If your main goal in life is to become a humorous columnist, look no further than Dave Barry. Noone even compares to him-he's hilarious, sarcastic, but somehow, at the same time, he teaches a lesson. His columns are very entertaining to read. I want to take this time to review him as a writer, as well as one of his columns.
The first column I read by Dave Barry is entitled "Blowing the vuvuzela is the new World Cup Tiebreaker." Just from reading the title, I could tell his writer was going to be filled with satyric elements. The title just sent me a sarcastic tone before I even began to get into the actual column. My prediction that he was going to be a sarcastic writer couldn't have been more correct. This piece written by Dave Barry was hilarious, extremely entertaining. I legitimately laughed while reading this column, it was great. The reason that it was so entertaining and humorous is due to the fact that he, to a great extent, mocks everything that even relates to the topic of vuvulzelas! Here is a great quote that perfectly demonstrates his mocking personality: "It's going to be a tough challenge, as we learn from this insightful analysis by ESPN soccer experts during a recent broadcast: BWAAAAAAAAA!!" And the "Bwaaa's" of the vuvuzelas continue. And they continue. I just think the ways he incoorportates humor are very original. I'm going to do my best to start modeling his style in my writing.
I reccomend reading Dave Barry's piecing to anybody that wants to be able to kick back, read something casual and light-hearted. If you're not in a good mood, read one of his columns. Dave will cheer you up.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Krista Ramsey
Our English class recently had the valuable opportunity to listen to a great speech by Krista Ramsey, a columnist for the Cincinnati Enquirer. I was actually pretty excited to hear her speak because I'm interested in pursuing a career similar to hers. I wanted to get some advice, hear how she got to where she is, and what her job entails. What I expected is not what happened. What actually happened? She discussed some stories that she has found and resarched. She showed how her job has a legitimate influence on society. Now, you're probably thinking I wasn't satisfied and somewhat dissapointed that her speech wasn't what I was expected. You're 100% wrong. That was the first time I have paid attention to someone speaking for 72 straight minutes. It's a new personal record. I was more than satisfied with her speech. I loved it. It moved me, motivated me. The speech was very powerful. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, dying to know what her next word would entail. I believe that I know what I want to do in life just because of her speech.
I would like to share a couple points that she made and some things that I found cool, so readers that didn't have the opportunity to hear her speak can get some of the important parts. First of all, she stated that she has more interest in the ordinary human being than she does in a criminal or someone very successful. I found that crazy! I've never heard those words come out of someone's mouth in the 14 years that my heart has been beating. A second thing that I found interesting was how much of an impact her job has on other people and society in general. For example, she found a story about one man, a single father who had the difficult duty of raising 6 kids on his own. He had to bike to the store every morning to purchase food to keep these kids alive. She found this man, and his life hasn't been the same since. After people read the column she wrote about him, people began to offer him rides to and from the store, food to feed his family, cash, you name it, they offered it. And guess what. Cincinnati State read her story and now he is attending that college...for free! He's getting an education and is on a path to become a chef. All because of Krista Ramsey! What amazed me the most, was the fact that through all of this, knowing that none of that could've been possible without her, she says, "It's not about me, it's about him!" She was very humble, which I respected very much.
Summed up, Krista Ramsey's speech moved me in positive directions, and I'm very thankful that I received the opportunity to hear her words.
I would like to share a couple points that she made and some things that I found cool, so readers that didn't have the opportunity to hear her speak can get some of the important parts. First of all, she stated that she has more interest in the ordinary human being than she does in a criminal or someone very successful. I found that crazy! I've never heard those words come out of someone's mouth in the 14 years that my heart has been beating. A second thing that I found interesting was how much of an impact her job has on other people and society in general. For example, she found a story about one man, a single father who had the difficult duty of raising 6 kids on his own. He had to bike to the store every morning to purchase food to keep these kids alive. She found this man, and his life hasn't been the same since. After people read the column she wrote about him, people began to offer him rides to and from the store, food to feed his family, cash, you name it, they offered it. And guess what. Cincinnati State read her story and now he is attending that college...for free! He's getting an education and is on a path to become a chef. All because of Krista Ramsey! What amazed me the most, was the fact that through all of this, knowing that none of that could've been possible without her, she says, "It's not about me, it's about him!" She was very humble, which I respected very much.
Summed up, Krista Ramsey's speech moved me in positive directions, and I'm very thankful that I received the opportunity to hear her words.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Article: The Season Tommy John Took
I just read an article about, well, a baseball player's worst nightmare: Tommy John surgery. In case you aren't familiar with this, it's an elbow surgery typically performed on pitchers, that essentially reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). This surgery used to be very rare. It was a highlight news story every time a player had to receive the surgery. Now, it seems to be an epidemic. As quoted directly from the article, "Tommy John is all too familiar."
Dr. James Andrews, who is viewed as the "king of elbow repair" shares his view through a radio broadcast. He states that the problem is simple. Baseball players, from teenage players to professional, are playing year around. They aren't just playing from January to December, they're competing from January to December. Doc says that they have no time for recovery, which couldn't be more true. Also, he says kids are trying to take advantage of every opportunity for college exposure. They think they have to participate in every showcase, summer tournament, camp, etc. They think baseball is a sprint, when really it's a marathon. "These players need to learn how to pace themselves," Dr. Andrews says in his radio broadcast. "They need to find the proper balance of playing time and recovery time."
In a nutshell, the once rare Tommy John surgery is becoming much too widespread. The article perfectly sums it up. If you're interested, I've provided the link below.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/matt-moore-baseball-tommy-john-surgery-historic-rate/
Dr. James Andrews, who is viewed as the "king of elbow repair" shares his view through a radio broadcast. He states that the problem is simple. Baseball players, from teenage players to professional, are playing year around. They aren't just playing from January to December, they're competing from January to December. Doc says that they have no time for recovery, which couldn't be more true. Also, he says kids are trying to take advantage of every opportunity for college exposure. They think they have to participate in every showcase, summer tournament, camp, etc. They think baseball is a sprint, when really it's a marathon. "These players need to learn how to pace themselves," Dr. Andrews says in his radio broadcast. "They need to find the proper balance of playing time and recovery time."
In a nutshell, the once rare Tommy John surgery is becoming much too widespread. The article perfectly sums it up. If you're interested, I've provided the link below.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/matt-moore-baseball-tommy-john-surgery-historic-rate/
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Fahrenheit 451:Reflecting
No, I have not finished Fahrenheit 451 quiet yet, but I would like to reflect on what I have read up to this point and also on my previous predictions.
So far, Fahrenheit 451 has been an ok book-not my favorite, but it could be worse. It has some good conflict, but the book is extremely indirect. The author, Bradbury, uses a surplus of allusions. Some of these do serve a significant purpose, but in my opinion, he uses so many that they lose their purpose. It's like talking to someone that uses too many analogies or similes, it gets old after a while. I do like the conflicts, though. The book is very suspenseful at times, leaving me "on the edge of my seat."
Some of my predictions have been 100% correct, others not even relevant. I predicted that Guy Montag was going to be a man that enjoyed his job: burning illegal books and the houses in which they were hidden. This is half correct. The reasoning for this is because he originally did love what he did, but about a quarter way into the book, not so much. I predicted he is going to be somewhat cold-hearted and not have much emotion. Again, I would consider this prediction half correct due to the fact that in the beginning of the book, he really had no emotions. Nothing phased him. Towards the middle, he started to transition into a very emotional person. Some of my other correct predictions were that Clarisse was going to open his eyes to the world, change his views of the world, and start questioning his work. Also, a different correct prediction I made was that he's going to become a very deep thinking man. I believe he has become this because his thoughts are somewhat philosophical now. I was incorrect with the prediction that he was going to choose books over his wife, and they were going to get a divorce. They have gained some tension in the marriage, but they're obviously still married. I was not expecting Mildred to just decide to not care and not pay attention to his work...that was very out of the ordinary.
So far, the book hasn't reached my expectations, but I'm still not finished with the book! I'm excited for the ending.
So far, Fahrenheit 451 has been an ok book-not my favorite, but it could be worse. It has some good conflict, but the book is extremely indirect. The author, Bradbury, uses a surplus of allusions. Some of these do serve a significant purpose, but in my opinion, he uses so many that they lose their purpose. It's like talking to someone that uses too many analogies or similes, it gets old after a while. I do like the conflicts, though. The book is very suspenseful at times, leaving me "on the edge of my seat."
Some of my predictions have been 100% correct, others not even relevant. I predicted that Guy Montag was going to be a man that enjoyed his job: burning illegal books and the houses in which they were hidden. This is half correct. The reasoning for this is because he originally did love what he did, but about a quarter way into the book, not so much. I predicted he is going to be somewhat cold-hearted and not have much emotion. Again, I would consider this prediction half correct due to the fact that in the beginning of the book, he really had no emotions. Nothing phased him. Towards the middle, he started to transition into a very emotional person. Some of my other correct predictions were that Clarisse was going to open his eyes to the world, change his views of the world, and start questioning his work. Also, a different correct prediction I made was that he's going to become a very deep thinking man. I believe he has become this because his thoughts are somewhat philosophical now. I was incorrect with the prediction that he was going to choose books over his wife, and they were going to get a divorce. They have gained some tension in the marriage, but they're obviously still married. I was not expecting Mildred to just decide to not care and not pay attention to his work...that was very out of the ordinary.
So far, the book hasn't reached my expectations, but I'm still not finished with the book! I'm excited for the ending.
New Pick Up
I recently picked up the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I am not a big fan of fantasy books, but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone so I picked up a book that is essentially the opposite of my normal reads. I'm hoping I develop some sort of a liking for fantasy books so I can broaden my reading.
I have some hopes and expectations for this book, judging from the cover (even though you're not supposed to do that). I hope to read a very intriguing, action-filled novel. Another reason I picked up this book is because I know the author of the Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling, uses some interesting ways of writing. I'll be able to use some of these cool writing techniques in my writing, or at least attempt to...Ultimately, I hope this book interests me and isn't just one of those books that I put down after the first chapter.
Yes, I have my hopes, but what do I actually believe will be included. Well, it's not a very easy task to form accurate expectations for a fantasy book. They can go in so many different directions. Based on the synopsis, I'm expecting lots of conflict to come up throughout the novel, which will keep me reading. It seems a bit confusing, so I'm not expecting it to be an easy read. The synopsis mentions dreams that Harry is going to have, so I believe these dreams are going to have a big part in the novel. I think one of his main struggles is going to be trying to decipher the difference between dreams and reality, and which dreams are soon to be realities.
I have some hopes and expectations for this book, judging from the cover (even though you're not supposed to do that). I hope to read a very intriguing, action-filled novel. Another reason I picked up this book is because I know the author of the Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling, uses some interesting ways of writing. I'll be able to use some of these cool writing techniques in my writing, or at least attempt to...Ultimately, I hope this book interests me and isn't just one of those books that I put down after the first chapter.
Yes, I have my hopes, but what do I actually believe will be included. Well, it's not a very easy task to form accurate expectations for a fantasy book. They can go in so many different directions. Based on the synopsis, I'm expecting lots of conflict to come up throughout the novel, which will keep me reading. It seems a bit confusing, so I'm not expecting it to be an easy read. The synopsis mentions dreams that Harry is going to have, so I believe these dreams are going to have a big part in the novel. I think one of his main struggles is going to be trying to decipher the difference between dreams and reality, and which dreams are soon to be realities.
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