Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Last Blog Post of Second Semester :(
So it basically just hit me that this will be my last blog post of the semester which one would think would be joyous but it really isn't! With the end of the semester rolling around I've kind of been reflecting on whats happened the past two terms. What I find the most humorous/ironic (and I am going to be honest here) is that I actually loved AP Comp. Its not that I thought it was going to be a horrible class because of the teacher or anything, its just that I really hated writing before this, and anything associated with it. For that I thank you Mrs.Cardona because you have truly taught me to love writing, and help me find writing interesting and fun! Although I will admit writing isn't my favorite thing EVER still, it was still such a worthwhile class! I've been talking to many people, and they've told me how they have already benefited from the class, such as, doing well on the SAT. Although a new semester with new classes is always exciting, I can honestly say that I am really going to miss my classes :( Spanish will definitely never be better than AP Comp. I could probably rant about this for a while, but I won't, because I have way to much APUSH studying to do. Woooooooo 3 out of 9 units done! Success
Monday, January 18, 2010
Rhetorical Modes Essay's
Essay #1:
I wake up every morning feeling like P.Diddy.
No totally kidding.
Although waking up and feeling like P. Diddy would be awesome my morning is probably the farthest thing away from what he does in the morning. My morning starts out very cold. My room temperature is about 56 degrees on a good day. I first notice the coldness that I have been embodied in for 7 or so hours when my alarm clock beeps at 6:20. From here I turn on my heater to bump up the room temperature to about 63 degrees. See you in 10 minutes.
Alright I am back. After turning on the heater I actually have a second alarm on my phone that allows me to sleep until 6:30. From this moment on, my morning becomes a rush.
Literally.
I race around my room and pick out an outfit. I go to the first side of my double door closet to pick out the bottoms that I will be wearing, and I quickly shift over to the other half of my closet to pick my shirt. I run with the two clothing items in my hands to the heater that is pushing out warm air. I sit there and ponder about what tests I will probably fail that day and what homework I have yet to finish. Quickly I remember that I have to get back on task. I put on my clothes and find myself racing to my brush my teeth and comb my hair.
The next flash comes over me.
My morning is particularly different but very similarly to my night.
I start my morning in bed where as I end my night going into to bed.
I start my morning turning off my alarm clock where as I end my night by setting my alarm clock.
I start my morning in a cold, cold room where as I end my night with a warm toasty room.
I start my morning turning on my heater, where as I end my night by turning off my heater.
I start my morning by sleeping in for ten more minutes, where as I go to sleep right away when the clock strikes eleven.
My morning consists of me running around trying to find an outfit, where as my night consists of easily finding one of my ten pairs of sweat pants on my floor.
My morning consists of me brushing my hair and brushing my teeth, where as my night does too as well.
My morning and night is both full of rushes. With random activities here and there that seems to mess up my daily routine. I usually do homework at night but sometimes I do it in the morning as well if I wake up earlier. It’s odd to think that although my morning and evening consist of a lot of the same activities, I still prefer the night much more.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Answer Key
1) Classification
2) Cause and Effect
3) Narration
4) Argument/Persuasion
5) Description
6) Process analysis
7) Comparison Contrast
8) Definition
9)Example
10) Divison of analysis
2) Cause and Effect
3) Narration
4) Argument/Persuasion
5) Description
6) Process analysis
7) Comparison Contrast
8) Definition
9)Example
10) Divison of analysis
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Imagination--- Modes of Discourse
1) Imagination applies to many aspects of our lives. We use it in business, life, school and ever day actives. Imagination is found in all types of people, kids, adults, old people, Christians, Jews, Chinese, Spanish, and French. Imagination isn't limited to one type of group and that's what makes it so universal. Imagination can be used in arts and crafts along with being able to be used in math. All we had to do is imagine what should or could come next.
2) Imagination is powerful. Imagination can often times overshadow reality. Our imagination sometimes is better than our actual life in which we life in. Although we all imagine the "what if" scenarios, what if imagination turned into something that we actually believed was true?
3) I remember the first time I used my imagination. I was playing with Emily Jones and Tyler Larthy, we had just set up a game of house in my freezing cold and seemingly naked basement. I happened to be the father in this particular game. All I can say is thank goodness for my imagination because without it, I wouldn't have been able to fulfill my role as the smashing and darling "father".
4) Imagination is the core of happiness. It provides us with goals, hopes, and dreams. We strive for a better tomorrow only for the fact that we can IMAGINE what a better tomorrow could look like. It pushes us a long. It solves our problems, by always being able to imagine the possibilities. Imagination is the foundation of oneself.
5) The imagination that the children had was overwhelming. The children glided through the water pretending that it was the deep ocean blue. They ran through the dark green forest believing it just might be home to the danger saber tooth tiger. Their imagination contained no limits. It ran freely inside of them as if it had been incorporated into their blood.
6)
Imagination works in quite a few ways. It can be used to answer the "What If" questions. It can be used to entertain the bored children. It can be used to think of the consequences of particular actions. It can be use to create something new and unique.
7) Imagination is not the same thing as creativity. One can be creative by playing unusual patterns and colors together to make something different but that doesn't necessarily mean they are using the imagination. Using the imagination combines that of creativity but goes beyond the limits that creativity creates. One imagines what happens next and the impossible, where as creativity lives in the moment, not an alternate reality.
8) Imagination is something that can be seen, thought, or heard. We use our imagination to come up with "what if" scenarios. Imagination can be seen and heard through the actions of children. Imagination is in all of us. Imaginations lets us create anything we want, there are no longer boundaries.
9) I use my imagination every night before I go to bed and imagine what I would do if I didn't have to go to school or study for that test. I use my imagination to formulate projects ideas and writing topics.
10) Imagination has different parts. It uses mostly the brain to formulate ideas and scenarios. Most importantly it takes the one thinking to transcend boundaries and imagine the possibilities.
2) Imagination is powerful. Imagination can often times overshadow reality. Our imagination sometimes is better than our actual life in which we life in. Although we all imagine the "what if" scenarios, what if imagination turned into something that we actually believed was true?
3) I remember the first time I used my imagination. I was playing with Emily Jones and Tyler Larthy, we had just set up a game of house in my freezing cold and seemingly naked basement. I happened to be the father in this particular game. All I can say is thank goodness for my imagination because without it, I wouldn't have been able to fulfill my role as the smashing and darling "father".
4) Imagination is the core of happiness. It provides us with goals, hopes, and dreams. We strive for a better tomorrow only for the fact that we can IMAGINE what a better tomorrow could look like. It pushes us a long. It solves our problems, by always being able to imagine the possibilities. Imagination is the foundation of oneself.
5) The imagination that the children had was overwhelming. The children glided through the water pretending that it was the deep ocean blue. They ran through the dark green forest believing it just might be home to the danger saber tooth tiger. Their imagination contained no limits. It ran freely inside of them as if it had been incorporated into their blood.
6)
Imagination works in quite a few ways. It can be used to answer the "What If" questions. It can be used to entertain the bored children. It can be used to think of the consequences of particular actions. It can be use to create something new and unique.7) Imagination is not the same thing as creativity. One can be creative by playing unusual patterns and colors together to make something different but that doesn't necessarily mean they are using the imagination. Using the imagination combines that of creativity but goes beyond the limits that creativity creates. One imagines what happens next and the impossible, where as creativity lives in the moment, not an alternate reality.
8) Imagination is something that can be seen, thought, or heard. We use our imagination to come up with "what if" scenarios. Imagination can be seen and heard through the actions of children. Imagination is in all of us. Imaginations lets us create anything we want, there are no longer boundaries.
9) I use my imagination every night before I go to bed and imagine what I would do if I didn't have to go to school or study for that test. I use my imagination to formulate projects ideas and writing topics.
10) Imagination has different parts. It uses mostly the brain to formulate ideas and scenarios. Most importantly it takes the one thinking to transcend boundaries and imagine the possibilities.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Declaration of Independence: "The Brain is Dead"
In the course of human events, some tend to use their brains more than others, in which case it becomes necessary for people to advance from their “natural instincts” from which they have evolved into using their brain power to provide what is “right” and what is “wrong”, what is socially “acceptable” and what is socially “not acceptable.” To thus we must use our “natural instincts” of what is wrong and what is right to further our human development and separate ourselves from overwhelming controlling use of our “brain.”
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all “brains” are created equal. But alas this is not true. Although the government has ensured us with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the inkling in the back of our head thinks not. To secure these rights, we must consent as one not to use our brain. Tragic as it may seem, the use of our “brains” takes us off our course of our natural instincts and creates unfair divides within society, making us not so equal.
Our Brains have refused us to become equal- one should not be able to think more than some one else.
Our Brains have forbidden us to hold the same conversation with whomever- without being lost.
Our Brains have held us back from realizing the absolute truth.
Our Brains have stopped us from being friends with everyone.
Our Brains have disallowed us to go to the Ivy League school because our “Brains” are just not good enough.
Our Brains have made us act in others we might not have, if we just used the same set of “natural instincts.”
Our Brains have made us forget more things than we are able to remember.
Our Brains have caused us to revert to using cave man like tactics, such as war.
Our Brains have created the injustices that exist today.
Our Brains have created us to do poorly on school work.
Our Brains have made us embarrass ourselves and makes us do ridiculous things that we wouldn’t normally do.
In every event of our lives- Our Brains have made us a different- in a bad way. If no one used their brain, we would be all stuck at the same level using natural instincts. If we didn’t use our brains we would have lower standards, and be more equal to one another.
We, Therefore, the people of the world, appealing to all, in the name of what is equal and not logical (because we are not using our brains), declare that all must stop using their brain, and revert to using their natural instincts and abandon all former logic. Thus we declare ourselves independent from the one thing that has created all the injustices in the entire world, Our Brains.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all “brains” are created equal. But alas this is not true. Although the government has ensured us with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the inkling in the back of our head thinks not. To secure these rights, we must consent as one not to use our brain. Tragic as it may seem, the use of our “brains” takes us off our course of our natural instincts and creates unfair divides within society, making us not so equal.
Our Brains have refused us to become equal- one should not be able to think more than some one else.
Our Brains have forbidden us to hold the same conversation with whomever- without being lost.
Our Brains have held us back from realizing the absolute truth.
Our Brains have stopped us from being friends with everyone.
Our Brains have disallowed us to go to the Ivy League school because our “Brains” are just not good enough.
Our Brains have made us act in others we might not have, if we just used the same set of “natural instincts.”
Our Brains have made us forget more things than we are able to remember.
Our Brains have caused us to revert to using cave man like tactics, such as war.
Our Brains have created the injustices that exist today.
Our Brains have created us to do poorly on school work.
Our Brains have made us embarrass ourselves and makes us do ridiculous things that we wouldn’t normally do.
In every event of our lives- Our Brains have made us a different- in a bad way. If no one used their brain, we would be all stuck at the same level using natural instincts. If we didn’t use our brains we would have lower standards, and be more equal to one another.
We, Therefore, the people of the world, appealing to all, in the name of what is equal and not logical (because we are not using our brains), declare that all must stop using their brain, and revert to using their natural instincts and abandon all former logic. Thus we declare ourselves independent from the one thing that has created all the injustices in the entire world, Our Brains.
Hyde Amendment
Currently the Hyde Amendment that is in place prohibits federal funding to be given to abortion, and is the only inherent barrier in the status quo which prevents women eligible for Medicaid, and meet the standards of being means tested at the federal poverty line at 133% (based on income and amount of people in the family) to receive federal funding for abortion.
Recently this controversial amendment which was ruled on the grounds of equal protection during the court case of Harris v. McRae is being challenged once again but this time by a different branch of United States Government, by that I mean Congress. This issue was most recently introduced in the new senate bill proposing universalized health care for the United States. Although the health care bill is whole different subject, it brings to me to topic of why should federally funded abortions, paid by the publics tax dollars be mandated as well? There is nothing currently set up in the status quo that challenges woman’s’ ability to actually receive an abortion, it’s only a question if the government should have to provide funding for them. The main problem that people such as myself find ourselves identifying with when discussing abortion is the notion if it morally just for us, as a nation of different view points, to use tax dollars to fund abortion. Why should our tax dollars be put towards something that not all Americans believe? Many try to counter this with the idea that they hate the notion of war, and still their tax dollars have to be used to fund something they don’t believe. My problem with that specific example is; your money is a) going to the defense for the greater good and the safety of the nation as well as your own safety and b) your money doesn’t directly take an action which forces somebody to take part in the fighting- soldiers enlist to go into the army, where as creating a draft for the army would be a different story.
My other point of justification as to why I don’t believe a woman should be able to have a federally funded abortions is if money was going to be such an issue why didn’t the person “needing” the abortion invest in free contraceptives, which are a) cheaper than getting an abortion because often times abortion can spiral over thousands of dollars. Its not as if they don’t have the choice to receive the abortion, No, in fact that choice is giving to all woman due the court case of Roe v. Wade.
Abortion can almost always be prevented in except in cases that threaten the mother’s life or rape, so why should it be necessary for the government to fund all the other types of abortions? Why must I or anyone for that matter have to pay for something that they don’t believe in and in some cases that is morally repugnant?
Recently this controversial amendment which was ruled on the grounds of equal protection during the court case of Harris v. McRae is being challenged once again but this time by a different branch of United States Government, by that I mean Congress. This issue was most recently introduced in the new senate bill proposing universalized health care for the United States. Although the health care bill is whole different subject, it brings to me to topic of why should federally funded abortions, paid by the publics tax dollars be mandated as well? There is nothing currently set up in the status quo that challenges woman’s’ ability to actually receive an abortion, it’s only a question if the government should have to provide funding for them. The main problem that people such as myself find ourselves identifying with when discussing abortion is the notion if it morally just for us, as a nation of different view points, to use tax dollars to fund abortion. Why should our tax dollars be put towards something that not all Americans believe? Many try to counter this with the idea that they hate the notion of war, and still their tax dollars have to be used to fund something they don’t believe. My problem with that specific example is; your money is a) going to the defense for the greater good and the safety of the nation as well as your own safety and b) your money doesn’t directly take an action which forces somebody to take part in the fighting- soldiers enlist to go into the army, where as creating a draft for the army would be a different story.
My other point of justification as to why I don’t believe a woman should be able to have a federally funded abortions is if money was going to be such an issue why didn’t the person “needing” the abortion invest in free contraceptives, which are a) cheaper than getting an abortion because often times abortion can spiral over thousands of dollars. Its not as if they don’t have the choice to receive the abortion, No, in fact that choice is giving to all woman due the court case of Roe v. Wade.
Abortion can almost always be prevented in except in cases that threaten the mother’s life or rape, so why should it be necessary for the government to fund all the other types of abortions? Why must I or anyone for that matter have to pay for something that they don’t believe in and in some cases that is morally repugnant?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Inner Ring
I really enjoyed reading the "Inner Ring" because I thought it reflected a major flaw and almost a logical fallacy in our society. How can we be so suppose to get into a certain position, and still not be happy? Its something we all strive for. Even at first reading the essay, I was thinking that this doesn't really apply to me because I would like to think of myself as someone who is happy with where I am and who I am friends with. But than I started thinking about it more deeply, what have I tried to get into that required someone to evaluate my credentials or my ability to be in a certain "group" or "position". The examples are crazy. Just think about all the certain groups in high school that you can only be in if you have the certain criteria, these are just the ones I cam up with at the top of my head; NHS, Math Team, every competitive sports team, Link Crew, Choir , Theater. From there you aren't even fully "in", which CS Lewis also concludes. I thought his insight on society was true. Although its sad to think about, I think its just inherent in nature of society, and as long as we work in this capitalist system (which is where I think much of this hierarchy comes from) I think that its just inevitable. I don't think its necessarily bad all the time either. These exclusive groups, make society different, and form the basis for traditions. The gut question we should be asking ourselves when we are trying to reach that position of "power", is what are our motives, and why are we doing this?
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