Vocabulary List 4+5=6 (Makes Sense)

adroit-dexterous or skill full
ex: The adroit artist made a masterpiece.

  amicable-friendly, peaceable
ex: The puppy was amicable and happy.

  averse- in opposition to
ex: The protesters were averse to the new law.

  belligerent-aggressive or warlike
ex: The belligerent drunk was arrested

  benevolent-desiring to help others, showing of goodwill
ex: She had a benevolent smile.

  cursory-looking over something rapidly without noticing details
ex: The teacher looked over the essay with cursory, missing the thesis.

  duplicity-speaking or acting with two different meanings
ex: He talked with duplicity causing people to distrust him.

  extol-to praise highly
ex: I extol honest people.

  feasible-capable of being don
ex: The plan was feasible.

grimace-a facial expression of disapproval
ex: She had a grimace on her face.

 holocaust-complete destruction by fire
ex: A nuclear holocaust is a constant worry of society

impetus-a moving force; stimulus
ex: Good grades are an impetus for students to work hard.

jeopardy-state of being at risk of being lost
ex: He was in jeopardy of losing his life.

 meticulous-taking great care of minute details
ex: People with OCD are meticulous about organization.

 nostalgia-a desire to go back to a happy time
ex: Graduates look on high school with nostalgia.

 quintessence-the pure essence of something
ex: He was the quintessence of his father.

 retrogress-to revert back to a worse condition
ex: He retrogressed to childish behavior.

 scrutinize-to examine with critical attention
ex: Critics scrutinize movies.

 tepid-lukewarm; neutral; not feeling much towards one way or another
ex: The teacher was tepid towards the student's essay

accede-to give approval of
ex: The father acceded to his daughter getting married.

 brandish-to shake around like a weapon
ex: He brandished his sword wildly.

 comprise-to be composed or made up of
ex: Computers are comprised of many different parts.

 deft-nimble
ex: Cheetahs are deft animals.

 destitute-without subsistence; very poor
ex: Homeless people are destitute.

 explicit-fully and clearly expressed  without reservation
ex: The documentary explicitly showed the affects of WWII

 extirpate-to destroy completely
ex: The wildfire extirpated the forest.

 inopportune-inappropriate; not a good time
ex: It was an inopportune time to pop the question.

 ironic-use of words to convey meaning opposite of its literal meaning
ex: Sarcasm is based on using irony for comedic effects.

 musty-odor suggestive of mold
ex: The kitchen had a musty smell.

 officious-aggressive in offering unwanted advice
ex: The teacher was officious with his help.

 ominous-something threatening meaning something bad is going to happen
ex: There was an ominous feeling in the air before the earthquake.

 pinnacle-the peak or epitome of something
ex: He was at the pinnacle of his career.

 premeditated-done deliberately or planned in advance
ex: She was found guilty of premeditated murder.

 rampant-violent in action; something spreading unchecked
ex: The weeds in the backyard were growing rampantly.

 solace-comfort in sorrow; alleviation of distress
ex: He found solace staying in his bed from his mom.

 stately-imposing in magnificence; so awesome it is almost threatening
ex: Many homes in the deep south are very stately.

 supple-bending without being deformed or broken; flexible; compliant
ex: She has a very supple personality.

 suppress-to keep or repress; to keep down
ex: The police suppressed the protesters.

 venal-open to bribery; easily persuaded by something
ex: The corrupt government was venal when passing the bill.

The Value of Choice

Some ideas I think would be good to discuss as a class over our blogs would be those truly based on our own opinions. We should discuss our own beliefs on the meaning of life because it should vary greatly and offer a lot of other material to discuss. Its a good easier prompt for essays as well. We also should discuss how people act they way they do when faced with difficult life situations and how it affects our choices. One last idea that would be great to read and write about it human's real purpose and the effects we have on the world. Why are we here? How is it that we have survived this long? How have we reached the top of the food chain? How has technology taken away the primal part that makes us human?

Some skills I would like to obtain throughout the unit is the ability to discuss very personal and societal beliefs without disrespecting the other side. Too often people take discussions about religion and personal beliefs too seriously and they often escalate and get blown out of proportion. We need to learn to accept people's differences, even if we are the opposite. Teenagers more often than not are very vocal about their beliefs because they feel that they aren't taken seriously by adults, so they make it loud and clear. It shouldn't be that way. Ultimately we as a class and society even need to learn respect. Simple as that.

Netvibes

My netvibes dashboard for my internet browser includes only the websites I actually need. I don't have facebook or youtube on it, just Dr Preston's blog, my blog, and google. Everything is at a glance and easy to access.

Declaration of Learning Independence

My SMART goal is to attend Allan Hancock college followed by attending Cal Poly SLO. It is definitely specific as I know the actual locations, I'm just not exactly sure on the classes I want. It's measurable fiscally because if I receive scholarships and the acceptance letter I will know I'm right on track. It is attainable; it will be difficult to get in to Cal Poly but it will definitely be worth it. My parents always have my back and would do anything to achieve my goal of attending these schools. It is timely because it doesn't take years to actually get in; I just have to endure the application process.

In the collaborative working groups I would like to join a few students in restoring nature in our communities. Too much untouched landscape is being taken over by houses and businesses and it is truly sad to see the natural beauty of the Central Coast disappear.

No Child Left Untableted

This article from the New York Times was written in response to a $30 million dollar program  by the federal Department of Education in an effort to improve education, specifically middle school, by providing a tablet computer for every student and teacher. Although this would make the students more technologically savvy, it will take away from all the useful life skills students on the verge of adulthood should learn from experience. Instead of having more "street smarts" as it's called, they will have more "technology smarts". The real world doesn't work like a computer does, it isn't perfect and programmable. It is random and chaotic. Learning to survive and thrive in the real world isn't something you can just teach with a lesson and homework that reinforces it. There's no puzzle game that stimulates the part of the brain that helps you learn to deal with people. Certain lessons of life need to be learned from experience, and although it is much harder and time consuming, it will be lessons you will never forget. Instead of taking pride in the quantity of graduates, we need to champion the real quality of them. Lets take our time and do this right. It may not be as clean and neat as the digital world, but it has much more value in the end.

Vocabulary List #5

adroit-skillful or dexterous
ex: The adroit football player was able to maneuver around the defense.

amicable-characterized by or showing goodwill
ex: Santa Claus is known as a symbol of an amicable person.

averse-having a strong feeling of opposition
ex: He is not averse to having a drink now and then

belligerent-warlike; aggressive
ex: Drunk people often are belligerent.

 benevolent-characterized by or expressing goodwill
ex: She has a benevolent smile.

 cursory-going rapidly over something without recognizing details
ex: A cursory glance at a newspaper article.

 duplicity-deceitfulness in speech or conduct as by acting in two different ways
ex: He speaks with a duplicity that causes people to not trust him.

 extol-to praise highly
ex: Teachers extol their favorite students.

 feasible-capable of being done
ex: Getting straight A's is hardly feasible.

 grimace-a facial expression expressing disapproval.
ex: The grimace on her face showed her disapproval.

holocaust-a great devastation by fire
ex: A nuclear holocaust is feared by society.

 impervious-impenetrable
ex: The castle was impervious to attack.

 impetus-a moving force or stimulus
ex: Students all have different impetus for wanting good grades.

 jeopardy-at risk of exposure or loss
ex: Disease can cause people's lives to be in jeopardy.

 meticulous-taking great care of minute details; precise
ex: Perfectionists are meticulous with everything.

 nostalgia-desire to return in thought to a different time in one's life
ex: Adults often look at their younger years with nostalgia.

 quintessence-the most perfect embodiment of something
ex: The son was the quintessence of his father.

 retrogress-to go backward to a worse condition
ex: He retrogressed to childlike behavior.

 scrutinize-to examine with detail with critical attention
ex: Critics scrutinize movies and write reviews.

 tepid-moderately warm
ex: The room temperature was tepid.

Vocabulary List #4

 accede-to give consent or approval
ex: He acceded to his request.

 brandish-to shake or wave as a weapon
ex: The warrior brandished his sword before going in to battle.

 comprise-to include or contain
ex: Computers are comprised of many parts.

 deft-nimble or skillful
ex: Cheetahs are deft animals.

 destitute-without means of subsistence
ex: Homeless people are destitute.

 explicit-fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated
ex: The protestors explicitly explained their cause.

 extirpate-to remove or destroy totally
ex: He extirpated everything off of his walls.

 inopportune-inappropriate
ex: The man's outburst was very inopportune.

 ironic-using words to convey meaning opposite of its literal meaning
ex: Sarcasm is a form of irony.

 musty-having an odor suggestive of mold
ex: The was a musty smell in the old kitchen.

 officious-objectively aggressive in offering ones unrequested help
ex: He was officious in giving his irrelevant opinion.

ominous-threatening; foreshadowing harm
ex: There was an ominous feeling in the air minutes before the earthquake

 pinnacle-the highest or culminating point or peak of success
ex: In his 30's the CEO was at the pinnacle of his career.

 premeditated-done deliberately
ex: The wife's murder was proven premeditated due to a vengeful husband.

Literary Analysis #1

Topics and Events
1. When Men Must Live is a personal recollection of the tributes, tragedies, and triumphs that occurred during James T. Murphy's tour of duty as a radio operator in the U.S. Army Air Corps and would become a Japanese POW in the Phillippine Islands during World War II and also on how he got through it all alive and sane(a). It's basically a detailed story of his personal experiences of the war and the life of a prisoner and how it would change him forever, a central theme is man's own inhumanity to man (b).

2.The author wrote  about his personal experiences as a POW because it was such a huge and traumatic event in his life that he had to tell the world about it. Not many people could live to tell the tale of being a prisoner of war, but he is one of the few and is nearly proud of how he survived.

3. At first I chose this book because my dad read it and I asked if we had any good non-fiction books around the house and he said it was a really good book. My initial interest for the book came to me when I saw that it was the authors actual experiences and I was curious of how it was for him personally. Books on wars especially those written by those who were there always interest me because here is a perfect non-biased perspective that isn't coming from a historian making assumptions. It contains real true feelings and experiences, and that is what kept me interested once I started reading.

4. The book is very realistic. Throughout the story there are real life political and military decisions explained and how they affected the war. The horrific events that he endured throughout the story are real events that happened all too often, but aren't very well documented because of how high the death rate was among prisoners. A real personal recollection of these true events is hard to find. I actually did make some connections between the events in the book and those that are still happening today. Not much has changed in the treatment of POWs since WWII and even though there isn't a world war going on right now, there is still torture of those captured in battle and its as gruesome as ever. Humanity hasn't changed in its cruel treatment of itself even after the harsh lessons of war.

People
1. He told his story with a definite view of him versus the world, and the world being the Japanese. His descriptions of them and the things they did to them really characterized them as sub human and really painted the picture of inhumanity. His tone is descriptive as if he isn't leaving out any details. He tells the story as it is without exaggerating, every word counts. What this says about the author is that he isn't writing his story as a "tall tale" to make it more interesting, but uses accurate wording to make the story seem as amazing as it is, just with what really happened.

2. James Murphy: As a new recruit he was fairly average looking. Average height and muscle size with dark hair and just had a happy look to him. Near the end of the story and his imprisonment he was very skinny and sickly looking due to lack of food and water and the ordeal of the Bataan Death March. He was excited to join the military in anticipation of the U.S. joining in on WWII in 1939 when he left for training. Patriotically he joined with full intent of defending the country he loved. As the war went on though he began to see the futility of it all. If he was a fictional character, I would definitely use indirect characterization because it would be fairly easy to figure him out by his actions.
     Kenneth O'Donnell: Short and stocky he definitely had a Napoleon complex. He always saw challenges as him versus the world and that he always had to prove himself. He joined as soon as he could after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He saw it as an attack on him personally and he knew he had to get his revenge. His aggressive attitude would get him captured and sent to the same camp as Murphy and they would become friends trying to survive together. He would be another character perfect for indirect characterization.

3. The two would be very interesting to write about because they compliment each other with Murphy as a real life example of Captain America and Kenneth being a combination of Rambo and GI Joe.

Style
1. Although it was a very personal story, it was written very journalisticly. He was simply reporting his experiences and true feelings to paint the picture of what truly happened and that is what makes the book so interesting. Its like a history book, only written by those who were really there.

2. The descriptions of setting and emotion are fairly lengthy but it doesn't take away from the story making it sound exaggerated. The author focuses more on action than dialogue. The story is more about his own personal experiences and thoughts so there isn't a whole lot of conversation because its about his personal struggle. This gives the effect that he isn't so much writing to just tell the story, but to give his own personal insight on it all.

3. The author uses simple descriptive words so imagery is easy to obtain. One example is when he managed to steal an apricot like fruit and he described it so simply, but you could still feel just how much it meant to him. He didn't have to use complicated and flowery words to describe the simple satisfaction he got from it, even though it was probably just short of a miracle for him. Another is when he was describing the agony of the Death March and of all the words he could have used, he used simpler ones that would need their full definition to describe what he felt.

4. The authors attitude toward the subject and plot of the story was analytical. It was as if he understood why the things that happened, happened. He recognized everyone as their own person. One example is when a guard had the full opportunity to shoot him for leaving his group but didn't and he gave his hypothesis on why. His attitude toward the audience is almost like he is writing to his kids. It was as if he was writing to say "Here's the story of my life." and that he was providing wisdom.

5. The book includes many historical documents and pictures of the actual people that were there to give the audience more of a background and to connect more with the characters. Also at the beginning of each chapter there is a famous quote that correlates well with the story. One by the Secretary of War under the Franklin Roosevelt Administration, "There comes a time when men must die..." this would become the title on the front cover with "die" replaced with "live".. It also makes the book more informative and interesting.

Enduring Memory
My lasting memory is a little cliché but it is a theme that is still relevant today and that is man's inhumanity to man. This happens in all kinds of forms and degrees today around the world. From genocide to bullying. An example of this is actually one of the main events of the book. The POWs were forced to march from camp to camp with little food and water. Most of Murphy's friends would die not by the hands of the enemies, but by one of the most preventable causes: exhaustion and neglect. The march reduced the strongest of men to mere children because of the conditions. It makes me feel fortunate to live in the time and place that I do now. Another is the great pleasure he got from the simplest of things. In one passage he describes his true happiness when he found a guava tree and picked a bunch of fruit. Even at gunpoint he still picked them. Threatened with death he still did the things that brought him hope and happiness even in the darkest of times. This too makes me feel fortunate for all the things I have and these two events in the book I will remember for a long time because of how fundamental they are to us as people. The simplest things are what make us who we are and even under the worst circumstances, we can still come out on top.

Vocabulary List #3

accomplice-a person who knowingly helps another in a crime
ex: The criminal and his accomplice were arrested.

 annihilate-to reduce to utter non-existence
ex: The city was annihilated from the bombings.

 arbitrary-subject to individual judgement without restriction
ex: He made an arbitrary decision that proved pointless.

 brazen-shameless or impudent
ex: The brazen man wasn't embarrassed as he should have been.

 catalyst-something that causes activity between two or more persons without itself being affected
ex: He was the catalyst in the conflict between the two men.

 exodus-a going out or departure
ex: The summer exodus is marked by falling leaves.

 facilitate-to make easier or less difficult
ex: Careful planning facilitates any kind of work.

 incorrigible-bad beyond correction
ex: The naughty child has incorrigible behavior.

 latent-present but not visible
ex: He has a latent ability that is rarely seen.

 militant-vigorously active and aggressive
ex: The militant rebels wouldn't ease their attacks.

 morose-gloomily or sullenly ill-humored as a person or mood
ex: His depression makes him feel morose.

 opaque-not transparent or translucent
ex: Glass is not opaque.

 paramount-chief in importance or impact
ex: Eating healthy is paramount to a healthy lifestyle.

 prattle-to talk in a foolish or simple minded way
ex: Uneducated tend to prattle when they talk.

 rebut-to refute by evidence or argument
ex: He rebutted the man's argument with facts.

 reprimand-a severe reproof or rebuke, especially in a formal way by a person of authority
ex: The officer reprimanded the criminal.

 servitude-slavery or bondage of any kind
ex: Prisoners have a near servitude working in prison.

 slapdash-in a hasty, haphazard manner
ex: He hurriedly slap dashed together his project last minute.

stagnant-not flowing or running as water
ex: Rivers often grow stagnant as they dry up.

 succumb-to give way to superior force
ex: Teenagers often succumb to peer pressure.