Monday, December 10, 2012

12/14/12 Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang


Image courtesy of Photo Bucket

JANKA NABAY & THE BUBU GANG
EN YAY SAH


Read the brief article and listen to the song. How does it make you feel? Would you listen to anything else by this artist? Why or why not? Compare the song/artist to another one in a double bubble map.

Again, you will need to scroll down on the page until you get to the section Janka Nabay.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2012/2012/12/05/166230912/npr-musics-50-favorite-albums-of-2012

12/13/12 We are young

Read the brief article and listen to the song by Fun, "We Are Young." Write down at least one line that "speaks to you." This song was listed as a top 50 song of the year. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

You will need to scroll down until you see "Fun. Some Nights."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2012/2012/12/05/166230912/npr-musics-50-favorite-albums-of-2012

12/12/12 Occupied Time


Read the brief article below about "occupied time." List three interesting things that you read. Would the bubble wrap popping work to decrease your stress?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/12/06/166685434/what-to-do-when-the-bus-doesn-t-come-and-you-want-to-scream-an-experiment

12/11/12 Driving



How is your driving? Rate it from a scale of 1-10 and explain why. Do you think dash cameras are a good idea for all drivers? Why or why not? 


Read the brief excerpt and watch the video of Russian drivers from NPR's web page. What was surprising? What is similar to our culture? Different? Has your opinion changed about dash cams now? Why or why not?

12/10/12 Influential Speaker


Who is the most influential speaker that you have ever listened to? When was the speech? What was the setting? What was his/her message? What characteristics would you like to emulate?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

11/28/12 Life Happens


List 20 things that happened to you this month. Choose one to write about today.

11/27/12 Car?


If you were a car, what kind would you be? Be very specific in you response- color, year, make, model, etc. Be sure to explain the symbolism. What kind of car would your best friend be? Why? If you could own any car, which one would you buy. Explain.

"What Your Car Says About You"

From http://www.askmen.com/cars/car_tips_150/162_car_tip.html

You think clothes make the man? Think again. Actions speak louder than words, and what you drive says more about you than apparel ever could. What’s more, certain types of rides frequently appeal to certain demographics -- to the extent that you could classify the drivers and their rides of choice after giving either the once over.

Don’t believe us? Take a look around you while you sit in traffic: The red-eyed, neo-hippie in the VW, rustic Volvo wagon or old biodiesel Benz; Bohemian Rhapsody. A slouched playa in the old-man sedan on chromed 20" rims; Smoove Move. The smelly, messy, smoking, barely functioning wreck -- with the matching guy delivering pizzas behind the wheel; Nothing to Lose, the Early Years.

If Ben & Jerry's would have named drivers and their rides instead of ice cream, it would go a lot like this. 

Call it stereotyping, if you want to be like the self-righteous hybrid driver who saves additional energy by not signaling in traffic, sure. We have a name for them too, but our lawyers are giving us the stink-eye. Many of our lawyers are Porcupines, incidentally.

Big Guys in Little Cars

It’s more or less like the "fat guy in a little coat" routine from Tommy Boy. In other words, Chris Farley-sized drivers in cars better suited to David Spade proportions. These guys will forever absorb all the Shriners taunts slung at them and take great pleasure in driving their diminutive cars. Just the act of these larger-than-life men getting in or out makes onlookers pause, while an imaginary drum roll plays during the feat, and they all wait with bated breath. Yet once they’re underway, somewhere inside their inner children are having the times of their lives.

The rides: MINI Cooper, Lotus Elise, Mazda Miata, Honda Fit, smart fortwo, and vintage British roadsters.

The Porcupine

What’s the difference between actual porcupines and these guys' rides? A porcupine’s pricks are on the outside. Thank you very much, we’ll be here all week -- tip your waitress. That’s a bad joke, but it gets laughs every time. You know who doesn’t laugh? The Porcupines. They think they’ve earned the right to hurry up, tailgate and cut off traffic just so they can slow down and assert their presence on all the lesser motorists, take that oh-so-important call and generally ignore their driving while they dream of the next round of golf or the next opportunity they'll have to buy something beige.  

The rides: Porsche Cayenne, Hummer H2 or any other luxury SUV; also the smug nimrod who drives a BMW, Mercedes or Porsche convertible with the top down and windows up while wearing a hat.

Testosterossa

This is a well-represented category, and the stench of insecurity is nearly as thick as the cologne marinade. It’s populated by guys who think velocity equals virility. Nevermind that they haven’t the slightest idea how to really handle their rides beyond flooring it and going straight. So, with shirts open and gold chains resting on a nest of chest hair, they flaunt what they think they've got and cruise for chicks. And they do get noticed. Women everywhere point and smile at them. If the guys weren’t cranking Boston’s Greatest Hits so loudly, they’d realize the ladies were actually laughing.  

The rides: 
Camaro/Firebird, Corvette, Viper, and European exotics that have never had track time.


Read more: http://www.askmen.com/cars/car_tips_150/162_car_tip.html#ixzz2DQSa704N

Monday, November 26, 2012

11/26/12 Welcome Back!



11/26/12 Welcome back class! I hope that your break was filled with all the good stuff you needed to recharge your batteries! As we begin our week, reflect on your long weekend and what you are thankful for in your life. Write a paragraph explaining what you are grateful for in your personal life and your academic one.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

11/8/12 NPR News

Choose one part of NPR's "Morning Edition" to listen to. In your post summarize that part of the news and give a reaction to it.

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=3&islist=true&id=3&d=11-08-2012

Monday, October 22, 2012

10/25/12 Teddy?

Scroll halfway down the page in the link found below. Watch the video of Teddy Pendergrass. Do you like his music? Why or why not? This is the last posting for the week! 1/2 dy tomorrow!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/10/17/163095398/for-the-ladies-r-kelly-teddy-pendergrass-and-the-state-of-r-b
10/24/12 Tyler Perry?
Read the attached article and respond to this post explaining why you do want to go see this movie or why you do not want to see this movie. You must include at LEAST one piece of textual evidence (quote/line with acknowledgement phrase) from the article to support your point!

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/18/162781597/tyler-perry-takes-a-shot-at-thriller-territory
10/23/12 Pop Culture Happy Hour
So based on yesterday's blog about television, today we are segueing to movies, another common free- time, escapist activity!
Go to the web site found below and either read or listen to the pod cast. In a brief paragraph react to the podcast/information. What did you learn? What did you like? What didn't you like? Do you now want to go see Affleck's movie Argo? What is you favorite cover song and why?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2012/10/19/163235036/pop-culture-happy-hour-the-nature-of-suspense-and-our-love-of-cover-songs

10/22/12


"How We Watch What We Watch: The Future Of TV"


http://www.npr.org/2012/10/21/163259877/how-we-watch-what-we-watch-the-future-of-tv

Last week, Katherine mentioned that she was watching too much tv and needed to focus on school. I thought you all may find this article interesting as it relates to something we ALL do- watch tv.

Read the article found in the link above. Please post three interesting points you learned from the article. feel free to comment on why you found them interesting!

Monday, October 15, 2012

10/16/12 Scholarships

Look through the scholarships found below. Which ones are you interested in applying for? Why? Be sure to put the necessary steps on your to do list!

         Cash for College 
                            October 2012                                       

Please see your counselor for more information

  1. Cape Fear River Watch- January 15th deadline, $1000 award.  Go to www.capefearriverwatch.org to apply for this scholarship essay contest. Contact Stephanie Borret  for further info at 762-5606.

  1. East Carolina University- apply for admission to ECU by 12/1 to be considered for their scholarships.   To be considered, students should have at least a 1200 on the Reading and Math sections of the SAT or a 27 on the ACT and a 3.5 unweighted or a 4.0 weighted gpa

  1. Young Entrepreneur Award- go to www.NFIB.com/YEA, December 17 deadline.

  1.  John F Kennedy-Profiles in Courage Essay Contest- go to www.jfklibrary.org  $500 to $10,000 possible, January 5th deadline

  1. Suntrust Off to College Sweepstakes- one winner every 2 weeks, go to offtocollege.info for more information.

  1. Test Prep Center- search, compare and discount thousands of test prep courses.  Go to SimpleTuition.com/TestPrep

  1. cfnc.org- College Foundation of North Carolina, tons of information about NC colleges including applications, scholarships, careers, majors etc.  Seniors going to college next year should get familiar with this site!

  1. fastweb.com- massive scholarship database, 1.5 million scholarships worth 3.4 billion dollars!   Free scholarship search!

  1. NestStepU.com- helps high school students with college, career and life planning.  Also opportunities to win free tuition and scholarships.

  1. zinch.com  - free site where students can apply for scholarships, request from colleges,  acquire admission advice, get deadline reminders and  free test      prep.

  1. MyMajors.com- find your major, find a college, find a career, find scholarships, find deals!



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Monday, October 8, 2012

10/8/12 Speeches

How are you feeling about your midterm speech that is 3-5 minutes long? Do a bit of research and share two techniques that you think would be helpful to your peers for staying relaxed when public speaking. Speeches begin on Monday next week!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

10/3/12 Stress Highway

street-signs-stressed-out.jpg (400×281)

Are you on one of these "roads"? Why or why not?

10/2/12 Tuesday- Transitional Words

Look at the list of transitional words from http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm
List at least five that you want to include in your research paper...

Transitional Words & Phrases

Using transitional words and phrases
helps papers read more smoothly, and at the same time allows the reader to flow more smoothly from one point to the next.
Transitions enhance logical organization and understandability
and improve the connections between thoughts. They indicate relations,
whether within a sentence, paragraph, or paper.
This list illustrates categories of "relationships" between ideas,followed by words and phrases that can make the connections:
Addition:
also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly
When there is a trusting relationship coupled with positive reinforcement, the partners will be able to overcome difficult situations.
Consequence:
accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose,
hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore
Highway traffic came to a stop as a result of an accident that morning.
Contrast and Comparison:
contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise,
on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather,
similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast
The children were very happy. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, their parents were very proactive in providing good care.
Direction:
here, there, over there, beyond, nearly, opposite, under, above,
to the left, to the right, in the distance
She scanned the horizon for any sign though in the distance she could not see the surprise coming her way.
Diversion:
by the way, incidentally
He stumbled upon the nesting pair incidentally found only on this hill.
Emphasisabove all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly
The Quakers gathered each month with attention to deciding the business of their Meeting.
Exception:
aside from, barring, beside, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside of, save
Consensus was arrived at by all of the members exclusive of those who could not vote.
Exemplifying:chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely,
particularly, including, specifically, such as
Some friends and I drove up the beautiful coast chiefly to avoid the heat island of the city.
Generalizing:
as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually
There were a few very talented artists in the class, but for the most part the students only wanted to avoid the alternative course.
Illustration:
for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration,
illustrated with, as an example, in this case
The chapter provided complex sequences and examples illustrated with a very simple schematic diagram.
Similarity:
comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with
The research was presented in a very dry style though was coupled with examples that made the audience tear up.
Restatement:
in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, in short, in brief, to put it differently
In their advertising business, saying things directly was not the rule. That is to say, they tried to convey the message subtly though with creativity.
Sequence:
at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time,
for now, for the time being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on,
meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later, while, earlier,
simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind,
The music had a very retro sound but at the same time incorporated a complex modern rhythm.
Summarizing:
after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event,
in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis,
in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally
She didn't seem willing to sell the car this week, but in any case I don't get paid until the end of the month.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Monday, 10/1/12

Name three of your goals (short or long term). Explain barriers that stand in your way to achieving them. How do you have determination to achieve them?


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

9/27/12 Silence Quote

"The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people." -Napoleon Bonaparte

Paraphrase this quote in one or two sentences. What does this quote mean to you personally? How does it apply to our world?

9/26/12 High School Paddling

Go to this site and watch the video or read the CNN article about the high school girl that was paddled. What are your thoughts? Answer in a paragraph and remember to be aware of your language choices and tone.
http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/25/school-under-fire-after-male-employee-paddles-teen-girl/?hpt=us_t5

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

9/20/12 GP Image

Find an appropriate image to insert in your Grad Project research paper. In your post complete the following:

  1. State the title of your research paper
  2. Attach the url for the image that you selected
  3. Write a brief description of the image
  4. Add an attribution- ie, why you can use it so something like "Public on the web" or "Free image courtesy of...."

9/19/12 Wednesday- Scholarship Opportunity

Hello! Go to the "Useful Links" tab on the left, scroll to the bottom of that page and check out the scholarship opportunity for $2500. Is this something you are interested in applying for? Why? Why not?

9/18/12 Tuesday- CFNC

Hello seniors! Have you gotten a CFNC account? If not go to my "useful links" tab on the left, find the CFNC link, and get started. Write a verification statement that you have done so in this blog. Look around the site. What colleges will you apply to attend? Why? What other helpful information is on this web site? Mr. Schmidt was very helpful the other day...follow his advice!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Monday, September 17

Lost at Sea- what did you learn about the people on your "boat"? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about speaking your mind and about persistence? How does this apply to Grad Project?

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

9/12/12 Honors' Students

How do you think you are doing in an honor's class? What has surprised you about yourself? What would you like to continue to do? What would you like to change? What suggestions do you have for Mrs. R to improve the class?

Monday, September 10, 2012

Monday, September 10- Remembering 9-11

What do you remember about 9-11? Where were you when the tragedy struck? How do you think 9-11 should be remembered tomorrow?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Friday, September 7- Ramose


ramose

  
 REY-mohs  , adjective;
1.
Having many branches.
2.
Branching.

How has working on Graduation Project helped you to branch out, to have a ramose existence?

Thursday, 9/6/12 Quote

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” ―Jhumpa Lahiri

Respond to this quote. How does it apply to your life? What was the last book you read? Where did you "travel" to when you read it?

Wednesday, 9/5/12 Admiration

Who do you admire in class? In your life? Why? What characteristics does the person have that you would like to emulate? How can you make that happen?

Tuesday, September 4 Pulse

How is your "to do list" coming in class? What are you proud of so far in class? What do you need to work on to improve your standing in class? How can you make that happen?

Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday, August 31- Hula Time

In a well-developed paragraph answer the following questions. How was the hula activity a team building activity? What did you learn about your peers? What did you learn about yourself? Was this an activity that took you out of your comfort zone? Why? Why not?

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thursday, August 30- Horoscopes


In a well-developed paragraph explain if you believe in horoscopes? Do you believe there is a chance that what was said in your horoscope may come true? Why or why not? How does your horoscope connect to your life today?

Monday, 8/29/12- Getting to Know You

Tell us a little about you! read your peers' responses and respond to them. This will help our learning community become stronger and closer.