Standing at twenty-nine thousand feet, Everest towers over most of the surrounding mountaintops. Climbing Everest is a task that should only be trusted by people with motivation, dedication and dependability. In the novel Into Thin Air, John Krakauer climbs Everest in the deadliest of conditions. That trip to Everest killed one and twenty-three other attempted to make it down the mountain alive. Rob Hall led his group on an expedition the he had completed many times before. The confidence was mainly what led the group to disaster, because Hall had such a great success rate to the summit, I believe that he slacked off this time.
Motivation came in many different ways in this novel. Some of the climbers were motivated just by seeing the mountain, some because they have tried scaling the mountain before and had to turn back due to lack of oxygen. Many of the climbers have attempted the mountain before but have not successfully reached the summit due to weather conditions. However they all were motivated to reach the top. The question is; when can motivation overcome physical powers to result in death or stupid decisions? In chapter 12 one of the climbers Doug told the others that he was going to keep climbing until he ran out of oxygen. In order to have this type of thinking he need some motivation so he can reach the summit.
Climbing up that mountain alone in those conditions is dedication. When Sandy Pittman was dragged down the mountain that wad hard for Jon because he had to pull her down the steep incline while her crampons were slicing through his jacket. He was dedicated to get her alive and didn’t want to leave her for dead and luckily she could climb down herself after a while. Not just Jon but all the climbers showed these traits when they stayed in the freezing conditions, risking body parts to the harsh cold, just so the can say, I conquered Everest.
Crossing a crevasse is the most dangerous part of the whole climb says Rob Hall. In chapter six when the group had to cross over the crevasses in order to get to the base camp they were required to be tied to a robe at all times. The rope was used to make sure one person didn’t fall into a crevasse. This made the climbers a lot more dependant with their climbing abilities. Being dependable as a climber helps the team as a whole. When the team is in a life or death situation, the team requires the mental and physical help of the others. None of the climbers would have been able to descend the mountain alone in horrid conditions. They depended on each other just like the whole team depended on Hall to get them down to safety alive and all in one piece.
Yes, there might have been a terrible disaster that killed one and injured many but whose fault was it you might ask. It was no ones fault, but some want to blame it on Hall because he was the one who led the group into the disaster. The qualities of everyone made them fit to climb had nothing to do with the disaster that occurred. Everyone on the expedition just got stuck in a place where they didn’t want to be. Therefore the events on Everest happened for a reason and that reason has taught all other climbers a lesson to not climb in those conditions.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Into This Air essay (rough)
Analyze how specific mental and emotional qualities make a person fit to successfully climb Everest, but also possibly lead to disaster:
When a person is going to try and achieve something that is hard for them and requires great amounts of effort physically and emotionally it becomes very hard on the body. If you say to yourself "I can Do it, and I will do it" this gives you extreme support. When you become confident in what you and set your mind to something you have a better chance to complete that task. But there is a down side to this and it is called over confidence. This happens when a person thinks they can do something that they really can't. On Everest you need to know your limits and when to stop.
The phrase if you put your mind to it you will succeed it true in many cases. When the guys on the mountain were stuck in situations where they were really pushed to their limits they really had to put their minds to work to succeed……
Physical Strength: This is the most important quality that someone needs to be fit to climb Everest. When do these become vital in situations like the ones in the book?
How these contrast to lead to disaster? What were the steps that lead up to the disaster? What happened and how did it happen? What could have happened differently to make things go better?
Conclusion: bring all these ideas together and re-visit the question
When a person is going to try and achieve something that is hard for them and requires great amounts of effort physically and emotionally it becomes very hard on the body. If you say to yourself "I can Do it, and I will do it" this gives you extreme support. When you become confident in what you and set your mind to something you have a better chance to complete that task. But there is a down side to this and it is called over confidence. This happens when a person thinks they can do something that they really can't. On Everest you need to know your limits and when to stop.
The phrase if you put your mind to it you will succeed it true in many cases. When the guys on the mountain were stuck in situations where they were really pushed to their limits they really had to put their minds to work to succeed……
Physical Strength: This is the most important quality that someone needs to be fit to climb Everest. When do these become vital in situations like the ones in the book?
How these contrast to lead to disaster? What were the steps that lead up to the disaster? What happened and how did it happen? What could have happened differently to make things go better?
Conclusion: bring all these ideas together and re-visit the question
Friday, December 4, 2009
Blog # 27
1. How do specific mental and emotional qualities (such as confidence, self-control, and more) make a person fit to climb Everest but also possibly lead to disaster?
When a person is going to try and achieve something that is hard for them and requires great amounts of effort physically and emotionally it becomes very hard on the body. If you say to yourself "I can Do it, and I will do it" this gives you extreme support. When you become confident in what you and set your mind to something you have a better chance to complete that task. But there is a down side to this and it is called over confidence. This happens when a person thinks they can do something that they really can't. On Everest you need to know your limits and when to stop.
2. What is the significance that more guides than clients died on Everest in the events of the story?
I think that this is significant because it shows that the guides took their lives to try and help their clients which is what they were supposed to do. The guides could have been over confident in their climbing which caused them to come across this problem.
When a person is going to try and achieve something that is hard for them and requires great amounts of effort physically and emotionally it becomes very hard on the body. If you say to yourself "I can Do it, and I will do it" this gives you extreme support. When you become confident in what you and set your mind to something you have a better chance to complete that task. But there is a down side to this and it is called over confidence. This happens when a person thinks they can do something that they really can't. On Everest you need to know your limits and when to stop.
2. What is the significance that more guides than clients died on Everest in the events of the story?
I think that this is significant because it shows that the guides took their lives to try and help their clients which is what they were supposed to do. The guides could have been over confident in their climbing which caused them to come across this problem.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Blog # 26
http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/contests.html
Up to 5 pictures.
November 2nd is the deadline.
must be in jpg or gif format and cannot exceed 4mb in size
My work will be accepted based on these requirements.
Up to 5 pictures.
November 2nd is the deadline.
must be in jpg or gif format and cannot exceed 4mb in size
My work will be accepted based on these requirements.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Gatsby
The American Dream is seen in many different ways. The dream of the Americans today is different than the Americans in the 1900’s. In the early years of the 1900’s the American Dream was perceived at freedom and as immigrants coming here for freedom. As the years went on a couple decades later the dream changed to money and power. This changed the values of the Americans to possessions and making money, which made them greedier, and want more. The story of the “The Great Gatsby” F. Scott Fitzgerald narrates the life of Nick who is caught up in the middle of the wealth and greed his friends are going through.
As the values change for Americans the author shows this through a series of events that makes it very clear that the lifestyle was different. Fitzgerald shows the how different the rich act than the poor and how women don’t love the men for who they are only what they have. Fitzgerald uses a symbol in the book to represent god looking over the characters by a billboard with eyes looking over this run down city called the city of ashes. Tom and Gatsby represent the rich as the main characters and Gatsby has these extravagant parties while tom is cheating on his wife with a poor woman from this city of ashes. The billboard is referred to many times in the book to signify that god is always watching what they are doing.The locations of Gatsby and Tom are very different because Gatsby lives in the new money town and Tom lives in the old money. This shows how their type of money classified people and not just by whom they were.
Another way the American Dream was changed was the way women saw the men. In the book Tom is cheating on his wife Daisy for this poor woman who is married to a man of the same class as her. The only reason why she is with Tom is because he is so wealthy and he buys her whatever she wants. Gatsby, who is in love with Daisy Toms wife, throws these big parties to get the attention of Daisy. The way he gets her attention is by spending money and she only likes him for his class. If Gatsby didn’t have as much money as he did then Daisy would not have noticed him. Tom who is cheating on his wife thinks he is tough and he can do whatever he wants. He has the reputation of kind of a hard ass who gets away whit everything. When he gets pulled over by a cop he just flashes a card and the cop says sorry and walks away. Also he breaks the woman’s nose he is cheating on. This symbolizes his power that he has in the book.
The way Fitzgerald writes the book is meant to make you think about the little details that are going on for example towards the end of the book the weather is getting really hot when everyone in the story is reaching their boiling points with each other and they are about to explode. The values of the characters have not changed much at all it is just the actions they do to change the way you think of them and that was the point of Fitzgerald. For example Gatsby was very mysterious in the beginning and seemed like this great guy who spent all this money just to have fun. In the end you find out that he didn’t do it for himself but just to get attention. Fitzgerald leaves you thinking what the real meaning and value of the situations mean. Its not a book that you can just read page by page, you need to gather the information from events and link ideas together to gather the real meaning of the book.
As the values change for Americans the author shows this through a series of events that makes it very clear that the lifestyle was different. Fitzgerald shows the how different the rich act than the poor and how women don’t love the men for who they are only what they have. Fitzgerald uses a symbol in the book to represent god looking over the characters by a billboard with eyes looking over this run down city called the city of ashes. Tom and Gatsby represent the rich as the main characters and Gatsby has these extravagant parties while tom is cheating on his wife with a poor woman from this city of ashes. The billboard is referred to many times in the book to signify that god is always watching what they are doing.The locations of Gatsby and Tom are very different because Gatsby lives in the new money town and Tom lives in the old money. This shows how their type of money classified people and not just by whom they were.
Another way the American Dream was changed was the way women saw the men. In the book Tom is cheating on his wife Daisy for this poor woman who is married to a man of the same class as her. The only reason why she is with Tom is because he is so wealthy and he buys her whatever she wants. Gatsby, who is in love with Daisy Toms wife, throws these big parties to get the attention of Daisy. The way he gets her attention is by spending money and she only likes him for his class. If Gatsby didn’t have as much money as he did then Daisy would not have noticed him. Tom who is cheating on his wife thinks he is tough and he can do whatever he wants. He has the reputation of kind of a hard ass who gets away whit everything. When he gets pulled over by a cop he just flashes a card and the cop says sorry and walks away. Also he breaks the woman’s nose he is cheating on. This symbolizes his power that he has in the book.
The way Fitzgerald writes the book is meant to make you think about the little details that are going on for example towards the end of the book the weather is getting really hot when everyone in the story is reaching their boiling points with each other and they are about to explode. The values of the characters have not changed much at all it is just the actions they do to change the way you think of them and that was the point of Fitzgerald. For example Gatsby was very mysterious in the beginning and seemed like this great guy who spent all this money just to have fun. In the end you find out that he didn’t do it for himself but just to get attention. Fitzgerald leaves you thinking what the real meaning and value of the situations mean. Its not a book that you can just read page by page, you need to gather the information from events and link ideas together to gather the real meaning of the book.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Blog # 24
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Sewage-Spill-from-Mission-Valley-to-Ocean-Beach/qWYuIGp6oEeMp2ZNMf20lQ.cspx
There was a sewage spill in mission valley that caused beach closures in OB. This is useful to my project because the spills in mission valley are related to the ones at PB point because sewage water goes into both of the bodys of water.
http://www.thelog.com/news/logNewsArticle.aspx?x=10147
A lawsuit is going on against the city of San Diego and the SD bay over sewage spills. The clean up costs exceed $100 million. This relates to my project because it is another sewage spill controversy that is going on in San Diego
http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050526/news_7m26beach.html
This is an article about the beach pollution in San Diego after it rains and how bad it is. It talks about PB point and how people get sick from the water. This relates to my project because it is about my question and it is useful information that I can use.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/11/13/tiny-robots-to-monitor-the-oceans/
Some micro robots are being invented to map out the oceans. These can be used to see how pollution moves through the water and even how far it can travel. This can be used for my project because these are the types of things that can be useful to find what the polluted water does.
http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/bulletin/95/coastal.html
Dani's article that she found interested me because I really haven't heard much about the protection of any birds in San Diego so it was good to hear that they are being protected.
There was a sewage spill in mission valley that caused beach closures in OB. This is useful to my project because the spills in mission valley are related to the ones at PB point because sewage water goes into both of the bodys of water.
http://www.thelog.com/news/logNewsArticle.aspx?x=10147
A lawsuit is going on against the city of San Diego and the SD bay over sewage spills. The clean up costs exceed $100 million. This relates to my project because it is another sewage spill controversy that is going on in San Diego
http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050526/news_7m26beach.html
This is an article about the beach pollution in San Diego after it rains and how bad it is. It talks about PB point and how people get sick from the water. This relates to my project because it is about my question and it is useful information that I can use.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/11/13/tiny-robots-to-monitor-the-oceans/
Some micro robots are being invented to map out the oceans. These can be used to see how pollution moves through the water and even how far it can travel. This can be used for my project because these are the types of things that can be useful to find what the polluted water does.
http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/bulletin/95/coastal.html
Dani's article that she found interested me because I really haven't heard much about the protection of any birds in San Diego so it was good to hear that they are being protected.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Blog # 23
The city has filed a lawsuit against the San Diego Unified Port District.
The most important information is the numbers they show and how specific they are.
What is missing is some information that could have been presented about how they propose to change this problem and not just state the problem.
This plays a role in my project because this is an example of the big issue of pollution that is going on around San Diego and how much of a controversy it is.
The most important information is the numbers they show and how specific they are.
What is missing is some information that could have been presented about how they propose to change this problem and not just state the problem.
This plays a role in my project because this is an example of the big issue of pollution that is going on around San Diego and how much of a controversy it is.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Blog # 21
Gatsby and Nick do have some similarities. In the book when either one of them are being talked about, they are never alone so that makes me think that they both like to be around other people. They both like going to parties or for Gatsby hosting parties. But they are very different to in some ways for example Gatsby likes going all out and spending money where as Nick likes the simple things.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Blog # 20
The Narrator is Nick, in the beginning he realizes that he comes from a wealthy family which makes him want to make a living of his own. He seems like the person that is nice, kind, and easy to talk to.
I think that the author chose to use a first person perspective because it shows a more personal side to the main character and I can kind of put myself in their shoes because I am reading what they are thinking and seeing.
I think that the author chose to use a first person perspective because it shows a more personal side to the main character and I can kind of put myself in their shoes because I am reading what they are thinking and seeing.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Blog # 19
This is a picture taken by Chase Jarvis. The most successful element is the detail in the picture. His work is for other photographers that are looking for some cool work. He used the rule of thirds where he positioned the mountain in one of the third boxes. I chose this because I really liked the way the picture looked and he had some other really cool pictures.http://www.chasejarvis.com/#s=0&mi=1&pt=0&pi=1&p=-1&a=0&at=0
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Blog # 18
I learned that working on a newspaper required hard work as a team and a lot of arguing to try and get the final product to look the best as possible.
In the MSB project I will use the skills I learned from the newspaper project to work as hard as I can. I will produce a highly polished piece of work that has many revisions. I learned to be able to take critical feedback which is helpful.
In the MSB project I will use the skills I learned from the newspaper project to work as hard as I can. I will produce a highly polished piece of work that has many revisions. I learned to be able to take critical feedback which is helpful.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Blog # 17
http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/
I would interview one of the city officials of the parks and recretion program because some of them may have had first hand experence with something.
http://www.surfridersd.org/
I would interview one of the members of this organization because they might have tried doing something at this beach before.
http://www.surfingsandiego.com/
I can interview local surfers about first hand experences they have had.
Donna Frye City council member she can be resourceful because she might have some good information about my question.
Councilmember Sherri Lightner because she is incharge of the la jolla region and in sure she has come across this problem.
I would interview one of the city officials of the parks and recretion program because some of them may have had first hand experence with something.
http://www.surfridersd.org/
I would interview one of the members of this organization because they might have tried doing something at this beach before.
http://www.surfingsandiego.com/
I can interview local surfers about first hand experences they have had.
Donna Frye City council member she can be resourceful because she might have some good information about my question.
Councilmember Sherri Lightner because she is incharge of the la jolla region and in sure she has come across this problem.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
blog #16
From (Dani's), I realized/learned/thought.... I got a really good idea from Dani that I can use a photo that has different elements to it like one way would be from the residents point of view and what they think about the cliffs so then that picture would be something that they see.
http://danielatoscano.blogspot.com/
From (Ben's), I realized/learned/thought.... I got some good ideas from bens like i can use the question "what is San Diego doing to help"
http://skainsman.blogspot.com/
From (Constance's), I realized/learned/thought.... that I need to find more specific questions.
http://theconstanceblog.blogspot.com/
http://danielatoscano.blogspot.com/
From (Ben's), I realized/learned/thought.... I got some good ideas from bens like i can use the question "what is San Diego doing to help"
http://skainsman.blogspot.com/
From (Constance's), I realized/learned/thought.... that I need to find more specific questions.
http://theconstanceblog.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Blog #15
1. I would want to take some pictures of a topic that has a effect on the water.
some very good examples are from nationalgeographic.com where there is a very professional picture then a little essay about the picture.
The way they make there pictures in a perspective where a lot of people can relate to and its an easy to understand picture and essay. The way they organize all of the pictures with the essays looks very professional.
2. My other idea is doing a video about water pollution with a collaboration of pictures.
a good example of this would be a video about water pollution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqNUTlY5foQ
the voice goes with the pictures and video very well. It isn't to hard to understand what he is talking about. Also the pictures are very well taken.
some very good examples are from nationalgeographic.com where there is a very professional picture then a little essay about the picture.
The way they make there pictures in a perspective where a lot of people can relate to and its an easy to understand picture and essay. The way they organize all of the pictures with the essays looks very professional.
2. My other idea is doing a video about water pollution with a collaboration of pictures.
a good example of this would be a video about water pollution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqNUTlY5foQ
the voice goes with the pictures and video very well. It isn't to hard to understand what he is talking about. Also the pictures are very well taken.
Blog# 14
How does the water at PB point affect the wildlife and locals?
What started all the pollution here?
How does the water affect the wildlife around PB point?
Has anyone ever gotten really sick from this area?
http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2009-09-30-62784.113116_Water_quality_at_local_beaches_gets_high_marks.html
http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches/northpb.shtml
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050526/news_7m26beach.html
I can use this information to do some more in depth research on how the pollution started and what specifically it effects.
What started all the pollution here?
How does the water affect the wildlife around PB point?
Has anyone ever gotten really sick from this area?
http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2009-09-30-62784.113116_Water_quality_at_local_beaches_gets_high_marks.html
http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches/northpb.shtml
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050526/news_7m26beach.html
I can use this information to do some more in depth research on how the pollution started and what specifically it effects.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Blog # 12
http://www.10news.com/news/21161476/detail.html#
"All but one of San Diego County's 79 monitored beaches had excellent water quality during the summer months, according to a report released Wednesday by the environmental group Heal the Bay.
According to Heal the Bay's 2009 "End of Summer Beach Report Card," 78 of the 79 beaches in San Diego County monitored between Memorial Day and Labor Day received an A or B grade for water quality.The only dark spot this summer was Pacific Beach Point, which received an F grade, according to Heal the Bay."
1. This story is about the grades each beach in San Diego got after they were all tested at the end of summer. Its about one beach that got an F. Then they compare our beaches to LA's to make ours look good.
2. The missing information is the evidence for the the grades of each beach. How do we know the beaches god good grades?
3. A good follow up story would be about the beach that got an F and what the City is doing to fix it or if they will fix it.
"All but one of San Diego County's 79 monitored beaches had excellent water quality during the summer months, according to a report released Wednesday by the environmental group Heal the Bay.
According to Heal the Bay's 2009 "End of Summer Beach Report Card," 78 of the 79 beaches in San Diego County monitored between Memorial Day and Labor Day received an A or B grade for water quality.The only dark spot this summer was Pacific Beach Point, which received an F grade, according to Heal the Bay."
1. This story is about the grades each beach in San Diego got after they were all tested at the end of summer. Its about one beach that got an F. Then they compare our beaches to LA's to make ours look good.
2. The missing information is the evidence for the the grades of each beach. How do we know the beaches god good grades?
3. A good follow up story would be about the beach that got an F and what the City is doing to fix it or if they will fix it.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Blog # 11
1. How do bacteria levels affect dogs at the local dog beaches?
I can research how the water has been in the past and how it is now. I can conduct some interviews of experences locals have had with the water and their dogs.
2. How has the change in environment in Mission Valley effected the river and everything in it?
I can find some controversies that are going on right now with the river and building projects. I can also do some research on past geographical maps to present ones.
3. How does pollution effect tide pools?
What tide pools would I research on. Find out how the pollution gets into the tide pools and what in them it effects.
I can research how the water has been in the past and how it is now. I can conduct some interviews of experences locals have had with the water and their dogs.
2. How has the change in environment in Mission Valley effected the river and everything in it?
I can find some controversies that are going on right now with the river and building projects. I can also do some research on past geographical maps to present ones.
3. How does pollution effect tide pools?
What tide pools would I research on. Find out how the pollution gets into the tide pools and what in them it effects.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Dying for Dixie
Grant Garrity
Per. 1, 3
In “Dying for Dixie,” author Tony Horwitz travels to the town of Guthrie Kentucky to explore the murder of Michael Westerman. Many events involving hate crimes and racial disputes had been occurring for a long time in this town, but even more after the death of Mr. Westerman. It seems as if the “war” never ended. The war I am talking about is the war between blacks and whites. This all started after the south’s grave defeat in the Civil War. They are thought to have never recovered from this terrible loss. Instead of seeking out a war between states again, the war has developed into a war against race.
When 4 black teenagers were at a local gas station, Michael Westerman drove up in his truck, with a confederate flag flying off the back. What were his intentions of flying this flag, other than to provoke violence? Or was he trying to provoke someone? When Mr. Westerman was supposedly shouting racial slurs to the black teens, they began to chase after him in a car. This resulted in Damien, the oldest of the four, pulling out his gun and shooting Mr. Westerman in the heart. Someone doesn’t pull out a gun unless they are provoked. So what this comes down to is that verbal harm can result in physical harm. The KKK is a good example of this. They harm people that are different to them. During they day, they are average people. By night, they are completely different people.
Maria Eskridge was the clerk at the front desk at the local motel where author Tony Horwitz stayed for a majority of his time in Guthrie. He ends up talking to her about the Westerman shooting, and finding out a lot about the town before it all happened. He finds out that the town was not very fond of blacks. The pool at her motel used to always be crowd on the hot summer days, and it was where all the whites would hang out and cool off. Well one day she said, two black kids decided to jump in the pool and it was like someone sent an electrical shock through the water, because all of the whites jumped right out, she exclaimed. There were many instances where verbal abuses towards blacks were exchanged. One instance, was when Mr. Westerman supposedly used racial slurs towards the black kids in the gas station. There are two sides to the story, but I can see him doing that to aggravate someone. Another instance where racial slurs were exchanged, was when Tony chose to go into a local bar, and one of the locals was very short tempered and was sort of bullying Tony. When tony asks one of the locals what “FTW” was, he stood up off his stool and got in Tony’s face and said, “who’s asking” in a violent manner. Another man who is looking over his shoulder as he writes down what the other man said rips a couple of pages out of his notebook. The people in the town don’t like outsiders coming into their town and getting in their business. They like to keep to themselves.
The war that is going on is not a fighting war and it may not be a verbal war. It is about different types of people that have different opinions. Good examples of a group of people that have different opinions are the KKK. “ I WANT YOU FOR THE ALMIGHTY KU KLUX KLAN!” the words of the Klan members as Tony comes across a rally to get people in the town to join. During the day they may come across as nice people when they are dressed in nice church clothes but at night, its like those robes have a part of the devil in them making the bad flow right through their veins. From the cross burnings to the lynching’s the outbursts of these members would surprise anyone who saw. The Klan in the past was not as bad as they are now but it’s amazing to see what they have become. Groups like these are often not supported by many people because people want change and want to try and pave over how bad we treated people in the past. Racism is still a large problem here in the United States to day and racism is one of the main reasons why this war is still going on.
Verbal and physical abuses are two possible ways how a war can get started. In the town of Guthrie these two things are still going on. People are still aggravated about what happened and others still think the same about the other race. I personally do not think this will ever change in the south or anywhere else for that matter because not every person will always get along.
Horwitz, Tony. Dying for Dixie. Confederates In The Attic. Pantheon, 1998. Print.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
# 10
Reconstruction was the period after the civil war when the south was basically trying to recuperate from the terrible loss that they had. What went well was that there were so many different types of people like Abe Lincon that were trying to help the south by coming up with great ideas to make them stronger. What went bad was that there were much more people that were trying to make it worse and people getting in the way like Andrew Jackson.
I think this is relevant today because there are people that still despise the south even after all this time and racism is still going on which was supposed to be stopped.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125426788854050939.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
This article relates to reconstruction because after we entered the war in Iraq we lost so many soldiers which we didn't expect and the war is so much longer then we expected. So we decided to take our people out of there to reconstruct our military because we suffered such a great loss.
I think this is relevant today because there are people that still despise the south even after all this time and racism is still going on which was supposed to be stopped.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125426788854050939.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
This article relates to reconstruction because after we entered the war in Iraq we lost so many soldiers which we didn't expect and the war is so much longer then we expected. So we decided to take our people out of there to reconstruct our military because we suffered such a great loss.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Blog #9
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Sewage-Spill-from-Mission-Valley-to-Ocean-Beach/qWYuIGp6oEeMp2ZNMf20lQ.cspx
Sewage spill from Mission Valley to Ocean Beach:
On Wednesday September 23 about 1,300 pounds of raw sewage spilled into the San Diego River. Flowing down the river and polluting dog beach. You can receive more information about this by either the DEH or the City of San Diego lifeguards. This relates to our project because we are testing for bacteria in the waters around San Diego and this is part of the reasons why they are so polluted. We can possibly do tests and inform people how bad the water is for when you swim in it after an event like this. Also just the everyday runoff that pollutes the water which people swim in every day.
Sewage spill from Mission Valley to Ocean Beach:
On Wednesday September 23 about 1,300 pounds of raw sewage spilled into the San Diego River. Flowing down the river and polluting dog beach. You can receive more information about this by either the DEH or the City of San Diego lifeguards. This relates to our project because we are testing for bacteria in the waters around San Diego and this is part of the reasons why they are so polluted. We can possibly do tests and inform people how bad the water is for when you swim in it after an event like this. Also just the everyday runoff that pollutes the water which people swim in every day.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Blog # 8
I came up with an Idea that we, as a class can write a grant to canon and see if we can get a couple of cameras to use. I would like to do a photo project and take some really cool pictures around san diego. Or I would also like to to a video project like the ones that were done last year but a up to date one.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Blog #7
Who Ever Said You Can’t Do It?
By Grant Garrity
I first grasped a baseball bat when I was five or six years old. At that age I would have never known the importance of baseball and what it means to people when they play. I remember sitting on the rusted green bench waiting to be called up to bat one of my first years playing. The excitement and joy walking up to the plate and having all of the parents and kids watch me as I take center stage. As I step into the box drawn by a thick line of chalk I tense up waiting to hit the ball. My coach then sets the ball onto the tee and I wind up watching the ball for as long as I can and swing my hardest. CRACK! The sight of the ball flying through the air is so exciting that it puts a grin on my face like no other. In years to come I will learn to respect, honor, and believe in the game of baseball.
"There's a long drive way back in center field. Way back, back! Oh what a catch by Mays! ... Willie Mays just brought this crowd to its feet with a catch, which must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people! Boy!" The voice of Jack Brickhouse was filled with excitement as he exclaimed the unfolding of these memorable events. Willie Mays makes the remarkable catch in the 1954 World Series, which makes him so famous along with many other great achievements. Mays didn’t just play baseball for the money or the fame, he played because he had passion for the game. His passion and commitment for the game of baseball is the passion and commitment that I have to school and getting into a great college. I too love to play baseball and have learned many morals and values that Willie Mays was probably taught others as well.
This past year of playing baseball I have learned that training and commitment are the key to being a good ball player. I have also applied this to school, if I don’t study for a test I will not succeed. If I do not practice and train to be a good athlete, most chances are I will not be good. This is something that Mays was extremely well at. At a young age he would go out and play ball after school every day. In his professional career he trained almost every single day. He also had an icon that he respected and appreciated the most in his childhood, his Uncle. His uncle would say to him "You're going to be a baseball player. You're going to be a baseball player, and we're gonna see to that.” And this was true.
For years my father has gone between sitting in the bleachers, watching me play to sitting next to me on the bench coaching me in how to fix my swing for my next at bat. He has been one of my biggest influences in the game of baseball. As a kid he would say, “If you try hard enough you will succeed.” Now since I am older he says to me “Be a leader not a follower.” He has inspired me to try my hardest and to do as much as I can to go out of my way and help others.
From a young little boy who loved to play all different types of sports, baseball has always been my passion. I have never gone a season without playing. Even when bumps in the road occur I was taught to keep strong and never doubt myself. The lessons I have learned as a kid from guardians to athletes have been useful, to this day. Willie Mays has showed me that if I try hard and put my mind to what I really want to do I will succeed. I hope to pass these lessons I have learned in life so far, on to other people and to future generations.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Blog #6
1. What did you discover about your writing during this project?
During this project I learned that I can be a more detailed writer and write stronger sentences. I have also learned that when I write my first drafts they don't always make sense.
2. Identify and describe (at least) one specific writing technique that you used. How did you use it? What effect did it have on your writing?
I used the technique take it easy on the ings. What I did to use this was to go through and take out as many words with ing at the end out. It made my sentences much stronger.
3. If you had time for one more draft, what would you do?
I would go back and have more people critique it and improve even more. I would also try to incorporate more techniques into the piece.
4. Copy one sentence that you believe is well-written and/or important to your overall piece. What makes it stand out to you?
"The excitement and joy walking up to the plate and having all of the parents and kids watch me as I take center stage."
This stands out to me because it is part of my intro and it makes it very strong. I have gotten better at putting sensory detail into my writing so I think this is a good example of it.
During this project I learned that I can be a more detailed writer and write stronger sentences. I have also learned that when I write my first drafts they don't always make sense.
2. Identify and describe (at least) one specific writing technique that you used. How did you use it? What effect did it have on your writing?
I used the technique take it easy on the ings. What I did to use this was to go through and take out as many words with ing at the end out. It made my sentences much stronger.
3. If you had time for one more draft, what would you do?
I would go back and have more people critique it and improve even more. I would also try to incorporate more techniques into the piece.
4. Copy one sentence that you believe is well-written and/or important to your overall piece. What makes it stand out to you?
"The excitement and joy walking up to the plate and having all of the parents and kids watch me as I take center stage."
This stands out to me because it is part of my intro and it makes it very strong. I have gotten better at putting sensory detail into my writing so I think this is a good example of it.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Blog # 5
Rule of Thirds:
The rule of thirds separates the picture into 9 different sections. Where the lines meet is the perfect position to place the subject that you are taking the picture of. It makes the picture look clean and professional.
When you set your camera to have a slow shutter speed what it does is leave the lens open for longer then it normally should be. This works best if you are trying to capture a stationary object and things around it are moving like my example of this waterfall. It also works very well with moving lights.
Macro: 
Slow Shutter Speed:
When you set your camera to have a slow shutter speed what it does is leave the lens open for longer then it normally should be. This works best if you are trying to capture a stationary object and things around it are moving like my example of this waterfall. It also works very well with moving lights. Macro:
Macro is a very interesting type of photography. Macro is very close up pictures. The setting on a camera can also be used to focus in on one spot of a subject and making everything else blurry. If you want to get a high quality macro picture it requires a very expensive lens.
Blog # 4
When Richard read my piece and gave me feedback, he gave me some good ideas and helpful points. He said that I need to make my intro stronger my having a stronger starting sentence. Also I got that he wanted me to make the piece more about myself and not tell so many stories. I will defiantly make my intro stronger and try and make my body paragraphs make more sense.
Who Ever Said You Can’t Do It?
By Grant Garrity
I first grasped a baseball bat when I was five or six years old. At that age I would have never known the importance of baseball and what it means to people when they play. I remember sitting on the rusted green bench waiting to be called up to bat one of my first years playing. The excitement and joy walking up to the plate and having all of the parents and kids watch you as you take center stage. As I step into the box drawn by a thick line of chalk I tense up waiting to hit the ball. My coach then sets the ball onto the tee and I wind up watching the ball for as long as I can and swing my hardest. CRACK! The sight of the ball flying through the air is so exciting that it puts a grin on my face like no other. In years to come I will learn to respect, honor, and believe in the game of baseball.
"There's a long drive way back in center field. Way back, back! Oh what a catch by Mays! ... Willie Mays just brought this crowd to its feet with a catch, which must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people! Boy!" The voice of Jack Brickhouse was filled with excitement as he exclaimed the unfolding of these memorable events. 1954 Willie Mays makes the remarkable catch in the 1954 World Series, which has made him so famous along with many other great achievements. Mays didn’t just play baseball for the money or the fame; he played because he had passion for the game. His passion and commitment for the game of baseball is my passion and commitment to school and getting into a great college. I too love to play baseball and have learned many morals and values that Willie Mays was probley taught as well.
This past year of playing baseball I have learned that that training and commitment are the key to being a good ball player. I have also applied this to school if you don’t train for a test you will not succeed. If you to not practice and train to be a good athlete most chances are you will not be good. This is something that Mays was extremely well at. At a young age he would go out and play ball after school every day. In his professional career he trained almost every single day. He also had an icon that he respected and appreciated the most in his childhood, his Uncle. His uncle would say to him "You're going to be a baseball player. You're going to be a baseball player, and we're gonna see to that.” And this was true.
For years my father has gone between sitting in the bleachers watching me play to sitting next to me on the bench coaching me in how to fix my swing next time I get up to bat. He has been one of my biggest influences in the game of baseball. As a kid he would say, “If you try hard enough you will succeed.” Now since I am older he says to me “Be a leader not a follower.” He has inspired me to try my hardest and do as much as I can to go out of my way and help others.
From a young little boy who loved to play all different types of sports baseball to me has always been my passion. I have never gone a season without playing. Even when bumps in the road occur I was taught to keep strong and never doubt yourself. The lessons I have learned as a kid from guardians to athletes have been so useful up to now. Willie Mays has showed me that if you try hard and put your mind to what you really want to do you will succeed. I hope to pass these lessons I have learned in life so far, on to other people and to future generations. Monday, September 7, 2009
American Icon Resources
Say Hey the Autobiography of Willie Mays by Willie Mays & Lou Sahadi.
This book was written by Willie Mays himself. He talks about how he grew to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time. I would use this book because it is information directly from Mays himself. It has correct facts and correct dates from events throughout his career.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/may0int-1
Willie Mays Interview
This interview was recorded as a video and as just audio. This can be useful because it has very detailed facts about May's childhood and his professional career. So it is a movie with actual game footage and footage of the interview made possible by the Academy of Achievement.
Emeril Lagasse
http://www.emerils.com/emerilology/bio
This is a biography on his own website that has useful information consisting of dates from when he opened his first restaurant to his cookbooks being published. It does not say who wrote it but I think it will be reliable because it is on his own website.
http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/emeril_lagasse.htm
This is an interview by Emeril. I think it would be useful because you can get more out of an interview than you can with a biography. Interviews has more detailed information about specific events or people.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
American Icons
What does this Icon represent to you? Why?
I have been playing baseball ever since I was a young kid, since then I have not really had an icon that can look up to but I think I have found one. Willie Mays was what I was as a kid, I started baseball at a very young age and so did he. His dad loved to play the game and so has mine. He had so much love and respect for the game like I was taught to have. He represents my passion and love for the game that I have never had for any other sports
How did this Icon become important in American culture?
In 1951 when Mays was first drafted to the New your Yankees every single young African American baseball player probley heard about him. That first year when he played and hit 19 home runs everyone probley got to know who he was a little bit more. By then he was inspiring every single young African American baseball player that anything was possible even when you weren’t being treated the same as everyone else. He wasn’t just a baseball player he was an inspiration to all young American baseball players.
Who and what did this Icon inspire?
He inspired young children and teenagers that anything was possible if you put your effort into it and tried your hardest. I'm pretty sure that many people looked up to him in his time.
I have been playing baseball ever since I was a young kid, since then I have not really had an icon that can look up to but I think I have found one. Willie Mays was what I was as a kid, I started baseball at a very young age and so did he. His dad loved to play the game and so has mine. He had so much love and respect for the game like I was taught to have. He represents my passion and love for the game that I have never had for any other sports
How did this Icon become important in American culture?
In 1951 when Mays was first drafted to the New your Yankees every single young African American baseball player probley heard about him. That first year when he played and hit 19 home runs everyone probley got to know who he was a little bit more. By then he was inspiring every single young African American baseball player that anything was possible even when you weren’t being treated the same as everyone else. He wasn’t just a baseball player he was an inspiration to all young American baseball players.
Who and what did this Icon inspire?
He inspired young children and teenagers that anything was possible if you put your effort into it and tried your hardest. I'm pretty sure that many people looked up to him in his time.
Babe Ruth represents passion and love for the game of baseball that I always had. Babe Ruth and Willie Mays are very similar in my opinion because they both broke great milestones in the game. They both have the same inspiration on me but Babe is a inspiration on me because his parents didn't really pay much attention to him as a kid because they were to involved in work and that really stands out to me. He then found someone to look up to as a parent figure who was his "Father" in the school he got sent off to. This means to me that he was a very strong hearted kid and didn't let certain problems get to him, he just kept moving on.
Babe became an American icon when he was drafted to the Yankees. America knew he was going to be a star when he was drafted and they were right. His first season he broke the record of home runs which made the team so popular. Everyone was coming to the games and they made enough money to build a stadium known as "the house that ruth built" or yankee stadium.
Like Willie Mays he inspired every little kid and teenager of his era and even to the present day. I'm pretty sure that every young kid that plays baseball has wanted to be just like babe ruth.
Ever since i was a little kid I have always loved to cook. Emeril has always been one of my favorite chefs. He started from nothing and worked his way to the top. It goes to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and put in 100%. He represents me because I have always wanted to be a chef when I grow up and if I was to become one he is the type of person I want to be.
Cooking is something that not many people know how to do or are good at. Emeril has a couple of TV shows teaching people to cook different types of foods whether it be from a different culture or just plain healthy food. Part of America's culture is food so i would say that he is a part of our culture by teaching people how to cook and the history behind cooking.
If you have ever watched any of Emeril's shows you might know that all of the food looks so good. When good food is made that makes you hungry it inspires people to go and cook. Also he has healthy cooking ideas that many people use and when people see these they sometimes push themselves to eat healthier. So he inspires people to eat healthy.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Back to School!
Please outline what you hope to gain from your upcoming junior year. What are your overall goals for the year?
This year I hope to gain knowledge about new topics for example US history. This subject has always interested me because it is our country and we all should know how it got started and the history leading up to now. Also I want to gain knowledge in every other class especially math.
I have a pretty long list of goals for this year some of them are keeping very high grades in each class, staying on task while doing homework at home, pay attention in class, and take very good notes in class. Those are just a few because I have such a long list.
Tell us about what you hope to accomplish or learn from your experiences in this Humanities class. What do you hope to learn & what do you hope to develop?
I want to improve over 100% in my writing because I am not a very experienced writer and i have herd from someone (my sister) that Randy is a excellent writing teacher. I hope to learn/develop more about photography because that is one of my favorite things to do even though i don't have my own camera and I know that we will be doing one or two projects involving photography.
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