1. Futile - (adjective) ineffecive; useless
By 1963 there were 16,000 American military personnel in Vietnam, and while they enjoyed success in some areas-especially in arming and training the hill tribes-their efforts elsewhere appeared futile.
Antonym - it contrasted success and the word futile, which helped me learn what it meant.
The Empire's attempts to defend the Death Star were futile, as Luke Skywalker blew it up.
2. Haphazard - (adjective) characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; determined by or dependent on chance; aimless.
The image of the quagmire, frequently invoked in accounts of the war, owes something to this haphazard process.
Own Logic - I use the word haphazard in everyday life.
The haphazard injury of the starting player caused me to be in the starting lineup for the next game.
3. Quagmire - (noun) a sticky situation, or a bog.
The image of the quagmire, frequently invoked in accounts of the war, owes something to this haphazard process.
Own Logic - the section describes a sticky situation as a quagmire.
The man was in quite a quagmire when his mistress saw him with his wife.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
To Do List
Need To Do:
1. Homework
2. Look for a job
3. Drive girlfriend to school
Have To Do:
1. Take out the trash
2. Clean my room
3. Practice choir songs
Want To Do:
1. Finish my book
2. Play FIFA 11
3. Go out with my girlfriend
1. Homework
2. Look for a job
3. Drive girlfriend to school
Have To Do:
1. Take out the trash
2. Clean my room
3. Practice choir songs
Want To Do:
1. Finish my book
2. Play FIFA 11
3. Go out with my girlfriend
Reflection 5
It is tough to stay motivation for school, especially as it gets later in the semester. I start to get distracted by other things such as soccer, or finding a job. I have to fight these distractions and stay motivated for my classes because school is important. I have a tendency to procrastinate until the last minute with my school work which causes me a lot of unnecessary stress. It also causes me to be up late the night before it is due, so I am tired for my classes the next day. The best way to stay motivated is to try to get my homework done as early as possible, so I am not rushed, and it will be done well. This will also allow me more free time later in the week, and will relieve a lot of stress. My work environment could use a change as well. I do my homework in my bed room, which lacks any sort of hard work surface to write on. I should get a desk and a chair to use for written assignments. Another thing I could do is to plan my social life around my school work, leaving plenty of room for doing homework in my daily schedule. If I start following these new goals, I will be well on my way to getting great grades in all of my classes. The next step would then be to get a job so I can make money, and eventually go to a university.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reflection
Dear Angela,
Can you believe it has already been an entire year since we set our goals in your class? I feel that I am doing well in moving towards my goals and I have you to thank for that. I believe that setting goals has been an important part of what has happened in my life over the last year. My short term goal of finding a job was a success, I now work at the golf course on the other side of the freeway. It is a good job and I really enjoy it, not to mention I get a free round of golf once a month. I have also achieved my mid term goal of moving out of my parents house, and now rent an apartment in a cozy little neighborhood. Money is tight, but once I finish with school I will have more money to spend because I will no longer be paying for books and classes. I live with my girlfriend Maggie and we are very happy together and have three pets; a ferret, a pitbull, and a bulldog. As for my long term goal, I have not yet completed it, however it is well on its way and need not be rushed. I know I will someday have a family that I can call my own, and who knows, maybe Maggie is the one. Once again, I thank you for your support and I am very happy I decided to pursue these goals.
Blake Short, (March 13th, 2012)
Can you believe it has already been an entire year since we set our goals in your class? I feel that I am doing well in moving towards my goals and I have you to thank for that. I believe that setting goals has been an important part of what has happened in my life over the last year. My short term goal of finding a job was a success, I now work at the golf course on the other side of the freeway. It is a good job and I really enjoy it, not to mention I get a free round of golf once a month. I have also achieved my mid term goal of moving out of my parents house, and now rent an apartment in a cozy little neighborhood. Money is tight, but once I finish with school I will have more money to spend because I will no longer be paying for books and classes. I live with my girlfriend Maggie and we are very happy together and have three pets; a ferret, a pitbull, and a bulldog. As for my long term goal, I have not yet completed it, however it is well on its way and need not be rushed. I know I will someday have a family that I can call my own, and who knows, maybe Maggie is the one. Once again, I thank you for your support and I am very happy I decided to pursue these goals.
Blake Short, (March 13th, 2012)
To Do List
Need To Do:
1 Reading and Health homework
2 Go see the doctor
3 Go pick up dinner
Have To Do:
1 Get a job
2 Chores
3 Fix the shower
Want To Do:
1 Go see Rango
2 Eat at Macaroni Grill
3 Hang out with my girlfriend
1 Reading and Health homework
2 Go see the doctor
3 Go pick up dinner
Have To Do:
1 Get a job
2 Chores
3 Fix the shower
Want To Do:
1 Go see Rango
2 Eat at Macaroni Grill
3 Hang out with my girlfriend
Vocabulary
1. Feign - (verb) to represent fictitiously.
The letter covered seventeen handwritten pages, its tone jumping from self-pity to anger to irony to guilt to a kind of feigned indifference.
own logic - the other words had emotion, indifference doesn't, so it must make it have emotion.
He feigned a look of concern so that they would not suspect his guilt in the act.
2. Salvaged - (verb) property saved from danger.
He watched the young soldier wading through the water, bending down and then standing and then bending down again, as if something might finally be salvaged from all the waste.
own logic - he is clearly talking about rescuing something from the waste.
The ship may have wrecked, but I am going to salvage as much as I can.
3. Inevitable - (adjective) unable to be avoided.
She never took it off, not even in the classroom, and so it was inevitable that she took some teasing about it.
own logic - the sentence made it obvious that it meant unavoidable.
When he argued with his mother, the punishment was inevitable.
The letter covered seventeen handwritten pages, its tone jumping from self-pity to anger to irony to guilt to a kind of feigned indifference.
own logic - the other words had emotion, indifference doesn't, so it must make it have emotion.
He feigned a look of concern so that they would not suspect his guilt in the act.
2. Salvaged - (verb) property saved from danger.
He watched the young soldier wading through the water, bending down and then standing and then bending down again, as if something might finally be salvaged from all the waste.
own logic - he is clearly talking about rescuing something from the waste.
The ship may have wrecked, but I am going to salvage as much as I can.
3. Inevitable - (adjective) unable to be avoided.
She never took it off, not even in the classroom, and so it was inevitable that she took some teasing about it.
own logic - the sentence made it obvious that it meant unavoidable.
When he argued with his mother, the punishment was inevitable.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Vocabulary
1. Reticence (noun) - disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
To an extent, I suppose, his reticence was typical of that part of Minnesota, where privacy still had value, and even if I'd been walking around with some horrible deformity -four arms and three heads- I'm sure the old man would've talked about everything except those extra arms and heads.
My reticence told her I was in a bad mood.
Own logic, it said he was respecting privacy.
2. Intrigue (verb) - to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities.
The war intrigued her.
The unusual man in the bright green sweater intrigued me, so I followed him for awhile.
Own logic, I use the word intrigue in every day life.
3. Shrill (adjective) - high pitched and piercing in sound quality.
Elongated and narrow, like pieces of blackened leather, the tongues were threaded along a length of copper wire, one overlapping the next, the tips curled upward as if caught in a final shrill syllable.
The dog made let out a shrill bark when I accidentally stepped on its tail.
Own logic, they describe the high pitched sound.
To an extent, I suppose, his reticence was typical of that part of Minnesota, where privacy still had value, and even if I'd been walking around with some horrible deformity -four arms and three heads- I'm sure the old man would've talked about everything except those extra arms and heads.
My reticence told her I was in a bad mood.
Own logic, it said he was respecting privacy.
2. Intrigue (verb) - to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities.
The war intrigued her.
The unusual man in the bright green sweater intrigued me, so I followed him for awhile.
Own logic, I use the word intrigue in every day life.
3. Shrill (adjective) - high pitched and piercing in sound quality.
Elongated and narrow, like pieces of blackened leather, the tongues were threaded along a length of copper wire, one overlapping the next, the tips curled upward as if caught in a final shrill syllable.
The dog made let out a shrill bark when I accidentally stepped on its tail.
Own logic, they describe the high pitched sound.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Weekly Calendar
Need to do:
1. Do Read 96 Homework
2. Memorize Music for Concert Choir
3. Clean my Room
Have to do:
1. Oil change my car
2. Do my laundry
3. Get Valentines gift for my girlfriend
Want to do:
1. Play DC Universe Online
2. Go out with my girlfriend
3. Look for a job
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Reflection
I know it is cliché, but the kids story “The Tortoise and the Hare” had an enormous impact on my life. In the story, a tortoise and a hare are to compete in a race. The hare is heavily favored because tortoises are known for being slow, whereas hares are quick. The hare taunts the tortoise relentlessly and tells him there is no way he can win. Halfway through the race the hare is far ahead and decides to take a nap. The tortoise ends up winning the race because the hare got lazy and overconfident. This story has affected me a lot and has shaped me into the person I am today, because I want to be like the tortoise, and not like the hare. I have tried to emulate, in my everyday life, the qualities in the tortoise, such as perseverance, determination, and a steady work habit. On the other hand I try to avoid the qualities of the hare, such as overconfidence, laziness, and a taunting attitude. The story also shows how you can do amazing things despite the odds, as long as you do not give up. Giving up will get you nowhere and will guarantee that you do not succeed in what you are trying to accomplish. Just like laziness will tend to make you fail, even in situations where you should easily succeed. Laziness is a bad character trait to have, because even if you do succeed, it likely caused you more stress than you would have had to deal with if you had not been lazy and had succeeded with hard work and perseverance.
Vocabulary
1. Stash (noun) - Hiding place for material property
Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down.
Nobody can steal my money when its hidden in my stash.
Own Logic - I have a stash that I keep my money in.
2. Dispense (verb) - to distribute
It dispensed with all those bothersome little acts of daily courage; it offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future.
My pez dispenser distributed candy to all my friends.
Own Logic - I learned it from the words "pez dispenser"
3. Aggression (noun) - a forceful action or procedure
A war of national liberation or simple aggression?
He beat me up in an act of pure aggression.
Antonym - National liberation is an act of relieving forced actions.
Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down.
Nobody can steal my money when its hidden in my stash.
Own Logic - I have a stash that I keep my money in.
2. Dispense (verb) - to distribute
It dispensed with all those bothersome little acts of daily courage; it offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future.
My pez dispenser distributed candy to all my friends.
Own Logic - I learned it from the words "pez dispenser"
3. Aggression (noun) - a forceful action or procedure
A war of national liberation or simple aggression?
He beat me up in an act of pure aggression.
Antonym - National liberation is an act of relieving forced actions.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Vocabulary
taut (adj.) pulled tight
It was an action shot- women's volleyball- and Martha was bent horizontal to the floor, reaching, the palms of her hands in sharp focus, the tongue taut, the expression frank and competitive.
Context clue- Logic, it was competitive, and your tongue gets tight when you are competing.
She slowly inched across the taut tight rope in front of a massive crowd.
It was an action shot- women's volleyball- and Martha was bent horizontal to the floor, reaching, the palms of her hands in sharp focus, the tongue taut, the expression frank and competitive.
Context clue- Logic, it was competitive, and your tongue gets tight when you are competing.
She slowly inched across the taut tight rope in front of a massive crowd.
The Things I Carry
I carry my phone everywhere I go, not because I use it often, but simply because I worry I may need it for emergencies, which stems from past experience when my dad crashed his golf cart down a ravine and had no phone to contact anyone. I also carry my wallet even though it would not really help me in emergencies. The things I carry are not all tangible, however. I also carry guilt, because I am quiet, I keep my mouth shut even when I should not. I carry responsibility, because I have to help keep my family together or else it will fall apart. I carry stress and worry, because I don’t know what will happen to my family after I move out, especially because I don’t want to keep in touch after I leave. I carry a sense of worthlessness because I feel like I have no goals in life, which seems to be an important part of life. I carry strong opinions, but only in a few areas, for example, I believe government is wrong no matter how it is run, I am an anarchist. I carry confusion, because there are many things I can not answer and others can’t answer it for me, such as questions about religion, and the point of life. I carry a sense of reserved calmness about me; I don’t let emotions overcome me, at least not outwardly. I am quiet and contemplative, keeping my thoughts to myself. I carry myself…
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