thousands of miles away was picking me up and saying something in Spanish. I guess that's Honduran culture. This was a soccer practice I will never forget.
We ended up losing this game by so much I lost count at 6-1. After the end, we shook hands and as I was walking to my bench, a Honduran dad wanted a picture of me and one of the players. Why they chose me I don't know, I don't take Spanish. He took the picture and all of a sudden comes up and gives me a hug. I thought that was kind of crazy until he picks he up. A man that lives thousands of miles away was picking me up and saying something in Spanish. I guess that's Honduran culture. This was a soccer practice I will never forget.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Literacy Narrative
I haven't yet decided on a definitive topic for my literacy narrative. One of my ideas is to write about how the Harry Potter series and how it became the impetus for reading beyond my minimum requirements in Lower School. Ever since my mom read me the first book of the series, I have had a passion for reading that I didn't have as a kid.
Another idea I have about my literacy narrative is about Accelerated Reading in Lower School. Since I wanted to do well on the quizzes they would have with the books that they read, I would read the books so much that my reading level improved greatly. I was reading fourth grade level in first grade. I was and still am proud of what I was reading in Lower School.
Another idea I have about my literacy narrative is about Accelerated Reading in Lower School. Since I wanted to do well on the quizzes they would have with the books that they read, I would read the books so much that my reading level improved greatly. I was reading fourth grade level in first grade. I was and still am proud of what I was reading in Lower School.
Reading Response
Reading Log: Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore pp. 66-126 9/11- 25 min 9/12- 40 min 9/13- 30 min 9/14 15 min. 9/15- 30 min. 9/16- 20 min
Same Kind of Different As Me is really deep book. I didn't think that friendship could come from people from 2 backrounds that are on the opposite end of the social spectrum. Ron and Denver have finally met and are getting along well. This true story isn't about the plot though, it's about the deeper meaning of friendship.
Ron and Denver becoming friends just shows that anybody can be friends with anybody. For an international art dealer to not just meet but to become friends with a man who has worked in fields for his whole life just shows that friendship is very valuable, especially at a time when white and black people were socially equal. Same Kind of Different As Me really is an amazing story.
Same Kind of Different As Me is really deep book. I didn't think that friendship could come from people from 2 backrounds that are on the opposite end of the social spectrum. Ron and Denver have finally met and are getting along well. This true story isn't about the plot though, it's about the deeper meaning of friendship.
Ron and Denver becoming friends just shows that anybody can be friends with anybody. For an international art dealer to not just meet but to become friends with a man who has worked in fields for his whole life just shows that friendship is very valuable, especially at a time when white and black people were socially equal. Same Kind of Different As Me really is an amazing story.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Comment Response
One of the comments made by Dr. D on my Hurricane Issac post really stood out to me. She asked tons of questions that I didn't answer in my blog post, so in this post I'll answer them. The questions she asked were: How many
people were there? Where were they standing? What was their body language like?
How were they dressed? What did they actually say? What kinds of voices or
facial expressions did they use? What did the sky look like? What did the
breeze feel like?
During the two and a half hours out there, there was anywhere between 9 to 12 people at any given time. We were all standing (and at times sitting) in my next door neighbors driveway. Everyone had a relaxed and open attitude even though a hurricane was making landfall just to the south of us. Everyone was dressed in different things from T-shirts to scrubs. It was a pretty diverse mix. Everyone was talking about different things from sports to medicine to fabric. Generally everyone was happy and spoke fairly loudly so everyone could hear over the wind. Whenever I would look at the sky, you could see the stars with an occasional cloud blocking the way at times. To answer the final question Dr. D asked, the breeze was strong but felt great because it wan't 90 degrees like it was all day. I hope that this answered some of everyone else's questions and help make that scene clearer.
During the two and a half hours out there, there was anywhere between 9 to 12 people at any given time. We were all standing (and at times sitting) in my next door neighbors driveway. Everyone had a relaxed and open attitude even though a hurricane was making landfall just to the south of us. Everyone was dressed in different things from T-shirts to scrubs. It was a pretty diverse mix. Everyone was talking about different things from sports to medicine to fabric. Generally everyone was happy and spoke fairly loudly so everyone could hear over the wind. Whenever I would look at the sky, you could see the stars with an occasional cloud blocking the way at times. To answer the final question Dr. D asked, the breeze was strong but felt great because it wan't 90 degrees like it was all day. I hope that this answered some of everyone else's questions and help make that scene clearer.
Reading Response
Log: Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore 9/5- 25 min 9/6- 40 min 9/7-30 min 9/8- 25 min 9/9-35 min pp.1-65
k
This week I started reading Same of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is about Ron Hall, an international art dealer who sells paintings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in Fort Worth Texas, and Denver Moore, a black man living in Red River Parish, and how they meet and become friends. So far, this is a really great story.
What makes this book amazing is that this is a true story. It's crazy to think that a man who is pretty much a slave and an upper class art dealer would even meet much less become friends. At the time of this non-fiction narrative, it is very uncommon and even bad for a white man to even be talking to a black man. Their friendship could probably get one if not both of them in serious trouble. The fact this this story is true makes Same Kind of Different As Me just that mare unreal.
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This week I started reading Same of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is about Ron Hall, an international art dealer who sells paintings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in Fort Worth Texas, and Denver Moore, a black man living in Red River Parish, and how they meet and become friends. So far, this is a really great story.
What makes this book amazing is that this is a true story. It's crazy to think that a man who is pretty much a slave and an upper class art dealer would even meet much less become friends. At the time of this non-fiction narrative, it is very uncommon and even bad for a white man to even be talking to a black man. Their friendship could probably get one if not both of them in serious trouble. The fact this this story is true makes Same Kind of Different As Me just that mare unreal.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Outside Reading
Log: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 8/27- 20 min 8/28- 15 min 8/30- 30 min 9/2- 70 min. 9/3- 30 min pp. 76-182
The Westing Game turned out to be a good book. It wasn't great, but it was written well which made the book a little more enjoyable. The ending was a little confusing but I think I understood it. I preferred my choice book over the summer, And Then There Were None, because there weren't as many characters and the plot was simpler.
Next I am going to read Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This was recommended to be by my dad, who doesn't read much but liked this book. From reading the back of the book, it seems to be pretty interesting. The fact that this is a true story makes it that much better of a story because of how unlikely this scenario is. I am excited to read this and see how it is.
The Westing Game turned out to be a good book. It wasn't great, but it was written well which made the book a little more enjoyable. The ending was a little confusing but I think I understood it. I preferred my choice book over the summer, And Then There Were None, because there weren't as many characters and the plot was simpler.
Next I am going to read Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This was recommended to be by my dad, who doesn't read much but liked this book. From reading the back of the book, it seems to be pretty interesting. The fact that this is a true story makes it that much better of a story because of how unlikely this scenario is. I am excited to read this and see how it is.
Hurricane Issac
Tuesday evening, while the wind was blowing around my house, my family and neighbors were sitting outside on the driveway and talking about different topics. The guys were talking about sports and the women were talking about kids and family and other things that I didn't listen to. It was such a relaxed atmosphere because the wind was mostly calm and everyone was laughing. Time must've flown with the wind because when we finally went back into our house, it had been 2 and a half hours.
As we all were all talking, I thought multiple times about what was coming and what the street would look like 48 hours later. I found it weird that it was so nice out just before a hurricane which would make me stay inside and lose power for a day. With hindsight, I would've stayed out there longer. This was probably my favorite part of the hurricane.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Reading response
Log: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 8/20- 10 min. 8/23- 40 min. 8/24- 30 min 8/25- 20 min. 8/26- 55 min (25 for IDOF packet) pp. 1-75
The Westing Game is a very confusing book. At the start, they introduce almost 10 characters in about 10 pages. This is the one thing that I don't like about mysteries. You read the first ten pages and ask yourself what just happened. For this book, I was pretty close to putting on the shelf and say that I'll read it later, but I decided to keep going and see what happens.
Even though it is very confusing, the book is very interesting. What makes this mystery stand out is the fear factor at the beginning of the book. The rumor that Sam Weston is lying dead on an oriental rug in his house has spooked everyone. People know things that others don't and it makes a good page-turner. Even though I still don't know half the characters, this is a book that I am excited to read.
The Westing Game is a very confusing book. At the start, they introduce almost 10 characters in about 10 pages. This is the one thing that I don't like about mysteries. You read the first ten pages and ask yourself what just happened. For this book, I was pretty close to putting on the shelf and say that I'll read it later, but I decided to keep going and see what happens.
Even though it is very confusing, the book is very interesting. What makes this mystery stand out is the fear factor at the beginning of the book. The rumor that Sam Weston is lying dead on an oriental rug in his house has spooked everyone. People know things that others don't and it makes a good page-turner. Even though I still don't know half the characters, this is a book that I am excited to read.
In Defense of Soccer: A Player's Manifesto
Soccer isn't about kicking a ball and running around a field, it is full of many intricate processes that all attempt to get a goal. To get a goal, you and your teammates have to be in peak physical and mental condition. The average professional soccer player runs more than 7 miles a game. That's a 12 minute mile which consists of walking, jogging, and sprinting. Running that much improves your muscular system and cardio.
Soccer can take a toll an you mentally. No soccer game is the same, so you have to be able to react to any situation at any given time and because of that, soccer players tend to have better reaction times than players of other sports. Even thought no game is the same, you can be in the same situation. Memory is a key component that separates soccer from other sports. To be effective, you have to know what to do, even when you don't have the ball. In soccer, you have to be in the game mentally and physically.
Soccer can take a toll an you mentally. No soccer game is the same, so you have to be able to react to any situation at any given time and because of that, soccer players tend to have better reaction times than players of other sports. Even thought no game is the same, you can be in the same situation. Memory is a key component that separates soccer from other sports. To be effective, you have to know what to do, even when you don't have the ball. In soccer, you have to be in the game mentally and physically.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thoughts on English
I am excited to be in this English class this year. It looks like we are going to be doing this that I have wanted to do for a while now. The class seems very planned out and structured this year. One of my goals this year is to become a better writer, which is definitely my weakness when it comes to English. I think that it is very possible to achieve that goal this year.
I'm glad we are reading Macbeth and Lord of the Flies because of the fact that they are classics. Now I'm starting to appreciate reading Romeo and Juliet last year because now Shakespeare won't be as foreign as it was last year when we read Macbeth. Another thing I am excited about doing this year is reading short stories. I haven't had much experience with short stories so it has that unknown factor, which is a good thing. English has been fun this year and I think that will continue.
I'm glad we are reading Macbeth and Lord of the Flies because of the fact that they are classics. Now I'm starting to appreciate reading Romeo and Juliet last year because now Shakespeare won't be as foreign as it was last year when we read Macbeth. Another thing I am excited about doing this year is reading short stories. I haven't had much experience with short stories so it has that unknown factor, which is a good thing. English has been fun this year and I think that will continue.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Outside Reading
This week I am going to start reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. The Westing Game is a mystery about sixteen people getting together to read the will of a man named Samuel W. Westing, a multi-millionaire. This mystery has been reviewed highly by many and has won the Newbery Medal. This is one reason why I chose to read this book.
I am excited to read The Westing Game because I have read other mysteries recently and have really enjoyed them. The Westing Game seems to have a similar plot to the other mysteries that I have liked, so I hope that this one is just as good. I have been wanting to read this book for a while and now I finally have the time to read it. I think that The Westing Game will be just as good as the other mysteries that I have read.
I am excited to read The Westing Game because I have read other mysteries recently and have really enjoyed them. The Westing Game seems to have a similar plot to the other mysteries that I have liked, so I hope that this one is just as good. I have been wanting to read this book for a while and now I finally have the time to read it. I think that The Westing Game will be just as good as the other mysteries that I have read.
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