COMMENT BELOW PLEASE!

So my group is doing our project on Expository Composition, and we signed up to make a food. I know not a ton of people see my blog everyday, but whoever comes across this post can you please comment! I want to make a food that appeals to everyone in the class, but everyone has different tastes, so i dont mind making more than one dish. Can anyone and everyone please comment what they would like on our finals day, PLEASE

Literature Analysis: Time For Success

So i decided to read Dr. Preston's personal book, "Time For Success; Achieving your goals in 24 hours a day." Almost every day in Expository Composition Dr. Preston talks about time, and how to use your time wisely. He actually made our class create a journal for an entire week, of how we use our time including our relaxing time, and our time we spend for work/school, its actually in the book as well. The time variations are "Spending time" "passing time" "giving time" and "selling time" Anyways, during this time period, about a month in a half ago, I knew Dr. Preston had written a book about time, and about the topic we were learning about. So what better way to learn, then by going straight to the source, or in this case my teacher himself, and reading his personal, published thoughts on time investment and how to spend your time accurately. The first couple of pages really didnt interest me that much. I am a person who absolutely HATES READING. I mean with a huge burning passion. But i know i had to read this book, to understand more about what we were learning about in class, and i wanted to see my teacher in a more professional setting. As i kept reading on, i actually got interested in it. I feel like i spend my time pretty wisely. I dont really have a whole lot of leisure time to fool around with my friends, or sit on the couch like a zombie for hours on end. So coming into the first couple chapters, i already kind of had a bias opinion, sort of like, "im already doing everything right so this is more of a book i have to read instead of want to read" type of mentality. But as i continued reading i learned kind of a lot on how to use every minute of the day to get a task done, and to achieve my goals in a faster, more appealing way. There was a section in the book, "The Business of Time," that was probably my favorite section. Yes i am only 17 years old, but last year i created my own business, and my brother is in the process of creating his own as well. When i created my business last year, i went in with a partner. She was, as Dr. Preston would classify her, a "Seller of Time." She wanted to be in the business for the money. I enjoyed doing what i did, and she just wanted the profit. Yes she did help, very rarely, but she was more interested in her share of the profit, and when her next paycheck was coming in. My brother on the other hand is just starting a business with his two best friends. After reading this book, I left it on his bed, without telling him, and waited a couple days. He came to me days later, asking me all sorts of questions. "Where did you get this book?" "Isnt that your teacher?" "I dont have time right now to read it, but can i borrow it in a couple days?" Those reply's made me so happy. I wanted to share with Dr. Preston but i totally forgot about it! The point im trying to make here, is i really did enjoy this book! I am not a reader at all, so it took me a while to finish it. I kept my progress on a hush hush basis because i wanted to finish it all on my own, with no one hassling me or judging me because i wasnt going at the pace as everyone else.

I figured it out on my own

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blind_Side_(film)
http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/dvd/index.html
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Side-Movie-Tie-Edition/dp/039333838X
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blind_Side:_Evolution_of_a_Game
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/plotsummary

Half of a Term Paper

Alyssa A. Barajas

Dr. David Preston

Expository Composition

November 12, 2013

The Visual Side

            Racism exists. It’ out there, day by day, year by year. History repeats, and not only does it repeat, it repeats even worse than before. Slowly but surely everything happens in cycles, and slowly but surely racism will repeat itself, whether we change our ways or not racism will come around again. It may not be as severe as it was back in the day, but in my opinion, it will get there. Maybe not in our generation, but eventually it will get so bad, the 1900’s will look as if it was just the beginning.

            I decided to write my term paper on not only racism, but stereotypes as well. Many of our racist comments, thoughts and actions come from the media. Whether it’s social media or the television, movies, or the internet, racism is everywhere. Early on, little kids emulate their parents; what they say, how they act, and how they treat others, whether it’s different races, genders or ages. We learn from a very young age, what type of race we like, what type we don’t like, and every feeling in between. It’s the sad truth, but it is the truth none the less. Now days, the media is involved in the everyday life of an American. Also happening in our culture, people, and kids mainly, mock the actions of actors and actresses. If a little child sees something on television that they like, you better believe they will mirror what they saw no matter how wrong or inappropriate it was. It is the same with racism. If someone on TV calls a black person a n****r, more ways than not, a child will develop those

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speech habits, and no justice is served there. With that being said, it is safe to say that the media is a huge contributor to racism and stereotypes.

            While beginning to research my information on this paper, I decided to turn on the movie The Blind Side, produced in 2009. This movie was a huge hit, won many awards, and what not. This movie though, is mostly well-known for the story line. No this paper will not be a “movie review” or a “critics must see opinion blah bah blah.” No. The Blind Side is the epitome of racism. I chose this movie as my main topic, because this movie shows every single example of racism, stereotypes, and White people versus Black people and so on. I don’t need to go into the story line of this movie to get my point across. Although some scenes from the movie help with my explanation of how media can influence our thoughts on racism and our actions in reducing our problem. The main characters are “Big Mike” and “Mrs. Tuhoy.” Big Mike is a homeless African American who is a junior in high school. He attends a very wealthy, high class high school, made up of mainly Caucasian descendants. Mrs. Tuhoy, a very wealthy mother of two that attend this school, takes Michael under her wing, and welcomes him into her home. Oh, did I forget to mention that this young man is over six feet tall, and as dark as night, who lives in what many people think of as “the projects?” Yeah, your thoughts just changed. How did I know that? Well of course they did. Its unconsciously embedded in our brains, that a white woman can’t open her home to an unknown black man, who she has no knowledge of what so ever. Even though, this man is an amazing human being, no one knows that, she didn’t know that when her actions overcame her thinking patterns. Our whole lives we have lived as hypocrites. Obviously no one wants to own up to it. Heck, I wouldn’t want to be known as one. But it’s true. We all preach,

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“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and “we make our own decisions and we choose to learn our patterns we live.” Well that’s all bullshit. I will sit here and tell you, I am a hypocrite. I say things that I don’t abide by sometimes, and yeah I don’t take my own advise. I’m human, just like every single person reading this paper and I make mistakes like everyone else. Heck no will I walk down Main Street, at ten o’clock at night, and invite an unknown black man into my house. Yeah this movie inspires me to be a better person, but I will never do that. Why? Because I have been taught since I was a baby that the situation described is not a safe one. Obviously it’s not safe, but not the reasons many jump to. I could go around and take a survey, and about half of the people would not even care about what race the man was. Their main concern was the fact that I didn’t know the person at all. But the other half, the other half is the half I am focusing on. They would jump to conclusions and say, because he was black, or because he was whatever race is had previously mentioned. Those same ten people I can go up to at a different time, and ask them a very random question pertaining to outer and inner beauty. I guarantee that each one of the ten will respond with some cliché answer, relating to the “Don’t judge a book by its cover” thought. Like I said before, we are all hypocrites. The same type of response I gave in my example actually happened in a few scenes in this movie. As I pointed out before, this movie is placed in a very wealthy city, mainly populated by wealthier Caucasians.  Some of Mrs. Tuhoy’s girlfriends have the same response as those five hypocrites in my early example. They questioned Mrs. Tuhoy’s judgment, character, and her family’s protection. Not because this man was unknown, or because this young man was an underprivileged homeless, no, they didn’t even think twice about that. What they did think about was the fact that he was a very large black man. His

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ethnicity comes up quite often in this movie. The plot goes on, to actually prove most of the community wrong, in the sense that Mr. and Mrs. Tuhoy were very kind and generous to let this boy into their home, and into their family. He becomes a star athlete at the high school, and becomes very popular because he is an all around great kid. The movie begins to feel a bit cookie-cutter. Until one huge scene that comes back to the racism thinking. The Tuhoy household is accused of partaking in the brainwashing of their adopted child. The NCAA then accuses the Tuhoys of corrupting Michael into going to Ole Miss, which is their Alma Mater, instead of Tennessee their rival. This scene is huge in the movie, due to the fact that the Tuhoy household was “too good to be true.” How in “God’s name,” could a white family take in a black young teen, without getting anything in return? How is this even possible? Apparently that’s what the community was thinking, since that’s who tipped off the NCAA in the first place. The movie continues on with warm scenes and loving moments, but my topic is still in the game. This movie is a prime example of racism against the Caucasian families and the African American descendants. 

My examples can continue on further, but my point remains the same: racism exists everywhere. Whether we like to admit what we think we know or not, it’s out there. It’s the sad truth, but somebody has to exploit the issues to make it relevant in our society.

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Bibliography

I based my term paper of an original movie, The Blind Side by John Lee Hancock. I used all my original wording and thoughts. Since this paper is based off of a movie, and not off of the internet, I can not provide a works cited page.

7 Times

This post really touched me in more ways than one. /the wording of her whole post, just was outstanding. Its so awesome to think that one of my colleagues, one of my school members, one of us can write this powerful. She addressed issues that have needed to be addressed for a while. Like why does the media hide the things they do? Why do they put only one picture in your mind, to make the police and law enforcement look more heroic?

Racial Profiling Lives On

Its so funny to me, how today during the journal, i talked about something very similar to one of the main points of this article. I wrote in my journal how people with any type of power or authority, sometimes misuse or take advantage of their power, making everyone around them, their victim. Just by reading the first few sentences, I could right away relate to the author, and even the victim of this case. "The ruling by Judge Scheindlin, of the Federal District Court in Manhattan, does nothing to disrupt the authority the Supreme Court has given police officers to target African-Americans and Latinos with little or no basis. Despite the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of that provision gives the police frighteningly wide discretion to follow, stop, question, frisk and employ excessive force against African-Americans and Latinos who have shown virtually no indication of wrongdoing." This statement from the article itself, is just mind blowing. Does Racism still happen in our worlds today? HELL YEAH IT DOES. Even the court systems are not only allowing racism and racial profiling, but also ENCOURAGING IT. It truly is not only sad but heartbreaking, that to me racial profiling and racism is no what near calmed down since the 1900's when, for whatever reason, it was at an "all-time high." That to me is a bunch of bull, there is still so much racism going on everywhere in the world, it sure as hell hasnt settled down.

Vocabulary #9

Ultimate: highest, not subsidiary
Interactive: acting one upon or with the other
Principle: a personal or specific basis of conduct or management
Guidance: advice or counseling, the act or function of guiding
Collaboration: a putting together of one or more elements to create a whole, or product
Formative: giving form or shape, pertaining to formation or development
Summative: additive, cumulative
Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
Intelligence: apacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity
Hyperbolic: exaggerated
Consent: to permit, approve, or agree
Doctrine: a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religionor government 
Hunch: to thrust out or up in a hump
Predominant: having ascendancy, power, authority, or influence over others
Discretion: the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment
Provision: a clause in a legal instrument
Seizure: the act or an instance of seizing.
Warrant: authorization, sanction, or justification.
Infraction: breach; violation; infringement

What I See Is All In My Head

HOLY CRAP! That video is scary to me. It just shows how complex the brain is, and how we have selective vision. not only that, but how may things a day do we not notice? That really kind of scares me a little bit. People say that when someone gets murdered, most of the time its by someone they know. Is it because we dont notice the minute details?

Vocabulary #8

cursory: going rapidly over something
impetus: a moving force
pinnacle: the peak of something
contumely: insulting display of contempt
bereavement: period of mourning after a loss
cache: a hiding place, or being hidden
consummation: completion, an act of consummation
calamity: great misfortune or disaster
avarice: insatiable greed for riches
fortify: protect or strengthen
erratic: deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion
ubiquitous: existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time
fortitude: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity
nonchalant: coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited;
affect: to act on
effect: something that is produced by action or cause
misappropriate: to put to a wrong use
pragmatic: of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
metacognition: higher-order thinking that enables understanding
devoutly: devoted to divine worship or service

Value of Life Project

ACTIVITY 11. What prior experiences do you have reading plays?
As a freshman in high school, we were required to spend a whole unit, studying, understanding and reviewing The Odyssey. This helped understand how to read plays and be familiar with them.
2. What did you notice about the format and annotations?
The format of Hamlet was strict iambic pentameter. Shakespeare followed a certain form and continued throughout the play. The connotations were very hard to understand in present day English. Shakespeare used old English to convey his messages.
3.What did you notice about the texts structure?
The texts structure as I said above was based on iambic pentameter. He had a strict format of which he used throughout. His lines and/or sentenced seemed to run on. I think this had a purpose in the conveying his poetic style however. Lastly, his soliloquy is written in common play format.
(Credit to Tiana Mcmann http://tianamcmann.blogspot.com/)

 ACTIVITY 5
Term                                                                       Antonym
Oppression                                                              Contumely (contempt)
Action                                                                      Calamity (tragedy)
Endurance                                                                To die-to sleep
Mystery                                                                    "take arms against a sea of trouble"
Life                                                                          Quietus (death)

Term                                                                       Word Family
Action                                                                      take arms, opposing, shuffled off, bear the whips, to                                                                                     grunt and sweat,
Thought                                                                    question, mind to suffer, to be wish'd, perchance to                                                                                       dream, conscience
Suffering                                                                   suffer, bear the whips and scorns of time
Morality                                                                   sins remember'd, grunt and sweat, coil, calamity
Fear                                                                         quietus, bodkin, suffer, slings and arrows, take arms                                                                                     against, heart-ache, weary life,

ACTIVITY 7 
Considering the Structure of the Text (Hamlet)
1. Where does Hamlet ask the central question of his soliloquy?
Hamlet asks the central question, whether he should continue living or end his own life, at the very beginning  of his soliloquy.

2. Where does he restate this question in greater detail?
Hamlet restates his question of living in greater detail throughout the rest of his soliloquy. He goes deeper and deeper into his thoughts about what he should do, if he really could go on or if this was the end for him.

3. Does Hamlet ever answer this question?
Although throughout the whole speech Hamlet sounds melancholy causing you too think that, in the end, he will choose to give up on life instead of continuing it; he never really clearly states his answer to his own question.

4. Does he ask any other questions in this speech?
The whole speech is made up of smaller questions that coincide with his huge opening question. He starts his speech with the big question and the rest consists of smaller questions that lead into his first question of whether or not he wants to live.

5. Who or what interrupts Hamlet at the end of his soliloquy? Do you think he was finished talking?
Ophelia interrupts Hamlet at the end of his soliloquy, I don't think that he was finished talking, he just suddenly ended his thoughts and stopped speaking.
(Credit to Summer Morgan http://smorganrhs14exposcomp.blogspot.com/)

ACTIVITY 10
First, Hamlet clearly uses many strategies. One clear personification is this sentence:
"Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,"
Here, Hamlet personifies the sea by giving it troubles. All this line is saying is, "Should I fight against a these large amount of troubles."
"For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,"
Here is another example of personification where Hamlet gives time, "life" by personifying it. This sentence is conveying "Who wants to deal with all life's struggles?".

Shakespeare's stylistic ways make him the famous playwright that he is. In this speech alone, these strategies create a dramatic atmosphere at which a reader gets engulfed in and can feel a mood. A reader can become more involved in the reading and also understand the true, deeper feelings the character feels.
(Credit to Tiana Mcmann http://tianamcmann.blogspot.com/)

ACTIVITY 12
 1. the soliloquy appeals more through pathos rather than logos. this is apparent because the soliloquy is more or less the thoughts and emotions of that person put into a monologue, therefore pathos is a big part of it.

2. Yes, Shakespeare uses pathos to create an effect on the reader. By Hamlet expressing his confrontational problem and stylistically debating it causes a nostalgic response for readers. people are able to connect this with something that may have happened to them, has, or is in their near future. It helps the reader to feel a connection to Hamlet because the emotions of confliction are common place.

3. Shakespeare also uses logic, or logos, to help the reader with understanding Hamlet. When Hamlet starts debating life and death, and what is worth it and what not, he uses logic to create a contrast between them:
"Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles..."

4. When people are put in tight situations, the value of their life becomes clear to them because they tend to take a broader stance when the situation is. Hamlet defines this with his soliloquy. He seems to be talking about the quality of life in general, but alludes to his life because it is what he knows.

5. YES, Shakespeare's views and thoughts are definitely worth considering. He provides insight and a fresh point of view to concepts we can all relate to, but that haven't been found. He expresses them through stories and artistically through characters, so as you learn about concepts through the characters, it feels less like you're being taught, and more like you are being enlightened.
(Credit to Gabi Pereverziev  http://gabipereverziev.blogspot.com/)

ACTIVITY 13
Title: Hamlet's Soliloquy
Author: Shakespeare
Genre: Dramatic Play

What is the text's big issue?
-People have this misconception of this speech, as Hamlet trying to kill himself. That is not the case. The real issue is, Hamlet's uncle just killed his father, and slept with his mother. Hamlet wants to escape from his newly ruined life. He contemplates killing his uncle, but the real issue for him is to sleep. "To dream." If he can escape from this nightmare of a situation, that is really his goal. If he can sleep, and dream, then he can dream himself into a different life. Preferably a life unlike his very own at the moment.

What claim does the text make?
-The claim made is to live or die. To continue living this lifestyle, or begin to live a new one through killing his uncle, or to sleep and dream. To continue to tolerate the whips and scorns of time, or the pain of rejected love. It claims to either stay in the world given to him, to life with the mistakes of his mother and the ghostly remembrances of his father, or to create a dream in which he can escape his awful life and start a fictional one.

What are examples or quotes from the text?
-"to be or not to be, that is the question"-to be what he knows or to be what his life truly has become
"...tis nobler in the mind of suffering"-what is better, to ruin even more of what has become, or to stand tall and not fight back with his uncle's decisions
"by sleep we say to end"-to sleep, to end all his sufferings and to escape to a land of his own
"To die, to sleep"-which does he choose, his life where he is, or his own life he makes up
"To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come"-a chance to dream, to escape his tragedy and make his own world in which he designs the outline of his dreams

What do you think about the text's claims?
-The first couple times i read this text, I hated it. But now i actually kind of enjoy learning about new eras and texts from way back, Shakespeare time. I think this claim is far more elaborate and detailed than the naked eye can see. You really have to take a hold of the words given, and sort of read between the lines. I dont truly believe i have gotten a complete grasp on this Soliloquy yet, but in time i will, hopefully.


What are your examples from the text?
"Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,"
-this first section of Shakespeare's piece really stood out to me. This examples shows all the thoughts from Hamlet, from the death thoughts, to the dreaming contemplation

VALUE OF LEARNING/VALUE OF LIFE

My week should look pretty grueling. Wednesday i will be assigned a section to read from the value of learning packet. I will hopefully get all my questioned answered by the time the class period is over. I will then post everything to my blog Thursday night, along with the rest of my group's work, and then come to class on Friday with everything done. My group has 6 people in it, so we are splitting ourselves into 2 smaller groups, each with one section to read. We will then check each other's work and post everyone's work onto our own blogs, with the credit given.

Master Vocabulary List For Midterm #1

Vocabulary #1
Expository: to set forth or explain
Composition: combining parts or elements to form a whole
Assuage: make milder or less severe
Decadence: act of falling ito an inferior condition or state
Hackneyed: make commonplace
Coalition: combination or alliance
Transcend: rise above or go beyond
Meritorious: deserving praise
Lurid: gruesome, horrible
Petulant: showing sudden, impatient irritation

Vocabulary #2
Obesity: condition of being overweight
Accumulate: to gather or collect
Mass: a boy of coherent matter; collection of particles
Disease: a disorder or dis-functioning part of the body
Diet: particular selection of food
Prevalence: widespread
Stigma: mark of disgrace or infamy
Prevent: keep from occuring
Adolescent: growing to adulthood; youth
Cardiovascular: pertaining or affecting the heart
Excessive: going above and beyond the necessary limit
Mechanism: assembly of moving parts performing a complete function
Sedentary: accustomed to sit or rest a great deal to take little excersize
Predispose: give a tendency to beforehand
Syndrome: group of symptoms that come together that characterize a specific order

Vocabulary #3
Accomplice: a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing
Annihilate: to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence
Arbitrary: subject to individual will or judgement without restrictions
Brazen: shameless or impudent
Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change
Exodus: a going out, a departure
Facilitate: to make easier or less difficult
Incorrigible: bad beyond correction or reform
Latent: present but not visible
Militant: vigorously active and aggresive
Morose: gloomily or sullenly ill-humored
Opaque: not transparent or translucent
Paramount: above others in rank or authority
Prattle: talk in a foolish or simple-minded way
Rebut: to oppose by contrary proof
Reprimand: severe reproof or rebuke
Servitude: slavery or bondage of any kind
Slapdash: hasty, haphazard
Stagnant: not flowing or running
Succumb: to give way to superior force

Vocabulary #4
Accede: give consent or approval
Brandish: to shake or wave, as a weapon
Comprise: to include or contain
Deft: skillful
Destitute: without meaning or subsistence
Explicit: fully expressed or demonstrated
Extirpate: to remove or destroy totally
Inopportune: inappropriate or inconvenient
Ironic: using words to convey a meaning that is opposite of the meaning
Musty: lacking originality or vitality
Officious: official
Ominous: portending evil or harm
Pinnacle: a lofty peak
Premeditated: planned in advance, done deliberately
Rampant: violent in action or spirit
Solace: comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble
Stately: majestic
Supple: bending readily without breaking
Suppress: put an end to activities of
Venal: willing to sell someones influence

Vocabulary #5
Adroit: expert or nimble in use of hands or body
Amicable: characterized by goodwill
Averse: strong feeling of opposition
Belligerent: warlike
Benevolent: kind feelings
Cursory: rapidly oer something
Duplicity: deceitfulness in speech or conduct
Extol: to praise highly
Feasable: capable of being done
Grimace: facial expression
Holocaust: complete disaster or destruction
Impervious: not permitting penetration
Impetus: a moving force
Jeapardy: risk or hazard to exposure or loss
Meticulous: showing extreme care to minute details
Nostalgia: wistful desire to return to past thoughts
Quintessence: pure concentrated essence
Retrogress: to go backwards to earlier/worse conditions
Scrutinize: to examine in detail
Tepid: moderately warm

Vocabulary #7
cursory: going rapidly over something
impetus: a moving force
pinnacle: the peak of something
contumely: insulting display of contempt
bereavement: period of mourning after a loss
cache: a hiding place, or being hidden
consummation: completion, an act of consummation
calamity: great misfortune or disaster
avarice: insatiable greed for riches
fortify: protect or strengthen
erratic: deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion
ubiquitous: existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time
fortitude: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity
nonchalant: coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited;
affect: to act on
effect: something that is produced by action or cause
misappropriate: to put to a wrong use
pragmatic: of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
metacognition: higher-order thinking that enables understanding
devoutly: devoted to divine worship or service

Persuasive Reteric

Ethos: author's credibility/ what his impression is
Paythos: passion/care about what he is talking about
Logos: logic/ truth and validity. Reasoning and valid

Vocabulary #7

cursory: going rapidly over something
impetus: a moving force
pinnacle: the peak of something
contumely: insulting display of contempt
bereavement: period of mourning after a loss
cache: a hiding place, or being hidden
consummation: completion, an act of consummation
calamity: great misfortune or disaster
avarice: insatiable greed for riches
fortify: protect or strengthen
erratic: deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion
ubiquitous: existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time
fortitude: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity
nonchalant: coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited;
affect: to act on
effect: something that is produced by action or cause
misappropriate: to put to a wrong use
pragmatic: of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
metacognition: higher-order thinking that enables understanding
devoutly: devoted to divine worship or service

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

I personally would go with what i already know to be true. I would not only want to change the world, but also fix what i have already created. The path i would take, is the honest route. I wouldnt want to step on people to get to where i want to be. Yeah it is what you have to do, but i would rather do it the hard way, so when i get to where i want to be, it feels that much sweeter.

My Translation to Hamlet's Work

To be or not to be, that is the question. In a way, he was talking about killing himself, but for the most part, that isnt what he was aiming for. Like Dr. Preston has previously explained, his uncle just killed his dad, and married his mom. Not only is his life so confusing at this point, but everything he knows the be stable, isnt anymore. He talks about sleep, sleep makes him escape from his messy world. Dreaming makes him go to a place where he is comfortable, where he can dream of the world he should be living in, and not the world that is actually around him at this point. Its so hard to translate, and i really want to know the actual translation, so can anyone help me with this?

Hamlet's Infamous Speech

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer

The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,

Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep

No more; and by a sleep, to say we end

The Heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks

That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,

To sleep, perchance to Dream; Aye, there's the rub,

For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes Calamity of so long life:

For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,

The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely,

The pangs of despised Love, the Law’s delay,

The insolence of Office, and the Spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his Quietus make

With a bare Bodkin? Who would Fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn

No Traveller returns, Puzzles the will,

And makes us rather bear those ills we have,

Than fly to others that we know not of.

Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,

And thus the Native hue of Resolution

Is sicklied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought,

And enterprises of great pitch and moment,

With this regard their Currents turn awry,

And lose the name of Action. Soft you now,

The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons

Be all my sins remembered.[2]

To act or not to act

i dont really understand where the soliloquy was, or started. where you said it started, it was like a teachers addition of something. im super confused...

Dear Steve

I really enjoyed reading this. Its crazy how some of the most successful people have had it the hardest. I didnt even really know who this person is, but by reading his college story, i feel like i got to know him a little better. I love the line he wrote, about you cant connect the dots going forward, but you can connect the dots going backward. This guy has some great words coming from his mouth. Its crazy that he got fired from his own company, but still became super successful. When he talks about how it was awful medicine, but its what the patient needed, that is some great stuff. Living every day like its truly your last? We were just talking about that in class last week! I dont know this guy very well, but im liking him more and more every time i read his speeches

Vocabulary List #6

Accede: give consent or approval
Brandish: to shake or wave, as a weapon
Comprise: to include or contain
Deft: skillful
Destitute: without meaning or subsistence
Explicit: fully expressed or demonstrated
Extirpate: to remove or destroy totally
Inopportune: inappropriate or inconvenient
Ironic: using words to convey a meaning that is opposite of the meaning
Musty: lacking originality or vitality
Officious: overwhelmingly helpful/ helpful to annoyance
Ominous: portending evil or harm
Pinnacle: a lofty peak
Premeditated: planned in advance, done deliberately
Rampant: violent in action or spirit
Solace: comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble
Stately: majestic
Supple: bending readily without breaking
Suppress: put an end to activities of
Venal: willing to sell someones influence
Adroit: expert or nble in use of hands or body
Amicable: charaterized by goodwill.
Averse: strong feeling of opposition.
Belligerent: warlike.
Benevolent: kindly feelings
Cursory: rapidly over something
Duplicity: deceitfulness in speech or conduct
Extol: to praise highly
Feasible: capable of being done
Grimace: facial expressions
Holocaust: complete devistation or destruction
Impervious: not permitting penetration
Impetus: a moving force
Jeopardy: hazard or risk to exposure to loss
Meticulous: showing extreme care about minute details
Nostalgia: wistfull desire to return in thought
Quintessence: pure concentrated essence
Retrogress: go backward to earlier/worse conditions
Scrutinize: examine in detail
Tepid: moderately warm

Time Investment Portfolio

Friday, September 20, 2013
Selling Time: 7 hours
Giving Time: 1 hour
Spending Time: 1 hour
Passing Time: 9 hours

Visual Thinking

Today we had an online conference call with Amanda Lyons. She talked to our class about doodling, and using our doodles as note taking. She really inspired me and enlightened my thinking, in the sense that i doodle on my papers all the time. If i can incorporate doodling and drawing, with notes and schoolwork. That is a huge breakthrough. Witnessing first hand, her explaining her ways and her drawings. Really wants me to push forward with my "doodling notes"

Time Investment Portfolio

Thursday, September 19, 2013
Selling Time: 1 hour
Giving Time: 1 hour
Spending Time: 9 hours
Passing Time: 3 hours

Freedom of Choice

There are many pros and cons to being a free individual. For making your iwn decisions, and running your own life, come obsticles that everyone faces. 

Pro: you can make your own decisions without people telling you what to do

Con: all consequence, good and bad, are on your shoulders. No one to blame, no fingers to point

Pro: you are the only person that truly knows whats best for you. You know what you want to do in life, you know where you want to be in the future, making your own decisions will get you on the right path

Con: if you make your own decisions, maybe you think they are the best thing, but in reality they are the best thing right now

Time Investment Portfolio

Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Selling Time: 9hours
Giving Time: 1hour
Spending Time: 9hours
Passing Time: 1hour

Life After High School-Why College

Learn to Fail:
-take harder classes
-although you want to take the classes you can ace with no problem, challenge yourself
-perfection does not exist
-college admin. doesnt want to see perfection, they want to see real
-admin. is a lil skeptical when it comes to "the perfect kid"
-students try to hide imperfections, dont hide it! flaunt it!
-learn to let go of shame, dont be ashamed of your work, fail or pass, show it all

Hidden Intellectualism:
"Sports after all are full of challenging arguements, debates, problems for analysis, and intricate statistics that you could care about, as school conspicuously was not."
-colleges take "street smarts" and can channel them into academic work
-not being book smart isnt a bad thing, they look for diversity
-street smarts can relate to intellectual life more than people think, or want to think
-relating life to school is the best and easiest way to learn
-as long as you can see "through academic eyes," relating anything you enjoy to school and/or academics will make you understand things more

10 Rules For Going to College When Nobody Expected You To:
10. Be a total student: even if you are not enrolled in school full-time, act as if you are. Work as if you are
9. Resist temptation: you dont need to buy the most expensive things, even though you are on your own, you dont need to buy everything
8. Always put college first: dont excuse yourself from college things, dont leave for anything
7. Go to the best school for you: dont worry about the price, or how long it will take, go for what you want to do. Everything is worth the student loans
6. Study harder in college: professors dont care about what you were doing the night before, they want to see results when they ask
5. You will become homesick: it will pass, it will get better, be prepare for you to miss your family
4. Get to know the students: know the students with different racial, ethnic, an social backgrounds
3. Ignore career confussion:  it is okay to change your major, its okay to not know what you are doing
2. Study what you love: your much more than your career title, dont let the title be who you are
1. Remember: remember where you came from, and who got you to where you are now

Not Going to College is a Viable Option:
-if you are not 100% sure this is what you want to do, you dont have to
-college is a ton of debt, loans and agony that isnt necessary if its not the right path for you
-many can make it 6 months to a year, and then drop out, with many of bills to pay, and no degree
-you are not a failure if you choose not to go to college
-a huge choice people make is going to the military
-there are no better alternatives for college then serving our country
-just because you dont go to college, does not mean your life is over

Why Go to College:
-average four-year cost of tuition at a public college is $19,434, less than a new car
-annual income of a college graduate is more than double the average income of a high school graduate
-you will get more mileage out of college than that new car
-college can expand your interest and intellectual thinking
-college can start a new chapter in your life
-colege can payback more than any loan
-you will get farther from a college degree, than years of A's in high school

Time Investment Portfolio

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
     Selling time: 9 hours
     Giving time: 3 hours
     Spending time: 3 hours
     Passing time: 2 hours

No Child Left Untableted

Reading this article, kind of interested me a little bit. I think its awesome that these teachers and learning to teach from tablets. A ton of teachers hated them, from the article, but as a student i think they could really help with the learning process.
What does the Luddite mean?

Declaration of Independance

I, Alyssa Barajas, declare that I will try my absolute hardest to get an A in this class. I will try my hardest to get every assignment done, and turned in on time. I will try my hardest to read every book assigned, and to answer all the following questions assigned. I know the way you teach Dr. Preston, and I will do my best to accomidate myself to your teaching ways. Not only in this course, but in my Senior year of high school, i will try my hardest to get a 4.0 GPA both semesters.

Time Investment Portfolio

Monday, September 16, 2013

     Selling time: 6 hours

     Giving time: 4 hour 

     Spending time: 9 hours

     Passing time: 0 hours

Vocabulary List #5

Adroit: expert or nble in use of hands or body
Amicable: charaterized by goodwill.
Averse: strong feeling of opposition.
Belligerent: warlike.
Benevolent: kindly feelings
Cursory: rapidly over something
Duplicity: deceitfulness in speech or conduct
Extol: to praise highly
Feasible: capable of being done
Grimace: facial expressions
Holocaust: complete devistation or destruction
Impervious: not permitting penetration
Impetus: a moving force
Jeopardy: hazard or risk to exposure to loss
Meticulous: showing extreme care about minute details
Nostalgia: wistfull desire to return in thought
Quintessence: pure concentrated essence
Retrogress: go backward to earlier/worse conditions
Scrutinize: examine in detail
Tepid: moderately warm

Essay Notes

About obesity
Persuasive essay...?
Physical and emotional problems
Cause and effect of obesity
Eater Vs. distributer
Obesity and poverty
Get the most for your money
FAST food is BAD food

Vocabulary #4

Accede: give consent or approval
Brandish: to shake or wave, as a weapon
Comprise: to include or contain
Deft: skillful
Destitute: without meaning or subsistence
Explicit: fully expressed or demonstrated
Extirpate: to remove or destroy totally
Inopportune: inappropriate or inconvenient
Ironic: using words to convey a meaning that is opposite of the meaning
Musty: lacking originality or vitality
Officious: official
Ominous: portending evil or harm
Pinnacle: a lofty peak
Premeditated: planned in advance, done deliberately
Rampant: violent in action or spirit
Solace: comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble
Stately: majestic
Supple: bending readily without breaking
Suppress: put an end to activities of
Venal: willing to sell someones influence

Vocabulary List 3

Accomplice: a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing
Annihilate: to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence
Arbitrary: subject to individual will or judgement without restrictions
Brazen: shameless or impudent
Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change
Exodus: a going out, a departure
Facilitate: to make easier or less difficult
Incorrigible: bad beyond correction or reform
Latent: present but not visible
Militant: vigorously active and aggresive
Morose: gloomily or sullenly ill-humored
Opaque: not transparent or translucent
Paramount: above others in rank or authority
Prattle: talk in a foolish or simple-minded way
Rebut: to oppose by contrary proof
Reprimand: severe reproof or rebuke
Servitude: slavery or bondage of any kind
Slapdash: hasty, haphazard
Stagnant: not flowing or running
Succumb: to give way to superior force

Vocabulary List 2

Obesity: condition of being overweight
Accumulate: to gather or collect
Mass: a boy of coherent matter; collection of particles
Disease: a disorder or dis-functioning part of the body
Diet: particular selection of food
Prevalence: widespread
Stigma: mark of disgrace or infamy
Prevent: keep from occuring
Adolescent: growing to adulthood; youth
Cardiovascular: pertaining or affecting the heart
Excessive: going above and beyond the necessary limit
Mechanism: assembly of moving parts performing a complete function
Sedentary: accustomed to sit or rest a great deal to take little excersize
Predispose: give a tendency to beforehand
Syndrome: group of symptoms that come together that characterize a specific order

An Apple a Day Synopsis

After watching some what of the video, and reading the doctor's note at the bottom, i came away with my own opinion about the idea as a whole. According to the doctor in the video, some of the top killers of the American population, are professional we turn to, to save our lives, ironic huh? Medical professionals are one of the main causes of deaths in the U.S each year. They obviously aren't out to kill us, but to save us as a matter of fact. The whole point of this article and video, was to inform people how to literally stay alive. This isn't to scare any body or make matters worse, but to show people that you are puting your body in more danger than you think. This information isn't to make poeple think visitng the doctor is a health risk, but to show proof that taking good care of your body, will make your chances of a medical disaster slim to none.

My Non-fiction Book



 

Here is a super interesting book that really caught my eye. Since we are talking in class about fast food, and the dangers and risky situations we are puting our body's through to eat these tasty pleasures, i figured reading this book would be perfect. I personally don't like fast food, and try and stay clear of it, if possible. But i know almost all my friends love to eat it, so if i could get more knowledge on the greasy food, the better i could inform my friends of the nasty products. 

 

 

Text Analysis

Okay, i am so excited about this Obesity awareness club! I really do hope this actually gets turned into a real club, because the awareness need to be spread ASAP. WE talked a ton about fast food, and we ragged on Taco Bell today, i dont know why. But what i learned was really nasty. i learned that taco bell meat is like green? We didnt really get to read a text the class chose, but what i did learn is that i wont eat Taco Bell again!

This is Phat

Here is a really cool website about Obesity in America.

http://obesityinamerica.org/

My Opinion isnt (A) Right

-not okay to accept what people are saying out of respect
-your not entitled to your own opinion
-11 out of 38 read the article
-Tiana thinks it's true the way his examples and explinations. The way he described it made his statement true
-question of identity over opinion
-to make your opinion, you need to make it valid
-people talk about you instead of to you
-big people make little people's opinions seem small
- it can effect not just you, but other people
-bad influences
-society wants to look out for each other
-INTERDEPENDANCE: depend on others
-inter: between
Dependence: depend on others
-we depend on others, community
-"one man or woman against the world"
-we should be operating on how we can help each other "ripple effect"
-all the things we fo effect the world around us
-"we are all leaders"
| Limbic: emotional, develop before we speak
|Intellectual: more sophisticated, us being animals, mammal portion
|Reptilion: reptile, that determine unconciousness

Vocabulary List #1

Expository: to set forth or explain
Composition: combining parts or elements to form a whole
Assuage: make milder or less severe
Decadence: act of falling ito an inferior condition or state
Hackneyed: make commonplace
Coalition: combination or alliance
Transcend: rise above or go beyond
Meritorious: deserving praise
Lurid: gruesome, horrible
Petulant: showing sudden, impatient irritation

Reflections on Week 1

Question 1: currently i dont believe i have any factors that will effect my participation in this course. Although i will say, that now i am fully in the swing of things in my cheer program, which is in Ventura. So there will be somedays that i wont be at school due to the fact that i will be out of town, or practice ran way to late and i didnt get home til the late hours of the A.M.

Question 2: to be completely honest, the best learning experience i ever had was last year's english course taught by you. Im not browning nosing what so ever, this is serious talk. The best class ive ever taken, and the most fun course i have ever taken was last years english. The way you ran the course, and the newness of the blog really got me going in the right direction. I have always HATED English, with a passion actually, and you made English fun for me. Like you said the first day, i HATE reading. And last year i read 3 books from cover to cover. That right there is proof enough that i loved your class, and thats why im taking you as a teacher again.

Question 3: im mostly excited to relive this experience again, honestly. I cant wait to start doing blogposts, and senior worksheets, and real resumes. Im totally excited to start publishing my work and getting positive feedback from you and my peers

The Right to Your/My Own Opinion

I feel like i read that document last year? Im sure i have, but now that im growing up and looking for colleges and all this nonsense. I feel as if i created a better understanding over the whole subject. When i get into arguements with people, or any type of confrontations, i will remember i dont really have as many rights as i thought i did. I got pulled over the other day for speeding, and i am so glad i didnt get all smart mouthy and think i had the right to say how i really felt. That would have gotten me into waaay more trouble, than if i would have just keep my mouth shut. I know now that i will unconciously remember this document.

What is Expository Composition

What is Expository Composition? I think it has something to do with writing. Compostition has a meaning that has to do with writing, so exposing your writing maybe? But Dr. Preston is the teacher, so Open Source Learning is involved in this class obviously. Expository Composition is also maybe writing about literature? Maybe old literature, since the name is kind of formal? I really have no clue, i can make some educated guesses however...

My Big Question

My Big Question:what happens after we die? I know tons of people want to know the answer to this question. Every day i wonder, what happens when we die? Is there actually a heaven and hell. Everyone talks about it like they know what they are talking about. Have they died? Have they been reincarnated? No they havent, so that is my big question. What happens after we die?

ITS ALL LATIN TO ME

This Latin saying can totally relate to this course. For me, it kind of relates in the way that if we dare to be different, and try new things, than we are already half way done. Getting started with anything is always the hardest. Once you begin, your half way to where you want to be.


dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude, incipe---who has begun has half done: dare to be wise, begin.