Symbolism Prezi

Symbolism on Prezi

My American Dream II- The Physical Journey

My American Dream II on Prezi

My American Dream- Philosophical Journey

My American Dream on Prezi

In my English class, we did a presentation about our American Dream. We used the web tool, known as "Prezi" and it takes you into a whole new realm of presentation. You can move and turn and flip all your ideas, and arrange them in any fashion you want. It was a new experience for me, and I enjoy making Prezi's now. You should try it sometime. Look at my American Dream. It takes it from a philosophical point of view, look at how the Prezi works too. Enjoy

YouTube

Hey everybody, you probably have been on or at least heard of YouTube before. As you may know it's a video sharing website where you can almost find a video on almost anything. There are music videos, artists and musicians and film makers who share their art and many other people, just talking about what they do. They do what is called v-logging. Its like blogging, but through videos, hence the name v-logging comes in. Do you ever take time to listen to these people, or look at what they have provided? Some YouTubers are actually very talented and I personally subscribe to them and watch them on a regular basis. YouTube is not all just about random videos to watch, it can be very fun keeping up with these people on the site and watch their videos. I enjoy Wong Fu Productions, David Choi Music, and many others like KevJumba and Nigahiga. If you have the time, you should check them out. Don't just look at what I suggest as well, explore for yourself, you may find a person whose videos you enjoy. Do you have any personal favorites?

BONECHILLER BY GRAHAM MCNAMEE- GOODREADS BOOKREVIEW 3

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee Book Review

Daytipper Post

I have wrote a tip on http://www.daytipper.com about Table Tennis as it relates to my SIP, because it explores the sport and how to improve in it. 


Table Tennis- Tips and Basics


"A game played with two people, rackets and a ball with a table. Points are gained from your opponents mistakes. To improve you must be consistant and master the many fundamentals such as spins. Also practice! Thats the only way to improve. Look up more on your own and improve your game!"


That is the actual post on the website, however I must wait to see if it is approved and published on the website. 
To elaborate:


 Table Tennis, a simple game of strategy and consistency. If you have seen many tournaments or competitions you will see that many of these tips come into play. However before you can even start to play, you need to know some basics of the game.

The game it self is played with two people, but four if you are playing something called "Doubles", but I will not get into that now. There is a small hallow ball, two bats or rackets and a specified table with certain dimensions. When playing, one person serves the ball, and they hit the ball back and forth. It must hit your side of the table, only ONCE and your opponents only once every time. Points are received if, the other person fails to return the ball, or if it hits twice on their side. Also if the ball they hit to you doesn't hit your side, along with many other occurrences. People usually play to 21 points per game and switch sides. That is basically how the game is played, however there is more to the game than that.
Here are some tips to help you.
There are something called spins in Table Tennis. It is when you hit the ball with your racket in a way that causes the ball to spin, in different motions. There is a spin called the Side Spin and that is when the ball spins horizontally. Spins cause the ball to do crazy things, like in the side spin, the ball curves in mid-air. Mastering and controlling spins is very key in succeeding in table tennis. You must know how to return a spin otherwise the ball will go out of control.
Another key concept in table tennis is CONSISTENCY! You don't need to know all those fancy tricks to win in table tennis. Just consistently hitting the ball back at your opponent, can lead to success. They will eventually mess up, if you can consistently hit the ball back. Mastering theses few thing can seriously step up your game. Also practice, practice, practice! That is another concept that must be used to improve yourself. Don't just read this as well, look around yourself for other tips to improve yourself. Hopefully this has helped you a bit! Good luck!


P.S Mr. Williams, the for Daytipper, I need to wait to see if it approves and publishes my tip on the website. As of right now there is no URL for my post on the site.

Work Overload!!!!!

Do you feel like you are overloaded with work sometimes? I know I do. In my head I think, "I have this and this and this due, and this, OMG and this!!" At times its very stressful but here are some tips to help overcome times when you feel overwhelmed.

• RELAX!- Take a few minutes to just calm down and get a grasp on everything. Relax, if you are panicked and not relaxed, you usually don't accomplish anything. 
• ORGANIZE!- List and organize all the things you have to do, so you know what you have to do. I personally like to make a to-do list. This makes things much easier and once you write it down, you don't feel as overwhelmed. You see everything you have to do and in reality, ITS NOT THAT MUCH, except for those times where you really do have an overwhelming amount of work. 
• GET STARTED!- Once everything is in control, you can start working on your work. Remember, don't rush and pace yourself. Don't take too much time and don't rush through everything. Also take a 5 minute break every once in a while, just to take your mind off of thing and relax. 

When theres work to be done, theres work to be done. People, theres no way to avoid doing work in life, especially if you want to succeed. With these few tips, hopefully it well help you. Do you have any suggestions?

Quote of The Day 2

"There are just certain things in life that are better off unknown; things you wish you never asked, never saw, never heard or never even felt." 


-anonymous




Sometimes you regret things... sometimes you just wished you never even heard or felt something. Its true that somethings are better off left unknown. Sometimes I feel regret in doing things, but you can't go back in time to fix them.  Have you ever felt this way before? This quote makes you think about those things, but you shouldn't get you head stuck in the past. Look towards the future, although things like this can be hard to get away from and hurt. 

Quote of The Day

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible."

 -T.E. Lawrence

Everybody, there will be daily quotes, just to get you thinking about things. Here is one that I find very interesting. Tell me what you think. I believe that its very true. In you sleep, dreams are just in vain. In day, you can act out your dreams and make them happen in reality. Dream my friends, dream with eyes wide open as you can make them possible!

Black Friday!

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. The term dates back to at least 1966, although its usage was primarily on the East coast. The term has become more common in other parts of the country since 2000. Because Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, Black Friday occurs between the 23rd and the 29th of November. About 135 million people participated in the Black Friday shopping rush.

Black Friday is not an official holiday, but as many workers have the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday, this increases the number of potential shoppers. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas and holiday season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open extremely early, with most of the retailers typically opening at 5AM or even earlier. Some of the larger retailers such as Sears, Best Buy, Macy's, Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and Target have been reported to open as early as midnight on the start of Black Friday in localized areas and remain open for 24 hours throughout the day until midnight the following Saturday. Upon opening, retailers offer door-buster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1960s.

The term "Black Friday" may have originated in Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. You could get some unbelievable prices for things that you might of eyed for a while, such as a 50" LCD TV. I personally may go this year as I am in need of some new technology and other items that are probably on sale. Electronic items are usually the predominant in the items on sale, from PC's to iPods. If you are looking to get something, this would be the time to get it. 

Current Events!

Chinese Workers Build 15-story Hotel In Just Six Days! 

Wow thats fast, especially for building a 15 story hotel! A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has accomplished what I would think is nearly impossible! This is a remarkable accomplishment and it is very interesting how they constructed it. 

It's easy to imagine the disorientation of Changsha residents who'd gone away, or who just hadn't recently ventured into the downtown area of the new Ark Hotel: "Honey, I don't remember a hotel there, do you?"

The work crew erected the hotel -- a soundproofed, thermal-insulated structure supposedly able to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake -- with all prefabricated materials. Despite the frenetic pace of construction, no workers were injured -- and thanks to the prefab nature of the process, the builders wasted very few construction materials. Below is a time-lapse video that shows the hotel being built from the ground up in less than a week. Its truly amazing what people can accomplish, especially with todays technology. A normal year process only took a mere 6 days! 

Video

The School Bus

This morning I nearly missed catching the school bus, for the first time this year. The giant yellow bus showed up rather early and I had to run to catch it. Did this ever happen to you? Well I have created a poem to relate to my experience. Enjoy!

Off the bus came, and off I ran,

I was not late, and that was not part of the plan.

As I got on the bus, I stared at the bus driver man,

and finished up my hot beverage in a can.

As I know know, what the future beholds,

Now I must wait earlier, in the freezing cold!

What to do....What to do....

Hey everybody, how are your 4 day weekends? I'm glad we had it, and I finally got to rest and sleep in, but now I find myself, very bored, with nothing to do. What are you guys doing this weekend? Anything exciting? I did have a fun night the other night however. I played a board game called "Apples to Apples". I almost died of laughter when I played this game with some friends. It is a game of comparisons, and each person gets 7 red cards, with phrases or nouns, or activities, ect. Then one person is the "judge" and draws a green card with a adjective. He places it on the table and everyone else sees it. They put down a red card faced down that relates to that, or that is just completely random or outrageous. Whichever card the judge likes best, the person who put it down, gets the green card. To win there is a certain amount required to get, for example the first person that gets 7 wins. It gets really funny as it can get random. The green card was "Rough" and I put down a red card with "Zucchini" and it was humorous as I won. This game, if you have never played is something to try out, and can be something very fun to do, during your 4 day weekend!

INFLUENZA 1918

"I had a little bird, its name was Enza. 

I opened up the window and In-Flu-Enza." 

The influenza outbreak of 1918 was like no other. It ravaged millions around the world, having no mercy on it victims. Today we did a little skit in class about it, demonstrating what it was like back then for victims trying to get treated. Almost no help was available and even the doctor's themselves died of it. There were mass burials, and people dieing on the hour. Many people died before they could even see the doctor. What is interesting about this is that unlike other influenza viruses this one, killed and targeted younger people with the stronger immune systems not the very young or old. However they still were infected and killed, but it is just this one outbreak that killed this many people. Many medical changes came from this outbreak and it is amazing how this spread and decimated some lands. How are you watching out for the flu this flu season? 

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE- BY J.D. SALINGER- Goodreads Book Review 2

The Catcher In The Rye Book Review

Halloween Fun!

Hey everybody, who is going out to trick-or-treat this year? Although I am not the age, I still want to go out, have some fun, and most of all get some candy! You don't have to go trick-or-treating but you can still get into holiday spirit. Carve a jack-o-lantern, or make some pumpkin pie. Recently, I went to a pumpkin festival, where I picked my own pumpkin and painted it. What are you doing to celebrate Halloween? I am also aware that some people do not celebrate Halloween, but what do you do during the Fall season? For those who are going out on Halloween, what are you dressing up as? Everybody, enjoy your weekend and if you are getting candy, beware of bad candy!

Crazy Illusions!

Have you ever looked at some optical illusions and just sat there puzzled? Some are simply just amazing, and you are baffled by what you perceive. I looked at these 25 and was dumbfounded. Somethings just don't add up and some simply disappear, however after I saw the answers to these illusions, the answer becomes very clear. What is interesting is that some people don't see these illusions, or can see right through them. This visual phenomena has perplexed millions, and scientists still don't exactly know why these illusions trick the naked eye. Take a look at these and put your eyes to the test!

Optical Illusions

WARNING- MAY CAUSE CONFUSION AND POSSIBLY A HEADACHE

SHIFT- BY JENNIFER BRADBURY- Goodreads Book Review 1

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury Review

Reading History Essay

                                   Reading History Essay

Literacy is a way that people have communicated, expressed and shared thoughts and ideas to one another. It’s the ability to express yourself and your views to the world through writing, books or media. Since ancient times, literacy has existed and has evolved from stories being told, to books and other forms of text, to present day electronic publication mediums, such as blogs. By reading a book, writing in a journal, blogging or even just talking, you are applying your literacy. On a daily basis we use literacy, integrating it into our lives physically and mentally. The roots of literacy are planted upon learning our first letters and words at a few years of age. As we age and learn more, our minds grow and along with it, the roots of literacy. It is much like a tree,  growing as the roots grow. Elementary school is when roots sprout, upon starting to the process of reading books in class; and since then I was hooked.

My teacher was the first to truly influence me to start reading. In the first grade, I received my first book to read and I loved it. My parents have always read stories to me and told me many fairy tales. I was read to almost every night and I loved to sing the alphabet song. They  even taught me how to read a little too, but in school, I was taught crucial skills so that soon I would start reading all by myself.Soon I would start reading to my fellow classmates, which was a great experience. I always enjoyed taking trips to the library, where I enjoyed reading a wide selection of stories; it was just amazing how many there were. Pinocchio was my all time favorite fairy tale as a child. I even watched the Disney movie almost everyday and always was told not to lie as that was one of the morals of the story. These were some of my first experiences with reading and literacy.

Elementary school, is where I truly began reading and writing. I started Kindergarten at Cold Spring Elementary school, located in Gloucester City, NJ. For the rest of my Elementary school years, transitioned to Union Valley Elementary school, in Gloucester Township. One author I particularly loved as a child was Eric Carl, mainly because he was the first author introduced to me and thus jump started my literary progression. As I progressed in school many books did in fact spark my interest. Some of the series that I read through out school were, “The Magic Tree House” and “The Time Warp Trio” along with other similar stories. All my teachers encouraged this good habit of reading and one teacher in particular was instrumental in developing this habit. My library teacher, Mrs. McCann. She would always suggest books and authors, which helped us reflect upon what we are reading. We would write reports, and keep a journal with entries from the characters perspective. One lesson I learned from her was to read in between the lines. Don’t just read what is there, interpret whats not there and learn from the many lessons hidden within the narratives. After elementary school, I became an avid reader, reading for leisure and having a desire to gain knowledge from books.

The middle school I attended was Ann Mullen Middle School. At Mullen, I read a wide array of books and started to focus on certain genres and authors. In middle school my favorite authors were James Patterson, Jennifer Bradbury, Graham McNamee and Darren Shan. At first, I was very open to any genre, taking suggestions from friends and teachers. As I was exposed to many different authors and genres, I started enjoying reading more specific genres, such as action, suspense, mystery and some horror stories. One book I enjoyed the most was “Shift” by Jennifer Bradbury. I finished this book within a week, as it was filled with mystery and suspense. It was a page gripping plot beset with realistic plot twists and turns; it kept me reading until the very last page. Throughout my middle school years, my taste for the action, suspense, horror or mystery novels has not changed; although I am open to suggestions.

As a freshman in high school this year I plan to read more higher level books with the genres I enjoy reading. Also I am anticipating assignments in which I may explore the many complex themes and topics, presented in classics such as, “The Catcher In The Rye”(Which talks of adolescent struggles and how others are judged). On a daily basis I read more than just books, I read as many news articles online, and enjoy reading various magazines and newspapers such as Entertainment magazine. I would consider myself a literate person, as I enjoy reading various books and articles. Also I enjoy writing as well, but at times I find my self with “writers block” and can’t write at all. With the new digital age, literacy has been taken to a new level, with blogs, and Facebook, and even online books. I have constantly been keeping up with this new age literacy, so that I am literate in the digital world too.

At this moment in time... my feelings on reading are very much the same and have not changed much at all. I perceive reading as an enjoyable way to relax, and take your mind off of things and I love it. At the moment I am reading “Mother Night” by Kurt Vonnegut (as recommended by my older brother). I am looking forward towards exploring the inner depths (revealed in the “shades of grey”) of the character and how he changes as the story progresses. I believe that literacy is very important in our lives, as it is how we communicate and show our thoughts and opinions. It is described as the ability to read and write, and if we can’t -- how will will talk, or express ourselves? Most of all, how can we learn or gain knowledge, if you can’t read or write -- how can you tell other people what you are feeling, or how can others tell you? Literacy has helped me think more clearly and see how others see. When someone tells me how they feel, or when someone writes something, I can read what they have said. I can then understand how they are feeling and perceive the world through their eyes. In doing so, it opens your eyes to an alternative understanding -- someone else’s understanding. It has also helped me communicate with others, letting them know how I feel as well. With this people can understand one another and make the world a better place, because if you can’t tell someone how you feel, nothing will change.

Literacy is a tree, as with the first seed planted when you are young, grows and sprouts into a sapling and then finally into a tree. My own literacy and skills, although as a sapling now, grows as I gain more knowledge, allowing me to enhance my softer skills in oral and digital communication (blogs, Facebook, etc.).  At this moment, this tree has grown much from the beginning but it is still growing and I anticipate that it will continue to reach for sky and spread its canopy throughout the world.