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.

Gummi Bears

Gummi Bears are like Swords
You play with them like Guitar Cords
I tend to eat them like s'mores
Getting them all over my face
With tons of space, by the place
I say this with grace
Because of my beautiful face
Full of Gummi Bears
This is so unfair
That the flair
Landed in Robert's hair
So be prepared
For the Gummi Bear 
Who will never share

Conflicts in The Giver

Would living in a world with no emotion become chaos? Would living in a world where the government runs your life become chaos? In the book The Giver Jonas a very young boy discovers and sees all of the secrets about the world, because he was selected to be the new receiver. Now Jonas is a very intelligent boy, he wants everyone in the community to experience these feelings that he and only one other person can experience. Jonas and the Giver want the government to release these secrets and allow everyone to feel this pain and experience what real life would be.

This change in the world would help a lot because if people could feel emotions and know what the real life would be like they would be "living". They live in a "perfect world", but this world is not close to perfect. When the government runs your world, they choose your life, and in a perfect world everybody should be able to choose what they want so Jonas and the Giver have to be able to show the people what life would be. Also if the government isn't in complete control anymore it would give the people the right to free speech.

This change though is also very bad for the community. Since Jonas is a very smart young boy he understands the consequence, but he knows he has to do this. Jonas is selected to be the receiver, now if you’re the receiver you must live with the pain of knowing all of the secrets of the world. If these secrets become to "strong" it will cause psychotic reactions causing Jonas to either kill himself, or share information that he should not have. If Jonas does either of these outcomes, it might cause a chain reaction having the government take away all hope of having emotion, by killing the giver.

Mother to Son Response

Author's Note: This is a response that I wrote to the poem "Mother to Son".

In the poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes, there is a "touching" meaning to it you could say. She uses Metaphors such as, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair" to describe and try to have the reader picture what's going on in their head about her life, and what she went through. Now the whole piece was about just the metaphor, there were hyperbole's such as "there are tacks in it, and boards torn up." She wasn't trying to signal a messed up floor, but her messed up life. She wants us as readers to picture the pain and suffering she has gone through to get to where she is.

Del Carigg Character Analysis

Author's note: This is a piece about a character from the book The Golden Boy.

"Hold on DEL! You’re acting crazy." No Willis, you’re insane; I'm sick of this, I will lead my team to a championship."  This is a quote from the book, The Golden Boys by Cameron Stauth. Del is a very successful man; he's smart, and a very talented basketball player. But Del's problem is he has become the most selfish player to play the game.

Del has the most basketball skill on the team. He plays for the Houston Jumpers 8th grade team, but wants to get drafted to the NBA. He can't get drafted to the NBA because of his selfish play. Del is too good of a 1 on 1 player that he shoots too much. 1 on 1 skill and team ball is a very different aspect to the game of basketball. Del is what we call a "ball stopper" he stops the motion of the offense and holds the ball, which allows the defense to sag instead of opening the gaps to attack and get to the hoop.

Some of the reasoning Del has this "attitude" of his was because of his mother. His mother was murdered when he was only 4 years old; Del had to be raised by his father who you could say was a "loser". Del's father had no job, and was living off of the insurance money from his mother. He was encouraging Del to have the selfish attitude, and try to get recruited or drafted to earn money for the family. Therefore Del's father is the reasoning that Del is as selfish as he is, if his mother was there things would be different. 

Call me the Giver

Author's note: This is a creative piece that was assigned. I chose to do my creative piece on an important quote in the book. 

"Call me the Giver" the old receiver said. This was a quote from the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Many might think this is just a random line from the book, but really this might have been the most important line in the book.

When Jonas was told he is the receiver it showed him how he is in control of the community. The community Jonas lives in is full of "sameness" you could say. This means there is no emotion or anything. When Jonas becomes the receiver he notices what the government is doing to the people. Jonas then immediately wanted to show people what the world use to be, since Jonas is now the new receiver he can use the memories and all the events that were gathered up by the old receiver to show the people of the community what the world use to be like. This is why when the old receiver called Jonas the giver, at that moment he knew that he was going to make his own moves forward if he wanted to achieve this goal.

This quote also meant more than just the old receiver passing on the tradition and job to Jonas. This was a turning point of the old receiver telling Jonas that he is ready for this commitment, and that someday Jonas will become struck and overwhelmed with a severe pain from holding the memories from the past. Since Jonas is a brave and adventures twelve year old boy, Jonas and the Giver design a plan for Jonas to escape to a different city and see if he can finally understand and enjoy the feeling of emotion.

Many people might not believe this quote meant all that much, but really this quote is the most important line in the book. Without Jonas being told he is the new receiver, neither Jonas nor the Giver would have ever gone on the journey to try and save the community.

"Perfect World"

Authors note: This is an essay piece that was assigned that I wrote on the book The Giver.

Would you want to live in a "Perfect world?" Is there even such thing as a "Perfect world?" In the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, Jonas the main character is against the government. In this world the government chooses your life, they choose who you live with, your job and everything. Jonas does not believe in this sort of nonsense; he feels you should be able to decide for yourself, but that can never happen without Jonas being selected to be the receiver. 

Being the receiver means a couple of things, Jonas doesn't know if he is ready for this commitment though. When you’re the receiver you must contain no emotion. What this means is you must stay the distance between your people. You cannot stay within a relationship with another person, and your family members. You must keep the memories that you are given, and share them to those who are in danger. With these actions a normal person would tend to have psychotic reactions, but since they live in a Utopian world normal is almost opposite.

A Utopian world is a perfect world; it's a perfect world where only the government wins though. Every decision that is made is by the government. There are only a couple people in the community in this world that can change things and that is the elders. The elders are like the "information gatherers," they are given all of the complaints of the people to change right and wrong, but the elders aren't really changing anything. The elders can’t change the memories or the events of the community that is held by the giver. The giver is the old man in the community, also known as the memory giver. To be the giver you must be selected to be the receiver, which is what Jonas must do if he wants to fix this Dystopia. He cannot fix the Dystopia until he finds some "dirt" or the problem with what happened to the government years ago.     

 Living in a perfect world could be chaos; it could also be "perfect" so you could say. When the government has control over everything though, life would most likely become chaos, which is nowhere near perfect. Even though you tried and did everything as hard and the best you could, things will never be perfect.