Making This Thingy Useful

So Preston asked to use the blog regularly over the break and so I decided to use it to help me in wrestling. Most people know that wrestlers cut weight but people give our diets a negative connotation so Ill challenge that. I am going to create a wrestling blog that charts my drop from 220's down to 182's. I will post what I ate and drank for the day along with my weight and the occasional picture. I got a head start and am currently weighting 196.8 but I have been wrestling at 220's while weighting significantly less. Lets see how this goes.

I Can Read!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4L1LaQ04vA
This was probably the hardest thing I have ever read. I made a total of 16 mistakes that I noticed. Sorry I'm sideways.

Allegory Sonnet

Darkness is all they know, these two men
The sun is something they have never seen
Shadows dance on the walls while echoes sing to them
Freedom is something that occurs in a dream

Shackled by fear they stay put dwelling in the cave
Knowledge beyond the cave is a mystery
Not knowing and fear has kept the men enslaved
Fear has them doomed to repeat history

Experience and knowledge can free
Even the field mouse but taking the first step
Has to be done by thee
No one can do it for you, it is a schlep

Go out and do what makes you scared
It is an experience worth being shared

Brain with 6 legs

My group has decided to read Great Expectation by Charles Dickens. The book is roughly around 400 pages so we divided up the reading into equal amounts so we have a certain amount to read every day. We plan to use oovoo and etherpad to collaborate on this novel. We have assigned roles but we decided that more than one person can help with a part on any given section.

Hamlet remix draft

Literature Analysis #3 ( Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck)

• The novel is about the Joad family and their pillage to California in search of better opportunities. They leave Oklahoma and have so many encounters with people and obstacles that make everything so tough on them. The main reason they left was the Dust Bowl that forced many "Okies" to flee the Midwest and head West. The sudden rush of people saturated all of the workforce making a job nearly impossible to obtain. The family endures many separations and deaths buy ultimately the next generation survives. John Steinbeck fulfills his purpose of describing the hardships by the way he intricately paint the characters and their situations. If you read the novel you feel like you're traveling with the Joad's and are experiencing every drop of sorrow along with the family.  
• "It's not how hard you can punch, it's how hard you can get punched and still keep going." -Rocky Balboa. This fictional quate to me sums up the theme of the novel. The Joad's experience so much trouble and hardships but they still kept pushing on. People sometimes lose hope but these people didn't and this just reflects the warrior mentality the Joad's had. 
• Tom Joad ,the protagonist, is characterized indirectly. Steinbeck describes what Tom has been through ,such as his experience in prison, and the way his parents welcome him home. His is looked at as the sort of Golden child in a way. I thought of Tom as a man who has been is shitty situations but always found a way to turn the negative into a positive, or at least try to. 
• Tom Joad is a very dynamic character. He is everything that you don't expect from a murderer; kind,caring, and compassionate. Tom gets out of prison and his first thought is for his family. He emerges as the head of the household later in the novel and does what ever is possible for the sake of his family. Tom also uses his guidance from Jim Casey, the Joad's former pastor, to seek God's help though all of the muck. 
• At the end of the novel I felt a strange sensation at the pit of my stomach. I don't know whether it was because I've been sick or the emotional rollercoaster that I just endure. I honestly felt like the Joad's were in front of me and I was just like a straggler, watching their every move. Tom is now a new friend it seems to me. I learned a lot from these characters and I feel reluctant to call them fictional because of what "we" went through. At the end when Rose of Sharon breast feeds the starving man I felt this shiver up my spine and I could not comprehend it. I must have read that excerpt three times because I was in awe, how could someone feel such a obligation to a stranger? 

Dear Ophelia,

Well if you date this man you put yourself in a gauche position. You would abase your family for some churlish man who is an abomination. Your brother, being the belicose he is would brusquely end the young mans life. I suggest that you abdicate your seat of power if you make any hasty decisions although I can foresee a ephemeral marriage. This is going to look like an anomaly to your people but their rapacious ways will blind them. Offer them something for their troubles and they will enjoy their debauchery. The road to redemption, if you choose, will be precipitous and rancorous because you turned your back on your family. This act will never be expurgated form the records even if there is an anachronism in the books. My final suggestion is do as you wish and avoid any saboteurs of your happiness.

Vocab #8

Abase- to reduce or lower; degrade Abdicate- to renounce a throne or seat of power formally Abomination- a vile, detestable action Brusque- abrupt in manner; blunt Saboteur- person who practices sabatoge Debauchery- excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures Proliferate- To increase in number and excessively Anachronism- error in chronological time Nomenclature- names or terms comprising of a set or system Expurgate- amend by removing words Bellicose- eager to fight, hostile Gauche- awkward Rapacious- inordinately greedy Paradox- self-contradicting statement Conundrum- a riddle where the answer usually involves a pun Anomaly- abnormality; peculiarity Ephemeral- short lived Rancorous- full of hostility Churlish- rude; mean Precipitous- extremely steep

The Code Grant Application ( if interested)

1. Our club was recently formed, this year, to combat obesity amongst the youth in our community. Over the summer we, as a group of friends, noticed that people were posting about eating junk and then only to complain about not being skinny. We decided to create this group to educate the uneducated before it’s too late. We are roughly made up of 30 members at the moment and our ages vary from 13 to 40. The club is composed of leaders in all aspects on campus: athletes, scholars and even faculty. We are a democratic club focused on the members and what they want to learn about. Members propose ideas and we vote on them as a whole that way everybody has a voice. We are a new club so we haven’t accomplished much yet but that will soon change. 2. Our project is focused on improving the quality of life for the youth in our region while combating obesity. Our goals are to expand and have a branch of our club at every high school in the Santa Maria Valley. We plan to hold classes on diet and exercise twice a month as a whole to expand our knowledge. We have connections with the YMCA of Santa Maria and their trainers. One of them, Julie Reynoso, has said that she would love to help our cause and is willing to hold diet and exercise classes for our group. 3.November Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) December Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) January Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) January New Years 5K February Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) February Health Awareness Month March Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) April Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) May Diet and Exercise Classes (2x) 4. Teens and the community will benefit together because that is who our project is geared towards. The teens will learn the pros and cons of a healthy diet with the benefits of exercise. Teens that follow the program and stick with it will see new changes such as regular eating habits and physical gains. The community will benefit due to the amount of teens learning and when the teens become parents they themselves will teach the well being to their children. 5. Obesity is a major problem in America and although we would be affecting only a tiny portion of the problem it is our portion. Today we see children who are not even in junior high that weigh upwards of 200 pounds and soon that can be normal if we keep eating the junk we are now. The problem stems from the lack of education in the health field, yes P.E. and Health are for that but who ever really wants to go to those classes. We are designing this club to be fun and have people enjoy healthy living. People always complain about not having abs or the cute little figure but this club is geared towards helping the members reach their goals. 6. Our adult allies are Kevin LeClair, Sal Reynoso, and Julie Reynoso. Our advisor Kevin is a teacher at Righetti and wants to see health awareness spread. He promotes the club and helps plan events also. The Reynosos are Guadalupe residents who are into the health craze. Both of them are willing to assist us in organizing meeting and classes for health education and such. 7. We will know if our project is successful if it continues next year. Most of the club is made of seniors so our goal is to get as many younger students involved as possible to take on the responsibility. 8. We are asking for 2000 dollars for our project. It is a rough estimate but it would cover the venues that we would have to rent out for our bi-monthly classes. The 5k and Health month are the priciest events because we would use the money for everything and then hopefully be reimbursed in profits. Our secretary for the club would be entrusted with the financial expenses.

Green Eggs & Hamlet

a) I know a little about Hamlet like he is not very decisive and that he talks to himself a lot. I have never heard of the "Melancholy Dane." b) I know Shakespeare is regarded as one of the best writer ever. Shakespeare even had his own language of a sort. c) I cry just a little bit on the inside when I hear that we're going to start Shakespeare because it is so complicated. The language and characters are very sophisticated that it is mentally draining to read his work. d) We can discuss it often and go in detail to explain the things that might be missed due to the Shakespearean language.

Literature Analysis #2 (Tuesdays With Morrie)

• The novel is about a man who wants to reconnect with former college professor who is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. They grow closer with the frequent visits and eventually do everything up until Morrie's death.
• Live ever last moment as if it were your last and don't over look the simple things in life. It might be a little cliche but that's is what it is. Morrie died a slow death that made him lose motor functions basically causing paralysis. The book refers to him as "a man trapped in a lifeless cocoon. 
• The author's tone sways from a narrative boring story telling voice to gloomy, depressed tone. The tone shifts when Mitch describes Morrie's new state of appearance. "His hair was...nearly white and his face was gaunt... his eyes were more sunken in.." (pg27&29). There you can tell there is a sense of remorse and it pains Mitch to see his professor like that.
• The author, Mitch, uses indirect and direct characterization while describing Morrie. He uses references to loose clothing and popping bones to say that Morrie has basically deteriorated away. The way Morrie speaks lets you know that he is well educated and very philosophical. I was left with tears in my eyes when this character died because I felt as if I had connected with a real person. 
• The author's syntax and diction basically stay the same through out the entire story.
• After reading this story I was left with a knot in my stomach because I felt like I was apart of the journey with Mitch and Morrie. I was actually laughing when there was a joke and I cried when the novel ended. I was just so inspirational and motivating on so many different levels.

Character Study #1

Robbie was the kind of guy that everybody looked at and judged based on appearance. He was the dude that had his earphones in all day jamming out to the newest Rebelution or what ever could mellow him out. People assumed he was stoned everyday because he wore dark tinted glasses covering his brown eyes. Robbie was genuinely happy when he was out surfing but other than that his days just seemed to drag on. He wore sandals with every outfit which wasn't well liked. Eventually Robbie was fed up with the place he dreaded so he stopped going to his mother's disapointment. He just could not stand anybody anymore so he decided to hitch hike and get as far away as possible. As he was packing he realized that he only owned shorts and short sleeved tee shirts. Robbie threw on a hat to hold down his wavy hair and walked right out the door.

Literature Analysis #1 (A year later...)

1. "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison is a novel that is focused on a young African-American boy who grows into a man during the early 20th century. The character is unnamed and refers to himself as 'invisible' to society. He faced scrutiny everywhere he went; in his hometown instead of being praised for an award he was sent to a battle royale with other colored students for the amusement of white folk. He was expelled from college after following a 'white' trustee's orders and sent off with false letters of recommendation  to New York. After the letters were discovered to be falsely accusing the narrator of being a horrible person he lands a job for a paint factory. After an accident with a tank the narrator, after being experimented on in the hospital, collapses on the street. He is taken to the house of a woman named Mary who nurtures him back to health and pushed Black Pride onto him. He becomes a spokesman for a group that helps the community called the 'Brotherhood" after great  speech. All ends up turning to shit with the 'Brotherhood' and one night after a riot the narrator gets held up by the police. In an attempt to escape he falls into a hole in the street and the police cover it up. He has remained there since but feels like it is time to finally come out of the darkness. 
2. "Stereotypes kill." The stereotype of being African-American during this time era ruined the narrators reputation before people even got the chance to know him.
3. I observed the tone as being pessimistic towards other people. The narrator saw himself as invisible to others and secluded himself from other human contact at the end. 
4. The protagonist is very dynamic I believe. He seems to grow as the novel progresses and his true colors eventually come out. He is a very well thought out character that has a lot to him. 
5. I felt like I went on the journey with the narrator. I especially felt as if I was sitting in the stands with horror during the blindfolded boxing match. I read that part and felt horrible for him and the others. 

Beowulf Essay

  Courage and excellence are two things that are demanded from the people who defend our land. Beowulf is the poster child for the Norse in regards to protecting them but he does it for glory and recognition. Our country is guarded by average americans who mainly volunteer their services to defend our liberties with out any fame. Although both do their duties for different purposes they stand up to "evil forces" for the same reasons. 

  When Beowulf first heard about Grendel terrorizing the townspeople of Herot he doesn't think about helping them but rather how much glory this could bring him. That's the opposite view of a modern soldier, their first thought is for the general welfare of the people. Nevertheless both go out into dangers way to stop "terrorists" and occasionally reaping the benefits. Beowulf died a king but was not satisfied which killed him. Once in a while you'll hear about a soldier in the news that save someone so they get a medal but that's it. But both of the "soldiers" go out into unknown places to seek out the villains; Beowulf heads to an enchanted lake and soldiers head into foreign countries to protect the indigenous people. 

  When a warrior dies they both receive a memorial at their funeral. Beowulf is killed in action and has a huge monument built in his honor along with his kinsmen speaking highly about him at a memorial. Today in our culture when a soldier dies, in action or after his tour, they receive a memorial at their funeral procession where other soldiers salute their fallen comrade. 

  Beowulf was the symbol for what the Norse people looked up to but he also had traits that were not highly regarded by the people as well. Beowulf was what every child wanted to be : cunning, handsome, courageous and witty. But Beowulf had tragic flaws such as greed and his hubris. His excessive pride and intense desire for more got him killed. A modern day soldier is praised by many and disregarded by some as well. They do things that most people aren't willing to do but are called murders for it at the same time. Both of these "heroes" are praised but face scrutiny for different reasons. 

Vocab #4

• Accolade- a honor or award/ praise; For wrestlers the highest accolade is being a national champion.
• Acerbity- harshness of severity, with regards to temper; He acted out in acerbity after being dumped.
• Attrition- decrease in numbers, size, or strength but can also be wearing down; Our wrestling faced severe attrition after graduating 12 varsity members.
• Bromide- dull or boring person; Most lectures in math are filled with bromide?
• Chauvinist- person who believes one gender is superior to the other; Men were looked at as chauvinists before women gained equal rights.
• Chronic- constant and habitual; At the age of 70 most people have some sort of chronic pain.
• Expound- to explain, to state in detail; In gov't i had to expound the entire meaning of the constitution.
• Factionalism- factional dissension; The church has had a lot of factionalism through out the years of existence. 
• Immaculate- someone free from sin, w/o and pure of sin; Jesus was a prime example of someone who was immaculate. 
• Imprecation- a curse, calling for evil; One imprecation can be wishing for an ex to be harmed. 
• Ineluctable- certain, inevitable; The sun rising or my grandma cooking are both things that are ineluctable.
• Mercurial- eloquent, quick, shrewd; Daniel Rucker was very mercurial when answering chemistry answers.
• Palliate- to make something less painful or unpleasant; Advil helps palliate pain with many different ingredients. 
• Protocol- standard procedure, rules/regulations; There's strict protocol when working with fire and gasoline.
• Resplendent- dazzling, full of splendor; The diamond on her hand was resplendent and looked like it could weigh her hand down.
• Stigmatize- to make something seem bad; To me sex seems to be stigmatized . 
• Sub Rosa- secretly, privately, confidential; The gov't acts in a sub rosa way keeping things on the hush hush.
• Vainglory- extreme pride and excessive vanity; Kim Kardashian seems like she is filled with vainglory.
• Vestige- a trace of something that once existed; Dinosaur bones are vestiges of the great creatures that once roamed.
• Volition- using will to make a conscious decision; Did you make that decision out of your volition?

Invisible Man- Ralph Ellison

I chose this novel because I have heard some interesting things about the story both good and bad so I wanted to see for myself. So far I am not disappointed at all. It has turned out to be a great story.

Beowulf Reading Notes

• Wrath of Grendel- Grendel terrorized the town of Herot and the citizens for 12 years but the king, Hrothgar, was never touched because he was protected by God
• Coming of Beowulf- Beowulf heard of the terror in Herot and chose 14 men to travel with him to kill the beast; Beowulf believed that fate had brought him to Herot to defeat Grendel and bathe in riches
• Battle with Grendel- As Grendel tried to sneak into the village at night he was startled when Beowulf was awaiting him.They fought and Beowulf ended up tearing Grendel's arm off but he escaped only to die of his wounds. Later that night Grendel's mother killed Hrothgar's best friend in an act of revenge
• The Mother's Lair- Grendel's mother lived in a lair that was dark and mysterious.The lair was in an enchanted lake covered by trees.
• The Battle with Grendel's Mother- Beowulf decided to swim down the lake and fight the creature but only because he knew that it would bring him more fame and glory. He vanquished Grendels' mother and took her head as a trophy.
• The Last Battle- Beowulf, years later, was king of his land and heard of a dragon causing trouble so he chose to set out to fight it for MORE FAME. Beowulf soon discovered that his weapons were useless and was about to be killed but one of his kinsmen, Wiglaf, joined in and helped him defeat the dragon. During the course of action though Beowulf was mortally injured.
• The Spoils- Wiglaf ran into the tower where the dragon lived and was met with a more treasure than he could dream of but when he came back his lord was dying. Before Beowulf died he gave Wiglaf his armor, helmet, rings and then he died.
• The Farewell- Beowulf asked for a giant monument to be built for his funeral and so it was done. His twelve closest kinsmen spoke at his funeral offering praise to the fallen king.

1987 AP Exam

1. E C
2. E A
3. C
4. A E
5. A 
6. D
7. D E
8. B 
9. B E
10. C 
11. D
12. B
13. B
14. D C
15. E A
16. A B
17. C 
18. E
19. A
20. B
21. E
22. B E
23. C A
24. A 
25. C
26. E 
27. D
28. A C
29. B A
30. B
31. D
32. D B
33. D E
34. A
35. E B
36. E 
37. B
38. A D
39. C 
40. C
41. B D
42. A
43. B
44. E
45. A
46. B
47. B
48. A
49. B C
50. D
51. B C
52. A B
53. E 
54. B
55. D A
56. B
57. C
58. D E
59. A B
60. C A

I had the answers on hard copy but I though it was about time to post them.

Vocab #1

• Adumbrate: to forshadow, outline; I had to adumbrate the ending of the book with out giving away the end.
• Apotheosis: glorification of a person/thing; A pharaoh in ancient Egypt is an apotheosis on a man.
• Ascetic: a person who's dedicated to pursue ideals and religious morales; The monk at the cathedral acted in an ascetic manner every day.
• Bauble: a cheap, flashy toy usually used by jesters; At the end of the jesters scepter a bauble sat attracting all of the attention.
• Beguile: to mislead or influence by trickery; The man on the corner beguiled everybody by acting like a homeless person.
• Burgeon: to flourish; All of the flowers burgeoned at once.
• Complement: usually a comment that makes perfect; The beautiful woman blushed after I complemented her eyes.
• Contumacious: rebellious or disobedient; A teenager can sometimes act in a contumacious manner for no apparent reason.
• Curmudgeon: ill-tempered/difficult person; I have to act like a curmudgeon for the role in this movie.
• Didactic: used for learning; Dr. Preston is a very didactic person, he has a real passion for teaching.
• Disingenuous: lacking sincerity; I made a disingenuous promise knowing I wouldn't be able to keep it.
• Exculpate: vindicate, free from blame; After a long trial the alleged murderer was exculpated.
• Faux Pas: tactless act, usually very awkward; I was greeted with a faux pas, instead of a handshake I received a lick. 
• Fulminate: to explode or detonate; The soda fulminated after being shaken for two minutes.
• Fustian: a fabric made of cotton and flax; My shirt was very itchy because it was made of fustian. 
• Hauteur: arrogance; Daniel's big question dealt with people acting with hauteur. 
• Inhibit: to restrain, prohibit, forbid; My mother inhibits me to take the car with out permission.
• Jeremiad: complaint; I filed a jeremiad with the owner of Toyota because the car was a jalopy. 
• Opportunist: a person who practices opportunism; I see my self as a real opportunist, looking on the bright side of everything. 
• Unconscionable: not guided by conscious; The act of breathing is unconscionable. 

Poetry Assignment #1

1. The poem that was borrowed for the commercial is The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski.
2. The poem can be considered ironic because the poem has such a strong message being conveyed but it's just an advertisement just to buy pants.
3. The poem reflects Bukowski because he lived through a lot and had a very rough child hood. He never gave up though and the poem reflects that light at the end of the tunnel.
4. I first looked the poem online by Bukowski and then used Poets.org to find out more information on his background.

Essay Assignment #1 (Odysseus)

  Odysseus from Homer's "Odyssey" is the character estranged form his family and homeland after the Trojan War. He is lost for ten years on his journey to return home. The voyage is long and perilous but he eventually returns to Ithaca a new man.
  Odysseus, at one point, was stranded on an island with the goddess Calypso for seven years before he escaped. While he was on the island he and Calypso slept together frequently. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and offered him eternal youth in return for him staying with her. But he declined because he dearly longed for his son and wife. At this point Odysseus really felt isolated and genuinely alone.  
   After Odysseus finally returned home from his journey his was a totally different man than he was before. The experiences he endured made him a better husband, father, and king. He left an arrogant man but returned humbled and respectful. 

Big Question

• Why do people think they have to impress anybody? Why change yourself to be like everybody else? Why do people have to be so judgmental to others that are different?