Captain Chemo Keating Escalante

Like many teachers, these teachers do in fact teach. Their styles, however, dictate who and what they stand for. And like most heroes, these ones have great abs and chiseled faces, hypothetically.

Chemo Escalante is an instructor who's strict, a hard worker, but also respectful and excellent with relating to teenagers in tough times. He finds the good in each student. He doesn't tell them exactly what their good at, but instead makes them believe it themselves through proof. He's a coach. He believes in his team and believes that they can really make a difference in their own lives and others. As he said in the film (Stand and Deliver), you're looking at the short term and not the road ahead. He has each of his students future in mind.

Captain, oh Captain Keating is a mentor of quirky openness. In way, the students at Wheaton(?) are puppets for their parents. All of them have plans for their sons, and many of the sons don't want what their parents want for them. Keating enlightens that fact. He address the boys much different than any other teacher would. Creates scenarios that makes the boys think in different ways, and see things from another perspective. He's breaking them of the norm, and encouraging the 'shell to crack' in each of the students minds. He believes in each of the boys, just like Escalante, but in ways that dictate what they will become. He believes that they can make their own choices, have their own opinions, and choose their own calling. He's not worried about them getting a job, or graduating.

Stand And Deliver Me Dead Poets From My Society

In the movie Stand and Deliver, the students are thriving in a less-than-bustling economy is an almost run down town. The school they're at has a less than stellar teacher board and hardly any (if any) grade scores to show their worth. This is a much different situation compared to the school in Dead Poets Society.
The school here is much more clean, private school, high esteemed, and financially overflowing. The students are expected more of, and take extremely hard strict classes from teachers much more educated than the ones at Garfield high school. These schools are almost polar opposites, minus one aspect, their incredible hero of a teacher.
At Garfield, their teacher Mr. Escalante doesn't look at their economy or financial capabilities as an obstacle. He faces it head on with his students and creates a name for their school in the AP Calculus books. In Dead Poets Society, the kids have a much different position. Most if not all of the students who get into Wheaton(?) are either wealthy or well off in contrast to the homes that Garfield students come from. Their classes are prestigious, professional, and well executed according to educational standards. The kids, however, have immense pressure from professors, parents, and possibly even friends to become something though (whether it be a doctor, lawyer, scientist, etc...).
Both schools face problems, both have a teacher hero in the midst to take the kids to their full potential.

Teachers 'O Plenty

Mr. MacFarland and Mr. Escalante have two big things in common. One, they're both teachers, and two, they both have hair. Excellent. What I've just explained here is a perfect picture of the finest teacher you could ever have, ever. On a serious note, Mr. MacFarland is very much catering to his students like Mr. Empanada. He grazes over his subject with detail, clarity, and thoroughness that leaves the class stamping their foreheads with respect for him. Another very important similarity is the fact that he believes in his students.
Mr. Escalante believed in all of his students, even when their families or even the kids themselves didn't; enough to the point that he sought out the stray students that wandered away from the core goals of the class. One specific example of personal ministering, singling out a student to help him/her succeed is when the brightest girl in Mr. Escalante's Calculus class was deciding not to go to college. He went to her father and through some tribulation, managed to persuade him to admit her to college. The same situation happened with Rose and his mentor Mr. MacFarland. Mike's parents wanted him to go to college, but it wasn't a real option to them financially or academically. MacFarland pulled some strings for him, got him into a college with a well written recommendation letter, and was the father and mentor to Rose when no one else believed.

Mr. Empanada Continues

Why on earth does he continue to teach when he's getting paid less, having heart attacks over stress, and really not receiving enough gratitude in return? This was my question as we delved into Mr. Escalante's story once more.
He proves that teaching is an incredibly rewarding experience, even if, next to raising children (even though it's basically that), it's one of the most taxing jobs a person can do in society. He works through the students' struggles with family, financial issues, and all sorts of dilemmas and still expects no less from each and every kid than he asked for.
There are times when we need guidance outside of school but in the context of education and Mr. Escalante has shown his worth, personal and professional. Overall, the passion that he has for his kids and their future make it obvious that Chemo is one for all, and believes that.

Mr. Ensalada

This guy has some serious class. No literally, he's a computer science teacher. Well, technically now he's a math teacher. At least in this scenario he is. Anyway, let me get back to Mr. Escalante's character.
Mr. Escalator is a determined, shot to the heart, reckless high school teacher who finds a way to relate to the worst of the worst in this high school. He uses methods such as hands on, daily applicable situations such as jiggalos having many girlfriends as a word problem for math, and also apples to signify fractions and percentages. As the class moves on, Mr. Eggidor brings his coach like aspect to his teaching style. Not accepting tardiness, lack of work, and any less than is expected from his students. His expectations for each and every one of them is set high, and through a team mindset coaches them to all follow along with his plan; a plan that involves going from simple algebra to calculus in two years. He is breaking down everyone to the point of utter frustration, and then bringing them back up again. I'm thoroughly enjoying this movie so far and looking forward to part two.

Essays? Essays.

Essays have to be five paragraphs long. ERRRRRRR. Wrong. Essays should have a thesis statement that starts the introductory paragraph. ERRRRRRRRRRRR. Wronger. Essays should in fact have a topic. Why yes, they should indeed. College essays need to fit three basic requirements. One, to have a strong thesis, two have an introduction paragraph as well an a conclusion paragraph, and three have supporting paragraphs in between that flesh out the thesis more and gives the reader reasons as to why he or she should believe you. These core principles behind papers create a solid structure that isn't a tied rubric that you have to follow each and every placeholder for your sentences, i.e. fill in the blank as the rubric goes, but rather developed essays that reflect your own thought but are still professional and make sense. These are good college papers, and these are what teachers are looking for. This style is also very good for persuasive writing as a whole. Thesis driven articles can be solid pieces of information online, in the paper, and in books. Just make sure you can call their bluffs.

Observation Education

Audre Lorde has a distinguished style that characterizes her teachers with a demeanor of triumphant harshness. She describes them as people who weren't fond of her color, her over the top actions, and talks of them as people who ridiculed her unless she acted like everyone else. She tried to please her mother after a librarian stirred the interest of reading inside of her, and learned how to print her name. So when the teacher told the class to write the letter 'A', Audre went over the top to please her teacher and wrote out her whole name on the paper, and then her last name on the back. The teacher wasn't pleased and chastised her. After event and event, her parents decided to enroll her in a private school. At that private school, she was treated similarly except she was disciplined harsher. Overall, Audre explains her early teachers as harsh, strict teachers who expected children to follow the exact rules and expected nothing else. I find this way of education very restricting for children's imagination and their God given gift of creativity! Personal opinions aside, Audre provides the reader with depth of scenarios and her own childlike mindset.

Teacher Brainstorm

For this paper, I think I'm gonna go way back to my kindergarden teacher Mrs. Strid. She's the kind of teacher that Ken Robinson describes, one who values natural talent and charisma. She's an extremely positive person, and points out all of the 'right things' in every student. Not only is she a joy to have in class, but also the kind of person that takes every challenge enthusiastically. I also want to highlight my sophomore Creative Writing teacher, Mr. Davis. If I was to choose someone who is the most like me, he'd be the man. Davis is a psychotic ball of random energy. His facial expressions are hilariously awkward and he turns every situation into one that stirs imaginations and also laugh boxes. I think his class was probably the most fun I've ever had in high school, and he brought back the joy of writing for me, for I have become accustomed to boring English papers with strict topics and little leeway in creative thought. These are the teachers I want to describe deeper in my paper, and I'm looking forward to it!

I'm An App Developer

My friends think my mind is stuffed into a 4x4 box compiled purely of smoothies and Japanese Sodas. While only partly true, if a room contained such ingredients it would be a heavenly room, what most people wouldn't guess about me from a first look is that I have an ever growing curiosity for computers.

My dad is a software guy, he's worked at Microsoft (7 years!), Visio, Watchguard, Windemere Real Estate (CTO), and now he's the Chief Technology Officer of a publishing company called RPI. When I first became interested in programming, my father scooped up the words dripping out of my mouth.“What's the first language I should learn?”, I asked rather confidently, excited to start making games (almost all kids want to program for this reason). We talked about many different languages that would suit my craving for adventure.

“Hm. Try C++,” he suggested, “You can get a book from the library. Google it.”

And so there I was, anxious to get busy. I asked my mother if she could pick up a C++ learning guide from the library the next time she went by while I was at school, she kindly agreed. Once I finished my middle school homework, I grabbed the book, plopped it down in front of our laundry room computer keyboard, and cracked it open. The first thing I noticed about the book is that it was black and white, small font, and the pictures were somewhat hard to see at times. The wording was complicated, and I ended up skipping most of the reasoning and diving straight into typing the code.

C++ is a compiled computer programming language, basically meaning that it needs a compiler or 'packager' to make all the code do stuff. One of the first things that the book tells you to do is to get an I.D.E. or Integrated Development Environment that will compile/debug/run all your sweet code for you. So that's the first thing I did. Once Eclipse (my IDE) was installed, I went on to skimming the text and copying the code into Eclipse. I fiddled around with the code and ran it.

“Hello World!”

This program did nothing but output “Hello World” in the console window. No flashy colors, no animation, not even a single function, but tuna fish casseroles I was excited. I've coded my first program! I began to dive deeper into the book until I created a text based game purely off of 'if' statements.

First of all, an 'if statement' is a conditional operator that essentially executes a block of code according to if the statement that was inputted is true. For example, if I were to create a variable named 'PatricksAge', were to set it equal to the integer '16', and then to pass it through an if statement saying “if PatricksAge is equal to 16, do all this code,” then the code would be executed because I am in fact 16.

With this logic, I created a text based 'Choose Your Own Adventure' game that consisted of screens bringing up scenarios and the player would choose from an option A,B, or C and then according to their answer, a certain new scenario would appear. It was extremely tedious creating a game like this because with every new scenario came a multiplicative of 3 new paths; I had to find a way to tie them all to a reasonable amount of endings intelligently.

So with this little knowledge, I became more curious about graphical game design, for of course, the popular games have the best graphics. In this transition between texts games and graphic revolved games, I then sought out a new language that wouldn't be as tedious and boring to read through, and then I found Java.

Java is an object oriented programming language much like C++. It gave me tools like Java Graphics to create cool game graphics with the libraries that came with it. So with a little help from some YouTube videos, I was creating GUI based games with JFrames (the graphical user interface such as buttons, text fields, and radio buttons). I also made my first little adventure game, although much like my previous projects, it was never finished. I was beginning to become more and more interested with Java games and the possibilities.

I don't remember specific dates or even reasons why I started programming Android apps for mobile, it became sort of a desire after seeing how popular mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android OS based phones were popping into the hands of my peers. My dad (the tech guy) also influenced me on transitioning more to mobile and web, so thus I began.

Android was and is great for me because it didn't require me to learn a whole new language to start developing, the whole operating system is written in Java! Again, my first pursuit was a series of YouTube videos that taught me the basics of Android App Development. The guy who made the series is brilliant (youtube.com/MyBringBack), he even taught how to look up things on the API so if you needed reference you could easily find something! I learned the basics, how to create simple games, how to interact with data bases and I even started teaching myself how to problem solve with app ideas, such as the app I made called Cab Grabber.

Cab Grabber is an Android application designed to catch the eye of a taxi driver when the city is bustling with activity. The objective for the pedestrian who downloads and installs the app to their device is to press the 'Grab That Cab!' button and hold up their phone to alert a cab quickly. The phone plays a obnoxious animation that strobes black and yellow with an exponential rate until it pauses and then repeats. The goal of the animation was to create an inconsistency with all of the blinking lights of traffic, remedial stop signs and lights, and to catch the attention of a taxi who's on the lookout. I've received reviews saying that the application works wonderfully and has saved the hassle of waving down a cab.

Mobile application development is extremely fun and has many real life applications. Because most people have a phone now days, why not create an app that will solve an annoying issue and speed up your productivity? That's my goal behind most of my apps now, and I'm looking forward to the new real problem solving ideas that I can jump upon.

Computer programming, web development, and application development for mobile environments are incredibly creative endeavors that will test the mind, force learning curves, and break the bleakness of remedial tasks. There's always a new problem, there's always a new way of fixing it, and that's what I'm interested in finding.

Trials Of An App Developer (Rough Draft)

My friends think my mind is stuffed into a 4x4 box compiled purely of smoothies and Japanese Sodas. While only partly true, if a room contained such ingredients it would be a heavenly room, what most people wouldn't guess about me from a first look is that I have an ever growing curiosity for computers.

My dad is a software guy, he's worked at Microsoft (7 years!), Visio, Watchguard, Windemere Real Estate (CTO), and now he's the Chief Technology Officer of a publishing company called RPI. When I first became interested in programming, my father scooped up the words dripping out of my mouth.“What's the first language I should learn?”, I asked rather confidently, excited to start making games (almost all kids want to program for this reason). We talked about many different languages that would suit my craving for adventure.

“Hm. Try C++,” he suggested, “You can get a book from the library. Google it.”

And so there I was, anxious to get busy. I asked my mother if she could pick up a C++ learning guide from the library the next time she went by while I was at school, she kindly agreed. Once I finished my middle school homework, I grabbed the book, plopped it down in front of our laundry room computer keyboard, and cracked it open. The first thing I noticed about the book is that it was black and white, small font, and the pictures were somewhat hard to see at times. The wording was complicated, and I ended up skipping most of the reasoning and diving straight into typing the code.

C++ is a compiled computer programming language, basically meaning that it needs a compiler or 'packager' to make all the code do stuff. One of the first things that the book tells you to do is to get an I.D.E. or Integrated Development Environment that will compile/debug/run all your sweet code for you. So that's the first thing I did. Once Eclipse (my IDE) was installed, I went on to skimming the text and copying the code into Eclipse. I fiddled around with the code and ran it.

“Hello World!”

This program did nothing but output “Hello World” in the console window. No flashy colors, no animation, not even a single function, but tuna fish casseroles I was excited. I've coded my first program! I began to dive deeper into the book until I created a text based game purely off of 'if' statements.

First of all, an 'if statement' is a conditional operator that essentially executes a block of code according to if the statement that was inputted is true. For example, if I were to create a variable named 'PatricksAge', were to set it equal to the integer '16', and then to pass it through an if statement saying “if PatricksAge is equal to 16, do all this code,” then the code would be executed because I am in fact 16.

With this logic, I created a text based 'Choose Your Own Adventure' game that consisted of screens bringing up scenarios and the player would choose from an option A,B, or C and then according to their answer, a certain new scenario would appear. It was extremely tedious creating a game like this because with every new scenario came a multiplicative of 3 new paths; I had to find a way to tie them all to a reasonable amount of endings intelligently.

So with this little knowledge, I became more curious about graphical game design, for of course, the popular games have the best graphics. In this transition between texts games and graphic revolved games, I then sought out a new language that wouldn't be as tedious and boring to read through, and then I found Java.

Java is an object oriented programming language much like C++. It gave me tools like Java Graphics to create cool game graphics with the libraries that came with it. So with a little help from some YouTube videos, I was creating GUI based games with JFrames (the graphical user interface such as buttons, text fields, and radio buttons). I also made my first little adventure game, although much like my previous projects, it was never finished. I was beginning to become more and more interested with Java games and the possibilities.

I don't remember specific dates or even reasons why I started programming Android apps for mobile, it became sort of a desire after seeing how popular mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android OS based phones were popping into the hands of my peers, my dad (the tech guy) also influenced me on transitioning more to mobile and web, so thus I began.

Android was and is great for me because it didn't require me to learn a whole new language to start developing, the whole operating system is written in Java! Again, my first pursuit was a series of YouTube videos that taught me the basics of Android App Development. The guy who made the series is brilliant (youtube.com/MyBringBack), he even taught how to look up things on the API so if you needed reference you could easily find something! I learned the basics, how to create simple games, how to interact with data bases and I even started teaching myself how to problem solve with app ideas, such as the app I made called Cab Grabber.

Cab Grabber is an Android application designed to catch the eye of a taxi driver when the city is bustling with activity. The objective for the pedestrian who downloads and installs the app to their device is to press the 'Grab That Cab!' button and hold up their phone to alert a cab quickly. The phone plays a obnoxious animation that strobes black and yellow with an exponential rate until it pauses and then repeats. The goal of the animation was to create an inconsistency with all of the blinking lights of traffic, remedial stop signs and lights, and to catch the attention of a taxi who's on the lookout. I've received reviews saying that the application works wonderfully and has saved the hassle of waving down a cab.

Mobile application development is extremely fun and has many real life applications. Because most people have a phone now days, why not create an app that will solve an annoying issue and speed up your productivity? That's my goal behind most of my apps now, and I'm looking forward to the new real problem solving ideas that I can jump upon.

Computer programming, web development, and application development for mobile environments are incredibly creative endeavors that will test the mind, force learning curves, and break the bleakness of remedial tasks. There's always a new problem, there's always a new way of fixing it, and that's what I'm interested in finding.

Trials Of An App Developer

My friends think my mind is stuffed into a 4x4 box compiled purely of smoothies and Japanese Sodas. While only partly true, if a room contained such ingredients it would be a heavenly room, what most people wouldn't guess about me from a first look is that I have an ever growing curiosity for computers.

My dad is a software guy, he's worked at Microsoft (7 years!), Visio, Watchguard, Windemere Real Estate (CTO), and now he's the Chief Technology Officer of a publishing company called RPI. When I first became interested in programming, my father scooped up the words dripping out of my mouth.“What's the first language I should learn?”, I asked rather confidently, excited to start making games (almost all kids want to program for this reason). We talked about many different languages that would suit my craving for adventure.

“Hm. Try C++,” he suggested, “You can get a book from the library. Google it.”

And so there I was, anxious to get busy. I asked my mother if she could pick up a C++ learning guide from the library the next time she went by while I was at school, she kindly agreed. Once I finished my middle school homework, I grabbed the book, plopped it down in front of our laundry room computer keyboard, and cracked it open. The first thing I noticed about the book is that it was black and white, small font, and the pictures were somewhat hard to see at times. The wording was complicated, and I ended up skipping most of the reasoning and diving straight into typing the code.

C++ is a compiled computer programming language, basically meaning that it needs a compiler or 'packager' to make all the code do stuff. One of the first things that the book tells you to do is to get an I.D.E. or Integrated Development Environment that will compile/debug/run all your sweet code for you. So that's the first thing I did. Once Eclipse (my IDE) was installed, I went on to skimming the text and copying the code into Eclipse. I fiddled around with the code and ran it.

“Hello World!”

Rose Fanboy

 So who's my favorite writer you say? As much as I enjoy Malcolm's grittiness, and Ben's finesse, I have to say that Mike Rose caught and held my attention with his sarcastic nuance. Something about his character and story helps me dive into his essay and relate more than I could a ex-felon or a Enlightenment Period writer. I think it may be his persona, or almost laziness and satirical aspect to his narrative. He entertains and draws out a story, carefully but almost with no effort keeping his readers delightfully following along at the pace he desires. I've found that 'pace keeping' or how quickly or slowly the action, dialogue, or story plays is essential to maintaining your readers interest and questions, and Rose does this extremely well. He's also very relate-able to high school students like myself because there are many kids who haven't been given an amazing opportunity to grow and feel trapped. Usually teacher look down upon them, and even ridicule them, when in the background they may have family issues or have to sport a full time job just to eat. All in all, Rose is a captivating author and a intriguing psyche.

The Three Amigops (Pun Intended)

There are many peculiarities between Ben Franklin, Malcolm X, and Rose that drive their writing with much vigor. Franklin suggests with his writing such strength in education. He's grown up with a lot of experience writing, speaking, and drafting that his own style reflects that of a polished businessman looking to make his next million dollar deal in writing. He squeaks over his sentences with a knack for flow, looks over his grammar to ensure comprehension, and threads his needle for the final stitch of his point driven essay. Malcolm X is quite the contrast.

This man looks for the overlying hierarchy of rugged passion, insinuating every ounce of his struggle through life with the noise of pen on paper and the eerie echos of his thoughts. Malcolm details his story as a man with a second chance, a self driven student of learning, making up for his past, and becoming the person he knows will become greater for himself and others. Rose, on the other hand, has this sarcastic squeal when he details his childhood.

Mike Rose talks lowly of himself and his upbringing in Voc. Ed at Our Lady of Mercy. But he doesn't do it in a cynical way, more of a humor bombarded tale of peasantry. His grammar is clear, easy going, and very entertaining, but he doesn't leave a pun at every turn. Instead, there is a hidden sense of disappointment in his writing. He talks of himself, his friends, and the school system as a disappointment, for that matter. Rose is a man of many thoughts.

Strategic Strategies

Back when dinosaurs ate their own feces and peed on their neighbors lawns, I used writing strategies such as 'compare and contrast' as well as 'cause and effect'. I have found these quite useful for solidfying my points when writing persuasive essays, analytical papers, or even comedic narratives. There are times and places for different strategies and ways at going at a topic correctly, I have found that a mix is needed throughtout your writing to sustain an element of legitimateness. For example, cause and effect is great for a persuasive paper on drugs laws. You could argue the main root cause of marijuana use, and then analyze the effect on civilians and society as a whole; disecting the issue as your reader skims. As for compare and contrast, to go again for the persuasive paper, you could argue that a life without smoking is much healthier and better than a person who doesn't; contrasting the issue. As far as comparing, you could say that the same amount of money for a non-smoker goes into alcohol, which in turn, could also be destructive. In simple terms, writing strategies are created to be a simple idea basis that can be used on a broad scale to fit your topic and style. No strategy is better than another, just the way you approach it matters.

You Just Wanna Be Average, Eh?

Rose had been placed in Voc. Ed after taking a placement test to get into Our Lady of Mercy. He had to take remedial classes with sub-par teachers to make it. His teachers such as his Physical education and homeroom teachers, were often abusive and demeaning to his intellect and his motivation. I've had a few horrible teachers, ones that have given up on us or have no way of controlling the classroom whatsoever, but I have never had a teacher like the ones that Rose describes in his book. Voc. Ed. did to Rose what it did to his peers, it became a place of either help or hopelessness. You either took it as a learning opportunity and a great curriculum to jump into or a bottom of the food chain that showed your low thinking skills. Some like Ken Harvey were only getting by and playing it open, almost detached, from the intellectual world on purpose. He didn't want to fret about things that he himself didn't think were possible; things that he could actually do, such as philosophical inquiry and scientific reasoning. This is almost the desired effect.


College has this affect on high school students that breaks the mental borders of high school rules. For example, high school teachers will often give extra credit to students who complain that they "need to pass", whether it be sports or a diploma. Professors and instructors, for the most part, won't be so lenient on slacking students. Their pay checks don't rely on the students passing rate. The adult atmosphere is very prevalent in college, and to some such as myself, it may come as a pleasant experience. But for the high school student that is a social soaker, it may be frightening. My education is different to Mike Rose's. I grew up in a private school until I was thirteen, then I went to a public school. Growing up in such an environment set my moral boundaries and intellectual goals. Coming into a public school, I was overwhelmed at first by the diversity, but I adapted and I feel that the private school did set me up perfectly for what I have faced and still face today.

Ben Frankie and Malcolm X

Benjamin marks his paper with his signature swagger. He walks across his writing with a smooth, cool, collected structure in his sentences, wording, and organization. Ben has been educated from an early age, influenced by his family, mostly his father, and has pursued writing most if not all of his career. Malcolm has a very different tinge to his writing. He has an edge, uneasiness, rigid almost hurting aspect to his style. It shows he's gone through a lot in his time and that writing is a way for him to escape and display himself differently. They both were educated in some way or another for religious factors, but Malcolm felt more called to be a leader and to be the one to bring Elijah Muhammad's teachings to his fellow blacks and to others. Benjamin Franklin has dynamic flow and Malcolm has earthly rigidness. They're both writers made up of their younger backgrounds.

Malcolm X Learns to Read

The excerpt from Malcolm's autobiography is enlightening and very inspiring. His initial reasons for making himself literate weren't for a cause such as teaching about Elijah Muhammad, but because he was jealous of others who could steal conversations with their large words and with quick slips of their tongue. Eventually he found himself reading a dictionary in prison, and stumbled across Elijah's teachings. He became a disciple of Elijah Muhammad, and a pursuer of black rights. This is incredibly relevant to our unit. The only way that you'll become a better reader, writer, thinker, dreamer, creator, or whomever is to have a drive and a reason, and then to seek out to help yourself and/or others.

Fast Food and Me

I am pleased to announce that fast food is too fast for me. How on earth did they prepare a baconator, along with a 42 ounce drink, and a side of large fries in five minutes?! I honestly hope I'm not the only one bothered by such cooking speed. I mean, they must have a grill the size of three cows and the temperature of the sun to cook all their daily customers burgers so quickly. When I make a salad, which is much healthier and better tasting, it takes a half hour to prepare all of the ingredients and mix them into a bowl.
When a burger is prepared, it takes two minutes to take it out of the packaging and slap it on the grill. According to Janice White,"...while these products might look appealing and tasty, they contain a wealth of hidden heath hazards which are not only dangerous if eaten in large quantities but are a major cause of obesity, especially in children. " They aren't looking for absolute quality at all, but hasty business.

Pre-writing Guru

I've used a method called 'perfect paragraphs'. Basically they involve webbing out an intro paragraph with a grabber, three main points, and a thesis, three paragraphs to further expand the other points, and a conclusion paragraph to tie them all together. My sophomore English teacher taught us this strategy of prewriting and I've found it very effective at maintaining structure yet still allowing my ideas to grow inside their clean lines. I've used it on my writing HISPE for high school, and I received a four; the highest score.


Perfect paragraphs and webbing are also good for expanding ideas that can later be integrated into essays or really anything. I've found them very applicable in many things other than writing.

Response To Feross

 I can relate to Feross more than many people I know. I've been interested in computers, websites, and video games from a young age and have been curious enough to start learning how to make a website at the age of 12. I've since then been programming in Java, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and creating Android apps. My current project involves a web based mobile application for Android OS.

Feross makes a great point when he says that you have to enjoy it. The best way to learn how to create something like a website is build something. The project itself is the learning process, and I've noticed that with the website I own (patrickeddy.com) and also the games and apps I create are all essentially learning projects that serve a function. This doesn't only go for computer science but many jobs require you to learn on the spot. Building something and learning by doing it is essential in many aspects of life, including your education, work, and family life.

The important take away note from Feross's post is that many things require a basic understanding, or even less, a core idea, and the ambition to carry out the idea and learn on the away.