"The Autobiography"

     This week we read an autobiography written by Benjamin Franklin. It's main subject was how he worked in order to achieve moral perfection. Most of us know that that is one impossible feat, but he tried to achieve it, which shows great determination. He never did get the time to finish up his work because of how active he was back in the day. In the portion of it that we rad in class though, he was trying to inform the reader of how he diligently tried to become a morally perfect being by following certain quotas he set oout for himself to follow.
     These quotas were a set of thirteen virtues. Franklin aspired to follow these thirteen virtues for the rest of his life, and therefor, become the being he was striving to be. To keep track of his records, he made a chart which he marked on every day. He had initially planned to keep that up for the rest of his life, however since he got caught up in other political and social issues, he was not able to follow it. However, he was "head-faked" into learning and becoming partr of the great person he wanted to be by simply being aware of his achievements over time. Though he did not completely finish what he had started, it definately did make him into a better person. His tone throughout is very practical, and informative, which reflects his calm, determined attitude.

GO TO CAMP!!!

     Have you ever wondered to yourself, "Gosh, I wonder how people like Bear Grylls survive in nature..."? Well put the wondering and pondering to a stop! Camp is the answer to these curious thoughts of yours. Homenetmen Camp Tecuya is located in Frazier Park and is bound to satisfy your thirst for the knowledge of surviving in nature. Camp is the place everyone wants to be, the one spot all people want to go. Is there such a thing as the perfect getaway location? Can anywhere in the world substitute the feeling of home one gets when they go to camp? Nothing - i repeat, nothing in this world is able to compensate for the fresh outdoors-y feeling of Camp Tecuya.

     Waking up to the scent of pine, stretching your muscles to relax and take in the fresh air, and splashing your face with the ice cold water in the chilly morning are bound to be a few of the thousands of simple pleasures that camp can bring. One can shoot arrows at archery or go to target practice with BB-guns. They can go on hikes on the several planned out routes in the campground, or they can just choose the alternative and sleep in till afternoon under a cozy tent in a sleeping bag. The possibilities are endless! The best part about it is that it is hardly any cost to you! No overpriced hotel/casino in the middle of the desert can even come close to all the advantages and perks Homenetmen Camp can bring!

Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God

     "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" has to be one of the most powerful speeches I have ever read. Powerful in a sense of being able to instill so much fear into the audience, that they do not dare not to listen. In this speech, Johnathan Edwards speaks to a crowd of sinners in a tent. His job is to go around and preach to people about not sinning, so they will not go to hell. This takes place in 1741, when there already were very strong religious beliefs, as well as an intimidation from God to the people. Edwards' main goal was to get the people to stop sinning, so that eventually they end up going to heaven.Though his words were very harsh, and quite disturbing, it did get the message through.
     At the actual day when he gave his speech, his voice was very monotonous and boring, despite the strong words. This created a sort of suspense for the audience, because they were always left wondering, "Is he going to look at me?", "Is he going to explode any second?". Through these little ways to capture the audience's attention, Edwards was ablew to achieve his goal of scaring the people enough to follow him. His powerful imagery was very frightening. The mere fact that someone is telling you that the only thing keeping you alive is God makes you automatically look to God as this being that should not even be gone against. God was the only chance of hope left for these people in their minds, which means that Edwards was able to persuade the entire lot of people to follow his ideas. This shows that maybe fear is the answer to be able to control people... Then again, any person wanting to brainwash any large group of people should have no problems with instilling fear in them.

The Best Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberries and Cream

    Ice cream has changed the way Americans have llived forever. What was once a simple dessert has come to take over entire children's lives, as they live every waking moment hoping they would see ice cream the next. There are thousands of different flavors of ice cream, but the one that is the best is strawberries and cream. This flavor is real; this flavor is creamy; this flavor gives meaning to my life. Those vendors across the street with their ice cream carts and bells are not as dangerous as some mothers might assume for their children. They are the ones that hold the key to the world that children see as a dream come true, in strawberry and cream clouds and waterfalls.
    Is there any other flavor on earth that gives you a fresh fruity taste while giving a rich, creamy taste? I have journeyed the world and tasted many different types of ice creams, and it is safe to say that "Freza" flavored ice cream is the biggest bag you can get for your buck. Chocolate, vanilla, rocky road? Do these even stand a chance against an opponent so great? This simple and plain flavor brings forth a new exciting era in the vast world of ice cream! May everyone eat strawberries and cream ice cream with great pleasure and pride.

Shark's Survival, or Chinese Traditions?

     For many, many years, it has been a tradition as well as a delicacy for the Chinese culture to eat shark fin soup, a gelatinous soup with a crucial ingredient of dried shark fins. According to "Shark Fin Soup Being One Step Closer to Being Banned in California", an article on latimes.com though, the killing of millions of sharks each year seem to deeply concern the Senate and Congress. The killing of all these sharks "threatens to disrupt ocean systems", which would concern the government more than the disruption of Chinese traditions. A few people view this decision as disrespect towards Chinese culture and cuisine, while others think of the well-being of the sharks as much more important for the society as a whole. Bills were passed banning the selling of these shark fins.
     This seems to be an issue regarding one's beliefs verses the overall well-being of the people. For the Chinese people, this is a bill banning a part of their background, their traditions, their culture. Americans need to view the issue from their side of the table. Yes, the wildlife is very important in this world of endangered species, but the preservation of traditions and culture is also a very important aspect to the world's civilizations in order to keep pure history alive. Likewise, Chinese people need to be able to see this from the opposite perspective. Some things need to be sacrificed in order to ensure a better future. Either way, this article can induce many different viewpoints on the topic, which make it a very thought-inducing article. Props to Tony Barboza.

"Mission Update"

     "Wow" is the word Steve Squyres decides to use as an opening sentence for his blog post in September 28, 2006. The mere fact that we see this much awe just from the opening sentence shows that this blog post is heading towards a different tone than the stories we previously read. "Mission Update" is a blog post that Steve Squyres publishes during his time in orbit around Mars, therefore, it is told in his point of view. It is very descriptive, telling of his and his crew's journeys discussing the things the current occurrences in space. This post is open for all to see, so it is not limited to only NASA engineers. Anyone, anywhere around the world could follow his posts to see what new updates and discoveries he has for the people.
     The purpose of this short blog post we read was to inform people while exploring a new land in space. The way it was written was so "people-friendly", that one would think they are carrying a conversation with someone as they are reading it. This separates this specific piece of nonfiction from the previous ones we had read. Though at times it was strictly informative, describing in detail of all the different craters they will visit and how they will take a panorama photo, Squyres was still able to make it sound as if it was a regular person on the other end of the screen instead of a bunch of technology savvy NASA engineers. This enables the reader to be interested in the topic and continue to read on.

"A Journey Through Texas"

     In "A Journey Through Texas", Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca is a Spaniard who goes to the Americas in the 1540s in search of some new information and discoveries for the Eastern World. In this narrative, he tells of his adventures and journeys around the area in what is today's Texas. He comes across a few groups of Indians, among them being very helpful ones, as well as more aggressive ones. With the guidance of the helpful Indians, him and his crew embark on a journey of explorations and great, new findings. A very important thing they learned from the Indians was how to grow crops like maize (corn).
     Through learning about the Indian's culture and customs, he also tries to influence them by preaching to them about Christianity. He does this mainly because he wants to get the King and Queen back home to see the great role he is playing in the New World. When they realize that he is promoting their beliefs and views, and showing power among the Indians, they will fund him with new ships and equipment so that he can go again. This was very important for Cabeza de Vaca and his crew, because they wanted to explore new lands, and with the aid of the King and Queen, they were guaranteed great successes in the future. This narrative shows how the people of that time were not only after gold, contrary to the belief. They did believe in advancements by the process of gaining new knowledge, and they were very passionate about coming back to the Old World with new ideas, thoughts, perspectives, and stories to tell about their adventures and the people they met on the way.