Hunting is one of my favorite things to do and unfortunately the season is coming to a close. I hunt in Mississippi near Woodville and I am mostly a deer hunter. My final weekend is coming up, but sadly I won't be able to go because my dad is working. This kind of sucks because I didn't kill a buck this year. That's not really a big deal, but I was really itching to get one last weekend and I wasn't able to.
I had a good year I guess. I killed a few does and my new 30-06 (a type of gun) was dead on all year. We were able to do a bit more duck hunting at our camp as well this year, even though the water was a little high. I also enjoyed being able to explore some new areas that we hadn't really hunted before this year. We killed some deer from some different stands and instead of being mostly on box stands as my dad and I had been on for the past few years, we were able to get up in the woods more and try a relatively different kind of hunting. Overall it was a pretty good hunting season and hopefully I'll get a buck next year.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Research Update
I have been researching pretty well. My topic is about how planes and their weapons impacted World War 2. I have been doing pretty well with it even though I am still flip-flopping between looking at all the countries involved in the war and looking only at the allies or even just the americans. I haven't found very much country specific information so far, but I guess if I do I will use my second idea and if not just use the more general topic.
My research has been going pretty well so far, but I have been having a little bit of difficulty with specifics and it also seems like I get a lot of lists of planes instead of general information about them. This problem has been solved a little bit by using the databases, and I didn't even know that there was such a thing as google scholar (Thanks Dr. D). These have helped me to get some good sources, but I still need two for Friday. I am also having trouble finding a primary source and am wondering if anyone else has had luck with a certain website or type of search. Overall my research is coming together pretty well.
My research has been going pretty well so far, but I have been having a little bit of difficulty with specifics and it also seems like I get a lot of lists of planes instead of general information about them. This problem has been solved a little bit by using the databases, and I didn't even know that there was such a thing as google scholar (Thanks Dr. D). These have helped me to get some good sources, but I still need two for Friday. I am also having trouble finding a primary source and am wondering if anyone else has had luck with a certain website or type of search. Overall my research is coming together pretty well.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Reading Response
The Kill Order by: James Dashner 35 mins 1/12/13
Zombie Island by: Samantha Hoffman 2 hrs. 1/13/13
pgs. 182
I finally finished The Kill Order after a while without reading it. It had a pretty predictable ending, (probably because it was a prequel to a series I already read) but was still good. I kind of figured out that I like post-apocaulyptic books which is kind of morbid, but whatever. I have read two series like that and Zombie Island also falls into this category. Dashner has an interesting way of writing and that is why I think I have stuck with his whole series. He describes action scenes in such vivid detail that I think I am there fighting the flare and it really captures your attention. I loved the whole series and am sad to see it go.
Zombie Island is a single book I think, but it has a great plot so far. I have never really read a zombie book before, but I guess they probably all have the same general idea to them. This one breaks the cliché a little bit I think because it adds a sort of romance factor, which action or survival books sometimes lack. I have read a pretty good bit of it and it is very exciting. It keeps you turning the pages because you want to see how the characters will react to certain foreshadowed events. One thing that I have noticed that I haven't really seen before is that there are a lot of typos and other mistakes that you don't expect in a professional novel. It doesn't really retract from the story though and the book is very good.
Zombie Island by: Samantha Hoffman 2 hrs. 1/13/13
pgs. 182
I finally finished The Kill Order after a while without reading it. It had a pretty predictable ending, (probably because it was a prequel to a series I already read) but was still good. I kind of figured out that I like post-apocaulyptic books which is kind of morbid, but whatever. I have read two series like that and Zombie Island also falls into this category. Dashner has an interesting way of writing and that is why I think I have stuck with his whole series. He describes action scenes in such vivid detail that I think I am there fighting the flare and it really captures your attention. I loved the whole series and am sad to see it go.
Zombie Island is a single book I think, but it has a great plot so far. I have never really read a zombie book before, but I guess they probably all have the same general idea to them. This one breaks the cliché a little bit I think because it adds a sort of romance factor, which action or survival books sometimes lack. I have read a pretty good bit of it and it is very exciting. It keeps you turning the pages because you want to see how the characters will react to certain foreshadowed events. One thing that I have noticed that I haven't really seen before is that there are a lot of typos and other mistakes that you don't expect in a professional novel. It doesn't really retract from the story though and the book is very good.
Free Post
Baseball work has begun!!!! The best season of the year is nearly upon us. I love baseball and my favorite time of the year is almost here. We have been working out in the offseason and our first day of practice is January 21. It's going to be a great day (If it ever quits raining before then). We have been working out everyday for the past few weeks, but that isn't official practice. These workouts haven't been easy either. I'm so glad when it's only a Monday or Wednesday because then I only have to hit and then I get to go home. The other days are a bit tougher. We condition on the other days and it is tough. It involves lots of pushups and various other things that make your body feel like it got hit by a truck. Hopefully it'll all pay off in the end, because they are hard.
Today and the past couple days the rain has saved us from these sessions (maybe the rain isn't so bad). We have been meeting instead in the locker room. These meetings can be very informative, but also end up being repetitive and boring, especially when it's only managerial type stuff and not really talking about baseball. Our preseason stuff has been good, but I'm ready to finally start up the season. It should be a good year of baseball.
Today and the past couple days the rain has saved us from these sessions (maybe the rain isn't so bad). We have been meeting instead in the locker room. These meetings can be very informative, but also end up being repetitive and boring, especially when it's only managerial type stuff and not really talking about baseball. Our preseason stuff has been good, but I'm ready to finally start up the season. It should be a good year of baseball.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Reading Over the Semester
Most difficult to least difficult reads: In Defense of Food, LOTF, The Throne of Fire, Nation, Insurgent, Divergent, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine, The Serpent's Shadow, Cherub: 1, Cherub: 2, All of my own selected reading was pretty much on the same playing field so after about the first four they are kind of the same.
I think I have done a pretty good job reading this year. I have always liked to read, but when annotating is brought up I think of "Blehhh". I love to read adventure books and other action-filled stories. These are normally the ones that I choose to read and I enjoy them a lot. I think one of my weaknesses is that I'm not very open-minde about reading (In Defense of Food strengthened that trait of mine). I like to read a whole series and then when it's over I'm sad and have to find a new one. I don't like nonfiction that much unless it's about sports and I read very slowly when I have to annotate. This is kind of what I learned about myself as reader this semester.
I think that I should set a goal of finding a book that is not in a series that I enjoy. This might help me be more open-minded in what I select and maybe not so much of a "series reader". I also need to do a better job of tracking my specific reading times for these blogs. I normally have my overall time for the week and then I split it up logically over a few days on my blog. This is not a good habit and I will try to break it next semester. I will also try to find a nonfiction book that I like. This will help me broaden my horizons and might open up a whole new area of reading that I have never explored. Hopefully I can accomplish these goals.
Reading Times:
LOTF 12/7 1 hr. 12/9 35 mins
The Kill Order by: James Dashner 12/8 1hr. 10 mins
I think I have done a pretty good job reading this year. I have always liked to read, but when annotating is brought up I think of "Blehhh". I love to read adventure books and other action-filled stories. These are normally the ones that I choose to read and I enjoy them a lot. I think one of my weaknesses is that I'm not very open-minde about reading (In Defense of Food strengthened that trait of mine). I like to read a whole series and then when it's over I'm sad and have to find a new one. I don't like nonfiction that much unless it's about sports and I read very slowly when I have to annotate. This is kind of what I learned about myself as reader this semester.
I think that I should set a goal of finding a book that is not in a series that I enjoy. This might help me be more open-minded in what I select and maybe not so much of a "series reader". I also need to do a better job of tracking my specific reading times for these blogs. I normally have my overall time for the week and then I split it up logically over a few days on my blog. This is not a good habit and I will try to break it next semester. I will also try to find a nonfiction book that I like. This will help me broaden my horizons and might open up a whole new area of reading that I have never explored. Hopefully I can accomplish these goals.
Reading Times:
LOTF 12/7 1 hr. 12/9 35 mins
The Kill Order by: James Dashner 12/8 1hr. 10 mins
Power through Chapter 11
Chapter 11 was a huge chapter as far as my reading focus goes. There were some big power shifts and the conch breaking made me very sad. So, in chapter eleven, Ralph's "reign", if you would, comes to an end when he is the only one left on his side. Piggy is dead. He had been loyal to Ralph and always sided with him even if it took a while and now that whole relationship is out of the picture. Ralph is now literally up against the whole island who now basically wants to kill him since it is ruled by Jack. Ralph knows how it will be when Jack, "Hurled [hurls] his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph's ribs." (181). This is when he figures out that the power struggle between himself and Jack has become a battle to the death. This struggle had been going on throughout the story, but is focused right here.
Another obvious thing that happened in chapter eleven related to power was that the conch is destroyed. This has been the number one item in this story and it had everything to do with Ralph's power as chief. The conch gave him his power as the leader and now that it has, "exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." (181) I would say that Ralph's time as chief is up. This was a huge symbolic item and now that it is gone Jack has total control of the island with the savages. Power was fully given to Jack in this chapter and everyone, including Sam and Eric, are now part of his group. Jack has taken over. Everyone must die.
Another obvious thing that happened in chapter eleven related to power was that the conch is destroyed. This has been the number one item in this story and it had everything to do with Ralph's power as chief. The conch gave him his power as the leader and now that it has, "exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." (181) I would say that Ralph's time as chief is up. This was a huge symbolic item and now that it is gone Jack has total control of the island with the savages. Power was fully given to Jack in this chapter and everyone, including Sam and Eric, are now part of his group. Jack has taken over. Everyone must die.
Monday, December 3, 2012
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