Trash DQ 1

1. The conditions in the jail are really bad.  It is clammy and dirty.  They're people of every age ranging from 5 years old to like 80.  They people are underfed although Gardo says that its probably better off for them because they get fed something instead of fending for themselves and not getting anything.  The jail smells like urine and sweat with no beds and only newspaper to sleeps on for some people.  The children are probably in jail because they stole food or money from someone because they were hungry.  
2.   They got in to see Gabriel Olondriz because Olivia showed her passport and she also payed ten thousand pesos to get in to see him for a visiting period. 
3. Raphael found things about Rat that he had not known before like how he was  born south of Behala in a place called Sampalo and that he wanted to go home.  Also Rat showed Raphael all the pesos he had been saving up which had been a lot.  
4. The gardener tells Rat and Raphael that lots of people believe that Jose Angelico got away with the money in an old refrigerator.  
5. With six million dollars I would first go on a huge shopping spree with all of my friends.  I would also donate some of the money to other countries and help aid them in whatever they needed help with. 

Bobby Goodspeed shows respect

Bobby Goodspeed Shows Respect

Ever felt like you’ve been let down because no one believes in you and they can’t respect you for who you are? If so, I think you would enjoy reading The Misfits.   The book The Misfits by James Howe is a story of Bobby Goodspeed, his friends, and their journey to create a No-Name political party at their school.  Bobby Goodspeed has a hard time showing respect for his peers in the beginning but in the end, he shows respect.  

Bobby has been called names, as have his friends have for a long time.This possibly could be another reason Bobby has low respect for himself and his peers. Bobby said;  “...Another thing about names is that they do hurt. They hurt because we believe them.” ( pg 250) People believe the names even if they know they aren’t true.  Bobby Goodspeed wants a change in his life but Bobby says; “ When my dads life comes to mind I think, NO WAY! “ (pg 9) Every dads dream is to have his son respect him and follow in his footsteps because to most fathers, their kid is the most important thing in the world to them. Bobby, in the beginning, fails to respect his father.  To respect someone is to consider them worthy of high regard, and Bobby has very low expectations for his dad.   

He has put himself down and lowered his self esteem.  Bobby hasn’t been shown respect therefore he isn’t used to giving much respect. Bobby says;       “...Kelsey Scoggins does not like a boy like me.  And what is a boy like me? you may ask.  Even if you did not know I will tell you: A boy like me is fat.” (pg 80)   Bobby also states; “I think that names are a very small way of looking at a person” (pg 250)  Bobby has been looked at in a small downgraded way. People have decided to judge Bobby before they have given him a chance.  Bobby learns to judge people by what they haven’t done not by what they have. Bobby’s dad hasn’t been respected as much as he should either.  Bobby’s dad tries to be the best single parent that he can be but Bobby doesn't think it’s enough. Bobby’s dad used to be an alcoholic and Bobby can accept that now.   He doesn't want his dad’s life. He thinks his dad is sort of a hermit and a downer because his dad rarely goes anywhere anymore except working at the preschool. Bobby says “My dad was a bit of a low life character himself in those days.  I remember more than once his having a glass of scotch in one hand whilst he was reading me a book from the other.”

Bobby works for a man named Mr. Kellerman and he isn’t shown much respect either.   Bobby calls him “Killer Man” which obviously, right off the bat, says that he doesn't exactly think of highly of him.  Although Mr. Kellerman  is a little crabby and yells “You are five minutes late Mr. Goodspeed!”, (pg 196) he has a sad, lonely life and Bobby doesn't acknowledge that or even think of what his home life might be like. Bobby is turning into a semi-judgemental person.

Bobby becomes respectful at the end of the story by believing in himself. He believes in himself and gives the big speech for the political party in front of the whole school.   He realizes that his dad is doing the best that he can.  When he a has a talk with his dad, he sees that his dad loves him more than anything in the world.  His dad said “You can’t embarrass me. Not ever...” (pg 242)  This said, Bobby sees how hard his dad tries to make him happy and how much he cares about him, no matter how many mistakes he makes.

As for Mr. Kellerman, Bobby learns that his mother had just died and he had been living with her and he is a grown man.  His wife left him and he hasn't been the same since then. Bobby now has a good relationship with Mr. Kellerman and they understand each other better than they ever could.  Mr. Kellerman says at the end of the story “ I just want to shake hands Bobby, a gesture that I hope will signify a knew beginning.  I regret my anger toward you and I thank you for walking home with me and listening.” pg (207)

Showing respect for yourself and your peers is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.  Accepting them for who they are and respecting them for it is the best way to show you are a good friend.  Bobby learned to change and to  accept people for who they they are inside, because no matter what people say, no matter how bad the names are, no matter who says them, you are beautiful, just the way you are.

jamestown essay

Death at Jamestown

    Death was in the air.  It all started on May 14, 1607 when 104 colonists sailed from England to the Chesapeake Bay. They wanted to start a colony and were also in search of gold and a route to the Pacific.  Many died when they reached Jamestown Virginia, mostly because of the three main reasons; water supply, not enough skilled workers and conflicts with the Powhatan Indians.

    Water in Jamestown was mostly soiled and at one point there was a major drought.    In Document A, it states “ English colonists dug shallow wells to supply themselves with sources of drinking water, but these were vulnerable to drought and salt water intrusion.”  The water became brackish when salt water would mix with the fresh water.  When the colonists dumped their waste into the water, the tides wouldn’t flush it out and the water would become prone to cause disease.  There was a drought between the years  1607-1612 according to Document B. The colonists couldn't grow food therefore they starved.  The starving time was in the winter of 1609-1610 and this was when lots  of the colonists died and many were very weakened.

Too much of one thing isn’t good.  Especially when that “thing” is a bunch of lazy gentlemen.  Not the right type of people was a big problem when trying to get a colony started. On the ship list in Document C,  almost half of the list contained gentlemen.  There were only 12 laborers to work and no carpenters to build.   Gentlemen, as it says in Document C,  were men who weren't used to working with their hands and when your trying to survive in a new place, using your hands will definitely come in handy.  There were also no apothecaries (druggists) listed and only one surgeon.  That means that if something  were to happen to the surgeon, there would be no medical help if someone got hurt.  Surviving takes work and skilled people to get the job done and with the wrong kind of workers, they couldn’t work efficiently.

Another reason for many deaths at Jamestown was because of bad relations with the Powhatan Indians.  John Smith was able to interact and trade with the Indians but after he left in 1609 to go back to England, things took a turn for the worst. In August and October of 1607 the Indians killed  “ “ neere halfe” of the 120 men stationed at the falls”  (document E)  This said,  the Indians obviously didn’t have good relations with the settlers.  Also in Document E, is says that in those same months,  “of 100 men at Nansemond, Indians kill 50.” Another attack came in a indirect way.  The Powhatan people wouldn’t let the settlers in and out to get food and water.  Some were killed by the Indians but they also died from starvation and disease. “ Powhatan's siege of Jamestown (the “starving time” between Nov. and May of 1610) kills some 110 colonists from famine and disease; another 33 slain; 37 desert.”  (Document E) The Indians had killed and starved many settlers.  If only their relations had been better.

The settlers coming to Virginia should have been more prepared for what might lie ahead.  They needed good workers, hearty food and good water, and better relations with other cultures.   Starting a colony takes more than just people.  It takes prepared people that are willing to work hard and do whatever they can to make the colony strive.   

   

book review

Book review:  Criss cross

Criteria	Rating	Comments
Plot	**	This book was kind of like a miss match book that the author just threw in random ideas to make the book move along when really, it made the book way more boring.
pacing	**	The book was like a snail with pages. It moved so slow and half the time i had no idea what was going on because the book was lagging along.
description	****	there were some nice descriptions and some cool comparisons.  this book  won a Newberry award but i don't think it was worthy at all.
realism	**	The teenagers portrayed in Criss cross were abnormal.  They didn't really do anything but sit around.   Most  teenagers actually do things like skateboard, go surfing and go over to their friends house and have sleepovers but these characters seemed fake and unreal.
Point of view	***	The point of view kept switching around so sometimes you didn't know who was talking.

Criss-Cross Book review

The book Criss-Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins in my point of view wasn't that good.  The plot line was weird and random things kept happening.  The things the teenage characters did were out of the ordinary for teen behavior like conga dancing contests.  The book is supposed to be about how teenagers find who they really are, when really, their trying to be mature but they end up seeming out of the ordinary.  Ordinary is a broad spectrum, but compared to the teenagers I know, these kids are strange.  

Criss-Cross was like a snail with pages.  The book went nowhere at all and when I finished the book I thought “is that it? nothing happened!”   It didn’t make much sense and as a result, sometimes I would find myself reading the same sentence over and over until I got what the author was trying to get across. When I am reading a book, I want it to have a good story. Who the story is told by really changes the plot.  The point of views in Criss Cross kept switching back and forth between the two main characters Hector and Debbie.  Although Hector and Debbie both have different lives and do different things without each other, they both have similar points of view about everything.  Even though the point of view was similar, it got confusing when it kept switching.  

Criss Cross is a Newberry award winner, mostly for description and nice imagery. I would have to agree that there was some sentences that painted pictures in my head.   The things that were described were simple things like the icing of a cinnamon roll or the dew on a blade of grass.  It was cool to see how the author incorporated  great detail in small things.  Some authors  just say “the water poured over her head” but Lynne Rae Perkins might say something like “ the icy water drizzled down her face and she squeezed her eyes shut, smearing a muddy colored mascara down her cheeks.”  I really like descriptive books so that was definitely a plus.

Over all, Criss-Cross was an okay book, it was slow but some of the nice descriptions paid off for the interesting plot and sluggish pace.  I have heard of some other books by Lynne Rae Perkins and people have even suggested them to me so i think I’ll give her another try.

movie review

Movie Review SOUL SURFER      Rating scale *-*****

CRITERIA	RATING	Comments
Mood	*****	Soul Surfer to me was really sad and heart warming.  It showed the true struggles of Bethany as she tried to keep up with life.
Realism	****	This movie seemed pretty real although I think that Bethany’s stress level was probably higher than the movie portrayed.
Plot line	****	Bethany Hamiltons dream was to become a professional surfer until her dreams were crushed, or so she thought, by a shark biting her arm off.  It shows her struggles and her success as she builds strength to compete in a surfing completion.
Special effects	****	The makers of soul surfer really didn't need effects because they had the ocean.  For the scene when Bethany’s arm was bitten off, it looked so real even though it was just animation.
Acting	****	Bethany Hamilton (played by Anna Sophia Robb) as well as the other characters, did a great job of portraying the message: Never give up, no matter what.

Movie Review

For me, Soul Surfer was one of the best movies of the year.  Bethany Hamilton had always dreamed of becoming a pro surfer. She started thinking twice when a shark bit off her arm and she struggled with her new disability.  The directors made it clear that she was having a hard time but I think the real Bethany struggled even more.  She wasn’t able to push up on her board or cut her food or even hold hand when her family gave thanks before dinner.  Soul Surfer was a sad film and it was even more sad to think that it was based on a true story.  But with the support of her family Bethany soon learns that you can’t give up, no matter what life throws at you, never give up.

The plot line moved along very well and there wasn’t any parts that dragged on for a while unlike some movies.  They speed up Bethany’s healing and struggling period so it wouldn’t take forever to get through that.

The animation in Soul Surfer was mainly only used to make Anna Sophia Robb, the girl who played Bethany, made her arm appear bitten off.  The real Bethany  Hamilton did all the surfing stunts in the movie so they didn’t need to animate Anna Sophia Robb.  The movie was filmed in Hawaii which is so beautiful and it really affected the mood of the movie and it added a calm serene feeling.  

   

All together I think Soul Surfer was a really good overall movie and i would recommend it to everyone who likes heartwarming or feel good movies. The actors portrayed the family well through all the bad times and the good ones. This movie is good and clean other than maybe the scene where her arm gets bitten off.  I watched this movie with my family and we all liked it.

Which iphone is best?

From what I’ve hear about iPhones, they are really cool.  I would like one because their like a bunch of gadgets all wrapped up in one. They have cameras, a video recorder, Internet access and hours of talk and audio.  There’s a few models to choose from but which one is best for me? To dig deeper in my studies, I searched the web and found a comparison chart on about.com.  I am debating between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s, both good phones...but whats the difference?

    Both of these iPhones contain similar features like taking pictures and movies.  I love taking pictures and shooting videos of my family and friends so higher quality pictures definitely matters when purchasing an iPhone.  The real difference between the two is memory space, higher camera resolution and; on the iPhone 4S, it also has the program; Siri.  Siri is basically a voice command system and the only iPhone that has it is the iPhone 4S.  The iPhone 4S contains 3 more mega pixel for the camera than the iPhone 4, which results in better pictures.   Battery life also matters a lot.  You can talk up to an hour more on the iPhone 4S, but it has an hour less Internet browsing time than the iPhone 4.  I like to talk on the phone, but most of the time,  I talk for half an hour or less so talk time isn’t super important.  I really like listening to music and the iPhone 4S can hold up to 8,000 songs more than the iPhone  4.  Both these phones are the about the same weight and size.  But the real thing that I immediately looked at was the price. The iPhone 4S is $300 more than the iPhone 4!  

I ultimately decided that the iPhone 4 is better for me. Sure it doesn’t have as much memory or a higher resolution on the camera, but the iPhone 4S is WAY out of my price range.  I can live without Siri, the voice command program (even though its very cool) and I don’t need a massive amount of memory.  The iPhone 4 is just as portable and easy to use, not to mention its not almost $400 like the iPhone 4S.  I mean, if you think about it , phones used to just be used for calling people and the iPhone 4 definitely offers a lot more features than regular phones. Yeah, maybe the iPhone 4S does have cooler features, higher resolution, and Siri, but having more to offer doesn’t necessarily mean its the right one for me. I’m not willing to spend as much as the iPhone 4S costs but the price of the iPhone 4 is in my range. The iPhone 4 seems to be the right one for me!

Camping with Cumbia:)

Camping with Cumbia

Going to camp with my friend Cumbia was one of the most amazing times of my entire life.  The times we shared together I will always remember because we were always laughing about something funny or dorky we did together. We were always in the bright sun getting burnt and freckling our noses.  Our hair was always frizzy and static from the humidity but we didn't care. We had come to camp in Petrolia  to have fun, not to be beauty queens.

    On the second day we were there, the memory machine started making memories. It worked hard.  Cumbia and I decided to make shaving cream art but it got a little out of control.  We covered our faces in the “beard buster ocean spray scented” men’s shaving cream. It was in our hair and it got in our mouths. It tasted like cologne might taste and the texture was all icky and pasty. To get all of the shaving cream off we jumped into the river and when we were in we screamed at each other in British accents. Yes, we have a weird relationship;like a shaving cream in mouth and hair kind of relationship.Yeah, we’re weird.
   
    On the last night that we were at camp, we all sat in a circle, around a warm crackling fire.  All thirty seven girls. We each lit a small candle to resemble the  great times we shared at this wonderful camp. Almost the whole circle was crying about having to leave. I was crying. Cumbia was crying. Basically EVERYONE was crying. I buried my red eyes and my tear covered face into Cumbia’s sweater and she held me close.  We were so close I could hear her heartbeat,and feel our friendship getting stronger. And it did.

    The night was finished off with a shaving cream fight and a river of tears.  We were so sad about leaving but yet still so surrounded by people we loved that they were tears of joy, not sorrow.  And at that moment only one thing mattered. Love.