Final Exam Questions

1) According to Steve Jobs in his graduation ceremony speech for Stanford University, how can we supposedly “connect the dots” in our life? A) by looking to the future B) by looking back at the past C) never in our life D) by enjoying the present (Hannah Wong)

2) What is one practical tip that Olivia Fox gives in her presentation on charisma to help with paying attention to the other party when striking a conversation with them? A) play with your hair B) divert attention from them and observe the surroundings C) by wiggling your toes D) by faking a smile (Hannah Wong)

3) What “sound” does Mr. Rehak accuse students of hearing in class? A) “the sound of failure” B) “the sound of our phones vibrating” C) “the sound of our thinking caps” D) “the sound of the bell” (Hannah Wong)

4) In “Like Water for Chocolate”, what special ingredient in the wedding cake affected all the guests? A) Tita’s tears B) Pedro’s sweat C) Gertrudis’s droll D) there was no special ingredient (Hannah Wong)

5) In David Blaine’s Tedtalk, what was one method he recommended that helped him hold his breath? A) sleeping upside down B) purging C) drinking lots of water D) breathing through the nose (Hannah Wong)

Steve Jobs Tedtalk review

This tedtalk was unlike any other I have ever watched. The scene was a graduation ceremony at Stanford University, not on the familiar type of stage TEDtalks are normally presented on. And there stood the brilliant Steve Jobs, who is new resting in peace after an incredibly successful and inspirational life. His speech was calmly inspirational and simple to understand. Steve Jobs didn't use particularly intellectual vocabulary, nor did he try to use emotion and vigor to sway his audience. He spoke to them plainly, like a radio show host or like a grandfather telling stories to his grand kids. His advice was like what we all hear from friends and in the movies, but it was the realness and connection of his life stories to that advice which was what made the advice so much more powerful to grasp. I thoroughly enjoyed this speech. RIP Steve Jobs

Fences 10 Q's

1. Why does Bono question Troy so skeptically about Troy's affiliation with the gal Alberta? A) He suspects that Troy is having an affair with the gal B) He thinks Alberta is Troy's illegitimate daughter C) Alberta is known for her many relationships with men D) Bono is in love with Alberta

2. What does Lyons do for a living? A) Works as a driver B) Works as a garbageman C) Is a professional saxophonist D) Pursues music as an amateur musician

3. For what reason do Rose and Cory accuse Troy of in his decision to disallow Cory to play football? A) Troy is overprotective of Cory B) Troy hates football C) Troy would prefer Cory to study to become a lawyer D) Troy does not like knowing that Cory has the potential to get farther in the sport than he ever could

4. Which day of the week is payday for Troy and Bono? A) Sunday B) Friday C) Wednesday D) Monday

5. Where did Troy meet Bono? A) At the bar B) In jail C) His hometown D) In high school

6. Why does Bono think that Rose wants the fence to be built so badly? A) She wants to keep people out B) She wants to spruce up the yard C) She wants to keep Troy in D) Rose does not want the fence built

7. What sort of analogy does Troy use in attempt to explain his reasoning for the affair to Rose? A) football B) baseball C) basketball D) cricket

8. What term does Rose bitterly use to describe Troy when she agrees to care for his daughter from another woman? A) Careless father B) Womanless man C) Good man D) Husband

9. What perk of working the back of the truck does Troy realize that leads him to consider retire being a driver? A) Working in the back lets him converse with other workers B) Working the back is less strenuous C) He gets paid more to work the back D) Working the back keeps him in better shape

10. What is the name of Troy's daughter from another woman? A) Roserry B) Raynell C) Bonnie D) Alberta

TEDtalks--David Blaine and Tony Robbins

Tony Robbin's tedtalk was perhaps the most entertaining of the two. I did not totally enjoy his loose language, but I will admit half the time his choice of curse words did add a lively and relaxing effect to his topic. I found his approach to be interesting. At the beginning of the talk he made a clear point that the purpose of his presentation was not to be the motivator, but to ask people why they are motivated and understand what their motive is. His story about 9/11 was very engaging and held my attention. The audience also seemed to love his humor so his tedtalk was pretty successful I'd say.

David Blaine's tedtalk was interesting in a peculiar sort of way. The magician wasn't incredibly charismatic or energetic on stage or anything, but his topic was interesting in itself. I had heard of David Blaine prior to watching this tedtalk but did not know the extent of the madness of his feats until he named all of the most difficult ones he had done in the past. The methods he used to help physically prepare his body to hold his breath for so long were pretty ingenious and showed how mad he was upon hearing the regiment he put his body through. What made it so interesting was that the entire time he seemed to sound tired and passive, but his mood added to the sarcastic comments he would throw in every now and then.

Joy Luck Club Q's (Chapters 1-5)

Here is the link to the questions
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1e-otgjVIRousFpq7c9vFinCGVeyRA26irOgAPUQQLJM/viewform

TEDtalk reviews: Vehicle & Robot

1. I liked the visuals and concept behind these vehicles, however at first when the speaker was describing the contraption, he inflated the idea and made it sound like it was going to be something revolutionary. However when he showed clips of the vehicle, all it really was, was a longboard with a remote control. Not to say that the idea isn't cool, but it was lacking innovation. It also just provides a way for people to skateboard around lazily.

2. This robot toy was incredibly cute and smart, but overall the contraption is useless. The speaker also inflated the concept of this toy. It didn't seem practical that the device seemed to have to be an Apple product and that the device had to be hooked up to a box in order for it to work if trying to connect to another device. It looks a toy useful for kid's spy adventure movies, but for everyday use it's impractical.

My Own TEDtalk: Freelancing

            Hi, my name is Hannah Wong and today I want to cover the topic of freelancing. What is freelancing and who can be a freelancer? According to Wikipedia, a freelancer is “somebody who is self-employed and not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are sometimes represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and labor contributed by its regular employees.” Independent contractors is also another way to describe freelancer. In simpler terms, anyone can be a freelancer, YOU can be a freelancer.

            So here’s a step by step guide, let’s call it Freelancing 101. Are you ready? Here we go.

            Step 1: Discover. What’s your favorite hobby? Favorite pastime? What’s your niche? It could be anything like playing an instrument, baking, making music, or even fashion styling. I highly suggest choosing a hobby that you really enjoy doing.

            Step 2: Invest. Invest your time and money into this activity. Practice it, get good at it. If you have the resources to, then by all means invest in the thingy that you use in your activity. Get an even BETTER thingy so you can take your practicing to the next level. Or if not, invest that time and money into classes. If your school happens to offer a class that may help improve your skills, take it! If not, get out there and look for some, or train under someone you know that is good at what you want to do. If your niche is baking, invest in a better mixer. If your niche is painting, invest in higher quality art supplies and maybe some art classes.

            Step 3:  Get out there. Step outside your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to show off your talent. Find a creative outlet where you can easily and comfortable express yourself. Once you get good at what you do and feel more comfortable, start looking out for opportunities to apply your talent. Start looking for random gigs and any small opportunities to get your name out there to people. Practice with family and friends. That’ll help you to eventually feel more comfortable doing what you do! They will also most likely help you in the advertising department.

            Now let me give you a personal example that might help you see how to apply these 3 seemingly simple steps. The key to following these steps is to let things happen naturally. This isn’t something you can achieve overnight solely by your own effort.

            Here’s my example. My personal niche is photography. I don’t love photography enough to go to art school for it, but I would love to continue photography as a side hobby/job. My sophomore year I started tinkering with my digital camera, a Canon Powershot to be specific. Junior year I graduated from a simple digital camera to a Panasonic Lumix Gf3 (a micro 4/3rds camera). I started taking my camera everywhere with me. I photographed my friends, my travels over summer and winter break, and then I started my own blog. Tumblr and facebook became my creative outlets.

Little by little, friends and family started to recognize my interest in photography. And then finally this past summer I finally upgraded to an actual DSLR camera. A hand me down, but still a DSLR. I learned how to edit photos using Photoshop and Lightroom and enrolled in the AP Photography class at school. I do little things like take profile pictures for friends on Facebook and just through that I’ve been able to get my name out there. I’ve gotten little gigs here and there like photographing for the school prom fashion show and had a photo shoot with an aspiring musician friend.

Other ways to put your name out there is by creating a Facebook page. I have plenty of friends that have made musician and photography pages. Volunteering yourself will also help you get gigs. If you plan an instrument, offer to play at your church Sunday service and so forth. So remember, discover, invest, and get out there! Good luck. J