"Game rules, repair manuals, cookbooks, science textbooks---these and many other familiar works are essentially process analyses. They explain how to do something (play Monopoly, patch a hole in the wall), how to make something (an omelet), or how something happens (how hormones affect behavior, how a computer stores and retrieves data)" (Repetto 239).
Your task is to write a process essay in which you explain how to do something, how to make something, or how something happens. You may choose any topic but your writing should be rated PG-13. So while you can have fun with this assignment, just make sure that what you say and suggest does not offend the general public. Things to consider when choosing your topic is your audience, which happens to be your entire class plus myself. So try to avoid boring your audience, yet keep your language and innuendos appropriate for a 13-year old or an dear elderly grandparent.
Remember, that even though you are explaining a process, you are still creating an argument. Therefore, keep in mind the essential components of rhetoric--that which persuades your reader in a pleasing manner--which means to include:
Then craft your essay making sure that you have an introduction with a thesis statement,
bodied paragraph(s)
that support your thesis, and a conclusion
that does not repeat your thesis statement. Please refer to the Basic
Writing Resource files on the AP Lang & Comp webpage.
WARNING: Sometimes postings can be lost while trying to post; therefore, create your essay in a word doc then copy/paste it into the posting section of this blog.
DUE DATES:
Your Process Essay: Post By Friday, June 14th.
Your Comments on Two of your Peer's Essays: Post By Monday, June 17th.
Please be advised of the following:
- This is a Graded Assignment of Pass/Fail. No Rubric included; but nonsense writing will not receive credit--and this includes pointless comments to your peers such as: "I really liked your essay" or "I never knew how to change a tire before and now I know." You need to practice noticing details or the lack thereof. But make your comments supportive and meaningful; otherwise, don't comment and just lose part of the credit.
- Use Net Etiquette when responding to your peers, i.e., "Dear Kanoe" and "Sincerely Michael."
- Do not adhere to MLA format--heading, spacing, font, and such; otherwise, your essay will take up too much room on the blog site. But give your essay a title.
- Include your name and the name of your Academy at the end of the essay.
- Most importantly: Have Fun! Writing should be fun and not painful. So find something that makes you want to share it with others. This way you will be able to do your best work and practice what makes a good writer: Someone who cares deeply and passionately about their subject. Once you care about your topic/subject, the rest of the essay becomes easy.
How to Bodyboard
ReplyDeleteBy Shizuo Santos
About a year ago from this month my friends decided to take me out bodyboarding. I had no knowledge of the sport, so I was pretty skeptical of doing at first. With only a rugged board and one fin, I went out. But with help and insight from my friends, I learned it pretty quick. It was not that hard at all. Now, i’m going to teach you what I learned on how to bodyboard.
First, you need the right board. Pick a board you feel comfortable or right for you. It should be as high as your belly button. Next, you need to choose the amount of stringers you want. It can be a single, double, even a triple. It all comes down to what feels right, I mean, you wouldn’t want to be surfing a wave with a flimsy board.
Now you need fins. choose whatever fins you want. To me all of them are all the same.
Now that you got your board, you need to see where your hands feel comfortable to steer the board. One hand goes in the front or nose area of the board. Whatever hand you regularly use goes in the front. Your other hand should be grasping the side of the board. If your left hand is at the top then your right should be holding the right side of the board.
Once your handling is comfortable to your liking, it’s time to get in the water. Make sure to choose a good starter beach. Use the Goldilocks method. Not too big, not too small, but just right. For my starter beach I chose Horners, down by Wailua beach.
When catching a wave you can either hold the nose and use your other hand to paddle while you kick, or you can kick and use both hands to paddle on the wave. Whatever feels comfortable to you.
Then comes the turning. use the hand at the nose of the board to steer your board. If you right hand is at the nose, turn right. If your left hand is at the nose, turn left. Keep at least one fin in the water to help you guide the board to stay on the wave and so that you don’t spin out or go straight on the wave.
As you continue to bodyboard, gradually move up to bigger waves. Once you can ride your waves at ease it’s about time to get barreled. When getting barreled you want to use your hand on the side of the board to pull into the barrel. If you get in front of the barrel, pull back or stall to get in the barrel.
While you bodyboard, try to throw some tricks in there to give your riding some style. One trick I can definitely teach you is a simple 360. All you gotta do is whip your legs the way you want to
go. If your going right, whip your fins out of the water to the left while jerking the nose right to get that full 360 momentum. Don’t do it while your board is flat or straight on the because your board will catch the water and you’ll fall off the wave and your board.
Choosing what feels right is practically the main part of bodyboarding. If it doesn’t feel right find a way to make it feel right. Continue to bodyboard and gradually go to bigger waves. surfing bigger waves is the loads of , fun trust me. It’s like an adrenaline rush when you catch a big wave and get barreled. Now that you got the basics on bodyboarding, get out there and go boogie.
Dear Shizuo,
DeleteI have never body boarded before so I am wondering what it means to get barreled. I am imagining myself being caught beneath the curve of the wave with water above me and water below me, yet still being able to breathe air while moving incredibly fast. Is this what it is like?
You state at the end of your essay that when you are barreled you receive an adrenaline rush; so I am thinking that this would be the scariest thing to happen: to wonder how long I can sustain myself before the wave above me collapses on top of me, which of course would lead to a “noseful” and mouthful of water. And this is so much fun. Fun, fun, fun. Ha!
But thank you for sharing how you have fun.
Sincerely,
Ms. Carlson
Dear Shizuo,
DeleteCould you please edit your post to include the name of your academy?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ms. Carlson
Dear Shizuo,
DeleteI liked how you talked about getting barreled. But not everyone knows what getting barreled is, so maybe you should explain what that is next time. Your essay was really good though.
Chaz Pacleb
Dear Shizuo,
DeleteI have always been afraid of body boarding and was unaware of how it worked, but after reading this essay, I now gave a deeper understanding on what to do. I like how you said to use the Goldilocks method to find a starter beach.
But I don't understand what a stringer is? is it important to have while body boarding?
Sincerely,
Ariel Cummings
Dear Shizuo,
DeleteI like how you explained your essay. Bodyboarding is very fun but complicated at times. You were very thorough in expaining how to do tricks and that is very helpful. One thing that you could expain is the saying " Getting Barreled " other then that great essay.
Joshua Blaine
How to drive a Manual Transmission Truck
ReplyDeleteBy Chaz Pacleb
About two years ago, for the first time, I got into the driver seat of a manual transmission truck. It was nerve racking but extremely exciting at the same time. Driving a manual truck was very confusing, as it is for most first timers. The first time I drove a manual truck I drove a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. It was a five speed, all stock truck, so it was a fairly easy to learn with. My dad took me from Kealia Beach all the way up to the top of Monuments hill. It was a great learning experience and I did well for my first time.
The first step to driving a manual truck is to put your seat belt on. Next you are going to push in the clutch and start the truck. Then you push in the foot brake and let out the hand brake. Now you are ready to start driving.
Now you push in the clutch and brake and shift your truck into first gear, to do this you push the stick all the way left and forward. You are now going to let go the clutch slowly and when you feel the truck pull you push the gas just a tad bit. When you began moving you continue to let the clutch all the way out. Now you are moving! When you began to move faster you will see the RPM gauge go up, when you see it between 3 and 4 you must shift into second. To do this you push the clutch all the way in and let go of the gas. You now pull the stick straight down. When you feel that you are in second you let go of the clutch and push the gas again. You will repeat that step in order to go into third, fourth, and even fifth gear. To get to third gear from second you will push the stick forward and a bit to the right. To get from third to fourth you go straight forward, and fourth to fifth you go forward and a tad to the right.
Now when you reach your destination you must have to park. To park you first have to pull into the stall. Next, You put your truck into neutral, to do this you push your clutch in, push your brake and pull the stick half way down. To check that you are in neutral you just wiggle the stick. If it can go back and forth, you know you are in neutral. Finally you pull your hand brake all the way out and let it go. You can now turn the truck off and take off your seatbelt. Now you made it safe to your destination.
Being able to drive a manual car or truck is a very good skill to have. Being able to do this allows you to be able to drive about anything you need to drive. You are one step ahead of anyone else. If there are only manual cars available for the public, you have the assurance of being able to drive one. This may be hard at first but everything takes practice. You will get good eventually, and you will be assured to drive anything.
Dear Chaz,
DeleteI liked how you made sure to include the most important step which happened to be the first step: Put you seat belt on. When we write, it is important to write with a purpose and that saying “Safety First” comes to my mind, especially when learning how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.
But I do have a question: Do new drivers really look at the RPM gauge before they shift to the next gear? I could not possibly take my eyes off the road and the mini-glances I give to my stick shift while driving in order to view the RPM gauge safely. When I learned how to drive a stick shift vehicle I used that whining sound the engine gave me as if it was working too hard. The whining sound is likened to a little kid whining to use the bathroom. If I do not pay attention to that little kid whining at me, then I am going to have a mess on my hands so I need to act fast. So for me, it is the sound of the engine that tells me when to shift.
You also stated that, “when you feel you are in second gear” you let go of the clutch and push the gas again. I was wondering what does this feel like. If you created a metaphor or an analogy to explain this abstraction, it would have helped the reader understand what to anticipate. But because I have driven a stick shift before, I completely understood what you were talking about.
Good Job!
Sincerely,
Ms. Carlson
Dear Chaz,
DeleteCould you please edit your post to include your academy?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ms. Carlson
I am in the hopes academy. About the RPM gauge yes I also listen to the sound but I guess it would be hard for beginners, i guess they do not catch on as fast. People prefer different things, depends on the driver. Thank you though.
DeleteChaz Pacleb
Dear Chaz,
DeleteYou had a very well detailed essay. Stick shift does sound cool, but complicating. I'm sure its easier to show someone how to do it, instead of telling them. But you did a great job explaining how it works.
Sincerely,
Ariel Cummings
Dear Chaz,
DeleteYou add a lot of detail to your essay. I personally love the detail that you add to this essay because i can follow it step by step to be able to drive stick. It sounds really fun to do try for the first time. Awesome job on showing how to drive stick!
Kristian Sablay
Dear Chaz,
DeleteI liked how you used detail in describing how to drive stick. If i was to learn how I would refer back to this essay by you because you give clear and easy to understand steps. This was a great essay and this makes me want to learn how.
Joshua Blaine
Dear Chaz,
DeleteI liked how detailed you are in this essay. I just learned how to drive stick shift in the same kind of truck so i understood everything you were saying. Your essay was really easy to follow and i wish i read this before i learned, it might have actually helped me. Great job describing how to drive stick!
How to start a new social network
ReplyDeleteBy: Kristian Sablay
I first heard of a social network when my Cousin came over from California. When he came majority of his time was spent on the computer, on facebook. It looked interesting so I asked him about this social network and he explained how it worked to me. I found it very easy. He the helped me sign up for it for free, it only took a couple of minutes and it was super easy.
So you want to create your own social network, but the question is which one should you sign up for? There are many social networks that you could sign up for, my suggestion is to sign up for the social network that all your friends are on.
There are 3 social networks that I personally like: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You may have other preferences, but what I know so far is that these are the most popular social networks out there so far.Lets say you want to choose Facebook since that has more people on it than any other social network out there. First you want to start off by going into your web browser on wether it may be your computer or cellular device, if you don’t have one then borrow one from your friend or family member to make one, ask permission before you use their computer or Cellular Device.
Then go onto the web address bar and type in www.FaceBook.com. Then you want to go into the section that say sign up, trust me you wont miss it. Then fill in your information, First and Last name, your email address ( you must type it in twice,) A secure password that you can remember every time you log in, and your birth (day, month and year) and to choose your gender wether you are female or male.
Your next step is to find any friends that you have on your email address clients to make your life easier when you are trying to find your friends that already have the social network. If you are don't know wether or not you have friends on your email address then go ahead and skip to the next step. On forward to the next step which is to fill out your profile, such as high schools and colleges you attend(ed), if you are employed, what your current city ( where you live at the moment ) and where your home town is ( where you were born ), you can fill out this information or you can choose to skip it. Whatever your choice might be from here we are going to move onto the next step which is uploading a profile picture, you can do it now or you can skip it so you can take a nice picture of yourself on a later date.
From there you are done creating a Facebook! Now you can log in and find all your friends and create a privacy note for your Facebook to keep anyone other than your close friends and family away from you new Facebook page. Just make sure to log out every time you use one of your friends computer or phone or they can mess with your profile
Kristian Sablay H.O.P.E academy
Dear Kristian,
DeleteA few years ago I tried to locate a friend of mine who I had not heard from in years so I tried using Google in order to find her. But when I googled her name, the results were all associated with her Facebook page and the only way to contact her required me to create a Facebook page. To make a long story short, we eventually got into contact with each other and the “dummy” Facebook page I created in order to find her has remained online yet dormant to this day. However, I continue to receive invitations from students to join their Facebook page---which to me is really weird when I know that most kids do not even want their parents to be a “friend” on their Facebook page. Of course I do not join. But after reading your explanation about creating a Facebook page, I now understand why I receive those Facebook invitations. Apparently my ex-students must be doing a mass email to everyone on their Contact list, which of course included me. So, note to everyone out there who is thinking about creating a Facebook page: Don’t email everyone who is on your Contact list. You just might have some responses you do not want to “un-friend” later. And that could be embarrassing.
Sincerely,
Ms. Carlson
PS Does anyone out there know how to delete their Facebook page?
Dear Kristian,
DeleteI like how you guided the readers step by step on how to create a Facebook. Maybe next time you can tell what other things you can do on facebook, besides just the interaction with friends. Maybe like the games or something.
Chaz Pacleb
Dear Kristian,
DeleteI liked how you were very descriptive on how to make a FaceBook account. I also like how you gave your own personal preferences on what social media that you use.
Myah Post
Dear Kristian,
DeleteI enjoyed the amount of detail you put into describing how to make a facebook page. I will probably show this to my grandpa so he can stop asking me how to make a facebook.
Victor Sanchez
How to be Anti-You
ReplyDeleteIt’s been two years now since I joined High school. As a freshman, you go around school like a chicken without a head. You’re naïve, vulnerable and gullible. Weeks and Months go by, and you figure out where you are in the food chain. Depending on what sort of activities and groups that interest you and will determine where you hang out and where you stand. You feel that your life is going smooth because you have your friends and it’s you and them against the world. Until the big D comes in, Drama.
Drama is a story or situation which usually presents some sort of conflict.
Drama comes whether you like it or not. You try your best to stay out of it, but stuff just goes down, like in my group of friends. We were a tight group of sisters. We shared everything, clothes, secrets you name it. There was nothing between us that we didn’t know.
Once we got to high school, we spent the first couple months together but I notice we started to drift away. It started when we all enrolled in different school activities. It’s almost like we didn’t have time for each other. With the different activities we were in, we made other friends and made a connection. With these new friends you have less time with your other friends, and you risk the chance of them not getting along. Because some friends might be cooler than others, or may be higher on the food chain.
So you end up ditching your friends, to try to fit in with your new cliché of friends. You will do things that will impress your “friends” but might not necessarily be something you’re proud of doing. You might say mean things about other people, do illegal stuff, lie to love ones, etc. You get in over your head; doing things you’d never imaging doing, just because you want to be cooler? You want to fit in? That’s baloney how we believe that doing this will make us cooler. But it happens.
Being popular and cool in high school is so important to people that they lose themselves. Don’t let peer pressure and the desire to be cool change who you are. Stay true, Stay you.
Ariel Cummings
H.O.P.E.S Academy
Dear Ariel,
DeleteI like how you described drama, and also I really like how you used a topic that not a lot of people talk about, but its a topic that needs to be addressed in todays society.
Myah Post
Dear Ariel,
DeleteI am glad to see someone it talking about this. So many people lose themselves trying to become popular. I thought your delivery of this topic was very nice.
Victor Sanchez
P.S. I think you ment clique not cliché
Dear Ariel,
DeleteI like your use of words. it really describes how you felt as a freshmen in high school. There was so much detail in this essay. I could really hear your voice through your writing.
Bryson Baligad
Dear Ariel,
DeleteYou made me feel like I was a freshman all over again. Your use of words helped me develop a connection. I enjoyed reading your essay.
Sincerely yours,
Keisha Aki
Dear Ariel
DeleteI really liked the topic you used, it makes me feel like a freshman again.
Dear Ariel,
DeleteYour essay is so true about high school life. Things change and its not always for the better. And i liked how you described freshman year. Everything in this essay is so true. Your personal experience painted a perfect picture of how high school really is. Great job!
How to Make the Most of Your Day:
ReplyDeleteDo your days just seem to drag on? Do you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day? Considering that our days are limited, why not make the most of them? We all know that there are moments in life where we feel like that absolutely nothing can make our day any better. Good news... there are very simple things that we can do to make the most of our day.
One of the first things that you can do is set aside time in your day to do what YOU want to do. Even if the time increment is small it still makes a different. You can work in more time as time goes on, and your activity becomes more of a priority to you.
Another thing that you can do to get the most out of your day is spreading out your work load amount. Doing part of something is better than doing nothing. If you feel so over loaded with work, then spread it out in time increments. Work for 30 minutes, then take 5-10 minutes off. Or even switch to doing another task for a short amount of time. Whatever works for you.
Also another way to make the most out of your day is to always take time to laugh and smile. Laughing is proved to be a stress reliever and it simply makes you happy, and relaxed.
The most important way to make the most out of your day in my opinion is to take an honest look at the people and activities in your life, and ask yourself "Is this helping me?" or "Is this productive?" For example, if you have a huge assignment due tomorrow, and you're sitting on the couch watching T.V. Is that being productive? The answer is no.
Our time is limited, so what we do and when we do it should be important. Don't waste precious time.
Myah Post
H.O.P.E.S Academy
Dear Myah,
DeleteI like your choice of topic because I always wanted to know how to make the most of my day. These tips and tricks sound like they come from personal experience.
Bryson Baligad
Dear Myah,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay! I will definitely use some of the advice that you gave in order to make the most of my day.
Marissa Nikolas
How to write a paper
ReplyDeleteMany people have trouble writing papers. People come to me all the time complaining that they don’t know what to write about. Writing a paper can be challenging, but there is no magic button that will write it for you, no pill you can take that will make you a writing genius. Now you may be intimidated, but don’t be. Writing it actually a very simple process and once you learn it you can crank out papers like nothing.
When you are trying to write a paper it is important to get you thoughts out on paper. Start by making an organization of your thoughts. This can be done in a multitude of ways. You can create a mind map which is a combination of words and drawings in a spider web shape on a piece of paper, or you could more traditional organization and go by paragraph. The objective of this section is to get your thoughts on paper and out of your mind.
Once you have organized your thought create a thesis statement to put in your introduction. The thesis should clearly state your opinion on whatever your topic is. The Thesis is kind of like a road map for the rest of your paper, once you have that writing the rest of your paper will be much better.
After you have written your thesis you can begin on the rest of your introduction. The introduction is one of the hardest parts on an essay to write. Your introduction will lay a foundation for the rest of your paper. In your introduction you have to make people want to read your paper. You have to have a hook that lures people in and makes them keep reading.
Next you will need to write the supporting paragraphs that have information about your topic and explain why you believe what you believe. The number and length and number on the supporting paragraphs it up to you but, having at least three supporting paragraphs is a good idea. If you are writing a persuasive paper it is often smart to begin with your worst part of your argument and end with your best.
The last part of your essay is the conclusion. In your conclusion you can reiterate your introduction and say any last words in closing. The conclusion is NOT the time to bring in any new information. That should all be done in the supporting paragraphs. The conclusion is one of the harder parts of an essay to write so feel free to look up some examples if you have trouble.
In this paper I have briefly gone over how to write a paper if you are having trouble. Once you get the main steps you have to take in order to write an essay it almost becomes second nature. Before you know it you will be able to crank out essays like nothing.
Victor Sanchez
IDEAS
Dear Victor,
DeleteI like that you talked about writing a paper as your essay topic because sometimes I have trouble writing essays and this helped me. I also liked how you mentioned the fact you need to brainstorm before you start writing and didn't just start with saying you need a thesis statement.
Jenna Stone
Dear Victor,
DeleteYour essay was very informative and straight-forward. I like that your break every step into a paragraph. Many people, including myself have issues with starting essays. I really like your conclusion. Keep up the good writing.
Matthew Steinohrt
How To Procrastinate on a “How To” Essay
ReplyDeleteWe all hate to waste time. If anything, it's something that people hardly ever do! But procrastination does happen to some people, especially those who write "how-to" essays for whatever reason. These tips will help you successfully procrastinate on an instructional essay and still manage to pass your English class.
It all starts with the topic. Although most natural people stick to one topic, one may wish to jump from "How to Ride a Bike" to "How to Train Your Dragon". This tendency is unnatural, as humans are known for completing tasks on time, like filing taxes or turning in assignments. But successful procrastination comes with an indecisive mindset, always jumping from one idea to another. But this is just the first step in successfully procrastinating on a “how-to” essay.
Indecisiveness is another key aspect in delaying the completion of a “how-to” essay. This attitude allows the writer to jumble up his/her thoughts, so that the completion of the essay seems impossible! It takes minutes, possibly an hour to completely master this skill. Only the best procrastinators can attain this skill and effectively use it.
Although these tricks help you to procrastinate, it is always best to have a distraction. A person, cell phone, computer, or animal of any kind can effectively distract you from completing anything.
Remembering these tricks will ensure you turn in your assignments late & get a bad grade. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone!
Bryson Baligad
IDEAS Academy
Dear Bryson,
DeleteI like your essay topic because most of us do procrastinate and the tips you mentioned as the key to procrastination are so true. I went through all of these while I was writing my essay including changing my topic three times and getting distracted by the things around me.
Jenna Stone
Dear Bryson,
DeleteYour essay contained a nice mix of real ways to procrastinate and satirical writing. I especially enjoyed the "How to Train Your Dragon" sentence. I can relate to many of your thoughts on procrastination. Keep up the nice writing.
Matthew Steinohrt
Dear Bryson,
DeleteI really like this topic because everyone here can relate to it. I know we all went through these exact same things. To hear someone write about it is actually very funny. The fact that you chose a relatable topic and executed it well made your paper really stand out from the others. Good job!
Megan Devin
Dear Bryson,
DeleteThis essay just has so much to do with me right now and the actuality of everything you wrote was amazing. The third paragraph was straight out of my real life.
How to bake a cake
ReplyDeleteThe first time I baked a cake was with my mother when I was a little girl. I was so young I barely remember much about it. We would create all sorts of baked goods and I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, our oven broke sometime after and we never got a new one, so my mother and me stopped baking. Finally, after a while my mother bought a new oven and we began to make things again.
The first thing we made in our new oven was a chocolate cake for my dad’s birthday. I remember creating the cake and giving it to my, he was so happy because I had made the cake myself for him. Making a cake is a very fun thing to do.
The first thing you must do when you bake a cake before anything else is preheat the oven to 350°F. This is very important step and you must not forget it!
Now you must gather the materials; you will need two cake pans, a mixer, a spatula, and a mixing bowl. You also need to get the right ingredients to make the cake. If the cake were to made by scratch you would need to get several items such as flour and vanilla extract, however, if you are using a box of pre-made cake mix like I was, you will only need a few basic ingredients, usually eggs, oil, and water.
Next you have to mix all of the ingredients in bowl with a mixer. After the ingredients are well mixed, pour the batter into two greased cake pans, keeping the same amount in both pans. Now your pans are ready to put in the oven! Depending on size of the cake pan you will bake the cake batter in the oven for between twenty-six to thirty-one minutes. Set your timer to the appropriate length of time and wait until done!
Once your timer rings take your pans out of the oven and check to see if they are done. Do this by inserting a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean. If it does then that means your cake is done! Let the pans sit out for about fifteen minutes and then remove the cake from the pans. Allow the cake to cool if you would like to frost it.
If you would like to frost the cake make your own frosting, or buy the one in the can like I did and put frosting all over the cake!
That is how I made my cake for my dad’s birthday and how you can make your own cake. Now you are finished and may eat your cake. Have fun!
Jenna Stone
IDEAS Academy
Dear Jenna,
DeleteGood use of transitions, technically speaking, but I would suggest taking a more creative approach. Rather than the same old next, then, finally sequence try saying something that implies a transition, not states it directly.
Sincerely,
Ruby
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow to Handle Rude People
ReplyDeleteRude people come in all shapes and sizes. No matter who you are, rude people will attempt to take advantage, embarrass, humiliate, alienate and deprecate you. Depending on your personality, you may be better at handling such people than others. Relying on physical force will not be covered in this strategy on how to handle rude people.
I used to be the kind of person to just let rude people just walk all over me, but one day, after being cut in line at the Security Checkpoint in the Chicago International Airport, I decided to not just let it happen. A woman who was about four-foot-nine who was talking on her phone told me to “get out of the way” because “little kids should stay in the back.” I promptly stepped in front of her and gave her a stare that could break a mirror. She did not speak to me again. This was a very aggressive way to handle rude people. A better way to handle them is to rationalize and beat them with intellect rather than resorting to such confrontation.
To deal with rude people, you must first, deal with yourself. You must show self control during encounters with rude people or you will be branded as a rude person by bystanders. Whether it be cutting in line or making a rude statement toward you for no particular reason, you must keep your composure. Do not chase after a rude person unless the rude act is too intolerable to bear. If you confront him whether it be because he doesn’t leave or because you chase him, start with a passive approach. Blowing up in public will get you nowhere. Keep control of your emotion, and you can get through this in one piece.
If you decide to confront this rude person, start calmly. Let the rude person look stupid in front of everyone. Attempt to rationalize and explain yourself to the rude individual. Typically in this situation, a rude person will resort to name calling which will surely call attention to the quarrel that is beginning. Keep up your rational approach until your rude attacker decides to walk away spouting some extra-special insult. You have successfully enlightened this rude individual to the ways of the real world where people who act unkindly toward others will get what they deserve from a person who will not just lay down and take it.
If you follow these simple instructions, you will have no problem in dealing with a rude person. Dealing with rude people is never easy. Every rude person is different so your responses must be different too. Learning comes from practice as well as written information so get out there and stand up to rude people.If you follow these simple instructions, you will have no problem in dealing with a rude person.
Matthew Steinohrt, Ideas Academy
Dear Matthew, I liked how you put so many details and gave most of or all of the possible approaches to dealing with the rude people(besides physical aggression as you said). I also liked that you gave a detail in the beginning because it showed me exactly the type of person or situation you are focusing your essay around. Keep up the good writing.
DeleteDear Matthew,
DeleteFirst of all, I love your topic. I really like how you said that to deal with other people, you must first deal with yourself. That is very true and not many people have learned that yet (they should read your essay).
Elise McDonald
Dear Matthew,
Deletegood job on your topic, i really like how you are descriptive on how you must deal with yourself before you can deal with another person. I especially like the idea that you think for yourself before thinking about another person. Keep up the good work!
Kristian Sablay
Dear Matthew,
DeleteI really enjoyed your essay and kept a steady calm approach to the topic. Chose a topic that everyone could relate to and something that you had your own personal experience in. Adding your own personal experience really enhanced your essay overall. I look forward to using this essay to deal with rude people in my future.
Sincerely,
Wylie Barker
Dear Matthew,
DeleteI really agree with Elise. Great topic! You really made it interesting by relating it to real life by putting in the personal story about the lady who tried to cut you. Your essay also had a really nice flow to it. Very well written.
P.S. Reading this essay has made me realize that I have been rude to you on occasions durring practice and I want to apologize for that. Sorry
How To Avoid Texting While Driving
ReplyDeleteHaving a phone doesn’t give you the best of what the world has to really offer. Sure, smartphone apps can help you stalk someone without them really knowing, can give you a virtual pet so you don’t need to clean the real messes, and even give you a virtual other half when you’re feeling lonely. But do they pay you? No. Do they feed, clothe or wash you? No. Can it save you and your passenger(s) in a car accident? No. This is very alarming to me as a new driver because I love being on my phone and I really wish my phone could really save me. Phones distract everyone from the world. A matter of fact, the amount of distracted drivers on their cell phones who get into accidents is shocking. Here’s how you can avoid the distraction.
First of all, before stepping into your vehicle, make sure you have a hands free device just incase of emergency calls. If it’s your mom, it’s an emergency. Also, by differentiating the types of ringtones, you can hear which calls are important and which ones you could probably let your voicemail take. You don’t necessarily have to give a ringtone for each contact. The important contacts should have different upbeat ringtones from each other and the less important should have a more boring ringtone.
On the other hand, if you get a bunch of messages you may want to give yourself a time frame to where you can pull over a couple of times to check them before making that important meeting. Don’t make the time frame too small where you can pull over a couple of times but just enough to where you can pull over a comfortable amount of times. For example, if you need to get to work that is 15 minutes away and you need to get there at 7am leave your house around 6am. It’s all about the safety here.
If all else fails, turn your phone on silent or better yet airplane mode. Then fling your “life” in the back seat, relax, and drive on.
Mainly, texting and calling someone can wait. Don’t be like the idiot who thinks by adding ‘YOLO’ to the end of a dumb idea makes it cool. I’m not saying that important calls shouldn’t be made or taken but you will have a place and time for that. In the car risking your life and someone else’s is not the time or place. There is a time and place, drive safe.
Keisha Aki
H.O.P.E.S Academy
Dear Keisha,
DeleteI love your opening paragraph, very funny. Also, you had some very good points through out your essay. I am also a new driver and will be doing a lot of this now.
Elise McDonald
Keisha,
DeleteYour opening paragraph is hilarious and it pulls the reader in and makes them want to read more. I like how you said, ".. life.." instead of phone because teens believe it is their life haha. Anyway, great essay and Maybe you should've added the price of the ticket or like the accident statistics.
-Amanda
Dear Keisha,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay. It had just the right amount of humor mixed with truth. I also thought that the way you organized your essay made it flow easily.
Sincerely,
Autumn Begley
Dear Keisha
DeleteYour essay flows really well, you pointed out many important and it was enjoyable to read
- camilla
Dear Keisha,
DeleteThis is a very good subject that you focused your essay on. It's really sad how many people risk their life just to look at that one text. I also enjoyed your first paragraph, it pulls people in and makes them want to read more!
Haylei Sheldon
How to Install an Otterbox
ReplyDeleteWhen you get a new iphone, you will immediately begin to search for a new case if you haven’t already. Anyone who has kept a new iphone without a case on it for more than a few days knows that it is prone to scratches. Once your phone has been scratched, your eyes will always be drawn to that scratch and you will wish that you had bought a case earlier. It is natural for you to want to install things right, especially when you are excited to do it. That is why it is important for you to read this guide which will go over all the steps to installing a new otterbox to your iphone.
Before we get started, I would like to make it clear that I am talking about installing a Commuter series otterbox to an iphone generation 4 through 5. The commuter series is my favorite for the price, but keep in mind that even if you want to buy another case this guide may contain pertinent tips for that case as well. Also, before I explain the process of installing the case, you should know the parts that make it up. The three parts of the case are the inner silicon layer, the outer hard plastic layer, and the screen protector. The tools that you are given are the screen protector installation card and the screen wiping cloth.
Before you even begin installation, make sure that your phone is completely clean by using the screen wiping cloth. You should also be sure that the case itself didn’t get dirty on the inside before putting it on. The first real step is to put on the silicon underlayer, which will be flexible and should fit easily and cove up all of the buttons snugly. The hard plastic layer will be slightly more difficult to work with, put it over the top of the phone first before bending it to go around the bottom. The hard plastic layer will clamp on tightly and should fit perfectly.
By far the hardest part of installing your new otterbox is the application of the screen protector. People on the mainland take their phone and screen protector to best buy to have a “professional” put it on because they know that one mistake can cost them the entire screen protector. This part of the guide is especially important because we don’t have a best buy on Kauai and you will have to conquer this step by yourself. DO NOT take the actual protector off of the other plastic sheet that it is stuck to, instead peel it off as you apply it to your phone. I like to start from the bottom of the screen and roll it up to the top. When the screen protector fits your phone just right, use the installation card to smooth out all of the air bubbles and you will be finished.
This guide has gone over the installation of a new otterbox and should be able to help with multiple models. Now that you’ve heard how it’s done, hopefully you will be able to install your own case in no time without any trouble. Remember that you want to get your money worth, so don’t be afraid to start over if you mess up!
Mason Schwarze
IDEAS
How To Give Your Dog a Bath
ReplyDeleteIf you or any of your friends have a dog, you know how much fun having a pet can be. You also know that a dog can be a lot of work, especially if he is very active. It doesn’t take long for a high- energy dog to look like a mess and smell even worse. When that happens, it’s time to gather the dog shampoo and freshen up your dog. If you follow these steps, bathing your dog can be easy and enjoyable.
To begin, get the bath ready and gather what you need. These instructions are for a bath tub, though, if you have a small dog like me, you can easily use the sink. If you have a rowdy dog, use a nylon collar and leash (leather gets ruined by water) to control your dog during the bath. Thankfully, my dog loves baths, so I don’t have to worry about strapping her down. Your dog also needs something to stand on so he won’t slip. A bath mat or towel will make him feel secure. Make sure the water is warm. Water that is too hot can burn the dogs skin. Cold water -especially from an outside hose- may scare your dog and send him running. Next, you’ll need a way to get water all over your dog. A shower hose is the easiest method, but a plastic bucket or cup can work well, too. This part is easy for me, I just use the spray attachment on my kitchen sink! You’ll also need a special dog shampoo (the use of conditioner is up to you) because human shampoo is too strong for dogs. Of course, you’ll need some big towels, or for me, small towels, for the end of the bath.
To continue begin bathing your dog, get your dog nice and wet. Then use the shampoo to make a foamy lather on his coat. If your dog is uneasy in baths, try talking to him to help him relax and calm him down. Try to keep soapy water out of his eyes and ears, but don’t avoid washing his head. Then rinse your dog with fresh, warm water until his coat is shiny and free of soap. After that, you can rub some conditioner into his coat if you choose to.
To finish, dry your dog as completely as possible. Use big towels and give your dog a complete rubdown. Dogs love this part! However, watch out because wet dogs like to shake. If you choose to use a hair dryer to dry your dog, (recommended for dogs with long hair) keep it moving because holding it in an area for too long could burn his skin. Dogs like to roll when they’re wet, so if you’re outside, play tag with him or offer him a treat- anything to keep him from rolling in Kauai’s red dirt, or you’ll be doing this process all over again!
If you treat your dog calmly and gently, giving him a bath should be fun. Dogs that get used to taking baths learn to enjoy them. Remember, whenever your dog starts smelling too doggy, it’s time to gather your supplies and wash him until he’s clean and huggable again.
Elise McDonald
IDEAS
How To Write A Process Paper
ReplyDeleteWriting a process paper is skill you are going to have to use in life no matter what you do. If not in the written form you will create your own verbal process paper. Many things must come together for a successful process paper and you must take certain steps to ensure that you don’t leave anything out or completely over do it and confuse your audience or readers.
The first and surprisingly one of the most difficult steps in writing a process paper is simply choosing the subject that you are going to write about. You must make sure the subject is something that you feel comfortable writing about and have enough knowledge on or are willing to do research about. If you choose a topic and start writing your essay with no evidence or even arguments explaining what to do you are going to leave your reader with half made a birdhouse, book or garden. You need to be able to fully explain your topic or whatever process you are trying to explain or it will seem even harder to do then before your audience read your essay.
The other danger to be aware of when picking a topic is being over knowledgeable about a topic. Yes this is possible despite many people’s beliefs. When you know something like the back of your hand you may tend to skip things that you just assume everyone knows. This leaves the reader with holes in their process that you just thought were common sense but had never even occurred to them. The other danger with knowing a topic really well is using vocabulary specific to the subject but not widely known. If you are a sailor and you talk about starboard, the galley and other things your readers may not know what they mean and prevent your paper from being able to successfully explain the process.
Once you have a topic you have to make sure to keep your readers interested while also conveying a clear and easily understandable point. You don’t want to just write a long list of do this, then this, next. This will make a reader bored and lose interest even if they are very interested in the topic. You also have to refrain from trying to be exciting and drifting off the point too much. This will confuse the reader on how everything is related and they won’t know what the main points are. All in all you just need to make sure that you stay on your topic but you use widely understood creative language to keep your readers engaged in your paper.
A process paper is what you make of it and if you make sure to remember that it can be simple but yet convey a very clear point you will end up with a very well formed essay.
Wylie Barker
IDEAS
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWylie,
DeleteGreat essay! I like how you metioned that before even begining this essay you should know enough information to start it... and if you dont then you'll have to research iformation.
- Amanda Thayer
Dear Wylie,
DeleteI thought your essay was organized very well which made it easy to follow. I totally agree with you that the most difficult part is choosing a topic for the paper, I know what that's like! Overall I really enjoyed reading this, good job!
Haylei Sheldon
How To Shoot a Basketball
ReplyDeleteI am sixteen years old and I love to play basketball. My first experience with basketball was when I was seven. I played for a community league called the Termite League. It was very exciting and a very active sport. I didn’t learn how to shoot a basketball the right way until I was fourteen. Now that I have learned how to shoot a basketball I have become a better player.
The first step to shooting a basketball is getting the right form. The most basic form of shooting is getting your shooting arm in the shape of an “L”. First you put the ball into your dominant hand and you put your free hand on the side of the ball. You want your dominant hand or your shooting hand to be under the ball. After getting into this form you should see a window where the basketball rim is visible. After getting into this form you want to slightly bend your knees. You want to bend your knees about two or three inches. The purpose of this is to give your shot more power in reaching the rim.
After bending your knees you want to spring straight up without leaving the ground. When you get to your toes that’s when you want to release the ball. The way you release the ball is by taking the L-shaped form and with your shooting hand push up and towards the basketball rim and release the ball by letting the ball roll off the tip of your fingers. When the ball rolls off your fingers you want to flick your wrist so that your wrist is in the form of a snake while your fingers are pointing down.
Joshua Blaine
HOPES
Dear Joshua,
DeleteGreat points about the form into shooting a basketball. However, I'd like to pose another way to shoot a basket ball: Water gun. Otherwise, good job!
-John
How to unlock your iPod touch or iPhone when you forget the password.
ReplyDeleteSo, you forgot your iPhones password, huh? Or maybe your idiotic friend thought it would be funny to lock you out of it, but forgot the password. Now you don't know what to do, do you? Well, don't waste your time at the apple store, when you can do it right at home!
The first thing you must do when unlocking your iPhone or IPod touch is plug it into the main computer used to sync the device. Once plugged in, hold down the home button (the button at the bottom with the square) and the hold button (top button used to lock the screen) for about five seconds until, "slide to power off" shows up on the screen. The screen will then turn black, make sure to keep holding both buttons until the apple sign lights up on the screen. At this point release the hold button and keep ahold of the home button. "Plug into iTunes" icon will then pop up.
Once the computer recognizes that the device is plugged in, a message will pop up saying, "iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used in iTunes." You're going to want to click, "ok" and continue.
Usually, right when you plug your device into iTunes it brings you to your devices management center. If it doesn't, click on your iPhone in iTunes (this should be on the left side bar). A screen with a picture of your iPhone, iPhones name and other information on your iPhone should show up. For example, how much storage you have on your phone. There will be two buttons on the center right of the screen: "update firmware" and "restore." Go ahead and click "restore." Once you hit restore everything on your iPhone or iPod touch will be erased, including the passcode. But don't worry, it's just takes one easy step after it's all gone to get it all back.
Finally, once the iPhone or iPod touch has been restored you'll want to get everything back. To sync what you want on your iPhone or IPod touch, select the device and use the main menu items across the top -- Summary, Info, Apps, and so on -- to choose what you want to happen in each category. This process might take awhile depending on how much stuff you want or had. After everything is done you can unplug your device and start using it right away, you're finally done and everything is good as new!
Amanda Thayer
Hopes Academy.
Dear Amanda,
DeleteI really like your essay, because it presents a situation that most of us run into. I also thought that your writing style made it very easy to continue reading, and understand what you were saying.
Autumn Begley
Dear Amanda,
DeleteYour opening paragraph really captured my attention and made me want to continue reading your essay. I liked that you chose a topic that everyone can relate to and could use the advice that you gave.
Marissa Nikolas
How to get better at soccer.
ReplyDeleteStarting in about twelve years ago the sport of soccer entered my life. The excitement of a five year old in a new sport. Not knowing anything of the sport I ran onto the field with these "shinguards" and long socks with these weird shoes called "cleats." So my journey began and the road to becoming great began.
The first step to getting better in soccer(or in anything) is to have the passion for the sport or you will never have the drive to get better. But if you have the drive than you can start to progress to getting better at soccer.
Once this is obtained, you must move onto the gear. Depending on what surface you play on will depend on what type of shoe. (But for this circumstance will talk about firm ground, or grass.) You will need shoes that fit good and feel good. Then you will need to break them in. This is done by walking around in them and building up to a run (while breaking them you should try to reframe from sprinting).
Next you will need shinguards. Any brand will do, but you need to get the shinguards that are the correct size.
You will also need a soccer ball (depending on your age will make the size of the ball vary.
Once you have acquired all of your equipment then starts the training. You must do overall training. Starting with passing; (if you're alone you can use a wall) you should be alternating feet so the you evenly use your right and left foot. When passing your planted foot should be next to the ball and you should strike the ball with your instep, hitting it firmly and keeping it on the ground.
Next you will work on your shooting. When shooting once again the planted foot should be facing forward with it parallel to the ground. Then when you strike the ball you should strike it with your laces while keeping your weight over the ball, and as you strike the ball jump with your planted foot. This will slightly lift the ball off the ground and drive it level.
After this is chipping. Chipping is done by stepping wide from the ball and striking it with the outer top area of the foot. As you strike you should be leaning back. This will sen the ball high and far.
With these techniques your touch on the ball and overall skills will improve over time. But the biggest aspect is the time. So once you put all these aspects together and in time you can get better at soccer.
Noah LaMadrid
Ideas
How to Procrastinate and Still Succeed
ReplyDeleteFor some reason people always seem to think that procrastinating is a bad thing. Well I beg to differ. Sure, there are a lot of things that could go wrong if you procrastinate, but what is life without a little risk. It took some time, but after almost 16 years of procrastinating my way through life, I guess you could say I’m kind of an expert now. Despite numerous projects or essays, started and finished the day before, I have managed to maintain my grades and even excel in school. How do I do it you ask? Well I will tell you EXACTLY how.
Let’s start with receiving the assignments. When first getting an assignment, most people tend to start on it right away so they can get a head start. Get that idea out of your head right now! Instead, all you have to do is write down the due date and put it off to the side. If you feel like being an overachiever you could also think about what you’re going to do, or in other words “brainstorm” but anything more, and that’s just overdoing it. Once that’s done, you have a whole bunch of free time on your hands.
Now you’re probably asking, “but Autumn, what do I do with all my free time if I’m not doing my assignment?” The options are endless! As long as you don’t do anything productive as far as school or work. As most procrastinators do, you will probably be always thinking about what you have to do, and never actually acting on those thoughts. That is perfectly normal and is actually one of the key points of procrastination. As a side note, it is always good to be courteous to people. So don’t hesitate to ask your peers how they are doing on their assignment. By doing that you will attain some ideas for your own assignment, and create some small talk at the same time.
At this point, you are ready for the final stage of procrastination. Approaching the due date. This is the trickiest part of procrastination, because it can be the difference of success or failure. All you have to do is…be naturally smart and not make any mistakes while doing your assignment. You might also have to stay up extremely late and be very antisocial until you’ve finished. If you are a beginner I suggest you start at least a couple days earlier, and once you gain experience you can start your assignments the day before or even the day of.
Just remember that, even though you have to finish your assignment very quickly, doesn’t mean that you can make it crappy. Your teacher or boss is definitely not going to take procrastination as an excuse for why you did so horribly. But, if you follow these tips then you should do just fine. Still don’t think it will work? Well I used these methods to write this essay.
P.S. If this essay sucks, then I suggest that you do not follow anything said in this essay, because obviously procrastination sucks.
Autumn Begley
Hopes Academy
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow To Establish a Legacy
ReplyDeleteLook outside your window and ask yourself, what do you see? What do the men and women who pass by your window see? These are everyday questions, asked by people regardless of their ideologies, culture or race. However, none have ever bothered to ask, why aren’t you outside the window? Looking at the horizon instead of through a piece of glass, making a name for yourself instead of wasting away inside. By now, it should become apparent that I am speaking metaphorically, however it should also be clear that the answer to both questions is very simple.
The world, that is what you see, and it is what they see as well, it is what every man, woman and child upon this earth bears witness to. The world, chaotic and changing, diverse in the creatures that prowl its landscape. However, humanity is different from the other animals that inhabit the earth, in the simple fact that every human desires immortality of some form or another. We are aware of our imminent disappearance from this world, and so we struggle against it, seeking a long life to stave away the inevitable, seeking to help others around us so that by some chance they will remember us, seeking children so that there is proof of our existence in the world, seeking, a legacy.
A legacy, by definition, is something that you leave behind when you pass, and thus, is something that must be done within your lifetime. Despite this, stagnation still eats away at generation after generation of people, they find a job, they either support their own individualism and survival or their families and children, never a thought to the state of that the world around them. You do not have to be them.
To leave a legacy is simple, and yet the most complicated thing on this earth. You must do good or evil, you must establish order or chaos, you must choose whether to stay inside your dark cave and watch as the world changes without you, or gather your courage and step outside into the sunlight. An easy choice, in principle. The fact is however, that all men are not created equal, And thusly, all men do not have the courage to step outside of their own personal world to join the one that is far greater. They do not have the strength of character, they do not have the charisma to lead, or they do not have the dedication to follow through with something. These people are lazy slaves to their own self. And so I ask of you, are you a slave? Or a person? The difference is simple; A person chooses, A slave obeys.
If you are a person then ask yourself what you plan to do with your life, finish high school? Go to college? Get a career? Fail in every single one and live your life in poverty? The choice is yours after all. However, all these things, whether you succeed or fail, are entirely meaningless to your legacy. What matters, is leaving the world better then when you found it. Change it in any way that you can, whether that be helping a man up to his feet after he falls, or becoming a leader in a political movement. Become a doctor and save lives, their legacies will certainly remain intact, which means yours will as well. You are the next generation after all, the world will shape around you whether you decide to take part in it or not.
I cannot tell you what you are accomplished at, and how you will use that to achieve a legacy, you must choose that on your own. I can only cite examples and use metaphors to try and inspire you and keep you from falling into the same trap that has claimed so many people these days, laziness. The world is a game of chess, and it is high time that you pick a piece to play as and stick with it. I have already planned my life out to the finest detail, I know what I will leave behind, I know what my legacy will be.
Do you?
Ryemin Liddle
Hopes Academy
Dear Ryemin
DeleteI found your essay very interesting and it completely captivated me from the start! The words, examples, and over all style of your writing sets you apart from others. This is a very well constructed essay and by the way you give valid examples throughout your essay show that you really know what you are talking about. Also the topic you chose makes your essay interesting because its more than just an everyday activity that everybody already knows how to do. Good job!
Megan Devin
Dear Ryemin,
DeleteI was impresed by every part of your essay. You used strong words and had a bold topic that kept me reading. Also impressive was how you made the essay flow with so many figures of speech. Finally, I also liked how much detail and thought you put into your conclusion to extend the length, that is something me and others have had a hard time with. Nice essay!
How to Spearfish
ReplyDeleteAs you may or may not already know, the ocean offers us many different activities that entertain us. These activities range from surfing, to paddling, to swimming, and one of my personal favorites, spear fishing. Spear fishing isn’t as easy as it sounds though. Unless you have the correct preparation, technique, and safety habits, you will not have a successful dive.
Going spear fishing, or diving, as many people like to call it, requires lots of supplies and preparation in order to be successful. The materials needed for a dive trip would be a full body wetsuit to stay warm, a snorkel to breathe, a mask to see, booties, gloves, a dive knife, dive fins, a float to hold the fish and to let boats know that you are near by, and of course a spear to shoot the fish. In preparation for the dive, one of the biggest things is to make sure that your spear or spear gun (whatever you choose to use) is fully functional. Then you need to check yourself for any cuts. Blood will attract sharks. You also need to make sure that your sinuses are clear or else you will not be able to pressurize correctly and hurt yourself. And finally, you need to examine the ocean to see where the currents are and where not to go etc.
If you don’t have the correct technique when you dive you could severely injure yourself and in some cases it may result in death. The most important thing you know how to do is to equalize, or pressurize, correctly or else you can blow out your eardrums. To correctly pressurize you need to plug your nose and blow out at the same time so it releases the pressure in your ears. Also, many people just pressurize when their ears start to hurt. Do NOT do this. The most important pressure change is actually in the first five feet of water! After that, though, you need to pressurize very frequently. Preferably before you feel the pressure build up or any pain. Another good technique is to stay calm no matter what panicking will only make it worse. When you panic your heart rate speeds up resulting in an increased rate at which you run out of breath.
Whatever you do, safety is always a factor. Safety is an even bigger factor of diving because you are in the middle of the ocean and if anything goes wrong you could get seriously injured or even drown. One of the most important safety habits is to always go diving with a partner. That way if anything happens you will have somebody else to help you out or make a call if needed. Another good safety habit, which I mentioned earlier, is to make sure all of your dive equipment is fully and properly functional before going out that way you have a miss-fire of you spear/spear gun or you don’t get cold because of a hole in your wetsuit. Another good safety habit, which I also mentioned before, is to examine the ocean very carefully so you now where the dangerous currents may be and you know where to go and where not to go.
If you are ever just sitting at home just bored out of your mind, just go down to the ocean and you will have plenty of things to do. You can surf, paddle, swim, or, one of my personal favorites, go spear fishing. In order to go spear fishing and have a successful outcome, you need to have the correct preparation, technique, and safety habits.
Kai Harrison
Ideas Academy
How To Procrastinate Productively
ReplyDeleteIts four o’clock, the hands on the clock draw laborious lengthy seconds which metamorphose into minutes and gradually fade into hours. The mundane tick continues as a reminder that time waits for no one, yet you blatantly ignore the paper in front of you. Its eager lines wait with enthusiasm for you to fill them with intelligence. However your pencil remains stalled, hovering over the page. Writing nothing. The cramped feeling settles in, hypersensitivity takes control and you feel every joint in your body move. Even your cat crossing the floor has become more enthralling than the blank paper in front of you. “I wonder what’s for dinner. I really do not want to write this essay. I should probably check my tumblr, or feed my cat.” your mind has drifted away as you begin to doodle intricate details into the margins in the paper.
This self inflicted distracted state is procrastination or the act of putting off forthcoming tasks till a later date. Many believe procrastinated time is “wasted” time, however just because you are procrastinating on an assignment or other task does not mean that this time can not be spent productively. There are many things you can do to fill that “wasted” time and even break your procrastination.
Commence by prioritization. An accumulation of tasks can feel challenging or hard to complete. Many times procrastination is triggered by an immense feeling of overwhelm and stress brought on by a large priority of tasks that must be accomplished at once. To help you relieve that feeling of stress it is important to prioritize. Create a list of all the tasks you have to complete, and put them in order of most pressing or hardest to least pressing or easiest. Finally begin with the least pressing tasks. Why start with the least pressing tasks instead of the most? The least pressing or easiest are often good kick-starts. Once you've begun a task it becomes easier and easier to complete the tasks ahead of you.
At times the source of procrastination is not brought on by an overwhelming amount of work, but rather a block. An inability to produce work, or accomplish a task can feel just as stressful as the inability of not knowing where to start. In order to progress beyond this “mental block” it is important for you to clear your mind completely of the task. Stop. Do not keep attempting do the task. Instead fill this time with another activity such as a chore. If all chores are completed do something you enjoy, something pleasurable. When you have completed this activity return to your task; your mind will be more relaxed and prepared to work through the block, possibly with fresh ideas.
These methods of handling procrastination use procrastination to your advantage. They avoid what is at hand all while completing tasks and activities which ultimately leads to the accomplishment of the task you are procrastinating on.
Emily Faretta
Ideas Academy
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DeleteThe amount of detail you used in your first paragraph was extremely abundant. This really showed where you are skilled in writing and let you showcase your best abilities. I think tis was a very good way to start your essay because it was different from all of the others I read and drew in my interest. You also let the details lead up to your argument which have your essay an overall good flow. All in all your essay I felt was very intelligently written
DeleteHow to Teach Your Mom to Use Her iPhone
ReplyDeleteWhen teaching your mother the basics of operating her iPhone, it is very important you remember not to assume that she knows anything. Even the things that you imagine everyone in 2013 would know about iPhones by now, trust me she doesn’t know. Absolutely nothing.
The first thing to show your mom is how to turn her iPhone on and off. Explain that you simply hold down the lock button to turn it off, and then hold it down again to turn it back on. Remember to differentiate between the “lock” button and the “home” button as many times as it takes until your mom stops asking “Why does the screen go black every time I try to exit an app?” Or “Why won’t my iPhone turn on? I’m holding down the circle button!” Be prepared to explain it many times.
The next thing your mom needs to know about her iPhone is her apps. Do not assume that she knows what an “app” is. Tell her that it is a piece of software with a specific program and function. Then go over her important apps. Go over the phone app first. This will most likely be her most used app because we all know how our mothers favorite thing to do is call us! Show her how to call people. Also show her how to add and use her contacts. The next app she NEEDS to learn how to use is her messages app. Explain how to create a new message and add a contact. Then sit back and laugh as she flips the phone horizontally, and uses the “hunt and peck” method to type out her message. After you make fun of her for a few minutes then show her how to use her thumbs. She will try to convince you that the only reason she can’t do it is because her thumbs are too big! You must be patient while her texting skills develop. They will most likely take twice as long as any teenager’s. One more app that your mom will want to know how to use is the camera app. Before explaining this to her make sure you are aware of the consequences and know that your mother will have a camera on her at anytime now. Show her which button you click to actually take the photo. Also show her how to look at the photos she takes, delete photos and send them to friends. Think hard before you decide to show her the front camera. Do you really want your mom to be taking “selfies”?
A few more things your mom should know about her apps are how to arrange them. Explain to her that those “little hidden pockets thingies” are actually folders and you create them by dragging one app onto another app. This might also be a good time to show her how to exit out all of her apps too, by double clicking the home button and then holding down one of the apps until the little red circle shows up in the corner. Then tell her to click the red circle to exit out. Make sure she knows how to do this, because any teenager who has an iPhone knows there is nothing more annoying than someone who doesn’t exit out of their apps.
Lastly, be sure that your mom knows the basics, i.e, how to play music, how to turn the volume up or down, how to zoom in and out, how to screenshot, and how to search the internet. Explain how to do theses things simply as to not cause too much stress!
The most important thing to remember when teaching your mom how to use her iPhone is that you will have to explain things over and over again. Your directions will not sink in the first time. Also be prepared for her to tell you “You’ve never told me that before!” And even though you know you have, you will be forced to explain it once more. Good luck!
Megan Devin
Ideas Academy
Dear Megan,
DeleteI enjoyed the comedic essence that came with the topic that you chose, this essay gave me quite a few good laughs, especially since I had to go through this process with my own mother a few years ago when she first got an Iphone. I also enjoyed the way you wrote the piece, due to it adding to effect of the entire piece. However, I will say that you should lower the amount of spaces that you place between your paragraphs, it helps the readers eyes flow from paragraph to paragraph when they are reading the text.
Sincerely,
Ryemin Liddle
Hopes Academy
Dear Megan,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay. I remember teaching my mom how to use her iphone when she first got it and your exactly right on what they get wrong like confusing the "home" and "lock" buttons and the very slowly growing texting abilities (my mom is so used to regular typing she had no idea how to use her thumbs). I think my favorite step was the one where you sit back and laugh at them for a few minutes while they figure out how to type.
Dear Megan,
DeleteThis essay was just hilarious and the quotes you used were spot on and gave the piece an added humorous effect.
Dear Megan,
DeleteI don't really know how to use an iPhone, but i found your essay very funny! I went through the same thing with my grand ma one day trying to explain to her how to send me a picture in her texts. it didn't work out haha. My favorite part was the "my thumbs are too big" excuse. hahahaha nice job
Zuri (:
How to surf
ReplyDeleteBy: Camilla Vernon
Surfing is an incredibly popular sport. thousands of tourists come every year to Hawaii, the epicenter of surfing. But what is surfing? Surfing is the sport in which athletes ride breaking waves into the shore on a surfboard. Here are some simple steps to learn how to surf in a fun and safe way.
The first thing you really need to do is to learn how swim. If you already know how to swim then listen to the next steps carefully.
To start of, if you are at the beach, draw a surfboard shape in the sand and draw a line in the middle of your shape. Put your hands below your chest and your feet together like you are in a plank position.The movement is similar to upward dog in yoga. You are going to lift your chest up,simultaneously you are going to swing your legs and turn to the side.Your feet should be centered on the line you have drawn in the sand and they should also be shoulder width apart with your knees bent. Practice this a couple of times to get used to the feeling.
If you are a beginner, you would need to start off with a longboard that is soft top. A soft top is a board that is made with styrofoam material which is soft and won't hurt anybody, other than fiberglass which is much harder and more dangerous to you and other surfers. You should also get a long leash.
Now you are ready to enter the water. Before entering, look out at the ocean and study the conditions to Check for any hazard, you should go for the smaller waves to begin with and slowly work your way up to bigger waves. When entering the water keep your board like a flag, not a sail or you will be knocked down.
Once you are out, you must be cautious of the incoming groups of large waves also known as sets. Once you see a nice wave at a distance, you must begin paddling before the wave comes to you so you can get momentum which will make it easier to catch the wave. Once you feel like you have caught the wave, try to stand up.
On your first couple of waves just try to ride straight to shore. Once you feel like you have got the hang of standing up, then you can try doing some turns. Once you have caught your wave and you have already stood up, you can start to turn. when you lean forward on your board you will go left and when you lean back you will go right, just remember not lean too far or too back. When you want to go faster on your board lean on your front foot a little and if you want to slow down lean on your back foot a little bit. If after a week you feel like you got it down, you can upgrade to a fiberglass board to practice your turns
H.O.P.E.S academy
How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things to do is to cook. The first thing that I learned how to make was chocolate chip cookies. After I made them the first time, I was so proud that I wanted to make them all the time. The recipe that I used was very simple and was easy to follow.
Before you begin to make your cookies, you need to preheat your oven to 375°F and place the oven rack in the middle position. Then line two large baking sheets with wax paper.
Now you need to gather all of your ingredients. You will need flour, baking soda, salt, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate chips. After you have all of your ingredients together, you can begin to make your cookies.
The first step is to whisk 3 cups of flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda, and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt together in a small bowl and set it aside.
Next, in a large bowl, beat together 1 cup of melted butter, 1 ½ cups of brown sugar, and 1 cup of granulated sugar with a mixer at high speed for two to three minutes. Then beat in three eggs and 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla. Now add in the flour mixture and mix until it’s blended in. Then stir in 2 ½ cups of chocolate chips.
After you have combined all of the ingredients, scoop out about ¼ cup of the cookie dough for each cookie and place on the baking sheets that you lined earlier, about three inches apart.
Bake one sheet at a time for 13 to 15 minutes each.
Now your cookies are ready to enjoy! These cookies were very easy to make and they taste great.
Marissa Nikolas
HOPES Academy
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow to get your parents to stop fighting and drinking:
ReplyDeleteMy parents fought a lot while I was growing up. They fought like two pit bulls. They would scream at each other for hours at a time, and usually my mom would leave the house and go spend the night at some friend’s house. Most of the time, their fights were when they were drunk. This scared me a lot because both of them were married before, had a kid, and then got divorced. Like any other kid, I didn’t want my parents to split up, I didn’t want to be another child with divorced parents, going from parent to parent, or choosing a parent to stay with. No child wants to choose between parents.
When my parents fought I would go to my brother’s room. He would close the door so we couldn’t hear them anymore and we played cards to get my mind off of it. Then when my brother moved out, and I didn’t want to hear it anymore, I would call my grandma from Lihue and she would drive all the way to Wailua Homesteads just to pick me up. I went home the next day when things cooled down.
About 2 years ago Halloween night, my mom was drinking and she was hounding on me over some stupid thing for hours and hours. Then over a year ago, my parents were drinking at Robs when they started fighting. That night is kind of a blur to me. All I remember is that is was the first fight that turned physical between them. My mom punched my dad, and my dad tried to get in the car and leave, then my mom stepped in the front of the car, which was a hummer, and my dad actually banged her. Not hard enough to really hurt her, but still, watching that was the scariest thing ever. I started to cry, and finally, I started to walk to my grandma’s house across from Wilcox Elementary, and called her to pick me up. My dad came to pick me up, but I told my grandma I didn’t want to see or talk to either of my parents. I cried my eyes out that night.
During that week my parents still didn’t talk to each other at all, but both of them reached out to me to try and get back on my good graces. It came to the point where I had to choose sides between them. I felt guilty every time I was with one parent; it was like I was cheating on the other. They asked when I would come home. I told them I wouldn’t come home until they agreed to quit drinking because that seemed to be the root of all the problems.
Finally, they agreed to quit drinking, and my dad agreed to quit smoking, and they told me that things have improved, and I came home. This experience changed all of us. My parents still fight, but all relationships have fights, at least now it’s more under control.
Okay so I admit, my parents drink again, but it’s not as much, and they don’t get crazy anymore. If things get bad again, I can always go back to my grandma’s house and start over.
Naea Oda
Hopes Academy
How to Get Out of Going to School
ReplyDeleteAsk any student if they like school and they will tell you, “No,” If for some reason they say yes, however, then you have proof that they are a cyborg out to destroy the earth. So if you are a student looking for an excuse to avoid going to school, here is a special technique for you to try. Cliche as it might be, pretending to be sick is your best option, after faking your own death that is.
Pretending to be sick may be the oldest trick in the big bad book of excuses. Doing it is one thing, but accomplishing your goal is another. If you make one mistake then your cover will be blown and you will have to go to school. To avoid making a mistake, follow the steps presented EXACTLY.
First and possibly most important is planning. You must plan how to acquire free time, what to do with it and how to cover your tracks once you’re done. Write down on a piece of paper your entire plan, memorize it and then burn it- shredding the paper leaves too much evidence. If you are a thrifty person you can even use the ashes to fertilize your garden.
Step two is preparation. If you don’t prepare it properly the whole plan will fall apart, so be careful. Don’t underestimate anything and have a backup plan for any possible scenario.
Now here comes the fun part; execution. No, not killing someone, but doing what you have been planning for months, unless killing someone was your plan. To complete this step successfully follow your guide and don’t do anything you are not prepared for.
The final step to successfully ditching school is clean-up. You must cover your tracks and make it as if you hadn’t done anything but lay in bed watching Netflix all day. This means returning home safely and on time without so much as a scratch on your dad’s newly painted car.
As portrayed in the movie Ferris Bueler’s Day Off skipping school may come natural to some but it has its consequences. If these steps are ignored or not done right, you are not gonna have a fun time explaining why you weren’t in bed sick when your parents got home. So remember to “be sick” and don’t mess up.
Ruby Hawthorne
Ideas Academy
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow to End a Relationship
ReplyDeleteIf you end a relationship by telling your partner that things aren’t working out, you are going about it ALL WRONG. When you end a relationship, what you’re really supposed to do is make sure that other person hates your guts so much that they don’t want to speak to you for the rest of their life. What you need to do is make yourself undesirable as hell, distance yourself, and never speak to that person again.
Seeing as your partner already finds you unbelievably attractive beyond belief (who wouldn’t? You’re quite the catch), this will be a bit difficult. The first step is to be a grade A slob. Manners don’t exist when you’re trying to be undesirable. Take your partner out to dinner and order your least favorite dish. Before it arrives, ask the waiter for water every single time your glass is empty and make sure they keep the free bread coming. The second your food is in sight, you run to it and stuff your face in it. Your partner may still find you attractive even with all that food on your face. To change that, you need to kiss your partner. Not one of those little pecks on the lips, you must kiss your partner with great force. You must kiss them anywhere but their lips. Bonus points if you slam them onto the table and make out with them in front of everybody.
The next step is distancing yourself. You can do this by cutting off communication with all her friends. When they find out what you’re doing, they will try to find you. Since you have friends of your own, you can simply build a mobile barrier out of them. When your partner’s friends see you, your throw your own friends at them and run for the hills. Now THAT is distance.
Lastly, you must leave the country. You can’t speak to your partner ever again because then they’ll be asking questions. Listen, what you do is head to the nearest airport. Once you get there, you’ll meet a woman named Regina Falange. She will give you eight thousand dollars and a passport with your new name, Alex Shadowfox. Afterwards, you make your way to Manchester in England and acquire a new life as an English person. You must buy all new clothes and become a completely different person so that it is impossible to find you.
Have fun with your partnerless life.
Erica Cabalona
IDEAS Academy
How To Be An Older Sister
ReplyDeleteSome say that being an older sister is natural, that it is bestowed upon them when they see their little brother or sister looking up with their enormous eyes for the first time. Suddenly, such an immense amount of love comes over them and they are automatically bonded. However, to learn and grow as siblings one has to have persistence, patience, tenderness and joy.
Imagine walking into your bedroom and being abruptly stopped by your sister wearing your favorite headphones and rocking out to Justin Bieber. Not everyone will just join in and start belting out "Baby, Baby Baby Ohhh" along with her. It takes skillful patience and a tranquil mind to not rip the headphones off in pure anger and tell her to disperse. Even though this may make you go bonkers, itʻs experiences such as these that teach us how to be patient. Patience is one of the tools that is crucial to be a faithful sibling.
Little sisters also always need to be the sun of the universe, the world revolving around them. That can definitely produce patience. In order to handle that type of behavior, it is best to lay low and let your sibling have her moment because the sun doesʻnt stay out forever. One might also say that she is the sun because her light will shine in the darkest of places.
Along with patience comes persistence. Perhaps you need help doing the dishes or walking the dogs and all of a sudden your younger sister has developed a "stomach ache" or has "homework". At that moment, an older sister will most likely feel frustrated and like she has to do all of the work. Thatʻs when persistence kicks in. The only reason you want them to help you is so they know how to take care of themselves when they are older. Being persistence will eventually form a healthy relationship.
If any of these skills come naturally, it would have to be tenderness. There is nothing more true and raw than an older sister caring for their younger sister. If your sister were to get an asthma attack or severely ill, thereʻs no doubt in my mind an older sister would stay by their side and spend time with them. It is times like these when you really learn what kind of a personality your little sibling could have.
Having joy is unexplainable and through it sisters can share immeasurable memories and moments that will never fade. Moments like singing along to Justin Bieber together, washing the dishes with each other and watching cartoons together when theyʻre sick can make all the difference. If an older sister has joy towards their little sibling, their bond will have no limits.
Overall, being an older sister is a privilege and can teach skills needed for a lifetime. Thank God for the sisterhood
Marina,
DeleteYour topic really spoke to me. I have a younger sister who I feel so deeply connected with yet i don't get to spend much time with. Rocking out, teaching them the ways, and standing by their side is so totally important and such a beautiful thing to experience. Yesterday i went to see my sister; her and her friend were selling lemonade by the road when i found they left milk and cereal all over the table. Cleaning it up would have been way easier, but I walked all the way to the road to scold her and make her clean it up, because we have to teach them!Thanks for writing about such a meaningful topic.
-Zuri
How to walk like a model:
ReplyDeleteIf you asked any girl between the ages of six and sixteen what they want to be when they grow up, chances are that a good amount would say they want to be a model. Not everyone, however, has what it takes to be a model. Besides having the right body, they must develop a particular set of skills, one of which being the model walk. Something so intricate and difficult to perform it breaks even the strongest of ankles that attempt to master it.
First, you have to find the right pair of high heels. Find a pair that fits comfortably, and has an acceptable height on the heel. Then get a pair two sizes smaller and three inches higher. Remember, the more uncomfortable you are the more fabulous you look.
Next, practice walking. Find a nice long path where you can rehearse your strut. Right, left, right, left, and so on until you reach the end, put your hand on your hip, whip your hair like you’re trying to shake out a spider, and walk all the way back.
Lastly, and most important to remember is to keep an attitude as sleek as a glossy marble countertop after giving it a rub down with Oxi-Clean Ultra. Let it show in every part of your body, giving everyone in the crowd chills as they watch you slide down the walk. Whatever you do, do NOT crack a smile, having fun is not part of the business.
And this, my friends, is what anyone dreaming of becoming a model needs to read and remember if they hope to make it in the most difficult industry in the world.
Colby Sargent
Ideas
Ohh myy gosh Colby you are too much! I dont know how you came up with such a to-the-point ridiculous satire about what models do. I loved the way you said "whip your hair like you're trying to shake out a spider" and the part about the sleeky oxy-cleaned attitude. Can't wait to read more of your posts, super interesting!
Deletezuri
How To Get Over A Guy...
ReplyDeleteBoys suck. They can totally kill your vibe, trash your self esteem, or even make you roll around in bed crying for days on end. We should NEVER have to endure this suffering! In the event of cheating, not treating you right, or irreconcilable differences, THIS is how to get over a guy:
First of all, get out of those sweats and over sized T-shirts! Shower thoroughly- who knows how long its been since you've shaved- Dig up your favorite outfit, some make up, and make yourself feel as cute as you possibly can. This can make a world of difference. Whether you succeed or fail at feeling desirable, you MUST move on to step two:
Get out of your cave! Bed, couch, refrigerator, where ever you are wallowing in grief- you better run like the place is burning down. Some working out could be the first step to entering the outside world again; Exercise is proven to release endorphins, as well as working in the dirt, or listening to some music you love. Keeping yourself busy is one of the best ways to occupy your mind -next to lusting after a new hot slab-. The rut of self pity and heart ache can never be escaped if you do not force yourself into some human contact.
Where will you go? Pick a place you know makes you happy. Maybe this is Kealia, blue hole, or the top of sleeping giant? Slippery slides, secrets, or pillars. A beach destination is a good choice because there is often some man candy for you to focus your mind on. If you aren't a beach goer, the mall could serve as a successful substitute. Feast your eyes on the deliciousness of Kaua'i's male population! I'm telling you, it's a tasty world out there...
Also a very crucial step to recovery, have some girl time. Good friends are really great to have around in apocalyptic times like these. Try not to talk about your jerk ex too much when with your girls. I know the only thing you can think about is how much you hate/want him back, but this is the time to move on. Laugh, sing, be crazy, and enjoy your self!!!
Another wonderful past time of the achey-breaky-hearted girl is rage. That's right, go get wild! Dance all night, with anyone and everyone. Don't feel insecure if it seems like no boys want to dance with you. They're probably just shy. In this case you should make the first move, but if you're too much of a wimp, dance by yourself! Shake it like a salt shaker (you may want to practice in the mirror a little before you go out if you don't usually do this kind of thing.) And please please please DON'T drink too much. At the emotionally unstable stage you are in right now you could really do some regrettable things. With the right amount of alcohol in your system it may seem like a good idea to make out with every not totally brutal guy that makes it your way. Refrain from this troggy behavior. It could really hurt the way you feel about your self later on, or even your future relationships.
The next morning after partying talk to your friends about all the hil-aarriioouuss things that happened the night before. Laugh all late-morning long! This reminiscing might even be funner than your hole night was.
You did it!!!!! You're free!!!!! Who remembers what's-his-face now? Feel the sun on your face! Feel the wind beneath your wings! Feel the guys checking out your butt as you walk past them a new woman, free, independent, and 100% OVER THAT GUY!
Zuri Shanklin
DeleteIDEAS
haha, I really love this because you were so honest and basically we're on point!
DeleteDear Zuri
DeleteI like the examples you used for getting over a guy and i'll most likely remember this for future reference.
Zuri,
DeleteI loved your details so much, you don't even have to relate with the subject to still find it funny and informational.
Sincerely,
Kai Chase
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow to Make the Perfect Cookie
ReplyDeleteBy Anuhea Lizarraga
When having 3 older sisters who love to cook and or bake, making cookies might also be something you like to indulge yourself in every once in awhile. I try my best not to indulge that often because it makes my Pilates classes only that much harder, but sometimes, the cookies win. It is my great and tasty way of improving my baking skills.
As I was growing up, my mom had this amazing book with over a thousand different types of cookie recipes. Christmas cookies, Shortbreads, Traditional, Foreign, healthy, smothered in chocolate, the list goes on. It even had different styles and ways for making the same cookie. This book was massive.
When making this perfect cookie, realize not everybody has the same taste pallet as the other. If you like coffee, this is the cookie for you. If you don’t like coffee, hey, it’s still something you can give to your friends and family, improving your social and baking skills. It’s a win-win.
First, you want to gather up your ingredients; Sugar, flour, vanilla, espresso, unsalted butter, powdered sugar (recommended), chocolate chips (again recommended), some like to add coconut oil, and if you want to go the whole nine yards, Toffee. Depending on how much you want to make, your amounts are going to be different but this recipe is to make 1 batch of 40 or so cookies.
You want to have two mixing bowls, 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder and 1 tablespoon boiling water (plain coffee really doesn’t work because it simply isn’t strong enough, I’ve tried), 2 sticks (8 ounces) of unsalted butter at room temperature, ⅔ cup of white or brown sugar (what you prefer), ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety, again what you prefer) finely chopped or even a ¾ cup of store-bought mini chocolate chips, ¼ coconut oil (optional and recommended but not everyone might like it) and finally powdered sugar, for dusting.
After you gather all your ingredients, dissolve the espresso in boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid. Next, you grab the butter, sugar, vanilla, and coconut oil and place them into a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture, at quite a fast pace, until it’s nice and smooth. Your choice for using an electric mixer or hand mixing it with a beater. If you hand mix it, you can get a nice arm workout before eating these rich cookies. It’ll make the cookies more rewarding and good way to burn off those calories.
Slowly, pour your flour into your mixture reducing your mixing pace. once it looks like it’s regular dough, don’t mix anymore. Taking a rubber spatula, fold chocolate chips and or toffee into dough. Then, take the dough and put it into a gallon-sized zip lock bag but don’t close the bag! Lay it out on a flat surface and roll it flatly and evenly, filling all the space in the bag so it shapes perfectly rectangle. Brilliant right? Try not to roll the dough out of the bag though, it’s open so the air is pushed out. Take out as much air as you can and close the zip lock bag when satisfied with the shape and evenness. Lift bag carefully so you don’t cause creases and place in fridge for at least 2 hours (which is what I did), or up to two days, but who wants to wait two days?
Preheat oven up to 325 degrees F and line two baking pans with wax paper. After two hours or so, take the hardened dough and cut the bag open on the sides. Cut dough into ½ inch rectangles and slide cookies onto pan. They don’t expand much so close proximity is fine. Place into oven to bake for about 18-20 minutes. When done, the shortbread should be a paler, not so much “Brown,” unless you like them really crispy. Finally, you place the Shortbread cookies on a cooling rack and If you want, lightly dust them with powdered sugar. Viola! Sugar dusted espresso chocolate chip toffee shortbread cookies with a touch of coconut oil. Sounds a little intense but worth every bite.
It’s a really great recipe that you can mold your own style into. Enjoy!
Anuhea Lizarraga I.D.E.A.S. Academy
I NEED to make these!!!! With a melted dark chocolate half dip! mmmmmm... Thank you Anu! Great detail,
Deletelove zuri
This sounds amazing! I am definitely going to have to try!
DeleteSincerely,
Kai Chase
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor many years now weight loss has become a huge goal for many Americans. Many people rely on books, trainers, magazines, and the internet to find the secret success to weight loss. When really, it’s quite simple. “To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life” (Londen).
ReplyDeletePersonally this is how I live when I want to lose weight. You don’t need a crazy diet and you don’t need to stress if you skipped the gym for one day. My basic steps to weight loss are to ; first, change your attitude, you need to be positive about who you are and know that if you’re not happy with how you look now, that can always change. Second it is very important to set realistic goals for yourself. Third change your eating habits. That means cutting out refined sugar and eating lean meats, whole grains, and lots of fruits and vegetables. You also want to eat smaller portions 4-5 times a day rather than 3 big meals. This is better for your metabolism. Fourth is exercise! You don’t need to get crazy and work out for 3 hours every day. I recommend 1 hour of exercise 4-5 times a week, the more you do it, the more you’ll want to. When you exercise it’s very important to stay hydrated! Water gives you energy, keeps you full, and helps with digestion.
The last and most important rule to losing weight is don’t stress and don’t over think. When I say this I mean a couple of things. First is don’t stress if you miss a workout, it’s just one day. The next thing is most important, if you want something have it! If that brownie sounds irresistible, eat it! If you don’t it’s likely you’ll end up binging on sweets later. With this the only rule is to control your portion size when it comes to junk food and how often you eat it. If you follow these guidelines weight loss and healthy living will come easily, it won’t be something you have to do, it will be a great lifestyle.
H.O.P.E.S ACADEMY Ms. Carlson
To be a good Christian is a difficult process that most of you that will not understand because you are either a different religion or you just don’t care which is I guess fine. But I am going to tell you as a Christian how to become one or at least get a new perspective.
ReplyDeleteNow of course the first step is to attend a baptist or christian church with some friends or family that go, but you would never go with them being afraid a friend would see you or your scared. At first you’ll feel uncomfortable since you are new but it will change when you keep an open mind. Secondly now is to ask adults at the church questions about life as a Christian or the Bible cause thats what they want to hear from youth and adults of todays world. Thirdly on my little input on this process is that i want you to memorize this verse Hebrews 11:1 “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” ; this translates that you don’t need to ask for signs to prove he’s real you just have faith.
The next step now is to get saved, which is where you accept the Lord Jesus christ into your heart. Things that fall under that is slowly giving up worldly things like your music, which I understand is a hard thing to give up and I still struggle so my solution is just to avoid inappropriate and songs that swear; Other things would be for girls at least to dress modestly meaning no booty shorts or revealing clothing cause that lead to temptation which is never good. After getting saved is to be baptised meaning that you fully surrender your life to God. Why is because he has a plan for you and you can choose to accept it or not but I can tell you one thing not isn’t really a good option. It will lead to hell which in the bible is a place of agony and all you will feel is your soul burning and cries of misery, but i’m not saying if you don’t do this then that’s where you’ll go I am saying anyone who isn't christian will go there I was just giving an example to why not isn’t the better option. Lastly the final step is never doubt your faith and to stand up and help lead others to the light also you will struggle along the way but you can always ask for forgiveness.
Kassandra Iloreta I.D.E.A.S Academy
How to Win in an Airsoft Skirmish
ReplyDeleteAlright so all your friends really want to go play this new thing called ‘Airsoft’. What is it you ask? Airsoft is basically a simulation of a real gunfight or land battle. An airsoft gun is a near exact copy of a real gun, except it fires small plastic balls called airsoft BBs. When you are hit with an airsoft BB, it doesn’t hurt very much, so the game can be played effectively without anyone getting seriously hurt.
So, rule number one for winning an airsoft battle is to make sure you are properly equipped. This means you need the proper gear from head to toe including your weapon of choice. First, you’ll need a headgear setup, preferably with some sort of eye protection. Personally, I like to wear my one-eighty degree view goggles with a bandanna fashioned in the way of an old west movie on my face. Another great choice is a metal mesh full-face mask. Next you’ll want some sort of long sleeved outfit such as a pair of Air Force ABUs, such as I use. Along with a good combat outfit, find some sort of comfortable footwear that can get dirty without a worry. Finally, select a weapon suited to your liking. Are you a sharpshooter? Do you rush in for a close fight? Are you stealthy? Or do you do all of this and more? For me, I use an antique Thompson M1A1 replica. Of course, you can barter your selection with another player for a weapon more suited to your liking that day.
So begins the long-awaited skirmish. One big rule is not to panic, to keep your cool, to know the tips. The first tip is to cut around the side of the field, or execute a flanking movement somehow. Trust me, they never see it coming. The second tip is to keep your head down. Please for everyone’s sake don’t stand up in the middle of a firefight to see where the enemy is. That is what mirrors are for. The third tip is to keep your weapon on ‘semi’ fire. Do not ever spray. It is inaccurate and extremely reckless and childish. That reminds me, the final tip is to pick off the good enemy players as best you can because the little kids are easy pickings later on.
And that, my friends, is how to win at an Airsoft skirmish.
John Quinlan IDEAS
Dear John,
DeleteWhy, I must say this is a marvelous essay good sir! I hope you keep up the good work and are recommended to the college of your choice! You will go far with such universally rare knowledge, for Einstein wishes your cognition to be of his disposal.
-John
How to survive without a car
ReplyDeleteCars are a basic part of the human life. They bring you to work, school, sports, etc. But what does one do when they don't have an opportunity to have a car? Who knows maybe its to expensive or they simply just haven't gotten their license yet. But even though it may seem like a total utter drag at the time, trust me you can survive fine with out one. Maybe the alternatives to not having a car wont be your favorite, but you'll be able to get around.
Since I don't have my license yet, I have to come up with ways to get around with out a car. In the moment I want to kill myself because I think I cant do anything, but I'm just being stubborn. There are many alternatives to substitute for not having a car, one being the bus. Now I know that your thinking somewhere between the lines of “ ew the bus smells and there are weirdos that ride it” or “ why would I take the bus when I can make my parents drive everywhere”. Now I'm not going to completely disagree with you, because the bus sometimes does have strange odors and there are definitely some creepy people who ride it, but at the same time it gets you where you need to go. The bus is also cheap transportation, and in these times if you want a full tank of gas you better be ready to spend half of your paycheck on it. A good alternative if you don't have your license yet is to make a compromise with your parents, a simple if I take the bus there can you pick me up after and bring me home, and that makes it easier on your parents and not to bad for yourself.
Now the bus is definitely not the only way you can get around. Another simple solution that's been an alternative for years... ride your bike! Riding your bike to get you around has many positives. First of all you're being active and getting some exercise in, and that's always a good thing. Another thing is that riding your bike is Eco friendly, you're not wasting your money on gas and releasing bad fumes into the air. Last but not least, riding your bike won't cost you a thing but a little more time.
Another solution to surviving with out a car is car pooling. For example, if someone lives close to you and there heading in the same direction that you wanna go just simply ask them for a ride. Car pooling gives you the comfort of being with someone you know and having a more comfortable ride. The proper thing to do would be to provide them with some gas money to show them your appreciation for the ride. If they say no to the money that's fine but it at least showed them that you were thankful.
Not having a car is never going to be your first choice, but surviving with out one is always possible. Whether its taking the bus, riding your bike, or car pooling. They will all get you to the same place that you're wanting to go to. So the next time you're stuck with out a car remember these options so you don't feel like you have no way to get around.
Haylei Sheldon
IDEAS
Dear Haylei,
DeleteI loved the suggestion of people using their bikes. It is a very eco-friendly and healthy alternative to taking a bus! Go Earth!
-John
Dear Haylei,
DeleteJohn is very right. I love the Eco friendliness of this essay as i love Eco tips. Anything that is possible to help the Earth while not damaging myself is worth trying and I enjoy your thoughtfulness on the subject.
Mikel Keeler-Howarth
How to succeed in high school
ReplyDeleteHigh school is a tough place for teenagers. You get bullied, called names, and whether you have cute clothes or not you’re always being judge. On top of all the drama that happens in high school, we get a lot of assignments and big fat tests. So how do people get through high school?
Best way to succeed in high school is to do all you assignments and do your best. If you don’t understand something, ask for help. Stop day dreaming about your crush and start paying attention in class. Paying attention in class helps you understand more and get the information in your mind. A good habit in high school is to study at least 3 days before taking a test because you won’t know everything you need to know in one night. Also, don’t procrastinate, although some people think better under pressure. The best thing to do in high school is to follow the rules. Following the rules can get you out of detention, principles office or scraping gums off tables and chairs.
To succeed in high school, you need to avoid all the drama. Never stare at someone for more than 10 seconds because that can get you into a fight. Don’t talk bad about someone because that can also get you in to a fight. You should always stay positive and be friendly. And don’t get involved with the wrong people. In high school it’s good to organize your time well. And eat breakfast.
High school is a serious place. You need to take it more seriously because its one steps closer to a successful career. College looks at everything, they judge on your records. High school is a teenagers job, we’re not getting paid yet but when you a doctor or nurse it’ll be all worth it in the end.
Zhaira Agrade
H.O.P.E.S
How to deal with Monday’s as a student of Kapa’a High:
ReplyDeleteAs the sun’s ray’s stretch towards the horizon, many of my friends claim to frown before cracking their eye lids open. Morning’s, especially Monday morning’s, can be one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. Half awake, you might find yourself wobbling towards the kitchen. After eating a healthy breakfast, it is crucial that you do not forget to groom yourself. If you haven’t’ done so the night before, make certain that you have properly taken a shower. The person that will be sitting next to you will unequivocally appreciate it. It’s okay to go and stand in the mirror for a good 5 minutes; admire those well defined features. Marvel at those perfectly sculpted cheek bones, caress that velvety smooth hair, and smile at that radiating reflection. However, the most common mistake that people fail to acknowledge is to thoroughly brush their pearly whites! Once you have completed all of these task, remember to be optimistic and to think positively.
Since you've executed how to properly go about a Monday morning routine, let’s elaborate on how to handle the rest of Monday. Now that you look like a smoldering piece of hot tamale, remember to walk confidently down those Kapa’a High hallways with shoulders rolled back and head high up.
Its 7:40 and the first bell rings. The first period is usually the most difficult to get by. However, the trick to this is to listen. When the teacher is talking and ranting on about whatever they may feel free to express, by the time they finish talking, 10 minutes have passed. If you’re a crafty and elusive individual, try texting or stealthily pass a whisper next to your neighbor. Being socially active for it alters and warps your time perception and before you know it, class has been dismissed. If your class continues to be boring, repeat these instructions and whatever DON’T get caught.
With these tips in consideration, your day will surely dissolve rapidly into 7th period. And in a blink of an eye, you find yourself in awe, that you've survived Monday, and so painlessly. With worries aside, you can now relax in the comfort of your own home; chilling on your couch, free to do whatever you please.
John Ortega
HOPES
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow to read a book
ReplyDeleteNow you may be thinking. "Well I know how to read that's easy." Well not so my friend, sure you can read the words but there are more to that when reading.
First make sure to read with lots of light. Preferably you should read outside to help your eyes but if not always read with a light on. It has been proven that reading in low or no light can strain the eyes and even cause long term blindness.
Next make sure to take breaks. When you read for long periods of time it can cause fatigue and weariness. When reading make sure to look up and blink repeatedly about every ten minutes to help adjust your eyes.
Next drink water. Since you are 80% water drinking it helps you think. This leads to better perception and better understanding of the words your reading. Also any words you don't know look up. Try to figure it out and if you can't use a computer to look up definitions to help you better understand the book.
These have been tips and tricks by none other than that short white kid. Adinos
Mikel Keeler-Howarth
IDEAS academy
It's hard to find a genuine person who brings out the good in you. Although its common for people to keep their guard up, there is on thing they should keep in mind, that would be that not everyone's nice. People may not always be nice to you, but you must always remember to take the high road and be the bigger person. "Being the bigger person" means to leave a argument when it becomes heated or put of control, or just to remain calm ad respectful. By doing this you are one step closer to being a good person.
ReplyDeleteFor example a good person should have good morals. Good morals could be the following: treat others how you would like to be treated, respect yourself, do good deeds, even if it doesn't benefit you, be strong in your beliefs, and help those who can't help themselves. These examples could guide you to great opportunities and good relationships in your life.
Another step you can take to become good person would be to put yourself in a safe and comfortable environment, as well as surround yourself with good people. The people you surround yourself with is who you will become. For example, if you have a friend who uses drugs and steals, odds are that you'll most likely start using drugs and stealing as well. As if you were to hangout with a friend for church or school, you both could hang out and go to church functions and even study for upcoming tests together.
Furthermore, another strategy you could use to become a good person is to just do good things. When you do good thing the favor returns back to you. Some could call it "karma". Karma is defined as "the sum of a persons actions in this or previous state of existence, deciding your fate". If you were to return a stolen/lost wallet to its rightful owner, good dirtiness will come back to you.
In conclusion, to be come a good person you must sometimes go out of your way and be the bigger person. You must also learn the virtues of kindness. If you are kind with no ties, it will benefit you to those who believe in karma. Lastly, surround yourself with good company, practice good morals, and love yourself and others, you could not only be a good person, but a genuine being also.
Sincerely,
Breann Bernades
Oops! My topic is "how to be a good person".
DeleteHow to Change a Tire
ReplyDeleteJust picture this scenario. You’re on your way to meet your friends at the beach, when all of a sudden you hear a sharp “POP!” You continue driving until your car starts to feel imbalanced. The turning is uneven. As you slow to a halt on the side of the road, you check outside and notice you have a flat tire. You don’t have time to call AAA! Looks like you’re doing this yourself. (Keep in mind that you should always have a spare tire, a jack, and the standard wrench that came with your car). Park your car in a safe area with a flat surface, and you can begin.
First, place a rock, block of cement, or other heavy object in front of both back and front tires. Next, withdraw the spare tire and the jack. Place the jack beneath the frame of the tire you are replacing (If unsure about jack placement, see owner’s manual). Make sure the jack is touching the metal part of the frame. Raise the jack until it is not lifting, but supporting the car (Jack should be perpendicular to the car).
In order to proceed, use the wrench to remove the hubcap and loosen the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise (DO NOT remove lug nuts). Now crank the jack to lift the tire off of the ground (Leave enough room to remove and replace tire). Now totally remove the lug nuts with the same counterclockwise motion. By this time, the flat tire should be loose enough to easily remove. Immediately after displacing it from the vehicle, place the flat under the car to prevent injury from potential jack failure.
Now place your spare tire on the hubcap, making sure to align the rim of the spare tire with the wheel bolts. Insert the lug nuts to keep the tire in place. Tighten the lug nuts with your hands (Use gloves if necessary). Then lower the car, keeping minimal weight on the tire. Fully lower the car to the ground and remove the jack from the car. To finish the change, tighten the lug nuts as much as possible and replace the hubcap. Put the flat tire in your trunk and take it to your local mechanic as soon as possible. Now you can continue on your journey. Purchase a new spare if necessary.
Paul Oyama
HOPES Academy
Dear Paul,
DeleteI found your essay very effective, and to the point. You listed the steps in an understandable way. If I ever had to change a tire this essay would be the perfect instruction guide for me. Good Job!
Sincerely,
Aaryn Gray
IDEAS
How to Make it Through a Day of School Without Passing Out.
ReplyDeleteDo you dread getting up for school in the morning, like you are dragging your self to your own awaiting doom? Unfortunately I do not yet know the cure for that but I can however help you get through the day without feeling like passing out. This will take some preparation but will be worth it!
Its Sunday night and you are freaking out because you have school tomorrow morning and still haven't completed your homework or showered from the days activities. The first thing to do is finish those pesky assignments! After that is complete, you are ready to start school prep 101. The next step is to chose your lunch and snack, prepare it and get it ready for the long day that awaits you ( if you eat school lunch, skip this step). I prefer to pack an orange, some chips or maybe a granola bar, the more the merrier. I also like to have a sandwich for lunch.
When you have completed that task go ahead and jump in the shower, its always nice to jump in your bed and tuck in to your covers when you’re all clean. I prefer to do my hair the night before so I don’t have to wake up earlier in the morning, especially on Mondays. So get ready, take out your blow drier, your hair curlers, or what ever you need depending on how you do your hair and get cracking. When you’ve finished that you should be looking pretty spiffy. Its finally time to tuck under your covers and try to cram in as much sleep as you possibly can, as that is the next step, every minute counts!
As you are jolted out of dream land by your oh so persistent alarm clock, remember, today is not going to be that bad, for you are almost prepared! One of the final steps is to go look at your sexy self in the mirror, wash your face, brush your teeth, smack some make up on and add the finishing touches to your hair. Now go put on your god awful boring uniform shirt, unless you’re a rebel and decide not to wear one and put on your favorite pair of shorts or pants. Now for the final step, grab your lunch and walk out the door!
Hopefully this will help you get through your day at school! If you follow these steps you will be prepared for the day ahead.
Sincerely,
Kai Chase
IDEAS
How to Clean Your Room
ReplyDeleteIt happens to the best of us. At some point in our lives we all have those busy weeks where there just isn’t time to put away your clean laundry, or throw away those unnecessary papers cluttering your desk. As well as lazy weeks where you just don’t want to do much of anything let alone pick up that pile of clothes on your floor that seems to be growing bigger by the second. However, with a little time and effort, you can get that messy room of yours spic and span.
To kick off your newfound desire for cleanliness you need to make a plan of how to tackle that cluttered room. Decide which area or section of your room you want to clean first, such as the basket full of clean laundry you haven’t put away, or the bed who’s blankets and sheets seem to have a mind of their own. By creating a plan you will save yourself a headache by focusing on one thing at a time. Once you have come up with your plan of attack it is time to move on to the next step.
Here is where the not-so-fun part comes in. You are going to have to work, and clean. I know, I know, not the most fun thing you’d like to be doing, but you’re committed! Review your plan of attack and start with the first thing and work your way down. Don’t just shove papers in drawers, dirt and dust under rugs, literally clean. If you don’t actually clean you’re room, you will just end up with a big, scary mess in the long run. So save yourself from drowning in your filth and get to work! Organize those papers on your desk; categorize your closet by color. Go the extra mile to make sure your room is so organized Martha Stewart would be jealous! Once you have picked up everything in your room so you actually know what your floor looks like, it is time to make those finishing touches.
You have almost completed de-cluttering your room. By now you should have nothing on your floors, and papers and clothing should be put away in their proper spots. If you can say yes to all of those things you may be wondering, “I picked up all of the clutter, why does my room still feel messy?”. This is where your vacuum and duster come in. Dust and dirt love clutter, so while all of your precious items were hiding your floor when you just didn’t feel the need to pick them up, dust and dirt threw a party and infested your room. But don’t fret. Just get your vacuum out of that closet, plug it in and start vacuuming. Put on some music, dance around, a vacuum basically does the work for you, all you need to do is push it around. So have some fun and vacuum! Notice when you’re done how your room seems to sparkle! Put away all your cleaning tools, sit down, and relax.
No matter what the reason for you messy room, anyone can take the time and clean it. And with these simple steps you now have an organized and headache-free way of accomplishing your clutter-free goal! Don’t go into cleaning with a negative mindset. Just put a smile on your face, don’t overthink it, and soon your room will be fit to be in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine!
Malia Hickey
IDEAS
How to swim Competitively
ReplyDeleteBy Lauren Benson
At this point in our lives, I’m pretty sure that everyone has learned, or has the basic knowledge of how to swim. And when you grow up on a rock on the middle of the ocean, it becomes second nature.
Competitive swimming is a whole new ballgame. It takes time, and dedication, and a really ugly swimsuit. Also if you handle extremely cold water during winter, then this is the sport for you.
Step one: The swimsuit. To acquire a swim attire, you must first find an extremely expensive sports store. Once you are there, pick out the most unflattering one piece you can find and go try it on. Once a suit has been chosen, go back to the rack and buy one 2 sizes too small. A tip to always remember is: if your suit fits right and doesn’t cut into your body in all the wrong places, then its not tight enough.
Step two: Become a sea creature. Swimming is a high cardio sport. Your whole body is moving in a repetitive motion very fast and it can become tiring. If you combine this with the lack of oxygen you get from having your head in water during this exercise, well, you can see the struggle. So if you can somehow grow yourself a pair of gills. Then you are set my friend!
Step three: Have fun. My motto is, if you aren’t doing something you love, then your wasting your time. And while swimming competitively is hard, it’s the lessons, and friends, and of course the coaches, that make it all worthwhile.
So get out there and find yourself a funny pair of goggles! And with these three tips you are now ready to go swim against a bunch of other people in really cold pool, and uncomfortable suit, with weird goggles… and a cap… yeah.
HOPES Academy
Sorry about posting this with my sisters email! I really need to make my own account.
ReplyDeletePT 1: How to make Nana’s Cookies
ReplyDeleteYou were nine; it was a cold winter day. You walked into the kitchen of your Nana’s house and they were sitting there-- staring at you, calling you. Nana’s famous chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven. You know you’re not supposed to have one just yet, but who will notice one cookie missing? I bet you didn’t regret that, did you? You love the way it melted in your mouth- crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside; cooked to perfection.
I know what you’re thinking now: How does she do it? Is Nana possessed by some cookie god? Was she blessed with some type of chocolate gifts? No, unfortunately, Nana was not. Chances are she’s just followed a simple recipe, and her practice made perfection. Luckily for you, I can teach you to make these wonderful cookies just as your Nana makes them, with these simple stages: prepare, create the batter, bake, and enjoy!
The first thing you must do is prepare. This means going to the store before you cook and getting all the necessary ingredients. You’ll need 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of white sugar, 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 3 cups of all-purpose flower, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons hot water, ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and if you prefer, 1 cup of chopped walnuts or any other nuts. It’s always a good idea to make a checklist to make sure you have everything. It’s a good idea to always make sure all the bowls, pans, and mixers are clean as well. And once you’ve washed your hands (soap and hot water for twenty seconds), we can start the fun part!
PT 2:
ReplyDeleteI hope you like getting down and dirty, because in this stage, you can. The first thing you need to do is preheat your oven to the famous 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While you’re waiting for the oven to preheat you need to start mixing the ingredients. First, cream the softened butter together with the brown and white sugar until it’s smooth. A good thing to remember is that this step will definitely take some elbow work. Continue by beating in each egg one at a time and then stirring in the vanilla. The next step can be a little tricky if not performed correctly, so I’ll help you out. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water. If you measure the water out and then heat it in the microwave or on the stove then you will lose water due to evaporation. What many experienced bakers do is heat up a greater amount of water. So what you should do is heat up 1/4th cup of water, and once it’s hot – measure out the two teaspoons into a separate measuring cup. You can then mix in the baking soda, and add the mixture to the batter, along with the salt. Finally mix in the flour, chocolate chips, and nuts (if you chose to have them). Don’t worry, if a handful of chocolate chips mysteriously go “missing” during this stage, no one will notice (just make sure you don’t have any crumbs on your shirt).
Lastly, you can drop large spoonful of chocolate chips onto a greased cookie sheet, continue until you use all the batter or there is no more space. The oven should be preheated by now, and if not you’ll just have to wait until it is. Insert the cookie sheet in the oven, and CAUTION! It’s hot in there so watch where you put your fingers. Now, you’re going to have to set the timer. Lots of recipes call for 10 minutes, and that’s true if you want cookies, but perfect cookies like Nana’s don’t play by that rule. Instead, set it for 8 minutes and when the 8 minutes is over, check the color and smell. The cookies will most likely not be done, so judging on how they look now and smell now, you’ll need to decide how much longer they need. You want to leave it in until the color is a light brown, and the smell is irresistible. The edges of the cookies will probably be darker then the middle, this isn’t uncommon, and you need to wait until the middle is the perfect shade of light brown, but don’t let the edges burn. Another good way to check if the cookies are finished or how close they are to being finished is to stick a tooth pick into the middle of one, if the tooth pick comes out clean, it’s ready. Turn off the oven once your better judgment tells you they’re ready, and remove the cookies from the oven to cool. You’re going to need to use dry clean oven mitts, or else you’ll burn your hands. Now, it can be VERY, VERY, VERY tempting to want to eat one right away, you’ll need to fight this impulse to the death. They need to cool down; your cookies are 350 degrees as of right now. Wait until there warm, not scolding hot... and, simply enjoy.
What’d I tell you? Amazing right? Melting in your mouth- crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside? You’ve just created Nana’s famous chocolate chip cookies. Good job and you are very welcome. Because you’ve successfully made these cookies, you can boast about being possessed by the cookie gods and blessed with chocolate gifts, and keep your little secret recipe to you and Nana.
Noelani Cassidy
HOPES
Bouncing with the steady rhythm of my horse's gallop, we blew across the feilds like wind in the grass, fast and freely. My hair tossed wildly behind me trying to keep up with my body ahead. A smile took over every muscle in my face, a smile that lasted far after our ride was over. This is what freedom felt like, to throw caution to the wind. It was the feeling of resting atop a massive creature, not a machine that you can control, but a living being that works WITH you. The feeling of every muscle moving under the saddle, to hear the horse breathe in time with yourself, its truly amazing. You and this animal, who was generous enough to allow a mere human like yourself on her back and was nice enough to grace you with a taste of the freedom she possesses is a one of a kind feeling. It feels so good to ride a horse and is why, ever since i was a child, I loved it so much. If you would like to try it for yourself, here are the basics of riding a horse.
ReplyDeleteAfter your horse is saddled and ready, lead him to a mounting block or any platform that may help you get on the saddle with ease. If you are strong enough feel free to mount him from the ground. Position your horse so that his side is next to the platform. Once your horse is in the right position, climb onto your mounting block and place your foot into the stirrup. You want to use whatever foots is congruent to the side you are mounting from or you'll end up backwards in the saddle. After your foot is in place, grab hold of the saddle horn for support, from this position swing your opposite leg over the horse and onto the other side. From here, you should have both feet in the stirrups and the reins in your dominant hand.
Now it's time for some easy motion. Give your horse a light tap on his belly with both feet; this should set him into a walk. Once he is walking, practice steering, right is right and left is left. Make sure not to yank or pull to hard, a horse’s mouth is very sensitive and could be hurt easily. It is also ideal to leave slack on the reins at all times unless you are stopping. Your horse will feel your direction of the pull and follow your instructions. To halt, pull back on the reins until he stops, you may include a verbal signal such as "whoa" which the horse will eventually understand that is means to stop, or say it just for the fun!
part 2:
ReplyDeleteOnce you've practiced enough to where you feel comfortable with guiding your horse, you can move into a faster gait. The next gait following the walk is the trot. This is like a jog for a human. Make sure to be holding on to the saddle horn with your free hand because it will be bumpy. A second tap on the belly should move your horse into a trot. You'll find yourself bouncing unpleasantly but don't be discouraged. Once you've regained your composure try to focus on the rhythm of the horse. Use your legs to bounce up and back down in time with your horse. Not only will you be comfortable now, you also are in union with your horse which should feel pretty darn good. Practice the trot until you are confident you have the rhythm.
Believe it or not, the next gate will be much smoother, it is called the canter. This is more of a slow run and a good warm up before a full gallop. Unlike the trot, you will want to sit in the saddle but still move with the motion of the horse. After a few strides during the trot, give one more tap to the belly. Be prepared for a little more speed. You should feel one main bounce per stride, focus on that and follow its rhythm. Like all gaits, practice until you are ready for the next.
Following the canter, give one more kick, this should throw your horse into a gallop. Be prepared for some serious horsepower because this is the fastest and most thrilling gait! Horses can gallop at speeds ranging from 30-45 mph depending on its breed and training. However, I highly advise to not go that fast your first time, no matter how tempting the need for speed may be. Here, your body should be leaning forward to follow your mounts momentum. At high speeds, a mistake could mean injury for you or your horse. Remember your steering, your balance, and that your horse is still listening. Also keep in mind that your horse gets tired like every other animal and can’t run forever, so give him a break between runs and any other gait. So, there are your four main gaits and the basics of riding.
I hope you found this helpful in learning how to ride a horse and that you enjoyed yourself in the process. Always remember that your horse is a companion and not your slave, they have a mind of their own and could easily throw you off their back if they wanted to, so be grateful. I wish you and your horse the best of friendship, practice, and riding. Keep calm and gallop on!
How to Make Cake Pops
ReplyDeleteFor a while now, cakepops have been one of the most successful, and fun treats to people of all ages. For those who don't know, a cakepop is cake in the shape of a ball form, placed on a lollipop stick, and coated with chocolate. So, it's pretty much cake in a lollipop version.
There are probably many different ways how to make these tasty treats, and today I'll teach you one of them. It may be a long process, but trust me, it's worth the wait.
To start making your cakepops, it would be best to gather your materials first. The materials you might need include a mixing bowl, a whisk, a baking pan, lollipop sticks, mittens, and icing, cake mix, and melting chocolate of your choice. Of course, you can make your own cake and icing from scratch, but I use the store-bought kind to make it easier. I also usually pick the flavors according to what go together. For example, let's say that today we're going to bake red velvet cakepops. I'd use red velvet cake mix, cream cheese icing, and white melting chocolate.
After gathering your materials, you'd want to preheat the oven according to the recommended temperature on the cake box. Next, wash your hands. Then, start making your cake! Pour the mix into the bowl and follow the directions on the box.
After the baking of the cake is over, put on your mittens and take the pan out of the oven. Don't forget to turn it off! Set the pan aside and let it completely cool. Once it's cooled, it's time to get mashing. Crumble your cake, until there are no chunks. Next, take half of a can of icing and place it in the pan with the crumbled cake. Then, mix the two together. You can use your hands to mix it, but it will get mushy. If you use your hands, don't forget to wash them first!
Once everything's evenly mixed, start rolling them into balls. An inch diameter is a good size, as if you were rolling out cookie dough. Continue this step until all the mixture is used. Next, wash your hands again, just so things don't get too messy. Insert the lollipop sticks into the cake balls.
Next, melt the chocolate. It's best to take a pot of water and boil it, then take another bowl filled with the chocolate and place it over the boiling water. This prevents the chocolate from burning. Once it's fully melted, turn off the stove and remove the bowl of chocolate. Set the bowl aside and wait until it's cooled.
After it's cooled, dip the cake pops into the chocolate. Make sure that ever side is coated. Continue doing so until all the cake pops are covered in chocolate.
Hang in there, we're almost done! Now it's time to freeze! Take the cakepops and place them in the freezer over night, or until they're completely frozen. Don't worry, the cake won't freeze, just the chocolate. Lastly, put away your equipment, and clean up the area.
Well there you go! You just learned how to make cakepops. Have fun eating them, and hope you enjoy the delicious dessert!
Hazel Jarquio
HOPES
Dear Hazel,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your process on making cake pops! Your paragraphs are very organized, and to the point, so it was easy to understand. I cant wait to make some cake pops myself!
Sincerely,
Aaryn Gray
IDEAS
How to Snowboard
ReplyDeleteEver since I was a little kid, my family and I, while vacationing in Las Vegas would take a roadtrip up to Brianhead, Utah, to snowboard. While learning I was always a stubborn kid who didnt like falling down, because I was afraid of getting hurt. So learning how to snowboard was a long process for me, but once I got it, I loved it. In this essay I will teach you the process on how to snowboard. And if you have snowboarded before you know that you will fall..a lot. But all the falling and freezing your butt off will only make you better, speaking from experience.
I still remember the first time I took on a big slope, without stopping. Right when I thought I was doing good I hit a bump and flew right into the air and landed into the snow face first, it was painful and not a good time, but it was these experiences that made me better at snowboarding. The rush of conquering a slope without falling is a feeling you will have to experience yourself.
Before you learn how to snowboard you need the proper gear. You are of course going to need a snowboard, the board should not be as high as your chin. Next you need boots, make sure they fit you well, because loose or too tight boots can cause pain or injury while snowboarding. Then you need the proper snow gear attire, snow jacket, gloves, and pants etc. Having the right gear can depend on how comfortable you are going to be, getting snow in your jacket or pants on a fall is never fun.
Now that you have the proper gear it is time to learn how to snowboard! If you are a beginner always choose the smallest slope first. The first thing you need to do when you are on the top of the slope is to attach your boots to your snowboard properly. Once you're ready prop yourself up right or left foot in front, your board should be vertical to the slope, and go! It is important that you do not ride the snowboard on your toes, always lean back on your heels. The way you lean your body is the direction you will go in.
Stopping yourself and slowing down is a lot harder. When you feel you are going too fast and want to slow down or just want to stop the first thing you have to do is slide your foot that is in the back forward, in an almost yanking motion, with all your weight on your heels, leaning back. By doing this your board creates traction with the snow to stop or slow down. Your board should be horizontal to the slope when stopping.
The process of learning how to snowboard can be very easy to some, but very difficult to others. Learning how to snowboard is mostly based on experience, and practice. I'm pretty confident in saying that you will fall a lot in this learning process, but it will only make you better.
Aaryn Gray
IDEAS
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