Literary Analysis #1

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

1. The story begins with Mitch Rapp, a CIA assassin, sneaking his way into his target's hotel room in Paris, France. The target is Libya's oil minister. Just as he fires the first bullet, it is actually a trap. Men flood the room bullets flying and he escapes after killing 9 including the original target. Wounded and near death, he finds safety in an empty warehouse. In the morning the bodies are found and Washington looks where to point the finger at the CIA which would cause an international crisis. Rapp's handlers now must deny any accusation and hope he doesn't get caught, even if that means killing him to ensure he isn't captured by French authorities.

"We're not going to make it"

I was just getting onto the Internet to log on to blogger to finish my literature analysis when I saw something that caught my eye. On MSN I saw 'My wife just looked at me and said, "We're not going to make it"', it seemed like such a jarring quote that I had to explore it. It was a story about how a woman in labor was forced to give birth on the side of the highway because of such heavy traffic. They couldn't reach a hospital in time so they had to do the next best thing. This just re-iterates the fact that even though our travel system is one of the best in the world, it still experiences inefficiency. Our infrastructure is aging and requires maintenance and innovation to keep our growing population able to get where they need to go. This gives my aspiration of Civil Engineering a better sense that this is something we need, and I can be one of the many to bring it. Nobody should have to give birth on a gridlocked frozen highway outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe if the roads were safer or there was an extra lane, she would've gotten the proper care. Needless to say though, the baby and mother are doing great. Here's the article:
http://www.today.com/moms/grace-snow-dad-baby-born-atlanta-roadside-report-theyre-very-2D12024237

Vocabulary List Spring #4

accolade- award, honor, or laudatory notice
ex: The play received accolades from the press.

acerbity- hardness or severity as of temper or expression
ex: He looked at him with acerbity.

attrition- a reduction in numbers or strength
ex: Our club is facing attrition due to members moving away.

bromide- a person who is boring
ex: The teacher was a bromide.

chauvinist- a person who is blindly and aggressively patriotic, especially with military glory
ex: The veteran was a chauvinist.chronic


expound- to set forth or state in detail
ex: The scientist expounded his theory.

factionalism- self-interested; partisan
ex: American politics is full of factionalism.

immaculate- spotlessly clean
ex: The house was immaculate.

imprecation- curse; malediction
ex: He said their names with imprecation.

ineluctable- inescapable
ex: The prison was ineluctable.

mercurial- changeable; volatile; erratic
ex: He had a mercurial nature.

palliate- to relieve or lessen without curing
ex: Chemotherapy can only palliate cancer.

protocol- customs and regulations dealing with a diplomatic formality
ex: The president has to follow a lot of protocol.

resplendent- shining brightly; gleaming
ex: The sun over the ocean was resplendent.

stigmatize- to set mark of disgrace or infamy on
ex: The crime of the father stigmatized the whole family.

sub rosa- confidently; secretly
ex: The girls gossiped with sub rosa.

vainglory- excessive elation or pride
ex: The star athlete expressed his vainglory.

vestige- evidence of something no longer in existence
ex: Fossils are a vestige of animals.

volition- the act of willing, choosing, or resolving
ex; The decisive man had volition.

Hafta/Wanna

 Obligations are the things we have to do in life. They are the "haftas". The things we want to do are the "wannas" and to succeed, you "hafta wanna" do whatever it takes to reach your goal.

In the article Committing to Play for a College, Then Starting 9th Grade the author discusses how colleges are beginning to recruit women soccer players earlier and earlier, even before they set their first foot in High School. The author quotes many parents and coaches commenting on the absurdity of forcing this athletes to make life decisions at such an early age, and for good reason. Instead of letting them figure out what they want to do or where they want to go, these college recruiters are basically telling athletes what they are going to do, should they accept the offer.

Vocabulary Spring List #2

apostate- a person who forsakes his religion, party, etc.
ex: A priest is the opposite of an apostate.

effusive- unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve
ex: The jolly man extended an effusive greeting.

impasse- position in which there is no escape
ex: Being stuck under a rock is an impasse.

euphoria- a state of extreme happiness and self-confidence
ex: The kid in the candy store was in a state of euphoria.

lugubrious- mournful, dismal, or gloomy
ex: The cloudy day was lugubrious.

bravado- pretentious swaggering display of courage
ex: The cocky person demonstrated their bravado.

consensus- majority of opinion
ex: The council has come to a consensus

dichotomy- division into two parts
ex: There is a dichotomy of our nation's political parties.

constrict- to draw or press in; compress
ex: The tight shirt was constrictive.

gothic- a dark or medieval style of architecture using lots of sharp points and ribbed sides
ex: The old church had a gothic style to it.

punctilio- a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct; strictness or seriousness
ex: They really seem to show a readiness to stand on punctilio and ceremony.

metamorphosis- a complete change of form or structure from one stage to the next
ex: The project underwent a metamorphosis towards success.

raconteur- a person skilled in relating anecdotes and stories interestingly
ex: The storyteller was really a raconteur.

sine qua non- something essential
ex: He was the sine qua non to the friend's party.

quixotic- extravagantly chivalrous and romantic
ex: Romeo is a classic example of someone who is quixotic

vendetta- a prolonged and bitter feud or rivalry
ex: There was a political vendetta.

non sequitur- reffering to a conclusion after logical reasoning
ex: The courts ruling was of non sequitur.

mystique- framework of ideas constructed around a person or object
ex: The Bible has a mystique around Jesus and his life.

quagmire- an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread
ex: A quagmire of financial indebtedness

parlous- perilous; dangerous
ex: He went on a parlous journey

I, Senior Project/ First Draft

In our discussion in class today Dr. Preston was lecturing on how this course is so much more than a class. It is an instruction manual with tools included. He is providing us with everything we need to truly hack our education and make this course our own. He basically said how no matter what we want to do for a career or whatever our passions our, you are able to tie it into the class. He also reinforced the notion that even though he is a teacher and we are the students, our relationship is more than that. He is there to support us and wants to make sure that when we graduate in June, we will have taken advantage of every second of class we had and to set us on the path to success and happiness.

Vocabulary Spring List #2

Accoutrements: Additional items of dress of equipment.

Apogee: The highest point in the developement, the climax.

Apropos: Being at once opprotune and to the point.

Bicker: Argue about petty and trivial matters.

Coalesce: Come together and form one mass or whole.

Contretemps: An unexpected and unfortunate occurence.

Convolution: A form or part that is folded or coiled.

Cull: Select from a large quantity.

Disperate: Essentially different in kind; not allowed comparison.

Dogmatic: Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Licentious: Promiscious and unprincipled in sexual matters.

Mete: Disponse or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.

Noxious: Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.

Polemic: A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Populous: Containing many people or inhabitants; having a large population.

Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.

Repartee: Conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or repplies.

Supervene: occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such away as to change the situation.

Truncate: To shorten by or as if by cutting.

Unimpeachable: Not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized.

Visual Storytelling

It's said that it is always better to read a book before the movie, and I feel that is completely true. The book gives the audience a completely different feel and meaning that movies just cant provide. Books allow you to use your imagination and to characterize using your own judgment. Movies give authors, or in this case producers, the chance to tell the story the way that they want it to be told. With actual physical examples of characters and situations.

There are many different techniques that make visual storytelling effective.

Life After...

Our entire high school career all adds up to one moment; the moment where we can finally start living. All four years the end is on our minds and there are basically two feelings about it. There's the feeling of anticipation and excitement for all the people that know just what they want to do and are ready for the freedom of adulthood. Then there's the feeling of despair and fear for all those that either have no idea what they want to do or aren't ready to leave the high school atmosphere.

I see it as a chance to finally start to make your life, yours. You have the  necessary requirement of a high school diploma to start a path to wherever you want; to continue your education, to go straight to work, or to simply find yourself. I see it as a chance to clear the fog of life with action. To go out and discover new things and to achieve understanding with travel or education.

 I'm rather adventurous and excited for the things to come and that often distracts me from the things that are happening in the now. I'm a daydreamer, thinking of all the things I could be or all the things I could see. Growing up hiking, camping, and fishing, I love the outdoors. I enjoy just the simple activity of meandering throughout the mountains and "getting lost" as my dad and I like to call it. I think after my high school career is over, I'm going to spend a lot of my time just going out on my own just to see whatever there is to see. I'm the one that is excited for the future, and I'm going to take full advantage of my free time before a JC.

As much as I'd like to think that I look into my future, I have done little in the actual preparation for the things I need to do. I have all these thoughts of the things I want to do, but the things I need to get done in order to have a rich fulfilling life are stacking up. I only have a broad idea of where I want to go, with little knowledge of my path. I have a general idea of what I would like to do, but I am wrestling with the idea that "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." the things I love, aren't exactly the ones that will keep me safe financially. As excited as I am for all the things to come, I am also apprehensive about what I should commit to. I'm not exactly sure of what I want to, which supports my anticipation of a chance to find myself and to discover just what I want to do.

My advice to everyone reading this be them a student or full grown adult, is to not stress about the future. Eventually everyone finds their passion or whatever they were meant to do. Everyone has a purpose which they will find, so don't worry. Live in the here and now, and enjoy everything there is to enjoy.

The Choice

Coming into High School I was faced with numerous decisions and choices to make. What classes to take, should i challenge myself with hard ones, should i join sports, what do I even do here. These are choices that everyone faces, but one of the most difficult emotionally was who to hang out with. I knew i wanted to at least try to do a sport, but that would entail leaving my old friends for basically a new family. I had to compare the options, basically comparing the benefits and risks. Being on a team is a huge commitment that takes some emotional toll because of the difficulty or time commitment. Basically I chose to benefit myself, by playing sports. My friends would respect me for the decision, so in the end it was a win-win.

Vocab #1 Performance Review

Well by following Preston's method of doing vocabulary, I've seen good results this semester so far as well as last. I did fairly well so the way i do it is working. I simply post the words, definitions, and examples onto my blog which helps me remember because the physical action of watching the screen as i type the definitions makes it easier to remember. I review them the night before and i do just fine. I'm happy with my results. I would recommend this method to a person that needs to do something physically to help them remember it. To people who can just read it and remember it, well they are lucky people. But whatever works, works. A method is only strange if it doesn't work.

Vocabulary: Spring List 1

adumbrate- to outline or sketch
ex: His story adumbrated a character is our minds.

apotheosis- elevation of a person to the rank of a god; ideal example
ex:  The poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

ascetic- a person who dedicates their life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices
ex: Philosophers often are ascetics, trying to make sense of the world.

bauble- a showy, usually cheap, ornament
ex: Christmas tree decorations often are just pointless baubles.

beguile- to influence by trickery or flattery: mislead
ex:  Weight loss commercials beguile customers with exaggerated results.

burgeon- to grow or develop quickly; flourish
ex: After the Revolutionary War, America would burgeon making it the country it is today.

complement- something that completes or makes perfect
ex: A fine wine is often a complement to a nice dinner.

contumacious- stubbornly perverse or rebellious
ex: Teenagers often are contumacious against their parents.

curmudgeon- bad-tempered or difficult person
ex: The mysterious curmudgeon was actually just a sad old man.

didactic- intended for instruction; instructive
ex: The teacher had an efficient didactic way of teaching.

Hacking My Education

Well its been over three weeks since my last post, so hello everyone and I hope you had a great holiday season.

In order to make complicated things easier to understand, we divide up its composition into little bits and pieces we can understand. We "hack" the material we learn to make it work for us. By doing so we gain so much more than a skill or knowledge.