Tips

Author's Note: This was a creative piece in class that I chose a word to write about a memory. 

Back in the day when I was a little boy only about 8 years old my father always played basketball with me. I was practicing and practicing because I had just got asked to play for an AAU basketball team called the Playground Warriors. My dad always said if I wanted to get recognized and succeed that I always had to use "the tip". He was always saying during warm ups and before and after the game that I needed to use his tip to succeed and lead the game in scoring.

A year later my AAU coach said the weird words to me that sounded just like the tip my dad told me. I kept thinking and began to figure out that my dad might have been right and that these weren't just his tips, these were the "unwritten rules" of basketball. My dad always told me if I want to be the leading scorer on the court and get recognized I had to be the play-maker. I had to be able to score when needed and create openings for other players to be able to score. I still use that one tip to this day, and that is why I have become the basketball player I am today. 

The Lottery

 Author's Note: This is my response on the theme to the short story "The Lottery".

 In the short story "The Lottery" they had a theme of tradition. The lottery is actually a ritual that has been going on in the town. When this new family moved in a certain family member was picked to join and enter this "ritual". Then in the box are a bunch of white slips, whichever person draws the white slip with the black dot on it must be killed by stone. I believe the author just wanted to set the mood of the town by saying this is the way it's done so move on. By that they mean this is our tradition we can't end it so if you don't agree then just move on. The author of the story must have been living in a family that could only do things one way. Where the parent is always right, the father is the "man" of the family makes every decision. 

Field Below

Author's Note: This is a Poetry Analysis piece I wrote on the poem "Field Below". 

Things come and go, but sometimes you don't realize that you had something until it is gone.  This is just one of the many meanings of the poem "Fields Below" by Regina Spektor.

"Field Below" has lots of symbolism that points to this,  the simple and overused line of  "I wish I'd see your face below" Points to that the author has lost a friend or a family.  Also, "And darkness spreads over the snow" could mean that the author dealt with depression after the "it" was gone. I believe that the symbolism the author wrote relates to losing a family member or a very close friend because of the "it". The author points out the "it" at the beginning of the poem, but near the end you can notice that the "it" has slowly crept away. As if the person never existed.

"Field Below" had several different ways to understand the story. One of the ways someone could take this as a inspirational boost in their life is to appreciate the small things in life. Because you never know when you're going to lose something you just can't control it. But what people don't notice is, you never appreciate something until it's gone.

My Life as a Pickle

Author's Note: This is a creative piece that I wrote on a Journal Prompt in class. My choice was to write about the last pickle in the jar. 

Looking after my friends and my brothers I couldn't help, but chuckle when he had beaten them. The disappointment and friendship between my jar and my fellow customer that has eaten my friend has became unusually large. I laid there next to my pal Louis hoping he would choose him next, I was too young to be absorbed into a humans body.  I had gotten in a friendly competition with my fellow pickle mates to see who can last the longest, but as each one had left I had started to wish I regretted my decisions. Nobody understands the life a pickle, my decisions only increase my chance of living alone. I can float and hide in my own juice away from the horrible Alec Thomas Patrick lll, but I will then miss my beloved friends. Finally came Sunday morning where Alec always had a pickle in his cereal for breakfast, there were only two of us left Me of course, and my brother Darrel. I didn't know what to do it was only a matter of time before he made his way down the stairs, I didn't want to be eaten, but I couldn't have him take my brother away.

The time had came as the fridge door squeaked open the light had popped on, Alec's hands were approaching in our direction. He whipped out his screw driver and popped open the top, the end was near who would he choose, I was in full out panic mode when I noticed something, I wasn't alone! Today   he decided to have two pickles for breakfast.

Mother to Son Response

Author's Note: This is a Poetry analysis piece I am doing on the poem Big Yellow Taxi.

In the poem "Big Yellow Taxi" a mother and a father are getting a divorce and need a taxi to split them up. The author used examples of figurative language to show the emotion and thought process going through the parents minds. He says, "Paved Paradise." This is an alliteration of the taxi driving away from his wife into paradise. The man isn't thinking at the time and believes that this will be paradise. So it says, "Late last night, I heard the screen door slam." The author is trying to paint a picture of what the wife was feeling when she woke up last night to see a big yellow taxi driving her husband away. 

Cloning

Author's Note: This is a piece I wrote in science class about Cloning and my thoughts about it. 

            How cool would it be for you to have your own double? What if a scientist showed up to your door and offered you this opportunity? In reproductive cloning this is all possible. Reproductive cloning is illegal though, unless it is done with animals. I believe that reproductive cloning should be legal because of the benefits it offers.

            Cloning does have several benefits, but what is reproductive cloning? “Reproductive cloning is a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal”. (Human Genome Project Information). What this is saying is Cloning is taking an animal and remaking it into another animal so it’s like you have your own double. But how is cloning done? What is the operation? “In reproductive cloning, researchers remove a mature somatic cell, such as a skin cell or an udder cell, from an animal that they wish to copy. They then transfer the DNA of the donor animal's somatic cell into an egg cell, or oocyte, that has had its own DNA-containing nucleus removed. (Cloning ) ” What this means is when cloning, scientists take a cell from an animal or a human that they want to clone and place the DNA, of the cell, into the selected cell (Which means its DNA was removed). This procedure is highly risky and tough.

            Scientists have perfected a clone before. We have been on this project for a little while. Just look at Dolly; “Dolly was created by reproductive cloning technology.” (Cloning Fact Sheet ). Dolly is a sheep that was the result of a cloned adult sheep. So there have been positive outcomes, it has been done before even though there is a high chance that; that kind of success won’t happen again. That is why we have been testing them on animals and not humans also it is illegal on humans because we are not positive it will work.

            There are some advantages for cloning. One advantage is that “Reproductive cloning can be used to develop efficient ways to reliably reproduce animals with special qualities” (Cloning Fact Sheet ). This means reproductive cloning can be used to remake animals with unique qualities then can benefit humans. This can benefit humans because certain animals perform complex activates that allow scientists to record their results. If animals can perform more complex activates that can give scientists new data to go by to create more accurate medicine. Another advantage is “Reproductive cloning also could be used to repopulate endangered animals or animals that are difficult to breed.” (Cloning Fact Sheet ). What this means is cloning can also help breed the endangered animals or animals that are difficult to breed. This will help save our wild life and the food chain in the environment.

            Although there are advantages to cloning, they’re just as many disadvantages to it as well. One disadvantage is “Reproductive cloning is expensive and highly inefficient. More than 90% of cloning attempts fail to produce viable offspring.” In other words it is very expensive to clone and most clones do not create offspring. Also if clones do create offspring, scientists would not be sure if it would be controllable. Also in the cloning of Dolly it took several fails and deaths of offspring before a success. Scientist can’t take the risk of trying to help the endangered species and then hurting them more.

            So would you want your own double? Do you feel cloning should be legal. I believe it should be even though it is highly expensive and very dangerous it can also help scientist in their study with medication and the endangered species.

LeBron James vs. Derek Rose

Author's Note: This is a piece where I am Contradicting another persons opinion about who is the better NBA player.

Who is the better NBA player? LeBron James or Derek Rose? In many minds including my own I feel LeBron is the better player. LeBron is a multi-MVP winner, as Derek Rose won his first MVP last season. Even though he might have deserved more he still only won one. Now both players have very high caliber talent levels, but the Miami Heat need LeBron's talent more.

I feel LeBron is better because he is a better shooter. Sure they say he is not "clutch" in the forth quarter, but you also have to look at what he has done in the first 3 quarters. Derek just learned how to shoot. His whole game was attacking the hoop and causing the defense to make a play. When he drives he could go all the way to the rim or he could kick the ball out to his 47% three point shooter Kyle Korver to knock down a shot. Even though Derek has learned to shoot he's still not consistent he's not a "respectable" shooter like LeBron.

I also feel LeBron is better because of the record. When LeBron is on the floor the Heat win 55 more percent of their games. The record for the Bulls overall is 46-15. When they don't have the reigning MVP their record is 15-7. That record is still plenty above .500 where if they played enough games the Bulls would make the playoffs even without Derek Rose. If the Heat lost LeBron they would also make the playoffs because of their other All-star Dwyane Wade, but they would be eliminated within the first round because of their record against good teams on the road.

Now who is the better player? According to many sources and my own opinion I believe LeBron James is better. Both players will end up being the face of their franchise if they aren't already, but one will play the game longer.