Fact of the Day: English

Please excuse me while I hammer a few rhetorical terms into my head for AP English :P

Chiasmus: Arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X. Chiasmus is often short and summarizes a main idea.

Example: "Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves." —Shakespeare, Othello 3.3 ("Dotes" means the same as "strongly loves" and "doubts" means the same as "suspects")

Concrete Language: Language that describes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities.

Connotation: Rather than the dictionary definition, the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning or denotation.

Consonance: Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

Conventional: Following certain conventions or traditional techniques of writing. An overreliance on conventions may result in a lack of originality. The five-paragraph theme is considered conventional.

Cumulative: Sentence which begins with the main idea and then expands on that idea with a series of details or other particulars.

Deconstruction: A critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based on the instability of language. The deconstructionist re-examines literary conventions in light of a belief that deconstruction "is not dismantling of the structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself."

Didactic: A term used to describe fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.

Physics 1: Friction and Football

I figured the best way to augment my growing Physics education was to do a journal that shows real life applications (as in the hows and whys) of Physics. Today's is okay, but Physics can be a messy study and so it should be said that you're reading this at your own risk. Remember to duck if told to and beware of science content. :P

There are probably innumerable applications of Physics to any sport, but the one that I've gotten is an example that concerns friction and football (and to some extent, basketball). Let's say you've got two football players--> one has the ball and is running for a touchdown, but he's bigger than the guy who's trying to tackle him. How can the defender stop him?

First of all, though, do you know why it's so difficult to stop him? It's not just weight, it also has to do with the friction between the player and the ground. In fact, if there was some way to negate that friction, the defender would be able to stop him, almost no matter the difference in size and strength.

What football coaches instruct their defenders is to push up from under the shoulder pads of the other player. Technically, it doesn't really lift him off the ground (normally), but it reduces that friction enough to be able to keep him from getting past the defender.

For those of you who aren't so sports-oriented, consider the example we were actually shown in class: let's say that two people who are very different in strength play tug-of-war in the classroom (i.e. tile floors). Tug-of-war doesn't allow a person to put their hands on the other player so how can they negate friction? Ever slipped on a piece of paper in a messy room? Exactly. There is enough friction to keep the person on the paper, but there is very little friction (or less, anyways) between the paper and the floor. The person who is not standing on the paper (even if they are the one with much less strength) has a very immediate advantage and could probably drag the other along the floor for some distance.

Any questions, comments, or additions, feel free to communicate with me (comments, email, dA, etc).

Next Physics Post: Mass, Acceleration, and Karate Boards (and Certain Body Parts)

Me and Friendliness (or Friendliness and I For You Grammar People)

If there is such a thing as too friendly, I'm the person who is. I'm not someone who can be pushed around but I believe in making sure other people are not inadvertently insulted or somehow uncomfortable because of me. I'm happy when other people are happy and I hate seeing people looking sad or dejected.

Back to the too friendly thing, though. I'm someone who enjoys my quiet time, my "by myself" time. And yet, I tend to acquire the friends that can be a tad annoying or...immature. Most of the time, I don't mind because I can be the same way (though not usually to a physical extent unless I'm particularly giddy or if the person...nevermind) but at 7:30 in the morning, I'm still slightly tired. I'm not complaining about anybody, even though nobody'll probably read this, but I need somewhere to rant.

I have only a couple declared enemies and I only have them because they declared me an enemy first or because they just repulsed me too dang much. One of the big things in my repulsion is a mote of unfairness, a tendency some teachers seem to have. I won't name names but my enemies among teachers are those who have an extreme imbalance in that fairness part of their brains. Even so, I give a lot of respect and therefore leniency to most teachers. When a teacher shows an injustice with no joke, no reason, and a whole heck of a lot of other injustices (of actual value) under their belt, then I have a problem with it. When that person is my friend, well, that teacher's in for the long haul of dealing with an annoyed me.

Mind you, I'm careful about who I consider a friend because, for some reason, people get a little uptight when you assume they're a friend, especially when you have little social standing. Maybe I only have these experiences because of a certain person who can be a little creepy when he assumes someone is his friend. Anyway, here's a little chunk of myself for you all to enjoy if you want to.

Update on Life

Life is good. Fridays and Saturdays are still the best days of the week. Softball is starting soon and a good friend of mine from band invited me to play on his coed team so I'm on two leagues this year. On the other hand, Stewie isn't playing this year :'(

I have a new crush and I think he likes me back but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Even so, I won't be too disappointed if he says no. I love him but I'm not desperately looking for a relationship right now, I just like him and I don't want to lose him to some other lucky girl :-P

I've been doing a lot with college stuff lately, including using a PSAT Practice book my English teacher gave me. My grandfather thought enough to give me advice about choosing colleges and tried to put it nicer than when my mom told me what he said. He succeeded when he told me himself instead of it going through processing (AKA my mom) first. I love her but she tends to put things...blunter.

I think that's everything. Oh, I've got a specific date for when Sara's moving, though I don't remember it now (the pain, you know). I'm happy to say that she's got a boyfriend now and they love each other A LOT. I'm happy for her especially after some of the guys she's gotten close to dating.

Fact of the Week: My Dad

Yeah, that's right, my dad. I've officially found out this week that he says more when he's half-asleep. Not drunk (if you knew my dad, you'd doubt his ability to get drunk), just half-asleep.

Here, I'll set up the scene: Thursday night (Friday morning), my dad went to bed at approximately 1:30am. This is generally normal for him, especially on Thursday nights, because he doesn't usually work on Fridays. Usually. Well, this last Friday, the guy who usually works early Friday mornings got in an accident (he's fine) and so called my dad at 4am. Do all the math and he got 2 and a half hours of sleep. Needless to say, he was tired by about 2:30pm when he picked me up at school.

His first words before he told me one of the oddest jokes I've heard out of his mouth? "Now, if I wasn't so tired, I probably wouldn't be telling you this." I won't tell you the joke for fear of offending anybody but I will tell you it was in its own way a sexual joke that I never thought I'd hear out of his mouth.

Too Long

Wow, it's been a while since I've been on here. In fact, for once, a lot has happened in my life in a short amount of time. My boyfriend and I recently broke up, but we are, of course, still on friendly terms. I've made numerous New Years' Resolutions and haven't kept a single one. :-P Such is my life.

Hmmm...I've finally realized that me getting straight A's is nigh impossible, but I'll try my hardest. Next year will only be worse. I've shared my experiences in Band with all of the Band students in 8th grade at HMS.

My friend Sara is moving away to Texas for sure this summer. :'( Uhhh...I know I'm missing something... I think my Art teacher was about to smack me earlier. I almost killed one of my friends by making them laugh too hard yesterday and my head got Starfish-raped today. :-D Don't ask, you don't want to know.

Hehehe. Hope y'all are doing well and feel free to leave comments.