Paul's Topic

What is the best part of your day, week, month, and life? The best part of my day would be when Ty told me that there was no soccer practice today. I was happy because who wants to go and run around outside in this weather. The best part of my week would be when my Lacrosse game got canceled yesterday. It was at a bad field in the cold rain with kids who hit really hard.

The best part of my month would be this past weekend when I finished a project that I had been working really hard on. I was a great feeling to look back at all that work and see how good it was. The best part of my life would probably be a couple of weeks ago when I went to Orlando. I was able to get into the park twice for free and go to a private showing of the fireworks. Also, I was able to SCUBA dive in the Finding Nemo tank in Epcot.

Writing Center

This semester, I went to the writing center for my literary analysis. I was almost nervous, but the writing fellow in there at that time was very welcoming and helpful. Ms. Spaht had to leave so me the writing fellow and another student were alone in the writing center. I had a good experience. Also, I believe that this helped my writing a lot.

My paper was shorter than it needed to be, so I had to add somethings afterwards. The writing fellow helped me to fix some freestanding quotations, and showed me that I can use a colon to do that. Also, I received a sheet with lots of transition words, I have been having trouble with those for a while. The fellow would talk with one person while the other was working to find things that could be improved. I was amazed to find how many simple mistakes I made from typing too quickl.y


Wonder
By: R J Palacio
107 pages
2 hours

Reading Times

Wonder
R J Palacio
213 pages
4 hours

What is the significance of your topic--Loyalty

What is the significance of your topic?

My topic is about loyalty. There are many examples and non-examples so far. For example, Piggy is loyal to Ralph in that he barely hesitates before he does what he was told to do. Also, all of the kids are to Ralph because he got them to come together and make it safer. The choir is loyal to Jack because he outranks all the others.

Ralph doesn't return the loyalty to Piggy because he goes against the one thing Piggy asked him to do. Also, Ralph starts to exclude Piggy and to surround himself with others. Jack is loyal to none. Ralph tries to serve the greater good. Jack chooses the easy way out for himself always.

Free Write

This year our football team is going to the playoffs for the state championship. We did so well over the season that we were able to receive a bye week last week. We didn't have a game when everyone else was betting each other up. We only have to win two games to get into the championship game.

If we win This Friday against St. Thomas Aquinas we will have to stay in town and practice over Thanksgiving Break. It won't be bad because I will be able to catch up on work and finally get my learners permit. We are going to win so I can just get ready to stay home.

God Emperor of Dune
Frank Hebert
44 pages
1 hour

The False Prince
Jennifer Nielsen
54 pages
1 hour

Orlando

This past week I got to go to Orlando to receive an award from an international diving organization, NAUI. NAUI is one of the largest and in most opinions the best diving company. The only one larger is PADI which allows people to become divers in just a one day course. I have always been NAUI since I was ten. My parents signed me up and I did as well as some guy who had just graduated college.

When I received the award, my sister and I had to go up to the front of a decent-sized room with somewhere between twenty to forty people in it. I was a little nervous before, but when I got up there and started to talk, I felt fine. After the awards, we boarded one of three buses of fifty to go to Epcot. At Epcot we went to eat in a private room with windows opening into the Living Seas tank. After eating diner there, we went to 'France' to watch the fireworks and eat dessert.

Post 1?

I was not able to be in class for this activity, so let me just talk about my independent reading book. I am currently reading God Emperor of Dune by Frank Hebert. It is a continuation of the previous books and is one of the original, not written by his son and that other guy. It is about a human who has become a mutant in order to save humanity. The next book is Heretics of Dune. I have almost moved on to the next one.

God Emperor of Dune raises some moral question. Should one person be allowed to live thousands of years and influence everything. It includes a ghola or a clone, who is thought of as all of those clones there have been. Also, the ruler forces a 'breeding program' with his own family, directly influencing those he needs.

Reading Times

10/28-11/3

God Emperor of Dune
Frank Hebert
40 pages 1 hour

peer-mark reviews
30 minutes

literary analysis
1 hour

Football Game`

Today we had our final Junior Varsity football game against Redemptorist. It was supposed to be a fairly physical game, but we dominated on offence and defense. the final score was 32-0. We only had fifteen people dress-out and one of us was injured in the game. They had more JV players out than they had on their varsity squad.
In the game, David Tatman scored two touchdowns. The other two were scored by Sam Rotenburg and Noah Ponjuan. Sam also intercepted two passes. I had one big hit and almost tackled the quarterback when he was trying to throw the ball. When I did this I caused the quarterback to make a bad pass, which let Clark Nichols intercept it.

Reading Response

I read The Sniper, Sucker, and An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. I will most likely do my literary analysis about An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge because it is far more complex than the other two. This story talks about the author's idea of the moments just before death. He shows how everything was in much better detail.
The Sniper and Sucker are much simpler stories. The Sniper is about a man in Ireland during a civil war. Sucker is about a boy's 'bother' whose parents died young. The Sniper has a fairly vague theme, while Sucker is  just about the bonding that occurs between the narrator and Sucker.


God Emperor of Dune
Frank Hebert
146 pages
10/21-10/27
3 1/2 hours

Personal Questions

What would it be like to live in a future world?
Why do I enjoy Science Fiction?
Why do I enjoy Fantasy?
What makes me want to read?
How do authors make introductions flow?


10/7-10/14
God Emperor of Dune
Frank Hebert
96 pages
2 hours

9/30-10/7
Children of Dune
Frank Hebert
204 pages
4 hours

Short Stories

I have found that when we are annotating for a certain element there tends to not be as much of that aspect. For example, in Dry September, there isn't that much information about plot, but there is plenty on characters. Also, in Harrison Bergeron, there is not that much on anything causing it to be a confusing story.

I have learned that there are many elements to a short story and that they can be far more complex than they seem. A very old Man with Enormous Wings fits within this, it has a Scandinavian Angel, an acrobat with bat wings, and a woman who was turned into a half spider. These stories can also be very simple. A&P is a boy watching girls walk around a convenience store in just swimsuits.

Short Story Plot Map

Exposition:

• Frank is a normal boy who lived in an ordinary town until The Event

Rising Action:

• Frank's 'gang' is planning to overthrow a government trying to control the anarchy

Climax:

• In the assault on the government, Frank's best friend, Grayson, is killed attempting to save others

Falling Action:

• Frank approaches the old leader who ordered the ambush on Grayson

Resolution:

• Frank gets even with the leader by messing with his mind

9/23-9/30

Children of Dune by Frank Hebert

87 pages

2 1/2 hours

Before Bed

I always think about everything before bed. It's almost as if my mind doesn't want for me to rest. I wonder about all of the things that go go wrong during the night. We could be robbed; the camp could burn down; or we could all be killed by a marauding group. I ponder on how this how ordeal started; was there something I could have done differently to make this not happen.

Then I wonder about what life would be if this didn't happen. I would be at home doing nothing. I would still do very little and go outside even less. Without this I would never have known what I could do. Before, I thought that all my actions were insignificant. After, I realized how much of an impact a single decision could have on the world.

Reading Response

This week I continued to read Children of Dune. it is about the children of a deceased emperor. it confuses me because in the first book, the author built up the protagonist and in the next two books he shows how bad a great leader can be. He shows that people will go to great lengths to please a charismatic ruler. It says how a leader like that can also leave huge gaps to fill when they are absent.

It also shows how a good thing can become a bad thing in the spice addiction. It can give the user the ability to sense the truth; extend the life; and even allow some people to see into the future. However, this comes at a price, the addicted has to use more each time and it opens the opportunity for the children to become possessed by their ancestors.


9/16-9/23
Dune Messiah by Frank Hebert
53 pages
2 hours

We're Making an eBook

I am truly pleased by the way my narrative turned out. It brought across what I wanted it to. I think that if I were to add anything it may just be a picture of the original cover. I don't really know how I would change the formatting. I didn't name anybody, so that shouldn't be a problem. Also, for my own narrative I can't think of any other type of media to put in.

Reading Response

I recently finished Dune Messiah and started Children of Dune. Dune Messiah ends showing how the religion created gets out of hand. It also shows the bad side of popular leaders. It goes into conspiracy and has some dramatic irony' the main character knows, but none of the other people have any idea.
So far in Children of Dune, the emperor's children have met with their grandmother, who has gone into her old ways. The children are called abominations because they were conscious before birth. This is caused by the addiction of spice before birth.

Dune Messiah by Frank Hebert
9/10-9/12----64 pages----2 hours

Children of Dune by Frank Hebert
9/13-9/16----63 pages----2 hours

Dialogue

"Why is the sky blue?" Raul asked.
Lorenzo replied, "The blue hue of the sky is caused by the refraction of water molecules in the atmosphere."
"Why are dogs bad dancers?"
"Because they have two left feet."
"How does an octopus go to war?"
"Well-armed, Raul."
Raul then asked, "How can you drop an egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?"
An annoyed Lorenzo answered, "Because concrete floors are hard to crack."
"Whats another word for Thesaurus?"
"A dictionary with synonyms and antonyms."
"Why doesn't onomatopoeia sound like it's spelled?"
"Because that would be to simple."
"You know that was for a word search, right?"
"What!?"

Reading Response

Currently, I am reading Dune Messiah.  It is about a person in the distant future who can see into the future. this person became the intergalactic emperor in the last book and twelve years have passed. There is a plot against the emperor that includes his own wife. The people in this plot are protected from the emperor's prescience by another oracle that is included. this oracle is accepted into an embassy where he gives the emperor a clone of his mentor.

Recently in the book, Paul, the emperor, goes to visit an old dying friend. This friend gives Paul a dwarf who knows many of the people who are included in the conspiracy. While he is leaving with the dwarf, a stone cutter explodes. A stone cutter is a powerful nuclear device that either destroys a planet or blinds all of those who stand to close. Paul generously buys mechanical eyes for all of the others that were blinded, but because of his prescience, Paul can see everything clearly.

Dune Messiah by Frank Hebert

9/3      2 hours      48 pages

9/4      2 hours      50 pages

9/5      2 hours      46 pages

9/8      2 hours      47 pages

This is Water

This is Water was the title of a speech given to a graduating  class from Kenyon College. It starts out as a fun speech with the first part being about talking goldfish. These goldfish represent people in that they overlook the most obvious. One goldfish says, 'What the hell is water?' The speech then goes on about boring everyday things, like the annoyance that happens when little things occur over and over.

After lightening the mood he goes into much deeper things, like how to make the best out of anything and how to coop with others that seem to be in the way. He gives the example of a large SUV driving really slowly and annoying many people. Then he says how that person may have had a bad car accident and the only way for them to get back on the road is for that person to buy a large car.

Reading Response

This past week I finished Dune and began Dune Messiah. they are both good books by a great science fiction author. In Dune a Duke and his family are forced by an intergalactic emperor to travel to a planet called Arrakis, where a special spice is found. The duke is murdered soon after arriving, while his son and wife escape into the desert. In the desert they befriend the Fremen, a people adapted to living in the desert. With the help of the Fremen, the new Duke conquers the emperor's troops and obtains what is his.

In Dune Messiah, the Duke's wife joins conspirators in a plot to overthrow the new Emperor. Among the conspirators are a mutated Guild steersman; a wise Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, and a face-dancer from Tleiax. The face-dancer has traveled Arrakis meeting with others.



Dune               Frank Hebert
8/27     30 minutes         46
8/28     30 minutes         45
8/29     30 minutes         44
8/30     30 minutes         47

Dune Messiah               Frank Hebert
9/2       1 hour         73 pages

Newsworthy

Yesterday, I did part of the driving portion of Driver's Ed. It kind of started on Saturday, when the instructor got confused and thought I was supposed to drive. We crossed over the Mississippi River Bridge at one point. I used to get so scared when we would drive over it because it was so high. However, Yesterday I barely even noticed the height because I was concentrating on the road.

Coming up to the bridge I had to speed up more to get up it. Even though I was pushing down harder than usual I still slowed down. When I was approaching the apex I realized how wide the bridge really is. After reaching the halfway point, i almost completely took my foot off of the gas so I wouldn't be going too fast coming down it.

Reading Response 2

Currently I am reading Dune by Frank Herbert. It is a 1965 science fiction book based far into the future. This raises the question of why I enjoy science fiction books. In Dune, the people have ornothopters, a version of a plane that has wings that are manipulated like a bird's. Also, the people use shields which emanate from a belt worn by a person. These shields are strange because they deflect the quick blows but admit the slow knife.

On Arrakis, the planet this book is set on, there are giant sandworms throughout the desert landscape. This sandworms create melange. Melange has many benefits, it increases a lifespan; it greatly improves the mind for short periods; and it allow a group of men to travel through space. Melange allows the navigators to safely and instantly transport a huge ship anywhere. This is a great reason how an empire could stretch so far.

Dune	Frank Herbert	8/20	1 hour	50
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/21	1 hour	51
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/22	1 hour	49
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/23	1 hour	50
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/24	2 hours	100
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/25	1 hour 45 minutes	74
Dune	Frank Herbert	8/26	1 hour	49

Ride the Bull

On Saturday, August 17, 2013, my dad and I went down to Grand Isle, LA in order to participate in an extreme kayak fishing tournament called Ride the Bull. this year it became the largest catch-and-release kayak fishing tournament ever to occur. My dad and I have participated in this event for the past three years. However, this year we fared far better than anytime before. Our success was helped by our new anchors and a fish-finder that we installed.

I caught a black-tip shark and two southern stingrays, while my dad caught three hard-head catfish and a white trout. The shark was a little baby at only two feet long; we had to cut the line when it got to the surface so that we wouldn't lose any fingers. My dad is scared of stingrays so he had to cut the line for them instead of removing the hook. Saltwater catfish, like stingrays, have sharp appendages that cause great pain. In fishing, there is a 'three cat rule' which means that if three catfish are caught in one area, the fisherman should move.

Reading Response 1

Over the summer, I read Inferno by Dan Brown. One thing I noticed was that it is about a scientist who creates a disease that only affects one third of the population, the same percent that was affected by the bubonic plague. Also I noticed that this book has deep ties with Dante’s Inferno about his trip into and out of hell. I wondered why Dan Brown would connect this book to another that was written in the fourteenth century.

Something that surprised me was when a girl that was with the protagonist the entire book left him. Later, after Dan Brown lead the reader to believe the girl turn on the hero, it is revealed that she was also trying to save the world. I was also surprised at how well Dan Brown fit in all of the symbols that he used. I really appreciate the work and effort that went into writing this book.

Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/12	30 minutes	24 pages
Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/13	30 minutes	26 pages
Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/15	30 minutes	25 pages
Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/16	30 minutes	26 pages
Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/17	2 ½ hours	126 pages
Dune (Frank Hebert)	8/18	1 hour	51 pages