DJ: https://djsbloge1.blogspot.com/2017/04/3-everyone-is-capable-of-lying-betrayal.html?showComment=1493331943427#c8530476587388872244
James: https://jamescblogpost.blogspot.com/2017/04/anticipating-our-new-book.html?showComment=1493332109738#c884842731064518781
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Anticipating our next book
1. Ambition is a positive, desirable trait in a person.
I do agree that ambition is a positive, desirable trait in a person to a point. I think it is necessary for a person to be ambitious to be successful in life. On the other hand, too much ambition and lust for power or wealth could lead to the downfall of a person. There are also many aspects in which we use ambition such as political, monetary, and competition among many other uses which leads to ambition being applied in many different ways. I think that ambition is a good thing as long as it is controlled and used in moderation.
2. If you are in a position of power, you are happy.
I strongly disagree that being in a position of power makes you happy. If anything, I would think that being in a position of power would make a person unhappy and stressful. Being in a position of power requires tough leadership decisions which create tension. Power also costs people their freedom especially depending on how powerful they are for safety or time reasons. I think despite the few pros of power, they come at a great cost.
I do agree that ambition is a positive, desirable trait in a person to a point. I think it is necessary for a person to be ambitious to be successful in life. On the other hand, too much ambition and lust for power or wealth could lead to the downfall of a person. There are also many aspects in which we use ambition such as political, monetary, and competition among many other uses which leads to ambition being applied in many different ways. I think that ambition is a good thing as long as it is controlled and used in moderation.
2. If you are in a position of power, you are happy.
I strongly disagree that being in a position of power makes you happy. If anything, I would think that being in a position of power would make a person unhappy and stressful. Being in a position of power requires tough leadership decisions which create tension. Power also costs people their freedom especially depending on how powerful they are for safety or time reasons. I think despite the few pros of power, they come at a great cost.
Hits and Misses
Throughout the year I have had multiple hits and misses for English writing assignments. I think some of the biggest hits have been these blog posts. They have really helped to improve my creativity and basic writing skills. It is almost nice to be able to let out your feelings on a topic weekly. I have also been able to see my blogs constantly improve throughout the year. I have also spent less time pondering on how I am going to style the blogs.
Sadly, with writing there will come hits along with the misses. I feel that some of my misses this year have come from bigger assignments such as the narratives. Sometimes I become intimidated by the length and toughness of the assignment. Also, I am still working on the creativity front to provide enough details for a full paper. Hopefully my writing will continue to become much more hits then misses.
Sadly, with writing there will come hits along with the misses. I feel that some of my misses this year have come from bigger assignments such as the narratives. Sometimes I become intimidated by the length and toughness of the assignment. Also, I am still working on the creativity front to provide enough details for a full paper. Hopefully my writing will continue to become much more hits then misses.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Purple Hibiscus
The novel Purple Hibiscus is quite difficult to read but there are some strategies that are able to help ease the pain. First off, I have found that taking annotations or using stick notes allows you to pay closer attention which is needed to catch the deeper meanings. Timing oneself also works a sit allows you to plow ahead even through the boring parts of the novel. Lastly, I have found that forcing yourself to read in an uncomfortable position and not being able to get up until you complete the reading limits distractions and increases ones focus. These are just a few of many suggestions to help reading the novel easier.
Despite the strategies, Purple Hibiscus is still a very challenging novel to read. It is very mind boggling to search for the hundreds of different deeper meanings throughout the book. The book also struggles a little with a lack of imagery. A way I address that is to picture each page of the book as similar to a page of magazine. These challenges have made the reading quite interesting for me but hopefully Purple Hibiscus becomes easier to digest as we head down the home stretch.
New York Times Prompt
The prompt I will be responding to is "Do you have a hard time making decisions?" I struggle daily with making decisions as I am always worried that I will choose the wrong one and it will come back to get me in the future. This comes down to where to go, what to eat for lunch, or even what stylish socks I plan to wear the next day. This is a little embarrassing but usually my indecision causes me to go to www.wheeldecide.com, create a wheel, and choose whatever thing the wheel lands on. This "solution" saves me much time during the day as I do not have time to thoroughly think out each decision although the wheel also makes me even more indecisive in life.
Although I struggle with indecisiveness, I have somewhat of a plan to overcome it. Last year, I heard of the butterfly effect from a teacher that says that one of every ten small decisions leads to a big change. This intimidated me and I was worried I would somehow mess up the day by picking pizza over cereal, but now I am learning to live life in the moment. It is much more enjoyable to be confident in your decisions then to spend all day worrying. Hopefully, my strategy works for the better and I can at least slightly overcome my struggle of indecisiveness.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Political Article Response
The article titled " Louisiana Sales Tax System now Ranks Worst than Last Place" by Tyler Bridges summarizes the current predicament of the state sales tax system. Throughout the column, Bridges questions the confusing parts of the system such as only keeping the increase for two years and then returning it. Other interesting and mostly unfair parts are that only certain items are taxed such as commercial fishing supplies but not Crawfish production supplies. Bridges contests that the government wins this system as consumers are forced to pay more money and businesses are forced to change their technology to include the new sales tax. Quotes from rebound economists sprinkled over the duration of the article show that Louisiana's intriguing tax system has made the process even more behind the other states across the nation.
My opinion of the system is somewhat similar of Brooks' but with slight differences. I believe that the only winner is accountants and consultants as they are able to increase their profits from the raised tax. This tax is bad for consumers who would either have to pay more or travel to another state with a lower tax rate like Mississippi with 7 percent instead of almost 10, which therefore would give the government no money at all. The group who really gets the short end of the stick is businesses especially the small ones which would lose money by losing customers and having to pay technicians to include the new tax into their technology could ultimately lead to their closure. A quick disclaimer is that I do not have much depth inside this whole situation as this is just my opinion and could possibly learn more through interviews with owners of small businesses. I came across this topic by hearing my Dad complain about it at dinner and I found the article by assuming that the local newspaper would have something written about the tax system online.
Here is a link to the article: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_b82b895a-0e5c-5cdf-abd8-2d2015e5b1d1.html
My opinion of the system is somewhat similar of Brooks' but with slight differences. I believe that the only winner is accountants and consultants as they are able to increase their profits from the raised tax. This tax is bad for consumers who would either have to pay more or travel to another state with a lower tax rate like Mississippi with 7 percent instead of almost 10, which therefore would give the government no money at all. The group who really gets the short end of the stick is businesses especially the small ones which would lose money by losing customers and having to pay technicians to include the new tax into their technology could ultimately lead to their closure. A quick disclaimer is that I do not have much depth inside this whole situation as this is just my opinion and could possibly learn more through interviews with owners of small businesses. I came across this topic by hearing my Dad complain about it at dinner and I found the article by assuming that the local newspaper would have something written about the tax system online.
Here is a link to the article: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_b82b895a-0e5c-5cdf-abd8-2d2015e5b1d1.html
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Free Post- March Madness
My free post topic this week is on the wonderful lure that is the March Madness brackets.
For the few of you who do not know March Madness is is a massive men's college basketball tournament where arguably the top sixty four teams in the country square off. There are usually many upsets that occur over the duration of the tournament which provides the excitement along with rooting for your favorite team. These games are a very big deal as they are some of the most watched televised broadcasts of the year. If you thought this was all it is only just the beginning of what really is March madness.
Now that you know the background information I can write about the most important piece which is the brackets. The second week of March is when almost every guy in the country is hustling and researching to fill out their predictions of the whole tournament on sports websites such as ESPN and CBS. Now this seems like not a big deal but even the one in a gazillion chance at achieving a perfect bracket is too good to be true. This is why in the third week of March every participant is consistently checking their phone with either relief of still being undefeated on the annual depression of another bracket lost. As far as I know no one has ever achieved a perfect bracket although this still will not stop me and millions of others from trying again next year.
Last Quarter
Through 3/4 of the way of the year I have learned that I am a little bit of a lazy student. Sometimes I struggle to find the inspiration to get my work done on time or even at all. I have also come to know that I become distracted easily while doing my work. This means I would rather think about doing much pleasurable things than school work. The first step in improving yourself is figuring out and admitting to your faults.
Now that I have found my scholarly flaws I can figure out ways to fix or at least help with them. To prevent laziness I have really changed my mindset about school so I can become a more studious student. I have also figured out that to get work done I need a quiet environment and have to focus on blocking out distractions. A good night's sleep is also quite beneficial from what I hear. Hopefully some of these strategies will allow me to become a better student and to utilize time wisely.
Now that I have found my scholarly flaws I can figure out ways to fix or at least help with them. To prevent laziness I have really changed my mindset about school so I can become a more studious student. I have also figured out that to get work done I need a quiet environment and have to focus on blocking out distractions. A good night's sleep is also quite beneficial from what I hear. Hopefully some of these strategies will allow me to become a better student and to utilize time wisely.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Mardi Gras Break
Mardi Gras break is definitely one of the best times of the year. Mine consisted of plenty of sleep and relaxing. It is great to have a break in the middle of the school year and this makes me want to bring nap time back to school. It is also really funny that only some schools in Louisiana have this break while everyone else in the country is still waking up at six for school. It was definitely nice to catch up on some much needed sleep before school started.
I almost forgot about the best part of Mardi Gras break, the parades. The stuff they throw out from beads to toilet paper makes it very entertaining. Also the grilled food there is much better than a bowl of cheerios at home. It also is fun just to meet new people and to socialize with friends at the parades. The break was very fun and stress free for me so I am sad that the grind of schoolwork resumes tomorrow.
I almost forgot about the best part of Mardi Gras break, the parades. The stuff they throw out from beads to toilet paper makes it very entertaining. Also the grilled food there is much better than a bowl of cheerios at home. It also is fun just to meet new people and to socialize with friends at the parades. The break was very fun and stress free for me so I am sad that the grind of schoolwork resumes tomorrow.
Analyze a Song
The song "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon has a very interesting analysis. It contains some cacophony when the song goes "bone digger, bone digger." This is meant to show the harshness of the graveyard which is mentioned. The song also consists of assonance in the phrase "Woe my nights are so long." This creates the sound oh which is meant to sound sorry and make the audience sad for the character. The sound patterns of "You Can Call Me Al" help clarify the meaning of the song to the listener.
This song also consists of different rhyming patterns and figurative language to make the lyrics flow smoother and help interpret the meaning of the song. It contains internal rhyme like when he says "Woe my nights are so long." This creates smoothness in the song and creates a euphony feel to the lyrics in that phrase. Next, it is made of lots of imagery like when Paul Simon writes "dogs in the moonlight." This sentence gives the reader a picture of what is going on in the song. "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon is about a man questioning his weaknesses and searching for comfort which is one of many conclusions of the song.
This song also consists of different rhyming patterns and figurative language to make the lyrics flow smoother and help interpret the meaning of the song. It contains internal rhyme like when he says "Woe my nights are so long." This creates smoothness in the song and creates a euphony feel to the lyrics in that phrase. Next, it is made of lots of imagery like when Paul Simon writes "dogs in the moonlight." This sentence gives the reader a picture of what is going on in the song. "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon is about a man questioning his weaknesses and searching for comfort which is one of many conclusions of the song.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Poem
Wandering through the endless rivet factory, lost
How could I get my freedom, at what cost?
Listening to the rusty clashes and clanks
Did grunt and wheeze the mechanic's tools go
They really could not just stay slow with the flow.
Along the other side there was a warm fireplace
The cozy cellar room made the silky place not a race.
At last as I looked back on the city rivet.
The place was so break taking I could not even pivot.
To old town I was off, to the place of fun.
How could I get my freedom, at what cost?
Listening to the rusty clashes and clanks
Did grunt and wheeze the mechanic's tools go
They really could not just stay slow with the flow.
Along the other side there was a warm fireplace
The cozy cellar room made the silky place not a race.
At last as I looked back on the city rivet.
The place was so break taking I could not even pivot.
To old town I was off, to the place of fun.
Vocabulary Post
This Saturday I plan to contend for first place in a golf tournament. Every year I speculate about winning but to no avail. Last year I set a record for the worst score and came in last. Although gladly I think this year will be better as I have greatly improved. My results year should be very interesting.
i am very excited because it is in New Orleans this year so I can travel. Most of the prizes are golf related but some are monetary. It is funny when the contestants talk trash to each other on the course. My personal favorite part is the post game lunch in the clubhouse. I can not wait for Saturday to come.
i am very excited because it is in New Orleans this year so I can travel. Most of the prizes are golf related but some are monetary. It is funny when the contestants talk trash to each other on the course. My personal favorite part is the post game lunch in the clubhouse. I can not wait for Saturday to come.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
Research Skills
So far I have learned about paraphrasing and in text citations during our research so far. In paraphrasing you need to find the right balance in using your own words but using the correct information. I have also learned to use proper in text citations. There are also many different kinds of citations to use. These processes have helped me a lot during the researching and writing stages.
One thing we have worked on that I do not feel comfortable with is embedding quotes. I struggle in knowing where to put the comma's at during the quotation. I am also not great at having a sentence leading into the quote to make it clear. You also need to explain after the quote so the reader can understand the point you are making easily. Hopefully I am able to improve on embedding quotes as the process continues.
One thing we have worked on that I do not feel comfortable with is embedding quotes. I struggle in knowing where to put the comma's at during the quotation. I am also not great at having a sentence leading into the quote to make it clear. You also need to explain after the quote so the reader can understand the point you are making easily. Hopefully I am able to improve on embedding quotes as the process continues.
ATDPTI Response 2
Arnold is currently trying to figuring out how to fit in at school. His mini fight with Roger has kept the other boys from picking on him. He is slowly figuring out the differences between the reservation and Reardan. Throughout most of the chapter Arnold is sad and has no one to talk to besides his family. But by the end of the chapter his happiness and lifestyle is rising.
The author, Sherman Alexie does a great job in keeping the novel entertaining. The man pictures and simple words make the book much clearer to understand. This style of writing also makes the novel much more enjoyable for at least me. There are also many details found throughout the book to give the reader a better picture. I cannot wait to keep reading.
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