This is a summary of an article that I used as a current event this past week in my Sports and Entertainment Marketing class. The article was from "The Culture" section of the most recent issue of Time Magazine. The makers of Moneyball have pulled off making an entertaining movie on baseball that is based on the A's in the early 2000s, at a time when they have never won a playoff. This movie, based on Michael Lewis's book and opened on September 23, stars Brad Pitt. Pitt plays the A's general manager, Billy Beane, who was known to recruit undervalued players.
This leads us to question which team plays the best moneyball, which is high on base percentage plus slugging percentage, low spending per win, and high number of wins. Based on the chart that was in the article, the team that has been found to play the best moneyball are the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. They play moneyball the best, but the teams that have the most wins since they had the biggest baseballs on the chart, which I think is more important, are the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox. The team with the lowest wins and smallest baseball on the chart is the Baltimore Orioles. I was surprised that I did not see any baseball representing the S.F. giants. There will be a spinoff of the movie; Taylor Lautner will star in Moneyball 2: Snakebitten and will play the Diamondbacker's general manager.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Biweekly :UC Prompt #2
This past summer, I went to Red Cross’s leadership development camp at Santa Clara University. There I got to meet many people from the Bay Area and Silicon Valley Chapters of the American Red Cross and also three international interns. We were separated into clans and I happened to end up at the Purple Grapes Clan.The first night that we were there, we ate dinner together with our clans.It was awkward since we all barely knew each other; I only knew Jin, Joan, and Brian since Jin and Joan were part of the Red Cross Yes Team in Alameda and Brian attended the youth executive board meetings. I happened to sit next to a boy that was a total stranger to me. There was an awkward silence that I felt like I should break by starting a conversation. However, I guess I was too slow and he asked me a question first. It was a casual conversation just asking about school related things, but little did I know that it would contribute to a memorable experience.
Througout the four days that we were at LDC, our clan participated in a series of group bonding activities such as personal sharings of leadership experiences, first aid and cpr, doing a clan anthem and skit, search and rescue, the clan dance. After a while, I felt that I really liked to talk to Brandon and to joke around with him, though I wasn't sure if he liked talking to me. During the "Maintaining a Red Cross Club" activity, I saw him standing by himself, playing with a chair. I asked him to come join me and my fellow Red Cross members from Alameda. In the beginning, he was reluctant, saying that he was antisocial. In the end, I just dragged him to my table because I couldn't stand him being alone. I continued to talk with him; this girl, Yuwen, that was also in my clan, Brandon, and I joke in Chinese that we were best friends. I also sent him a secret note since there was a secret buddy system. Sometimes, I think that he must’ve been annoyed by me.
During the last day, when we had to sign our clan member’s card, he wrote a message that touched me. He thanked me for talking to him and that he considered me as a best friend. I felt so happy; It made me feel that my efforts to be friends with him were all worth it. I am proud that when I am with someone thats not that talkative, I try to take the initiative to make friends even though I get scared. This reminds me of how Brandon said that he was antisocial. He must've taken a big leap of faith when he deicded to talk to me that night during dinner. This taught me that as long as you try reach out to someone, you can end up making a friend. I hope that I can continue to take that initiative and for Brandon to do so also.
Througout the four days that we were at LDC, our clan participated in a series of group bonding activities such as personal sharings of leadership experiences, first aid and cpr, doing a clan anthem and skit, search and rescue, the clan dance. After a while, I felt that I really liked to talk to Brandon and to joke around with him, though I wasn't sure if he liked talking to me. During the "Maintaining a Red Cross Club" activity, I saw him standing by himself, playing with a chair. I asked him to come join me and my fellow Red Cross members from Alameda. In the beginning, he was reluctant, saying that he was antisocial. In the end, I just dragged him to my table because I couldn't stand him being alone. I continued to talk with him; this girl, Yuwen, that was also in my clan, Brandon, and I joke in Chinese that we were best friends. I also sent him a secret note since there was a secret buddy system. Sometimes, I think that he must’ve been annoyed by me.
During the last day, when we had to sign our clan member’s card, he wrote a message that touched me. He thanked me for talking to him and that he considered me as a best friend. I felt so happy; It made me feel that my efforts to be friends with him were all worth it. I am proud that when I am with someone thats not that talkative, I try to take the initiative to make friends even though I get scared. This reminds me of how Brandon said that he was antisocial. He must've taken a big leap of faith when he deicded to talk to me that night during dinner. This taught me that as long as you try reach out to someone, you can end up making a friend. I hope that I can continue to take that initiative and for Brandon to do so also.
Monday, September 26, 2011
RE: to Start Realizing
"We get the fact that you hate your lifeand how your life sucks, but open your eyes and realize how thankful you are tobe here in the first place. People don’t realize how lucky they are to havewhat they already have. If you have a shelter, food, water, family and friendswho care about you, then you’re pretty lucky in my book."
-Kristen
http://kristenhe.blogspot.com/2011/09/free-start-realizing.html
I agree that lots of people do not realize how much they have. They always think about the things that they do not have instead of thinking of those that they do have that other people don't. People need to count their blessings more and getting caught up in jealousy towards others. It would be really tragic if people in third world countries or those in crises hear us complaining of such insignificant things when they are going through more suffering than we are. This reminds me of this thing that I heard one time about how there are people in Africa that worry whether they have enough to eat while we worry about what kind of food we want to eat.
Because of this, I get really angry at people that want millions of dollars and think that they will be happy; it is such a false view. They believe that money makes the world go round when it ultimately does not. Most of the things that they claim they need are not needs, they are wants. They do not realize that no matter how much materialistic things they have, they will keep on wanting more; it's an endless cycle. With money comes a lot of problems such as temptation of gambling and corruption. Instead of focusing their minds on secular things, people should focus more on helping those in need. Because most of us have grown up in fairly nice conditions given many things, we should be expected to give more to others.
-Kristen
http://kristenhe.blogspot.com/2011/09/free-start-realizing.html
I agree that lots of people do not realize how much they have. They always think about the things that they do not have instead of thinking of those that they do have that other people don't. People need to count their blessings more and getting caught up in jealousy towards others. It would be really tragic if people in third world countries or those in crises hear us complaining of such insignificant things when they are going through more suffering than we are. This reminds me of this thing that I heard one time about how there are people in Africa that worry whether they have enough to eat while we worry about what kind of food we want to eat.
Because of this, I get really angry at people that want millions of dollars and think that they will be happy; it is such a false view. They believe that money makes the world go round when it ultimately does not. Most of the things that they claim they need are not needs, they are wants. They do not realize that no matter how much materialistic things they have, they will keep on wanting more; it's an endless cycle. With money comes a lot of problems such as temptation of gambling and corruption. Instead of focusing their minds on secular things, people should focus more on helping those in need. Because most of us have grown up in fairly nice conditions given many things, we should be expected to give more to others.
CE: Mexico drug war victims call for justice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAN3V4d7-oE&feature=youtube_gdata
from Aljazeera
Though Mexico is right next to the United States, the standards of living are so different. While the United States is one of the "top dog" countries, Mexico is fairly poor. Because of its poverty, gangs compete to sell drugs to earn money. It is sad that Mexican civilians that do not participate in the violence have to live with a fear in their hearts that they can be killed if they just happen to come across it. It is a shame that the government fails to protect its people; I mean, how is it possible that people are shot in broad daylight and the murderers are still roaming around free. With no government, the people can only turn to churches for comfort.
It is pathetic that the new governor is not trying to seek justice for the murder case three years ago just because it was not in his term. Because of this,Ana, the mom of one of the victims, has given up on seeking justice for her son. No wonder so many Mexicans sneak across the border. Since Americans do not like Mexicans coming over and doing unfavorable things such as taking away jobs, some that want a better life cannot pursue one. However, it is ironic because I read in a Time magazine that the U.S. is considered a supporter of the Mexico's drug industry because it is a large purchaser of those drugs. I also read tat there is a lot of corruption in the Mexican police force, with officers cooperating with drug sellers.
from Aljazeera
Though Mexico is right next to the United States, the standards of living are so different. While the United States is one of the "top dog" countries, Mexico is fairly poor. Because of its poverty, gangs compete to sell drugs to earn money. It is sad that Mexican civilians that do not participate in the violence have to live with a fear in their hearts that they can be killed if they just happen to come across it. It is a shame that the government fails to protect its people; I mean, how is it possible that people are shot in broad daylight and the murderers are still roaming around free. With no government, the people can only turn to churches for comfort.
It is pathetic that the new governor is not trying to seek justice for the murder case three years ago just because it was not in his term. Because of this,Ana, the mom of one of the victims, has given up on seeking justice for her son. No wonder so many Mexicans sneak across the border. Since Americans do not like Mexicans coming over and doing unfavorable things such as taking away jobs, some that want a better life cannot pursue one. However, it is ironic because I read in a Time magazine that the U.S. is considered a supporter of the Mexico's drug industry because it is a large purchaser of those drugs. I also read tat there is a lot of corruption in the Mexican police force, with officers cooperating with drug sellers.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Free :Tennis
During the summer, when tennis practice first started, Sally, Kim, and I were really nervous that we were not going to make the team because we felt that we were in the "reject" group. However, over time we were no longer in there. I was sad that I had no permanent partner to play with since Kim and Sally were partners. During tryouts I had to play singles against others. I was so happy when I made it on the team because Coach Courtland told me that I was the last one to make the cut. But that happiness has faded since then because I found out that I might be playing singles for the rest of the season.
Since I don't have a doubles partner, I have been playing singles in the matches against other school. This makes me nervous and at times I want to cry. I feel like I do not have the mental strength to play because I get nervous and I cannot hit like I do when I rally. The box for playing singles is also much smaller and I can't volley. I am scared for the league matches that I coming up. I am scared that I will lost in one of the deciding matches. I feel that it would be inappropriate to tell the coaches that I do not want to play singles but I am really scared. I have already lost my matches during the second day of Fresno and against St. Mary's.
Since I don't have a doubles partner, I have been playing singles in the matches against other school. This makes me nervous and at times I want to cry. I feel like I do not have the mental strength to play because I get nervous and I cannot hit like I do when I rally. The box for playing singles is also much smaller and I can't volley. I am scared for the league matches that I coming up. I am scared that I will lost in one of the deciding matches. I feel that it would be inappropriate to tell the coaches that I do not want to play singles but I am really scared. I have already lost my matches during the second day of Fresno and against St. Mary's.
RE: to Mr. Sutherland's But What is "Poverty"
http://j1t.blogspot.com/2011/09/but-what-is-poverty.html
Wealth and poverty is a means that people use to distinguish classes in society. When it is said, the first thing that people automatically think of is money.
During the discussion yesterday in class,someone said that people should donate when they are financially stable. I think that shows that some people don't really care that much about people in need. I think that a lot of people are financially stable, they just don't think they are. The reason is that they have many secular wants that aren't really needs. A lot of people can be helped if people chose to spend less on materialistic things.
Some people think that there is nothing wrong with being rich, but I think that being really rich is being FILTHY rich. With money comes many problems that people don't think about. When people have money, they tend to look down on others, gamble, do drugs, and other bad things. I know that that does not apply to everyone, but I feel that it does apply to a majority. Money also comes with emotional problems because you never know whether the people around you really like you or is just treating you as a friend with benefits. I think that people should focus more on being satisfied with what they have. It is the most beautiful thing when people give a lot of charity even though they do not have much. The reason that those kinds of people are not recognized is because the amounts they give is little in comparison to people who give millions. But if people have alot and still do after they give, that means they have made basically no sacrifice at all.
Wealth and poverty is a means that people use to distinguish classes in society. When it is said, the first thing that people automatically think of is money.
During the discussion yesterday in class,someone said that people should donate when they are financially stable. I think that shows that some people don't really care that much about people in need. I think that a lot of people are financially stable, they just don't think they are. The reason is that they have many secular wants that aren't really needs. A lot of people can be helped if people chose to spend less on materialistic things.
Some people think that there is nothing wrong with being rich, but I think that being really rich is being FILTHY rich. With money comes many problems that people don't think about. When people have money, they tend to look down on others, gamble, do drugs, and other bad things. I know that that does not apply to everyone, but I feel that it does apply to a majority. Money also comes with emotional problems because you never know whether the people around you really like you or is just treating you as a friend with benefits. I think that people should focus more on being satisfied with what they have. It is the most beautiful thing when people give a lot of charity even though they do not have much. The reason that those kinds of people are not recognized is because the amounts they give is little in comparison to people who give millions. But if people have alot and still do after they give, that means they have made basically no sacrifice at all.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
CE: Typhoon Roke Hits Japan
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia-pacific/2011/09/20119217154335987.html
It is unfortunate that although Japan has been hit by two big earthquakes this past year, it got hit by yet another typhoon. I remember the earthquake earlier this year that caused an uproar in the Bay Area. Everyone was concerned that the radiation would damage us in terms of our health and people were scared to go outside. Good thing that it was in amounts that were not dangerous. Luckily, these days, when big natural disasters occur, there are charitable organizations that fundraise and donate to help with the relief. I remember that for the Japan earthquake, my Red Cross Club sold silly bands and Alameda High had a food faire specifically for Japan's earthquake. By selling pasta at the food fair, we were able to earn over two hundred dollars. Hopefully, there will be a lot of donations for Japan's recovery from Typhoon Roke.
I worry that that the Bay Area will be hit by a powerful earthquake or other natural disaster because I question whether we will be able to recover quickly. Even though Japan is so technologically advanced it is still in recovery. I think that there will not be as many casualties if cities were not so modernized. During natural disaster, most people die not from the disaster itself, but from materialistic things. For example, during fires, people have a hard time escaping because buildings are so tall nowadays. Also, during floods or hurricanes, most people die not from drowning but slamming into hard materials.
It is unfortunate that although Japan has been hit by two big earthquakes this past year, it got hit by yet another typhoon. I remember the earthquake earlier this year that caused an uproar in the Bay Area. Everyone was concerned that the radiation would damage us in terms of our health and people were scared to go outside. Good thing that it was in amounts that were not dangerous. Luckily, these days, when big natural disasters occur, there are charitable organizations that fundraise and donate to help with the relief. I remember that for the Japan earthquake, my Red Cross Club sold silly bands and Alameda High had a food faire specifically for Japan's earthquake. By selling pasta at the food fair, we were able to earn over two hundred dollars. Hopefully, there will be a lot of donations for Japan's recovery from Typhoon Roke.
I worry that that the Bay Area will be hit by a powerful earthquake or other natural disaster because I question whether we will be able to recover quickly. Even though Japan is so technologically advanced it is still in recovery. I think that there will not be as many casualties if cities were not so modernized. During natural disaster, most people die not from the disaster itself, but from materialistic things. For example, during fires, people have a hard time escaping because buildings are so tall nowadays. Also, during floods or hurricanes, most people die not from drowning but slamming into hard materials.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Response to "Senior Schedule"
"I decided to reward myself of what I would call a dream schedule."- Nathan Wong
http://wongyingjie.blogspot.com/2011/09/senior-schedule.html
This year, I also have 0-4th period and it truly is a dream schedule. In the beginning, I had 1-5th period and now that I changed, I see that it makes a big difference.It is great not having to rush during lunch and 0 period goes by so fast. The best day of the week is Tuesday; when I get off school I still have four hours to myself before tennis practice starts. During my sophomore and my junior year, I took 0-6 and it was so dreary.
I am enjoying senior year so far and I look forward for all the senior events to come. I especially look forward to senior prom and the senior picnic. When I heard the rumor that Ms.Lara cancelled the picnic, I was so sad, but thankfully it wasn't true. Though college applications might not be that fun, I'm sure that I will manage. I pray that I will not procrastinate, especially since I do not have much homework, and not be able to turn in my application because the system broke down.
I really can't believe that this will be my last year at Alameda High. Sigh, time just keeps on going by faster and faster. I am excited to go off to college, but I will definitely miss all my friends. It's sad that even though we have known eachother for so long, yet eventually we have to go our separate ways.I hope that there will not be a lot of drama and that this will be a memorable year for everyone.
http://wongyingjie.blogspot.com/2011/09/senior-schedule.html
This year, I also have 0-4th period and it truly is a dream schedule. In the beginning, I had 1-5th period and now that I changed, I see that it makes a big difference.It is great not having to rush during lunch and 0 period goes by so fast. The best day of the week is Tuesday; when I get off school I still have four hours to myself before tennis practice starts. During my sophomore and my junior year, I took 0-6 and it was so dreary.
I am enjoying senior year so far and I look forward for all the senior events to come. I especially look forward to senior prom and the senior picnic. When I heard the rumor that Ms.Lara cancelled the picnic, I was so sad, but thankfully it wasn't true. Though college applications might not be that fun, I'm sure that I will manage. I pray that I will not procrastinate, especially since I do not have much homework, and not be able to turn in my application because the system broke down.
I really can't believe that this will be my last year at Alameda High. Sigh, time just keeps on going by faster and faster. I am excited to go off to college, but I will definitely miss all my friends. It's sad that even though we have known eachother for so long, yet eventually we have to go our separate ways.I hope that there will not be a lot of drama and that this will be a memorable year for everyone.
Current Event : Djokovic beats Nadal to win US Open
http://english.aljazeera.net//sport/tennis/2011/09/201191303339382653.html
I am surprised that Nadal lost his number one title so quickly. He was known as the king of topspin. He has big advantages such as being left handed and having a two handed backhand; being left handed allows him to put a different type of spin on the ball and using two hands makes his backhand stronger. I am also disappointed that Roger Federer lost in the semifinals. I loved matching him play, especially when he does the tweener between his legs and they end up being winners.
This reminds me of the current event that I did this past week in my sports and entertainment marketing class on Djokovic. Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic used to be known for "djoking" around and his impressions of Rafael Nadal, John McEnroe, and Maria Sharapova. Now he is stepping up his game. This past year he has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He has a 52-7 record for the year with only losses from Rogerer Federer in the French Open and Andy Roddick in the Western and Southern Open.
In the article that I read, it said the key to his wins is his physical conditioning. He found out that he was allergic to gluten which he has laid off. Now, he does not experience fatigue anymore and can play in long matches. I wonder how long his winning streak is going to go until someone else takes the number one title from him. There will hopefully be more current news on tennis for me to write about because it is my favorite sport.
I am surprised that Nadal lost his number one title so quickly. He was known as the king of topspin. He has big advantages such as being left handed and having a two handed backhand; being left handed allows him to put a different type of spin on the ball and using two hands makes his backhand stronger. I am also disappointed that Roger Federer lost in the semifinals. I loved matching him play, especially when he does the tweener between his legs and they end up being winners.
This reminds me of the current event that I did this past week in my sports and entertainment marketing class on Djokovic. Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic used to be known for "djoking" around and his impressions of Rafael Nadal, John McEnroe, and Maria Sharapova. Now he is stepping up his game. This past year he has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He has a 52-7 record for the year with only losses from Rogerer Federer in the French Open and Andy Roddick in the Western and Southern Open.
In the article that I read, it said the key to his wins is his physical conditioning. He found out that he was allergic to gluten which he has laid off. Now, he does not experience fatigue anymore and can play in long matches. I wonder how long his winning streak is going to go until someone else takes the number one title from him. There will hopefully be more current news on tennis for me to write about because it is my favorite sport.
Free Post : Tutoring
During the summer,I took Japanese a Laney College. One day, when I was walking to the bus stop, a lady called at me from an apartment. I went over to her to see what she wanted. It turned out that she was looking for a tutor for her daughter who was going to be in fourth grade. I had nothing to do on the weekends so I took the job. I started tutoring her on the first week of August and I am currently still on Saturdays and Sundays. I do not get paid much but that's okay since they just immigrated from Malaysia and probably do not have much money. At first, I thought tutoring Nancy was fine, but now I have encountered a problem.. .
I think that she might have a learning disability and worry that she will not able to catch up at school. Doing worksheets and reading with her, I realized that her memory is really poor. When I ask her for an answer to a problem and she gives me the wrong answer, I tell her that it's wrong, but like less than a minute later, she says the same thing again. Normally, when kids know the alphabet sounds, they can sound out words, but when she tries, it sounds nothing like what it looks like; she adds a whole bunch of extra sounds that I have no idea wher she gets them from. Sometimes, she even has a hard time with basic math. Right now, her class is learning to round to the millions and she does not even know how to round to the tens.
Everytime I tutor her I end up yelling at her because I get so frustrated. I really don't know how to help her if she learns at such a slow pace and has such a bad memory. I go to her home for four hours each weekend and we barely get anything done. I kind of want to quit but at the same time I feel bad since it's only been a month and I'm sure that they won't find another person who is willing to get paid what I get. I'm not exactly sue what to do at this point. Can someone offer me some advice?
I think that she might have a learning disability and worry that she will not able to catch up at school. Doing worksheets and reading with her, I realized that her memory is really poor. When I ask her for an answer to a problem and she gives me the wrong answer, I tell her that it's wrong, but like less than a minute later, she says the same thing again. Normally, when kids know the alphabet sounds, they can sound out words, but when she tries, it sounds nothing like what it looks like; she adds a whole bunch of extra sounds that I have no idea wher she gets them from. Sometimes, she even has a hard time with basic math. Right now, her class is learning to round to the millions and she does not even know how to round to the tens.
Everytime I tutor her I end up yelling at her because I get so frustrated. I really don't know how to help her if she learns at such a slow pace and has such a bad memory. I go to her home for four hours each weekend and we barely get anything done. I kind of want to quit but at the same time I feel bad since it's only been a month and I'm sure that they won't find another person who is willing to get paid what I get. I'm not exactly sue what to do at this point. Can someone offer me some advice?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Biweekly :College Prompt
Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
"Even though you might not live a life for God, I hope you can live a life for others."
That is one thing that my brother said to me that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Growing up in Oakland when I was a child, my family was not rich; we had to live off of food stamps from the government, my sister quit college early to work, and I remember just living very frugally. Compared to that life that I live now, living in Alameda and living a pretty nice lifestyle,I should be happier now. The problem is that I'm not. Through the past years, I always thought that it was because I needed more materialistic things or that because my mom is mental and I would be happier if she just went back to China. However, after much though, I have come to the conclusion that the source of my unhappiness is the broken relationships I have with my family.
When I was little, I used to do everything with my mom.Because my mom somewhat has a mental illness that had gotten worse starting when I was in elementary school, I stopped talking to her and ignored all the questions that she'd ask me. Now that I am almost an adult, I have a bad attitude when my sister minds my business;I sometimes ignore her too. I really need to change my attitude and try to help my mom in pain and get along with my sister who is the one supporting my dad in China, my mom, and me. I really miss the ties that I used to have with my family, like engaging in conversation and eating dinner together every night. This has made me realize that self sufficiency does not lead to happiness.
After my brother moved to Davis and went to church, I have seen an amazing transformation. Now, he is working as a teacher for special education kids. I always wondered why he chose that job when he could have chosen another one that makes more money and is more well respected. It shows that he really cares about other people, no matter what they are like. Seeing my brother live such a selfless life has encouraged me to do more community service, which I have done so much that it became a part of my daily life. I realized that it was a much more meaningful way to spend my time that being alone in my room using the computer.I have made a life goal of pursuing a career in which I will be able to interact other people, especially those in need. That is why I want to be a nurse practitioner. I want to do something meaningful with my life like establishing relationships with other people. Hopefully, working with patients, I will come across people that are mentally ill, and realize that there are a lot of people like my mom out in the world and that will help me cope with my mom better.
"Even though you might not live a life for God, I hope you can live a life for others."
That is one thing that my brother said to me that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Growing up in Oakland when I was a child, my family was not rich; we had to live off of food stamps from the government, my sister quit college early to work, and I remember just living very frugally. Compared to that life that I live now, living in Alameda and living a pretty nice lifestyle,I should be happier now. The problem is that I'm not. Through the past years, I always thought that it was because I needed more materialistic things or that because my mom is mental and I would be happier if she just went back to China. However, after much though, I have come to the conclusion that the source of my unhappiness is the broken relationships I have with my family.
When I was little, I used to do everything with my mom.Because my mom somewhat has a mental illness that had gotten worse starting when I was in elementary school, I stopped talking to her and ignored all the questions that she'd ask me. Now that I am almost an adult, I have a bad attitude when my sister minds my business;I sometimes ignore her too. I really need to change my attitude and try to help my mom in pain and get along with my sister who is the one supporting my dad in China, my mom, and me. I really miss the ties that I used to have with my family, like engaging in conversation and eating dinner together every night. This has made me realize that self sufficiency does not lead to happiness.
After my brother moved to Davis and went to church, I have seen an amazing transformation. Now, he is working as a teacher for special education kids. I always wondered why he chose that job when he could have chosen another one that makes more money and is more well respected. It shows that he really cares about other people, no matter what they are like. Seeing my brother live such a selfless life has encouraged me to do more community service, which I have done so much that it became a part of my daily life. I realized that it was a much more meaningful way to spend my time that being alone in my room using the computer.I have made a life goal of pursuing a career in which I will be able to interact other people, especially those in need. That is why I want to be a nurse practitioner. I want to do something meaningful with my life like establishing relationships with other people. Hopefully, working with patients, I will come across people that are mentally ill, and realize that there are a lot of people like my mom out in the world and that will help me cope with my mom better.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Free : LDC 2011
This summer was very memorable for me because I was able to attend Red Cross’s Leadership Development Center once again. This year is was at Santa Clara University, a campus that was beautiful. I was able to be recertified in CPR and First Aid. I was in the Purple Grapes clan, the most awesome group ever. Though in the beginning it was kind of awkward since we didn’t know each other, after the three days, I felt so close to them in a way I have never really felt with others. We did so many memorable things together.
For our clan anthem, we sang “The Grape Life” a modified version of “The Good Life” by One Republic. For our skit, we put a twist to Snow White, where she becomes Snow Purple and instead of the Seven Dwarves, there were the Seven Principles of the Red Cross –Humanity, Individuality, Neutrality, Impartiality, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. During the dance competition, we danced to Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory. I had an awesome time and the people in my group were just so sweet. I was so touched that each and every single one of us got out of our comfort zone and was able to participate in the discussions and search and rescue, giving their all. After LDC was over, I had a hard time adjusting back to normal day life because I missed my grapes of much that I watched the dance video like thirty times.
I MISS MY GRAPES, CHRISTINE HO, SARAH LYNNE PENALOSA, BRANDON KAN, KEVIN HONG, JOAN BARCELONA, JESSICA HUANG, YUWEN LI, CHRISTINA BELLEMARIPOSA NWABUZOH, CHARISSE MAE SALCEDO, BRYAN CHING, BRIAN ZHANG, JIN MEI, AND SARAAVYA!
For our clan anthem, we sang “The Grape Life” a modified version of “The Good Life” by One Republic. For our skit, we put a twist to Snow White, where she becomes Snow Purple and instead of the Seven Dwarves, there were the Seven Principles of the Red Cross –Humanity, Individuality, Neutrality, Impartiality, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. During the dance competition, we danced to Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory. I had an awesome time and the people in my group were just so sweet. I was so touched that each and every single one of us got out of our comfort zone and was able to participate in the discussions and search and rescue, giving their all. After LDC was over, I had a hard time adjusting back to normal day life because I missed my grapes of much that I watched the dance video like thirty times.
I MISS MY GRAPES, CHRISTINE HO, SARAH LYNNE PENALOSA, BRANDON KAN, KEVIN HONG, JOAN BARCELONA, JESSICA HUANG, YUWEN LI, CHRISTINA BELLEMARIPOSA NWABUZOH, CHARISSE MAE SALCEDO, BRYAN CHING, BRIAN ZHANG, JIN MEI, AND SARAAVYA!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Response to Kristen's 9/11 current event
"This growing fear of losing security has made politicians promise things that cannot be done. In my opinion, to improve homeland security would be a HUGE task to handle. You cannot predict people's movements and thoughts, so it makes taking the next step a hard one." -Kristen He
http://kristenhe.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-11.html
I agree strongly with this statement. This makes me question whether the troops in Afghanistan will ever come back. Obama is bringing back all the troops from Iraq, but 66,000 will still remain in Afghanistan, leading to many Americans thinking that Obama was not as progressive as we had hoped for. The war against terror has been over a decade so that even hardcore Republicans are starting to be swayed. Because the war is a matter of morality and U.S. security, Obama was not able to keep his promise of pulling out troops quickly. Dealing with the Middle East is a huge task do to because it involves spending a lot of money, money that the U.S. does not currently have.
It is true that the terrorist's movements are unpredictable, but they are less of a threat now. In a recent Meet the Press news show, Senator John Kerry, talked of a recent plane crash in Afghanistan. It was in a way positive since it was not a large scale attack. This shows that the terrorists are not currently capable of one. Since threat from Afghanistan is dwindling, I think that the U.S. needs to go back to nation building instead of continuing its position as the police power in the world. This also reminds me that the U.S. should also not have involved itself in Libya, that Obama violated the War Powers Resolution, and that once Gadaffi is dealt with, U.S. troops should not stay there for peace keeping.
http://kristenhe.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-11.html
I agree strongly with this statement. This makes me question whether the troops in Afghanistan will ever come back. Obama is bringing back all the troops from Iraq, but 66,000 will still remain in Afghanistan, leading to many Americans thinking that Obama was not as progressive as we had hoped for. The war against terror has been over a decade so that even hardcore Republicans are starting to be swayed. Because the war is a matter of morality and U.S. security, Obama was not able to keep his promise of pulling out troops quickly. Dealing with the Middle East is a huge task do to because it involves spending a lot of money, money that the U.S. does not currently have.
It is true that the terrorist's movements are unpredictable, but they are less of a threat now. In a recent Meet the Press news show, Senator John Kerry, talked of a recent plane crash in Afghanistan. It was in a way positive since it was not a large scale attack. This shows that the terrorists are not currently capable of one. Since threat from Afghanistan is dwindling, I think that the U.S. needs to go back to nation building instead of continuing its position as the police power in the world. This also reminds me that the U.S. should also not have involved itself in Libya, that Obama violated the War Powers Resolution, and that once Gadaffi is dealt with, U.S. troops should not stay there for peace keeping.
CE : Unemployment and Economic Independence
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/09/2011983341818860.html
Ever since I planned to take AP Gov, I had to follow political news over the summer. Due to this, I was able to better understand the problems the are plaguing the U.S. currently such as the debt ceiling and unemployment. In this article, the Repulican candidates Mitt Romney and rick Perry are debating over jobs because it is currently the number one problem American families are facing. Romney and Perry are addressing jobs to show that they will do something about the problem that Obama has not been able to solve, but has made even worse. With unemployment at 9.1%, it is unlikely that Obama will be re-elected since no president has ever been reelected at at a time where unemployment was over 7. something%. Also, Obama has increased the national debt by trillions and has been unable to fulfill many of the promises for change that he had made.
Recently in government class, we split up into groups to look into important parts of several sections in the textbook. In the fourth chapter, American Political Culture, there was a table showing that only 23% of Americans believed that it was the government's responsibility to take care of the poor who couldn't take care of themselves and 63% believed that hard work guarantees success. It also said that This shows that Americans believe in economic independence. When Perry attacks Social Security, he is demonstrating this belief that Americans should not have to rely on the government especially when they are truly capable of taking care of themselves. That reminds me of an article that I read in the summer that over half of all Americans receive benefits from the government and I am positive that not everyone that receives it is really in need.
Ever since I planned to take AP Gov, I had to follow political news over the summer. Due to this, I was able to better understand the problems the are plaguing the U.S. currently such as the debt ceiling and unemployment. In this article, the Repulican candidates Mitt Romney and rick Perry are debating over jobs because it is currently the number one problem American families are facing. Romney and Perry are addressing jobs to show that they will do something about the problem that Obama has not been able to solve, but has made even worse. With unemployment at 9.1%, it is unlikely that Obama will be re-elected since no president has ever been reelected at at a time where unemployment was over 7. something%. Also, Obama has increased the national debt by trillions and has been unable to fulfill many of the promises for change that he had made.
Recently in government class, we split up into groups to look into important parts of several sections in the textbook. In the fourth chapter, American Political Culture, there was a table showing that only 23% of Americans believed that it was the government's responsibility to take care of the poor who couldn't take care of themselves and 63% believed that hard work guarantees success. It also said that This shows that Americans believe in economic independence. When Perry attacks Social Security, he is demonstrating this belief that Americans should not have to rely on the government especially when they are truly capable of taking care of themselves. That reminds me of an article that I read in the summer that over half of all Americans receive benefits from the government and I am positive that not everyone that receives it is really in need.
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