TO ACT OR NOT TO ACT

Steve Jobs' speech was very upbeat and said how life is full of many possibilities. And that death is necessary in order to make room for future generations. But Shakespeare's "Hamlet" has a very dismal and dark feel to it. Especially since Hamlet has to do a deed that no person wants to do. The speech and the soliloquy are on two total different playing fields when it comes to the mood.

DEAR STEVE

A lot of what I read in the speech makes complete sense to me. He talks about not settling in life and keep working to find what you love. And for most people I think at a certain point in their life they do decide to settle. They settle and resent themselves for settling for the rest of their lives. And the worst part about it is that they don't try to rekindle their love that one dream job. He also says how he learned from his experience from being fired from Apple. He says how it was the best thing to ever happen to him. It gave him a second chance to be even more successful especially since there was so much uncertainly going forward. And at the end of the speech he says to not waste your life. And not to waste your life by living someone else's. He's right, you should live your life like you want to. Which will lead you to do whatever it is in life that you love.

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VOCAB. No. 6

1.Adroit-clever or skillful in using the hands or mind
   The man was adroit at his job as a surgeon. 
2.Amicable-having the spirit of friendliness
   There will be an amicable settlement to the once hostile dispute.
3.Averse-having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
   The former spy is not averse to secrecy.
4.Belligerent-hostile or aggressive
   He's a belligerent old man man with no life.
5.Benevolent-well meaning and kindly
   She had a very deceitful benevolent smile.
6.Cursory-something done hasty therefore not being detailed
   He gave a cursory glance at the test answers.
7.Duplicity-deceitfulness
   The word to describe him would be duplicity since he is very deceitful.
8.Extol-to praise something with enthusiasm
   He extolled the virtues of the Roman people.
9.Feasible-possible to do easily or conveniently
   It's not feasible to put most finds on archaeological digs on display.
10.Grimace-an ugly, twisted expression on a persons face
     She gave a grimace of pain as she looked at her broken leg.
11.Holocaust-destruction or slaughter on a mass scale
     The holocaust was one of the darkest points in history.
12.Impervious-not allowing fluid to pass through
     An impervious layer of basaltic clay.
13.Impetus-the force or energy with a body moves
     Hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus.
14.Jeopardy-the danger of loss,harm or failure
     He was in jeopardy of being killed.
15.Meticulous-showing great detail to something
     He worked very meticulously on his essay.
16.Nostalgia-a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
     A certain nostalgia came over him as soon as he saw his old house.
17.Quintessence-the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class
     He was the quintessence of professionalism.
18.Retrogress-to go back to an earlier state
     He retrogressed to the starting point of his rehabilitation.
20.Scrutinize-to examine or inspect closely
     He was scrutinized for his lack of awareness.
21.Tepid-something that is only slightly warm
     The soup was coffee tepid.
22.Accede- to assume an office or position
     The man acceded to the position of the president.
23.Brandish- to waive or flourish something especially a weapon
     He brandished a weapon as he entered the room.
24.Comprise- to be made up of
     The universe comprises of many galaxies,stars,planets and nebula's.
25.Deft- neatly skillful and quick in one's movement
     That person used his deft moves to evade the police.
26.Destitute- without the basic necessities of life
     The charity cares for destitute children.
27.Explicit- stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion
    The policeman's orders were not made explicit.
28.Extirpate- to root out or destroy completely 
     Illegal measures were used in order to extirpate the evil out of the town.
29.Inopportune- something that occurs at a bad time
     The accident happened at an inopportune time.
30.Ironic- something that happens in the opposite way as was expected.
     It was very ironic how the man lost his car.
31.Musty- a very stale or damp smell.
     His whole room had a musty smell to it.
32.Officious- assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering  way.
     The policeman was a very officious man.
33.Ominous- giving the impression that something bad is going to happen
     The house had an ominous feel about it.
34.Pinnacle- a high pointed piece of rock
     I reached the pinnacle of success.
35.Premeditated- to think out or plan something
     The man was charged with premeditated murder.
36.Rampant- something unpleasant flourishing or spreading unchecked
    The tree branches were rampant.
37.Solace- to comfort someone in a time of sadness or distress
     She sought solace in the books she read.
38.Stately- something majestic in manner and appearance
     The planet had a stately look to it.
39.Supple- to bend or move in a graceful way
    The free runner was very supple in his moves.
40.Suppress- to forcibly put an end to
     He suppressed his emotions in the heat of the moment.
41.Venal- to be motivated by bribery
     Why should these venal politicians care how they're perceived.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Making your own decisions is a really important thing. It allows you to do what you want and how you do it. One pro would be you're making your own decisions and one con would be you're making your own decisions. Which means every decision you make has to be thought out before executed. It can make things easier since they're your decisions. But when it comes to the hard stuff you may not want to make your own decisions because you can screw yourself over. I prefer to make my own decisions, but I'm not opposed to taking advice from people I ask.

VOCAB. NO. 5

1.Adroit-clever or skillful in using the hands or mind
   The man was adroit at his job.
2.Amicable-having the spirit of friendliness
   There will be an amicable settlement to this dispute.
3.Averse-having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
   The former spy is not averse to secrecy.
4.Belligerent-hostile and aggressive
   He's an belligerent old man.
5.Benevolent-well meaning and kindly
   She had a very benevolent smile.
6.Cursory-something done hasty therefore not being detailed
   He gave cursory glance at the paper.
7.Duplicity-deceitfulness
   The word to describe him would be duplicity since he is very deceitful.
8.Extol-to praise something with enthusiasm
   He extolled the virtues of the Roman people.
9.Feasible-possible to do easily or conveniently
   It's not feasible to put most finds on archaeological digs on display.
10.Grimace-an ugly, twisted expression on a persons face
     She gave a grimace of pain.
11.Holocaust-destruction or slaughter on a mass scale
     During the Cold War there could've been a nuclear holocaust.
12.Impervious-not allowing fluid to pass through
     An impervious layer of basaltic clay.
13.Impetus-the force or energy with a body moves
     Hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus.
14.Jeopardy-the danger of loss,harm or failure
     His life was not in jeopardy.
15.Meticulous-showing great detail to something
     He worked very meticulously on his drawing.
16.Nostalgia-a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
     A certain nostalgia came over him as he thought of his high school days.
17.Quintessence-the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class
     He was the quintessence of professionalism.
18.Retrogress-to go back to an earlier state
     He retrogressed to the starting point of his rehabilitation.
20.Scrutinize-to examine or inspect closely
     He was scrutinized for his lack of work.
21.Tepid-something that is only slightly warm
     The soup was very tepid. 
  

NO CHILD LEFT UNTABLETED

Having tablets in the classroom isn't a bad idea. They can be an effective new way for the kids to learn. It also would cut back on all of the books the kids would have to carry around. Although the cost would be really high for a bunch of tablets for middle schoolers. They would be spending $30 million on tablets rather than spending the money on other key necessities. And the cost could become higher especially if the tablets aren't taken care of properly. If they want to spend $30 million on tablets let them do it as long as they know the financial risk. Books or tablets as long as they're learning what they need to be learning.

Literaature Analysis No.1

TOPICS and/or EVENTS
1. My book is about the short life of Kurt Cobain who was the lead singer of the band Nirvana.
   [B] Before reading the book I had and idea of what I would come across. Such as things that would surprise me and things that wouldn't. I was right for better or for worse.
2. Charles R. Cross chose to write about Kurt simply for the reason that Kurt's life fascinated Charles,especially since at the time not much was known about Kurt's upbringing before fame fell upon him. Charles wanted to get a better understanding of Kurt's life and he did.
3. I chose this book in order to know more about Kurt. Especially since Nirvana is one of my favorite bands and Kurt being such a polarizing figure. From the start of the book you know it's going to be good. It has such great detail of Kurt's from the smallest to the biggest events. Charles R. Cross does a phenomenal job at depicting Kurt's life. And it was all of this detail and me wanting to know more about Kurt that wouldn't let me put down this book.
4. There were some similarities between mine and Kurt's life which is why I did make a connection with it. Both Kurt and myself come from family's that experience divorce. And some of the feelings that both he and I had were similar when it came to divorce. And also when it came to certain feelings when it came to a particular parent. I also made a connection with the people in the book who feared for the life of Kurt. Even though I knew what the outcome was going to be. It still wasn't easy reading about the downward spiral that was Kurt's life that started at an early age.

PEOPLE
1. Cross in some cases did write his own personal interpretation of certain people, but it was only the people he had interactions with. All other writings of people in the book were based off of interpretations of family and friends of Kurt. The tone of Cross through most of this book is a sadness, but there is a happiness in certain parts.
2. Kurt was short and skinny he had blue eyes and blonde hair. As a child he was loud and was always running around. As he got older he was became more soft spoken. He also had a different sense of humor than most people. If he was a fictional character I would characterize him directly. Especially since he was a person who had many different layers to him.
3. Kurt is one of those people that you can write about since there is so much to him. If he was a fictional character he would defiantly be a dynamic character. He changes throughout his life because of experiences that have a profound impact on him.

STYLE
1. Most of the writing in the book has a journalistic style to it. This is because of how Cross interviewed family and friends of Kurt. But Cross also read the journals of Kurt which allowed him to get to know more of who Kurt was. There are a few instances where Cross does use foreshadowing. In these instances the foreshadowing is very unassuming. And you wouldn't notice them unless you were paying complete attention to the book.
2.Cross did use lengthy descriptions to describe the people and the places in the book. The fact that Cross did chose to use lengthy descriptions is what makes the book great. If he focused heavily on the dialogue the book would be crap. It also wouldn't make sense since you wouldn't know where any of it took place.
3. Cross gets the reader to imagine that he or she is in the book and watching all of Kurt's life unfold in front of them. This has an impact on the reader because it makes the reader become attached to Kurt. It makes you care for his overall well being.
4.His attitude to the readers was probably good. Especially since he wasn't just writing the book for himself but also for the people who were interested in Kurt.
5. Cross used many resources in order to write this book. From articles he found in newspapers to Kurt's own personal journal's. And all of the people he interviewed in to get first hand accounts of certain situations in Kurt's life. Knowing that Cross did use all of these resources in order to write this book did have and effect on my thinking. It proved to me that all of what happened in the book was all factual.

ENDURING MEMORY
There will be a lot things from this book that I will remember. But the one thing to surely stay with me is the part that describes Kurt's first encounter with heroin. The way Cross described it is chilling to me especially since I don't like needles. That part of the book tends to give me chills for two reasons. One, the roll the drug plays in the rest of his life for better or wore mostly worse. Two, how it did seem to be the only part time cure for his stomach issues that he had for most of his life.

Vocab. No.4

Accede- to assume an office or position
  The man acceded to the post of manager.
Brandish- to waive or flourish something especially a weapon
  He brandished a weapon as he entered the room.
Comprise- to be made up of
  The country comprises of fifty states.
Deft- neatly skillful and quick in one's movement
  That person used his deft moves to evade the police.
Destitute- without the basic necessities of life
  The charity cares for destitute children.
Explicit- stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion
  The man's directions were not made explicit.
Extirpate- to root out or destroy completely 
  Illegal measures were used in order to extirpate the evil out of the town.
Inopportune- something that occurs at a bad time
  The accident happened at an inopportune time.
Ironic- something that happens in the opposite way as was expected.
  It was very ironic in how he broke his arm.
Musty- a very stale or damp smell.
  His socks were musty.
Officious- assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering  way.
  The policeman was a very officious man.
Ominous- giving the impression that something bad is going to happen
  The man had a very ominous vibe about him.
Pinnacle- a high pointed piece of rock
  I reached the pinnacle of the rock face.
Premeditated- to think out or plan something
  The man was charged with premeditated murder.
Rampant- something unpleasant flourishing or spreading unchecked
  The tree branches were rampant.
Solace- to comfort someone in a time of sadness or distress
  She sought solace in the music she enjoyed.
Stately- something majestic in manner and appearance
  The car had a very stately look and feel to it.
Supple- to bend or move in a graceful way
  The dancer was supple in her movement.
Suppress- to forcibly put an end to
  He suppressed his emotions in the heat of the moment.
Venal- to be motivated by bribery
  Why should these venal people care how they're perceived.

Vocab. No. 3

1. Accomplice- a person who helps another commit a crime
2. Annihilate- to destroy or obliterate
3. Arbitrary- based on a random choice or personal whim
4. Brazen- bold and without shame
5. Catalyst- an unexpected person who plays a big part in something
6. Exodus- A mass departure of people
7. Facilitate- to make an action or process easier
8. Incorrigible- a person who does not like to be corrected
9. Latent- something that is hidden
10. Militant- combative and aggressive in support of a social cause
11. Morose- a person who is ill tempered
12. Opaque- not able to be seen through; not transparent
13. Paramount- more important than anything else
14. Prattle- to talk in length in a foolish or inconsequential way
15. Rebut- to drive back or repel
16. Reprimand- to officially rebuke someone
17. Servitude- the state of being a slave or completely subject to someone more powerful
18. Slapdash- done in a quick and hurried way
19. Stagnate- something that is not moving
20. Succumb- failing to resist something