TU Tuesday Guest Speaker

Kristi Gustafson Barlette is a good public speaker because of her poise, her clarity, her volume, information, and organization.  I enjoyed listening to her speak, and the time seemed to go by fast.  The time usually never seems to go by fast in school; except for lunch!

Mrs. Barlette gave the audience the impression that she was comfortable speaking to the group.  I know this because she didn't stumble on words, and her posture was standing straight up and tall.  She had mentioned a few times that because of her job, she has gained so much confidence with public speaking.  She has spoke at many different places, including colleges.  Mrs. Barlette was able to connect with the audience.  She made eye contact with the whole room, and asked people if they had any questions.  When someone did ask a question she made sure to thoroughly listen and form an answer to the question within seconds.  She would also bring up the question that someone else had said if it connected to another question.  For example, when I asked a question she answered it, and then rambled on for a bit.  After she was talking and someone asked a new question in her answer she referred back to my question and said something along the lines of, [someone from this row].

Mrs. Barlette was clear while speaking.  I felt she spoke so clearly, as if it was just me and her in a room.  She sometimes would answer questions and jump to parts and then go back to it.  She seemed to ramble on a bit, which is understandable.   She pronounced words carefully so everyone could hear.  She used words that clearly expressed what she meant when she was answering some of the questions.  For example when someone asked her what got her started with her obsession with cows.  Her response was clear.  She didn't use unnecessarily big words, but there was a time when she was a little bit distracted.  It was funny when she accidentally swore and her face got red and she really didn't mean to.  That was pretty much the only distraction the whole time.

The volume of Mrs. Barlette was good.  I was in the 2nd row to the front and I could hear everything she said perfectly fine.  From the time she was talking about cows to the time where she was talking about how she goes on Fly 92.3 she did not once seem too quiet.  

The information Mrs. Barlette shared was useful and interesting.  When she talked about what her work life is like it was inspiring to see that there are some jobs, such as hers, with creative freedom; even if it is just on a blog.   She supported enough details to support her key points.  I learned so much from her; like you should think about what you're publishing to the public before you accidentally publish something wrong, or not meaning to be hurtful.  I don't think she was clouding her key points with too many uncessary details, because everything she said got to the point and was interesting. Such as how she got her job at the Times Union.

Starting off Mrs. Barlette had spoke about what her job was, and a few of the articles we read.  I could tell she put it all together before coming.  It was a concise introduction, followed by if anyone had any questions.  This was what she told she was coming to do.  She didn't get off targert, because with every question came a thoughtful answer.  If one question was really good, she pondered to figure out what she would say next. 

During the presentation I had asked a question.  I had asked what her favorite story that she covered was.  Being shy, I thought I wasn't going to ask one. But when no one raised their hand I decided to just ask.  Other classmates participated the whole time.  Marcus asked three questions, while Lauren asked two or three.   Some people didn't raise their hand at all, and I'm glad I participated.   I regret that I could have thought of another question that hasn't already been covered to ask.

I would recommend Mrs. Barlette to be asked back to participate in  a classroom conversation with your students next year.  I believe it was a very interesting presentation and very interactive, with all the questions being asked.  I would like for you to invite someone else in, to see how it compares to Mrs. Barlette.  I thoroughly enjoyed class today.

TU TUESDAY

 http://www.timesunion.com/living/article/Ringers-in-the-extreme-2263911.php
“Ringers in the Extreme” 

•  What inspired Ms. Barlette to write about wedding rings?
•  "Injuries to a finger wearing a ring are uncommon but can have serious consequences, according to the Indian Journal of Orthopaedics."  Does Ms. Barlette thoughroughly research a topic before writing about it?
• "... refusing to remove his wedding band seems ... ridiculous."  I like how Ms. Barlettes opinion is throughout this article.
• I like how polls of people's opinions are at the bottom of the page.

https://secure.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=856726&category=LIFE
“Chron’s Patient Gets by with Family, Friends, and a Strong Routine” 

•  Why did Ms. Barlette chose to write about Don Young?  I bet it was because he was so inspiring
• How did Ms. Barlette find out about Don Young?
• "wake-up call in his blood." I like this word phrasing.  There are a lot of good descriptive words in this story.
  
• "While some of the guys sit quietly scratching their lottery tickets and drinking their coffee, Young is never short on advice."  I enjoyed the great details in this article.

http://www.timesunion.com/living/article/Playing-dairy-queen-for-a-day-2229727.php
“Playing Dairy Queen for a Day”

• "I purse my lips, close my eyes and wonder if cow urine is good for the skin." Did Ms. Barlette change clothes anytime during the trip because of the urine?  Urine is really gross...
• "My heart thuds again, but this time it's not due the hard work, but to the love I feel for the animals I've adored for so long."  How did Ms. Barlette come to adore cows so much?
• I think this article was very informational and descriptive about how cows are milked.  
• I enjoyed reading this article because the topic was one I would never have thought of.

Thankful Four

Opinion Prompt 9

People who say they do not need or want to use the world wide web are insane.  I find this to be false.  People are not insane just because they don't think like you.  You may want to use the internet to be quicker, but they may have traditional views.  Amish people do not use the internet, they live in villages and work together like they did in the olden days.  They can learn without the use of a computer.  Older people may also want to stick to older uses of finding information, like books.  New technology for older people is hard.  For example my Grandmother on my mother's side gets easily confused with the TV remote to DVR things, and when her computer is not a certain way she gets extremely scared and calls one of her children on the phone.  My grandparents on my dad's side once got a computer, but it was hard for them to use the mouse so they sent it back to where they got it.  Older people are not insane if they have difficulty with new technology, it just means they aren't as technologically knowledgeable as those who use it.

The library has a great source of information.  It has every topic in life there, and if you can't find a book in one library, you can always find it in the next.  Although this may not be as fast as quickly searching something on Google, it still works.  Music can also be played on CD's and record players.  It's old school but it still works.  If you want to type something, you can use a type writer. Not using the internet is not insane.

I Want to Write About #93. (Write about a time you had to wait for something you wanted. )

Harvest Moon has always been one of my main interests. The idea of making money off strategically growing crops, making friends, and getting married was great.  Ever since middle school I have loved wasting playing this game.  I would play Harvest Moon DS for hours until I finally married and had a child.  Once I did that, I decided I pretty much completely beat the game.  I was satisfied, but yet still hungry.
I had rented Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands from Gamefly, after a week into playing it I got Harvest Moon: Happiness Islands.  I got very far into it, getting Vaughn to a blue heart.  The heart system in the game was very simple, depending on what color heart you had with the person, the different amount of friend points you had with that girl/guy.  I spent my day by collecting Sun Stones, and getting more animals.  I was becoming a pro.
I took a break from Harvest Moon. Deciding to wait until the new game, Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, to come out.  I waited for a year and half.  I wanted it so bad.  I saw you got a stuffed alpaca when you pre-ordered it.  Once the month of September came around I counted down the days till I got it.  Once I got the game, it was great.  But I was saddened because I couldn't get the alpaca stuffed animal. 
I got married last week.  I have never been so satisfied with a game.  I have worked so many hours into that game, and the self satisfaction paid off!

Magnetic Poetry: "Cloud"

O = Oxford, England

I had stumbled on this Youtube video when I searched places that started with "o". I have never been out of the country, or the time zone!  I think Oxford, England would be a great place to go!  I never have visited a castel before either, and Oxford seems to be the place to do that!

I found my information at this website:
http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/ee2/index.php?/OCG/

1. Visit Oxford Castle after dark! "Every Thursday delve into Oxford Castle’s sinister side with mysterious sounds, smells and sensations reported at Oxford Castle – Unlocked visitor attraction. It’s a chilling tour - can you hold your nerve? Your tour will take you to the most haunted areas of the Castle site including the dark atmospheric 900 year old underground Crypt."
2. To go on a balloon ride.  "Adventure Balloons was the first hot air balloon flight company to work with Oxford City Council in 1995 to enable balloon flights from the City Parks. This enables passengers to view the dreaming spires and the countryside around Oxford during their flight."
3. To go boating. "One of the most fun (and popular) activities in Oxford, and also a great way to see a side of the city not often seen, is to rent a punt - a long, narrow, shallow-bottomed boat propelled by a long pole. Punting boats are for hire between Easter and September."
4. To visit a giant library. "The Bodleian was opened in 1602 by Thomas Bodley with a colection of 2,000 books. Today, there are more than 9 million items on 176 kilometres of shelving."
5. Visit a British Theater. "The Sheldonian Theatre was built in 1668 from a design created by Christopher Wren. It was named after Gilbert Sheldon, who was Chancellor of the University at the time the construction was funded. The theatre is used for music recitals, lectures (such as the annual Romanes Lecture), conferences, and for various ceremonies held by the University (such as graduation and matriculation). Handel performed here, including the first performance of his third oratorio Athalia in 1733.
6.  Visit the Botanic Gardens!  "Located on the peaceful banks of the Cherwell River, the gardens were started in 1621 as the Physic Gardens, for the study of medicinal plants. These are the oldest botanic gardens in Britain. In addition to the lovely outdoor gardens, there are greenhouses which grow many varieties of exotic plants and flowers. Just next to the gardens, crossing over Rose Lane, there are rose gardens that are exquisite in July."
7. Visit the Ashmolean Museum! "Contained in a gorgeous building across from the Randolph Hotel, the Ashmolean has paintings, coins, musical instruments, antiquities, statues of deities, and a must see Egyptian exhibit. Cafe and Museum Shop."

All together Oxford sounds really interesting!  The castle would definitely be the first thing on my list, because it would be real scary!  I think I would enjoy most of the activities and I would love to see the art that the city of Oxford has!

"Never judge by appearances"

I judge people on how they talk sometimes.  Just because someone looks weird does not mean they are not a nice person.  This has happened to me before.  You can never truley know people until they open their mouths.  Their words come from their mind and heart.  The mind and heart are the soul of the person.  You have to see someone's soul before you can judge. A soul is either nice, or greedy, or needy, or annoying.  I have seen normal looking people be quite different when they open their mouths.  You would never know by looking at someone what they are thinking on the inside.

I'm not proud of myself, but I do the opposite of this proverb some of the time.  I have a rule against the human race.  If someone wears a trench coat to school, I judge them.  Why do you wear a trench coat in the end of summer?  That's quite messed up.  If someone's hair is always greasy every day I judge them based on their hair.  From their hair being greasy I think you could probably use it as french fry oil.  They need to have better hygiene.  Hygiene is something that's a necessity of life. It is not an option.  We do not live in the middle ages. Shampoo can cost like $2.  That's not much at all. It's not that difficult in most everyone's cases to at least wash their hair. 

I know it's mean but the little things in people bother me, so I tend to try to stay away from the human race in general.  Well, if I can anyways.  I need to work on liking people more, I admit it.  I sometimes judge people for the littlest things like their hair, or wearing a trench coat to school, and I hate the fact that I do.   I need to live more by this proverb. and learn to accept people for who they are inside and out.

Absence Poetry Prompt - Write a poem concerning the "absence" of something. Consider the absence as a positive, or a negative

Absence of a Lover

Together with your new husband,
the boy of your dreams,
His heart was the strongest that you've ever seen.
As the months of the calendar falls,
He has fallen deeply ill,
as you panic you watch him everyday,
Hoping the soup you bring to him,
will cure him.
But the day comes-

Don't fall in love,
there's too much to lose,
The pain overwhelms your mind,
at night the thoughts- the thoughts of him,
Burning in your mind.
To the point where you can't take it anymore.
The point where you would do anything
Anything to get him back in your arms.

Him.
The guy who was your other half.
The guy who helped you through the tornado that is your life.
Your life seems to be nothing without your drug,
You just can't seem to take the pain anymore.
With that final thought you stop talking to everyone.
Everyone who ever cared.
You isolate yourself.
You cannot bear to speak to anyone but him.
It pains you to.

Days come when walking in the park,
filled with people,
you catch a glimpse of him.
The memories burn of where he took parts of your heart,
the parts he won't return.
Absence in your heart.
Something is missing: Him.