PLN VI

For this blog post, I want to speak to you about a very important issue that is currently causing the deaths of people all over the world. This month, April, is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Therefore, I decided to talk about this issue to try to help spread awareness of it's importance. In this day and age, distractions while driving are becoming more and more prevalent as technology increases and becomes more common. There are three different types of distractions while driving. These include visual distractions, cognitive distractions, and manual distractions. Distracted driving is known as "any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving." Even the smallest distractions have the potential to endanger your and your passenger's safety. Some examples of distractions include texting or using a cell phone in any manner, eating or drinking, talking to passengers, personal grooming, reading of any kind, using screens such as navigation, watching videos, as well as adjusting a radio, CD, or MP3 player. Even things like Bluetooth headsets and voice to text are very large distractions and can be deadly, as shown in this article, "Texting." The last type of distraction is of the cognitive sort. This means that even thinking about things, like daydreaming or planning out the weekend, can prove to be very distracting. The number of deaths that involve a distracted driver increases every year. In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in an accident involving a distracted driver. Compared to 3,276 the year before, we can see the growing importance of distracted driving awareness. I hope this article has taught you something about the dangers of distracted driving, and that you also help spread awareness of these dangers throughout the month of April, and for the rest of your life.

Sources

http://www.donttextdrive.com/

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsDistractedDriving/

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/DDAM.aspx

http://www.distraction.gov/

PLN V

For this blog post, I have chosen to write about another auto show. This auto show takes place in New York City, NY every year in early April. The show first began in the year 1900 and has been a huge success ever since. This year is the one-hundred and thirteenth anniversary of the New York International Auto Show. The New York International Auto Show is the oldest auto show in North America. Also, the New York International Auto Show is one of the biggest and most well known auto shows in all of North America. The New York International Auto Show has been referred to as the "Geneva Auto Convention of the Western Hemisphere." At this auto show, many new production and concept vehicles are announced and shown to the press as well as the public. Of the many production and concept vehicles announced at this year's New York International Auto Show, there were a select few that clearly stood out. These impressive new cars included the new Subaru WRX, the Jeep Cherokee, the Volkswagen GTI, the Mercedes CLA45 AMG, the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible, and the Jaguar XKR-S GT, all of which are pictured above. All of the designs of these newer models have greatly improved in many ways since the previous models were released. The Subaru WRX is a completely new design, Subaru has changed the entire exterior look of the car to make it look more agressive; also, Subaru modified the engine to make more horsepower and be more economical. The Jeep Cherokee also has a completely new exterior design for 2014, and its transmission has been modified to get better acceleration and be more economical. Also, the new Volkswagen GTI has had very subtle cosmetic changes that can only be noticed by a true fan; furthermore, the engineers have decreased its weight significantly and it now has over 50 more lbs. of torque. The CLA45 AMG is an all new car that is based off of the Mercedes CLA, both of which have yet to be released, the CLA45 AMG is a much more track ready and powerful version of the new car. The Camaro Z28 is famous for being a very agressive and fast machine, and this new edition continues that legacy well with its large increase of horsepower and it agressive styling. The video below includes a tour of the New York International Auto Show. 

Sources

www.autoshowny.com/

http://www.autoblog.com/new-york-auto-show/

http://www.autoweek.com/new-york-auto-show

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/category/auto-shows/2013-new-york-auto-show/

                     

PLN IV

For this post, I have chosen to write about the Geneva Motor Show. The Geneve Motor Show takes place in Geneva, Switzerland every year in March. This year is the 83rd year that this show has occurred. This automobile show is one of the largest and most respected motor shows in the entire world. Many auto manufacturers make new announcements at this show. Manufacturers unveil new cars and features to the public. The auto manufacturers announce both production cars as well as many concepts for future cars. Over 100 new cars were shown at the show just this year. One of the biggest announcements from the show this year is the Ferrari La Ferrari. The La Ferrari has a 800hp combustion engine paired with a 163hp electric engine to make the most efficient hypercar possible. This car was developed by Ferrari and used many of their great technologies from their forumla one racing team to make the best car possible. All of these features combine to propel the car from 0-60 mph in around 2.3 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 220 mph. Another car that was unveiled at this show was the Lamborghini Veneno. The Veneno is much more exclusive than the La Ferrari, only 3 are being produced as aposed to the Ferrari's 500. The 3 Venenos are each being made in a different color, red, green, and white, to represent the colors on the Italian Flag. The Veneno is not as powerful as the La Ferrai, having 740 hp, but it is much more of a collector's piece than a car that will actually see time on the track. The next car that was unveiled at this show was the McLaren P1. The P1 also has the electronic KERS system like the La Ferrari; the McLaren has a 727hp combustion engine paired with a 176hp electric engine totaling 903hp; so this car is a close match for the Ferrari. The 0-60 time of this car has not been released yet, but these cars should be a close match for each other. The La Ferrari and the P1 are long awaited successors of the Ferrari Enzo and the McLaren F1, and they are the new super expensive cars that will be envied by this generation of car lovers.

Sources

Geneva Motor show

Geneva Wikipedia

Veneno Wikipedia

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini

McLaren P1

La Ferrari

Geneva Tour

Geneva Show

                  

Valentines Day Poem

In honor of Valentine's day here is a love poem by June Jordan. I found this poem on poetryfoundation.com.

Poem for My Love

BY JUNE JORDAN

How do we come to be here next to each other                                                                                                              

in the night

Where are the stars that show us to our love    

inevitable

Outside the leaves flame usual in darkness   

and the rain

falls cool and blessed on the holy flesh   

the black men waiting on the corner for   

a womanly mirage

I am amazed by peace

It is this possibility of you

asleep

and breathing in the quiet air

I enjoyed this poem very much. One reason I liked this poem was because of the detailed imagery in it. This poem gives me the image of two young people sitting under the stars in an open field. Also, I like this poem because it asks the question "How do we come to be here next to each other." Also, I like how the author talked about how peaceful the scenery and situation was in the poem. One more thing that I liked about this poem was the way the author talked about the quiet in the air and the serenity of the moment.                                            

PLN 3

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2010-volkswagen-gti-first-drive-review

http://www.topgear.com/uk/volkswagen/golf-gti/verdict

I chose these two articles because they both are a review of the MKVI Volkwagen GTI, which is the car I will be getting in April of this year. Both of these articles state in the beginning that the newest GTI is an improvement from the previous generation that they already loved. Also, both state that it is a more refined driving experience than the previous generations and that it is much more comfortable for daily use because of the new interior which is similar to that of the audi, and because of the new suspension that becomes softer when it is not in sport mode. Also, there is a small upgrade in power in the new generation which both thought improved it greatly, along with the bigger power-band which makes it have a smoother acceleration. The top gear blog post thought that the new one looked a bit too flashy, while the car and driver blog believed that the new body style made it look more race inspired and less like a regular golf. They also both like the new technology in it like the XDS system and the touch screen have. The car and driver blog liked the handling of it, but did not think it was a big change since the previous model, and they did not like the traction control; while top gear thought that it felt much more stable and that it had more traction than the previous model. Overall both of the bloggers liked the car and thought it was a great improvement over the previous generation.

PLN 2

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/the-best-handling-car-in-america-for-less-than-100k-feature

I chose this article because it is very interesting to me to see which cars under 100 thousand dollars have the best handling. This article tested a wide variety of vehicles all with very different features and prices. In this article is was surprised to see that the GTI was listed, I was surprised by this because it is cheaper than many of the others by a wide range, and because it is the car I am getting soon. Also, the article said that even though the GTI has only 200 hp, that it kept up with the other much faster cars around the turns. The second to last car was the Z06 corvette, I was not surprised that this car was featured because of its speed, but I was surprised that it was featured because of the stereotype that american muscle cars can not turn. The next car was the Nissan GTR, I learned that it does not have the handling that I thought it did. I was surprised that it was only just above the corvette because I have heard from other reviews and T.V. shows that it has great handling. The next car was the BMW M3, I was not surprised that it was featured in this test; however, I was surprised that it did not handle as well as I thought it would because I have seen many in action and they seem like great all around cars. After that, was the mazda rx-8, I was surprised at how well this car did for the price that it is, which is less than that of the GTI. The other cars that were the Lotus Elise and the Porsche Boxster I was not surprised about because of their high prices, light weight bodies, and adequate amounts of power.              

Introductory Blog Post

Hi, I am Tyler Hoffman, I am a senior at North Broward Prepatory School. I live in Boca Raton, Florida. The subject that I am interested in is cars. I already know a lot about cars. For a while I have been helping my dad fix our cars, and do basic maintenance on them. Also, I know about many types of cars and their details and specifications from the internet. I have always been interested in cars, motorcycles, and things that go fast in general. I have been interested in cars and the way they looked since I was little, and I have been riding dirt bikes since I was about nine or ten years old. Also, this subject interests me because I hope to buy a much nicer car sometime soon, and would like to know which one is the best for me. I am interested in watching cars race like in rally races, when they race through dirt and snow, and F1 races, which are very fast and very intense. I really began to enjoy cars more when I was around 15 or 16 years old and my relatives started to let me drive their expensive cars.      

The Things I Carry

I am carrying:

• an iphone 4
• apple headphones
• altoids mini
• a house key
• a car key with a Volkswagen logo on it
• a guitar pick
• an obey sweatshirt
• a macbook pro
• a pack of gummy bears
• my leather wallet, which contains
• a Pennsylvania drivers license
• a school id
• a visa gift card
• a mastercard
• 250 dollars

My drivers license: My drivers license shows exactly who I am. My license has my name, photo, and date of birth on it, which shows that I am a minor. Also, my drivers license has the address of my previous house in Pennsylvania. This detail of my card shows that I either have recently moved here or that I am a tourist just visiting Florida. I carry this to prove my identity and to be able to legally drive. What someone would not know just by looking at my license is that I have received a couple of tickets in the past. My license is important to me because without it I would not be allowed to drive, and if I get pulled over without it, the cop would think I am not even old enough to drive.  

Guitar Pick: My guitar pick shows people one of my interests in my personal life. It does not tell people that I am in guitar class at North Broward. Also, it doesn't tell people that this is my first year playing the guitar. I carry this item because it is required for my third period guitar class and without it I would not pass any of the tests. I use this to practice and play the guitar. It is important to me because I am interested in learning a new instrument, and to become good at it I need to practice. 

Car Key: My car key tells people that I drive some model of Volkswagen. My car key does not however tell people how bad and old my car is. My car key does not tell them that it is an old station wagon with 200,000 miles on it. I carry this so I am able to drive and go where I want, whenever I want. I use this key to drive and unlock my car. It is important to me because without it I would not be able to go to the many places that I go. Also, it is important to me because my parents would control what I could do without it.  

Ho Chi Minh was a Communist leader who lead the Viet Minh. Also, he lead the rebellion against the French and other occupying forces that the vietnamese people did not like. He lead the North Vietnamese government and wanted to destroy the South Vietnamese government and its supporters. The largest city in Vietnam is named after him.

Ngo Dinh Diem was the first president of South Vietnam. Worked with the US to create the Republic of Vietnam. The US supported him because he was not a communist. He was assassinated by the end of the war.

Truman gave aid to the French in the 1950s to fight the Vietminh. Then he sent military advisors to South Vietnam to train the army there.

Eisenhower sent the army there more equipment and weapons, and also he sent more advisors. Eisenhower refused to send combat troops.

 Kennedy strongly believed in fighting communism. Kennedy sent more money to fund the army in Vietnam and rose the number of advisors to about 16,000.

Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the Vietnam War heavily. Johnson sent the first ground troops in 1965. Johnson increased US numbers from 16,000 advisors to 550,000 combat troops. He also told the public that everything was going well and that it was no big deal, this ended after the Tet Offensive occurred. Many protested against him.

 When Nixon entered office, the war was extremely unpopular. He wanted to end the war quickly. He started bombing Indochina, particularly Cambodia heavily. Removed troops slowly. The last US soldiers left at the end of his term.

Is privacy an illusion?

            In today’s digital society, I believe that nothing is truly private anymore. I believe that the thought of privacy is an illusion, but it is not a very good one because many Americans see and know about how little privacy they have. With the Internet and other technologies constantly growing, privacy is shrinking. Over the years, the Internet has grown, and with that growth, the amount of information transferred through it has grown too. With the amount of social networking sites that there are on the web today, anyone in the world can see what you are doing or saying and when you are saying or doing it. Also, these sites show all of the pictures you post there, and many people post pictures of themselves and others doing things that are not legal; when people do things like this they are often caught by their parents or even the police. Also, when someone looks for a new job or applies to a college, that school or employer can look at their social networking profile and see what kind of person they are and what they post. The lack of privacy of today is not only the Internet’s fault, but also increasing technology of the government. For the past couple of years, since 9/11 the U.S. government has put more restrictions on our freedoms with things like the Patriot act. The Patriot act increased the government’s power of surveillance and generally made things stricter. Also, over the past couple of years, more and more traffic lights have had cameras put on them; now, you cannot even find a traffic light on any major road without a camera. These cameras can help us drive safely, but also you can be tracked by them if needed. Overall, our privacy is decreasing as technology and the Internet exponentially grows.        

To a Waterfowl

by William Cullen Bryant

          Whither, 'midst falling dew,

While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,

Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue

          Thy solitary way?

          Vainly the fowler’s eye

Might mark thy distant flight, to do thee wrong,

As, darkly seen against the crimson sky,

          Thy figure floats along.

          Seek’st thou the plashy brink

Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,

Or where the rocking billows rise and sink

          On the chaféd ocean side?

          There is a Power, whose care

Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,—

The desert and illimitable air

          Lone wandering, but not lost.

          All day thy wings have fanned,

At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere;

Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,

          Though the dark night is near.

          And soon that toil shall end,

Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,

And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,

          Soon, o’er thy sheltered nest.

       Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven

Hath swallowed up thy form, yet, on my heart

Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,

          And shall not soon depart.

          He, who, from zone to zone,

Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,

In the long way that I must trace alone,

          Will lead my steps aright.

I liked this poem because of the detail of the story it tells. This poem contains vivid imagery and describes the scene in great detail. One reason I enjoyed this poem is because I like birds and the freedom that they represent. Also, I like the way that the author says that the bird does not know consciously where he is going, but that his instincts guide him. I like it when he says that because I feel like no one knows where they are going in life, but that the must be shown where to go through learning from their previous actions and experiences; this is how I learn in my own life. I am still looking for direction in my life just like the bird, but one day, I will reach where I fit instinctually just like him.

"Lone wandering, but not lost." 

I liked this line very much because it suggests that even though the bird is by himself, he knows where he is going, and where he wants to be. Also, this line shows that he is independent and has to find his way on his own. 

"Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue, Thy solitary way?"
I liked this line because it made me picture the bird flying alone into the sunset. Also, it personifies the bird when it talks about it pursuing the solitary way, which gives me a personal connection to the bird.

"Though the dark night is near." 
I liked this line because I believe that it is saying that the birds journey is almost over, but that the roughest part is starting. Also, I like the lines after this that ties into this line, which say that the bird will enjoy himself and relax with his friends in the great land.  

Amazon Best Comments Compilation

The comments of this product were hilarious. Out of these almost two-thousand comments, these six are the ones that I thought were the best. The first one is great because it gives you the picture of a convict smashing bananas with his hands and throwing them at the wall in anger. Also, the ending of the first post is funny because it implies that he is writing a play/movie called South Side Story, and that it has the same plot as West Side Story. Also, the second review is funny because it suggests that the person writing it is the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of OZ. The third review is funny and tells a good fiction story about a ninja that was the best at banana slicing, and how he has reverted back to assassinations after the banana slicer came out. The forth review is very comical because the author talks about how he is the head of bending bananas and that since this banana slicer came out, his workers have had to have all of their bananas inspected to make sure they are bent correctly. The fifth review is funny because it talks about how he tried to use it to cut hotdogs, but somehow, the grease flew out and hit his eye, which rendered it useless; so now everyone calls him the wiener pirate. This post is one of the best because he talks about how he needs his "banana" removed and how he needs it cut into small pieces. All of these reviews are great and very funny, there are many more great ones on amazon.                

Interesting Blog

Exotic Cars

I like this blog because I have an interest in cars, and how they work. I have always had an interest in cars for as long as I can remember which is why this blog and its content interests me. I am very interested in this cars and one day I hope to attain one. This blog is interesting because of the way it shows interesting pictures and videos of exotic cars and the way they work. Also, this blog gives information about the cars and their engines. This blog shows details of rare sports cars that you do not see everyday, which is interesting. Also, this blog has a versus segment, where the blog puts two sports cars head to head and compares them with videos, and shows the pros and cons of each to the viewers, and their overall performance. This blog is organized very well with its pictures, videos, and comparisons. I do not like that this blog does not contain many posts. I also wish that this blog would have a higher variety of cars, not just extremely expensive ones.    

Blog Reflection

Throughout the year, I have been working on numerous blog posts. So far, my blog is coming together nicely and is fitting all of the requirements. My blog looks pretty good, but it could be better; many of my posts include pictures and video, but some look very bare and need something more. My blog looks very organized and clean, however I believe that my organization could be improved by double-spacing. Also, I like the way the black background of my blog looks in contrast with my pictures and text. The text of my post has many well thought out ideas, facts, and quotes. The mechanics of my writing in these blog posts is the main part that needs improvement. My blog is average or better when compared with my classmates' blogs. I have some facts and ideas that others have not expressed, but I might not have the same level of writing mechanics as my classmates, and my blog posts do not flow as well. I think that my best post of the year was my music mash-up post. I liked this post because I thought it was well thought out, and also because it was very visually appealing. Also, this is my favorite because it has music on it and colored text, which helps catch your eye.