So this post will be short since I have not advanced my project since my last post. Since it has been raining and muddy out I have not had the chance to go hiking. I have been pretty busy with getting things together for finals and working on the weekends. I do plan to go hiking sometime this week though with this beautiful weather we've been having. On Saturday I leave for Hawaii and I am super stoked! I am planing on going to hana where I have been told has some awesome hiking places.
My research is stumped. I have to interview so people and do research on the disadvantages while hiking (medically). I will be doing this on the airplanes since I will have a total of about 20 hours this break on planes. For who I will be interviewing, I have a few people but if you are reading this and have hiked quite a bit and are willing to let me interview you just comment on it. That would be much appreciated!!
So yeah thats what my plans are for my senior project over the winter break. Have a good break everyone (Mrs. Guerard) !
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Running with scissors #2
"I threw the meat in the cart. And moved on." The last line in Augusten Burroughs memoir Running with Scissors. I was not sure what the meaning of this story was until I read the last chapter of this book. Throughout the book Burroughs writes a series of nonfiction events that happened in the time span of his childhood to teenage years. When he was a child his mother and father divorced from a very emotionally unstable and abusive relationship. Augusten and his mother left his father and moved into a small apartment. After his mother, Deirdre, started seeing a psychiatrist named Dr. Finch, Augusten slowly became more independent from his mother and began staying at Dr. Finch's home. His mother was lost and confused, with no thanks to Dr. Finchs treatments.
Augusten bonded with Natalie and Hope, two of Dr. Finch's daughters. Augusten would hangout with Natalie almost every day, especially after he was able to stop going to school at thirteen. Burroughs was a lonely kid though. He didn't have a home to go to. No where that was stable. At Finch's everyone got to do whatever they wanted and were looked at as adults. While at his mothers, although he got to do anything he wanted he had to deal with his mothers crazy life. She had a couple affairs and unstable relationships. These relationships did not help augustens view on love and commitment.
Its safe to say Augusten had a messed up and undesirable childhood. He was not given the best situation but he always moved on and kept going. I believe that is the message of the book. Even though life it tough at times and you are dealt situations you which weren't yours, sometimes there isn't much you can do about it so you got to throw the meat in the cart and move on....
..I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in a really (for lack of a better word) shitty situation. Augusten Burroughs is an amazing author. I have read his other memoirs Dry and A wolf at the table and those are both excellent to.
Its safe to say Augusten had a messed up and undesirable childhood. He was not given the best situation but he always moved on and kept going. I believe that is the message of the book. Even though life it tough at times and you are dealt situations you which weren't yours, sometimes there isn't much you can do about it so you got to throw the meat in the cart and move on....
..I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in a really (for lack of a better word) shitty situation. Augusten Burroughs is an amazing author. I have read his other memoirs Dry and A wolf at the table and those are both excellent to.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Running with Scissors
For my non-fiction book I chose to read Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. It is a memoir of his teenage life. I have read three of his other books and really enjoyed them. Two of them are also memoirs, one of his childhood (A Wolf at the Table) and his adulthood (Dry). I really enjoy his writing and they way he is able to tell a story. His writing is so clear and seems like you're inside his head. He is a very interesting and messed up person. This guy has been through more than I could possibly imagine. He describes the events that have happened in his life in a comical way. In one of the chapters, in RWS, he is talking about his first physical gay experience with someone much older than him. Although while reading the passage I was a bit disturbed, he makes his experience almost seem funny.
RWS is based when he was around the general age of thirteen. Each chapter is a new event. His life was so scattered and lost. His parents were crazy and selfish. Although I am less than halfway through I can already tell his mother won't be his caretaker for much longer. She believes he is an adult and can make all his decisions on his own and take care of himself. Most of the time he stays at her psychiatrist's house, Dr. Finch. That house is even more interesting. The kids get to do basically whatever they want and are encouraged to express their anger and "let it out." Augusten has connected with one of the children that works at the office. Her name is Hope. She is in her mid twenties and seems to be the most normal person in the house. Her and Augusten connect and I believe later in the book will become very close. I am excited to finish the book. I know it won’t be hard because when I’m reading it I get lost in the pages.
RWS is based when he was around the general age of thirteen. Each chapter is a new event. His life was so scattered and lost. His parents were crazy and selfish. Although I am less than halfway through I can already tell his mother won't be his caretaker for much longer. She believes he is an adult and can make all his decisions on his own and take care of himself. Most of the time he stays at her psychiatrist's house, Dr. Finch. That house is even more interesting. The kids get to do basically whatever they want and are encouraged to express their anger and "let it out." Augusten has connected with one of the children that works at the office. Her name is Hope. She is in her mid twenties and seems to be the most normal person in the house. Her and Augusten connect and I believe later in the book will become very close. I am excited to finish the book. I know it won’t be hard because when I’m reading it I get lost in the pages.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Senior Project Update #2
My senior project has advanced a tad bit since my last update. I finally found a mentor the last day before my mentor interview was due. He is a really nice and cool guy who owns the Napa Valley Adventure Tours company. He has been a hiking guide for the past 15 years and has hiked places I could only imagine. I went to the Napa Library a couple of weeks ago and got a stack of books on all different types of hiking trails. From these books I was thinking about going into the Redwoods in the John Muir trail, but after talking to a few people I was advised not to do that. Talking to my mentor he suggested the Panorama Trail in Yosemite. This trail is 8 miles long and would take two days. We would camp out for one night, which is one thing I was really wanting in my final hike for this project. It is supposed to be fairly strenuous and very beautiful. I have been hiking at Westwood and plan to go up valley this thanksgiving break and find some hikes, possibly at Bothe State park.
For my research paper I will write about how hiking affects the mind, body, and soul. I will be interviewing avid hikers such as my mentor, my stepmom, friends, and family friends. When I hike it is as if everything is left behind and just for a small moment I am free. I know that sounds cheesy but it is true. Hiking gives me a feeling I have never felt with any activity I have done before. I recently went on my first solo hike in westwood hills, I was having an awful day and decided to relax and figure out somethings in life. I went on about an hour hike, although I was not hiking the whole time. I stopped at the top of a hill and sat on a tree stump just gazing out at the rolling hills. This is one of the most relaxing feelings I have felt in a long time. I am excited to start my senior project more over thanksgiving break and winter break when I go to Hawaii. I'm glad I finally decided on something I love to do.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Are we making animals feel how we do?
In the article "A Change of Heart About Animals" Jeremy Rifkin talks about the different scientific experiments that have been conducted on animals and how these experiments show that animals are more like us than we thought. But what did animals do before we had much of a presence in their life? They killed eachother for food they needed to survive, it was survival of the fittest. Until humans started to domesticate animals I believe that most animals only real goal in their life time was to live day by day and eat food when needed. They did not care what it was as long as it kept them going. Then again it is how you raise an animal and where it has been its whole life. To raise an animal specifically to eat it and make it suffer for your enjoyment is wrong.
When provided food and shelter to a living being it creates a sense of constistance in their life and they are no longer as focused on killing anything to get by. Although they will if need b, just as a human would do in time of need. Which is something that connects ourselves to animals. Just like us animals can also be taught skills, like lanugauges and techinques such as Koko, Betty and Able. Animals are taught and able to learn the feelings humans naturally posses. Animals are not neccessarily naturally emapthetic to another animals situation. When I am out around other dogs and people I would say my dogs doesn't understand if a person or dog is in pain and sad. If they know the person they can sense it otherwise they don't automatically reconize like a human would. Rifkin is someone who obviosly feels passionate about animals and that they are alike humans. He states that " the human journey is, at it's core, about the extension of empathy to broader and more inclusive domains." So then what if we humans are just making animals feel what we feel?
When provided food and shelter to a living being it creates a sense of constistance in their life and they are no longer as focused on killing anything to get by. Although they will if need b, just as a human would do in time of need. Which is something that connects ourselves to animals. Just like us animals can also be taught skills, like lanugauges and techinques such as Koko, Betty and Able. Animals are taught and able to learn the feelings humans naturally posses. Animals are not neccessarily naturally emapthetic to another animals situation. When I am out around other dogs and people I would say my dogs doesn't understand if a person or dog is in pain and sad. If they know the person they can sense it otherwise they don't automatically reconize like a human would. Rifkin is someone who obviosly feels passionate about animals and that they are alike humans. He states that " the human journey is, at it's core, about the extension of empathy to broader and more inclusive domains." So then what if we humans are just making animals feel what we feel?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Senior Project
I have not done much at all on my senior project. I just figured out what my project will consist of. I will be hiking around different trails close and far away. This will be for my hours and to help me gain experience before completing my true goal. My goal will be to hike to the top of a mountain. As of right now I am unsure the mountain to which I will choose for my hike. I will be doing more research about which mountains are accessible for the time I will be doing this adventure, which will be between March and April. I will get a membership to the gym and rockzilla to maximize my strength and train for this trip. There I will ask and try to find someone who would be willing to be my mentor.
My research paper will be on the affects of hiking emotionally and physically. It will also touch on the side effects from climbing a mountain and going up in elevation too fast. I have yet to write my letter of intent on this project, since I have changed my mind about 10 times now. I will be writing my letter of intent this weekend and turning it in hoping it will be approved right away. This project will not only test me physically but also emotionally. I will have to push myself to extents I have never had to do before. I want to accomplish this project for my self and I find much tranquillity when hiking and being able to sort through my thoughts.
My research paper will be on the affects of hiking emotionally and physically. It will also touch on the side effects from climbing a mountain and going up in elevation too fast. I have yet to write my letter of intent on this project, since I have changed my mind about 10 times now. I will be writing my letter of intent this weekend and turning it in hoping it will be approved right away. This project will not only test me physically but also emotionally. I will have to push myself to extents I have never had to do before. I want to accomplish this project for my self and I find much tranquillity when hiking and being able to sort through my thoughts.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Running away from relationships
Chris McCandless or otherwise known as Alex Supertramp, was not fond of creating or holding on to close relationships. He was by all means a young, stubborn narcissist . He ran away from relationships with people such as Jan Burns, Wayne Westerburg, Ronald Franz and most importantly his family. Chris was constantly being told by his mother that his birth was the start of their family issues and Billie became stuck with Chris and Carine’s father, Walt. Chris ran away from this life out of anger and curiosity. McCandless had a true drive, much like his father, and was not going to let anyone change his route. Without notice he left his family, and created a new life for himself. He was now for the first time in control of his destiny.
His lonesome journey was induced after experiencing the cruelties of society through his family secret. He felt as though he was living a lie. Becoming known to his father’s infidelity he possessed not only anger but betrayal by the family he had always known. Chris was a boy who seeked nothing more than the truth. Truth is what his journey consisted of. Yet he could not face the relationships he formed and the feelings behind them. He touched a handful of lives one including Ronald Franz. Ron was able to teach Chris how to make a leather belt and this helped them to create a bond. Ron became attached to McCandless and even wanted to adopt him as his grandchild. Of course Chris avoided this topic and simply said they would talk about it when he returned from Alaska, not knowing he would never again return.
Chris McCandless ran away from connections he made. Not being able to talk to McCandless makes it difficult to understand exactly why he was so emotionally distant from his companions. After reading the book, Into the Wild and a few other writings related to McCandless’s journey and life, I have come to the conclusion that Chris’s inability to build a relationship derived from his father. Seeing his mother and father fight constantly most likely had an astounding effect on Chris and his emotional standing with people around him. He also thought that society was cruel and did not want to build a connection with someone who could end up hurting him as his own family did to him. Chris’s inability to build relationships started from when he was a child, just as everyones issues and imperfections originate from their upbringing.
His lonesome journey was induced after experiencing the cruelties of society through his family secret. He felt as though he was living a lie. Becoming known to his father’s infidelity he possessed not only anger but betrayal by the family he had always known. Chris was a boy who seeked nothing more than the truth. Truth is what his journey consisted of. Yet he could not face the relationships he formed and the feelings behind them. He touched a handful of lives one including Ronald Franz. Ron was able to teach Chris how to make a leather belt and this helped them to create a bond. Ron became attached to McCandless and even wanted to adopt him as his grandchild. Of course Chris avoided this topic and simply said they would talk about it when he returned from Alaska, not knowing he would never again return.
Chris McCandless ran away from connections he made. Not being able to talk to McCandless makes it difficult to understand exactly why he was so emotionally distant from his companions. After reading the book, Into the Wild and a few other writings related to McCandless’s journey and life, I have come to the conclusion that Chris’s inability to build a relationship derived from his father. Seeing his mother and father fight constantly most likely had an astounding effect on Chris and his emotional standing with people around him. He also thought that society was cruel and did not want to build a connection with someone who could end up hurting him as his own family did to him. Chris’s inability to build relationships started from when he was a child, just as everyones issues and imperfections originate from their upbringing.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Samsung Galaxy
As I was browsing around the Verizon store earlier today, one phone caught my eye. The Samsung Galaxy S III. The ultra thin look with a big vibrant screen was very appealing. It had many interesting features including the S Beam application that allows you to share photos, videos, and music with another Galaxy device by simply touching the two phones backs together. The screens colors is up to par with the National Television System Committee. This phone offers more widgets on the home screen and accessing them that way rather than with the iphone having to go into your apps. (Widgets are applications that are running on your screen and requires no touch; such as weather and time) One argument is that the widgets although very accessible drain your battery when updating frequently. This could be a problem to you if you have multiple widgets open that are constantly updating every few minutes. It seems to be that this phone is the iphone 5s competitor, and from what i have read they seem to be fairly similar, other than the galaxy has an expandable memory. It all just depends if you prefer the apple or android system. But this phone is considered to be light years ahead of the iphone and an "iphone killer."
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
People might be asking for a little too much $$
After reading the article Gianna posted about a lawsuit against KFC in Australia it made me realize how people take asdvantage of their situation. Of course it is horrible that this little girl suffered from brain damage and is now in a wheel chair, but to sue a company for $8 million is in my opinion ridiculous. Although it's the companies fault for the familes illness of salmonella, i don't believe it's their fault for how serious her condition became. The article doesn't go indepth to how she was treated and even if she was treated right away which could have a significant effect on how bad her case got. The familes situation is horrible and tragic but 8million dollars is also alot of money. If that is actually what they had to pay for medical bills and inconvience, then KFC should definitely award them with that much, but if not then they are just looking for some extra cash.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Let's talk about the iPhone
Hello everyone,
For my personal posts this year i will be talking about the phones of this generation. With the newest iphone 5 being released for preordering in just a few days, i believe it is an appropriate topic to address being that phones have become our own little world. It is truly astonishing how phones have changed throughout this past decade, all starting with the very first iphone in 2007 (Iphone 2g- the first generation). Which debatably has transformed to be one of the most talkable and desirable phones on the market.It brought a new outlook on phones to the world. No longer were phones used just for calling and texting but were now basically a portable tablet (computer). They allow easy access to the internet, a place to hold your songs, and keep information all to your self electronically, plus the added apps which can keep you entertained any place you are. With such a high turn out and demand for these phones, apple followed with another iphone that next year called the iphone 3G. The demand grew higher and higher and is extremely high today. After the release of the iPhone 3GS, 4G, and 4Gs apple released the iPhone 5g which had many rumors of holographic keyboards and what not. Sadly the newest iPhone is really nothing new. Appearance wise it basically looks the same except the 5g is slightly taller with a longer screen, ans a slate section on the back. It is also about an ounce lighter. Software wise it has a new a6 chip that will basically make it double the speed, graphics and 22% smaller than the iPhone 4s's a5 chip. After doing some reading my conclusion is that the new iphone 5 is not much different from the 4s or even the 4g. Yet so many people are preordering it and so excited for it to come out. It goes to show you how Materalistic our world has become and how we always want the newest best thing.
For my personal posts this year i will be talking about the phones of this generation. With the newest iphone 5 being released for preordering in just a few days, i believe it is an appropriate topic to address being that phones have become our own little world. It is truly astonishing how phones have changed throughout this past decade, all starting with the very first iphone in 2007 (Iphone 2g- the first generation). Which debatably has transformed to be one of the most talkable and desirable phones on the market.It brought a new outlook on phones to the world. No longer were phones used just for calling and texting but were now basically a portable tablet (computer). They allow easy access to the internet, a place to hold your songs, and keep information all to your self electronically, plus the added apps which can keep you entertained any place you are. With such a high turn out and demand for these phones, apple followed with another iphone that next year called the iphone 3G. The demand grew higher and higher and is extremely high today. After the release of the iPhone 3GS, 4G, and 4Gs apple released the iPhone 5g which had many rumors of holographic keyboards and what not. Sadly the newest iPhone is really nothing new. Appearance wise it basically looks the same except the 5g is slightly taller with a longer screen, ans a slate section on the back. It is also about an ounce lighter. Software wise it has a new a6 chip that will basically make it double the speed, graphics and 22% smaller than the iPhone 4s's a5 chip. After doing some reading my conclusion is that the new iphone 5 is not much different from the 4s or even the 4g. Yet so many people are preordering it and so excited for it to come out. It goes to show you how Materalistic our world has become and how we always want the newest best thing.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Marketing in the Retail Industry
This is my link to my essay about "Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination"
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Look
In the article "Going for the look, but Risking Discrimination", it has been brought to my attention the issues that come along with having an exact strict look for a store in the retail environment. When employers hire only a certain look it limits opportunities for others that are perfectly qualified to do the job. Abercrombie & Fitch is the main retailer focused in this article and how their "Classic American" look is discriminating against every other ethnicity and anyone who doesn't fit their profile. It is one thing to hire someone and have a look for your store and have the employees dress the style of your store, but when you are hiring based on someones look and saying specifically that you want them to work there only based on what they look like, that becomes a problem. As stated in the article by an Abercrombie manager, "If someone came in who had lots of retail experience and not a pretty face, we were told not to hire them at all." These people are discriminating on so many different levels and making an icon that young people want to look like and look up to. They are creating a nation wide look based on a small percentage of the people that are actually out there. It creates problems in marketing and the image that young people are seeing and most think "this is what I should look like and dress like because this person is pretty and is on billboards." It is creating a false idol for everyone seeing the images and puts thoughts into peoples heads that think that is what "pretty" is. When in fact they could look the farthest from those models and be just as beautiful.The look of employees has become such a big part of a "business strategy" that it affects the average citizen from being able to have employment that they are perfectly qualified for. Businesses that are creating a pretty, young, and hip look are really creating an image that people think they should like, and when they don't look like that for some it becomes a goal and they will do anything to look like those girls, when they are perfectly beautiful just the way they are. It makes us question our morals and how far people will go to make money. It also makes us think about the real reason why we are buying these clothes, is it because it looks good on someone else or because we want to look like them by wearing the same thing? Thinking about this makes us realize all these people are doing is taking away our individuality and using peoples insecurities against them.
About Me Blog !
Hello everyone,
My name to you will be K Brat. That's all you need to know. I am obviously in high school you know what grade I am in, since we are all in the same class. I work at a winery for 6 hours everytime i work :(, but it is good money so I am very fortunate for that. I do love my job. My parents are divorced, so with my father I have been an only child up until about seven months ago. It is interesting if you could say the least. He is very repectful and has one of the kindess hearts. He is 14 and in 8th grade, so he's at that awkward stage we have all been through. Six months ago it was quite awkward for both of us since we were used to both being only children, but over these short few months I now couldn't imagine him not living with me and not being apart of our family. I am on the Swim team and want to be on the diving team this year. My current college I am most interested in so far is Portland State University. Although I have not been there to see the campus or the city, but I have heard it's a wonderful city. I shall see what my thoughts are after my trip there. My hobbies are playing with my cat, George, watching tv shows, hanging out with my buds and doing the typical things teenagers do that i shall not disclose on the internet. I believe I am in a good state of my life right now. I have a boyfriend who just recently moved to Chico to attened Butte Community College:(. We are testing out the long distance thing and seeing how it goes for both of us. I am generally a happy person unless you wake me up, I do not enjoy waking up in the morning. Thank goodness I have a first and second off this year!! I try very hard not to judge people and to have an open mind about everything. Although this can be very hard at times. I plan on going to Nepal this next summer. I love meeting new people and want to expand my knowledge in every way possible. I am actually quite excited for this class and very excited to be done with this year!! I am excited for this class basically because I believe it will give me a descent perspective of what a college class will be like. That concludes my blog for today, and I will see you guys in class!
My name to you will be K Brat. That's all you need to know. I am obviously in high school you know what grade I am in, since we are all in the same class. I work at a winery for 6 hours everytime i work :(, but it is good money so I am very fortunate for that. I do love my job. My parents are divorced, so with my father I have been an only child up until about seven months ago. It is interesting if you could say the least. He is very repectful and has one of the kindess hearts. He is 14 and in 8th grade, so he's at that awkward stage we have all been through. Six months ago it was quite awkward for both of us since we were used to both being only children, but over these short few months I now couldn't imagine him not living with me and not being apart of our family. I am on the Swim team and want to be on the diving team this year. My current college I am most interested in so far is Portland State University. Although I have not been there to see the campus or the city, but I have heard it's a wonderful city. I shall see what my thoughts are after my trip there. My hobbies are playing with my cat, George, watching tv shows, hanging out with my buds and doing the typical things teenagers do that i shall not disclose on the internet. I believe I am in a good state of my life right now. I have a boyfriend who just recently moved to Chico to attened Butte Community College:(. We are testing out the long distance thing and seeing how it goes for both of us. I am generally a happy person unless you wake me up, I do not enjoy waking up in the morning. Thank goodness I have a first and second off this year!! I try very hard not to judge people and to have an open mind about everything. Although this can be very hard at times. I plan on going to Nepal this next summer. I love meeting new people and want to expand my knowledge in every way possible. I am actually quite excited for this class and very excited to be done with this year!! I am excited for this class basically because I believe it will give me a descent perspective of what a college class will be like. That concludes my blog for today, and I will see you guys in class!
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