Vocab Blog Numero 4

Coming up in a few weeks is the science symposium at our school! I am very excited because I finally get to show off my experiments that I've been working on all year in my Research in Molecular Genetics class. Teachers and students are paying homage to our dedication throughout this year that has basically gone unnoticed. I just love the milieu because everyone seems so impressed with your work and are greatly appreciative of it. In the past science fair at Rutgers I constantly mispronounced large words that had to do with my project because I didn't rehearse it enough, so this time I am going to rehearse a dozen times at least so I don't say any malapropisms. The Rutger's science fair was actually awesome. I couldn't believe that many people performed their own experiments and did such a good job! Personally I was a little scared because I had never participated in a science fair like this and I was afraid it was going to be as geeky as it sounds. I filmed fruit flies for my experiment and somehow I managed to organize my paraphernalia, which included my video tapes, laptops, poster, and video camera so that my station looked extremely professional. One person at the fair created a song from a laser! He could move the laser in such a way to make music. It was very cool, and could create a euphony with light! Maybe it's just me but I can't seem to comprehend this. Moreover, the judges were tough though, some even argued with you. For instance, one person told me I should have analyzed my data using a different statistical test, but Mr. Wieland told me that test wouldn't work. We reached animpasse because of the two different opinions between statisticians, and the judge just left with a bad look on his face. For the most part though the judges were equitable and treated every candidate fairly because I heard one judge ask the same questions to me as they did to my friend. Talking to judges all day was not easy. We had to stand on our feet for 3 hours! luckily I got a chair so it wasn't horrible, but I was standing for about 2 hours. Thinking about their questions was also draining, and by the time I got on the bus I was enervated and fell asleep immediately. But before I went on the bus to go home, we had an awards ceremony. At first no one from our school was getting called up to win any prizes, but eventually someone did. IT WAS ME! I was the first person to get an award. I won second place in my category. It took long enough! My friend who is a senior didn't get any awards, and he worked so hard on his project. I felt really bad because his face looked lugubrious and that he was personally unhappy with the results.

Vocab Blog Numero 3

The other day was a scary day! I had to go to a gastroenterologist the two days ago to get an endoscopy. Well this wasn't just a random endoscopy, it's actually because this past summer, on July 4th (yes I know the exact day, it was a pretty memorable one) I choked on a piece of filet mignon. I didn't need the heimlich or anything because I could still breathe, I just couldn't swallow anything, not even spit unfortunately. MY LIFE WAS IN JEOPARDY! It wasn't actually in jeopardy, but it was scary! And as a result, I went to the ER and after 8 hours of waiting, and still not being able to swallow anything, I had my first endoscopy to remove it. They sent me to a gastroenterologist which then suggested I get another one to take biopsies to see what was wrong. The gastroenterologist was my nemesis because he thinks he spells his name right, but it's actually wrong. Margulies, doesn't even sound right! Margolis is the correct spelling. Even though we have "beef" with each other, we have an intimate relationship. I mean who else has seen the inside of my throat before? His prognosis after performing the endoscopy was that I most likely had EE, eosinophilic esophagitis, and to cure it I have to see an allergist. My mom was a critic of all of this because she thinks the doctors are just trying to make money off me. But there was nothing we could do. Within the past few weeks these doctors have been harassing us by calling the house asking to confirm our appointment. It is overwhelming. And to make it worse, each doctor makes me give them a vignette about the incident that happens so they understand the situation. But I feel like it has helped me in some ways. I have met an eclectic group of doctors, all of which gave me insight into different areas of study. I want to be a doctor when I'm older, so that is why it is helpful. So far the doctors have eschewed from any drugs or medication to prevent this from happening again, but instead trying to manage my diet. I don't really enjoy it, but it's something I have to do. lately, in an article I have found out that this condition is becoming ubiquitous, and that more and more people are being diagnosed with EE.

Vocab Blog Numero 2

We have been reading Othello in class and it is tacit that we know all Shakespearean language, but I find it hard to understand. I don't think I'm the only one, but I just wanted to let everyone know that haha. From Othello, I have noticed that Iago wanted to savor every moment that he got a little closer to taking over for Othello. Othello is in control of an expansive area and is a very powerful man so I can understand why Iago would be so happy to control this, but his way of going about it is all wrong. He is a malevolent man and his actions are absolutely insane. He tells his wife and others to do his dirty work for him. For instance, he told his wife to steal Desdemona's handkerchief she gave to Othello. He also told Roderigo he could set him up with Desdemona but simply stole his money and killed him. When we were reading the play I was actually transfixed sometimes when I heard of the things he did, and also the sexual connotations the play had. I remember when Mrs. Abrams told us about a dirty beard or something or other, it was extremely disgusting. But the play made that reference for a reason so it should be mentioned. Dont worry Mrs. Abrams you didn't do anything wrong! To be honest though the movie kind of had the adverse effect on me. Maybe it was just because it was 8th period, and I was tired, but the movie had a soporific effect on me. I kept wanting to go to sleep, even though I knew the ending was exciting. I ended up just dozing for a minute, but of course that minute was when all the action happened. But I read the end of the play online so no harm was done. If Iago had taken over for Othello and would subjugate over the people of Venice I would have been so upset. He definitely shouldn't be allowed to rule over anyone especially because of the way he got some of his power. During this whole play I wonder what I would have done in their situations. Like what would I have done if I witnessed one of these events. I would have probably given all of these government officials impunity because they are defending out country, even though killing still isn't morally correct. I also would have given people pseudonyms so that their true identity couldn't be found out and they would be safe from getting killed. I feel like I have talked about enough bunkum in Othello to last a lifetime now so this is the end of this post.

Vocab Blog Numero 1

My cousin, Ben, just got back from his two month visit to Nepal and his one month voyage to India. Nepal is a relatively small country in between China and India. He graduated early from Johns Hopkins University in December and before entering Medical School he decided to take some time off. He thought it would be fun and exhilarating to help out in an orphanage in Nepal. It was actually an august orphanage because it was subsidized by the government. Before he went he had to be inoculated with a bunch of shots in order to stay healthy for his entire voyage. While he was at our grandparents he was telling us about the exorbitant prices that we pay. He told us that in Nepal and India, he would not pay over the equivalent of $2 for anything! Ben also told me that people imbibe ALL the time. They will start drinking at like 6 AM. He said they also smoke a lot, which is very unhealthy. As the only white person in this small little village in Nepal, my cousin seemed like a celebrity. He was surrounded by an entourage of people when he went into town because he had a lot of money according to their standards. I have learned a lot about third world countries from my cousin. He told me in Katmandu there is garbage lining the streets, and that stray cows roam the streets and eat it. Because of this, the smog in Nepal, specifically Katmandu, is very bad. Also, it causes the city to be noisome and the stench is so bad at times people need gas masks to breath.

My cousin after staying in the orphanage for two months then decided to travel all over India. He assured me that he would buy me something form the Taj Mahal, but of course never did :(. He also told me that the Taj was extremely tortuous inside and you can't even climb up any stairs in it because you would fall. Looking back on the Taj Mahal the builder of it was ingenious. The architectural ability that one most have to be able to do such a thing is incredible. I would not be able to even think of designing a building of that magnitude. Just to show its importance, it is the mecca for Hindus. In Islam, Muslims make a Hajj to Mecca once in their life time, but in Hinduism, people are supposed to make a Hajj to the Taj, or at least I believe so. Anyway that is all the information that I can remember about my cousins trip to Nepal and India and I hope you enjoyed.

Vocab #4

Right now I don't know what to do a blog post on, so I'm going to make one up. This past Friday, my father was indicted for stealing. He stole my neighbor because he wouldn't give my dad back his lawn mower. Yes, I mean my dad stole my neighbor! He literally put him in the guest room (nothing too rash). His son, John, now acts aloof and hostile toward me and my family, simply because my dad kidnapped his dad. His daughter, Mary, is very stoic however, and doesn't show much emotion. She always has a very stern face, and never seems to be having fun. Personally, if my dad was kidnapped I would have a grudge on the person who did it. Everyone is different though. After going to court for a gruesome seven months, the judge acquitted my father of kidnapping because he treated our neighbor with such hospitality and offered him so many luxuries. Another thing that helped my father was that he only kidnapped my neighbor because he wouldn't give back our lawn mower. So in actuality my neighbor was the antagonist, while my father was the protagonist because he lent out our law mower in the first place. The government as a result rescinded the law that kidnapping is a federal offense because of my father's actions. My father and our neighbor are now friends (even better than before) and we have constantly gone over for family BBQ's.

Vocab #3

In an attempt to write these blogs I noticed the word cajole. Ordinarily I would not know what this word meant but I learned that it more or less means to persuade. This probably isn't important to you but I thought it was. After learning the definition of this word I thought about the ways my friends (who aren't the sharpest tools in the shed) try to cajole me into doing certain things. For instance, the other day my friend tried to convince me into going "ice skating" on this frozen pond that we pass everyday as we walk home. I scrupled to agree to walk on this pond because I always fear like I'm going to fall through, and a behemoth or some creature like the Loch Ness Monster is going to grab me and then kill me. Anyway that is not the point of the story. The main point of the story is that the way my friend convinced me to go ice skating was just by repeating himself over and over and over and over again. Finally, I got to the point where I was just so tired of hearing him plead his case that I reluctantly agreed to go ice skating. His plan was extremely overt he knew that by annoying me enough he would eventually get me to give in. There was no doubt in his mind that he was simply doing this by accident. Personally, I persuade people through other means. I like to be suave and make the other person trust me enough that they will do what I want them to do. Neither strategy is right or wrong, but they both prove to be effective.

Vocab #2

So today was the first time I saw MY movie trailer for MY movie that I'm starring in. Valentines Day, with a ton of actors, was my premiere film. It was an opportunity that I will never forget. My talent agent called my house and said that the director was in dire need of a starring actor and I was just who he needed. This is only how I wish the story went. The actual story is still funny though. I was in Hollywood, CA this summer on a family vacation, and as we were walking through the city, we see Jamie Foxx and a bunch of people around him and very old car. My dad and I were walking up ahead of my mom and sister and were just admiring the movie industry. And from out of the blue, someone came up to us and asked if we were extras, OBVIOUSLY, we said yes and we moved over to the side. After waiting for about 30 minutes, we filmed one shot and just went on with our vacation. It was something I will never forget though. Of course I had to tell my friends and everyone I knew that I was in the movie, when in reality I probably wasn't. Now back to my daydream. The critics appraised my acting as one of the best they have ever seen. Isn't it impressive for my first acting job? It was hard to believe that the director had to terminate my contract for the movie after that one scene though? One would think I would have the potential to star in all his movies! Nonetheless my laconic role in the movie probably was the "make or break" deal in the movie, no big deal. A lot of people didn't believe that I was a movie star at first, but they became credulous when they saw my face in the trailer.

Vocab #1

This week I have had a lot of doctor's appointments. I think its like hair cuts everyone seems to get them around the same time. I'm not really sure why this happens, but its very common, mostly among a group of friends. For instance, this past weekend my friend got a haircut, and from that I noticed that my hair was long and now I made an appointment to go this weekend to get my haircut. Anyway, let's get back to my story. I went to the eye doctor for my annual check up, and he prescribed contacts. I was a bit hesitant at first because contacts require a lot more responsibility than glasses. Paramountly, was the cost of the contacts, which are a lot more than glasses because you constantly need new ones to replace the old, dry ones. After I had my eye doctors appointment, I had my annual physical. I don't really like my doctor because he is very supercilious, always talking like he's so much better than me. However, he is a very good doctor so I understand his haughtiness. One time I went to the doctor after I fell off my bed, and had cut my head open. There was blood gushing everywhere, yet he managed to keep his sang-froid. I'm still wary if he did anything wrong though because that side of my head tends to hurt every so often for no apparent reason. One will never know...I do know that it is important to trust doctors because they are very helpful on matters that the common person isn't aware of.

Blog #4

I am in my room on this beautiful Sunday morning thinking about what to write about for my next blog post, and I have been looking at my walls for inspiration. I noticed i have a picture of myself in a baseball uniform hanging on my wall right above my television. This is from my bar mitzvah when a caricaturist drew it. This reminds me of a story from this past week. My friends drew a picture of another one of my friends, which caused some drama. He made fun of my other friend in the picture, and eventually he saw it. My friend who was made fun of was very angry, and harsh words were exchanged. In brief, this was how this fight transpired. Since I have been very random in this post, I am going to continue to do so. This past Friday was our Winter Ball and my date had already got her license and said she would drive me there; however, she was very scared that her car would get stuck in the snow. Even though I was going with her I could not allay her fears of getting stuck in the snow and being stranded in the freezing cold. It didn't snow on Friday and she succumbed to driving us, which helped out my parents a lot. To continue my rant on really random stories, I am watching the playoff's and I am trying to understand what the broadcasters are saying, but they have an argot, which is impossible to figure out.

Blog #3

Today is January 6th and New Year's Eve was only a few days ago. I have heard a lot of people make their annual new year's resolutions, most of which they will not follow through on, but that isn't the problem I am going to be talking about. What I was going to talk about was, how some people try to circumvent working out and dieting for weight loss supplements in order to lose weights. This is simply preposterous because you really have to work hard to lose weight. The stigma of being overweight, which is unhealthy to begin with, should inspire you to lose weight no matter if it takes more work than you are expecting. But all resolutions don't have to do with losing weight, some of my friends made a resolution to try to allure some boys/girls they are interested in. My friends wore this tawdry shirt he just bought at the mall, which wasn't his style at all might I add, to attract the attention of all these girls we saw that night. Also a few of my friends are garrulous so I'm not sure if they were just saying they wanted to go out with these boys or if they were serious. But in the end how many times have you heard someone say "well...I didn't lose the weight...", or "well...I didn't get the guy...", etc. As a result, I don't expect people to accomplish their new year's resolutions (this probably sounds horrible) so if they do fulfill it I am very impressed.

Blog #2

I am a Junior and I'm starting to look at colleges, and to be frank, the process is starting to become overwhelming. All these contemporary colleges require not only the "common app" which is extremely long and excruciating, but now are starting to require a supplement form. Sometimes I wish I grew up in the 80's, because my mom tells me these stories of how most people only applied to one college, two if they were undecided. Do you realize how much less work that it is?!?! In that time instead of writing essays, getting letters of recommendation, and filling out these TWO different forms, I could instead be studying for any tests or quizzes I have in classes that are still important. Actually, to be honest I'd probably be going out with my friends because I'll have my license. In our society, college is what matters, and the acceptance rate is so low, people have begun to go insane. For instance, people now take the SAT's or ACT's 5 or 6 times! Not only do they try to score a 2400 every time but they have become sycophants by more or less stalking the admission officer of their dream school. Nonetheless the pain that I'm going through now is only ephemeral because I know I'll have such a good time at college. I also feel that no matter what degree I get from whatever school I go to, the achievements you make outside of the classroom is a lot more important the diploma you receive. So the moral of this story is that the cachet of graduating from Harvard Law School is trivial unless you do something significant with that knowledge.

Blog #1 Marking period 2

Yesterday was in interesting day. I had heard rumors all day that a freshman bought a gun to school. Living in Hillsdale where most people complain about not getting a car for their birthday (meaning that your life isn't bad), I wondered why someone would even make up such a thing. Little did I know, the rumors were true and a student did bring a gun to school. As hours passed I learned more and more about the situation. I had found out from an anonymous source that people had derided him constantly, but I haven't seem him hector anyone before, I thought he was a rather nice kid. A bunch of other rumors had surfaced but I paid no attention to them because they were simply absurd. Today the student is going to court for bringing a weapon to school. The most recent news that I has come to my attention is that one student in particular is being charged for harassment. A lot of students in the school hope that he will be exonerated when he goes to court as well because it was not solely his fault for the other student bringing a gun to school. A lot of students have been fighting over this issue as to who was to blame. I empathize with students defending both sides of the situation. I believe that for a person to bring a gun to school and try to take his own life, there must of been something seriously wrong with him. I also believe that this person who bullied the student is also to blame because he made the student so depressed and angry that he wanted to result to that severe amount of violence. All in all, the crux of this matter is not whether or not who should be blamed for bringing a gun to school, but to ensure that the safety of students is secured.

Vocab #4

As you all can imagine, when leaves start to fall, Hillsdale's Demarest Farms is packed with customers who are ready to go apple and pumpkin picking. If you drive by the farm, you have to be chary of people who just picked pumpkins and/or apples and are crossing the street to get back to their cars. In addition to the busy hay rides and pumpkin picking, Demarest Farms also has a corn maze. This labyrinth isn't very big, but it sure is confusing. I once went through it when I was very young and I got lost! I started crying and screamed for my mom to save me, which eventually she did (Thank God!). They also have a fun house which, is mainly for younger children, but I think that no matter what age you are you can still have fun. The fun house is capacious and can hold approximately 20 children at once! Lastly, as if I can't tell you more about Demarest Farms, if you haven't tried their hot apple cider you shouldn't call yourself human. Their hot apple cider is delicious and is unlike anything around. They are constantly making more because it is such a big hit. Unlike Dunkin' Donuts whose coffee sits out all day and night, and might not be considered potable for people who order it in the late afternoon or night, Demarest's hot apple cider is always fresh. You might be asking yourself why I know all these facts about Demarest Farms. The answer to this question is that I live about a block away from Demarest and I go there all the time.

Vocab #3

Yesterday I was wrestling with my friends for fun. We all wrestled when we were younger so we thought it would be exciting to see who was the best. We cleared an area in my friends basement and began to wrestle. We set up this complicated "bracket" in which we all wrestled each other at least once. In my first match, I won (how would it be possible for me not to?); however, in the second match my friend Mike wrestled my other friend Bryan, which was where things got ugly. Bryan committed a flagrant flag by throwing Mike into the door. Mike's head started to bleed, and as a result my friends and I exhorted, "Call his mom! Quick! He's bleeding!" After Mike's mom stopped the bleeding, Mike came over to my house where his behavior was very eccentric; he rarely talked and was simply not acting like himself. From then on we had an implicit agreement that if we were to ever wrestle again we would be extra careful and not emulate Bryan by pushing anyone into walls and/or furniture.

Vocab #2

Today I had a history test on the legendary Teddy Roosevelt and progressivism, and it was nothing as I expected it to be. Prior to the test we were assigned to read and take notes on the entire chapter. After doing so and studying all of last night I felt pretty confident about the test. As soon as Mr. Convoy handed me the test and I read the first question I knew it was going to be a rough day. There were probably only four questions that I discussed in my notes. After I finished the test I wondered if I was the only one who had difficulty with it. EVERYONE in the class had trouble with it, which is why it was so enigmatic. Everyone also agreed that their notes were more or less no help to them on the test. The casual and relaxed appearance precluded the students from knowing how difficult this test was. The test was probably good for us because it demonstrates what the AP test is going to be like. One the test today, one topic was how the United States commandeered the Panama Canal. Even though the test today was very difficult Mr. Convoy is a great teacher. He knows an imaginable amount of history that I cannot even compare to. He tells stories of WWI with so much brio that it gives me the chills.

Vocab

I spent time with my best friend, Rachel, this weekend. She is from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, and goes to Pascack Hills High School. She invited her camp friends over for the weekend, who live in New York. My friends and I hung out with Rachel and her camp friends, which angered these other girls my friends and I are friendly with. Rachel is also friends with these other girls, which made the situation more complicated. The drama was exacerbated by deciding to just hang out with "the boys" Friday night, and not the the "normal girls" we hang out with. Rachel's camp-friends, Elena and Allison, are gregarious and fun to be around. The other girls we normally hang out with felt that Elena and Allison are culpable for my group of friends not wanting to see them. This is totally false we like to spend time with them; however, it is nice to see Allison and Elena also. One of the "normal girls" my friends and I friendly with have importuned me to spend time with her and her friends this upcoming weekend. I am not one to cause drama or anything of that sort, so I have assimilated the events that occurred this weekend have decided that it is important to hang out with all my friends, and you can be sure not to see me spend an inordinate amount of time with any one person.

A classic

What makes a novel "a classic"? Discuss

What makes a novel a classic is when it is studied throughout the world.  This would be because it shows a significant importance to a time period, theme etc.  It can also be considered a classic for its usage of detailed vocabulary.  For instance, Romeo and Juliet is considered a classic because of its plot along with Shakespeare's unique writing style.  Another thing that makes a novel a classic is that it must be universal.  When I say universal I mean that it must interest people all over the world.  For instance, a novel about some sport only played in China would not be considered a classic because most people wouldn't find it interesting.  Also, the novel for it to be considered "a classic" must have an influence on people because without an influence no one will be inspired to read it.

Comments to others on Wuthering Heights anticipation guide

Alexa's blog on adopted children: I totally agree with you on this issue, as you can see from what I wrote on my blog we have the same feelings. I like the connection you made with your friend, although I feel it is a little different than someone who is actually adopted, but the message is the same.  I also agree with you on the fact that being in a family has nothing to do with being related or not.  A family should love you unconditionally. 

Samir's blog on anticipation: I totally of your statement that children aren't responsible for their parents mistakes.  Just as you said as a young child you don't know what to do and your parent can't teach you everything, therefore you parents didn't make a mistake.  I also agree when you said the statement should read "parents are responsible for their child's mistakes."  This is so true because if parents don't teach a child not to steal, that child will steal and will get in trouble for it.

Yuma's blog on rich men: I think you are partially right on women choosing a man that is rich.  I feel that if two men had the same characteristics except one was poor and one was rich, they would obviously choose the rich one.  But if they had to choose between a poor man who was very nice or a rich man who was a jerk like you said that would be different.  I think in the back of their minds they always wonder if the man has money, but I don't think its that important.  I think women should rely on the man's other characteristics instead.

An adopted or foster child will never be accepted as a "real" member of a family?

I have thought of this statement before because two of my close friends are adopted.  Although have been born from a different mother than they have now, they are still accepted in their current family.  A family simply wouldn't adopt a child one of the most precious gifts in life, then not accept it.  For instance, my friend gets the same treatment as as I would.  This doesn't show a difference between us, even though I have my real mother and he has a foster parent. Also, another one of my friends tries to call his parents by their first names, because technically they aren't his parents, but as soon as they do he gets yelled at.  If he wasn't accepted by his family they wouldn't get mad of this.  Another thing is that both of my friends who are adopted treat their cousins and uncles as if they are.  For instance, a friend of mine is Asian and his parents are Caucasian, and even when he sees his relatives he treats himself as part of the family, obviously showing that he is accepted in his family.

My Comments to Others

John's Post 1: John I thought that political cartoon was very controversial.  At the time it was drawn I do not think that the monkey was supposed to representing Barack Obama.  Although this cartoon was accused of having a racial twist, what isn't today?  Most of the time you can't walk down the street without someone either making a racist comment either indirectly or directly, or someone accusing a sing/ad of being racist. I believe the author tried to combine the idea of the monkey hurting two police officers and the stimulus plan, but failed in doing so.  I don't think this needed all the attention, but at least it opened up the eyes of the nation to be more careful of its ads.

Yuma's Religion and Terror: I thought it was very funny how after reading chapter 17 you felt warm and funny inside.  I also agreed with you on your idea that Malcolm was able to accept Muslims with lighter skin than them.  I thought it was a great advancement for him.  I also think that I know that 9/11 was caused by radical Islamic extremists but we still shouldn't discriminate against them because most Muslims aren't like that.  I also am not a strong believer in religion, however my family is.  I don't understand the strong connection they have with it.

Josh's Malcolm X (4): While I was reading the book I thought it was strange that Muslims in the East prayed lower to the ground than Malcolm.  I thought maybe this had to do with traditions.  Because I am jewish also, I have noticed the difficulty of fasting for Yom Kippur, although I have not done it myself.  After Malcolm was in Mecca for a few days, however, he got used to bending down lower to pray, although I am sure it was not easy.  Overall I thought, the topic you picked was very interesting.

Samir's Malcolm X vs. Mahatma Ghandi: I thought it was interesting how you connected Ghandi to Malcolm  I believe they are similar in ways, but also very different.  I liked how you had a connection with him because you grew up where he did.  I thought it was interesting how both of them were imprisoned because they were sticking up against unfair treatment against them.  I think it is very cool how you are so influenced by Ghandi and his pacifism.  I also think it is awesome how you can trace Ghandi back through your family.