Technically this is 30 minutes late, but whatever. This is my Letter About Literature:
Dear Mr. Krakauer,
I have just finished your book, Into Thin Air, and I have to say that it was very intriguing. When I first got this book, I was in a hurry to complete a requirement for my science class, but as I read it I got sucked into the story. I learned a lot from it, and I would like to tell you about what I learned and I may have some questions for you.
I live in Utah at a high altitude relative to most other states in the U.S. I believe it's at about 5,000 ft. I noticed in Into Thin Air that you were measuring how high you were on Mt. Everest in numerals well above 20,000 ft. It is hard for me to imagine the conditions that are at such great heights. It helps put into perspective for me how little I've been around and experienced. I've the chance to hike in higher altitudes, but never before where I've had to stop and rest between such short amounts of time because of the thinness of the air. It's inspiring. In the beginning of the story I wanted to climb Everest myself.
As I read though, I came upon the dangers that were experienced. It's not as easy as it seems. You have to constantly be wary of ice, weather conditions, and your teammates. I related this to my life. As you grow and develop, you have to watch out for the dangers and search for the right path you want to take. Your friends make the difference. If you have good friends who are going to point you in the right direction you are more likely to succeed. Synonymous to your Everest experience, if your friends (or team members) do not know what they are doing or have the wrong idea then there is a much higher chance of failure. Picking your friends wisely is extremely important. If you had had the option of choosing your team who would have been on it? What do you look for in others?
I also noticed that you took a lot of skepticism and criticism from others from reading the afterword. You defended yourself when others thought you were wrong or wanted to make you look bad. In my mind, I applied this to the world. Racism and prejudice are found everywhere I go. What you did helps reinforce what I've learned already: you have to stand up for what you believe to be true. If you rebuke the truth, those who do know it won't trust you.
My last thought is about goals. In your book, you wrote about how when you were younger you really wanted to climb to the peak of Everest, but when you developed a family climbing became a distant thought. When the opportunity came along, though, you jumped at it. Climbing Everest was something amazing and you wanted it. I feel like this when I think about things I could do in our world, even other worlds. In elementary school, I learned that it was people in my age group that would be able to go to Mars. We would be the one's who would fit the requirements when the time came. When I heard this I thought: That's going to be me, and I'm going to make it happen. To be the first one to step foot on Mars would be like being the first on the moon, discovering electricity, quantum theory. It's what you dream of. If you want something badly enough and work as hard as honestly possible you stand a fair chance of obtaining it.
I'd like to thank you for writing Into Thin Air and for the thoughts I derived from it. I'm unsure about if and/or when you will get this letter, but I hope your able to see what others are able to learn from your experience.
From,
Isaac Froisland
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Into Thin Air
Recently, I've been reading Into Thin Air for my science term project. It's about a climb on Everest that goes horribly wrong but I haven't quite gotten that far.
I like the main character, Jon. He may be quick to judge others but he knows his own limits too. He builds a profile of everybody on the climbing team from their past climbing experiences and how they act around each other. There is a lot of profanity found in this book, but in the copy that I'm reading most of it has been blotted out.
This book doesn't quite seem factual to me. It's more of a "how I saw it" kind of a thing. Jon tells things from his point of view and how remembers then happening a year or two later.
Homework has been piling up for me lately, and I am now just starting to catch up. I'm working on my science project, I've passed of the poem for English, I've begun practicing for orchestra again, but I still need to work on a story for Spanish, finish my project in Manufacturing, and I forgot to do an assignment for English. I want to finish all of this before Christmas vacation and I'll be rushed. Hopefully I can get it done.
I like the main character, Jon. He may be quick to judge others but he knows his own limits too. He builds a profile of everybody on the climbing team from their past climbing experiences and how they act around each other. There is a lot of profanity found in this book, but in the copy that I'm reading most of it has been blotted out.
This book doesn't quite seem factual to me. It's more of a "how I saw it" kind of a thing. Jon tells things from his point of view and how remembers then happening a year or two later.
Homework has been piling up for me lately, and I am now just starting to catch up. I'm working on my science project, I've passed of the poem for English, I've begun practicing for orchestra again, but I still need to work on a story for Spanish, finish my project in Manufacturing, and I forgot to do an assignment for English. I want to finish all of this before Christmas vacation and I'll be rushed. Hopefully I can get it done.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Poem for English
I've just finished memorizing the poem that I have to do for English and I'm going to type it from memory.
A Psalm of Life
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
tell me not in mournful numbers
life is but an empty dream
for the soul is dead that slumbers
and things are not what they seem
life is real! life is earnest!
and the grave is not it's goal
dust thou art, to dust return-est
was not spoken of the soul
not enjoyment, and not sorrow
is our destined end or way
but to act, that each tomorrow
find us further than today
art is long, and time is fleeting
and our hearts, though stout and brave
still, like muffled drums, are beating
funeral marches to the grave
in the world's broad field of battle,
in the bivouac of life,
be not like dumb driven cattle,
be a hero in the strife
trust no future, howe'er pleasant
let the dead past bury its dead
act, act in the living present
heart within, and God o'er head
lives of great men all remind us
we can make our lives sublime
and, departing, leave behind us
footprints in the sands of time
footprints, that perhaps another
sailing o'er life's solemn main
a forlorn and shipwrecked brother
seeing, shall take heart again
let us be up and doing
with a heart for any fate
still achieving, still pursuing
learn to labor and to wait.
A Psalm of Life
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
tell me not in mournful numbers
life is but an empty dream
for the soul is dead that slumbers
and things are not what they seem
life is real! life is earnest!
and the grave is not it's goal
dust thou art, to dust return-est
was not spoken of the soul
not enjoyment, and not sorrow
is our destined end or way
but to act, that each tomorrow
find us further than today
art is long, and time is fleeting
and our hearts, though stout and brave
still, like muffled drums, are beating
funeral marches to the grave
in the world's broad field of battle,
in the bivouac of life,
be not like dumb driven cattle,
be a hero in the strife
trust no future, howe'er pleasant
let the dead past bury its dead
act, act in the living present
heart within, and God o'er head
lives of great men all remind us
we can make our lives sublime
and, departing, leave behind us
footprints in the sands of time
footprints, that perhaps another
sailing o'er life's solemn main
a forlorn and shipwrecked brother
seeing, shall take heart again
let us be up and doing
with a heart for any fate
still achieving, still pursuing
learn to labor and to wait.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Windstorm
On Thursday we had a huge windstorm. The weather people said there were winds blowing at 95 miles per hour. These were the fastest winds that I'd ever felt.
Awoken on Thursday morning by the loud winds, my family had to go through and around the whole house to make sure everything was secure. After doing that, I went to school where all the students who came were sent to the gym. There was no power and they had emergency lights running on an auxiliary generator. Everyone was wondering around, talking with friends and texting, and wondering what we were going to do. They made an announcement saying, "Everyone will go to their 1st period and then we'll figure out what we are going to do." So, I went to Seminary where we held a disruptive devotional. After Seminary we were told to go to our 2nd period, but when we got there the teacher said that she wasn't going to hold class because there wasn't enough students there. My friend and I decided we would go and check with our other teachers to figure out what to do when an administrator, who wasn't very nice about it, told us to go to our 2nd period class. We went back, but as I was walking in the door of the classroom a my friends sister came and got me saying that her mom was here to pick me up. I left the school with them, and we stayed at their house until my parents picked my brother and I up.
By now the storm had dissipated a little bit, and we began cleaning up our yard. Two trees had fallen into our yard from two other neighbors' yards. One was part of a huge willow tree that had bent the chain-link fence in the backyard. My brothers and I cleaned most of that up by ourselves. The neighbor next door had hired someone to clean up the pine tree that had smashed through their vinyl fence into our front yard, and it had been close to hitting my parents bedroom. The worker said, "I'll finish up tomorrow and have your yard cleaned up by morning." He never showed up and my dad was pretty mad about that. We ended up doing it ourselves.
Our house had lost power sometime on Wednesday night, and we had to deal with that the whole day. We couldn't open the refrigerator, had to use flashlights in the house, and didn't really do anything but clean up the yard. We spent that night in front of the fireplace sleeping in makeshift beds and sleeping bags. The power came back on sometime in the morning, and I woke up to find my brother playing Xbox, which I wasn't really surprised to see.
Our ward spent the whole weekend cleaning up the neighborhood. We cut down trees, hauled away debris to the dump, and cleaned up yards. Church was even cancelled on Sunday to do this. I went to a practice for a Christmas choir thinking that I had a lot of meetings to go to, but we were told that they were all cancelled. Instead, we would finish up taking away debris because there was supposed to be another, but smaller, windstorm that night, and we didn't want things blowing away. We've finished up most of it, and I've just now realized all the things I have to do for school. There's a term project check for Science (which I haven't started), reading for English, and I have a test in math on Tuesday.
Awoken on Thursday morning by the loud winds, my family had to go through and around the whole house to make sure everything was secure. After doing that, I went to school where all the students who came were sent to the gym. There was no power and they had emergency lights running on an auxiliary generator. Everyone was wondering around, talking with friends and texting, and wondering what we were going to do. They made an announcement saying, "Everyone will go to their 1st period and then we'll figure out what we are going to do." So, I went to Seminary where we held a disruptive devotional. After Seminary we were told to go to our 2nd period, but when we got there the teacher said that she wasn't going to hold class because there wasn't enough students there. My friend and I decided we would go and check with our other teachers to figure out what to do when an administrator, who wasn't very nice about it, told us to go to our 2nd period class. We went back, but as I was walking in the door of the classroom a my friends sister came and got me saying that her mom was here to pick me up. I left the school with them, and we stayed at their house until my parents picked my brother and I up.
By now the storm had dissipated a little bit, and we began cleaning up our yard. Two trees had fallen into our yard from two other neighbors' yards. One was part of a huge willow tree that had bent the chain-link fence in the backyard. My brothers and I cleaned most of that up by ourselves. The neighbor next door had hired someone to clean up the pine tree that had smashed through their vinyl fence into our front yard, and it had been close to hitting my parents bedroom. The worker said, "I'll finish up tomorrow and have your yard cleaned up by morning." He never showed up and my dad was pretty mad about that. We ended up doing it ourselves.
Our house had lost power sometime on Wednesday night, and we had to deal with that the whole day. We couldn't open the refrigerator, had to use flashlights in the house, and didn't really do anything but clean up the yard. We spent that night in front of the fireplace sleeping in makeshift beds and sleeping bags. The power came back on sometime in the morning, and I woke up to find my brother playing Xbox, which I wasn't really surprised to see.
Our ward spent the whole weekend cleaning up the neighborhood. We cut down trees, hauled away debris to the dump, and cleaned up yards. Church was even cancelled on Sunday to do this. I went to a practice for a Christmas choir thinking that I had a lot of meetings to go to, but we were told that they were all cancelled. Instead, we would finish up taking away debris because there was supposed to be another, but smaller, windstorm that night, and we didn't want things blowing away. We've finished up most of it, and I've just now realized all the things I have to do for school. There's a term project check for Science (which I haven't started), reading for English, and I have a test in math on Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Catching up
I realized today that I never posted last week. Once again, I'm not sure if I can make it up by doing double, but I will do it anyways.
In orchestra and Davis Youth Symphony I feel like I need to practice more, but have made some improvements. When I first started DYS I looked at the music and thought: this is going to be so hard... Now, I almost play through all the songs completely without stopping or messing up too badly. For the school orchestra, I have a concert on the 15th at Davis High. The songs aren't too hard and it should go well.
In Seminary, I just started this list of 101 services I can do over the holidays to earn a pin. I plan on doing it, but I think it will definitely be a challenge to complete all of them. I did 1 of them in class today, so 100 left to do.
The unit of math that we are doing right now looks pretty complex, but it's the only one so far that I feel like I've understood and followed along with perfectly from the beginning (ignoring the reviews that we did at the beginning of the year). It's complex fractions and involves solving fractions within fractions. It seems, this year, that I'm using everything I've ever learned in math.
Manufacturing seems to be getting faster each day. I feel like I'm getting less and less done each day. I'm building a headboard of my own design and it's quite a long process. Making each separate piece alone takes up about half my working time each day. I'm starting to worry about finishing it before the term is over.
I almost forgot about Science Olympiad. I made the varsity team, although the two teams aren't going to be called "varsity" and "junior varsity". On the test that we took to try out for the team, the scores were very close and the people who made the varsity team only did a little bit better than the one's who didn't. So now, varsity will now be called the "Blue team" and the junior varsity will be called the "White team". Both teams will compete at District and Regional, but at the State competition our coach is still unsure whether or not if the white team will be able to earn medals along with the blue team. Also, our head coach says that if the white team does better than the blue team then they will be the ones who go to nationals and not us. I think that this will maybe turn the two teams against each other because they both want to go to Florida (which is where the National tournament will be held). In my opinion though, I think the blue team will do better and go to nationals but you can't be completely sure. We'll see.
In orchestra and Davis Youth Symphony I feel like I need to practice more, but have made some improvements. When I first started DYS I looked at the music and thought: this is going to be so hard... Now, I almost play through all the songs completely without stopping or messing up too badly. For the school orchestra, I have a concert on the 15th at Davis High. The songs aren't too hard and it should go well.
In Seminary, I just started this list of 101 services I can do over the holidays to earn a pin. I plan on doing it, but I think it will definitely be a challenge to complete all of them. I did 1 of them in class today, so 100 left to do.
The unit of math that we are doing right now looks pretty complex, but it's the only one so far that I feel like I've understood and followed along with perfectly from the beginning (ignoring the reviews that we did at the beginning of the year). It's complex fractions and involves solving fractions within fractions. It seems, this year, that I'm using everything I've ever learned in math.
Manufacturing seems to be getting faster each day. I feel like I'm getting less and less done each day. I'm building a headboard of my own design and it's quite a long process. Making each separate piece alone takes up about half my working time each day. I'm starting to worry about finishing it before the term is over.
I almost forgot about Science Olympiad. I made the varsity team, although the two teams aren't going to be called "varsity" and "junior varsity". On the test that we took to try out for the team, the scores were very close and the people who made the varsity team only did a little bit better than the one's who didn't. So now, varsity will now be called the "Blue team" and the junior varsity will be called the "White team". Both teams will compete at District and Regional, but at the State competition our coach is still unsure whether or not if the white team will be able to earn medals along with the blue team. Also, our head coach says that if the white team does better than the blue team then they will be the ones who go to nationals and not us. I think that this will maybe turn the two teams against each other because they both want to go to Florida (which is where the National tournament will be held). In my opinion though, I think the blue team will do better and go to nationals but you can't be completely sure. We'll see.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
IF
This is the poem I did for 1st term, and I thought I'd see if I still remember it.
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
but make allowances for their doubting too
If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting
or being lied about, don't deal in lies
or being hated, don't give way to hate
and yet don't look too good nor talk too wise
If you can dream and not make dreams your master
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim
If you can meet with both triumph and disaster
and treat those two imposters just the same
If you bear to hear the truths you've spoken
twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
or watch the things you gave your life to
broken, and stoop and build em' up with worn out tools
If you can make a heap of all your winnings
and risk it all in one turn of pitch and toss
and lose and never breath a word about your loss
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
to serve their turn long after you are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
except the will which says to them: Hold on!
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
or walk with kings nor lose the common touch
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
If men count with you but none too much
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
with sixty seconds worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everthing that's in it,
and, whats more, you'll be a man my son
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
but make allowances for their doubting too
If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting
or being lied about, don't deal in lies
or being hated, don't give way to hate
and yet don't look too good nor talk too wise
If you can dream and not make dreams your master
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim
If you can meet with both triumph and disaster
and treat those two imposters just the same
If you bear to hear the truths you've spoken
twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
or watch the things you gave your life to
broken, and stoop and build em' up with worn out tools
If you can make a heap of all your winnings
and risk it all in one turn of pitch and toss
and lose and never breath a word about your loss
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
to serve their turn long after you are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
except the will which says to them: Hold on!
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
or walk with kings nor lose the common touch
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
If men count with you but none too much
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
with sixty seconds worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everthing that's in it,
and, whats more, you'll be a man my son
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Poems
Here are a few poems by Robert Frost I found interesting:
I believe this one is talked about in the book The Outsiders -
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
This poem is the one for English class that I have to memorize, so I'm typing it like the last one to help me memorize it.
A Psalm of Life - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! -
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hears, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, - act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
I believe this one is talked about in the book The Outsiders -
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
This poem is the one for English class that I have to memorize, so I'm typing it like the last one to help me memorize it.
A Psalm of Life - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! -
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hears, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, - act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
To Kill A Mockingbird and other books
This term, for Honors English, we've been asked to read To Kill A Mockingbird and Walk Two Moons. For science, I also have to read either Shackleton's Stowaway, Into Thin Air, or The Perfect Storm. I haven't yet decided which to read. I chose to read To Kill A Mockingbird first because I knew that I already owned a copy.
To Kill A Mockingbird has been an "okay" book so far. I really like the main character, Scout, though. She is more of a tomboy and doesn't really like doing girl stuff. She gets into fights and plays boys games, and her two best friends are her brother and a boy named Dill.
This book is set soon after the Civil War and life is different from how we know it now. The education system was very old, and was just coming around to changing. Scout has to deal with her odd neighborhood, school, and her family. As I read it, I can just imagine how things felt for her. With the details, you can see each expression and feeling. It sort of reminds me of how a child thinks, seeing it through the eyes of Scout.
To Kill A Mockingbird has been an "okay" book so far. I really like the main character, Scout, though. She is more of a tomboy and doesn't really like doing girl stuff. She gets into fights and plays boys games, and her two best friends are her brother and a boy named Dill.
This book is set soon after the Civil War and life is different from how we know it now. The education system was very old, and was just coming around to changing. Scout has to deal with her odd neighborhood, school, and her family. As I read it, I can just imagine how things felt for her. With the details, you can see each expression and feeling. It sort of reminds me of how a child thinks, seeing it through the eyes of Scout.
Monday, November 7, 2011
1st term......now 2nd
I forgot to post last week, and I'm not sure if I am allowed to make it up but I'm going to do double this week anyways.
1st Term was pretty good. I've met so many new people and I barely scraped out a 4.0 GPA while keeping up with NAL, Orchestra, and Davis Youth Symphony. Some of the things that I wished I had done differently was maybe go to more after school programs. I didn't go to a single volleyball game, and now will never be able to go to one as a student at my school. I also missed concerts for band and rhapsody.
For Honors English I barely made it. I was supposed to read The Yearling for the term and that was the only reading assignment. It's over 400 pages and takes a while to get through. Well, I pretty much forgot about it til the last week of the term. I got it on Monday and told myself to read it. I, of course, waited til Wednesday to really get a start on it. I practically read the whole thing in 2 days, most of it on that Thursday. That was a disaster. I was up so late doing that.
2nd Term I think is going to be more hectic. Science Olympiad is just starting up and is going to start taking up my time. Some things I need to work on include: REMEMBERING TO POST ON THIS EVERY WEEK, practicing for orchestra, and reading. For English, this term, we have to read To Kill A Mockingbird and Walk Two Moons. I'm already about 50 pages into it so I'm doing well for now.
I've now made it a primary goal to get to know and make friends with as many people as possible this year. Why? Because I've realized now that there are so many kids that I don't know in my school. This is going well. I now talk with and hang out around kids that I didn't even know the names of last year. I hope it continues. I can see now how there are different type "groups" of friends around the school. There's a group where most of them are either in rhapsody or drama. There's a group for kids who are in orchestra and various academic groups. There's an athletic group who do all the school sports and other sports outside of school. Among these there are kids who are in between them. They're partially in one group and also in another. The trick is finding out what they're into.
1st Term was pretty good. I've met so many new people and I barely scraped out a 4.0 GPA while keeping up with NAL, Orchestra, and Davis Youth Symphony. Some of the things that I wished I had done differently was maybe go to more after school programs. I didn't go to a single volleyball game, and now will never be able to go to one as a student at my school. I also missed concerts for band and rhapsody.
For Honors English I barely made it. I was supposed to read The Yearling for the term and that was the only reading assignment. It's over 400 pages and takes a while to get through. Well, I pretty much forgot about it til the last week of the term. I got it on Monday and told myself to read it. I, of course, waited til Wednesday to really get a start on it. I practically read the whole thing in 2 days, most of it on that Thursday. That was a disaster. I was up so late doing that.
2nd Term I think is going to be more hectic. Science Olympiad is just starting up and is going to start taking up my time. Some things I need to work on include: REMEMBERING TO POST ON THIS EVERY WEEK, practicing for orchestra, and reading. For English, this term, we have to read To Kill A Mockingbird and Walk Two Moons. I'm already about 50 pages into it so I'm doing well for now.
I've now made it a primary goal to get to know and make friends with as many people as possible this year. Why? Because I've realized now that there are so many kids that I don't know in my school. This is going well. I now talk with and hang out around kids that I didn't even know the names of last year. I hope it continues. I can see now how there are different type "groups" of friends around the school. There's a group where most of them are either in rhapsody or drama. There's a group for kids who are in orchestra and various academic groups. There's an athletic group who do all the school sports and other sports outside of school. Among these there are kids who are in between them. They're partially in one group and also in another. The trick is finding out what they're into.
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Yearling
This was my review for The Yearling:
I read this book recently and had mixed feelings that changed all through the book. I laughed, I wondered, and I had a great time with this book. I would definitely recommend it.
This book is written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and has 428 pages. It is a 1st person story. The main character of this book is a boy by the name of Jody Baxter, living in the backwoods of Florida sometime during the late 1800's. In this book, you see everything through the eyes of Jody. He could be compared to Huckleberry Fin. He's young, clever, and is learning the ropes of life. The intended audience of this book would be anyone able to take the time to read it and is able to understand it. I would say it would be for young adult or adult.
Jody is lives with his parents on a farm passed down through his family and their only neighbors, the Forresters. Jody and his dad, Penny Baxter, are very close throughout this book. Penny is everything to Jody. He's his teacher, his provider, and his best friend. Penny teaches Jody how to get by in life by hunting, farming, trading, and other things.
The Baxter's neighbors, the Forresters, interact with them a lot in this book. They fight each other, they hunt together, and they solve the problems that come along in their area together. Jody's best friend, Fodder-wing, is a part of the Forrester family.
As Jody is working his way through his life as a boy, he encounters many problems. His friends and him face bears, wolves, rattlesnakes, and a close friend dying. To deal with this Jody finds a surprising new best friend. After a doe dies by his father's hand, he discovers that it was the mother of a fawn. Jody becomes a close companion with this deer which he names Flag. Flag and Jody go through so much of the story together, the whole time Flag is becoming a yearling. Flag tends to be rather mischievous and causes problems that make a big impact in the Baxter's lives. In the end Jody must choose either his family or the yearling.
What I liked most about this book is how the author describes each feeling and emotion that Jody has and the setting that he is in. He has very boyish thoughts. On page 3: "It seemed a strange thing to him, when earth was earth and rain was rain, that scrawny pines should grow in the scrub, while by every branch and lake and river there grew magnolias." On page 22: "Jody opened his eyes unwillingly. Sometime, he thought, he would slip away into the woods and sleep from Friday until Monday." What I had a hard time with at first, though, was their grammar and speech. It's very southern and you have to think about it to figure out what they are saying. On page 239: "He asked,"Kin Flag foller along, too?" On page 240: "If you figger on frolickin', you kin stay home, too." After a while of reading this book I got used to it and could understand it.
The main theme to this book I think is that it doesn't matter how life goes, you can always move forward with it. Jody and his dad show this by always trying their hardest and, in the end, they are able to resolve their problems.
I read this book recently and had mixed feelings that changed all through the book. I laughed, I wondered, and I had a great time with this book. I would definitely recommend it.
This book is written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and has 428 pages. It is a 1st person story. The main character of this book is a boy by the name of Jody Baxter, living in the backwoods of Florida sometime during the late 1800's. In this book, you see everything through the eyes of Jody. He could be compared to Huckleberry Fin. He's young, clever, and is learning the ropes of life. The intended audience of this book would be anyone able to take the time to read it and is able to understand it. I would say it would be for young adult or adult.
Jody is lives with his parents on a farm passed down through his family and their only neighbors, the Forresters. Jody and his dad, Penny Baxter, are very close throughout this book. Penny is everything to Jody. He's his teacher, his provider, and his best friend. Penny teaches Jody how to get by in life by hunting, farming, trading, and other things.
The Baxter's neighbors, the Forresters, interact with them a lot in this book. They fight each other, they hunt together, and they solve the problems that come along in their area together. Jody's best friend, Fodder-wing, is a part of the Forrester family.
As Jody is working his way through his life as a boy, he encounters many problems. His friends and him face bears, wolves, rattlesnakes, and a close friend dying. To deal with this Jody finds a surprising new best friend. After a doe dies by his father's hand, he discovers that it was the mother of a fawn. Jody becomes a close companion with this deer which he names Flag. Flag and Jody go through so much of the story together, the whole time Flag is becoming a yearling. Flag tends to be rather mischievous and causes problems that make a big impact in the Baxter's lives. In the end Jody must choose either his family or the yearling.
What I liked most about this book is how the author describes each feeling and emotion that Jody has and the setting that he is in. He has very boyish thoughts. On page 3: "It seemed a strange thing to him, when earth was earth and rain was rain, that scrawny pines should grow in the scrub, while by every branch and lake and river there grew magnolias." On page 22: "Jody opened his eyes unwillingly. Sometime, he thought, he would slip away into the woods and sleep from Friday until Monday." What I had a hard time with at first, though, was their grammar and speech. It's very southern and you have to think about it to figure out what they are saying. On page 239: "He asked,"Kin Flag foller along, too?" On page 240: "If you figger on frolickin', you kin stay home, too." After a while of reading this book I got used to it and could understand it.
The main theme to this book I think is that it doesn't matter how life goes, you can always move forward with it. Jody and his dad show this by always trying their hardest and, in the end, they are able to resolve their problems.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
1st Term
1st Term is just about over, but there are still a few things to do. This 4 day weekend, I haven't really done anything. I've been mostly playing video games, watching T.V., and being bored because my best friend was at Mount Rushmore and my other friends were either sick or busy. Today I realized how much stuff I still have left to do and am now rushing through everything. NOTE TO SELF: STOP PROCRASTINATING.
This term has been pretty good. I've been able to keep up with everything mostly. Some things didn't quite turn out as I expected them to, but it all worked out. I thought that NAL (National Academic League) would be a little harder, more (for lack of a better word) competitive. Davis Youth Symphony has been the opposite. It's been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I kind of joined it without much thought after the orchestra teacher recommended me. The music is rather complicated and there is a lot of it. I've had to practice it a lot more, and because of this I haven't had much time to practice for my orchestra class. I need to do this much more now with a concert on Wednesday. Science Olympiad has sort of been on hold this year due to not having a "place" to run it at the state level. I talked to the science teacher about it and he says that he's pretty sure that it will happen, but he doesn't know when we are going to start. Another thing that could have happened is I might have tried out for the musical. I had a friend who wanted me to try out because I went to a couple interventions with him in the drama class. I was tempted to, but when I found out about it the applications were due within the week and I decided I wouldn't really have time for it.
For Honors English, I just realized there was a book I was supposed to read. It's called "The Chosen" and it's the last thing that I have to do to get Honors English credit for this term. I've got a week to read it, so I'll probably be inside reading every day this week.
Last Wednesday, I recited the poem "IF" by Rudyard Kipling in English class. This was the term project and I think I did pretty good. The one big thing that I have left in English is book points. I finished Uncle Tungsten and have to give an oral report to the teacher after school some time this week.
Thoughts on Uncle Tungsten:
Uncle Tungsten is a very very scientific book. I'd recommend researching the things he talks about in the book as you read it (if you read it) so you can understand what he is talking about. I remember some of the stuff he was talking about from eighth grade science but I had to stop and think about it. There is a lot to learn from this book though too. Oliver Sacks (the author(this book is an autobiography)) explores the history and development of chemistry and physics and explains it how he saw it. I might reread this book later because of all the things it teaches. It was an okay read for me. It was exactly "thrilling" but a more "if you're interested" book.
This term has been pretty good. I've been able to keep up with everything mostly. Some things didn't quite turn out as I expected them to, but it all worked out. I thought that NAL (National Academic League) would be a little harder, more (for lack of a better word) competitive. Davis Youth Symphony has been the opposite. It's been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I kind of joined it without much thought after the orchestra teacher recommended me. The music is rather complicated and there is a lot of it. I've had to practice it a lot more, and because of this I haven't had much time to practice for my orchestra class. I need to do this much more now with a concert on Wednesday. Science Olympiad has sort of been on hold this year due to not having a "place" to run it at the state level. I talked to the science teacher about it and he says that he's pretty sure that it will happen, but he doesn't know when we are going to start. Another thing that could have happened is I might have tried out for the musical. I had a friend who wanted me to try out because I went to a couple interventions with him in the drama class. I was tempted to, but when I found out about it the applications were due within the week and I decided I wouldn't really have time for it.
For Honors English, I just realized there was a book I was supposed to read. It's called "The Chosen" and it's the last thing that I have to do to get Honors English credit for this term. I've got a week to read it, so I'll probably be inside reading every day this week.
Last Wednesday, I recited the poem "IF" by Rudyard Kipling in English class. This was the term project and I think I did pretty good. The one big thing that I have left in English is book points. I finished Uncle Tungsten and have to give an oral report to the teacher after school some time this week.
Thoughts on Uncle Tungsten:
Uncle Tungsten is a very very scientific book. I'd recommend researching the things he talks about in the book as you read it (if you read it) so you can understand what he is talking about. I remember some of the stuff he was talking about from eighth grade science but I had to stop and think about it. There is a lot to learn from this book though too. Oliver Sacks (the author(this book is an autobiography)) explores the history and development of chemistry and physics and explains it how he saw it. I might reread this book later because of all the things it teaches. It was an okay read for me. It was exactly "thrilling" but a more "if you're interested" book.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Grades and such
Once again, I have procrastinated. I kept thinking this week that I would do this tomorrow. Then tomorrow came and I thought the same thing. But it's not due until 11:59 right?
My goal of keeping a 4.0 is in the gray zone right now. My math and science grades are currently at 93% and that is barely an A. My Spanish grade has been fluctuating between A and A-. But for now they are all A's.
To take up the 500 words that are required, I'm going to write a poem about random stuff.
It's a great day,
Its greatness is great,
The sun is shining, the wind is blowing,
Someone is outside, the lawn they're mowing
Yet I am stuck inside.
I heard the Langstons went out,
Hurray for them.....
The Belnaps' dog is on the run,
Sounds exciting.....
James's friends and him went out for fun,
And me? Guess what?
My brother, his computer is on,
My sister, her friends are gossiping,
My parents are at the Joneses' house for dinner,
At the window, I see, the Munnses' cat,
I'm the one my parents call a sinner!
Even old Joe is having fun with his children's dog,
Where am I? What am I doing?
I'm here typing on my blog!
Don't think I'm normal?
You're one to talk,
You, sitting there, staring like a hawk
I'm grounded you see, and this is no fun!
I had to think of a poem, and that's what I came up with. Look like I'm about halfway done with my 500 words.
Yesterday, I went to the Kaysville Monster Mash thing. I thought that there were going to be a lot of people and that it would be fun, but it turned out to be just a bunch of little kids. I did have some fun there though. I got a costume and participated in a pie-eating contest. I was kind of hungry, and I saw the FREE pies, so... I felt sick afterwords though. The main reason I went was because most of my friends were going. The thing is, they were the ONLY ones going. So at about 8:45, I asked anyone if they wanted to go the Regional dance. They all said no, which I thought was lame, and I went and hung out with a friend at the Regional dance. There, I hit my head really hard on a wall, almost broke my tie, and got really mad at someone. It turned out well as you can see. The best part was when I went and got a cookie.
Friday was so much better. My friends came and picked me up to set up a surprise birthday party (which was actually a surprise for me, I had no prior knowledge of this). We had a ton of fun. We made a movie, I met someone new, got slapped in the face really really hard by the person I met, and we raided Arctic Circle with Nerf Guns (We didn't actually, but we did walk in there with them while making our "movie"). The only bad thing that happened was that someone kept lying to me, making up a different story every time about something.
Looks like I've got 500 words now. Huzzah!
My goal of keeping a 4.0 is in the gray zone right now. My math and science grades are currently at 93% and that is barely an A. My Spanish grade has been fluctuating between A and A-. But for now they are all A's.
To take up the 500 words that are required, I'm going to write a poem about random stuff.
It's a great day,
Its greatness is great,
The sun is shining, the wind is blowing,
Someone is outside, the lawn they're mowing
Yet I am stuck inside.
I heard the Langstons went out,
Hurray for them.....
The Belnaps' dog is on the run,
Sounds exciting.....
James's friends and him went out for fun,
And me? Guess what?
My brother, his computer is on,
My sister, her friends are gossiping,
My parents are at the Joneses' house for dinner,
At the window, I see, the Munnses' cat,
I'm the one my parents call a sinner!
Even old Joe is having fun with his children's dog,
Where am I? What am I doing?
I'm here typing on my blog!
Don't think I'm normal?
You're one to talk,
You, sitting there, staring like a hawk
I'm grounded you see, and this is no fun!
I had to think of a poem, and that's what I came up with. Look like I'm about halfway done with my 500 words.
Yesterday, I went to the Kaysville Monster Mash thing. I thought that there were going to be a lot of people and that it would be fun, but it turned out to be just a bunch of little kids. I did have some fun there though. I got a costume and participated in a pie-eating contest. I was kind of hungry, and I saw the FREE pies, so... I felt sick afterwords though. The main reason I went was because most of my friends were going. The thing is, they were the ONLY ones going. So at about 8:45, I asked anyone if they wanted to go the Regional dance. They all said no, which I thought was lame, and I went and hung out with a friend at the Regional dance. There, I hit my head really hard on a wall, almost broke my tie, and got really mad at someone. It turned out well as you can see. The best part was when I went and got a cookie.
Friday was so much better. My friends came and picked me up to set up a surprise birthday party (which was actually a surprise for me, I had no prior knowledge of this). We had a ton of fun. We made a movie, I met someone new, got slapped in the face really really hard by the person I met, and we raided Arctic Circle with Nerf Guns (We didn't actually, but we did walk in there with them while making our "movie"). The only bad thing that happened was that someone kept lying to me, making up a different story every time about something.
Looks like I've got 500 words now. Huzzah!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
10/10-10/14
Last week I forgot to write on this, and when I did remember to, I wasn't at home or able to get to a computer so this is me doing this last minute.
Tomorrow is A day, and I'm pretty sure I don't have anything due. In wood shop, I'm tired of having substitutes because we cant work in the shop with them. We just watch a video and do bookwork. Davis Youth Symphony was a lot harder last week than I thought it would be. The music looked so hard when I first got it, but now I can almost play through it all. The first concert is on February 27, so it seems like a long way off. For NAL, I had to leave about 15 minutes early (3:45) to get to Youth Symphony and I found out that I'm supposed to BE THERE at 3:45 so I was a little behind. In NAL we watched videos of the actual competition and how it works and played a practice round of the 1st quarter.
On Tuesday, in math, we have to finish the unit 2 test which we started last time, and review for the big term test. I'm not really excited for that, but I'll be glad to get it over with. In Orchestra, I get to play my solo. The piece is called Wild Rider and it's only about a page long. Just my luck, I get to do it the first day of solos, while some people get to do it almost 3 weeks later. In English, I think we have an online book review due, but I'm pretty sure I already did that, so I'll see how that turns out. Also, in English, I've been moved around the classroom about 4 times without the teacher changing anybody else (and it's not because I've been talking, it's because some people can't see from the back and others keep talking).
On Wednesday, I don't think anything out of the ordinary is going on except for Mutual which I have no idea what we are doing. On Thursday, there's the big, all-important term test in math. I'm not really prepared for that right now. The next few classes of Orchestra will be mostly listening to everyone's solos. Some of the class will be for preparing for the concert we have coming up sometime near the end of this month.
Friday, nothing's really happening, but on Saturday there's the Kaysville City Monster Mash Dance thing which I think most of my friends are going to, so I'll probably be going. I've heard the Regional Dance is supposed to be that Saturday too, but I think that may be wrong (somebody comment and tell me).
For Honors English I have to enter a writing contest of some sort, so I've decided to do the Reflections Contest. I wrote a short poem, and if you read it tell me what you think. The theme is Diversity
Diversity
The thing that creates us different,
Right, wrong, simple, complex,
The way we do things,
The way we think.
All around us,
And inside us,
Diversity.
In past, in present,
in war, in peace,
Together, against, with, without,
Everywhere, Everything
Work with, Work against
It's always there:
Diversity
Age, order, natural, strange,
Height, width, any range.
Culture, origin, color, clothes,
Looks and other things they chose,
Anywhere, anytime
All must continue the climb
the change, the path
of Diversity
Some will hate, some will love,
Each has a thought,
His own thereof.
No choice is set,
Yet some forget
They could have done that too.
If alike, we all came
We would all be the same,
A copy, a fake
Another reflection in the lake
We live it, we learn it,
we die by it, we earn it,
Diversity
Tomorrow is A day, and I'm pretty sure I don't have anything due. In wood shop, I'm tired of having substitutes because we cant work in the shop with them. We just watch a video and do bookwork. Davis Youth Symphony was a lot harder last week than I thought it would be. The music looked so hard when I first got it, but now I can almost play through it all. The first concert is on February 27, so it seems like a long way off. For NAL, I had to leave about 15 minutes early (3:45) to get to Youth Symphony and I found out that I'm supposed to BE THERE at 3:45 so I was a little behind. In NAL we watched videos of the actual competition and how it works and played a practice round of the 1st quarter.
On Tuesday, in math, we have to finish the unit 2 test which we started last time, and review for the big term test. I'm not really excited for that, but I'll be glad to get it over with. In Orchestra, I get to play my solo. The piece is called Wild Rider and it's only about a page long. Just my luck, I get to do it the first day of solos, while some people get to do it almost 3 weeks later. In English, I think we have an online book review due, but I'm pretty sure I already did that, so I'll see how that turns out. Also, in English, I've been moved around the classroom about 4 times without the teacher changing anybody else (and it's not because I've been talking, it's because some people can't see from the back and others keep talking).
On Wednesday, I don't think anything out of the ordinary is going on except for Mutual which I have no idea what we are doing. On Thursday, there's the big, all-important term test in math. I'm not really prepared for that right now. The next few classes of Orchestra will be mostly listening to everyone's solos. Some of the class will be for preparing for the concert we have coming up sometime near the end of this month.
Friday, nothing's really happening, but on Saturday there's the Kaysville City Monster Mash Dance thing which I think most of my friends are going to, so I'll probably be going. I've heard the Regional Dance is supposed to be that Saturday too, but I think that may be wrong (somebody comment and tell me).
For Honors English I have to enter a writing contest of some sort, so I've decided to do the Reflections Contest. I wrote a short poem, and if you read it tell me what you think. The theme is Diversity
Diversity
The thing that creates us different,
Right, wrong, simple, complex,
The way we do things,
The way we think.
All around us,
And inside us,
Diversity.
In past, in present,
in war, in peace,
Together, against, with, without,
Everywhere, Everything
Work with, Work against
It's always there:
Diversity
Age, order, natural, strange,
Height, width, any range.
Culture, origin, color, clothes,
Looks and other things they chose,
Anywhere, anytime
All must continue the climb
the change, the path
of Diversity
Some will hate, some will love,
Each has a thought,
His own thereof.
No choice is set,
Yet some forget
They could have done that too.
If alike, we all came
We would all be the same,
A copy, a fake
Another reflection in the lake
We live it, we learn it,
we die by it, we earn it,
Diversity
Sunday, October 2, 2011
This week
I'm typing this to recount what I have to do and prepare for this week. It's also to remind anyone who is reading this what's going on and what's due.
On Monday (tomorrow), there is NAL and Davis Youth Symphony. NAL is right after school in Turneau's room and I think we will be working on the worksheet that we got last time. Tomorrow is also the first day of Davis Youth Symphony and I'm excited for that. It is at 4:00 and I'm told it goes for 1 and a 1/2 hours.
On Tuesday, in seminary, we have Conference in General. I did the 2 minute talk for the priesthood session on Saturday, and I think that I'm mostly done with that. We also have to dress in church clothes for that so that will be interesting since I have woodshop that day too...
Coming up in math, we have the term test and the Unit 2 test. I'll be needing to study for those. This week sometime we'll be having a quiz also.
I need to work on the term projects for Spanish, English, and Science. That's my week.
On Monday (tomorrow), there is NAL and Davis Youth Symphony. NAL is right after school in Turneau's room and I think we will be working on the worksheet that we got last time. Tomorrow is also the first day of Davis Youth Symphony and I'm excited for that. It is at 4:00 and I'm told it goes for 1 and a 1/2 hours.
On Tuesday, in seminary, we have Conference in General. I did the 2 minute talk for the priesthood session on Saturday, and I think that I'm mostly done with that. We also have to dress in church clothes for that so that will be interesting since I have woodshop that day too...
Coming up in math, we have the term test and the Unit 2 test. I'll be needing to study for those. This week sometime we'll be having a quiz also.
I need to work on the term projects for Spanish, English, and Science. That's my week.
The Devil Colony
Recently I finished a book by the name of The Devil Colony. The author is James Rollins.
Synopsis:
Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery-hundreds of mummified bodies-stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.
During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help-her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.
To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.
From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.
But can Painter discover the truth-one that could topple governments-before it destroys all he holds dear?
As you can see this is an action packed story filled with science, historical fiction and some humor. The characters make for quite a story, each with their own unique background. They must all work together to save millions of lives and discover the truth to this puzzling mystery.
This book reminds me of a Dan Brown book. It includes rewritten American history, suspense, mystery, and Biblical and Book of Mormon history. James Rollins also adds his own sense of humor to the story making this book quite entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested.
Synopsis:
Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery-hundreds of mummified bodies-stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.
During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help-her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.
To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.
From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.
But can Painter discover the truth-one that could topple governments-before it destroys all he holds dear?
As you can see this is an action packed story filled with science, historical fiction and some humor. The characters make for quite a story, each with their own unique background. They must all work together to save millions of lives and discover the truth to this puzzling mystery.
This book reminds me of a Dan Brown book. It includes rewritten American history, suspense, mystery, and Biblical and Book of Mormon history. James Rollins also adds his own sense of humor to the story making this book quite entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
School Life #2
School has been increasingly interesting.
In Orchestra I've been stressing about auditions for section leader. It turns out that I made 1st chair though, so that was a relief. The orchestra teacher also recommended me for Davis Youth Symphony. I also made the NAL team and I'm sure how this is all going to work. My first meeting for NAL is on Monday so I'll see what the schedule will be. Youth Symphony is on Monday too, but it's in 2 weeks.
Seminary is going great. It's lots of fun. Spanish is still boring, but it is getting more interesting the more I participate. I'm also finding that I'm remembering more of it from last year. Science is... different. It's a fun class, the teacher is fun, and I get to sit next to my friends, but I have to keep up with the web works and work on my term project. I just remembered that I also have to do my term project for Spanish. I have to read Uncle Tungsten, which seems like a huge monologue. I'm also using that as one of my English reading books for reading points. I've got to have the first 100 pages read by Monday.
In English I've got a poem to memorize which is 4 stanzas long. For the extra credit that I want to get I have to have it done by Tuesday and I'm only half way done. Also, there's a Utah Write assignment that I have to worry about. Math is getting more and more complicated. The problems are getting longer and more intricate. There's so many equations to memorize. P.E. is my stress free class. There's nothing that I have to worry about there. I just have to show up and participate. Honors English has become the least of my worries.
Besides school work, I'm also having trouble talking to a certain person, but I won't go into detail on that.
Like before, I'm going to type a poem, this time for Spanish, to help me memorize it.
Un elefante se balanceaba
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veia que no se caia,
Fue a llamar a otro elefante.
Dos elefantes se balanceaban,
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veian que no se caian,
Fueron a llamar a otro elefante.
Tres elefantes se balanceaban,
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veian que no se caian,
Fueron a llamar a otro elefente.
This poem is actually a nursery rhyme that you sing, but I can either recite it like a poem or sing it. I'll probably be saying it like a poem.
Thoughts and feelings about Uncle Tungsten:
This book is an autobiography by Oliver Sacks. He is now a famous neurologist and writer. In his book I am reading about his childhood and how he interacted with his family. He explains his fascination with metals and minerals. He seems to be a very analytical boy, but likes to relate things to himself and the world. He is especially interested in Tungsten (hence, Uncle Tungsten) which he comes in contact mostly around his uncle. His uncle works with light bulbs. He collects, studies, and invents them. He really likes to use Tungsten as the filament in them because it lasts so long. He earns the nickname Uncle Tungsten because he is so obsessed with it. Oliver always looks forward to seeing his uncle through all the stress of the war, school, and his parents. So far nothing major or super exciting has happened so I'm continuing a slower pace of reading. I really can't wait to be done with this book.
In Orchestra I've been stressing about auditions for section leader. It turns out that I made 1st chair though, so that was a relief. The orchestra teacher also recommended me for Davis Youth Symphony. I also made the NAL team and I'm sure how this is all going to work. My first meeting for NAL is on Monday so I'll see what the schedule will be. Youth Symphony is on Monday too, but it's in 2 weeks.
Seminary is going great. It's lots of fun. Spanish is still boring, but it is getting more interesting the more I participate. I'm also finding that I'm remembering more of it from last year. Science is... different. It's a fun class, the teacher is fun, and I get to sit next to my friends, but I have to keep up with the web works and work on my term project. I just remembered that I also have to do my term project for Spanish. I have to read Uncle Tungsten, which seems like a huge monologue. I'm also using that as one of my English reading books for reading points. I've got to have the first 100 pages read by Monday.
In English I've got a poem to memorize which is 4 stanzas long. For the extra credit that I want to get I have to have it done by Tuesday and I'm only half way done. Also, there's a Utah Write assignment that I have to worry about. Math is getting more and more complicated. The problems are getting longer and more intricate. There's so many equations to memorize. P.E. is my stress free class. There's nothing that I have to worry about there. I just have to show up and participate. Honors English has become the least of my worries.
Besides school work, I'm also having trouble talking to a certain person, but I won't go into detail on that.
Like before, I'm going to type a poem, this time for Spanish, to help me memorize it.
Un elefante se balanceaba
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veia que no se caia,
Fue a llamar a otro elefante.
Dos elefantes se balanceaban,
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veian que no se caian,
Fueron a llamar a otro elefante.
Tres elefantes se balanceaban,
Sobre la tela de una arana.
Como veian que no se caian,
Fueron a llamar a otro elefente.
This poem is actually a nursery rhyme that you sing, but I can either recite it like a poem or sing it. I'll probably be saying it like a poem.
Thoughts and feelings about Uncle Tungsten:
This book is an autobiography by Oliver Sacks. He is now a famous neurologist and writer. In his book I am reading about his childhood and how he interacted with his family. He explains his fascination with metals and minerals. He seems to be a very analytical boy, but likes to relate things to himself and the world. He is especially interested in Tungsten (hence, Uncle Tungsten) which he comes in contact mostly around his uncle. His uncle works with light bulbs. He collects, studies, and invents them. He really likes to use Tungsten as the filament in them because it lasts so long. He earns the nickname Uncle Tungsten because he is so obsessed with it. Oliver always looks forward to seeing his uncle through all the stress of the war, school, and his parents. So far nothing major or super exciting has happened so I'm continuing a slower pace of reading. I really can't wait to be done with this book.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Self Bio
I haven't really told a lot about myself before so now I will.
I went to Kaysville Elementary and will be going to Davis. Most of the kids I knew in elementary school went to Kaysville Jr. High so that was kind of disappointing for me. I met new people at Fairfield though, so that was great. This is my 9th grade year, and I'm trying to learn the names of as many people as possible right now. I am LDS.
I've lived in this city my entire life. I moved once but it was only about 5 or 6 blocks away. I like to play baseball and have played on teams for 5 years. I played basketball for maybe 3 years and soccer for 1. I like to read a lot and have a full bookshelf in my room. I like doing Science Olympiad and MESA and academic competitions as well as sports. Since I turned 14, I've been going to regional dances which my church does every month.
My electives are Manufactoring, Spanish 3, and Orchestra. I've been in orchestra for 3 years and it's really fun. I play the bass. I've taken lessons for the guitar for about a year so I sort of know how to play it. I've never played piano but I've started to want to learn to.
My favorite color is Cobalt Blue, favorite food is any kind of seafood, favorite activity is any running sport, and favorite candy bar is Twix.
Most of my classes I like. I can get along well with the teachers which is good. My favorite class is Seminary right now. It doesn't really feel like a class, so by the time I get to 4th period it doesn't feel like the day should be over. My least favorite class is English right now because of the daily assignments and journal entries and things like that. I'm also not really having much fun with math. That's mostly because I always have at least 2 pages of homework from that class every day.
And that's me.
I went to Kaysville Elementary and will be going to Davis. Most of the kids I knew in elementary school went to Kaysville Jr. High so that was kind of disappointing for me. I met new people at Fairfield though, so that was great. This is my 9th grade year, and I'm trying to learn the names of as many people as possible right now. I am LDS.
I've lived in this city my entire life. I moved once but it was only about 5 or 6 blocks away. I like to play baseball and have played on teams for 5 years. I played basketball for maybe 3 years and soccer for 1. I like to read a lot and have a full bookshelf in my room. I like doing Science Olympiad and MESA and academic competitions as well as sports. Since I turned 14, I've been going to regional dances which my church does every month.
My electives are Manufactoring, Spanish 3, and Orchestra. I've been in orchestra for 3 years and it's really fun. I play the bass. I've taken lessons for the guitar for about a year so I sort of know how to play it. I've never played piano but I've started to want to learn to.
My favorite color is Cobalt Blue, favorite food is any kind of seafood, favorite activity is any running sport, and favorite candy bar is Twix.
Most of my classes I like. I can get along well with the teachers which is good. My favorite class is Seminary right now. It doesn't really feel like a class, so by the time I get to 4th period it doesn't feel like the day should be over. My least favorite class is English right now because of the daily assignments and journal entries and things like that. I'm also not really having much fun with math. That's mostly because I always have at least 2 pages of homework from that class every day.
And that's me.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Some kids..........
At school, I'm sure some people have noticed, there are always the kids who are just plain idiots in my opinion.
There are the kids who sit and do nothing. They do absolutely nothing. They sit there and let assignments be passed to them, but don't do them. They fail quizzes and tests all the time because they don't know the stuff that everyone does because they don't do the activities. There is a kid like this in my science class, and the teacher uses him as an object lesson as what not to do.
There are the kids who get mad at the teacher and get the teacher mad at them. They'll make fun of them or swear when they think that they're not listening and argue with the teacher. They think the whole time that everyone thinks this is funny. There are kids who actually do think this is funny, but they're just as bad.
Then there are the kids who are normal. They get along with the other students and the teacher and do their work. These kids are SO MUCH more likable. I think that it's okay in class to make a joke, maybe a side comment to a friend, but only when it's at the right time. You do it during a class discussion or a group assignment or activity and it's okay.
This is my opinion on what students should and shouldn't be like.
There are the kids who sit and do nothing. They do absolutely nothing. They sit there and let assignments be passed to them, but don't do them. They fail quizzes and tests all the time because they don't know the stuff that everyone does because they don't do the activities. There is a kid like this in my science class, and the teacher uses him as an object lesson as what not to do.
There are the kids who get mad at the teacher and get the teacher mad at them. They'll make fun of them or swear when they think that they're not listening and argue with the teacher. They think the whole time that everyone thinks this is funny. There are kids who actually do think this is funny, but they're just as bad.
Then there are the kids who are normal. They get along with the other students and the teacher and do their work. These kids are SO MUCH more likable. I think that it's okay in class to make a joke, maybe a side comment to a friend, but only when it's at the right time. You do it during a class discussion or a group assignment or activity and it's okay.
This is my opinion on what students should and shouldn't be like.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
English Assignment
This is a poem that I have to memorize for English class and I thought that typing it and putting it on my blog would help me do just that.
[IF]
If you can keep your head when all about
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give away to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to,
broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
-Rudyard Kipling
[IF]
If you can keep your head when all about
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give away to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to,
broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
-Rudyard Kipling
Monday, September 5, 2011
School Life
Hello, I've just started a blog. My first post (actually, it's my second) will be about how school is.
This year is my last year in Jr. High and I really want to make it my best. I plan on getting a 4.0 GPA for the year which I have managed to do in previous years. I also want to do as many extracurricular activities as possible this year since it officially counts as High School even though I'm not actually going to a high school.
The first two weeks of school have gone pretty well for me I think. I've met some new people which has been interesting. There seem to be more people I don't know this year than I do know. It's probably because of the new school they built and the changing of boundaries. I actually had to get a variance this year, which I got because I didn't want to spend my last year of Jr. High in a school that I've never been to and am not familiar with.
Most of my classes are pretty fun. Math this year is different. I'm in Algebra 2 and it's a lot harder than last year. I had to get a graphing calculator which was expensive, but the teacher is awesome. She explains everything so well it makes it easier. Seminary is probably my favorite class, mostly because the teacher is so fun. In Spanish 3 I've had to speak a lot more Spanish. It's difficult to remember everything from last year. Science is okay. Orchestra seems just like last year.
Being a ninth grader is the best part. I'm not super tall or anything but it's strange to look over most people. There's just an odd feeling of being one of the oldest in the school.
This year is going to be awesome. I'm going to try out to be on the Science Olympiad team for a 3rd year. I also want to go for NAL, the Track team, and possibly Honor Society. I've heard from some people that the school doesn't have enough funding for MESA which I also wanted to do again. I hope that's not true.
So I guess that's all I have to say for now.
This year is my last year in Jr. High and I really want to make it my best. I plan on getting a 4.0 GPA for the year which I have managed to do in previous years. I also want to do as many extracurricular activities as possible this year since it officially counts as High School even though I'm not actually going to a high school.
The first two weeks of school have gone pretty well for me I think. I've met some new people which has been interesting. There seem to be more people I don't know this year than I do know. It's probably because of the new school they built and the changing of boundaries. I actually had to get a variance this year, which I got because I didn't want to spend my last year of Jr. High in a school that I've never been to and am not familiar with.
Most of my classes are pretty fun. Math this year is different. I'm in Algebra 2 and it's a lot harder than last year. I had to get a graphing calculator which was expensive, but the teacher is awesome. She explains everything so well it makes it easier. Seminary is probably my favorite class, mostly because the teacher is so fun. In Spanish 3 I've had to speak a lot more Spanish. It's difficult to remember everything from last year. Science is okay. Orchestra seems just like last year.
Being a ninth grader is the best part. I'm not super tall or anything but it's strange to look over most people. There's just an odd feeling of being one of the oldest in the school.
This year is going to be awesome. I'm going to try out to be on the Science Olympiad team for a 3rd year. I also want to go for NAL, the Track team, and possibly Honor Society. I've heard from some people that the school doesn't have enough funding for MESA which I also wanted to do again. I hope that's not true.
So I guess that's all I have to say for now.
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