Outside Reading December 21

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about what I liked/saw in the movie All My Sons. When I heard we were going to watch this in class, I was pretty excited. On thing that I definitely enjoyed about the movie was the capability to see the characters reactions in different parts of the story. I am more of a visual learner, so it was nice to see how they actually react rather than being told how they should. I enjoyed the movie a lot better than the book because I felt the movie was more emotional. Then ending scene was way better than in the book and I think its because you could see the people's reactions.

Outside Reading December 17

For this outside reading, I watched a show on CNN called Planet in Peril. It is about animals and wildlife that are becoming endangered and how some people are fighting against it. In this one episode, they talked about mass shark fishing. It was interesting to find out what they were using from the sharks. They were using the fins for shark fin soup. The fishers would throw out miles of line and attach thousands of hooks to them. Even though there aren't any laws against this, they are supposed to keep the bodies. Unfortunately most people just dump the bodies back into the ocean which is harming the ecosystems.

Outside Reading December 14

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on the football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. The game started off really well. Bernard Berrian of the Vikings returned a punt for a touchdown. Later, he also caught a long touchdown pass. I am very excited for Berrian scoring because he is on my fantasy football team and he will get me a lot of points. I really hope that the Bears will lose so the Vikings will go to the playoffs. I think that if we can make it into the playoffs we will go deep and maybe even get a national championship.

Outside Reading December 10

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on a video on the Today Show about a nine year old boy. He has become known as the "recess romeo" because he has written a book for boys on how to talk to girls. He said he has never had a girlfriend, and doesn't have any sisters. He learned this through watching how boys interact with girls on the playground during lunch. He gives helpful hints on how to get their attention and get them to like you. He said if you want a girl to like you, you should comb your hair and don't wear sweatpants. I find this really funny. I thinks its cool how this kid is realizing what he needs to do to successfully talk to girls and is very mature for his age.

Outside Reading December 7

For this outside reading I am going to talk about book that I am currently reading called "Plague Ship." It is about a ship that is out at sea that is discovered by a CIA type group. Everyone on the ship is dead and it appears that they have all coughed up blood. It is a very gruesome scene as the guys walk around and examine the ship. While the main character is in the bottom. A small bomb goes off and blows a hole in the side of the ship. The tank that he is in starts to fill with water. He escapes through the chimney stack. They recovered some bodies before the ship sank and now they are in the process of examining them.

Outside Reading November 30

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on the movie, "Quantum of Solace." This movie is the newest James Bond movie to come out. I saw this movie on Thanksgiving but it didn't really impress me. The movie did have some good action scenes, but that was about it. The plot never fully developed, and the ending was really dumb. I felt like it was more of a Jason Bourne movie than a Bond one. There were no gadgets or anything in the older Bond movies, just a lot of quick scene actions clips. Overall, this movie was decent, but I wouldn't pay to see it again.

Outside Reading November 26

For this outside reading, I am commenting on by the AP called "Giants' Burress shot in right thigh". When Burress was in a popular bar, he shot himself in the leg. He had a permit from Florida but it expired in May of 2008. Also, the permit isn't recognized in New York, the state that he was in at the time. He was fined and also suspended. I think this is a very dumb move on his behalf and he shouldn't have been carrying a gun. He is a major player in the Giants' offense so it will be interesting to see how they play this week.

Outside Reading November 23

For this outside reading, I watched the season premiere of the show 24. It was a two hour event and it was really good. They have not aired for over a year due to complications. I have watched all the other seasons so it was nice to see it again. Basically he is stuck somewhere in Africa and is trying to get some kids out and to safety. It ends with him flying away in a helicopter. It doesn't have that much suspense, but I am very excited to see the next episode on Sunday.

Outside Reading November 19

For this outside reading, I read an article on Comcast.net called "Pacman Reinstated" by Jaime Aron. This article is about a football player getting yet another chance to play in the NFL. Adam "pacman" Jones has violated league rules numerous times, yet Roger Goodell is still letting him play. I think that Jones should be banned from the league. I understand that he is a good football player but his violations are unacceptable and unbecoming.

Outside Reading November 16

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about the a program on community programming about the space shuttle. They have live updates and videos on what is going on at all times. Watching the crew members move about the space shuttle is very interesting. Its weird how they use their surroundings to move about the cabin. When they are standing at the computers, they slide their feet under metal poles to hold themselves still. Their socks have leather padding on the top to keep them from wearing out. They just gave a tour of the space ship and it looks like they have very many different tools and equipment in it. It would be very cool to be in a null gravity environment such as theirs.

Outside Reading November 12

For this outside reading, I read an article on comcast.net called "The 10 best and 10 worst NFL coaches. It was written by Jason Whitlock, a FOX sports journalist. This is a very interesting article. They give you an order of the coaches, and a little description of why he thinks this way. He has listed the best coach at Jim Zorn. Although I didn't agree with this at first, I think that he must be a really good coach as to make Jason Campbell at competitive quarterback. I think that the worst coach should be Brad Childress. I think he is doing nothing for the vikings and he should be fired immediately.

Outside Reading November 9

For this outside reading, I read a book called the Time Machine by HG Wells. I really enjoyed this book. Even though it wasn't very long, it was quite interesting. The whole lead up before he goes forward in time is very interesting. I like the description of the surroundings in the future. They are futuristic but they also resemble some aspects of the past. I don't think this is what the real future is going to be like, but it is definitely an option.

Outside Reading November 5

For this outside reading, I am writing about the presidential election. Yesterday, I watched over 5 hours of CNN's coverage on the election, and it was very interesting. It was very interesting to see the polls come in from around the United States. One thing that really surprised me was that Obama won the state of Florida. It has been known for a republican state for quite a while. I am very happy Obama won. His acceptance speech was amazing and I am really glad that he was chosen because I feel that he will bring change to this nation.

Endorsement Letter

For this year's National Hero of the Year, I endorse the great Telemachus. Other candidates don't compare to the great character of Telemachus. He should win the award because he is very courageous, and his selflessness.
Telemachus shows courage in times of trouble. For example, when the suitors invade his house, he knows that it isn't right. He eventually gains the courage to speak up against them and tell them that they need to leave. While you could argue that Odysseus is also courageous, you must learn that he is also a very self-centered person. When they are escaping from the Cyclops, Odysseus shouts out his name to him, saying that he is responsible for his pain. In fact, Odysseus' troops really did the dirty work. Is this the kind of person you want as a hero.
In conclusion, Telemachus should be nominated for the National Hero of the Year because of his demonstration of courage and selflessness.

Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences

Prompt- What is the most important thing that Odysseus does and why?

Thesis Statements
Listing-In the Odyssey, Odysseus greatest achievements is his defeat from enemies by his courage, cleverness, and his loyalty to his crew.
Open Ended-In the Odyssey, Odysseus greatest achievements is his escape from enemies in many ways.

Topic Sentences
1-Odysseus uses his courage to fight the frightening Polyphemus.
2-Odysseus uses his cleverness to escape from the mighty Cyclops.
3-Odysseus proves his loyalty to his crew by saving them from almost imminent death in many circumstances.

Outside Reading November 2

For this outside reading, I read an article in the Star Tribune called Homecoming Hurt by Kent Youngblood. This article is about the Minnesota Gophers football game against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Gophers had been playing well the whole game, but hadn't been dominating as expected. It looked as if the game was going into overtime, but an interception and a touchdown put Northwestern on top and they won the game. Mike Kafka played really well during the game. He is a faster quarterback and ran a lot. Even though he is a backup, he will probably be starting soon after his performance in this game.

Outside Reading October 29

For this outside reading, I read an article called Split Decisions in the Star Tribune. It was written by Patricia Lopez. The article is about the upcoming election. I am very excited for Nov. 4 and is ready to see the outcome. They talk about the elections could be made my voters crossing party lines and voting for the opposite party. For example, my mother, a registered Republican, will be voting for Norm Coleman, but will be voting for Barack Obama for the presidential election. I think that this very well could decide the outcome of 2008 elections.

Heroes in a Box

Heroes can be interpreted many ways. They can be people who take action against something, or they can be the ones who choose not to. When you think of heroes, the first thing to come to mind may be Superman, or Batman. But in reality, there are heroes in everyday life. All they need is some courage.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important hero of his time. He led a revolution of rights for African Americans. One of his most well-known speeches was his "I have a Dream," speech.It took a lot of courage from MLK Jr. to speak out about a topic so controversial at the time.

Another very courageous hero of our time is the presidential candidate Barack Obama. He is very courageous person. He has potential to make a change and be the first African-American president of the United States ever. This courage make him a hero.

Outside Reading October 22

For this outside reading, I read an article in Wednesdays front page of the Star Tribune. The title of the article is "Her Regret, His Renewal." The main point of this article is about how Michele Bachmann said that Barack Obama may have anti-American views. I think that what she said is idiotic. Especially with the election coming up. Bachmann came back saying that the quote was misread. The problem is that she won't accept what she said, and I don't blame her. She has crossed the potential president of the United States. Because of her statement, Tinklenberg, her opponent, has received a lot of money/contributions because no one wants to see Bachmann win again.

Outside Reading #5

This outside reading is about The Unspeakable Odyssey of the Motionless Boy. The story is pretty depressing because he doesn't really have a very good way to communicate his feelings and thoughts. This would make me really frustrated because it would take like 5 minutes just to say, "I am cold." Because he cannot move, I would imagine he would be very claustrophobic. This would happen to me and I would freak out. I think it is interesting how he loses his ability to spell. It is a good thing that they came up with the brain reading system because if he couldn't spell, the only way he would be able to interact with people would to gesture yes or no. The story lightens a little bit when they hint at a possibility of learning how to speak.

Siddhartha Blog Assignment #4

Throughout his life, Siddhartha has gone through many ups and downs. In order to gain one thing, he has to give up others. One could question whether what he is trying to achieve is worth what he is giving up. He wants to find self so he can be content, but maybe if he would recognize the good things around him, he would be happy. After following Siddhartha on his journey he learned that Nirvana doesn't come cheap. I thing he learned this through his encounters with Govinda, Vasudeva, and his son.
Govinda plays a vital role in Siddhartha's life. He is there at the beginning. He is very good friends with Siddhartha throughout his childhood, and even decides to become a Samana. Siddhartha realizes the dedication that Govinda has for him. Siddhartha realizes that Govinda really does love him. Siddhartha decides to abandon this love to find self. Siddhartha encountered a really good friend during his journey. His name was Vasudeva. This character helped him find self. Vasudeva was a simple man and was a teacher to Siddhartha. Siddhartha's son was very much like himself. He was defiant. This made Siddhartha mad and his son decided to leave.
In conclusion, Siddartha tried to find self, but ended up losing other things in return. I think that Siddhartha didn't find nirvana. He may have found self, but he gave up other things like love. I don't know the exact definition, but I think that nirvana involves understanding love, and excepting it.

Outside Reading October 14

For this outside reading, I decided to talk about a CNN.com article/tool called Fact Check. What they do is after debates, people analyze the facts that some of the candidates said during that time. You would be surprised to find that a lot of the facts are not totally true. Like one candidate might claim that the other voted with Bush 8 times, when that person also voted for Bush 6 times. Biden claimed that John McCain’s ads were 100 percent negative when they were only almost all negative. It’s just little things like these that are interesting to be pointed out.

Outside Reading October 12

For this outside reading, I read an article called "Careful how you say that, McCain supporters warn." It was in this Sunday's Star Tribune. It was how some of McCain's attack adds have been backfiring. I agree with some of these statements. Because Obama has such a big lead in the poles, McCain is resorting to false advertisement. I think that the reason for this is because of JM's vice-presidential pick. Sarah Palin was one of the worse possible choices for a vice-president. She is inexperienced and will not get the votes she was picked for. I hope that both parties settle down on the attach adds. We could be putting that money to a different use. This article was writtne by Adam Nagourney and Elisabeth Bumiller.

Outside Reading October 10

For this assignment, I am not going to talk about a book or magazine I read. I am going to talk about the presidential debate that occurred on Tuesday. I thought that the debate was very interesting. It was pretty even, but I think that Obama essentially won the debate. The thing that bothered me about McCain was that he dodged a lot of questions. For example, when they would talk about something that he didn't agree with, he would try to change the subject. He would talk about issues that both parties agree on so he would appear more popular. I don't why this bothered me, but he always referred to whoever he was talking to "friends." This made me mad because it was like he was trying to sound like a father figure to the listeners. I support Obama and think he will make the right decisions as the next president. Also, the fact that McCain picked Sarah Palin as his vice president made me lose all respect for him. The only reason he did it was to try to win votes from Hillary supporters. Those are my thoughts on the Presidential Debate.

Siddhartha Blog Assignment 3

Dear Julius,

I have a problem. One of my friends Siddhartha is having some trouble. He is trying to find enlightenment. I understand this search, but the only problem is that he is trying to do it without any help. He thinks that no one can teach him how to find self, not even the Buddha. The problem that I have with this is that he is affecting others in this process.
He left his father and his best friend, Govinda. He always obeyed his father, but he decided to go against his father's best wishes and leave his house. When Govinda decided to pledge his alliance to the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha decided that he needs to go his own way. This made Govinda pretty upset and confused because they had been friends for so long. He has left all of his luxeries, including his friends, to find self. How can I help him. - Whattodo

Dear Whattodo,

I understand how Govinda may be confused and a little angry. The thing that she needs to understand is that Siddhartha needs to make his own decisions. Its too bad that it has to affect other people. Maybe you just need to tell Govinda that he needs to move on. He shouldn't think about the past, but he shoud try to live in the present. He should come to terms that what they had was good, but its over now and he shouldn't dwell on it. You need to tell Siddhartha to think about what he is doing. Maybe he doesn't realize how much of his decisions are affecting other people around him. If he did so, maybe the others would be more understanding and accepting of his decisions. Hope that helps.

Outside Reading October 8

For my outside reading, I decided to read an article in the school newspaper, Zephyrus. The article was titled, "Driving Restrictions Stereotypical." The main idea of the article was about how the new law on how for your first six months of having your license, you can only have one non-family member in the car at a time. I think that this law is not necessary. Although I understand that teenagers cause the most number of accident related deaths, but that doesn't mean that they are caused by having other students in the car. I think that it should be a personal choice that the parents should make. As long as your parent's are okay with it, and you are following correct legal procedures, you should be able to have as many students in the car as you want.

Siddhartha #2 Part 2

I can see that Siddhartha's departure is affecting Govinda. Govinda doesn't understand that it needs to be Siddhartha's decision on where he wants to go. Govinda has followed Sid for a long time, but it is time that they broke away. Once Govinda understands that it is Siddhartha's decision, he will not have as much trouble with Sid's leaving. I understand that Siddhartha wants to find self alone, but his search seems very disorganized. Maybe if he planned it out, he would have better success. But it is Siddhartha's choice, so he can do what he pleases.

Siddhartha #2 Part 1

G - Hey Sukuma, I need your advice.

S - Sure, what's your problem.

G - Well, my best friend Siddhartha wants to leave me. I have always followed and supported his decisions, but now he doesn't want to hear from the Buddha. He wants to go his seperate way.

S-Why doesn't he want to hear from the great Buddha?

G - He claims that the Buddha cant teach him anything.
S - Well, that is his own decision. You have chosen your path to follow the Illustrious One. You need to let him chose his path. You have become independent, which is good. You are finally growing up.
G - Thanks Sukuma. I understand now.
S - No problem

Siddhartha-Part 1

In part one of the book, Siddhartha, you learn what the book is going to be about. At first, Siddhartha is a Brahmin's Son. He is brought up to always obey his parents. One of his friends name is Govinda. They both decide that they want to follow the Samanas. At first Siddhartha's father doesn't agree, but he finally gives in. They go to live with the Samanas and learn their way of life. Siddhartha sees that everything he is being taught he could have learned elsewhere. He decides to learn about Buhdism. He likes it, but would rather teach himself. He leaves everyone only to feel alone.

My Avatar

My Avatar's name is Sukumar. Its Sanskrit meaning is "handsome." You can tell by the picture that I am very good looking. I am very responsible. I am very prompt is always on time. I am pretty young; only sixteen years old, but is as mature as a grown man. My best friend's name is Siddhartha. I am not mentioned in the book, but I am always there. You do not see me, but I see everything that the reader does.

Self Discription

I am a fun and independent person. My favorite hobby is playing tennis. I enjoy independent sports but I also like playing basketball. I procrastinate a lot, but am trying to get better at it. I am a pretty relaxed and laid back person. I like hanging out with friends. I like to make people laugh and I like to laugh too.