Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had the opportunity to go Christmas shopping because I just had to get away from my homework for awhile. I went to WalMart to spend a $25 gift card I had been given. I ended up spending the card on four toys, which I’m going to give to Toys for Tots. I am in the Christmas spirit now.
On my way back home, I stopped by my old Jr High. I attended that school from fall 1989 through spring 1991. The school has really changed over the last 20 or so years. As soon as I parked, I made a beeline to one specific area of the campus. It’s starting point whenever I go to visit.
In front of the main building there is a small grove of trees. The three trees are planted in a triangular formation. On the ground in between the trees, is a large stone/rock with a plaque on it. The trees have grown quite tall since the memorial grove was first planted and the plaque is fairly scratched; a lot has happened in 20 years.
This memorial grove is dedicated to the memory of my eighth-grade class president. Doug was president in the 1990-1991 school year. He was such a popular guy. He was a fantastic tennis player, had a wonderful personality, was extremely popular with everyone, and had a wonderful smile. If he were still alive today, he would either be a world-class tennis player or a politician (and a quality politician at that).
Doug was a chameleon; he could easily fit into any group category–the popular crowd, the jocks, the Goth, the shy, any of them. Every day, in English, he would flash me his grin and greet me with, “hey there EJ-Gitano-Gitano-Boys!” (EJ-Gitano-Gitano-Boys was a clothing line back then. EJ was my nickname back then.) That greeting always made me smile.
Tragically, Doug’s life was cut short. In December 1990, his family, along with two other families, went skiing during the holiday. Doug’s brothers had been sick during the vacation, so when Doug got sick, everyone assumed that he got the flu as well. No one realized how serious the situation was until Doug passed away. He died from appendicitis. The symptoms Doug had were so subtle that they appeared to be symptoms of the flu. I was absolutely stunned and shocked the night I got a phone call informing me of his death; I cried for a long time that night. Doug was only 14.
There was a memorial at his family’s church about six weeks after school resumed. It was such a wonderful memorial. Not only did the whole school attend but so did the students’ parents and members of the community. It was standing room only–that’s how well liked and popular Doug was.
Each year I go to my Jr High to visit the memorial. It has become part of my Christmas tradition. I do this not to depress myself, but to honor his memory. This is my tribute to my friend.
My vocabulary words are:
Sate: to satisfy fully pocket dictionary)
Assiduous: persistent or diligent (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
11/29/09 My education and employment history. Part II.
This is a continuation from last week…
Jealousy was a powerful motivator for me to go back to college. I was older and more committed to my education than I was when I went to Foothill. By June 2003, I graduated with an AA in liberal arts. I finally had the celebration and the pomp and circumstance that I wanted. However, I was not satisfied with a degree in liberal arts; it was a common-as-muck field of study. There must have been at least 150 other students who graduated as liberal arts majors. I wanted a challenge.
I saw the counselor again and started to take more speech and communications classes. I had a very high degree of success in those speech classes. My grade in all of those speech classes was ‘A’ except for one ‘B’. By June 2006, I graduated with an AA in Speech Communication. I transferred to SJSU in fall semester 2007 and I resigned my job at De Anza Bookstore.
I transferred to SJSU as a Communications major with a minor in Political Science. This was my concentration for a year and a half. Even though I was earning ‘As’ in comm studies, I was struggling with all the new information. The theories were challenging because I had never dealt with them before. Research is the key component of comm studies classes. I absolutely hate research, and I realized that I didn’t want to do research as my profession. I was really dissatisfied with my decision to be a comm studies major. I made a list of pros and cons about changing my major. Eventually, I flip-flopped my major and minor.
I had a really inspirational professor in my first poli sci class–Professor Gerston. The way he structures his classes coincides with my learning style. I love how he ties lecture concepts to current political events. He also has a really good attitude; I can tell that he enjoys teaching. My first class with him was state politics–poli 102. I remember on the first midterm–hell it was my first midterm at SJSU ever–I got the only ‘A’ in the class. Earning that grade and an overall ‘A’ in the class really boosted my confidence. I have been highly successful in poli sci.
Now I’m approaching graduation. I am really contented with the effort I put into my classes. My current GPA of 3.77 is the highest GPA I’ve ever had, including high school. Since I don’t have a job, I will need to start looking for one soon. It is going to be difficult in this economy to find one. One job that I have wanted in the past is to work in the state governmental bureaucracy. Specifically I want to work in the Registrar of Voters office. I have worked in 10 elections as a precinct inspector so I have some experience. Being a laborer is a big part of my identity and I have missed working in the last three years. I’m looking forward to joining the workforce again.
My vocabulary words are:
Eschew: to avoid (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Emissary: an agent sent on a mission (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Jealousy was a powerful motivator for me to go back to college. I was older and more committed to my education than I was when I went to Foothill. By June 2003, I graduated with an AA in liberal arts. I finally had the celebration and the pomp and circumstance that I wanted. However, I was not satisfied with a degree in liberal arts; it was a common-as-muck field of study. There must have been at least 150 other students who graduated as liberal arts majors. I wanted a challenge.
I saw the counselor again and started to take more speech and communications classes. I had a very high degree of success in those speech classes. My grade in all of those speech classes was ‘A’ except for one ‘B’. By June 2006, I graduated with an AA in Speech Communication. I transferred to SJSU in fall semester 2007 and I resigned my job at De Anza Bookstore.
I transferred to SJSU as a Communications major with a minor in Political Science. This was my concentration for a year and a half. Even though I was earning ‘As’ in comm studies, I was struggling with all the new information. The theories were challenging because I had never dealt with them before. Research is the key component of comm studies classes. I absolutely hate research, and I realized that I didn’t want to do research as my profession. I was really dissatisfied with my decision to be a comm studies major. I made a list of pros and cons about changing my major. Eventually, I flip-flopped my major and minor.
I had a really inspirational professor in my first poli sci class–Professor Gerston. The way he structures his classes coincides with my learning style. I love how he ties lecture concepts to current political events. He also has a really good attitude; I can tell that he enjoys teaching. My first class with him was state politics–poli 102. I remember on the first midterm–hell it was my first midterm at SJSU ever–I got the only ‘A’ in the class. Earning that grade and an overall ‘A’ in the class really boosted my confidence. I have been highly successful in poli sci.
Now I’m approaching graduation. I am really contented with the effort I put into my classes. My current GPA of 3.77 is the highest GPA I’ve ever had, including high school. Since I don’t have a job, I will need to start looking for one soon. It is going to be difficult in this economy to find one. One job that I have wanted in the past is to work in the state governmental bureaucracy. Specifically I want to work in the Registrar of Voters office. I have worked in 10 elections as a precinct inspector so I have some experience. Being a laborer is a big part of my identity and I have missed working in the last three years. I’m looking forward to joining the workforce again.
My vocabulary words are:
Eschew: to avoid (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Emissary: an agent sent on a mission (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
11/22/09 My education and employment history. Part I.
I am a graduating senior in May 2010. I never thought this day would come. My college years have spanned from 1995-2010. In reality, I have been in school for about 10 years even though school has spanned 15 years.
I spent two years at Foothill College. I went there in 1995, just after high school. At the time, I was not interested in going onto college. I was burned out after high school. My parents were adamant that I go to college. As a compromise, I went to Foothill. I didn’t do very well there because I didn’t have the motivation to succeed in addition to other personal issues going on in my life. After spring quarter 1997, I dropped out with a measly 2.57 GPA.
In Dec. 1994, I had gotten a part time job at a drugstore. After I dropped out of Foothill, I became a full time photo department clerk from 1997-1998. I was successful in that job so I received a promotion in 1998. I became the Supervisor of the Photo Lab. I trained and scheduled lab techs, was in charge of maintenance and machine upkeep, ordered and inventoried supplies, processed customer orders, and forwarded monthly reports to Sacramento. By Jan. 2001, things deteriorated in the lab, so I quit and got a new job.
In Dec. 2000, I started a new job at De Anza College Bookstore as the Customer Service Assistant. I remember that I was late to the interview by about five minutes. After assuring the hiring committee that my lateness was a fluke and that I lived within ten minutes door-to-door of the store, I completed the interview. Two and a half hours later, the Assistant Director called and offered me the job. For a month, my two jobs overlapped; I worked out my two-week notice at the drugstore and at De Anza in Dec. 2000.
In summer quarter 2001, I decided to take a volleyball PE class. For eight months, I had been thinking about returning to school. The class was an easy ‘A’, so I registered for a class in fall quarter 2001. Again, the class was an easy ‘A’, and so the process repeated itself. I worked full time at the Bookstore and took one class a quarter. This accounts for why my college education has spanned 10 years.
My brother had graduated from Yale in 2002. I attended his graduation. As his house, Morse College, conducted its commencement ceremony, I was overcome by a powerful wave of jealousy. I wanted the celebration. I wanted the pomp and circumstance. I wanted to be the center of attention and have the world revolve around me for a day. When I got back from his graduation, I went to see a counselor to assess my classes.
To be continued…
My vocabulary words are:
Eclectic: chosen from various sources (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Callow: immature (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
I spent two years at Foothill College. I went there in 1995, just after high school. At the time, I was not interested in going onto college. I was burned out after high school. My parents were adamant that I go to college. As a compromise, I went to Foothill. I didn’t do very well there because I didn’t have the motivation to succeed in addition to other personal issues going on in my life. After spring quarter 1997, I dropped out with a measly 2.57 GPA.
In Dec. 1994, I had gotten a part time job at a drugstore. After I dropped out of Foothill, I became a full time photo department clerk from 1997-1998. I was successful in that job so I received a promotion in 1998. I became the Supervisor of the Photo Lab. I trained and scheduled lab techs, was in charge of maintenance and machine upkeep, ordered and inventoried supplies, processed customer orders, and forwarded monthly reports to Sacramento. By Jan. 2001, things deteriorated in the lab, so I quit and got a new job.
In Dec. 2000, I started a new job at De Anza College Bookstore as the Customer Service Assistant. I remember that I was late to the interview by about five minutes. After assuring the hiring committee that my lateness was a fluke and that I lived within ten minutes door-to-door of the store, I completed the interview. Two and a half hours later, the Assistant Director called and offered me the job. For a month, my two jobs overlapped; I worked out my two-week notice at the drugstore and at De Anza in Dec. 2000.
In summer quarter 2001, I decided to take a volleyball PE class. For eight months, I had been thinking about returning to school. The class was an easy ‘A’, so I registered for a class in fall quarter 2001. Again, the class was an easy ‘A’, and so the process repeated itself. I worked full time at the Bookstore and took one class a quarter. This accounts for why my college education has spanned 10 years.
My brother had graduated from Yale in 2002. I attended his graduation. As his house, Morse College, conducted its commencement ceremony, I was overcome by a powerful wave of jealousy. I wanted the celebration. I wanted the pomp and circumstance. I wanted to be the center of attention and have the world revolve around me for a day. When I got back from his graduation, I went to see a counselor to assess my classes.
To be continued…
My vocabulary words are:
Eclectic: chosen from various sources (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Callow: immature (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
11/15/09 Oh man, what a bummer…
I wrote in an earlier blog about a trip to Washington, DC during spring break 2010. This was something I was really looking forward to. It’s been twenty-five years since I’ve been to DC. However, Professor Gerston informed us that the trip had been cancelled. I just don’t understand why this happened. On the surface, there seemed to be a lot of positive feedback about this activity. I am absolutely crushed that this trip is not going to happen.
In reality, only seven people officially signed up and made their initial payment. I had already paid the full $1893 for the trip; this is how serious I was about participating. I was looking forward to the required “class” meetings, the required readings, and the 20-page paper due at the end of the semester.
I just received my reimbursement check yesterday. I consider myself lucky that I got the full total back. As I filled out the application for the trip, I read that the initial deposit of $500 was not refundable–unless trip insurance was purchased for an additional $250. I didn’t buy the insurance because I thought it would be a waste due to the initial amount of interest in the trip. I am really relieved that I got a full refund.
Now that the DC trip is a no-go, what to do, what to do? Being in DC is like living in history. I’m now seriously considering going to DC on my own. I want to see the Supreme Court, the Capitol Mall, the memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam War Memorial–the tourist sites are endless!
You know, now that I think about it, I am really convincing myself to do this on my own. Now, if only I know someone who lives there…hang on! My stepsister lives there and works for the DOJ. I wonder if she’ll put me up for a week. Hmmm…
My vocabulary words are:
Pundit: an expert (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Nefarious: wicked (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
In reality, only seven people officially signed up and made their initial payment. I had already paid the full $1893 for the trip; this is how serious I was about participating. I was looking forward to the required “class” meetings, the required readings, and the 20-page paper due at the end of the semester.
I just received my reimbursement check yesterday. I consider myself lucky that I got the full total back. As I filled out the application for the trip, I read that the initial deposit of $500 was not refundable–unless trip insurance was purchased for an additional $250. I didn’t buy the insurance because I thought it would be a waste due to the initial amount of interest in the trip. I am really relieved that I got a full refund.
Now that the DC trip is a no-go, what to do, what to do? Being in DC is like living in history. I’m now seriously considering going to DC on my own. I want to see the Supreme Court, the Capitol Mall, the memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam War Memorial–the tourist sites are endless!
You know, now that I think about it, I am really convincing myself to do this on my own. Now, if only I know someone who lives there…hang on! My stepsister lives there and works for the DOJ. I wonder if she’ll put me up for a week. Hmmm…
My vocabulary words are:
Pundit: an expert (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Nefarious: wicked (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Monday, November 9, 2009
11/08/09 Oscar’s last day in San Jose ☹
This is a continuation from last week’s blog…
‘Ron Weasley’ invited me–Oscar has the same ginger hair and blue eyes as Rupert Grint a.k.a. Ron Weasley of the Harry Potter movies–to attend a Halloween party at his flat. Oscar went all out decorating for the party. ‘Ron’ escorted me to his flat dressed up in his robes and carrying his wand. Periodically, ‘Ron’ would step into the next room and Oscar would come back. Obviously, Oscar is a Potter fan. There was mood lighting (all red), background music, the headless butler, the blobs, and a graveyard. Only three guests arrived, but the party had a very intimate feeling to it.
Oscar ‘complained’ that he had a large amount of American sisters. Since I felt like he was my English ‘brother,’ I told him that he was my American ‘cousin.’ That made him smile. He really is the baby sibling’ that I wanted to have. We had a brief and interesting discussion about the term cousin. He assumed that ‘cousin’ was indicative of a male but he wanted to know what the term was for a female. It took me a second to realize what he was asking. I told him that ‘cousin’ didn’t have a masculine or feminine form–it is gender neutral.
To any student in my 195A, 100W, and 2 classes reading this blog: Oscar was extremely grateful that you filled out a survey. The number of surveys he received amazed him. The food study he’s doing is an extra project in addition to his required schoolwork. The food study is ‘proof’ that he was here and did his schoolwork. Oscar thanks you for your participation.
But as they say, all good things come to an end. Oscar and his mom are on their way back to England. I hope they both enjoyed their time in San Jose. I hope to visit them again sometime in England.
My vocabulary words are:
Salubrious: good for the health (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Eugenics: a science concerned with improving the genetic traits of the human race (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
‘Ron Weasley’ invited me–Oscar has the same ginger hair and blue eyes as Rupert Grint a.k.a. Ron Weasley of the Harry Potter movies–to attend a Halloween party at his flat. Oscar went all out decorating for the party. ‘Ron’ escorted me to his flat dressed up in his robes and carrying his wand. Periodically, ‘Ron’ would step into the next room and Oscar would come back. Obviously, Oscar is a Potter fan. There was mood lighting (all red), background music, the headless butler, the blobs, and a graveyard. Only three guests arrived, but the party had a very intimate feeling to it.
Oscar ‘complained’ that he had a large amount of American sisters. Since I felt like he was my English ‘brother,’ I told him that he was my American ‘cousin.’ That made him smile. He really is the baby sibling’ that I wanted to have. We had a brief and interesting discussion about the term cousin. He assumed that ‘cousin’ was indicative of a male but he wanted to know what the term was for a female. It took me a second to realize what he was asking. I told him that ‘cousin’ didn’t have a masculine or feminine form–it is gender neutral.
To any student in my 195A, 100W, and 2 classes reading this blog: Oscar was extremely grateful that you filled out a survey. The number of surveys he received amazed him. The food study he’s doing is an extra project in addition to his required schoolwork. The food study is ‘proof’ that he was here and did his schoolwork. Oscar thanks you for your participation.
But as they say, all good things come to an end. Oscar and his mom are on their way back to England. I hope they both enjoyed their time in San Jose. I hope to visit them again sometime in England.
My vocabulary words are:
Salubrious: good for the health (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Eugenics: a science concerned with improving the genetic traits of the human race (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
11/01/09 Oscar is here visiting from England!
For the last two weeks my English buddy has been in the States visiting. His mom was here working on her doctorate and so he came with her. On Friday the 23rd I took him to Johnny Rocket’s for lunch. For those of you who don’t know, Johnny Rocket’s is a 1950s diner with the best french fries.
Customers can sit at a counter, a table, or a booth. The counter and the booths each have a non-operating tabletop jukebox. The restaurant plays music from the 50s and 60s. I swear, eating there is like taking a trip back in time. When I look around, I can visualize the girls in their poodle skirts and saddle shoes and I can picture the guys in their lettermen sweaters and penny loafers.
The only drawback to Johnny Rocket’s is that Oscar and I are vegetarians. Whenever I go there, I usually eat the salad, but I forgot that Oscar didn’t eat meat. Fortunately, Johnny Rocket’s has the ability to switch the meat patty with a soya burger. We had a great time.
Afterwards, we had some time to kill, so I suggested we go to the Tech Museum. The new Star Trek exhibit just opened that day and I remembered that Oscar loves Dr. Who and Star Wars. So I showed him where the Tech was so he could visit it on his own. I think he went a few days ago. We spent about 45 minutes looking around the Tech store just looking at all the different things. There were a lot of kids there; they must have been on a field trip. Eventually the kids left. Oscar found candy on a stick, so I introduced him to the concept of rock candy. He bought some for his dad. I introduced him to astronaut ice cream. Astronaut food is all freeze dried and he had never seen it, so I bought him a pack. He and his mom were absolutely amazed by how real tasting and “creamy” it was.
The next day there was a reunion for the students who participated in the Summer Bath Program in 2007, 2008, and 2009. We were invited to the home of the professor who led the three groups. It was a very nice evening. Good beverages, good food, and great conversation. Oscar and his mom were the guests of honor. Oscar was acting like a social butterfly.
We also took advantage of the school’s bowling alley. I assumed that he had never gone bowling, so I wanted to introduce him to one of my favorite activities. Turns out, he has bowled before, but that’s ok. We still had a lot of fun even though his scores were less than 70 and I didn’t reach my average.
My vocabulary words are:
Insofar: to such an extent (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Licentiousness: sexually immoral (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Customers can sit at a counter, a table, or a booth. The counter and the booths each have a non-operating tabletop jukebox. The restaurant plays music from the 50s and 60s. I swear, eating there is like taking a trip back in time. When I look around, I can visualize the girls in their poodle skirts and saddle shoes and I can picture the guys in their lettermen sweaters and penny loafers.
The only drawback to Johnny Rocket’s is that Oscar and I are vegetarians. Whenever I go there, I usually eat the salad, but I forgot that Oscar didn’t eat meat. Fortunately, Johnny Rocket’s has the ability to switch the meat patty with a soya burger. We had a great time.
Afterwards, we had some time to kill, so I suggested we go to the Tech Museum. The new Star Trek exhibit just opened that day and I remembered that Oscar loves Dr. Who and Star Wars. So I showed him where the Tech was so he could visit it on his own. I think he went a few days ago. We spent about 45 minutes looking around the Tech store just looking at all the different things. There were a lot of kids there; they must have been on a field trip. Eventually the kids left. Oscar found candy on a stick, so I introduced him to the concept of rock candy. He bought some for his dad. I introduced him to astronaut ice cream. Astronaut food is all freeze dried and he had never seen it, so I bought him a pack. He and his mom were absolutely amazed by how real tasting and “creamy” it was.
The next day there was a reunion for the students who participated in the Summer Bath Program in 2007, 2008, and 2009. We were invited to the home of the professor who led the three groups. It was a very nice evening. Good beverages, good food, and great conversation. Oscar and his mom were the guests of honor. Oscar was acting like a social butterfly.
We also took advantage of the school’s bowling alley. I assumed that he had never gone bowling, so I wanted to introduce him to one of my favorite activities. Turns out, he has bowled before, but that’s ok. We still had a lot of fun even though his scores were less than 70 and I didn’t reach my average.
My vocabulary words are:
Insofar: to such an extent (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Licentiousness: sexually immoral (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
10/25/09 Tony and I visited Chicago
This entry picks up from last week’s entry.
After we left West Lafayette, where Purdue is located, we drove up to Chicago. The temperature was in the mid-eighties, which can be comfortable, but the humidity made it almost unbearably hot. There was a food festival there that weekend; “A Taste of Chicago” it was called. We were able to sample different styles of food. We enjoyed the boat tour of Lake Michigan. We went to the Sears Tower. The elevator ride took a minute to reach the top; the building is 103 stories tall. Looking out the window, down at the city, was a wonder to behold. After a few minutes, vertigo started to take its hold on me. If you’re ever in Chicago, you should visit the tower.
Tony and I spent a lot of our time visiting the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium. I remember that there was a planetarium show that we wanted to see, which started a 2pm. I checked my watch and it was 12pm. We came back two hours later, only to discover that we missed the show! What I had forgotten was that my watch was on California time, not Chicago time (doing this helps me to deal with jet lag). So when my watch said it was 12pm, it was really 2pm; it was show time. Oh well, you win some and you lose some, I guess…
The best part of the trip was seeing a game at Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field is one of the few remaining traditional ballparks left. It is located in the middle of a residential area. There are apartment buildings across the streets surrounding the ballpark; on the top of those buildings are bleacher stands. The residents go up to the roof and get to take in a Cubs’ game; the downside is that their rents are higher because the owners figured in the cost for watching the games. Wrigley had a manual scoreboard in center field and is surrounded by the MLB team pennants. There is no diamond vision screen or scoreboard; this is what makes Wrigley a traditional ballpark. The Cubbies were playing the Arizona D-Backs, although I can’t remember who won. I was in Shangri-La. I can’t wait until I can go back and visit Chicago again.
My vocabulary words are:
Supercilious: haughtily disdainful (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Seraph: a member of the highest order of angels (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
After we left West Lafayette, where Purdue is located, we drove up to Chicago. The temperature was in the mid-eighties, which can be comfortable, but the humidity made it almost unbearably hot. There was a food festival there that weekend; “A Taste of Chicago” it was called. We were able to sample different styles of food. We enjoyed the boat tour of Lake Michigan. We went to the Sears Tower. The elevator ride took a minute to reach the top; the building is 103 stories tall. Looking out the window, down at the city, was a wonder to behold. After a few minutes, vertigo started to take its hold on me. If you’re ever in Chicago, you should visit the tower.
Tony and I spent a lot of our time visiting the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium. I remember that there was a planetarium show that we wanted to see, which started a 2pm. I checked my watch and it was 12pm. We came back two hours later, only to discover that we missed the show! What I had forgotten was that my watch was on California time, not Chicago time (doing this helps me to deal with jet lag). So when my watch said it was 12pm, it was really 2pm; it was show time. Oh well, you win some and you lose some, I guess…
The best part of the trip was seeing a game at Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field is one of the few remaining traditional ballparks left. It is located in the middle of a residential area. There are apartment buildings across the streets surrounding the ballpark; on the top of those buildings are bleacher stands. The residents go up to the roof and get to take in a Cubs’ game; the downside is that their rents are higher because the owners figured in the cost for watching the games. Wrigley had a manual scoreboard in center field and is surrounded by the MLB team pennants. There is no diamond vision screen or scoreboard; this is what makes Wrigley a traditional ballpark. The Cubbies were playing the Arizona D-Backs, although I can’t remember who won. I was in Shangri-La. I can’t wait until I can go back and visit Chicago again.
My vocabulary words are:
Supercilious: haughtily disdainful (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Seraph: a member of the highest order of angels (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
10/18/09 My trip to Purdue University
One of the most enjoyable trips I’ve taken was to Purdue University and Chicago. It was the first time I’d ever been there. My friend Tony had just graduated from high school and he wanted to visit Purdue University. His dream was to become a commercial airline pilot. His major was aeronautical science and Purdue had an excellent aviation program there. Hell, the school even has its own airport. He told me about his trip and in an off-handed way I suggested that I go with him to Purdue and then we could spend the weekend in Chicago. I wasn’t actually serious, but he liked the idea. So here we were, an eighteen-year old and twenty-two year old, departing on a Mid-West adventure.
Purdue is in central Indiana. In the summertime, the Mid-West is hot, humid, and sticky; Indiana is no different. The drive from Chicago to West Lafayette was very monotonous. Everything was very flat and green-real farm country. We spent a couple days touring the campus, looking at classrooms, touring the dorms, investigating campus life, checking out the surrounding city, and preparing for Tony’s fall semester. I have to admit, the coolest part of the school is the on-site airport. I was happy to tour Purdue because I got to see what Tony’s life was going to be like for the next four years. Purdue was the first college campus that I ever toured. I wasn’t interested in going to college; therefore, I never applied or toured a campus before. I really enjoyed the experience though.
Epilogue: Tony left Purdue after fall semester 1998. He did not like the Aryan and racial attitudes of the students living in his dorm. It really pissed him off when his roommate booted up his computer and logged on to various Aryan websites. His values, beliefs, and attitudes differed from those of his dorm mates. He transferred to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. Somewhere, he is flying those friendly skies…
My vocabulary words are:
Opprobrium: disgrace and reproach (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Subterfuge: a means used to evade or conceal (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Purdue is in central Indiana. In the summertime, the Mid-West is hot, humid, and sticky; Indiana is no different. The drive from Chicago to West Lafayette was very monotonous. Everything was very flat and green-real farm country. We spent a couple days touring the campus, looking at classrooms, touring the dorms, investigating campus life, checking out the surrounding city, and preparing for Tony’s fall semester. I have to admit, the coolest part of the school is the on-site airport. I was happy to tour Purdue because I got to see what Tony’s life was going to be like for the next four years. Purdue was the first college campus that I ever toured. I wasn’t interested in going to college; therefore, I never applied or toured a campus before. I really enjoyed the experience though.
Epilogue: Tony left Purdue after fall semester 1998. He did not like the Aryan and racial attitudes of the students living in his dorm. It really pissed him off when his roommate booted up his computer and logged on to various Aryan websites. His values, beliefs, and attitudes differed from those of his dorm mates. He transferred to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. Somewhere, he is flying those friendly skies…
My vocabulary words are:
Opprobrium: disgrace and reproach (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Subterfuge: a means used to evade or conceal (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
10/11/09 Here's my vocabulary words
My vocabulary words are:
Sanctity: a holiness; sacredness (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Liturgy: a form of public worship (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sanctity: a holiness; sacredness (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Liturgy: a form of public worship (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
10/11/09 I nearly forgot today’s entry
I have spent the last two days studying for my midterms. I’m grateful that all three of them were pushed back. Otherwise, I would not have done well on them at all. I’m concentrating on 195 and 2. I’m grateful that 100W doesn’t have a midterm. At least now, I have a chance to study a little to be somewhat prepared. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confused about the information I’m learning.
Everything seems to be jumbled and I’m having a hard time trying to figure out how things relate to each other. For example, it took me a while to realize that simple-random sampling and systematic sampling are two different categories. And within probability and non-probability sampling are different types of sampling. Simple-random, systematic, stratified, and cluster samples are types of probability sampling. Accidental, purposive, quota, and snowball samples are different types of non-probability sampling. Things are starting to fall into place slowly.
I will be happy when these two midterms are over. I will have next weekend to prepare for the midterm in 154. I have to admit, 154 is not as dry and boring as I had anticipated. I thought the class, which is about US foreign policy, would focus only on the Middle East. I really don’t care about what happens there. I’m more interested in the US government and domestic issues. There is something to be said about isolationism. I also dislike globalization.
Anyway, Professor Danopoulos’ discussion was on foreign policy during the Vietnam era, 1945-1975. I studied this issue for Poli 4 so understanding this part of the lecture was easy for me. When given the opportunity, I like to study events related to the 1960s and 1970s. This is the most fascinating period of time in history. US society was going through a lot of uncomfortable growing pains. I wish I had been born in the 1940s so I could have experienced the 1960s as a young adult; I was just born too late.
However, I digress. Once midterms are over, I can focus on all the different assignments that will be due in the eight weeks. I don’t expect to do too well on these midterms, but I expect to improve my grades with the upcoming assignments.
Everything seems to be jumbled and I’m having a hard time trying to figure out how things relate to each other. For example, it took me a while to realize that simple-random sampling and systematic sampling are two different categories. And within probability and non-probability sampling are different types of sampling. Simple-random, systematic, stratified, and cluster samples are types of probability sampling. Accidental, purposive, quota, and snowball samples are different types of non-probability sampling. Things are starting to fall into place slowly.
I will be happy when these two midterms are over. I will have next weekend to prepare for the midterm in 154. I have to admit, 154 is not as dry and boring as I had anticipated. I thought the class, which is about US foreign policy, would focus only on the Middle East. I really don’t care about what happens there. I’m more interested in the US government and domestic issues. There is something to be said about isolationism. I also dislike globalization.
Anyway, Professor Danopoulos’ discussion was on foreign policy during the Vietnam era, 1945-1975. I studied this issue for Poli 4 so understanding this part of the lecture was easy for me. When given the opportunity, I like to study events related to the 1960s and 1970s. This is the most fascinating period of time in history. US society was going through a lot of uncomfortable growing pains. I wish I had been born in the 1940s so I could have experienced the 1960s as a young adult; I was just born too late.
However, I digress. Once midterms are over, I can focus on all the different assignments that will be due in the eight weeks. I don’t expect to do too well on these midterms, but I expect to improve my grades with the upcoming assignments.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
10/4/09 The curtain is coming down on the 2009 season…
I’m sitting here “jumping” back and forth between the A’s and Giants games. This is officially the last game of the regular season for 2009. I am in deep mourning. Baseball is my favorite sport. I can tolerate football and hockey, while I absolutely loathe basketball. The 1989 Bay Bridge World Series, between the A’s and Giants, was my ideal Shangri-la.
There are some changes that I’d like to see for the 2010 season. First off, Bud Selig MUST BE FIRED! The man is incompetent beyond belief. I have never forgiven him for declaring a tie in the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee, and I never will. Selig is a spineless jellyfish that has an ineffective drug policy. He is unwilling to face the fact that drugs are being used in Major League Baseball or is unwilling to do anything about it. Bring back Bart Giamatti or Fay Vincent.
Secondly, Bob Garen, manager of the A’s, MUST BE FIRED! The man has no personality. I don’t believe he was ever qualified to manage, so how he got the assignment, I’ll never know. The most important thing to consider is the A’s record; they are currently 75-86. Last year, the A’s had a losing season that was just as bad as this year. Additionally, the players don’t seem to have a happy environment in the clubhouse. The players are not happy with Garen as manager.
Third, Garen needs to go but Billy Beane will not fire him. Which brings me to my next point: Billy Beane needs to go as well. I may be flayed for my opinion, but this is how I feel. Beane made several wise and shrewd decisions in the early 2000s, but lately, none of his decisions make sense. Time to go Mr. Beane…
Lastly, it’s time to cut Eric Chavez loose. Actually, I think his contract ends tomorrow. As much as I liked Chavvy, he’s never lived up to his potential. Injuries have been his Waterloo. Let’s sign Adam Kennedy to a long-term contract, and wish Chavvy luck in the future. Thanks Chavvy for the memories and 6 gold glove seasons.
I don’t really have any complaints about the Giants. They had a really good season this year. I love all of the Giants’ broadcasters. On TV, it’s Krukow and Kuiper (Kruk and Kuip); on the radio it’s Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, and occasionally JT Snow. All are excellent at what they do. I would advise JT Snow to put his uniform back on and become a coach. He doesn’t really have the personality for radio and TV commentary.
The Giants need to make Brad Penny, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Randy Johnson their starting rotation. They should keep Joe Martinez as part of the bullpen.
These are the things I want to see changed for the 2010 season. I’m counting the days until spring training. It’s gonna be a loooooong off-season...
My vocabulary words are:
Shrewd: clever (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Ubiquitous: present everywhere at the same time (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
There are some changes that I’d like to see for the 2010 season. First off, Bud Selig MUST BE FIRED! The man is incompetent beyond belief. I have never forgiven him for declaring a tie in the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee, and I never will. Selig is a spineless jellyfish that has an ineffective drug policy. He is unwilling to face the fact that drugs are being used in Major League Baseball or is unwilling to do anything about it. Bring back Bart Giamatti or Fay Vincent.
Secondly, Bob Garen, manager of the A’s, MUST BE FIRED! The man has no personality. I don’t believe he was ever qualified to manage, so how he got the assignment, I’ll never know. The most important thing to consider is the A’s record; they are currently 75-86. Last year, the A’s had a losing season that was just as bad as this year. Additionally, the players don’t seem to have a happy environment in the clubhouse. The players are not happy with Garen as manager.
Third, Garen needs to go but Billy Beane will not fire him. Which brings me to my next point: Billy Beane needs to go as well. I may be flayed for my opinion, but this is how I feel. Beane made several wise and shrewd decisions in the early 2000s, but lately, none of his decisions make sense. Time to go Mr. Beane…
Lastly, it’s time to cut Eric Chavez loose. Actually, I think his contract ends tomorrow. As much as I liked Chavvy, he’s never lived up to his potential. Injuries have been his Waterloo. Let’s sign Adam Kennedy to a long-term contract, and wish Chavvy luck in the future. Thanks Chavvy for the memories and 6 gold glove seasons.
I don’t really have any complaints about the Giants. They had a really good season this year. I love all of the Giants’ broadcasters. On TV, it’s Krukow and Kuiper (Kruk and Kuip); on the radio it’s Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, and occasionally JT Snow. All are excellent at what they do. I would advise JT Snow to put his uniform back on and become a coach. He doesn’t really have the personality for radio and TV commentary.
The Giants need to make Brad Penny, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Randy Johnson their starting rotation. They should keep Joe Martinez as part of the bullpen.
These are the things I want to see changed for the 2010 season. I’m counting the days until spring training. It’s gonna be a loooooong off-season...
My vocabulary words are:
Shrewd: clever (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Ubiquitous: present everywhere at the same time (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
9/27/09 DC, here I come
I’d like to use this blog to advocate to all political majors at SJSU to consider taking poli 180 in spring semester 2010. This is an independent study class that demonstrates the US government in action. The idea for this course came from a student who participated in the department’s field trip to Sacramento. She suggested to Professor Gerston that a similar activity be created with Washington, DC as the destination. Working together, they are able to offer this opportunity for Spring 2010. The trip runs from March 27 through April 1; additional class meetings, commitments, and written assignments are required if the class is taken for 3 units of credit.
I am taking advantage of this opportunity for two reasons. First, my interest in political science is the operation of government at the national and state level. While I do not want to be a candidate who runs for public office, I do want to work in a governmental office such as the Registrar of Voters office; seeing the government in action will be educational. Secondly, it has been 25 years since I’ve been in DC––I was eight-years old at the time––and I have wanted to go back to visit.
I was in second grade when my family went to DC and the surrounding areas. It was a combination of a business trip and vacation. I was going to miss school for a week. My teacher and Mom came up with the idea that I would keep a daily log of all the places I went and all the things I saw. I remember that we went to Monticello to visit Thomas Jefferson’s estate. The only things I remember about Monticello were the small, dark restaurant where we ate lunch and a lot of cobblestone paths.
Another place we visited was Benjamin Franklin’s grave. That night, as I wrote in my log, I also drew a picture at the top of the page. I tried to draw the image of the gravestone as I remembered it. My image was a gravestone with angel wings at the top and the inscription below it. To this day, the image I drew still remains clear in my mind.
We saw the Liberty Bell and the Washington Monument. Afterwards, we went to the Great Mall where my four-year old brother went crazy by running around chasing the pigeons. He really loved doing that––it was very entertaining for all. I’m sure we saw all of the memorials, but I can’t be positive because it was such a long time ago. Two other things that stand out were: seeing John F. Kennedy’s eternal flame burn and the Vietnam Memorial with all the inscribed names. At eight-years old, I was unable to understand the significance of the two things, but they were cool to see.
When I returned to school, Mom and I gave a presentation to my classmates about my time in DC. We showed slides and talked about all the things we saw. My teacher appreciated the small ‘civics lesson’ that we gave the class. Over time, my memories about this trip have faded, so I am eager to go back. I will experience all of these treasures through the eyes of an adult instead of the eyes of a kid. If you have the means to go, I would urge to do it.
My vocabulary words are:
Impertinent: disrespectful, not relevant (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Impetuous: rash or hasty (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
I am taking advantage of this opportunity for two reasons. First, my interest in political science is the operation of government at the national and state level. While I do not want to be a candidate who runs for public office, I do want to work in a governmental office such as the Registrar of Voters office; seeing the government in action will be educational. Secondly, it has been 25 years since I’ve been in DC––I was eight-years old at the time––and I have wanted to go back to visit.
I was in second grade when my family went to DC and the surrounding areas. It was a combination of a business trip and vacation. I was going to miss school for a week. My teacher and Mom came up with the idea that I would keep a daily log of all the places I went and all the things I saw. I remember that we went to Monticello to visit Thomas Jefferson’s estate. The only things I remember about Monticello were the small, dark restaurant where we ate lunch and a lot of cobblestone paths.
Another place we visited was Benjamin Franklin’s grave. That night, as I wrote in my log, I also drew a picture at the top of the page. I tried to draw the image of the gravestone as I remembered it. My image was a gravestone with angel wings at the top and the inscription below it. To this day, the image I drew still remains clear in my mind.
We saw the Liberty Bell and the Washington Monument. Afterwards, we went to the Great Mall where my four-year old brother went crazy by running around chasing the pigeons. He really loved doing that––it was very entertaining for all. I’m sure we saw all of the memorials, but I can’t be positive because it was such a long time ago. Two other things that stand out were: seeing John F. Kennedy’s eternal flame burn and the Vietnam Memorial with all the inscribed names. At eight-years old, I was unable to understand the significance of the two things, but they were cool to see.
When I returned to school, Mom and I gave a presentation to my classmates about my time in DC. We showed slides and talked about all the things we saw. My teacher appreciated the small ‘civics lesson’ that we gave the class. Over time, my memories about this trip have faded, so I am eager to go back. I will experience all of these treasures through the eyes of an adult instead of the eyes of a kid. If you have the means to go, I would urge to do it.
My vocabulary words are:
Impertinent: disrespectful, not relevant (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Impetuous: rash or hasty (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
9/20/09 The “Stuff” is About to Hit the Fan!
I work at the De Anza College Bookstore as a Temporary Employee Assignment (TEA). This means that the bookstore brings me in for about three to four weeks, 4 times a year to work during rush period. Rush period is defined as three weeks before the quarter starts until the second week of classes. During rush period, the bookstore hires at least 150 temporary student employees and TEAs.
I say the stuff is about to hit the fan because tomorrow, September 21st, is the first day of school and of rush at De Anza. Fall rush is always the most crazy, intense, and insane time of the four academic quarters. This is because all of the new students are coming to De Anza––all of the high school graduates and those members of the work force who need to refresh their work skills. In addition to that, the continuing students and all of those students who were not accepted into universities right out of high school also comes to De Anza. My point here is enrollment for De Anza is high (last time I heard, it was somewhere around 26,000).
Of course, all of those students need their textbooks and supplies for class. This means that most of them are going to come to the bookstore for these items. Rush week is crazy, intense, and insane because of the copious numbers of students the bookstore has to serve. During the first week of classes––in fall, winter, and spring rush––it is not unusual to process 4,000 to 5,000 sales transactions a day!
An additional service the bookstore offers is the ability for the students to buy their books through the bookstore’s website. This service started in 2002 and during fall rush 2002, the store processed about 200 orders––not bad for the first time. Since the start of the online service, the numbers have increased from rush to rush. Right now, in fall 2009, the bookstore has received about 800 online orders for books and supplies––and all of these orders were within the first two weeks before classes started!
My theory about online orders is this: the more online orders the store processes, the fewer the number of students we have to deal with in person in the store. In spite of all of our online service success, the store is now taking and processing more orders than we have space for. The manager designated an area for bookshelves to store the ‘In Store Pickup’ (ISPU) orders, but with the enormous number of ISPU requests, the bookshelves are filled to capacity and the rest spill onto the floor. I offered a suggestion for a new location for ISPU; this suggested location is earmarked for an in store bank branch (which I’m sure will never manifest itself––the store has been waiting for 3 years). I am concerned that the books inside the ISPU bags are being damaged by being shoved and crammed into the shelves. It is for this reason that I want more storage space for the ISPU orders.
The store will be open from 7:30am and will close at 10pm all week. Once the students start to arrive when the store opens, the intensity will not let up until the store closes at night. The store will probably handle 10,000 to 15,000 students within the fall rush period. It’s gonna be a loooooong week…
My vocabulary words are:
Incorrigible: not able to be reformed (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Insatiable: incapable of being satisfied (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
I say the stuff is about to hit the fan because tomorrow, September 21st, is the first day of school and of rush at De Anza. Fall rush is always the most crazy, intense, and insane time of the four academic quarters. This is because all of the new students are coming to De Anza––all of the high school graduates and those members of the work force who need to refresh their work skills. In addition to that, the continuing students and all of those students who were not accepted into universities right out of high school also comes to De Anza. My point here is enrollment for De Anza is high (last time I heard, it was somewhere around 26,000).
Of course, all of those students need their textbooks and supplies for class. This means that most of them are going to come to the bookstore for these items. Rush week is crazy, intense, and insane because of the copious numbers of students the bookstore has to serve. During the first week of classes––in fall, winter, and spring rush––it is not unusual to process 4,000 to 5,000 sales transactions a day!
An additional service the bookstore offers is the ability for the students to buy their books through the bookstore’s website. This service started in 2002 and during fall rush 2002, the store processed about 200 orders––not bad for the first time. Since the start of the online service, the numbers have increased from rush to rush. Right now, in fall 2009, the bookstore has received about 800 online orders for books and supplies––and all of these orders were within the first two weeks before classes started!
My theory about online orders is this: the more online orders the store processes, the fewer the number of students we have to deal with in person in the store. In spite of all of our online service success, the store is now taking and processing more orders than we have space for. The manager designated an area for bookshelves to store the ‘In Store Pickup’ (ISPU) orders, but with the enormous number of ISPU requests, the bookshelves are filled to capacity and the rest spill onto the floor. I offered a suggestion for a new location for ISPU; this suggested location is earmarked for an in store bank branch (which I’m sure will never manifest itself––the store has been waiting for 3 years). I am concerned that the books inside the ISPU bags are being damaged by being shoved and crammed into the shelves. It is for this reason that I want more storage space for the ISPU orders.
The store will be open from 7:30am and will close at 10pm all week. Once the students start to arrive when the store opens, the intensity will not let up until the store closes at night. The store will probably handle 10,000 to 15,000 students within the fall rush period. It’s gonna be a loooooong week…
My vocabulary words are:
Incorrigible: not able to be reformed (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Insatiable: incapable of being satisfied (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
9/13/09 I really hate writer's block...
Below is part of a journal entry I wrote while I was in Ireland in July 2008. This passage describes part of the day’s activities during a tour from Limmerick to Galway.
…The next stop on the tour was a pub in Doolin. It must have taken 40-50 minutes to get to Doolin, but we were moving closer and closer to the coast, so much so that the Atlantic was getting bigger and bigger! Doolin is a small village with a sparse number of homes, and a main street with a few businesses. As we drove up the hills, the view of the Atlantic was spectacular! So there I was, in the coach, listening to Irish music, looking at wonderful views of the ocean with little puff ball clouds in the sky…can you picture it?
At the pub, I ordered and paid for my food first, and then it was brought to my table. I swear, 2 minutes after I paid for lunch, my salad and fries were served; it was really, really quick-I was impressed. It was a highly substantial salad: lettuce, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, pineapple wedges, and honey mustard dressing. The bowl must have been 8” in diameter filled with all that good food. It was a great value for the money I spent. It was absolutely fabulous.
After lunch, we loaded up into the coach and off to the Cliffs of Moher. When we got there, Frank advised us to stay behind the guardrails and not walk out to the edge of the cliff. He said that 8 people fell to their deaths; some were unintentional–they were blown off the cliff–others were suicides.
Frank told us the west coast was supposed to be hit by a significant storm today. Happily, that didn’t happen. It was a wonderfully bright, sunny, and breezy day with puffball clouds in the sky. None of the pesky misty ocean fog was hovering around the cliffs; it was brilliantly crystal clear today. I couldn’t ask for a better day.
After parking in the car park, I walked over to the observation point for the Cliffs. The stair climb was 150 steps-I actually counted. The climb was definitely worth it. My only “objection” to viewing the Cliffs was, looking into the sun to view them, made them look extra dark and difficult to see any of the details and textures. If it were morning, then the sun would have been in the eastern sky and not a problem. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. I wandered around shooting video for about an hour and then the tour was back on the road again.
We were on our way to the Burren. The Burren, composed of limestone, looks like either scabby/scaly skin or like rocky warts on the green fields of grass. It is an all-natural occurring phenomenon. It made for some interesting landscapes.
My vocabulary words are:
Corollary: a logical deduction; something that is obvious or deduced from something already proven (from the Encarta World English Dictionary)
Clandestine: furtive, done in secret and usually illegal (from the Encarta World English Dictionary)
…The next stop on the tour was a pub in Doolin. It must have taken 40-50 minutes to get to Doolin, but we were moving closer and closer to the coast, so much so that the Atlantic was getting bigger and bigger! Doolin is a small village with a sparse number of homes, and a main street with a few businesses. As we drove up the hills, the view of the Atlantic was spectacular! So there I was, in the coach, listening to Irish music, looking at wonderful views of the ocean with little puff ball clouds in the sky…can you picture it?
At the pub, I ordered and paid for my food first, and then it was brought to my table. I swear, 2 minutes after I paid for lunch, my salad and fries were served; it was really, really quick-I was impressed. It was a highly substantial salad: lettuce, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, pineapple wedges, and honey mustard dressing. The bowl must have been 8” in diameter filled with all that good food. It was a great value for the money I spent. It was absolutely fabulous.
After lunch, we loaded up into the coach and off to the Cliffs of Moher. When we got there, Frank advised us to stay behind the guardrails and not walk out to the edge of the cliff. He said that 8 people fell to their deaths; some were unintentional–they were blown off the cliff–others were suicides.
Frank told us the west coast was supposed to be hit by a significant storm today. Happily, that didn’t happen. It was a wonderfully bright, sunny, and breezy day with puffball clouds in the sky. None of the pesky misty ocean fog was hovering around the cliffs; it was brilliantly crystal clear today. I couldn’t ask for a better day.
After parking in the car park, I walked over to the observation point for the Cliffs. The stair climb was 150 steps-I actually counted. The climb was definitely worth it. My only “objection” to viewing the Cliffs was, looking into the sun to view them, made them look extra dark and difficult to see any of the details and textures. If it were morning, then the sun would have been in the eastern sky and not a problem. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. I wandered around shooting video for about an hour and then the tour was back on the road again.
We were on our way to the Burren. The Burren, composed of limestone, looks like either scabby/scaly skin or like rocky warts on the green fields of grass. It is an all-natural occurring phenomenon. It made for some interesting landscapes.
My vocabulary words are:
Corollary: a logical deduction; something that is obvious or deduced from something already proven (from the Encarta World English Dictionary)
Clandestine: furtive, done in secret and usually illegal (from the Encarta World English Dictionary)
Sunday, September 6, 2009
9/6/09 All rise, the CA Supreme Court is now in session...
On Wednesday, I took advantage of the free field trip up to the California State Supreme Court. This opportunity was paid for by the generous donations of the alumni, faculty, and friends of the political science department. To them, I’d like to say, “thank you for your gifts. This field trip was a fascinating experience.”
The State Supreme Court is located in San Francisco next to city hall. Obviously, we went up to hear oral arguments regarding three cases. On the way up, Professor Brent ‘held class’ by discussing the three cases we were going to hear. Case one dealt with issues of discrimination and harassment. Case two involved issues of attorney–client privilege. The issues in case three involved labor compensation and contracts. He told us to keep an eye on Justice Kennard because she is usually very vocal during oral arguments; she likes to grill the attorneys on both sides of a case. He also mentioned that we would see two cases where some of the justices had to recuse themselves.
For anyone who wants to visit the court for oral arguments, I offer this hint. Three of us got lost in the building because we took the wrong elevator. As you walk into the building from the visitors’ entrance, you will enter a small lobby and go through security. After passing through security and while you’re in the lobby, the correct elevators will be on the left hand wall and appear to have dark goldish–bronze colored doors; there are two of them. If you walk through the open ‘hallway’, for lack of a better word, you have gone too far. When in the correct elevator, you need to travel to the fourth floor; this is where the court is located. You will again pass through another security checkpoint to hand over all electronics like phones, cameras, IPods, blackberries, computers, etc.
The court is a small, round room. The bench is at the front, while in front of it, there are two desks pushed back–to–back for the petitioner and the respondent. The rest of the room is dedicated to the gallery for the audience to sit and observe. The gallery may hold up to 90 or 100 people.
Each of the lawyers had different styles of presenting their cases. Each seemed to be well prepared. We also heard arguments from ‘friend of the court’ lawyers. The Latin name of these lawyers escapes me right now; it’s amicus something. Justice Kennard lived up to her reputation by firing several questions at each of the lawyers. It was hard to keep up with all of the legal jargon, but I understood the gist of the cases.
Justice Kennard recused herself for case two and a replacement judge was seated. This temporary justice remained quiet and seemed to just take in the experience. In the second case, Justice Corrigan and the attorney for the respondent spent 10–15 minutes discussing attorney–client privilege and how it related to info collected internally by Costco and info collected about Costco by an outside investigating law firm hired by Costco. It was quite confusing, but for a brief second, I understood what Justice Corrigan was trying to explain. The attorney either didn’t understand what she was trying to say or he had a different point that he was trying to make to her.
The third case was as fascinating as the first two. Justices Kennard and Corrigan both recused themselves and again a replacement judge was appointed for Corrigan; the judge who served for the second case in place of Kennard also served for the third case. An employee for Citigroup had 5% of his pre–tax wages funneled into an investment plan. He had to remain with the business for 2 years in order to receive those stocks upon leaving the firm. This employee left before the two years were up and he lost the stock. The employee claims that he was not properly compensated for his work when he left because he was not able to keep his stock and that stock was not converted into cash and paid to him.
This was a complex case involving contracts, labor laws, and state laws. The petitioner attorney was a loud, combative, and aggressive woman. Her argument seemed to be quite disorganized and, to me, confusing. But as Professor Brent pointed out, she made a strong argument by saying that it was ok for Citicorp to do what they were doing; they just had to establish a different procedure for completing the transaction. The respondent attorney really didn’t have much to say and his presentation was only about 15 of the 30 minutes he was given.
After the morning arguments concluded, Chief Justice George stayed in the courtroom for twenty minutes to give an overview of the proceedings and to answer a few of our questions. My question, which he answered, concerned quorum. He explained that at the state level, he has a list of 105 lower court justices and if he needs to fill a seat for a recused judge, he rotates the next name from his list of judges. So the California Supreme Court had no need to operate with a quorum. We left at lunchtime and did not see the afternoon oral arguments.
Trivia: Our Supreme Court Justices are: Ronald George, Joyce Kennard, Marvin Baxter, Kathryn Werdegar, Ming Chin, Carlos Moreno, and Carol Corrigan. Six of them were appointed by Republican governors and one by a Democrat. This is a diverse court: there are four men and three women and there is one Asian and one Hispanic.
My vocabulary words are:
germane: relevant (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
espoused: to adopt or support (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
The State Supreme Court is located in San Francisco next to city hall. Obviously, we went up to hear oral arguments regarding three cases. On the way up, Professor Brent ‘held class’ by discussing the three cases we were going to hear. Case one dealt with issues of discrimination and harassment. Case two involved issues of attorney–client privilege. The issues in case three involved labor compensation and contracts. He told us to keep an eye on Justice Kennard because she is usually very vocal during oral arguments; she likes to grill the attorneys on both sides of a case. He also mentioned that we would see two cases where some of the justices had to recuse themselves.
For anyone who wants to visit the court for oral arguments, I offer this hint. Three of us got lost in the building because we took the wrong elevator. As you walk into the building from the visitors’ entrance, you will enter a small lobby and go through security. After passing through security and while you’re in the lobby, the correct elevators will be on the left hand wall and appear to have dark goldish–bronze colored doors; there are two of them. If you walk through the open ‘hallway’, for lack of a better word, you have gone too far. When in the correct elevator, you need to travel to the fourth floor; this is where the court is located. You will again pass through another security checkpoint to hand over all electronics like phones, cameras, IPods, blackberries, computers, etc.
The court is a small, round room. The bench is at the front, while in front of it, there are two desks pushed back–to–back for the petitioner and the respondent. The rest of the room is dedicated to the gallery for the audience to sit and observe. The gallery may hold up to 90 or 100 people.
Each of the lawyers had different styles of presenting their cases. Each seemed to be well prepared. We also heard arguments from ‘friend of the court’ lawyers. The Latin name of these lawyers escapes me right now; it’s amicus something. Justice Kennard lived up to her reputation by firing several questions at each of the lawyers. It was hard to keep up with all of the legal jargon, but I understood the gist of the cases.
Justice Kennard recused herself for case two and a replacement judge was seated. This temporary justice remained quiet and seemed to just take in the experience. In the second case, Justice Corrigan and the attorney for the respondent spent 10–15 minutes discussing attorney–client privilege and how it related to info collected internally by Costco and info collected about Costco by an outside investigating law firm hired by Costco. It was quite confusing, but for a brief second, I understood what Justice Corrigan was trying to explain. The attorney either didn’t understand what she was trying to say or he had a different point that he was trying to make to her.
The third case was as fascinating as the first two. Justices Kennard and Corrigan both recused themselves and again a replacement judge was appointed for Corrigan; the judge who served for the second case in place of Kennard also served for the third case. An employee for Citigroup had 5% of his pre–tax wages funneled into an investment plan. He had to remain with the business for 2 years in order to receive those stocks upon leaving the firm. This employee left before the two years were up and he lost the stock. The employee claims that he was not properly compensated for his work when he left because he was not able to keep his stock and that stock was not converted into cash and paid to him.
This was a complex case involving contracts, labor laws, and state laws. The petitioner attorney was a loud, combative, and aggressive woman. Her argument seemed to be quite disorganized and, to me, confusing. But as Professor Brent pointed out, she made a strong argument by saying that it was ok for Citicorp to do what they were doing; they just had to establish a different procedure for completing the transaction. The respondent attorney really didn’t have much to say and his presentation was only about 15 of the 30 minutes he was given.
After the morning arguments concluded, Chief Justice George stayed in the courtroom for twenty minutes to give an overview of the proceedings and to answer a few of our questions. My question, which he answered, concerned quorum. He explained that at the state level, he has a list of 105 lower court justices and if he needs to fill a seat for a recused judge, he rotates the next name from his list of judges. So the California Supreme Court had no need to operate with a quorum. We left at lunchtime and did not see the afternoon oral arguments.
Trivia: Our Supreme Court Justices are: Ronald George, Joyce Kennard, Marvin Baxter, Kathryn Werdegar, Ming Chin, Carlos Moreno, and Carol Corrigan. Six of them were appointed by Republican governors and one by a Democrat. This is a diverse court: there are four men and three women and there is one Asian and one Hispanic.
My vocabulary words are:
germane: relevant (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
espoused: to adopt or support (Webster's American pocket dictionary)
Monday, August 31, 2009
8/31/09 I love photography.
I love photography, which I learned in high school. Students were separated into different levels based on experience. Photo 1A was for the beginning student. Photo 1B, the next level, was for students to begin with basic assignments. Photo 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B completed the eight semesters of class. Upon completion of 1A and 1B, I moved on to 2A, and so on, until I finally completed my high school career with 4A. As I moved up into the higher levels of the class, the projects become more difficult and technically challenging.
I learned about the camera and its parts, developing film, and picture printing in 1A. There were four exams that measured my knowledge; in these exams I scored no higher than a B- and my lowest score was a D+. Fortunately, these exams didn’t affect my semester grade; I easily raised it with my projects.
Some of the different assignments included: worm’s eye/bird’s eye (1A/B); panning, frozen-frozen, action photography (2A/B); 3-D juxtaposition and sepia tone (3A/B); color photography and bar relief (4 A/B). Levels 1, 2 and 3 were dedicated to black and white film and prints. Fourth level students were given the privilege to develop color slide film and print color images. The processes for B&W and color are very different; processing color film and pictures is regulated by the state because of the chemicals.
Developing both B&W and color negatives is a very precise activity. The chemicals and wash baths must be a specific temperature. The process for developing film is: developer, water bath, fixer, water bath, permawash, and photoflow. Afterwards, the film is removed from the tank and hung up to dry.
Once the film was dry, I took the negatives into the dark room to print pictures. I first made a contact sheet, which shows positive images of the negatives in the 35mm size. After consulting with Mrs. Record about which image best satisfied the assignment, I went back into the dark room to make the print.
Being in the dark room is like being on a different planet. There was an orange colored safe light; any photo paper that was exposed to it would not be damaged. Looking around the dark room, everything looked gray. It is very different from a white light world. In a white light world, you can see all sorts of colors, but in this room, every color was a different shade of gray.
After putting the negative in the enlarger, I put the paper in the easel, and exposed it with my image using white light. I put the exposed paper into the developer tray and suddenly the image slowly started to appear on the paper. I can’t tell you how fascinating it was to watch my image appear. At first the paper was blank, but then all of a sudden, my image was there; it was just like magic. After two minutes, I put my picture into the fixer, the permawash, and water wash. At this point, the picture was ready to dry.
After all of the assignments were mounted and displayed on the wall, Mrs. Record required oral critiques. This was an opportunity for each student to explain their project and all that went into completion of the assignment. Then each presenter critiqued two other different images, describing what was good about it and what they might have done differently. Unknown to me at the time, oral critiques were an opportunity for the students to teach and to learn from their peers. As my experience increased with oral critiques, I volunteered to critique first, to show to the other students what was expected.
I love film photography better than digital. With film, as an artist, I can be as creative as I want to be. Film manipulation can be done when the picture is taken or in the printing process. Print processing allows me to be flexible and creative with how I manipulate my images. To me, these advantages make film photography superior to digital. Film photography is a form of art and expression.
My vocabulary words:
Foibles: a minor weakness in a person’s character. I found this word in an online article about Senator Kennedy shortly after he died.
Ambivalent: conflicting feelings. I found this word several times in a textbook.
Benevolent: kind and charitable. I find that I’m now confusing the definition of ambivalent and benevolent frequently.
I learned about the camera and its parts, developing film, and picture printing in 1A. There were four exams that measured my knowledge; in these exams I scored no higher than a B- and my lowest score was a D+. Fortunately, these exams didn’t affect my semester grade; I easily raised it with my projects.
Some of the different assignments included: worm’s eye/bird’s eye (1A/B); panning, frozen-frozen, action photography (2A/B); 3-D juxtaposition and sepia tone (3A/B); color photography and bar relief (4 A/B). Levels 1, 2 and 3 were dedicated to black and white film and prints. Fourth level students were given the privilege to develop color slide film and print color images. The processes for B&W and color are very different; processing color film and pictures is regulated by the state because of the chemicals.
Developing both B&W and color negatives is a very precise activity. The chemicals and wash baths must be a specific temperature. The process for developing film is: developer, water bath, fixer, water bath, permawash, and photoflow. Afterwards, the film is removed from the tank and hung up to dry.
Once the film was dry, I took the negatives into the dark room to print pictures. I first made a contact sheet, which shows positive images of the negatives in the 35mm size. After consulting with Mrs. Record about which image best satisfied the assignment, I went back into the dark room to make the print.
Being in the dark room is like being on a different planet. There was an orange colored safe light; any photo paper that was exposed to it would not be damaged. Looking around the dark room, everything looked gray. It is very different from a white light world. In a white light world, you can see all sorts of colors, but in this room, every color was a different shade of gray.
After putting the negative in the enlarger, I put the paper in the easel, and exposed it with my image using white light. I put the exposed paper into the developer tray and suddenly the image slowly started to appear on the paper. I can’t tell you how fascinating it was to watch my image appear. At first the paper was blank, but then all of a sudden, my image was there; it was just like magic. After two minutes, I put my picture into the fixer, the permawash, and water wash. At this point, the picture was ready to dry.
After all of the assignments were mounted and displayed on the wall, Mrs. Record required oral critiques. This was an opportunity for each student to explain their project and all that went into completion of the assignment. Then each presenter critiqued two other different images, describing what was good about it and what they might have done differently. Unknown to me at the time, oral critiques were an opportunity for the students to teach and to learn from their peers. As my experience increased with oral critiques, I volunteered to critique first, to show to the other students what was expected.
I love film photography better than digital. With film, as an artist, I can be as creative as I want to be. Film manipulation can be done when the picture is taken or in the printing process. Print processing allows me to be flexible and creative with how I manipulate my images. To me, these advantages make film photography superior to digital. Film photography is a form of art and expression.
My vocabulary words:
Foibles: a minor weakness in a person’s character. I found this word in an online article about Senator Kennedy shortly after he died.
Ambivalent: conflicting feelings. I found this word several times in a textbook.
Benevolent: kind and charitable. I find that I’m now confusing the definition of ambivalent and benevolent frequently.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
8/25/09 I forgot my vocabulary words.
I posted my first blog too quickly. I completely forgot my vocabulary words: parsec and proliferation.
As a fan of Star Trek: TNG, Voyager, and Enterprise, parsec was refered to and I didn't know what it meant. I could infer from the context that it is a unit of measure, but I am not sure what that measurement is. I looked it up and learned that a parsec is a distance of 3.262 light years.
As for my second word, I chose the word proliferation. This is an important terms in the context of political science. This is defined as the rapid increase or rapid spread of something. So then and anti-proliferation agreement is an agreement to stop the rapid spread of something, such as nuclear weapons.
As a fan of Star Trek: TNG, Voyager, and Enterprise, parsec was refered to and I didn't know what it meant. I could infer from the context that it is a unit of measure, but I am not sure what that measurement is. I looked it up and learned that a parsec is a distance of 3.262 light years.
As for my second word, I chose the word proliferation. This is an important terms in the context of political science. This is defined as the rapid increase or rapid spread of something. So then and anti-proliferation agreement is an agreement to stop the rapid spread of something, such as nuclear weapons.
8/25/09 My evolution in writing.
I have made it through another first day of school. As this is my senior year, I assume that this will be my last "first day" of school. Writing a blog for a writing class is an unusual tool, but it is one that I think will be fun to use. This semester I have four poli sci classes. After listening to the professors discuss the green sheets for their classes, I expect this semester to be busy but rewarding.
There will be a lot of writing required for my classes, but that does not scare me. I am a competent writer. When I was younger, I had a real problem with my language skills. I think my first word was 'puppy'; I was not happy to find out that my first word was not 'mommy' or 'daddy'. My parents eventually became concerned with my lack of vocabulary. I was tested by a speech therapist who reported that I had 10% of the vocabulary that other children my age had. When I was three, I started speech therapy at Stanford University.
In elementary school, my writing assignments were very simplistic in structure. They were as simplistic as 'see Spot run' or 'see Spot bark'. At that time, reading and writing were difficult for me. I remember that twice a week six of us would leave our classroom after lunch to go to a dark room. I didn't realize it at that time, but that dark room was speech therapy lab. My classmates and I had private lessons with our teacher, Mr. Stone. We completed many different exercises and activities. These lessons helped me to expand my vocabulary and my language skills.
Over the years, my language skills have improved dramatically. Mom commented about the improvement in my skills between elementary and high school writing assignments. As we cleaned out our garage last summer, she found a short story I wrote in fourth grade. I reread the short story along with a short story I wrote my junior year. I must say, the difference was remarkable. I can't believe how simplistically I wrote.
I think the most important grammatical lesson I learned in elementary school was about the term 'a lot'. The teacher told us that this term was to be two separate words. She threatened us and urged us to never write it as 'alot'; I have never forgotten that lesson. It drives me crazy when I see this term written incorrectly in essays written for college classes. 'Alot' is my number 2 pet peeve. My number 1 pet peeve is the incorrect usage of 'there', 'their', and 'they're'.
There will be a lot of writing required for my classes, but that does not scare me. I am a competent writer. When I was younger, I had a real problem with my language skills. I think my first word was 'puppy'; I was not happy to find out that my first word was not 'mommy' or 'daddy'. My parents eventually became concerned with my lack of vocabulary. I was tested by a speech therapist who reported that I had 10% of the vocabulary that other children my age had. When I was three, I started speech therapy at Stanford University.
In elementary school, my writing assignments were very simplistic in structure. They were as simplistic as 'see Spot run' or 'see Spot bark'. At that time, reading and writing were difficult for me. I remember that twice a week six of us would leave our classroom after lunch to go to a dark room. I didn't realize it at that time, but that dark room was speech therapy lab. My classmates and I had private lessons with our teacher, Mr. Stone. We completed many different exercises and activities. These lessons helped me to expand my vocabulary and my language skills.
Over the years, my language skills have improved dramatically. Mom commented about the improvement in my skills between elementary and high school writing assignments. As we cleaned out our garage last summer, she found a short story I wrote in fourth grade. I reread the short story along with a short story I wrote my junior year. I must say, the difference was remarkable. I can't believe how simplistically I wrote.
I think the most important grammatical lesson I learned in elementary school was about the term 'a lot'. The teacher told us that this term was to be two separate words. She threatened us and urged us to never write it as 'alot'; I have never forgotten that lesson. It drives me crazy when I see this term written incorrectly in essays written for college classes. 'Alot' is my number 2 pet peeve. My number 1 pet peeve is the incorrect usage of 'there', 'their', and 'they're'.
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