12/8 - Blog

This past weekend was my first indoor track meet ever! It was exciting, but i was really nervous. I mean i didn't do too bad for the first meet, but i do have another one on Thursday in which i know im going to be nervous even though now im getting use to how the meets run. Nevermind having a track meet during the week but the work load that I have on my back is just making my week hectic. Some of my finals are this week and then i have 2 next week, but im just not getting a lot of sleep and i never have time to take a nap because of practice and classes and then homework always gets in the way! But i just want this week and next week to go by and then i wont have anything to do until after vacation which sounds so nice right about now.

12/1 - Blog

Over thanksgiving break i had worked on black friday from 8-5 which was one long day especially when its really busy! then i worked saturday and then sunday as well before i came back to school. I did not want to come back to school because i wasn't in the mood to wake up for classes, i personally enjoyed time off and sleeping in when i was able to. It was just nice to be home with all of my friends that i havent seen in a while and just not having to worry about classes and all of the work.

12/8

Last week and this week are really stressful because of the classes ending and all the work all the teachers are trying to squeeze in is just a lot to handle all at once. In most of my classes the test and all the final work is due this week and I don’t need to stay for the final time but I probably will end up staying because I will need to use the time to get my papers done instead of rushing on them to pass them in and then leave to go home early. I just think that with packing everything up and getting all my work done on top of all the tests will be a lot to do for Friday so I need to just take one day at a time so that it is easier for me to focus on what is due and make sure that it is done on time and finished for when it needs to be done and passed in. i hope that I don’t get too stressed out this week and that I can just get all my work done and manage my time well. 

December 8 blog

We are so close to winter break and finals. I wonder, am I the only one who has not started studying? I hope not. It's been a busy week. Teachers seem to be loading on the homework, which I find myself doing instead of studying for finals. Tonight was the date auction which I went to with my friends, tomorrow I'm going to the Night Owls concert, and Wednesday I am going to be in the concert in Dever for the Westfield Strings Ensemble. I'm so excited for this concert. It's my first college concert, and we've been practicing really hard for it. The only thing I'm worried about is that I am going to play during a rest or make a mistake like play a wrong note. Hopefully this won't happen. Anyways, the concert is at 7pm and starts after the percussion is over. It's a mixed concert since both of our sections are pretty short, we'll probably only play for 20 minutes. I am one of three cellos, but I think a 4th is coming for the concert. Other than that there are 2 violas, 3 basses, 2 second violins and 2 first violins. It's a pretty small group but it sounds good.

12/7 Blog

Crazy weekend
So i decided when i went into work on friday night that i didn't want to waitress anymore. So i didn't ask, i told my boss and manager that i was bartending. Well... since a few of us kids work there, we decided to invite all our friends. The bar was packed with underage teens. There was drama, puking, and money being made. I left around 11 with 80 in my pocket. I went to my boyfriend's house to see him sleepin on the couch. So i left, and went home to fine my brother (16) and his friend bored out of their minds. So i said hey lets go out. This was around 1 in the morning. We ended up going to my work and my brother and his friend drank some beer and we played this game on one of the machines called "whats the difference?" (a porno game) I dont think they knew what to do with themselves they had so much fun. My manager and boss were like omg thats your brother im like ya... No one cares there. So saturday night i went into work around 4 to find the bar a mess. it took me over and hour to clean it. And the same happened that night.

This week is ether going to nice or its going to be hell. We have all this english stuff to do in the next weekish. I have a geology quiz wed, and homework due friday. Economics I have a test on thursday. I have 4 out of 12 case graders for computer applications due by friday. And I have to get ready for 3 or 4 finals next week. I have to try to work monday and tuesday if i can because i need money for Christmas, and i have to go Christmas shopping because i haven't started and Christmas is in 18 days. WOW.
BUT, my geology teacher canceled mondays class, and on tuesday I don't need to go to my computer class on tuesday morning because i can do all my work at home. Although after next week we are done for a while.
Also it snowed last night, its a good think it was small because i would still be working.

December 1 blog

It's really strange to think that it is already December, and even stranger to think that it is almost 2009. Every December there is something called Winter Camp at the camp I work at in the summer. It goes from Dec. 27th to Dec. 30th and is one of the best sessions ever- other than the summer ones of course. I will hopefully be working at it this year, which means going up on December 26th for a day of training. Apparently winter camp is a lot different than any other weekend I've worked at before, usually we have about 45 minutes to go over the schedule and set up the cabins- for this program we have an entire day. The last time I went to winter camp was with my sister, Jenny. I was 9 and she was 12 and things were a lot different then. I remember going ice skating on the pond, and they even drove us out to Amesbury, Mass. to go tubing, that was fun. I'm not sure if there is a little off trip adventure anymore, and I'm sure we don't skate on the pond anymore, but I know there will be tons of fun things as there are at every Barton weekend.
Also in December comes that whole 25 days of Christmas on abc family. They have all of those cute Christmas movies. Those are great.

last november blog

So I couldn't get onto the site last week and forgot until now. This is my blog from last week.

We have Thanksgiving break this week and I am more than ready for it. I won't leave until Wednesday at 11:49. My Uncle Paul and Aunt Rozzie are picking me up and driving me to my cousins house in Newburyport where we go every year for Thanksgiving. The drive will be about 2 hours there and when I leave from there, on Friday, it will be around 4 hours to get back to Connecticut. But I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. The last time I went home was for the holiday (Rosh Hashana) and I got to see all of my family and friends. This time I'll go home and end up in my house around 11:00am. At 2:30 my step-dad, Jack, is going to be on the radio talking and they are going to play some of his songs. He sings those rat-pack songs, mainly Dean Martin, and just made a CD. I'll listen to him on the radio and then go to work at 4pm til close. After work about 9 or 10 of us from my old high school will probably meet up at the Dunkin Donuts everyone goes to to get iced coffees. They're open 24 hours a day and people are always hanging out there. When we come back we'll only have 10 school days until finals. And after that, 1/8 of our hopefully only 4 years here, will be done.

BLOG 11/30

 

I cant believe how much traffic we are waiting in right now on the way to getting back to school. There is such a backup and so many Carson the highway and they are all just inching forward and barely moving. When I get back to school I have so much to do and a project that I should get started on because it is due Friday. These next two weeks are going to be so stressful and I am going to have to do so much work and a lot of studying for the finals. I tried to get a lot of my work done that is due after thanksgiving hat way I didn’t have to worry about it when I was home so that I could just get all the papers and little things out of the way so that it will be easier to just focus on the tests im going to have to study for and be able to organize all the material I need to know for the tests and figure out my upcoming schedule, because I need to find out if my tests are before or after the finals week. 

This Thanksgiving I started out playing football with a huge group of people. There were two separate kind of games going on... one game for people who wanted a more "family friendly" kind of game and another game that was more intense and competitive. I joined the more intense game. The last game that we played was fun because we used line-men. I was one of the guys that was on the line. It was fun to be on a line again and try to break through another stacked line. I had to make my way through some pretty tough guys, They were at least five years older than me and about double my strength. I still managed to make it through the line for a couple of sacks. I also almost got an interception... but I out ran the ball after i knocked it up. Before the intense game, I was mainly used as a Tight-End... I caught many passes and gained a respectable amount of yards on the field. After I was done playing football, I made my way over to my Aunt's house for a long deserved shower and out turkey dinner... or lunch rather. After lunch, Me and my family sat around the house and enjoyed each others company. The "kids" played pool while the women started to make christmas wish lists for the shopping that they were going to be doing that coming friday. Us guys watched some football and played some pool in my Uncle's finished basement. The basement is awesome, it is equipped with a pool table, flat screen tv, and an old fashion gaming system... one that you would play the really old classic games. My uncle rigged up a computer system that would play all the old fashion games such as dig dug. After my family left my Aunt's house, we headed up to see my grandmother. Me and my sister stayed at my grandmother's house for about two hours and then went to go see my cousin and some friends. We hung out at our friend Jon's house and just had some fun around his house. So.. that was pretty much my Thanksgiving in a nutshell. 

Thanksgiving was nice, my family went to East Longmeadow to see our cousins. One of our cousins goes to middle school, ones a freshman in high school, and one graduated from college two years ago and now works in Philadelphia. It was my brothers first family event that he was 21 for so he drank with my cousin. We haven't seen them sense Christmas last year so we just hung out and talked. Then we ate a bunch of turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, we watched Hancock and drove home. When we got home me and my brother went out with some friends. Besides thanksgiving the only thing i did this vacation is sit on the couch and relax, then hangout with friends and watch them drink, and be there designated driver.

This weekend I just hung around campus.. my girlfriend came to see me and we watched some movies. I can't wait till thanksgiving. I start out the morning playing football with a group of people from my church, there normally is a huge group of people and we have like four games going at once. Then i head over to my Aunt's house, shower, and eat some turkey. We have thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family over there. Then we go see my grandmother, My dad's mom, and have some left over turkey up there. Then us kids will probably go hang out someplace. Three years ago was the best thanksgiving ever because right after we were done visiting my grandmother, us kids went to the bowling alley. This was a special time because we just hung out and bowled. They alley was pretty much closed, besides the bar being opened. This was particularly an event that I am going to remember forever because it was the last time that I bowled with one of my friends, He died the saturday after thanksgiving....... so that thanksgiving night was one that i will never remember. 

So i always forget to write on this blog thing. But anyways I cannot until this weekend because I think that I am going skiing for the first time this year and vary excited. I miss going to Vermont with my family and I miss my family very much. We always go up over Thanksgiving weekend but not 100% sure because two of my cousins with still be playing football because of the playoffs. 

11/23

The DC food makes me sick. I wish that they had more to choose from and that it wasn’t the same thing everyday. What I really want for them to have all the time is, chicken. If they had chicken then you could do so much with it you could cut it up and put it in a salad or you could put it in a wrap or make a chicken Caesar wrap. I like the salad bar most of the time it is good but you can only have it so much before you get sick of having lettuce all the time. I like the selection they have for drinks and all of the sodas and juices that they have. I really like Pandini’s because the restaurant is really cool the way it is set up with all the booths and all the televisions but I just the cheese pizza all the time so I cant keep getting it or ill get sick, I’ve had it way too much. But I do really like it in there because I think it makes you feel as if you are off campus at a restaurant and that you can eat there for a change instead of the DC all the time. 

My birthday was in the end of August, a week before school started, and i finally figured out what i want for my present from my parents. Back in August i tried to get them to get me a new car, or a new Ninja 250R. Back during the summer me and my friend were going to get some motorcycles to cruse around on, it would have been pretty bad ass and saved alot of money on gas commuting back and forth from school. But our parents wouldn't let us get them, and we didn't have time for lessons. So I finally decided to get a new cell phone. I got the VX 8350 in red. Its basically the same as my old phone but new and updated. It has an mp3 player, which my old phone didn't.

11/18 Blog

So this was one of the most tiring weekends in a long time. Saturday and Sunday i slept until 11. Out of nowhere... work has been very busy. It was actually a good weekend there. We weren't out of much. Unusual. And i made good money. These cowboys left me $80 which was sweet. I gave them free oatmeal cookie shots which is like Baileys and Kalua and 3 Olives chocolate. I did some with them. haha. My boss just kinda looked at me like i had ten heads. He doesn't really care what i do since i had to open the restaurant at 4 and he dind't show up till 5. Fun night

november 17 -

I’m hoping this week goes by fast because I have 2 tests which sucks but then next week we only have 2 or 3 days of classes. Then we can go home for thanksgiving break and actually have some time off from school and sports and i havent been home since columbus day weekend which is a pretty long time for me. But I know that some teachers will give an assignment over vacation. Also since I do track I know I will have a workout to do over vacation to stay in shape and not be lazy and the 2 days before we go home the workouts will be hard. But I know once we get back from vacation our coach will give us something hard to see who did stuff over vacation and who didn’t.

November 10 - blog

This week I was excited because Tuesday we had no classes and ended up only having 4 days of classes. Then my coach decided to make our Tuesday not a good day off because he told us that we had a 10 am practice and that we had to be there on time which sucked getting up that early on our day off. Being out until 130-2 in the morning didn’t really help out that I had to get up early the next day.

This weekend was so much fun!!! my cousin and two friends came to see me and my sister. We mostly just hung out around campus, but we did go to the mall and out to eat. We were going to go over to UMASS but one of our other friends wasn't home so we couldn't go there. We hung out here and watched movies and got pizza. It was good to see them because i don't get to that much seeing that i'm here. It was also good to see my cousin, cause we used to hang out all the time before school. 

11/16 blog

I just got back to WSC from camp this weekend and it was great. We had our November WACkY program which is for kids 6-16 to come for the weekend and have a little session of camp. The camp is Barton, which is a diabetes camp but on this weekend the kids could bring a friend or sibling who doesn't have diabetes. I was a counselor for the boys group who aged from 7-15. When I got my cabin assignment I thought it was going to be awful because I haven't been with the boys group at all since it is in the summer and on the weekends they put the guy counselors with the boys. But this weekend since there was only one guy counselor, Tom, it was him, Ashley and me in the cabin with all the boys. They turned out to be a pretty fun group but were a lot more difficult than the girls usually are.
We had a talent show, played skeletons in the closet, sardines, diabetes bobsled, and ga-ga (which is the best game in the entire world.)
The food was also amazing because it was done by a different person than the summer food is, and since we had only 46 campers this weekend and about 20 or so staff, they were able to buy better food. My favorite was breakfast this morning because we had sausage bread which is the greatest food at CBC.
The only thing I didn't like about this weekend was that I had to do 12s and 3s in the same night. That means that at midnight, and 3am you have to go downstairs and check the kids blood sugars. The process takes about 45 minutes to an hour because if it is out of range you have to treat it and wait for it to go in range before you can go to bed. On top of that, I was in the only cabin with bunk beds so I was climbing up them trying to prick fingers while also trying to hold onto the bed, it was harder than it sounds.

All week I've been trying to catch up on sleep. On Monday my family had a huge 4 stem tree cut down in our backyard. I had one class that day so I got out at 1, and was home for 2. So after school i started cutting it up for firewood. After i cut it my little brother split it. I spent 3 hours that day cutting and only cut a small part of it. The next day was Veterans Day so I got to sleep till about 10, then i spent the rest of the day cutting more wood. I still had more wood left to cut but i got most of it. In all i would say I cut about 20 cords, which should last about 3 years. But we can't burn it till next winter because it needs time to become seasoned.

Blog: 11/03 couldn’t get it to work before.

I wish that Westfield wasn’t so far away from my house because I get car sick very easily and I want to be able to go home and have it not be such a process and such a big deal to figure out the ride situation and be able to carpool because 4 hours of driving is far too much and to have someone pick me up and drop me off would be 8 hours. I do like this school but I think being far away was too much of a leap and I want to be able to go home when I want to or when I feel like it, or at the last minute rather then having to plan for it. 

Blog: 11/10

 The Blog wouldn’t work for me the last couple of times but now since it does here are the entries that I couldn’t get up before:

It is getting closer to snowboarding season and im really excited about that because I love to snowboard and it’s a really good time to go with your friends or your family and to be able to go out all day in the snow and to just have a good time. I love going really early before anyone gets there so the snow is perfectly groomed and not even touched yet. There is nothing better then a good run with hardly anyone on the mountain and just being able to be free and do what you want without having to worry if you are getting in the way of anyone or if you are bothering any of the skiers. My family usually gets season passes but I don’t know if I will be getting one with them this year because im in college and in the middle of no where in Westfield so it will be harder for me to get out and go. 

Blog: 11/16/08

I can’t wait to go home for thanksgiving because then I will be able to see all my family and friends. We usually have the dinner at my aunts house but this year we are changing it up and having it at my house so that my aunt doesn’t have to cook every time and she cant take the year off of cooking for everyone. I think that we are going to have two thanksgiving after the one at my house we are going to go to my aunts and have another one there so that it can still be at her house too. Everyone in my family gets along really well when we are together and we have a lot of fun because we enjoy each other’s company. My cousin and I are really close because we are only 9 months apart so we are on the same page and she goes to University of Massachusetts Amherst so I see her often since she is so close. 

11/10

So this weekend blew. Firday night at work, my other waitress, and busgirl called out. So thinking it wasnt going to be too busy i thought i could handle it. Six o'clock came around and eventually a table came in. Ok.... then another... so that was fine... then another.. ok yay... and about 7 walked in the door. Nine tables at once... ya i havn't seen work that busy in a long time. I was running like crazy and not to mention we were out of about everything. By the end of the night i counted 15 tables in all by myself making drinks myself and everything but their meal. I wanted to die. Then i went out with my BF and his dad. i couldn't keep my eyes open. But it was worth it i guess.

i havent done any in a while

i havent been able to get on the site in a while. hence why i haven't been writing any blogs the last few weeks. but im back now!
ok so updating my life sicne my last blog in i think september.
1. still havent been home since move in day. kinda bittersweet feeling babout that. i miss my bed and having my own room and not havign to share my bathrom with like 15 other people. above all i miss my puppy (aminature shnowzer). but on the other hand i love having the freedom i have here and all my friends.
2.my parents did come and visit the day before my 19th birthday. we went to red robbins which is in my top 3 favorite restaurants (fridays being my first and fire and ice being my second) we had my immediate family there (my mom and dad, brother and my aunt)
3. i went to boston with my boyfriend and my friend matt on oct 11th. we ended up meeting my best friend from home and her friend in boston (they were on a day trip from their school with is in ny) and we all went out for a celebratory brthday lunch at fire and ice in harvard square. it was an awsome day not counting the 3 hr bus ride there and the 3 hr bus ride back.
4. for halloween me and my boyfriend dressed up as mofia bosses. we were decked out in suites and ties and hats. we got a lot of compliments from many people when we were randomly walking around campus that night.
5. my friends and i started playing monopoly and apples to apples alot lately since we rally dont go to parties or anything. we also watch a whole lot of movies.
6. i am part of the dance team here at wsc. ive taught 2 classes. i taught a lyric class and a jazz class. i was thinking of choreographing for the april show but decided against it since i have soomuch homework and i would have to make up a dance on top of that. i didnt htink i could work that out. and they wanted the whole dance done in a week and i definatly dont work that fast when i chreograph.

this has been my life in a nutshell for the past 3 months
im now counting down the days till i get to see my puppy (which is as of today 16 days!)
peace out till next week

nov. 9

Today my family and me went to Santa's Land. It was kind of weird because the youngest person with us was my brother who is 14. My other brother, who just turned 21, came, my cousin who's 30ish, my parents and my aunt and uncle came. Going to Santa's Land is a family tradition, i think all my cousins and brothers have gone every year sense we were born. We had a great time, even though it was strange. On Friday and Saterday i hung out with my brother and his friends because he just turned 21 and was home from college. Also one of our friends came home from college in Chicago so we got to see him for the weekend.

This weekend was pretty good. went home friday night and slept over my cousin's house. hung out with him and some other friends at one of my friends house. Then saturday my family threw me a birthday party. Today there was a thanksgiving dinner at my church, and they sang happy birthday to me there because today is my birthday. I got about $180 from my birthday party. me and my sister left the dinner at about 6 pm and got back here at about 7:45 pm. This weekend was pretty good over all... had a lot of fun, saw my family, friends and spent a night over at my girlfriends house. 

???????

Do we have class tomorrow???
thanks

11/9 blog

I hope this week goes by fast. We only have 4 days of classes, and no English on Monday. Then on Friday strings ensemble is canceled so I get out of class at 1:25. After class is over my friend Melissa, goes to Skidmore College is picking me up and we are going to camp for the weekend for a weekend program called November Wacky. I'm really excited for this because I haven't been to camp in almost 3 months. I looked over the schedule and we have a lot of fun things planned.
After the weekend at camp is over, all of the staff that worked it will go to Friendly's together because that is something we do after every single weekend at camp. We always go in with a party of anywhere from 10-20 people and sit at the same table and all have a really good time. Then I have to come back to school and will probably have to do all of my homework from the week due next Monday on the Sunday I return.

11/2

Im thinking about getting a new job. Im sick and tired of having the stress of school, the stress of my family &boyfriend and then the stress of my job. My job is frustrating. I feel like my boss and manager do not even know what they are doing. I honestly could run the place myself. Saturday i went into work and my manager and boss dumb and dumber didn't get out of bed in time. Therefore i had to open up the place like usual. And set everything up. Like wtf. I do not think that a 18 year old girl should have this responsibility. But i am not aloud to quit. I would probably be hunted down or kidnapped and forced to work. I worked over 50 hours a week at this place. Morning to night 6 days a week. Opening up by myself. One time i set the alarm off and the cops came and took my social security number down and all. I mean if i have the keys and know the alarm code and if i am carrying a pot of hot water wouldn't you think that i know what im doing? I think so.

10/26

I am very happy my stress week is over. But once you think that everything is going to calm down something else occurs. I miss having no responsibilities. Yet i like being out of highschool. Im glad i commute because i dont think i could deal with living in a dorm. I do not like change. During orrientation i felt uncomfortable and gross. I disliked the bathrooms. Disgusting i felt like i was camping. And since i commute i feel like i can do what i want without being tied down in one place.

10/19 Blog Entry From my notebook

I couldn't get on the blog therefore i wrote them all down and am putting them on now.
So this week is going to be the worst week ever. I have about 7 essays due. Three are for one class and for the same class i have a midterm all due on the same day. It is history which is my worst subject. I have a presentation for Philosophy due friday as well. I cannot give speeches to save my life. I stutter, get red, etc. you get my point. I called out of work. My mom and boss were not very happy with me. What ever because they cant fire me. I run the place. Ha. I need a vacation.

november 2 - halloween weekend

On Halloween, my friends and I dressed up as risky business, if you don’t know what that is if you have seen never been kissed it’s that guy that has a long white sleeve shirt on, glasses, and socks. This year for Halloween I bought my own candy; I didn’t go trick or treating at all and get free candy which was kind of upsetting. But on Saturday night, people were still dressing up and I mean my friends and I went out and didn’t dress up, but then I felt out of place cause I felt like we were the only ones not dressed up, it was a little awkward.

october 27 - track

Today track started and I was really nervous because I knew it wasn’t going to be anything like high school practices. I mean I never did indoor track in high school I did basketball instead. This is my first year doing indoor track which will be a different experience for me. So far today was the hardest first practice I have ever had doing sports. I mean the first 2 weeks is conditioning to get us all in shape and what not, but I definitely have to get use to working out this hard Monday-Friday for at least 2 weeks. I joined track because I didn’t want to do nothing, I want to be able to meet new people and get out of my room and I don’t want to gain the freshman 15!

october 22 - test

Yesterday which was the 21st I had a math midterm that I thought would be easy since the first half of the semester is based on patterns and trying to figure how to solve them. This class is for students who want to be elementary education teachers, and the class itself is easy. But once the midterm came, everyone didn’t think the class was so easy anymore. There was no way anyone could finish that test in an hour and 15 minutes. It was impossible.

october 13 - columbus weekend

Over Columbus Day weekend I was able to see all of my friends that I have not seen since I was at school and it was really fun hanging out with them. Besides the fact that my mom still gave me a curfew of 1230 and 1, but instead I decided to tell her I was going to midnight breakfast around 130 in the morning so I was able to stay out later than usual. Midnight breakfast is a place in downtown Milford which is open until about 4 in the morning on weekends. Obviously my mom bought it so I didn’t get home until 345 in the morning and the thing is I never went to midnight breakfast I just stayed out with my friends.

November 3 blog

I went home this weekend for the 3rd time. It was a lot of fun. This year was the first year my friends and I didn't spend Halloween together, so my sister Jen and I went trick or treating in my old neighborhood. It was really funny to see all of our old neighbors. Since we moved when I was thirteen, and all the neighbors were close with each other people recognized us. We went to one house, and ended up inside for 45 minutes talking to a neighbor who we both used to babysit, and an hour and a half in another neighbors house talking about politics- that was boring.
Speaking of politics, the election is coming soon. I sent in my absentee ballot a while ago and can't wait to see the result. I think everyones channel will be the same on the night of or the day after to see who the winner is.

November 2 - Pats

What about those Patriots? Ill I have to say is I'm from New England there my favorite team but what are we going to do from this point. The team has always worked as a whole but Tom Brady just seemed to hold the team together. Seeing as he is the quarter back it’s expected of him to be the one to hold the team, so now with him out for the season it seems as though we are going down hill. I bring this up because right now as I am typing the Patriots are losing the game against the Colts. There is no real telling what to do Brady is out with a messed up knee and know we have Cassel. Now it isn’t anything bad he just getting into it. He isn’t Brady so its hard people are comparing the two of them and they are not the same people. The best we can do is sit here and hope especially after last years super bowl. All I can say for now is hold onto your sets it’s going to be a bumpy ride, just hang in there.

October 27 - Courtney

Ok, now I live on campus and like many other freshman was put in my third or fourth dorm, only difference is my fourth choice was Courtney. Now you may thing what is this girl saying, so here it is flat out I don’t want to live in COURTNEY! Crazy right, well it might just be my personality type but imagine just for a moment what it would be like to live in Courtney if you were me. My roommate likes to know what is going on around her so first of all the door is always open, but with this comes the numerous people that just like to pop there heads in. Now I’m a very social person so that’s not it, however when you are trying to write a paper and twenty people stop by to ask for anything from food to laundry detergent or just to even say hi it gets quite entertaining. As for the weekends and the partying I don’t mind if when I have all my work done, but Courtney has to be the messiest dorm on campus, there isn’t one place that seems to be remotely clean. So you can say you want to be there and maybe you do and would like it but it’s not the most amazing place on earth.

October 20 - Rainy day

Ever get that feeling like the day is never going to come to an end, I know I do and it’s the worst when it’s raining. Those rainy days it’s like the world is going in slow motion and will never speed up. I can remember back when I was younger the days seemed to be at a stand still for all you could do was sit and watch television or day dream out the window. I was the day dreamer, just sitting and watching the rain drops hit the window one at a time. Then once one drop hit another they would slide down and make a trail, it was about the most amusing thing I was going to find all day. In some ways it’s relaxing to just sit there and not have anything to do. It was more the lazy feeling that got to me because your body hurt and you just don’t want to get up and do anything in the house. It’s one of those things and here in New England they happen often, but I guess if you look on the bright side maybe if you wait a few minuets the weather will just change.

October 13 - Writting

“Just write what ever you wish to write about.” That’s easy for someone to say, but have you ever tried to do it. Well right now I'm just trying to contemplate the set up of what I need to say but formulating an idea it’s difficult and no one is quite sure how to do it. Here is some advice, go with the flow. When ever you are given the chance to just go for it write the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe its ice cream, I could go on for hours about how min chocolate chip has to be the best ice cream in the world. This is the easy party now if you are given a topic that you are not interested in or have to research, well Huston we have a problem. It’s down hill from that point on, and nothing seems to make since to you. The facts seem to be as far form one another at they could ever be and your biggest worry is that you are not repeating what you already said or that you are not plagiarizing. But no matter how difficult the topic you just need to write what comes to mind first, for once you have the main guts of the paper written up you can manipulate the rest of the paper as much as you wish.

nov 3 blog

I have to start getting ready for the winter. I have to talk to my bosses and customers to see what house I have to plow. Usually I have to plow my house, snow blow or plow my neighbor’s driveway, my dads house he rents, snow blow the sidewalk at his store, and go with my neighbor to do his seven houses. Because my neighbor works at night I may be doing his houses alone sometimes. Usually it takes about two hours and I make about $80 a trip. I have to stop at work someday after school soon to pick up the plow and I have to fix the controller. I also have to go get the snow blower ready, I have to go over the entire thing check all the bolts and make sure its working correctly. Hopefully it’ll snow soon so I can make some money and have some fun. Sometimes after I go out with my neighbor he lets me go on his snowmobile in the woods which is pretty cool.

halloween was a pretty good night... went out with my sister to some of her friends places. the place got busted by the ISO and cops.. so we all had to leave. we ended up hiding out in a random bathroom then we went to a different room and hung out there for awhile. It was such a good night until it ended.. I almost beat the crap out of this kid and then I had to take care of my sister, who is older than me. She was so bad that she had to be carried up the stairs. I had to yell at her to get her to leave the kids house... and I had to shove open several doors to get her. It was a mad cold walk back to our dorm because i was only wearing a toga.. haha.. but all the anger  inside of me kind of kept me warm.

oct 29 blog

It's hard to believe that it's almost Halloween. October is my favorite time of year. My crazy neighbor decks out his entire lawn as if it is some kind of Hollywood movie set. Jeff (my neighbor) is not the kind of person who spends an hour or so throwing everything up so it looks decent and leaves it there from October 28th until Thanksgiving. He starts on October 1st every year.
The first thing to go up is the tape around his lawn. The tape is basically caution tape, set up around his lawn like it is on a crime scene- but instead of saying "Caution- Police line do not cross" it says Halloween sayings and words and there is a line of dark purple, one line of black, and one line of orange. On his lawn there are a few things that stay out 24/7. The zombie hanging from the huge, wooden pole in the middle of his lawn, the headstones, and the lights. Every morning, he adds new stuff from the first of the month until the day of Halloween.
He'll put out those blow-up cartoon people that you deflate at night and look as if they have been popped in the morning until you fill them up with air again and they sit on your lawn. He puts tinsel like decorations on his plants and trees, and larger than life figurines.
It's amazing to see all the items he displays for Halloween. He is very careful in what he puts on his lawn as well. He takes everything in at night and puts it out in the morning to make sure it is not stolen or destroyed. I can't wait to go home on Friday and see his house all decked out for the holiday.

10/27 blog

The argumentative essay that we read today by Michael Lewis was very interesting and it brought up a good debate in class. In the essay about tipping it left the issue of waiters and waitresses out because he knew that it was an entirely different subject and a completely different argument. The essay doesn’t bring p waiters because he knows that they are an exception and I felt like in class we didn’t recognize that it wasn’t about waiters until the end after we had argued about that topic for the majority of the time. Everyone in the class brought up good points and I saw all sides of the argument so it was hard for me to make a claim on the issue because I didn’t feel strongly towards one side, and everyone had good points that would make me look at the issue in both ways. I felt that we needed to address exactly what the writer was saying and the side that he was on and the issues that he brings up before we discuss it, and then we know what to say to either disagree or agree with him. For the most part I agree with Lewis and the points he has to make about tipping.

Oct. 26

I spent this weekend watching my brother play football. He plays for the South Hadley Youth Football Association, my mom is the treasurer, and i help out sometimes during home games. Sometimes I get to help the announcer by spotting players numbers during a play or I work the scoreboard. My mom works in the concession stand and sometimes I have to help them.

Saturday the varsity team played their last game of the season against Holyoke. All the South Hadley teams won, but it rained the entire time we were there. My brother's team won 20 to 6. They scored the go ahead points on a blocked punt. It was an exciting game.

Today the JV team lost to Easthampton. Because of one of the teams losing its JV team the SH team played Easthamptons varsity because they are two divisions below us.

On Tuesday the teams are having their end of the year banquet at the Hu ke Lau. If I can get out of school on time ill probably be going. Last year they gave me a gift for helping. I worked about 40 hours last year, this year I only worked about 10 or 20 hours.

I posted the last post because i couldn't post it when we were required to. 

Competition

What is competition? According to Bikram Choudhury, "Competition is the foundation for all democratic societies. For without 'competition', there is no democracy." Dictionary.com states that competition is "a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage."

When thinking of competition people normally visualize sports events, maybe a high school football team of a soccer team. We picture team rivalries and legacies of one team beating the other team each year. We picture our favorite team going for a certain title. The team is fighting for a certain status, for the respect of the other teams, and for a certain title such as a championship. 

Competition is normally a win-lose situation, the strong and the weak. A lot can be learned through competition. The losers of competitions find that they need to improve themselves in some way, whether it is physical or mental improvement. The winners find out that they can accomplish anything when they are functioning as a full team. No matter what the circumstance is, there is always the need to improve. 

Competition is a healthy thing, it pushes people to be all that they can be and go as far as they can go. It shows where a person or team fits within other teams, and it shows where there is room for improvement.

There is competition for education. for instance, trying to get into college is now a competition. It is a competition of intelligence to gain knowledge. Colleges use SATs and high school transcripts as their deciding factor for accepting students.

Another way that competition is used in the education system is with the honor program. Kids compete to be the best or the smartest students. They bribe kids with scholarships to push themselves to be the smartest and best students that they can be. Kids compete to become the valedictorian and the salutatorian.

The work place has become a huge place where competition is seen. People are being background checked as a factor of whether they will get hired or not. College degrees are more of a necessity now rather than an option for most careers. It is all about marketing yourself. An example of this would be with law enforcement. To become a State Trooper you must have a college degree in criminal justice and must pass a series of tests. The people that score the highest on the tests are the ones that are going to get the job.

Competition is a huge part of survival, especially when people are competing for jobs. There are limited amount of jobs in this century and people need a good job in order to live. They need a certain income to be able to live as individuals and as a family. If they cannot get a good paying jobs then they cannot afford to live, they might not be able to afford a good home. They might not be able to afford to buy groceries or might not have good medical coverage for themselves or their family. They might not be able to afford the basic necessities that they need to be able to live.

Monday Blog 10-19

I cannot believe the Red Sox lost against the Tampa Bay Ray's last night. It's really early in the morning right now and I have class in less than 6 hours. People in Scanlon are rioting fairly loudly in their rooms, probably because of the horrible outcome of last nights game and it is hard to fall asleep with all the noise so I am blogging for this week. I've been watching the past 3 games in the basement of Scanlon and it has been very fun. This weekend I learned how to play apples to apples and pool. Both were fun. Tuesday is my first day for intramural ping pong. I can't wait to start because I will actually be able to play people who know what they are doing. I have fun playing with friends, but miss playing with my sister who I have yet to beat. Maybe all the practice of the intramural team will make me better and I will be able to win a game sometime. I don't know when I am meeting Professor Meek for the conference tomorrow. I hope it's not very early in the morning. I am not looking forward to my 8:15 science class tomorrow.

Blog

I went to the movies today and saw Max Payne with my two brothers. I did not enjoy this movie because the story line jumped around and not much action. Both my brothers thought this movie wasn’t as good as they hoped it would too. There were only two shooting scenes that I can remember but the effects were descent. If only they add a little more action to make the move more interesting. The random valkyries didn’t make much sense to me but it was intrusting. I don’t think it was worth wasting $10.25 on this movie. I would not advise this movie to others but this is just my opinion and every one has there own tastes for movies.

Debate 2008

Dylan Smith
English Comp. 101

The presidential nominees Barrack Obama for the Democrats, and John McCain for the Republicans were before many people at The University of Mississippi. These two greatly accomplished men debated many important issues that the entire nation would like them to address. Barrack Obama had clearly looked like a stronger speaker than his rival John McCain. As both of these men argued about many issues that our government and American people have about this country, I observed both Obama and McCain and how they acted during this debate. This is the Presidential Debate of 2008.
The Democratic nominee Barrack Obama, was very well spoken during the Presidential Debate of 2008. He showed many characteristics of being a well organized President and also a very organized speaker. He used many hand gestures indicting the parts of his speech that he was talking about and also made very god eye contact with the viewers at home. Both of which show him being a good public speaker and a concerned democrat about all of the American people. During the debate Obama was very well dressed and almost never smiles, as a serious president should do. As the debate continued Obama and McCain wrote down vigorous notes about what each one was acknowledging. Barrack Obama emphasized a nation wide “Tax-Cut” to 95% of the American people, hoping to boost the economy in this terrible time of crisis. Barrack Obama had a successful debate between himself and the Republican candidate John McCain, in my eyes I would say that Barrack had won the 2008 Presidential Debate because of what he had talked about and the way the he addressed everyone that was watching and at the debate.
The Republican nominee John McCain, also had a very strong 2008 Presidential debate. He continued with President Bush’s theories on many things, including the war in Iraq. John McCain was very well dressed and also very well spoken. However, he did not make eye contact with the viewers and never made eye contact with the Senator Barrack Obama. To me I thought that McCain was a little childish in the ways that he was talking over Senator Obama, also I thought that McCain had been a little unsure on what he had been talking about. John McCain had a very well handled debate but, according to me I thought that he had been the weaker of the two nominees.

Concept essay

                                                Concept and Image Essay

 

The concept Attitude can be expressed in many different styles. Attitude is looked at differently in many ways and people often see it in a different point of view. The concept attitude is not expressed the same way to everyone and some people take it different ways. Attitude is shown in many ways, such as, through your facial expressions, through someone’s stance, the way they are dressed, their different kinds of gestures, and their overall way of presenting themselves gives off a certain kind of attitude. People determine who you are by your attitude.

            Attitude is a very general topic but there are many ways of looking at it. People do not agree upon this topic because they have different sides to the argument. Having different point of views might often cause controversy because of the different opinions that people have on how the attitude is being portrayed. People must have an appropriate understanding of this concept because some people might think that they see no attitude what so ever, or others might think that attitude can also be positive and not always just negative. Just because you have an attitude doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad, it could also be sarcasm. The makeup of attitude consists of many different traits, and each trait has to do with how your attitude is portrayed.

            Your attitude has such an impact on how you present yourself and what other people think of you. Attitude carries a lot about who you are as a person. Some of the emotions that might be associated with attitude would be, having too much confidence, to be to sure of yourself, conceded, or being stuck up. Your attitude has a huge impact on your first impression towards other people and what they think of you. Sometimes attitude can be misjudged because you could come off at first as having a lot of attitude and maybe being rude or over confident. On the other hand, it could be the complete opposite; you could just seem different because of your first impression on others. When your attitude is consistent then it represents who you are because that’s the way you act naturally and shows when you are not thinking about acting a certain way, you just act that way automatically because it’s who you are.

            I can relate and compare my concept to the image on the front of the mean girls movie cover. This picture reveals a lot of attitude coming from the four different girls. A major factor that has to do with what their attitude would be there facial expressions. None of the girls look happy and they are giving mean intimidating faces that would intrigue the viewer and tell a lot about what the movie would be like. The picture fits the name of the movie because of how the girls are presenting themselves. Their posture also tells a lot about what they are like and what others think of them. The girls on the cover look very determined and confident.

            I found an outside source on the Internet that talks about the movie Mean Girls and what the plot of the movie is. “Survival of the ruthless…only the strong survive” (Taglines for Mean Girls). On the website they say a couple of things to draw you into wanting to watch the betrayal and brutal behavior throughout the movie. “This summer, [when the movie first comes out in theatres] be part of the in-crowd” (Taglines for Mean Girls). This is supposed to draw you in so that you will want to be a part of the movie, and you already have a general idea of what the story line will be because of the girls on the cover and their way of expressing their attitude. The girls are sending a message that shows through their attitude and how they act throughout the movie.

            Attitude is a very strong characteristic of your personality and people often determine who you are by it. Your attitude is not something that you have to think about or focus on how you are acting, but it just comes out because of who you are. This affects all the people around you and they notice it in you, and it could bring their moods down or make them feel uncomfortable or angry towards you. Attitude tells everything about the kind of person you are, no one matter how many times someone try’s to change their attitude or someone else’s attitude, it will always come through and show because you cant hide who you are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

"Taglines for Mean Girls." The Internet Movie Database. 15 Oct. 2008

.

analysis essay on debate (my blog is finally working but you have a copy of this anyways)

2008 Presidential Debate

 

            While we were watching this debate, I had to first analyze Barrack Obama in his appearance, tone, interaction, and words. When trying to notice the small things like his gestures and wording I was able to pick out a lot about how he presented himself to the audience and what points he was trying to get across. During the second half of the election I had to analyze John McCain and all of the details that would tell us more about him and more about how he is able to draw in the audience.

            When analyising Obama and his appearance, I noticed that he was very friendly and welcoming to the audience and also to McCain as well. He was dressed nicely in the red white and blue colors but it was not too much of an over kill because he didn’t go all out, he just kept it simple. After he was asked a question he would start answering right away and he would not hesitate. He made eye contact with the camera and hardly looked down. He looked pleasant and tried not to look aggravated when McCain cut him of or tried making him look bad. When Obama was asked a question he would look very serious and determined, he put emotion into his answer and made sure that he said everything that he needed to say. Obama came off to be very confident with the debate and with running for president, the viewers can tell that he takes it very seriously and that he wants to say the right thing to please the people. Obama’s appearance has a huge impact on how people portray him.

            During the second half of the debate I had to recognize things about John McCain’s appearance. I noticed that when he came out he didn’t look as energenic as obama. He was also wearing the colors red white and blue but with a pattern tie that turned your attention away from what he was saying. When McCain answered the questions he didn’t seem as confident in himself as Obama did, and he seemed to hold back from what he wanted to say. McCain has is very monotone that was boring the viewers and making it so that he didn’t have their full attention. When it was his turn to talk he was hardly looking at the camera and was often looking down without making eye contact towards the viewers. He was also blinking a lot which was extremely distracting and making it so that the audience can’t focus on what he was actually saying. McCain was not using any facial or hang gestures to put more emphasis or emotion with the points that he was trying to make. 

            In conclusion, with looking at both Barrack Obama’s and John McCain’s appearance, I think that Obama did better in the debate and he had more passion. Obama answered every answer strongly and with emotion, but when McCain answered or debated then it just seemed like he was not as seriously with his answers.

            

analysis essay. (ice age)

This image from the movie “The Day after Tomorrow” had an ice age which destroyed the city. It shows many different elements that are involved throughout this image. The content stands out the most out of the other elements involved; the Statue of Liberty is the main object because it is the largest image. Throughout the image, you notice the utilization of many elements; the content, composition, lighting, texture, angle and vantage point.
While taking a look at the image, you notice different things happening. One of the more obvious elements is the way composition was used throughout the image and the way the photographer used lighting. An example using of composition would be the city. At the angle the image was created, the buildings appear extremely close together, almost as they are touching. Also, the way the ship is tilted, frozen in the water would be an example of composition. An example of how Lighting is utilized in the image is the sun rising on the left side behind the statue of liberty. Since the lighting does not come straight down from the top of the image, only the left sides of the buildings have light shining on it, but the right side has shadows. Since the lighting projects from a certain angle, it helps to exaggerate the ice age, and helps make the image look colder.
Two other elements that occur in this image are the texture, angle and vantage point. The texture is exhibited through the Statue of Liberty, the statue is covered in ice from the ice age, and this creates a feeling in which it would be sharp on the edges, really cold, although sometimes the ice can be smooth. The angle and vantage point looks like it was taken from a helicopter or a plane. It also appears that it was taken from a weird angle because it was taken really close to the statue of liberty, although they were not on the statue, the photographer had to have been in a helicopter/plane right next to it.
This image has an important element other than content that stands out the most which would be the texture. The texture stands out the most because each part of the picture shows a different feeling to everything. The element has a certain meaning which the texture shows what the weather is like and shows that something worse happened than just a snow storm. Some cases looking at this image people may think a really bad snow storm happened but they obviously cannot tell what really happened through just a picture. But this image a global warming occurred and an ice age broke through. The most surprising significance of this image it shows that it took place in New York but it was mostly taken in Montreal.
This image shows a lot of different elements and how they are used in every way. Some people think this image is not real because it is from a movie, which is true. But the thing is people ask if this could actually happen in which, the researchers say “this scenario is fictional and that other Hollywood movies that claim to be based on true stories, there's a kernel of truth that is then pumped full of steroids and given cosmetic surgery.” Each element is shown in all sorts of images or concepts. The image of “The Day after Tomorrow” is a good picture to use for an analysis because each part of the picture has to do with the elements. Doing an image is easier than a concept because you can actually see how each element is displayed instead of visualizing with a concept.

Second Analysis 10/14

Attitude is a manner, disposition, feeling, or even a position of a reaction. Attitude can be expressed physically or verbally. When looking at a person you can get an explanation of how one is feeling. Yet, looks can be deceiving. The way someone acts in public verbally may differ from he or she’s feelings inside. The concept of “attitude” in a story, or picture, lets viewers related and understand emotions of the content. The way one presents their attitude affects the way they are treated.
The concept of “attitude” raises controversy in a positive or negative way from audiences. The way people react to an emotion triggers the way they express themselves in public. Patricia Lynott quoted, “…such experiences do not have the same impact on all women” (Lynott, 1). Every person reacts differently to experiences in life. People may be upset about something, or even overly excited where as others may not. Therefore attitude can affect the way people treat a person. If someone looked mean and scary or was acting unapproachable then people will act the same towards them. Even though a person may or may not intend on acting this way, the way they act can affect their respect.
Attitude can be noticed in people’s voices, looks, wardrobe, and tone. Looking at a picture can clearly be an example to analyze attitude expressed in it. The picture I chose to analyze is a movie cover. The cover of the movie, “Coyote Ugly”, is a correct subject to consider because of the five girls on the cover. Each girl has a different attitude and story. One is laying in front with a sad, annoyed look to her face. One has a very confident and mean aspect. And the other three have a scary and confident appearance. Looking closely one can see that not all women are the same. One is dressed in a white half-shirt and looks uncomfortable. She might strike her audience as a sad, unhappy, and forceful attitude. Looking at the picture you can certainly tell that she is the main character. If someone who hasn’t seen this movie saw this picture they would notice that something was wrong in the picture. Why is the girl’s face so sad? Why is she wearing a half-shirt? And why is she laying across a table? All of these subjects can be analyzed and a story revealed.
It is very important for people to have an accurate understanding of the concept of attitude. Reasons why because attitude mainly influences the way people are treated. If you have a positive attitude you will be treated favorably. If you express a negative attitude you will be treated poorly. The most interesting but simple concepts can be the most impressionable.

Steroids in Baseball

Have you ever looked at an image and saw more then just a picture for you to look at? Images display many hidden meanings that normally we can not see without analyzing the image fist like the topic on steroids. An image can show you a general picture of somebody that uses or used steroids but when looked closely it also can show the effects that steroids have. Also not everyone can look at an image and see the same thing so this means every image has a different meaning to other people. Topics such as steroids can be shown in images and depicted as something humors and not taken serous. What leads people to use steroids for a sport such as baseball? Some might think there is nothing wrong with using steroids to improve your game and body but others see it as cheating. Steroids can change many things in a person’s live other then his body.

An image that shows a different look at baseball in a comical way by using a well know baseball player. In this image the use of steroids by baseball players is being promoted and what the effects from steroids. The player that takes up most of the space in the picture is shown with needles sticking out of him and a body so big that it can’t be real. He is placed there to symbolize someone that was known to use steroids in baseball and to show that player as a cheat. The words around the player indicate that he is Barry Bonds from the team call Giants and one of them call him a baseball giant fraud. They used the teams name to say that Barry Bonds is a giant fraud which would have a bigger significance to people who know the team and even bigger significance for the fans of that team.

The way the image is drawn makes it more appealing to the viewer’s eye and makes them observe the image in more detail. The lighting focused on Barry Bonds makes him stand out more and he is positioned in such a way that makes you feel like you are looking straight at him. Shading on his arms creates a 3-D look to him and everything else around him has a lesser significance to the viewer at first. The texture on Barry gives him a feel of reality because of the muscle curves and the vines popping.

The image shows how steroids can affect the body and mind of someone that uses them. The hug body with bulking muscles tells the viewer what steroids do to your body which most people already know. The smile on his face can symbolize how he is feeling from steroids making his body big. The needles all around him tell how many times he used steroids. "Depending on the substance, Bonds used the drugs in virtually every conceivable form: injecting himself with a syringe or being injected by his trainer, Greg Anderson, swallowing pills, placing drops of liquid under his tongue, and, in the case of BALCO's notorious testosterone-based cream, applying it topically (CNN)." The side effects of using steroids vary from physical to mental damage and even personal life issues. Steroids can give someone mood swings and get you into trouble if your caught using steroids on a team. In any sports the players have to go through drug testing to make sure that none of the players are using any kind of drug. If you are caught using steroids then you could be fined, suspended or even thrown off a team for using steroids.

People that use steroids don’t always see the negatives from their actions, when they use steroids it seems more of a shortcut to them then cheating. Since steroids are easy to get and easy to use many people can get them without any trouble. Also steroids can be taken in many forms from drinks to injections. The issues on steroids have to be sometimes depicted in a picture and use someone who is know to be a steroid user to get others attention.

Competition

Analysis Celtics Vs. Lakers

The Boston Celtics came into the playoffs after beating the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Detroit Pistons with there stares Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. They were to face the Los Angeles Lakers who had beaten the Denver Nuggets, the Utah Jazz, and the San Antonio Spurs. They would face each other in the NBA finals for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. This image is from that finals series, it was taken from Sports Illustrated November 2008 issue from an article “Road to Redemption”. In the image Rajon Rondo is holding the ball, looking to pass or shoot, guarding him is Kobe Bryant, in game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The main focus point of the image is Rajon Rondo. He is a young rookie playing in his first finals series. He is pictured in a white wrinkled uniform, with a green out line. On the jersey is the word “CELTICS” his number 9 and a Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy emblem by his right armpit. His white shorts have a green and white strip down the side and a NBA logo on his right knee. He has a green and white headband, white socks with the NBA logo on each side, and white shoes with a green Reebok logo. His pivot foot is planted on the ground and his other foot is angled toward the camera. His knees and hips are bent slightly. His arms are held out away from his chest holding a basketball which reads Spalding and has a portrait of the trophy but is upside down. His head is looking away from the camera, apparently at the basket or another teammate.

To the right of Rondo and slightly set behind him is the Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The one time MVP, ten time All Star, and three time NBA champion. The image depicts him hunched over. He is wearing a purple jersey with a yellow outline. On the jersey is the team name in yellow outlined in white, and his number 24. His shorts are purple with a large yellow strip and the Lakers logo. His shoes and socks are black, and he has a purple bracelet on his left wrist. He is wearing a black pad on his elbow and tape on his right pinkie and ring fingers to prevent further injuring them. One foot is in the air about four inches, the other his toes just on the court. His knees are bent quit a bit along with his back. His left hand is almost touching the ground, his right is about three inches from the bottom of the ball, and has several tattoos running the length of it. His eyes are focused on the ball and his mouth is open. It looks like he was going to strip the ball from Rondo but is now falling because he missed.

In the background are fans at the TD Banknorth Garden and the Lakers bench. Below the players is the parkay floor with its green and white outline. Everything in the background is out of focus making you focus more on the players. The Celtics went on to win this game 108 to 102. The series was won in six games by the Celtics thanks to rookie Rajon Rondos offence against the all star defense of Kobe Bryant.

debate

In the 2008 presidential debate between McCain and Obama, there were many differences in their appearance, tone, interaction, and words.. They had both agreed and disagreed with things one another had said. During the debate, both McCain and Obama acted differently when answering a question. When they were both discussing their answers, they both had used different tones of voice and would interrupt one another every so often. McCain had a soft, low and calm voice in which he tried to fear the voters and listeners. Obama’s tone sounded urgent, sharp and more serious; and also sounded more confident in what he said.
McCain’s appearance at the debate consisted of using his hands when talking, however, only to a certain extent due to his injuries from the past. He would blink at least every half of a second and had his eyebrows raised all the time. His outfit had consisted of red, white and blue. He wore a red and white striped tie and a blue shirt, representing the colors of our country. Obama's appearance was similar to that of McCain's in many ways. Obama used his hands constantly, however, paused after a saying few words and looked up, made eye contact with the audience, and then looked back down at the podium. Obama also wore red, white and blue with a solid red tie and a blue shirt.
As the debate continured, McCain and Obama had said their own words and then interacted with one another about their answers. At the very beginning of the debate they were asked, “as president, what priorities will you have to give up to pay for the financial recovery plan?” Obama answered first saying that none of the money would go into the CEO bank accounts, and also that the tax payers have to get their money back. He said that the money should be helping the homeless and to shred the regulations. When McCain answered the same question, his answer was that he did not feel optomistic about the events that have been occuring lately. He said that seeing Republicans and Democrats together dealing with the crisis they are in did not make him feel very confident about any future conclusions.
Another question asked was regarding Russia. Obama answered first saying they are unwarranted, they had a unified alliance, and they were a threat to peace and stability. When McCain answered the same question he said he did agree with Obama but also disagreed by saying; both sides have to show their strength and that their aggression is not an acceptable behavior. Also McCain said that Russia should regain status of the Old Russian Empire.

Analysis Essay

Analysis of the Presidential Candidates
Analysis is when you take an idea and begin to look at it in another way. This will lead to a better understanding of what you are looking at; therefore hidden secrets can be recovered. Analysis can be used in breaking down many different such as controversies the presidential candidates. Analyzing Barak Obama and John McCain in order to understand their viewpoints on political issues help in understanding their personal beliefs. By knowing where these candidates stand and how they hope to run our country, American citizens can better select the next president. When analyzing the appearance of these two candidates, much can be learned about the personality they possess. In this case, Obama needs to control a room and McCain needs to attack his competitor.
Barak Obama and John McCain’s priorities in running for presidency by gaining support from American Citizens. By using there appearance the candidates sympathize and relate to voters to gain vote in order to gain presidency. During the presidential debate Barak Obama wore a blue suit, a white shirt, and a red tie, very patriotic. With his sort hair Obama showed confidents about his sand in the race and portrayed a sort of sleek, fashionable, clean cut look. This in turn appearance may have caused viewers to see him as the next president or stuck up and unconcerned with the lower classes. Obama even wore a red tie that was not only bold but was crooked giving the views the idea that he was just like the average man. John McCain also patriotic in his choice of clothing gave the same patriotic color pallet. However McCain had another approach at the debate through his hand movements and the way he walked evoking sympathy from the masses. McCain had been tortured and shows physical signs of the abuse walking with his shoulders raised and talking from one side of his mouth. However McCain seemed distant for he never looked into the camera to talk to the viewers at home, as for Barak Obama he never seemed to look anywhere but in the camera. Analyzing these candidates made it possible to see what they were really after in there efforts to be president of the United States.
Analyzing different aspects of a person just by viewing there appearance can give incite to what their plans are. Breaking down the candidates into more categories can make it possible to move a voter form one side of the poles to another. Obama’s laid back nature, shown by the crooked tie, and McCain’s gain of sympathy, for the tragedies he has endured. The rest is the viewer’s decision after analyzing the candidates, who is elected the next president of the United States.

sept 26 debate

While watching the Presidential Candidate debate from the 26th of September, differences and traits were easy to notice in both Senator Barack Obama, and Senator John McCain. While both of the candidates presented themselves in a professional manner, they each had their faults and strengths throughout the debate.
I analyzed Senator Obama for the first 20 minutes of the debate. He was wearing a pin which looked like it had the American flag on it, and answered his questions with confidence and seemed to know what he was going to say before he said it. Unlike McCain, whose voice was shaky and looked down at his paper several times, Obama answered his questions quickly and seemed more prepared than McCain. His tone was strong and he sounded as if he thought himself on the same level as John McCain. He used words that were understandable by all ages and were respectful as well.
From an hour and ten minutes to an hour and 20 minutes into the debate I analyzed Senator McCain. After 70 minutes both candidates were tired and getting shorter with each other. While neither was acting childish, McCain was being interrupted by Senator Obama. He was taking it well and was being very professional. He just talked through it and let it go. It was good that he did not let it get to him or effect his speech, and I agree with others who said it made Obama look childish. McCain however, used words like "Senator Obama doesn't understand.." I thought that was a very disrespectful way to say that they have different views, and it also made McCain sound as though he thinks he is the only one who is right.
McCain will never have the appearance advantage as Obama, and Obama will not have the age advantage. (He will not be able to use as many experiences as Senator McCain but I don't think that will be as much as a disadvantage as appearance.) I do not believe that one can 'win' a debate. I think that both candidates did very well and expressed their own opinions on each of the asked questions, so how could opinions be right and won? I do however think that Senator Obama will get the votes of the more middle class, small business owners, and younger, liberal Americans. McCain will most likely get the votes from the large business owners and those who are more wealthy. The votes will be received mainly because of the candidates plans with tax dollars and the economy, but unfortunately many will be swayed by the simple appearances over opinions.

10/2 debate

After analysing the debate from September 26th, between Senate Barack Obama and Senate John McCain I was able to find several similarities and differences. It was analysed for appearance, tone, interaction, and words.

Both the presidential candidates had similar clothing, they both had Blue suites, with a red tie to show patriotism. Obama had a white shirt, was wearing a pin, and had more hand movements. McCain wore a blue shirt, had no pin and was blinking more.

The candidates were speaking clear and slow so that it was easy to understand them. When McCain spoke it was inspiring when he said "our best days are ahead".

During the first section of the debate the candidates were listening to each other and taking notes while the other was speaking. It seamed like both were speaking more to the moderator than to the audience. During the second section of the debate the candidates were arguing, they were trying to cut each other off which seamed rude.

As we saw in the first presidential debate, Senator Obama and Senator McCain are very similar in several different ways. In their appearance, both Obama and McCain were dressed in a patriotic fashion having on red ties, blue suits and white shirts. The both had similar views of how to solve the problems with the economy. McCain is for giving money back to the people through tax cuts and vetoing bills that will raise taxes. . Obama is for helping home owners so that foreclosures do not occur as much. He is also for protecting tax payers by supplying oversight over the whole process, by finding ways for tax payers to get the money back that they give, and by making sure that the taxes do not get put into promoting golden parachutes. Both candidates want to get the middle class back on track ,and both want to get rid of the dependence of foreign oils.

There are several differences between Obama and McCain, one difference is seen how the interacted with each other. Obama kept on bringing up the fact that almost every bill that Bush backed was also back by McCain, he was using this as a way of influencing people to not vote for McCain because he is associated  with a president that not many people liked. Obama was on the offense when it came to attacking McCain and McCain was on the defense. Another way that they are different was seen in their tone. Obama came out feeling pretty confident, we could see this by the way the acted on stage. He had a pretty steady pace when he was talking and sounded very upbeat. McCain started out the debate very down beat with a very somber feeling to his tone of voice. He did not seem as engaging in the beginning of the debate, but as the debate went more in depth he got more engaged in the debate. I believe that McCain won this debate because he is looking out for the need of individuals instead of just companies like Obama. He is looking out for the economy and budget spending. 

On September 26, 2008 the Presidential Debate occurred at the University of Mississippi between Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. They both had high-quality arguments about the questions regarding National Security and Foreign Policy. They presented themselves differently by their appearance, tone, interaction, and the words they used. As I was watching the debate I was keeping in mind the four categories but I was also listening to what they view was on the subject because within than less than a month we the people of the United States will be voting for the next President.
While there appearance was the same in a suit and tie. Another thing that they both did was talk with their hands and I do not believe that they just do that because I know that I do the same. Obama at times did talk faster than McCain but I was still able to catch everything that he was saying. They were both very well spoken and talked very clear. Interaction was there and they both were able go back at the other if they were saying the wrong thing about their plans for the United States. Also they never used big words to the average person could understand them. I did pick up that Barack Obama had a bit of a stutter or would say “umm” but only occurred a few times. With all of this in minded I believe that Senator Barack Obama will become the next President of The United States of America.

Blog 10/2

Watching the 2008 Presidential Debate between Senator Olbama and Senator McCain showed me how similar they both were to one another as well as different. They both where asked questions about the U.S. economy, foreign policies, and how they were going to fix some of the problems faced by the United States. After analyzing this debated and looking for certain features like appearance, words, tone, and interaction I started to really see how both candidates appeared to me.
When the debate started Olbama seemed confident talking with easy and not stumbling over his words but at the end he starts to studier more. I found that Olbama tried to cut in McCain’s answer a few times and McCain was more aggressive in his answers then Olbama. The way the two debating senators dressed was almost identical except for miner details like the tie; Olbama had a reddish tie will McCain had a red and white striped tie. Both of them used hand movements in the debate but it looked to me like Olbama used his hands more then McCain. I think that McCain did better in the debate then Olbama because McCain seemed more calmer with his answers and didn’t try to hurry with them like Olbama did.

Blog 10/1

After watching the first 2008 Presidential Debate between Senator McCain and Senator Obama, viewers can understand the two candidates views on foreign policy and national security. Throughout the debate you begin to notice the different appearances, words, interactions, and tones. 

The appearance of the two politicians were somewhat similar in their wardrobe, except for the ties. The ties although are a small detail, can be big parts of their appearance. For instance, John McCain's tie was a red white and blue tie, which shows patriotism, and Obama's was a plain maroon tie. Hand movement is another detail that I noticed watching the program. Senator Obama's hand movements were constant, while doing the "political" fist clench with the thumb pressed against the pointer finger, a lot of politicians and famous speakers do this.

Another big piece of the discussion was the interactions between the two nominees. While both Senators were attacking each other, it seemed as if Obama was attacking McCain more, while McCain was only striking back in defense. McCain's attitude toward being attacked made him seem much more humble, which is a good trait for a president. Obama loved to push McCain's buttons, but did not get through, and instead made Obama look like an ass. 

Overall the debate I believe was won by the Republican Party's nominee, Senator John McCain.

10/1 Debate

In the presidential debate that occurred Friday, September 26,2008, there was a great amount of controversy between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. As I watched it, I realized that each candidate was very different appearance wise and was very easy to analyze. After the talk about money issues around the world and what each candidate wanted to give, I came to a decision on who carried a better argument and why.
Senator Obama, wearing a cricked red tie and a navy suit, smiled the whole time of his debate. From that I noticed he was quite confident in arguing against Senator McCain. McCain was wearing the same with a straight professional red and white striped tie perfectly in place with his navy suit. As a young man, Obama is also black. Not myself, but there are many people in this country who are still racist. That may or may not effect his numbers in voting. McCain is an old white man who looks like he has been through war in his life and he has. When he spoke, he blinked various times, and did not move his mouth a great amount. This affect how hard it was to pay attention to him. When Obama spoke, he smiled and was easy to pay attention to. McCain spoke with a mean, yet sad, and determined tone which made the audience feel threatened by him. Obama beamed with a calm relaxed and confident manor that let the audience enjoy what he had to say. Their interactions were completely different. McCain refused to look Obama in the eye and interrupted most of his views. It showed that he was a poor sport when he kept continuing to laugh and argue with Obama. Obama on the other hand, was extremely polite which showed confidence, and listened to what McCain had to say. Obama made us feel as if he was going to be able to listen to the public as well. Oboma’s speech was very clear and accurate by giving full and detailed examples of what he will do for our country. McCain sounds like our old current president Bush. He was asked a yes/no questioned and responded, “I hope so, sure”. Very unprofessional. Both debates were ok but with the minor little scratches each debate could be better. I think Obama wont his debate. He carried himself better and was more presentable. He made young people like me understand his conflicts. Overall he has my vote.

HAHA

alright so i thought id share this with everyone.... so im sittin at my computer on this blog thing wondering if there was something i left out and i hear this massive plane fly by and i swear it seems like it was a foot from my house. so i look out the window and kept looking and looking until my head hit the window. ok i started laughing i thought this would brighten someone's day up

9/29 blog

This weekend i went home again because my best friend was coming home from school as well and we hadn't seen eachother since august when we left for school. We hung out on friday, went to my sisters volleyball game and then went to one of my friends parties, that was a good time. on saturday I went out to lunch with one of my best friends, Andy. Andy is my next door neighbor and he is like brother to me, I tell him everything and we have always been really close. On Sunday I hung out with my friend Amanda and we went to friendlys like we always do. She helped me do laundry and pack to go back, but i didn't really want to come back because i miss home and sleeping in my own bed. I really do like school and being here but i just miss home a lot and miss being comfortable where I live instead of being so tight with space and not having any room to yourself or to breath. I'm not going home for a while, although its nice when my mom just does all my laundry, but I want to stay on campus until the next time I have to go home, even though the food really sucks here and it makes me sick.

9/29

This weekend had to me my most exciting weekend here on campus. My friends from high school came to visit, Aline (Beanie), Benjamin (Benny), and Katy (Bete). I was just like old times, and I didn’t realized how much I missed hanging out with them. It was all good, they were unable to stay long but we had a blast while they were here. Then I finally go some time to just chill but that didn’t last long. After twenty minuets I got bored and went walking around campus with some friends, it was one of those nights and I didn’t end up in bed until about four in the morning on Saturday. Not sure about all of you but I thought all day Saturday that it was Sunday. But the day continued with that feeling of Sunday but I went through my day. My parent came and took me out to eat and then we helped to celebrate my roommate’s birthday early with cake and gifts. Then my roommate and I went to the Club Library with about three hundred other people, but it was fun. After pouring my self into bed around three, I got back up for eleven so I could make it to mass at noon. The rest of the day was extremely lazy my most adventures part would have had to be when I walked to the soccer game. This weekend was great I wouldn’t mind a repeat of this weekend every weekend.

Blog 9/29

I went home this weekend for the first time since school has started. I'm going back up to school on Tuesday afternoon because it's Rosh Hashana. That's the Jewish New Year and it's one of my favorite holidays. Today we'll eat dinner around 4pm until 6pm or so in our living room. We set the table with all of our special silverwear and plates that are used just for this holiday. We even have special napkins. Rosh Hashana is one of my favorites because I get to help my mom cook the meal, which she started Friday night, and set the table. It's set in a very specific way and people sit in specific places. We put 2 loaves of challah on the table, but theyre not just any loaves of challah. We get loaves that are rounder to symbolize a good, cyclical year ahead. We drink wine or grape juice and have a huge meal. It starts with challah and apples and honey. Then we have kreplach soup which is the best ever. Then we have brisket with homemade noodles. Then we have all the desserts that we've made. 3 of my cousins are staying the night because they live far away. They're sleeping in my room so I have to sleep downstairs because they are older. The next day, Tuesday, I have to take a train at 8:00 in the morning from New Haven, Connecticut to Sprinfield, then the bus from Sprinfield to Westfield. I hope I don't get lost.

Blog 9/29

This weekend i went home again, mostly for my girlfriend. We have spent the last 8 months together everyday, so its still hard to be away from her. It was nice to see her again, but it sucked leaving today again. Other than leaving it was a good weekend back in Haverhill with my friends. 

blog 9/29

So I went home this weekend and got a ton done and went shopping for the first time in a very long time. I did not get to see my cousins but I will be home in two weeks anyways so it is no big deal. I got to eat some home cooked food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Well I have nothing else to say.

blog 3

I had a pretty boring and re lazing week. After my first class on Tuesday i drove to work at my dads shop. I needed to get the oil change on the truck and get a new battery. The old battery was dead and winter is coming up and my plow runs of the battery so we figured a new one was a good idea. After we got the oil changed and the battery my dad needed me to help him with some counter tops so I stayed for 2 hours then went back to school for my last two classes. After school Wednesday i mowed the lawn at my dads rental property and went to get food at my brothers football practice where they have tailgating. Thursday and Friday i just did homework and went to school.

Thursday night I studied for about six or more hours for my intro. to criminal justice test... then on friday I took the test and realized that I was studying the wrong stuff.... So I probably blew that test... Then after my classes, I went home because I had a doctors appointment so that I could be cleared for Track & Field. I then came back here saturday with my girlfriend. We went to eat at Olive Garden on the way back, There was about an hour wait to get a table. So far my weekend has been pretty good, I got to see my family which made me happy. 

9/29

So friday night i called out of work. I had a huge head ache and didn't feel like dealing with work that night. So i told my boss i was deathly ill. Instead i went to the movies and saw My Best Friend's Girl. It was so funny. Plus, Dane Cook is in it which makes it 100% more funny. Then i ordered wings from village and put my pjs on and hung out all night. I told my boss i slept all night. Oh well. I dont think the restaurant could do with out me since everyone was calling me from there askin where everything is.

Blog 3

Kids from all over town gathered at their favorite park to play their games and to run around. The park is small compared to other towns and did not have many playgrounds or swing sets. It had a worn out wooden fence that surrounded it. The grass would rarely get cut so it was as high as their knees, were it would scratch their legs as they would pass trough it to the slide and swing. Grass did not grow where the slide and swing was but instead a big dirt spot was their. If it rained the dirt would become mud and the kids would come home covered in it. Despite this kids came everyday either running from home or getting out of school and coming strait to the park. In this park there was one of everything from slides to swings. All the kids would take turns using the swings and slides or just play on the grass. They never complained about the park being so small nor where they envious of the other parks around them. They loved this park and took care of it the best they could. One day the kids came to the park but to their surprise it was closed off by some men they never seen before. Tractors and trucks all around the park, they saw and a man yelling out orders to the others. They finally knew what was happening and they all became sad. Their favorite park hat they loved so much was going to be changed into a larger one like all the others around them. They all went home that day and after month that went by the new park was finished. This time the park was empty, no more kids playing all the time or the noise they made when they were having fun. But instead a big empty park with five sets of swings and a hug playground to match. The kids had lost their park the one that they took care of and got a giant park that they all hated.

blog week 2

On Thursday night i hung out with some friends, we had a fire in one of their backyards. The three of us are the only ones of our old friends left in South Hadley. Everyone else went away to college. Four of them went to WNEC so on Saturday night we went to visit them for the night. We just hung out and played video games. Friday after school i went to the Big E with the family. There i got a shirt from a chopper shop called Irish Choppers. After the Big E I went to the South Hadley vs. Longmedow football game. We lost and there weren't many people there but i saw some people i haven't seen since graduation.

blog

at the beginning of school my friend (who goes here) and i have told each other that were going to go running about 3 times a week so we stay in shape and dont gain the freshman 15. well we didnt start running until this past monday! and who knows if were actually going to keep running..i mean yea i have gone twice so far..but i know next week we are going to be lazy and keep saying we will go tomorrow..but we will say that everyday!! and end up not running again for a while..

blog 9/22

I am in a world regional geoprahy class and i have to do and interview of a immigant that came the the US. If anyone knows anyone knows someone that i can interview just let me know it is not due until October 21.

thanks
Rachael