“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”—Tim Tebow

--From the book Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker

Hard Work

So what?

You think you got talent?

Let me tell you something

Having talent doesn’t mean you are good

Especially if you slack off

No matter what you do, work hard

With hard work you will get to the next level

Talent alone will NOT get you there

When you give 100% you will eventually gain some talent

People will notice you are eager to get better

Even if you are not the best, people will notice you

They’ll know you are eager to get better

And give everything you have

Science is one of my favorite subjects (math is the other). The cells and microbiology unit has been another example of this. Part of my love is the labs I get to do. So far we have done a ton of labs, with the most memorable being the protists lab.  I actually got to look at live organisms under a microscope. That was my first time being able to look living organisms up close and in detail. Plus, I have learned a lot about how cells work and the parts of them. Through this I have increased my knowledge of prefixes and root words as well as why certain things happen the way they do in cells. I also learned why viruses can be so potent. They feed off of other cells and use them to multiply themselves. Cells are what make up you and me. We should know what makes them thrive and be deprived so we can keep ourselves healthy.   

The Super Bowl

On February 6^th

Toward the time of noon

Without any competition

In homes

Around the nation and other places

Despite unpopularity

From every person’s television set

Inside every warming home

Among the many traditions

Near this time of year

Across all the stations

Over the time

Of three elongated hours

Within, a joyous show

Like that

From above

Atop the priority lists

 I just finished reading The Hunger Games series. It was by far one of my favorite book series. It takes place in the future on the continent of Panem (North America). It is a sci-fi sort of book. One of the reasons I enjoyed the series was the mix of topics. It included romance, suspense, betrayal, mystery, and action. The author, Suzanne Collins, mixed everything perfectly in all three books, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. I am about to start The Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I am looking forward to a good mystery.

Super Bowl Sunday. It is one of the most anticipated days in America. This year the giants and Patriots will be squaring off.  Not only is this a huge day for sports, it’s a huge day for the media. Everyone will be watching, so companies will want to get their advertisements out there. If you are like me you can’t wait “lol” at these epic commercials. Also, you might want a specific team to win. Personally, I want the G-Men, Big Blue, or most commonly known as the Giants to win! Comment on this post to tell me who you want to win or the commercials you cannot wait to see.  

Poetry can have such an effect on people. They can have serious meanings or whimsical topics. Poets use many different tools and techniques to convey their message. They utilize so many literary devices in their works. Many poems have a rhyme scheme which will vary from poem to poem. Limericks will always have a pattern of “a,a,b,b,a” making them funny most of the time. Many funny poems will use alliteration to make some words sound fun to say. In Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, Shel Silverstein writes “black burned buttered toast” which makes me laugh. Loads of poems make use of repetition to emphasize a point in their work. The Charge of the Light Brigade repeats ““Forward the Light Brigade!”” to emphasize what the six hundred were doing.  Plus, there are different types of poems that use different shapes and rhyme patterns depending on the seriousness of the poem. Some serious poems will have a basic rhythm and rhyme so it is easier to pick up the point of the poem. A concrete poem has a shape to it, depending on the topic, to make it fun to read. Writers have so many choices when it comes to writing poetry and so many ways to make a point.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." Theodore Roosevelt

This quote really means a lot to me. I interpret this quote as meaning that you need to believe in yourself. If you don’t even think you can do something, you are only giving half effort.  In some scenarios I have not believed in myself before a task and most of the time I failed. But, after a little motivation from a friend, I thought I could do it and I did! So now I know that even a little self confidence can go a long way in helping you succeed. I will start believing I can do things that might be difficult and maybe things will turn out. This philosophy can be used to brighten anyone’s mood. If you think you can more things can be accomplished. Whether it is a toddler believing they can walk or an athlete thinking he can break a record, anyone can apply this mentality to themselves. Eventually, the world will be impacted. If one person can do something then another can and another and another until everyone can get things done. Think of the possibilities that can come out of accomplishing things! The possibilities are endless! I know that it starts with me, thinking I can do it.   

2011 was a year chalk full of memories. But, it is a new-year with just as many memories to occur. In order to have an even better year I have put in place some goals. First, I NEED to stop procrastinating. I have set this goal before and have not really achieved it. I know this is the year I need to change because the older I get, the harder procrastination will make my life. This will help me get more sleep and do my best on school work. Second, I need to be kind even when it is hard to. I sometimes catch myself not taking an opportunity to make someone smile when I could. It is a lot harder to do the right thing when with friends. You just want to be neutral and not do anything because you think you are preoccupied. Being in Rachel’s Challenge has really made me want to be a better person and impact the world one person at a time. I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store.

This Wiki project was definitely difficult. I do think I did a good job though. The hardest part was communication. You know that you had posted something, but you don’t know if your partners have seen it. The only way to know was a reply. It is also difficult not knowing if our partners are working or not. If I could change one thing it would to give a little more time to finalize our projects. My advice would be to make the due date the same. It is kind of confusing to have different due dates. I personally, would try to communicate a little bit more with my teammates. This way we can plan things out and not let it become hectic. Overall, this project was a good challenge. I enjoyed this wiki very much.

Greece is an extraordinary c0untry chalk full of culture and history. One of the traditions I know of is their belief in their Gods. Greeks had many Gods and legends. They believed that anything that happened was a result of the Gods. If they pleased their Gods by making a sacrifice or other offering, they believed good things would happen. On the other hand though, if their work was not up to standards, bad things would happen. Greek mythology made the Greeks who they were and it made a place for them in history. I have the pleasure of studying them.

In humanities, I am doing a Greek simulation. My class is working together in five of the most powerful and historic poleis to gain points for our city-state.  These points are earned through fate and events. Whichever polis has the most points at the end of the simulation will reign victorious. Each polis has unique characteristics that may or may not be helpful in certain events. I am in Athens, a polis known for its intellectual skill and arts. The battle of the city-states is on and everyone will do anything to win.