Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ROAR #5 5-4-3-2-1 FINALL POST!!!!!

HELLO THERE! :D hahah LAST POST for the year you guys!!! Excited?!?!? I AM.
Sorry it has to be a doubel post again today, the due date was today. I'm not so sure if there was a time it was dued... but I think it'll be okay. Here we GO!!

I hope you guys enjoyed the year's post on books. There was Chinese Cinderella Story(Memoir,Auto-), Dynamic of Dress (A history book), Forms most Beautiful (Science Book), Monkey Bridge (An Extra Credit Book) and finally Survival of the Prettiest (A non-fiction book).

--. It was pretty fun having to do this :D Please have a great time looking aorund and if there's any questions of comments, leave one below. Or email me at NganL13@gmail.com. Thanks Alot!!


--Ngan L.


Survival of the Prettiest
Science Of Beauty

Nancy Etcoff


5*Comment:
1- The ending was a closed conclusion, the ancient ideas about beauty is non-stop. Here Etcoff re-explains the meaning of beauty and so so. She also reacts to her own opinions, in her arugement that there is beauty above and beyond to what usual exists today. There are also laws that have passed which enforces to use some of the clothing that are not comfort for others to see. To her telling people not to take pleasure in their beauty is like havign them not to enjoy food, novelty or love. It's seems that to her (AND ME) beauty and fashion is a big deal in her life. hough not everyone can be satifised at the same time, having the exact beauty on their apperance, there's always the beauty within that also counts.
2- Most of the time people also just signals or emit (a vocab word in class) themselves that they are either not interest or avaiable. The use of the body language is a big type of beauty that humans and other living things bring out to show their personality. There are some times, when the other opponent invited themselves into the bubble of the person who want to left alone. It's an way to attract the opposite sex but at the same time it's a way to concentrate on the attention set by the person who's intruding.
3-Voice is also a big thing! ( which i think so too cause.....ehh). When you see the most beautiful person ever, but once they open their mouth, the voice just doomed your ears. OF COURSE, you can not say no, that it was a bit of a turn off. I mean not everyone have this type of situation but it's not impossible. To have soemthing voice be so disturbing is not a very attractive thing. That's why voice and posture and what you say can be clarafied into the beauty section.
2- So cultivating beauty takes time, money and some time drain all your emotions out, when you're so frustrated on how your hair doesn't look like the way you want it or your outfit doesn't fit with your body or just plain unsatisfied with somehting on your body. It happens often and i'm sure everyone has gone in that phase. I mean I have a bunch!( i will go through it later wehn i dress up to leave for work xD ). Anyhow women look after themselves too much that they start to recosider their apperance to others and this is when beauty goes bad.
1-It's a total that many women in all ages want to by pass as a "teenager" and wants to be sexually attractive to men. Everyone worships the youthful look. Everyone will continue to reveal the way to have the youthful looks even though many know it's inevietable to look as a teenager when you're like 50? I mean it's not a bad thing but people should just reconsider it themselves and accept it. ( I might sound like a hipicrite that it might happen to me, but I'm sure I would go crazy over it. As long as i'm happy there's no need to compete with the youngs ones.)



** Closing of the book was very good!! "We cannot wait for beauty, we must bring it forth!!" --Pg245.


4*Questions (LAST 4 QUESTIONS!!) :
4- How do people try to get younger? Dress like them? Put on makeup.. it's not much of a difference will it?
3-Is Voice a gene that is passed on by the parents also? I mean I never heard someone with a REALLY REALLY bad voice but I know it's out there somewhere.
2-Even if we do wait for beauty....isn't it possible to accept the fact that the baeuty could come within yourself and not the apperance...you know?
1-I'm running out of questions... Uhmmm What are some of the thigns humans do to show that they are interested or like to be social?


3*Vocabulary:
3-Postmenopausal: having undergone menopause.
2-Cultivating: to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
1-Vomeronasal: of or relating to the vomer andthe nasal region and especially to the vomeronasal organ or the vomeronasal cartilage

2*Literary Term :

2-Allusion : I refered the voice thing back to an old book my class read last year, Of Mice and Men which a character, Curley and his wife who is antoishingly pretty but with the ugliest voice ever. This is an example that I remembered and thought oh! it was just like that.. the ending.. she died. Sad but hey, she wanted to attact all the men on the ranch even though she was married.

2-Donuement: The losing of the book, to not let beauty pas right by you and in the world we stop this and just won't wait for it but rather make it come to us.


1*Overview Setence:
1- The conclusion of voice, beauty, and posture. It's all part of beauty and the process of humans trying to horn it. It's hard to sharpen ourselves but it'll be okay to take some time. The book ended with a sense of it can happen and possibility that beauty can coem forward to people like us.



THE END! :D

ROAR #4 5-4-3-2-1

Here's the 4th post you guys!!
Enjoy this while i enjoy my corn :] (which are very healthy and delicious!)

Survival of the Prettiest
The Science of beauty

Nancy Etcoff

5*Comments:

1-By 1793, at the convention of 1793 made it official that a person either sex can wear whatever they please, and no one shall force any citizens. But fashion became democratized by the 19th century. One deisgner who came to emerged from the regular made stuff and all was Charles Frederick Worth, who opened his own shop. When Eugenie the wife of Napolean III brought a dress from there. From that time on, his shop was working non-stop for making clothes for the higher classes. He made everything with hand sitching and needles. Soon many other imitators opened shops around Paris as well.
2-Wow this is amazing section because it's all on designing and clothes which I have an aim for in life to do as well. I made the right choice picking out this book :] hahahha. I really want to become inspired at things yet not have been done. I really want to accomplish something else rather than doing the same old thing that everyone else have trying to achieve.
3-Designing labels, high fashion is not meant to have something no one else has (which i believe) but to own something that the rich has. (which i don't believe as stated). Anyhow when you buy a piece of garment you expect it to has a logo or the trademark it seems that people often rely on that piece of logo to express that they have fashion, by ownign a rich piece, Designers also do not wish to sell the item if their trademark is not the clothing, why? So they can have the credit and more consumers will arrive. But more than 25% of the designer glasses and watches in the US is fake, people now tend to buy fake products then the real actually which cause teh desigenrs themselves loosing around 200,000,000 now that's alot.
2-Now we're heading to bodies and the riches. When you compare two people with the same exact outfit you can tell who's rich. The one that tinner ( not that i believe it's just said in the book, and contrasting it to us). Well the rich are the ones who have enough moeny to maintain themselves. People often go into plastic sugery and flaunts about it. These people want the designer body as well as the designers clothes. All these aspects just to show they are rich.
1-Like models, models could be classified into the middle class or 1st class before they enter the circle of the fashion world. When they start to work as high leveled models, they join in with the wealthy aristocratics groups. They become thin to maintain the deigner look as well. and it requires alot of diet, training and hard work.

4*Questions:
4- Why can't people accept who they are?
3- Does this mean that by making themselves look rich that they want to control or over the power of those who do not dress rich ?
2- How was Worth able to sew all the dresses togther by hand? wasn't the sewing machine invented yet?
1- How much would a dress cost durign those time? Would they use money or something else to trade?

3*Vocabulary:
1- Streamline: a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.
2- to go around or bypass: to circumvent the lake; to circumvent the real issues.
3-Animated: full of life, action, or spirit; lively; vigorous: an animated debate on the death penalty. (I think this was one of my vocab word this year in english class xD ahahha).

2*Literary Terms:
1- Allusion: Charles Worth, the guys who created a store in paris for the first time and became rich after everyone started to buy his clothes during the 17-800s.
2- metaphor: the way the riches were exactly the way the models were before they joined in the circle. it compares the models against the riches.

1*Overview:
This section is about the starting to designing clothes in Europe particularlly Paris and how designers and people tend to like stuff with trademark and logos. Then we move along to body sizes and that it really matters if you can distinguish the difference between a person that's poor and a wealthier person by body size.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

ROAR #3 5-4-3-2-1

Sorry guys, double post! I didn't realize that the second post, when i clicked published button somehow it did not show up on my blog. Thank goodness there was the automatic saving thing that saved it into my draft box which gave me a bunch of relief. hehe Well this is the 3rd post for Survival of the Prettiest. There would be a squel of 2 more post after this and that will be the end of the book and due date. Which is this wed. so I have to cramp everything in for finals and studying and of course homework. I don't blame myself for procastinating so much since there is still work and everything but I should have planned this out a little earlier. I do apologize for keeping you guys wait, as if anyone actually come for help or read my blog but who knows :D . Anyhow Let's Get started while I'm replaying my latest addiction, Airto cover of Best I Ever Had (check it out onyoutube.) and like the usual DongBangShinKi music<3>

Survival of the Prettiest

The science of Beauty


Nancy Etcoff.


5*comments:

5- So here we are into the HAIR well the WHOLE hair section, wow I read alot of info sicne i'm VERY sensitive aboiut my hair. Usually with other areas like eyelash or eye browns tehy all have a purpose and so does hair but not a physical function to help your body but rather of attracting people to you. Good healthy hair attracts people. When you flip your hair or twist it, it means your are interested. (I' dont know how but it does seems to make sense.)

4- Isn't it interesting to know hair was once a form of art? People from europe usually have done this in past hundreds of years. Making the hair height to increase by FEETS! Having many hting splaced in it to make it as a huge scene of a battle or a picture. I always see this like women with curly hair and a huge POOF on top. I also notice in the eastern where asians would also do this like in the chinese dynasty and korean big hair bloop and japanese with the huge hair and accessories. It's pretty cool that they all had the same taste.

3-Long hair seems to be more attactive than shorter hair. ( this is not my opinion, just what is stated in the book. sorry those who have shorter hair). It creates the form of healthy shine, texture and so yeah. Your hair grow half an inch every month and that hair is a source to find your history. Now more scientist and doctors use hair analysis since it can provide all the info, hair last for years. It's not until 2 feet that it starts to fall out. So it's a good way to find our your health and all the medication you take.

2-Next we go into facial features. And one i foudn very true, women on the western liek men like a more muscular face while in asia women are attracted to men with a more of a baby face or hyper feminized or soften face. (I am one to tell this, I love JAEJOONG!! A member of DBSK who face is SOO ADORABLE, which I AM SOO ATTRACTED TO rather then those who are too stiff in facial featues.)

1- Gosh major headache coming... anyhow. There is a section which inform us about fleeting seduction. Like when we get excited or happy/blush our lips tends to turn redder and it shows what we're feeling. It is a way to seduce someone. Like eyes and pupils, we tend to like or be fond of peope with larger pupil without knowing so. If you photograph a person before and after with small and large pupils. You can not indenify it soon but you tend to fall for the photograph of a person with larger pupils.


4*Question:

4- Would you consider dying the hair bad? Considering that it response to our body healthy this would also affect the body doesn't it?
3- Is it true after menopause it's harder for women to grow their hair?
2-Is there any way to grow hair faster than that?
1-Wouldn't they need to have really long hair to maek all those things on their hair? wouldn't be difficult to do their daily stuff since it's so heavy?
3*Vocabulary:
3-Aperture: an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap, etc.
2-Vogue: (funny how i read Vogue all the time. one of my favv magazine and never knew what vogue ment... well i could have guessed but here's the definition). something in fashion, as at a particular time: Short hairdos were the vogue in the twenties.
1-empirical: derived from or guided by experience or experiment.
2* Literary Terms:
2- Like teh usual Allusion: Masami Yamaguchi and Hirukawa who invented the feminism look for men which are actually really attractive to asian girls. HAHAH
1- Denoument: The conclusion of face and hair and all that stuff.
1* Overview sentence:
1- This section refers back to hair and skin. The way men and women portray themselves in different regions and areas. It's amazing to see in the point of view in each culture who them seem to like and are attracted to the most. xD

Thursday, June 11, 2009

ROAR #2 5-4-3-2-1

HELLO! Here's the seconf post everyone's been waiting for, sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I've been so busy with test and projects for reviews on finals next week. But because of an extra week that my school laid off on me, school has just been busier than ever. Here's a little something for you guys and myself. :]


Survival of the Prettiest
The Science of Beauty


Nancy Etcoff


5Comments:

- Here is some science for you guys, skin and Hair! Everyone is born with beautiful skin and an average person would have 6lbs of skin and measures of 20 sq feet. And within every sq feet, sweat glands,oil glands and hair blood vessels and nerves that helps our skin stay healthy or repellent. Healthy skin is beautiful, unhealthy skin isn't. Hair is said to be only alluring when it is on the head. Hair else wise does not look good and could digust people. To me, it's true both hair and skin are very important features on a woman's body, esp me who like to keep my hair nicely and my skin wihtout acne which isn't coming too well.

2- The Next topic is nakeness and I'm going to skip that because there isn't much to explain to you guys, so I'll move onto Groomed. Like mothers of animals they liek to lick or groom their offsprings. For new borns, it is important to lick and groom them right after they are borned because for ex: pups without their mother's care could reduce the growth hormone and less ODC.

3- Again the trend of hair, like pubic hair which is often likely to be removed from the female body, like models who wax, they often wax on the areas of where skin could be shown for the exception of the head. It is then becoming the fashion extreme to have all the pubic hair to be removed. (what a pain.)

4- Next topic we have tattoos and others doings of the body. Tattoos wereto believed to orginated in Nubia,of the fouth century B.C. And it is still becoming popular now, to pirce a needle and inject dyes into your skin (sounds painful but... eh). A close relation would be piercing, piercing is everywhere (I have 8 xD) and is thought that people of years long ago would done the same. Otehr like feathers or bejeweled stuff on our body had increasing popular. As people do this to increase their attraction, they are really hurting their skin.

5-Face Paint! Well face paint partically belongs to the women world but like in Japan and Korean and China tehy al have been using this thick white face paint that creates the face to become WHITE. A chalky powder called oshiroi and made from rice flour and white lead. Japanese women value light skin so they hate freckles and believed in beautiful skin as in fair skin. However in the US, whitish-pinkish makeup has becoming mroe popular. I guess makeup is a big deal as well.

4* Questions
1-How were they able to guess/predict the amount of skin in a human's body? Don't tell me they actually took the skin of a person and like wieght it ><'' ewww..

2-why fair/white skin favorable over darker skin? i really like both skin color, the tones are very blend in.....esp in asia?...why? xD

3- I really care about my HAIR ALOOTTT, so how is there a way to keep my hair healthy and straight?

4- What do people use as dyes for tatoos? like where did the color come from?

3*Vocabulary:

1-torso: a sculptured form representing the trunk of a nude female or male figure.

2-tactile: of, pertaining to, endowed with, or affecting the sense of touch.

3-carapace: a bony or chitinous shield, test, or shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of an animal, as of a turtle.

2* Literary Terms:

1-Imagery: The image when they descirbe the asian women face after face paint, and another one from the tatooing desciption.

2-Allusion: Many reference to people again, of course this is a science book so there is alot reference, ex: Anne Hollander and her defintion of beign dress-up.

1*Overview:

1- This section sums up about human and what tehy do to their body, tatoo, paint, pierce anythign that envolves engaged in their body.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

ROAR #1 5-4-3-2-1

:D this last term i only needed to post 5 posts so I hope you guys can take advantage of these last 5 posts. Well I'm gonna start here.

Survival of the Prettiest: The science of beauty


5* Comments:
1- I never really thought of beauty as relating to science before, it was amazing how the first page introducing can seduce me so much into reading what beauty is all about. For the first main section they ask "What is beauty?" and what I can tell you so far is there is no full definition for the word beauty. There is alot of refencinf to other literature works as well. Like she included the Oxford English dictionary of the "real" definition of beauty but she claims that it wasn't what beauty is suppose to be. I can tell she looking for the more clarification but to me I think it's how people claim beauty is to them, there is too many opinion and one can not decided weather "beauty" is the same for everyone.
2- Now many people know that beauty is sense from the mind not from your real body, as told in the book. And it's how people tend to jugde a person by their looks instead. you know when you hear people tell you, "your inner beauty" it more of a sense that can cause confusion and fustration to many girls, beauty can mean your beahvior or personality of just the way you look that creates an illusion for the person who is telling you that. Here there is a reference to Emily Dickinson (I have read some of her poems, they are great. Really recommend them if you haven't heard of her before even though she's kind of a creepy lady). Anyways, Nancy retells us that Emily was invision the imaginative of beauty while what she really does is stay in her attic. There are alot of reference going on about moer people, I'm nto so sure i have heard any of them but Danold Symons is involved, Kenneth Clark and Albrecht Durer.
3- She also refers models, usually seems to be the top beauties in front of audience, however there are many models who dislike themselves and are not happy the way they seem to be. Even if they have perfection in one area there are flaws that surrounds it as well. This is good way to make other seems like they're actaully normal people which I find myself as one of them. But they it's pretty cool to know that top models or beauties have such big flaws like we do, not to imply that maybe not every top beauties have them but....who knows?
4-Now here, beauty is being compared to a human's body. I find it a little bit unnecessary because there are other beautiful forms out there. As said (I'm just rephaseing but here) "A human body's is not like a tiger's figure or a snow landscape but the figurine of nude is what that dimay us and makes us want to perfect it. It's not really true in everyone's case.
5-In greek methology, there's alot of goddess that are described to be as beautiful that no one can be, no wonder there are so many references about greeks in this book. It's a good way to express the eager of how beauty really is. Amazing. Lots of mazaginese are included as well. I might as well check them out since it could help me to understand better at what Nancy is trying to prove to me.

4*Questions:
1- Are the meanings and word of Beauty the same as Beautiful?
2- Who created this whoel discussion of beauty?
3- How can you study or find scienific evidence for what beauty is?
4- Who are all the people that were mentioned?!?! I have like no idea who some of them are. If I knew about them a little more I think I would be able to understand her statments better.

3* Vocabulary Words:
1- Perpetual: continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.
2- Tantamount:
equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification: His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.
3-Anthropology: the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.


2* Literary Terms:
1- Allusion: There are so many allusions in the book. An example would be whatI'm learning now in English calss, The Odysessy. The starting of the kidnap of Helen, well Helen was refered in my book, how beautiful she as and taht was why people fell in love with ehr and other stuff.
2- Imagery: There's a lot of imagery as well too like the explaination on what a beautiful person would actually look like. I also started to daydream into my own little imagination world after I i read that section. LOl

1* Overview:
It basiclly introducing me into beauty and what it really is. And refered to lots of stuff to improvise the definition and meaning of beauty and hwo to achieve it. (it's not like I need it, I just thought it was interesting to read).

NEW BOOK :D

hey everyone, my finally book for the year! How exciting!! :D
Anyhow our last gener for the year is non-fiction, very vague but luckly I get to pick which ever book I wanted. It gave such a hard time to find the great book but I found it. I wanted someething more relating to fashion, however all the other books were check out before I got to the library so instead I found a book almost closely related to fashion. Guess what it is...

BEAUTY! :] here it is ladies and gentlemen....

Survival of the the Prettiest:
The science of Beauty

by Nancy Etcoff

Monday, April 27, 2009

#10 Roar 5:4:3:2:1 FINALE!

:} Last post for the term! Since my whole posts are due tomorrow anyways I should just finish up! :D Sorry guys! WELL here we go!


Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao

5*Comments:
5- Continues in Thanh's story, she once met a boy that was harmed behide her yard and she fell for him but Bab Quan was against it and was worried. There her heart ahced and it was the first time they met. The boy thought she was an enemy however she wasn't. So sad..
4- The stories goes on continue Thanh speaks of Vietnam and conditons once again. Then to the future and the past and the animalas description. All very supsense though I kind of got confused in the near end.
3- Last chapter 13, which is only 3 pages? Lol Thanh had died, I think she sucided, cause she died from overdose pills and voldka. Mai didn't cry because she knew all along, she already held it close to her heart. She thinks back to the time with her mother.
2- Mai also reads the letter after her mother's death she then understands closely. The story makes felt very sad in the end... it was an okay ending.
1- So Mai continues her life like evryone did in Little Saigon and Mai went to college knowing her future is right ahead of hers.

4* Quesion:
4- So Mai made it into the college she wanted?
3- Why did Thanh sucide? Or was it an adcident?
2- Where was Thanh burried? In Vietnam or America? Because my paretns told me to burry them in Vietnam when they die...so they can be along with my ancestors.

3*Vocabulary:
3-Resonating: to resound.2.to act as a resonator; exhibit resonance.
2- amputees: a person who has lost all or part of an arm, hand, leg, etc., by amputation.
1-Tremors: involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease, fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling.

2*Literary Terms:
2- Imagery: pg 256. Lan Cao describtive imagery of Thanh's face and condition after she died... Very scary yet a calm face.
1- Metaphor: pg 260. "...only two weeks ago had been a full moon dangled like a sea horse from the sky."

1*Overview:
1- Mai's mother, Thanh died and Mai and everyone else ocntinues their life. Mai sontinue to look forwards her future, eventhough it hurts when she knew how much her mother had sacarficed for her. It's avery nice ending but I felt that Thanh should have lived longer to see her daughter becoming a great person.

#9 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

HAH Almost to the finale. Hope you guys are coming along. Here's my 9th post!!

Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao

5*Comments:
5- Thanh seems very shocked and sad knowing what happened to Bab Quan, she is sick and with a head wound and stroke, I feel so awful and I know how Mai felt because when my mom had liver cancer I thought I wasn't going to be able to live but I'm glad she went through it and recovered ^^!
4- Then we get into a letter that Thanh has wrote to Mai, in it she explains how she is sorry that Mai have to grow up this way and that now Mai will truely fully know her mother's life. Knowing that her grandfather is actually someone i nthe army that tried to take over Vietnam. That the person Mai thougth of and looked u pto was not the same person that he really is, though he did saved Uncle Michael.
3- Thanh again talks about her childhood, sharing her life to Mai publicly now, wnating to let her know everything. She mentions bones, flesh, and blood many time indicating how close their bond and they really are to eah other. I feel very gulity to my mom now xD but I like Mai love my mom a whole lot!
2- Lastly to my point she tells us the condition of Vietnam and particularly Saigon. Also how grandmother used to tell Thanh to do whatever it takes to protect her family. I think Thanh had did the very so, to inorder to protect Mai she kept the secret along very well and lived off very well. She devoted much time and care into Mai to be a good daughter and person.
1- When I stop is when she finally talks about the army and the people, what they did. Also Mai grandparents scarficed alot for the family, as in the novel, her grandmother sacafired her own flesh and body.

4*Questions:
4- So is Baba Quan a bad guy outside and good in the inside?
3- How did Mai react to this?
2- When did Thanh found out?
1- Why/ how did Thanh have 5 miscarriage?

3*Vocabulary:
3- Epitome:a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class
2- Converged: to tend to meet in a point or line; incline toward each other, as lines that are not parallel.
1- Innocuous: not harmful or injurious; harmless:

2*Literary Terms:
2-Imagery: pg 222 when they described the chocolate and desserts. Man it looks and seems so good! I WANT SOME!
1-Direct Characterization: "...Baba Quan was a devoted husband, a father dedicated to an uncomplicated life...a farmer who tilled the land with patience and idgnity."

*1 Overview:
1- This section, Thanh writes a letter to Mai describing her whole life and how she felt and how it influence/ related to Mai. There seems to be much emotions into the letter as you keep reading. Very touchingg!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

#8 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

Hello there! I'm so tired...I just came home from the washers... ahh rough day.
I'm just sitting here enjoying my blueberry muffin along with my icy cold water.
Let's move on :] enjoy my 8th post!


Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao

5*Comments:
5-So Mai went to the Mekong store, where Thanh works and the radios were filling the room, then she saw a newspaper article talking about the American Dream, "Thief sues and demands money". Thanh saw this is response that the woman that was being sued was her boss and a man had stole and sued her. Thanh reacted very harsh, she seems like she didn't like people who steals.
4- Mai really loves her mom, that's why she came all the way there to help work with her mom. Mrs. Bay was very happy to see her helping her mom. Wow her mom and her actually knew french because when a french song came out fro mthe radio, the mother and daughter sat stillly listens to her childhood lullaby.
3- In the beginging of chapter 11, Thanh is arguing with someone and Mai is in her room, worried. Since her miother health isn't well enough. It was something about her father Baba Quan it was something important and yet Thanh forgets about it.

2-When Mai finally came down form her room, they didn't answer her when she asked what they were arguing about, instead they told her that there was a party and mai starts to make food along with her mother and Mrs.Bay.
1-The next few pages, Lan Cao just describes the food and the customs of making them. It was pretty interesting because my mother as well make some of those food and follow those customs.

4*Questions:
4- Who really is Bill? What is his last name? Is he the one that was suing thanh's boss? Is Mrs.Bay her boss by any chance?
3- What are GIs?
2- How did Mai and Thanh learn french? During the war??
1-Who is Jane Fonda? xD wow I'm so clueless.

3*Vocabulary
3- Nostalgia: a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends
2- Sibilant: Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds
1- Insignia: badge or distinguishing mark of office or honor:


*2Literary Terms:
2-Metaphor: pg 193 "As the administrator, she's considered the guarantor of the pot."
1- Imagery: pg 200 where Thanh shows her emotions and feelings after knowing what had happen to Baba Quan.



1*Overview
1- Mai went to the store to help her mother and there slowly she starts to know the truth. I think that her grandfather has already died. Thanh have been known on this, I feel really bad for Mai and her mother.

Friday, April 24, 2009

#7 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

:D ALmost over, haha. Enjoying my honey tea while doing a roar post. It's decent morning sunny and bright outside. Seems super cozy! ^^



Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao





5*Comments:
5- The story that Thanh wrote in her dairy about the Japanese girl that did not obey her mother and did the opposite of everything her mother wanted and in the end turned into stone by the gods was really good!. I think Thanh also thinks that way the bond between a mother and daughter is always the closest and to Thanh it's not only that childern are suppose to obey their parents but to understand their wishes. Thanh loves Mai a whole, I can tell.
4- Thanh later descibes how her childhood memories with the rice fields and everything and she regretted that Mai never had the chance to experience that because Mai was born during the war and they were refugees. Thanh then continues to detail about her childhood life until she was married .
3- I've noticed that Lan Cao often uses imagery while describing the setting and location of the stories. Like when Thanh is talking about the horizon and now Mai is also talking about it.
2- Mai fianlly tells her mother than she and Bobbie tried to find Baba Quan, and that they were driving all the way to Canada to give a phone call to Vietnam to find Baba Quan's location.
1- All of a sudden, Mai was crying in the middle of the night and that woke her up. For no reason she begins to think back aout the minor mistake, one wrong move. I think everything that had been mentioned in the novel before so, is hurting her now.

4*Question
4- Why didn't Thanh want Mai to call Baba Quan when she was almost in Canada?
3- Why is Mai crying by herself? Is she sad about her mother?
2- Is Thanh released from the hospital yet? She seems to do fine right now.
1- In Thanh's dairy did she really write in english or Vietnamese and had it translated?

3* Vocabulary:
3-Relinquished: to renounce or surrender
2-Inclination: a disposition or bent, esp. of the mind or will; a liking or preference.
1-Palpitation: an unusually or abnormally rapid or violent beating of the heart.

2*Literary Terms:
2-Imagery- Pg 174 When Thanh is describing the horizon and the setting.
1-Anthropomorphism: Pg 174 When Thanh is describing when they bend their backs into the letter S like Vietnam.

1* Overview:
1- This section that I've read is about Thanh's diary and her childhood memories and her regrets of not letting Mai see how wonderful it is. Afterward Mai confess to her mother about her and Bobbie going to Canada to call Baba Quan.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

#6 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

... Yeah it's going on daily.. ^^ && after this I'll be off to work.

Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao

5* Comments:
5-I figured out that Mai also just to live in MA as well before. This is being mention while Mai and her mother is getting their fortune told to them by a fortune teller. Vietnamese people believe in all those stuff. I find it very related to my mom because when she was young in Vietnam she also had her fortune told and suprisingly it was all correct. What can I say, pretty cool huhs? :]
4-I kind of have a better idea how the Vietnam war started now, since Mai is kind of talking about the past. The north tried to take over the south pf Vietnam or something. My dad had been in the Vietnam war along side with the Americans. He always tells me some stories but they're always so confusing since it's the past.
3-After in the begining of chapter 9, Mai is implying that her grandfather, Baba Quan has seen Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City) falls to its feet because of the terrible war. She was so descriptive about this part, though not from her eyes point of view but her grandfather. And then she soon started asking herself all these questions of where he is.
2-Once again Mai somehow started to read her moter's dairy again, inside so far was her mother worries about Mai and her love for Mai. Her mother wrote that when she was 17 was already married for 2 years. Though Mai wants to leave home to go to college so her mother seems of it as not traditonal but the right way for Mai to go.
1-Again Thanh is telling us how the things Mai believes are totally different from what Thanh wants her to believe. Mai learns about genetics and everything form science and facts from learning at school however her mother thinks its all karma because she experienced karma all her life.

4*Questions:
4-Who was the fortune teller? Why did Mrs.Bay say she was very good? How did she even know?
3-How did Mai feel after reading her mother's dairy?
2-Did Mai and her mtoher really believe in what the fortune teller was telling them?

1- Is Mai as worried as Mama is about Baba Quan?

3*Vocabulary:
3-Inadvertently: unintentional.
2-Protuberance:
the condition, state, or quality of being protuberant.2.a protuberant part or thing; projection or bulge.

1-Exodus: a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people.

2*Literary Terms:
2-Metaphor: P 164, Mai's grandfather's last day in Saigon lingered like a lantern on the grap motionless night.
1-

1*Overview:
1- In this section, the fortune teller came and talked to Mai and her mother. Mai then recall the times with her grandfather and wonder how he is doing. After Mai starts to read her mother's dairy.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

#5 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

HAHA. Here it is again! (:
Have fun! While I'm still dizzing and dazzing all over my computer....
( I just woke up. ^^;;' hope you don't mind!)


Monkey Bridge

Lan Cao


5* Comments:
5- Once again we get into the fatasy asian typical stuff, like astrological signs and zodiac asian animals sign(?!?). Anyhow, if you were born on a specific year of an animal, there's 12 of them and at a certain time... its suppose that your future will be good or not. (superficial). I was born on the year of the rooster so my dad usually brags about it in front of his friends.......^^ that's just a little connection to Monkey Bridge since Thanh and Mai was talking about it as well. Mai was born on the year of the Buffalo at 8:15 so her mother said it was bad luck.
4- Here we get back to Thanh's condition, she seems to be doing better. Mai tells us what's wrong with her mother, she has CVA which the left of the brian is neglected and can't be used.
3- It's great that Thanh has a friend as well, Mrs.Bay which also keep her company and it seems that they are big fans of traditional medicine and not the western/modern medicine.
2-So Mai is looking forward into going to a good college. She had a interview with Amy Layton, she seemed very nervous, and they most talked about Vietnam as it seems.
1- HA, I just notice that there is no fixed "I" or "you" in Vietnamese, it all depends on who you're talking to and addressing that. I've always thought about that when people ask me how to tranlate... I would never understand, good things I had a better understanding now. Thanks for the clarification Lan Cao!



4* Questions:
4- Who really was Mary Lyon?
3- Is Thanh's mother able to be dismissed form the hospital at times?
2- Is Mrs. Bay from Vietnam too, how are they able to communicate?
1- Why are asians so superficial? x)



3* Vocabulary:
3- Austere: severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding.
2- Concocted: to prepare or make by combining ingredients, esp. in cookery.
1- Luminous: radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.

2*Literary Terms:
2- Allusion: Pg 144 where Mai was referring to Mama (Thanh)'s American Dream and its becoming like the modern version of the trung sisters.(not so sure what that is.. O.O)
1- Direct characterization: There's plenty here, : When Mai was describing the details of Amy Layton when she first arrived for Mai's interview into the college.

1* Overview
1- This section tells about Mai and Thanh's condition alot, also how Mai is going to be in college soon.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

#4 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

:] Good Morning!! Is everyone enjoying their Spring Break? (: Having too many work really brings me down, anyhow I will complete the whole book this week and give you the exclusive 5-4-3-2-1 :D enjoy some for now.

Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao


5*Comments:
1- Uncle Michael seems like a very good, strong gentleman. He's very caring for Mai's family and a very good soldier. He seems to do his job in particular way that made him so modest. He's very close to Mai and her family, knowing that he visit them almost every evening. OH so after Uncle Michael left Vietnam, Mai's father had died in his sleep quietly.(answered one of my question).
2-Vietnamese people are very supscious, they believe in almost everything. In the next few pages they are talking about Mai's father death and the process of the whole dead stuff. I really didn't mind reading this section but it's so superficial.
3- Mai's grandfather tells them a lot of stories and things. I think most Asian elder generation does that, it seems to connects the stories of when they were younger and to the present almost like my dad does since my grandparents are no longer here.
4- Mai's family is very close to their homeland, it's described that they would never want to leave a place like that. And here her descriptions of the land and fields. It remind me when I visit Vietnam that I've also had that feeling, some what so close that I didn't even want to leave. It had a home feeling.
5- After the few next pages, I really don't get it... they are talking about pain and suffering and death... things that I do really like. It's was confusing.

4* Questions:
1- So Uncle Michael isn't Vietnamese at all? All this time I thought he was. How did they communicate back in Vietnam then?
2- How is Thanh's condition so far? She hasn't been mentioned much.
3- How did Mai's grandfather just disappeared? Wasn't he with them all this time?
4- So this whole section was in Saigon? Where is Tan Son airport then?

3* Vocabulary:
1- Monotone: a vocal utterance or series of speech sounds in one unvaried tone.
2- Monochrome: a painting or drawing in different shades of a single color.
3- Primordial: constituting a beginning; giving origin to something derived or developed; original; elementary

2* Literary Term:
1- personification: P 96 of the yellow hot fog moving/ walking like dinosuars,
2- Similie: Simile: It was as if all of America were holding its breath, waiting for a deceased body, ravaged and fatigued, and now all too demanding, to let go.

1*
1- Mai and her family is going through rough times in Vietnam, and here she is describing the conditions of Vietnam, it seems that it's been really hard since WWII had started.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

#3 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

Hey everyone!^^ Sorry for the long wait.



Monkey Bridge

Lan Cao



5* Comments:

-IN the first section of my reading, Mai is descibign her grandfather, Baba Quan very precisely then at the same time shared a little memoir of her and Baba Quan. Of what he told her and also her mother. Mai's mother still laying in the bed and realizes that its about time for her to get use to the American way.

2-Later, Mai finally talked about her father. Being a Professor and that he and Thanh use to speak together in french. It's still very vague how her father was like.

3-Later Mai discussed about how when Mai and her mother just first arrived in America.And Uncle Michael was there to help them. I could feel how fustrated and scared they were, because it would have been very hard since they didnt know the language very well and for people to help them.

4- Around the few next page, Tet Asian/ Vietnamese new year came up. Tet is a very exciting fun 3 day holiday at least. There are things you should do and things you shouldn't. It's very nice that it is beign mentioned.

5-Last comment for today was that Mai recalls her father birthday. Where Thanh, Mai and Uncle Michael spend with her father at majestic hotel. They were wearing ao dai (vietnamese traditional dress).



4*Question:

1- What is the movie I dream of Jeannie about? Does it relate to Mai in some sort?

2-What are ghost money? Even though they sound kind of familar.... o.o..

3- How did Thanh and her father learned french from? Does Mai know how to speak french as well?

4- Was there a war going on or something? I'm a bit confused because gun and power were being mentioned yet they are celebrating a birthday for Mai's father. & what are the news that Uncle Michael told to Mai's father?



3*Vocabulary:

1-Ponderous: of great weight; heavy; massive.

2-Sentry: a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of unauthorized persons, watch for fires, etc., esp. a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work, or the like.

3-Beckon: to signal, summon, or direct by a gesture of the head or hand.

2* Liteary Terms:

1-Simile: "It was a tactic as smooth and sleek as hot wax on tender skin."

2- Allusion: To scare of ghost and bad luck, demons we use firecrackers. A reference to Tet or the new year and the things that Vietnamese people do.

1* Overview:

1- Here Mai describes more about her father and mama's conditions. ALso she mentioned alot of uncle Micahel and how he's a great help to her family.

Monday, March 23, 2009

#2 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

Here's another post you guys (: . I'll have alot trouble soon, since I'm having a history paper to do. SO I'll try to finish it off quickly. ^^ Meanwhile, enjoy the second treat on Monkey Bridge.



Monkey Bridge

Lan Cao



5* Comments

1- There is alot of history of the WWII between America and Vietnam that is beign mentioned. That Mai's father used to tell her, "one wrong move" could ruin the whole nation. But to Bobbie and Mai there is no "one wrong move" in America, and Mai is blending in very well in America because Bobbie is there for her. But once again not always "one wrong move" could ruin her.

2- Mai's mother really cares about Mai's education, even though like the comment above "one wrong move" could ruin a country, but though in a ruin country no one could take away Mai's education as her mother had told her. My parents as well thinks my education is very important and I think it connects to most asian families because they tend to be very strict when it comes to their child's education. I'm just implying ^^ no bad thoughts.

3- WOW! On page 34, I haven't noticed but I just found out the word "please" in vietnamese , "Lam ong" literally means "to make good karma". "Lam" is really "make" in english and "ong" is "good karma". As said in the book as well and I was really suprised because I've never noticed that! ^^ This is a great deal when it related to the lanuage I speak. By the way, Vietnamese are very into karma and so.

4- Thanh misunderstand the american customs, like when waving "come here" in Vietnam is it taken as goodbye, so Mai's mother said that the clerk in the store was looking down on them. I can tell this is something that has happen to many people who just started to live in America because the difference that establish the different cultures. It's not Thanh's fault but it would hav been better if she did not assumed it so hastely.

5- Mai went into her mother's notepad and in it was Thanh's handwriting writing about her stories and her mother's stories (Mai's grandmother). In it, it described the day Mai's grandmother was getting married to Baba Quan. And that Mai doesn't seem to understand the same thing Thanh does. I had a reference to Romeo and Juliet because that time Mai's grandmother was only 14 years old and she had to get married young as well as Juliet.

4* Questions

1- What is A & P that is referred in the book on page 32?

2- Did Mai's grandmother wanted to get married ths early in life as well?

3- Does Thanh know how to speak English? How about Mai? Since she just came here, how does she communicate to Bobbie and everyone else?

4- Is thanh released form the hospital yet?

3* Vocabulary

1- Endeavor: V : to exert oneself to do or effect something; make an effort; strive:

2- Indefatigable: incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

3- Embassy: body of persons entrusted with a mission to a sovereign or government, esp. an ambassador and his or her staff.

2* Literary Terms

1- Allusion: To the American Dream on page 40. That the Vietnamese version of the American Dream was to immigrant faith in the future and become whatever they wanted to be in America. ( I was learning about the America dream during class and now we're reading A Raisin in The Sun).

2- Allusion: To Romeo and Juliet from Thanh's mother having to marry young. I thought it was pretty cool how some cultures have the same customs. Esp. marrying young which I kind of dissapprove.

3- I have another one : Repetition: for the phrase " One wrong move" It seems very foreshadowing but I'm not so sure but it does show up alot of times.

1* Overview

1- There is alot of things going on in this small section. What is being mentioned was that the American Dream, and how asians wanted to migrant to America because that is what they believed. Then there was about the education factor between the Mai and her mother conversation. Net few pages were about the American customs and how Mai's motehr wasn't used to them. And finally is about when Mai secretly went and saw her mother's writing about the old days.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

#1 Roar 5:4:3:2:1

What's poppin' yall'? HAHAH.. I just felt like saying that. SO today I will start on my posts once again. It was a nice break however I just had to start posting again before it's too late. ;D so.. Here you go!

Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao

5*
1- I could relate to the girl (Mai is her name) in the story because I as well migrate from Vietname to America along with my father and mother. Also when my mother was in the hospital once before I can tell how worried Mai actually is when she see her mother like this. And Thanh ( Mai's mother) seems to be very depressed over the absence of Baba Quan.(Mai's grandfather, Thanh's Father).
2- I think I can relate alot to this book since I know some of the vietnamese words and places that locate in Vietnam like Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City now) and the Delta Mekong River. I feel very special. ^^
3- When Mai was describing how she would try to call Vietnam to locate her missing grandfather, I get how frustrated it is to dial all the numbers including the international code, country code, the number itself and so much. I think she is trying very hard to find BaBa quan knowing that her mother is very sick because of it. She's a good daughter so far =].
4- Bobbie is such a good friend, she is like the positive influence on Mai when Mai is really worried about her mother, though Bobbie is there to help her. Like driving to Canada to make a cal lto Vietnam, visiting Mai's mother in the hospital. :]
5- Wow how come I've never heard of the Vietnamese taking over the Mangols story before? Well it was interesting about the honey and ants/ caterpillars scarying the mongols.

4*Questions
1- How old is Mai and Bobbie? I know Bobbie has her lisense so I guess beyond 17ish?
2-Where is Tan Son Nhut Airport? :O I've never heard of it.
3- Where is her father? I don't think he was mentioned alot....I wonder why.
4- Is Uncle Michael related to Mai and her mother in any kind of way?

3*Vocabualry
1- Impermanence: not permanent or enduring; transitory.
2- Hectare: a unit of surface, or land, measure equal to 100 ares, or 10,000 square meters:
3- Unpropitious: unfavorable; inauspicious

2*Literary Terms
1- Simile: "When the Mongols rode into the country like thunder on horsebacks..." (Cao 18)
2- Hyperbole: "You can lose a house, a piece of land, even a country" (Cao 19)

1* Overview
1- During the first 1 and a half chapter, Mai describe her mother's conditions after coming to America because the absence of her grandfather. While worrying and caring for her mother, Mai finds ways to locate her grandfather who is half the world away.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

NEW ROAR??

HELLO HELLO HELLO!!! WELCOME to the month of March!! Here is my new book for this 4th term. ( Yes my school actually have 6 terms total). So here, it is,...INTRODUCING.. MONKEY BRIDGE by Lan Cao. What really makes me want to read this book is that, if I read this I get an extra grade up, what more can I get? LOL but I am also going to read another extra credit book so then my grade actually improve by two grades! AWESOME right?

SO here's a little synopsis of the Monkey Bridge( while I'm still figuring out what my next book should be)

: Monkey Bridge:
A girl and her mother immigrant to America from Vietnam and during this time the girl is told of a mysterious ,dark , and secret and revenge story of her mother. Here is where she starts to struggle between the difference in culture and language. She is telling two interlockstories that relate to each other, one of her own and one of her own mother's.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I will... haha yeah I just started but it's pretty good since I can relate it to my own experience. I'm Vietnamese and I did immigrant from Vietnam. Don't laugh I was only two! ^^

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #10 LAST AND FINAL POST!

HELLOO! How is everyone doing?? This is my last and final post for this term's roar book reviews. I hope you guys enjoyed and that I offered my help good enough. Sadly none of you guys left me a comment/ question so I'm kind of upset but it's all fine. ( probably b/c no one knows about this.) Anyhow, Thanks Alot!! ^^ Have a greatt VACATION everyone, next week && VALENTINES!!! <333333333333333**find>


The New Science Of Evo Devo : Endless Forms Most beautiful
Sean B. Carroll


5.Comments

* Our last chapter is the our title up there; Endless Forms Most Beautiful.( I LOVE the title, it's so unique!) Here the introduces the new teachings of Evo Devo and evolutionary principles of it. By observing and focusing on the genes and basis of evolution of organisms. Instead of the outside look. The more abstract illustration of evolutionary concepts bring more a clearer understanding to our science world.
* Here our author presented one of Charles Darwin's work, Descent with Modification and he explains it and the theory and all. Like he said it was the first evidence for learning of developmental of organisms. A little more on the complexity and diversity, form there our diverse world is filled with different species and animals and that is from the evolutionary era tah twe experience so many diverse and complexity.
* This is next thing I found VERY INTERESTING! When a surveyed asked 21 differnet countries wheter this question you believe is tru or not, in a scale of 1 as no and 4 as yes "Human beings are developed from earlier species of animals." United States was dead last witha 3.22 meaning that we really did believe that because of science. Otehr countries did not, and probably because they focused it as a belief of their religion. The truth is we are developed from earlier species but people did not want to believe this. (I really think so as well!! Yay us! I love science anyways, if it's proves with evidence and all then I'm okay with it.)
* Then you get a synoposis of the Evo Devo creations and struggles. I didn't get much of it so maybe you guys can give me some tips and feedback whenever you read this or something because I'm a bit confused. Sorry again. =[
* My final comment is about the most beautiful forms endangered, this inculded animals all aorudn the world that are being a sight of endangered or excint soon. So people and everyone should do tehir part and try and keep them alive. Some animals that are excinted are the DoDo, Moa, and Quagga. That's it!! Thankyou!!

4.Questions:

* How does animals becoem endangered? The climate or that people keep killing them?
* So how many species of animals are there out in our world?
* Will human beings ever be endanger at all? Or human being excinted? I really want an answer for this question.
* Does endangered species included the plantae kingdom, or plants an flowers? Are they ever developed liek animals as well?

3.Vocabulary

*Reiterated:
to say or do again or repeatedly; repeat, often excessively.
*Eloquently:
having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech: an eloquent orator.
*Poignant:
keenly distressing to the feelings: poignant regret.

2.Literary Terms:

* Allusions: Another reference made from Charles Darwin and his Descent with Modifications.
* Denoument: The ending with the endangered species and how we should try and protect them. =]

1. Overview:

* MY last overview; this last chapter is about the most beautiful of endless forms, which is the meaning of out animals and living organisms. Ending here we have the endangered species section and the survey question that was asked from all over the world of 22 countries. Then the more clearer understanding of Evo Devo and it's concepts and the term.


THANKYOUUUU! ^^ ENJOY.. Can't wait to see you againn!! Sorry for the quick rush, I have plenty of homework to get to next. (: I hope it helped you. Thankyou! BYEBYEE!

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #9

HEy everyone! We're coming to an end soon. Today I 'll do a double post since tomorrow is the due date. Plus I really need to end it anyways. BTW, I'll be posting a new post for my Personal Blogggggg as well ^^. Thankyou & Please check it out for fun & info.


The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endless Forms Most beautiful
Sean B Carroll.

5. Comments

* Guess the next chapter is about? The making of beautiful minds, the making of Homo Sapiens. Here we are learning about the evolutionary of homo sapiens which will eventually evolve into modern human like us today!
* We will be able to find out about your, mine and everyone's common ancestor, from chimpanzees we have about the 99% of the same genes, however we are not chimps. Just closely related. One of the early human is Lucy. (I learned this in the begining of Sept.) the author will provide some differences and comparison from the regualr apes to modern humans. ANd how our minds work and how other apes as well can advance this mind making theory.
* Then they have a really cool diagram of different apes and man skeletons and here you can look for yourself that we look really alike from those of the chimpanzees. Oh and actaully apes and human together are called hominids, I forgot to tell you that. Sorry. (:
* Next you can check out the characteristics that makes human more interesting than regualr apes. Like the differences for example some that are listed ( which I learned outside as well) are: the relative brain size, S-shaped spin, brain topology and so much more. Then ou will read continuing to the different hominids species and their brain sixe and body size. You can also check out the evidence of early hominids by footprints left in the Laetoli. Check out more about it.
* Lastly tehy will talk about the brain and the specifics that can make a brain into a beautiful mind, how our brian is more advanced and develope. You can get a better understanding about it.

4.Questions:

(I asked some before I continued reading.)
* Where in the DNA does the difference between human and apes develope?
* Was human evolution in any other way typical to otehr mammals?
* Where in our brain does the capabilities resides?
* How do our mind really develope from other apes that could develope as well?

3.Vocabulary:

*Accumulated:
to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees; heap up.

*Spectrum:
an array of entities, as light waves or particles, ordered in accordance with the magnitudes of a common physical property, as wavelength or mass: often the band of colors produced when sunlight is passed through a prism, comprising red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
*Degrades:
To reduce in grade, rank, or status; demote.

2.Literary Terms:

* Allusion: He made a quick reference to Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory.
* Irony: That the oldest hominids is not advanced or wise as the modern humans, because you hear the saying, the older you get the smarter you'll be. But that's so ironic because we evolved from them.

1. Overview

* The overview for this section is that the studies of hominids and the brain and the developed human minds and body. How we are super closely related to the apes family, however we are different and tehy provided some examples for us to see. Then the skeletal explaination and genetics of the same common characteristics. From there we go to the evidence of where this theory comes from and the real proof that biologists and scientists have been studying.

Monday, February 9, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #8

Hey everyone, this is going to be a quick post because I have way too much homework and so little time. It's getting late and I have other thigns to do to catch up. ^^ Sorry, thanks fro understanding. See you soon again. BTW, Sorry no posts for my PB (personal blog) for awhile. I'm too busy. thanks Good bye!!


The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endless Forms most Beautiful
Sean B. Carroll

5.Comments:

* The term melanism is refering to the conditions where an individual or a species display the broader area of the color black or dark in a greater/ larger amount then the other colors within the organism. Melanin pigment are the complex chemicals that polymers that occur in many forms. From black, brown, reddish or tan.
*Many organism have this melanism color pigment. This chemical is a benefit, it help prevent damages form ultra light rays, thermal regulations and camouflages. From mammals to insects and fishes. In mammals, there are two type of melanin that are produced by the pigment cells. One on the skin and the other of the hair, eumelanin, phaeomelanin.
* The next chapter the book explains how the melanin could change or be inrupted when DNA crosses. There are equations and everything but it's too high level for me to catch on. Sorry guys. Next they talk about rats and mice that have the shades of black to grey and so on. The gene is each mice is different, from the amino acid and the MC1R protien.
* From mice we go to Black leopards, white bears and redheads. Again we use the MC1R.. which is very confusing so I don't know how to explain it. So the Evolution of francier of patterns in the mammals of stripes and spots. So we go on back to the zebras. And the embryos of when each stripes will develope. For each species of zebras, tehir stripes come different at different times.
* HAHHA we convert back to the fruit flies, here they're explaining the spots that fruit flies encounters. It express the pigmentations of the gene that makes the species different just becasue of a spot.

4.Questions:

* Why is it all focused on the color black? Isn't ther other pigment as well for other colors, because there are other animals in different colors.
* What makes the color black in animals so important?
* Does the animals get the color from the genetic gene of their paren's genes? If so does that mean there is a disadvantage for animals taht does not have the color black on them?
* How do the zebras get the different stripes then otehr zebras? How do people recongnizes the differences?

3.Vocabulary:

*Melanoblast: an undifferentiated cell that develops into a melanophore or melanocyte.
*Mentation: mental activity.
*Correlation: mutual relation of two or more things, parts, etc.

2.Literary Term:

* ehh... I can't find any
* none

1.Overview:
* This overview is about the color black on mammals and animals, It is called melanism, there are benefits from it and it's very different I guess from other colors or something because only balck was mentioned. Anyhow, then we go to the zebras and their stripes and how long it takes for each different species to develope their stripes. Then we go back to the fruit fly and the spots on their wings.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #7

Hey everyone!! Happy Sunday. =D How is everyone doing? good enough? lOl ready for another post on our book journey?


The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endless Forms Most Beuatiful

Sean B. Carroll


5.Comments:

* Next we are goingt o learn how the butterfly get's it spots. Funny huhs? ... Here tehy are thousand of butterflies and they are many one that are similar. Now we are going to sense the wing patterns this from the elements. Butterfly wings have scales and each scale is a product of one cell.
*Patterns of the wing it made by the lined up of scales that creates a spot. They are formed in different colors as well. The distal-less of proteins resolves the wings to appear spots. There are real live photographs in the next few pages to show what they are talking about. It is really amazing to actually see because they provided the pictures of the embryos of the caterpillars and the wings marks.
* The patterns on a butterfly can change, depending on the season and climate. For example the Bicyclus Anynana, in the wet seasons and otehr seasons their wings will change color and patterns of the spots. And another two pair of tiger swallowtail butterfly. Both have same features but different colors.
* The next page was a fan mail to this authro complaining how he is using their tax money instead of helping the environment to care about butterfly wings...(OBVISOULY this guys who wrote this is a NO- BRAIN!!! How can he write something like this? This is pure science that people should know!!!!!....igornant fan.sorry ^^ I was just so mad when I read it.) Iliem learning about this.
* Next is the Paint in Black section. This section is the observation of animals and how they got their color black. First example is the zebra which obtain black stripes. This help them to play with the predetors eye, by thinking its a shadown and it's hard to see them.

4. Question:

*Which on which? The Black stripes on the white or the White stripes on the black on zebras? I always wondered this...
*Why did the author pick butterflies as a topic.. I'm very interested because not alot of science is on the butterfly so far that I'd known of yet.
*Is a butterfly an insect?
* Why sepcific on butterflies with spot? There are other butterfly without spots..

3.Vocabulary:

*Bastesian Mimicry: the protective resemblance in appearance of a palatable or harmless species, as the viceroy butterfly, to an unpalatable or dangerous species, as the monarch butterfly, that is usually avoided by predators.
*Diverged: to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off.
*Curator: Law. a guardian of a minor, lunatic, or other incompetent, esp. with regard to his or her property.

2.Literary Terms:

*Imagery: The describtion of the scales and colors that together forms the wings of a butterfly.
* There were some references to some famous biologist but I don't know a literary term for this.. sorry guys.

1.Overview:

* This one overview is about butterflies and their wings. The developement of thier wigns and the spots that they obtain. Also while we go into spots of butterflies, we get into the color black next of animals. How animals get them so far I'm readign about the zebras that have black stripes.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #6

HELLO THERE! ^^
Here's the next few pages. I'm so sleepy right now but it's still early...so I'll try to finish this up quickly.....*yawns.. ^^ can't wait till I go to bed.. HAHA


The New Science Of Evo Devo : Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Sean B. Carroll

5.Comments:
*I was suprised because today I learned some insects have more than 4 wings, it follows the Williston's law. And it's the evolution of wing numbers. Like a Primitive aquatic nymph has more than 8 wings...there pently more and they compare it to each insect to see the difference and how they evolved.
*Now are the Sipders tales: the more adaptations of the arthropods gills. Some of their innovations is the book lungs, tracheal spiracle, and spinnerets. They are all structures that are homologs of the pedipalps which are the mouth parts and walking legs. It related to the adaptations of the arthropods gill branches.
*Next is the series of genes that help involve modern insects like butterflies and thier wings, flies, and the hindwings insects. The way it is the Ultrabithorax, it's a protien that regulates the circuity of insects and it command the binding and the switching of genes of wings in insects.
*Fish fins to fingers... (wierd huhs?) The evolution of the tetrapod hand into wings. it;s been seen and recorded in old devonian fossils that they have common positions and bones located.
*Then from the wings that are created, they have phalanges, radius, and humerus like our human fingers and arm and so on other animals. That's the evolving of limbs for the new styles. Then after there are a few pages that I didn't understand a bit so I didn't write about. Sorry, but this part is kind of too high leveled for a freshman like me.... ^^

4.Questions:
*How is the wings of animals can be seen related to a human arm? I mean like how do they decide that it's related, it could be another bone..
*What is the devonians?
*How is Ultraithorax create? Do human have them as well , maybe in some of our body?
*Is switching really important to the way an organism turn out? like a gene or something?

3.Vocabulary:
*Innovation: the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.
*Modularity: the use of individually distinct functional units, as in assembling an electronic or mechanical system.
*Reiterate: to say or do again or repeatedly; repeat, often excessively.

2.Literary Terms:
*Allusion: A reference was made to the Williston's law and the Pat Shipman. It was cited in some direct qoutes.
*Anmorphotism? : The sentence that refered that the bat and fish had some human characteristic.

1.Overview:
* It's the insects section, and here we are learnign about the genes that creat their different wings. From fish fins to insects we get to the wings of birds, and bat how they then relate to our human arms. Isn't that interesting? It's like a connection to all living animals. I'm sorry it's a short summary but it's really what all of them relate by and plus I'm so sleepy I think I'm going to drop any second.. HAHAHA... goodnightt....(:

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #5

Hey you guys!! ^^ I'm big on midterms and test on going so it might take some time for me to update you guys! Sorry! =[ &Also OB IDOL TOMORROW!! ^^

Here's a quick 5.4.3.2.1 synopsis!(: Take Care!


The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Sean B. Carroll

5.Comments:
* Back to the switches, here how some genetics switches works: There are activators, and repressors and the act as switches. There is abd activation of effects, multiple of activators and repressors are involved in the building patterns od any structures.
* End of that, back to Cambrian Explosion: the so many Arthropods. Oh then the next few pages are phtographs... real live photos! How great is that? anyhow, there are embryos of flys onces again but now you can actually see the subdivision of it turning into a fly. And all it's body parts. ^^
*The pictures are really cool, it's all neon and glowy.... wow so fantastic! Back to the tool kit genes.. and the embryo is startign to shape itself. Now to the Cambrian arthropods, there are the Marella, Olenoides, Waptia, Yohoia which all have a dominate feature in the similar appendages. Though they do difference themselfs with oth body parts. And continue with the Aysheaia, very different spieces but have some common bodies.
*Next the shitfing zones of the Hox Genes that shap the major different in the arthropod designs. example: an insect, centipede, brine shrimp, mysid, lobster, cleaner shrimp and the trilobite, these have common features but what makes them so different...? Read it and figure it out.
* Next chapter, the evolutionary of inventions, for again examples: paper clips: the Gem (most used) the reeve, wright, and philadephia. These all perform the same tasks but they been inventing new different technology to adapt a better performace... same with organisms and mdern technology.

4.Question:
* How did people start to think about all the advanced technology to actually make them?
*Does that mean the insects, centipede, brine shrimps and so on all came from a common ancestor?
* How were the scientists and biologists able to take all took pictures?
* Was the first real animal the arthropods? If not why are they such a big deal? Was it because their genes were complex?

3.VOcabulary:
*Blastopore: Embryology The opening of the archenteron.
*Cervical: the neck, esp. the back part.
*Schematically: pertaining to or of the nature of a schema, diagram, or scheme; diagrammatic.

2.Literary Terms:
*Imagery: ? The descripton of how the switches works, they presented as a kind of a map ?
*ehh.... none..

1.Overview:
* SO we're starting on the genetic switches to the Cambrian Era agai nto the Arthropods. The complex structures of organism that now are present and the technology of inventions that became for dependable. It relates to living organisms because we as well will evolve and be able to adapt to different situations.

Monday, February 2, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #4

I have a sub for English today so, here I am doing a Roar Post. ^^ What a great oppertunity for another Roar Post for you gusy! ^^ Hahaha....ENJOY!

The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endles Form Most beautiful
Sean B. Carroll

5.Comments:
* The dark matter of the genome, here Sean Carroll is explaining to us about the dark matter which is dark energy from the universe and galaxies. With astronomy, the structure of stars, galaxies, collaspe of suns and all the visable objects in the universe. As the same thing for animals DNA.
* So the previous comment relates to human as the dark genes in us, as for fingers, heart, eyes and the visible genes in them are the RNA and protiens.The genetics switches controls where genes are used in our body tissues.
* These few pages after are a bit confusing because tehy relate together in a wierd way, example is the switching of strpe bty stripe and bone by bone, switches of GPS intergrators. And more switches....I didn't get most of it.
* Now I'm into part 11 of the book, and it's Fossils.Genes, and the making of Animal Diversity. Startign with teh Big bang of the Animals Evolution. presented first by first so called, Cambrian Explosion Era around525 to 505 million years ago recorded by the rocks that were appeared in complex forms.
*One of the fossils that we now found from the Cambrian Era was the Dickinsonia Coststala (completely confused right?) It's like a small shelled crockaroach. These were the Ediacaran forms. The next page is the animal evolutionary tree and it shows and provide us the information of which organism started to evolve and was the first known ancestors of our mordern time animals.

4.Question:
* What really caused the Big Bang? Was it the explosions of stars, that's what I heard.
* How does the first organism created? Like how did one animals all started? And which came first the plants organisms or the animals organisms?
* So the relation of anstronomy with the human body is that the anatomy of our body is by constellation of of switches and taht are distributed all over genomes? (I think I know the answer but I'm still unsure?
* Who first came up wtih this theory of the Eras and how everything started to evolve from the first few animals? (That person is a GENIUS!)

3.Vocabulary Words:
* Protostomes: Compared with Duterostomes: Any of a major group of animals defined by its embryonic development, in which the first opening in the embryo becomes the mouth. At this stage of development, the later specialization of any given embryonic cell has already been determined. Protostomes are one of the two groups of animals having a true body cavity (coelom) and are believed to share a common ancestor. They include the mollusks, annelids, and arthropods. **Any of a major group of animals defined by its embryonic development, in which the first opening in the embryo becomes the anus. At this stage in their development, the later specialized function of any given embryonic cell has not yet been determined. Deuterostomes are one of the two groups of animals that have true body cavities (coeloms), and are believed to share a common ancestor. They include the echinoderms, chaetognaths, hemichordates, and chordates.
*modularity: Of, relating to, or based on a module or modulus
*Deciphered:To convert from a code or cipher to plain text; decode

2.Literary terms:
* Irony: That animals came become modern us humans, and the starting of the world is from Big Bang.....BTW, does that mean the world will end by something else? And by that happening will something or another world appeare after then?
*Personicification: There were some lines that indicated the DNA and genetics of ours genes were described as human beings and other stuff.... o.o...sorrys really kidna unclear.

1.Overview:
* This whole overview is about the ending of one piece and begining of one piece so it might be confusing but here it is: The author first desrcibed the structure of the world and comapred it to our body. Next was the human anatonomy and the dark matters of enegery in the world and ourselves. Conclusion of the animals evolution and the starting of it caused by the Big Bang and the presents of the Cambrian Era.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

ROAR 5-4-3-2-1 #3

HEY HEY HEY!! ^^ HAPPY SUNDAY!. Here's another free post!^^ get your mind blogging...

The New Science Of Evo Devo: Endless Forms most Beautiful
Sean B. Carroll


5*COMMENTS:
*The continue of DNA sequences and responses, there are 2 gene logic that is 1) "the regulated use of a gene occurs through the on/off binding of a DNA binding protien;" 2) " the DNA binding protien recognizes a specific DNA sequence near a gene."P.60 Carroll. I was kind of confused at first because he was mentionaling about bacteria then he switched to a fruit fly. Which was a very good organism to experiment with.
*More information on fruit flies, and the body-building genes of their bodies. from a embryo. Then about how mutation can affect the fruit fly, like one can have a normal large multifaceted eye or one with a lack of eye tissue which express as an eyeless fly. (creepy... there was pictures that I didn't want to see...)
*Still with the flies, now it's about the hair patterns, from the starting as a larva the hedgehog fly. A mutanted one will have the denticles(hairs) all bunched together and a normal hedgehog fly will not. This was the tool kit of the paradox and one of the origins.
*Next was about the genes of making babies. With 25,000. This section was about varies of chicken, tadpoles.The embryo development in orders. There was a nice image that help supported this part of the book. There was one for the tadpole, and fly.
* Next was the geography of the embryos. Like which steps occur first, and where it will be places in the embryo. This wil be by the tool kit genes once again. They also gave you a part of directions to draw it yourself and the general logic of the embryo geogrpahy
.

4.Questions:
* Are flies easy and fast developers? Like if their life span is short we can do more experiments with them.
* How long does an embryo usually develope until it is ready to leave the mom? ( I can't find a word for this.. sorry.)
* How long does it take before we can recognize the embryo of it's speicies?
* Why is the tool kit section in every section but it was so different?

3.Vocabulary words:
*Reductionism: the theory that every complex phenomenon, esp. in biology or psychology, can be explained by analyzing the simplest, most basic physical mechanisms that are in operation during the phenomenon.
*Tantilizing:having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire, esp. that which remains
*Chemotherapy:the treatment of disease by means of chemicals that have a specific toxic effect upon the disease-producing microorganisms or that selectively destroy cancerous tissue. ( I kind of guessed this word right. ^^ )

2.Literary Terms:
There wasn't much of the terms I would know but I' m sure there were some. Here this section was mainly explaing the embryos and I guess I just couldn't find any.

1.Overview:
This section was bits and bits about embryos and embryologists. Mostly focused on flies and their behavoir way to develope. Also the re mapping of their embryos and I think there was something taht could connect to us humans when we were embryos as well. But I think the author wants us to figure it out ourselves but maybe he'll tell us later on the next chapters.