I read Creating Our Own Happiness. The author shapes his own life by realizing what you can do for other people to make yourself happy, even when the odds are against you and there are doubts you can be happy. The authors core beleif is that with the tiniest things people can be happy. Everyone wants to be happy, but some dont know how to make their own happiness in this mixed world. Hes trying to shape his life to do this by not buying items to be happy, but by being with other people.

Mark Doyle

Austin Lafever,

I read the story Tommarrow Will be a Better Day. The author is 16 and he is in his room and he overhears his mom and dad talking about his future, and it was not about his collage or how much collage will cost. It was about how well he will do in adulthood. 

Then he starts thinking about his own future and how he will make out in life. So, he starts looking at his old family photos and other historic belongings to his family. He found that his past relitives have been though alot like going though elis island, ADHD, polio and many other bad things, but they have also seen and done alot of good like the cure for polio and two world siries for the Red Socs. He is now hopeing that he and his generation will make alot of good. 

1. I read "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude"

2. This story by Sarah Adams wasnt just about how you should be nice to the pizza dude,but how you should be nice in general.It talked about when the pizza deleivery dude deleivers your food, you should tip him. That also applies to everyday life because when someone does something nice for you, you should thank them and be greatful of what they did. Being greatful and thanking people for what they have done for you eill get you further in life because, if your not greatful and dont thank them then they wont keep helping you.

     - Dakota Lodge

1.Creating Our own Happiness.

2.He is jealous of the poor couple, because they are laughing and having fun, while he is sitting in his warm car. The author desided to find more happiness while he got held up by a robbery at Long John Silvers.

3.His beliefs was to seek happiness, poor or rich. He thought more possitive about his life and his future.
    He did not pity the poor, because they were smiling and laughing. He envied them because they were poor and found ways to be happy.
                        -Tyme Morrell

 

1. The Article I read is titled "Creating Our Own Happiness" by: Wayne Coyne

2. The Author went through an experience working at a restaurant. The place was robbed and he realized that life seems like one miserable task after another, but he didn't. He claims that he would see whole sections of peoples lives pass while working there.

3. The Authors core belief is that despite misfortune or devastation, everyone can find happiness and safety in themselves and each other. Without a trust in yourself or others, life is just a big walk down a road of sad and loneliness.
    This belief helped the author in helping others and himself. The author believes that finding sanity in yourself is possible, but finding sanity in yourself AND others is a definite.
                                 
                                                                                - John Bouvier

1. The Title of the article I read is "Creating our own Happiness".


2. The Author, he say a poor couple together in the cold, laughing, despite misfortune. He thinks this is sad but true happiness come fromm each other and yourself.


    3. The Authors core belief, is that despite misfortune, sadness, or disaster, anybody can find happiness within their heart. Even though the poor couple didn't envy him for his fortunate items, they found a way to put a happy smile on their faces.
    The Author has went through tough experiances and frightening events, such as his resturant being robbed, he discovered that he should be as happy as he can through his life.

                                                                          -Samantha Bouvier

 

i read choosing passion life is exactly what you make it and i belive it means that you chose the way you live your life under influence or your own personal choise

Kiera Cooley

I read the essay called Choosing Passion: Life Is Exactly What You Make It.  There were many experiences that changed and shaped the beliefs of the author. She uses the word “mediocre” (not bad but not passionate) to describe her orchestra performances and thinks that mediocre is alright to deal with.  She never really notices that mediocre isn’t the best she could do until she goes to her brothers orchestra highs school performance. When she sees a girl in the performance and how well she plays, she knows that mediocre is just an option, but if she really set her mind to it then she could be amazing. She was amazed by how this girl at the orchestra performed. Ever since the author had seen that performance she no longer lets herself be mediocre, and is living her life with passion even though she has yet to make a drastic change to the world.

The title of the essay I read was "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude."

An experience that the authour encountered to help shape her belief was that she has had many jobs in her life where people had to respect her, and they were'nt. She responded to these actions, not in a violent way, but she would just let it go beacuse she felt that she should be the bigger person in those situations. She believes people should respect the pizza guy because he is just another person looking for a decent paycheck to feed him and pay bills, and she believes that everyone has gone through that at sometime and that he's not considered lower than any other person.

I read the story, "Be Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude" by Sarah Adams. She believes that if you be cool to the pizza dude, then it's good luck. She says that there are 4 principles that guide the philosophy of this. These principles are humility, empathy, honor, and equality. Sarah acts like a pizza guy is a god. She lets him/her cut her off in traffic and she even lets him take an exit while he's in the left lane which I wouldn't be cool with. The third principle, honor reminds her to honor honest work which the "Pizza Dude"  does to get so much respect from her. She really likes pizza guys. She likes them so much, but she isnt one of them. She has been in many different jobs, but never a pizza delivery job.

1. Identify the title of the essay you read: There is a deer before me.

2. Identify specific experiences the author encounters that help shape his or her belief.  What experiences have shaped the lives of the author? How does s/he respond-physically or emotionally-to these experiences?

The author hunts for his families food instead of buying it from the super market because he feels people have gotten out of their ways.

3. Without attempting to indicate your agreement or disagreement with the essay, write a 1-2 paragraph summary of the author's core belief and the way this belief has shaped life in the past or present. Each summary should be scrupulously accurate in recording the philosophy that guides the life and choices of each author.

I believe the authors core belief is similiar to animism. The reason I believe this is he feels guilty for the deer he kills. Also though be cause he feels happy they are in a better life. He dreams of running with the deer with no more guilt between them.

4. Bring the essays and your summaries to class and be ready to discuss the original ways these writers responded to the assignment. How do they establish their own unique voice through each essay? Think tone. Think diction and connotation. What word choices did the author make that helped or hindered the essay.

I read "There is no god".

In this story, Penn Jillette, is a person that beleives that there is no god but there might be an afterlife, but not believing in god doesn't make him solipistic. Penn knows not believing in god makes it harder for god to forgive his sins but he will be able to be forgiven by kindess. Penn thinks the reason why god was created in the bible might be because god gives hope and faith to others in need. He thinks there might be an afterlife but there might not be an god.

(Read this one)

-Jeffrey Mallette

I read "There is no god" by Penn Jillette

In this story, Penn Jillette, is a somebody that believes that god isn't real because nobody can prove that god is actually alive. Penn believes that by letting peoples know there is a god gives hope and faith to others. Believing in god doesn't stop him from being solipsistic. When you don't believe in god you can't be forgiven except by kindess.

I read "The Freedom of Baseball"

This essay is written by Hilary Kambour and she loves baseball and she believes in every aspect of the sport. From booing the other team to cheering on her team (the Marlins) for a good play. Baseball has shaped her life by every in. Hilary and her dad loved baseball and they would always tune in on the radio to see how their teams were doing. Her dad loved the San Fransisco Giants and they would almost always disagree on terms of baseball. Hilary recently lost her dad and her emotions still run high while watching America pastime game. She has discovered a whole world of emotions from the game. She believes in the game of baseball, the game of respect, but not too much respect. The game of homeruns and the game of losses and wins. Hilary Kambour believes in the game of baseball.

Becca McIntyre

The title of the essay that i read was always go to the funeral.

The author of this essay,

Diedre Sullivan ,believes that you should always do the right thing even if that 'thing' isn't something you want to do. Also she learned that even the smallest gesture of kindness can go a long way as it did with the mother of her 5th grade math teacher. This action affects her emotionally because on the day her father died of cancer she because on that next day in church at 3:00 the church was full of people mourning for her fathers death.

The belief i found in this essay was that you should always do the right thing. No matter how unwanting the job may be do it! for the better of you and the better of the other people involved.I found this to be true in this essay because even though when Dierdre was 16 and didn't want to go to her 5th grade teachers funeral she did and that impacted on the teachers mother.

The Author of this Essay uses a Tone of Sincerity to those who have passed and those who have been to funerals. She dictated the essay smoothly with comparisons form her life that people could relate to.

I read “ The Freedom of Baseball”

Some experiences that the author encounters that shaped her belief. Would be the long car rides with her father. They often listened to Giants Baseball. When her father’s team fell behind or made frustrating errors, He would curse his beloved Giants and angrily turn the radio off, unable to listen to another minute. After ten minutes or so he would turn the radio back on. Hoping for a comeback. He couldn’t not know the outcome of the game. She responds physically to these experiences. She does this by pacing or leaving the room. Being unable to watch the game. She would return to the room minutes later, to see the outcome. The authors belief in baseball is the respect she has for the players who perform with great sportsmanship and athleticism. She dislikes the fact that some players are being over paid. Also the drugs and unsportsmanlike conduct. The author passes her experiences that she shared with her father. Down to her beloved son. The author states many facts that support her beliefs. That’s why I choose this essay.

                                    ­- Dayvon Richardson

I read the essay "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude".

   The author, Sarah Adams, has had many experiences that shaped her belief for example driving in her car.When Sarah was in her car driving in her lane she did not want anyone to pass her. She wanted it to be her lane, but when the pizza dude passed she relized that she needed to calm herself and not be rude even to the pizza dude.Also Sarah had another experience when, she used to have little jobs like that she liked being treated respectfully. 

   Sarah belief is that no matter what kind of job someone has or how someone looks we should be respectful to them. Sarah is trying her best to be respectful to whoever she sees and she hopfully as a professor at a coollege in washington, is showing all of her students that same respect.

    The tone of this essay is encouragment because looking back at times i have been disrespectful i can see how Sarah Adams makes herself a better person just by one guy. This essay encourages me to make my self better everyday. Be cool to the pizza dude, its as simple as that!

                                                             -Alexis Naylor

Hope Gawroriski

I read There is No God

A summery for this reading is that Penn thinks that there is no God, it is just the earth haveing all of the liveing things on it. Penn has seen nothing of a God so that is what makes Penn beleave that it is the earth and what the earth is made of. Penn thinks that the earth had come with what is on it and there is no God

The author is vary outspoken and forward about what they are writing about in the artical. 

Tristan Zimba

The essay I chose to read was "There is No God" by Penn Jillete. The experiences that the author has had to shape his belief would be the love of his family, the beauties of nature and the happiness from good times with family and friends. His reactions to these experiences are that he realizes that he should be grateful for what is given to him and enjoy every moment.

A summary of Penn’s belief is that instead of there being a god, there is just the world around us. Everything that the world has to offer us is enough to satisfy and it is rude to beg for more from something that you can’t see or meet. His belief also includes that to be forgiven for your mistakes you should be forgiven by the people you hurt, not by some upper power. He also realizes that if there’s no god causing things to happen then it is up to us to make things better in the world instead of waiting on god to fix it. The author’s belief has let him enjoy the things life has to offer him and not worry about anything more. He also finds it fun and a learning experience.

The tone of this essay is loud and straightforward. The author is not afraid to speak out. He is not trying to convince people to change but to just tell them what he believes.

1. The essay I read was There Is No God by Penn Jillette. The author states that he is way past  atheism.  Atheism means not believing in God. He doesnt believe in god beacuse you cant prove a negative or change a negative. Just like you cant prove their is an elephant in my trunk as he said. This leads you to the seraching stage of Atheism. After you have pasted this stage you just dont believe anymore.

2. The experiences that has shaped his belief is seeing all the suffering that what is in his family, and seeing all the suffering in the world. He also believes that if there is no god, that means no suffering in the future.

3.  The author's core belief is that he is does not believe in god. He says that he doesnt believe in god because he believes that there is more in the world than just worshiping one thing. He also says that he loves to havemore room in his life for love, family, friends, food, and romances. He states that he is way passed Atheism, and totally doesnt believe theire is a God. He believes this because he has seen too much suffering wtihin his family, and way too much suffering within the world.        His beliefs have shaped the future I think. I think they have shaped the future because i believed that more people have the right to believe in what they want, and they wont get discrimanated among themsleves for that. He doesnt care if people follow what he believes in, because he cares abput his family and himself.

I read the “Creating Our Own Happiness” by Wayne Coyne. 

The author experiences that shaped his belief were many, one being when he was in his car at a light.  When he was at this light it was cold and windy.  He thought to himself how he was lucky to be out of the cold in his warm dry car. He saw a couple at a bus stop.  He also noticed they were huddled together in what it seemed to be a uncomfortable situation and in non warm clothes.   First he felt sorry and pity for them and then he realized that they were happy.  This led him to think of his own life and how he was once at a point where he felt the pressures of life.  But from that experience he looked back on it and realized that he was lucky to be where he was.  The author then responds to this by believing that you can get happiness.  Also it’s not something you receive over time or by the measure of success.  

The author (Wayne Coyne) has gone through a lot in his life from as a chef in Long-John Silvers to an award winning musician.  When he had his experience with the couple laughing and enjoying life it made him reflected on his own.  His belief from this experience was that happiness is something we all have and we are all able to find it and not haft to look for it in success or comforts.  Also to be thankful for what you have because better things will come.

The tone in the authors writing is one of pity and innocence in the beginning and becomes one of thought, experience and advice in the end.  This made him sound relatable and understandable.

-Joseph Roth

Samantha Gill

October 26, 2010

            The essay that I read was Be Cool To The Pizza Delivery Dude by Sarah Adams. The essay was not about just the way you treat the pizza delivery dude, it was about how you should treat everyone. Some specific experiences the author encounters that help shape her belief is when she explains that everyone is going to experience “a practice in empathy” in their lives. Adams has had many jobs that she has taken just to get a little money. At the end of her essay, it explains that she has been a telemarketer, factory worker, hotel clerk, and flower shop cashier. Another example of the encounters that the author has had is to have equality. She explains that she takes pride in any job that she does. Sarah does not measure people by what they own, how much money they have, or what they know. Instead, she measures people by the kindness in their heart.

            Everyone has different beliefs. Sarah Adam’s belief about what you should live by and how you treat people is based on her “Be Cool To The Pizza Deliver Dude” principles of life. According to Adams, you ought to treat people the way you would treat the pizza delivery dude. Her core belief includes practicing humility, empathy, honor- and the honor of hard work, and equality. She lives life by these principles of being cool to the pizza delivery dude, and treats people based on this principle.

Adam Tuttle

I read the story “Be Cool to the Pizza Dude”

2.) Sara Adams talks about always being nice to the Pizza delivery guys also known as dudes to Sara.  She encounters many weird or different situations explaining why you should be nice to the pizza boy.  She has also said that I be nice to the pizza boys just for my belief.  Once before a pizza delivery boy went bye her in his car really fast and cut in front of her and instead of beeping and yelling she just let it go.  Also she talks about how these delivery boys are not the brightest guys but she still respects them for who they are.  Sara has gone through many jobs her self so she knows what it feels like to maybe not feel right with the job that you have and she talks about how she always tries to tip them good because if that were her she would want someone to be as nice to them as she has been to others.

3.) I have gone back and talked about the summary in number 2 but there is more.  As I said before she is a very nice person and she understands how these delivery boys feel because she has had many jobs such as a bellhop at a hotel and many more and most of her jobs were not the greatest job but she managed to get through them and she didn’t have anyone who would tip her good or help her like she has done to these delivery boys.  Her belief is that if you want respect or want people to be nice to you, you should be nice to them.  Even though people have been mean or impolite to Sara she has moved on with her life and made a success wit it, and has also been nice to pizza delivery boys who are not the smartest or politest but she wants to give them the respect that maybe they have deserved or maybe they haven’t but its all the same for Sara.  She also says that the pizza man delivers to blacks and whites, straights and gays, women and men, poor and the rich, families and single people and it doesn’t matter what kind of people they are delivering to the pizza boys will always have to do their job.

4.) The tone that she has used for this essay was implying that she was trying to make a point across and she was very enthusiastic towards this point.  Sometimes I felt as though her tone had sorrow in it but at other times her tone was sad or even sad for others.  Her word choice was decent even though she had some not very good word choices but in other ways her word choice was very good.  She says “You shall respect everyone the same way.”  That’s how a lot of peoples rule points should or do look like, and if they don’t they shall try to change or make an effort to try or just get better as treating every person the same.  That’s what Sara was trying to get out of this essay.

Abbey Willis.

Brooke Grinolds

The belief essay I chose to read was Creating Our Own Happiness by Wayne Coyne. In this essay, Mr. Coyne describes the pity he felt for a poor couple waiting at a bus stop in miserable weather. He automatically assumed they deserved his pity while he sat in his warm car, safe from the cold and the wind.

He realized, after seeing their faces, that they were laughing. All of a sudden he regretted feeling sorry for them, and this encouraged him to reflect on his own life. He was happy with his wife, house, and fans, but he had been happy before all that too. He had been perfectly content while working at Long John Silver’s for eleven years. While he worked there he saw sections of other peoples lives go by. People would come in on dates as teenagers, then come in while they were married, and then some even came in with their kids.

Wayne Coyne believes that life should not be considered a “series of miserable tasks” but that you should take what you have in life and make your own happiness from that.

The tone in this essay started out as pitiful for the two strangers, but toward the end it was happier because he realized that not everything was as bad for them as he had assumed.

Lindsey Suddaby

I read There is No God. He explains that just because he is beyond the thought of Atheism it doesn’t mean that he has no conscious. He has experienced that he’s been judged on his specific belief. Every person has a right for what they think and no one should be prejudice against a certain group. He still has opinions and finds that doing things in life now is more important then worrying about an afterlife.

Matthew Woodworth

The belief essay i read was The Freedom of Baseball. It is about Hillary Kambour, a women who loves baseball. She believes in the agility, strength, stamina, etc. it takes to play baseball; the self-esteem it takes when your down, to not just give up. she used to listen to Giants games with her father, on the way home, in the car. She responds emotionally because she gets along with other fans chanting and could not help but cry if they were losing. She loves how it is endulging and wonderfulit is to watch. It changed the way she looks at baseball now, than when she was a kid. It is a gentle tone verses a serious or merciful, and she uses a wonderful word choice.

Tyler Cummings

Be Cool to the Pizza dude

Some specifics were driving and the pizza dude cuts in front of him,forgets to turn on his signel,and speeds by him.

The pizza dude has to deal with all kinds of people in his work so people should cut him some slack.He may not drive corectly all the time but his job makes him a little distracted trying to be on time. The pizza man has o difficult job and alot of people dont respect them after all he does if he is one minuite late he is made to give a free pizza.

i didn't mean to make the font so big.. haha.

Samantha Bunce

The belief essay I read was Creating Our Own Happiness by Wayne Coyne. In the essay, the author describes the pity he felt, while he was sitting in his warm car, for an obviously poor couple that were waiting at a bus stop in the cold, windy weather. Wayne then noticed that as they were huddled together, they were smiling and laughing. He then regretted taking pity on them because he realized that even though they didn't have the most luxurious life, that they could still find happiness within themselves.

Wayne Coyne begins to reflect on aspects of his own life. He explains how he is happy with his family, his home, his fans, and most everything else in his life. He also mentions that even though he is happy now, he was still happy long before he had all of this. He said that when he was working at Long John Silvers for 11 years, that he got to see people go on their first dates, then later on be married, and then some would even come in with their kids. It made him happy that he got to witness such great parts of other people's lives.

Wayne's belief is that you should be happy with the life you're living and try to make the best out of what is given to you. He looks at life as something to make your own, and create your own happiness, rather than longing for it and sitting around hoping for something to happen.

The tone Wayne Coyne uses at first is feeling pitiful for the two strangers, but when he realizes that not everything for them is bad like it seems, he regrets feeling sorry for them because they are happy with the life they have, even though things aren't the greatest. He felt guilty because he saw that they didn't need his pity, they already had happiness.

                                                   Chris Schaffner

I read "There is no God". The author expresses that being athiest makes him want to enjoy his life more on Earth since he believes that there is no heaven. He also says that he'd rather do something about a subject someone would pray about, insted of talking to an invisable person.

The author says "I could tell you there was an elephant in the trunk of my car. I could also tell you that i use it as my spare tire for my car." . This is a statement that is relating the elephant in his car to God. He is trying to say that people can believe what they want to, but when another person believes somthing different, they just figure out a dragged-out version of "shut up". The writer says that not believing in God is an advantage to him because since he is athiest, while studying cultures he doesnt base his knowledge on the culture only on their religion, but more on their environment, polotics,  and resorces. The author tells that he is gracious for his family, friends, and his genes, but he doesnt have to worship an "imaginary friend" to be gratefull.

Brennon DeMeritt

I read "The Freedom of Baseball" In this essay the author explains how baseball has effected her life in a few different ways. One of which was bonding with her son in a fantasy league. She responds both emotionally and physically to to her experiences of baseball; both of which include her excitement when at a game and her family bonding. In this essay the writer refers to her dad and her spending time together listening to Giant's games. She somewhat adopts his methods of leaving or shutting off the radio when frusrated by the outcomes of plays. The authors belief in baseball is the respect she has for the game and the players for things such as their atheleticism and agility on the field. She does dissagree with some concepts of the game such as illegal drugs and the amounts of money involved. The author is a baseball fan that has thier agreements and disagreements with the sport just like everyone else. Mine is that the Yankees lost ot Texas.

 ~ Matthew E. Gill

The essay Choosing Passion: Life is Exactly What You Make it, attracted me to read it just by its title; simple yet bold. The essay’s author, though out most of the beginning, said that she “was mediocre” (average), almost making her seem to be on the depressed side. Her younger sibling was having an orchestra concert, and a ninth grader stood up with a violin and played a rather beautiful peace by Mendelssohn Bartholy. The author describes this girl “playing with a presence,” and  “such joy.” This made the author wonder of what could be possibly going though the young women’s head. The piece ended and without hesitation, the author stood up and applauded with joy. With some deep internal thoughts, the author figure out that the violinist is just like her, but acts not with mediocre, but with passion. From that day forth she concurred with herself to always wake up to the world with strive and passion to change, and to not be cleaved on the problems of the past. Also not to be in the mindset of never going anywhere with life, she always thought because of her normal family that she too would just be a normal person that the world doesn’t care about.

            I mostly thought of the author’s tone as more of a depressed state, with saying that she acted with mediocre. Then later in the essay, or story if you call it, more happy, understanding, and renewed. I thought this because she had a deep thought on how her life is different and that she can make a difference in the world.

brady bond

                               "the freedom of baseball"

in this essay a women exsplains how baseball has shaped her life and made her the person she is today .she says that she is a beleiver in baseball because of all the skill and athletisism it takes to play . she grew up listening to games with her father . she misses that . she treats atching baseball the  same way her father would.. upset when the team is losing and happy when its winning. i like how she takes a sport and aplies it to every day life.

brady bond

brady bond

brady bond

brady bond

brady bond

brady bond

-Brendan Hunter

        I read "There Is No God" by Penn Jillette. The belief that is explained in this essay is atheism. He says before you can believe there is no god you have to search for the evidence of god's existance. Some experiences the author had that helped shape his beliefs was that he won the lottery and was awarded a large amount of cash. This means that you don't have to worship someone, that we don't even know exists, to gain great fortune. i thought the tone of this essay was curious because at first he wasn't sure if god existed until he researched the religion first.

Josh Cady

The essay I read was "The Freedom of Baseball". The author is Hillary Kambour.The experiences she has had with baseball are that she watches games with her son and his two friends. Her dad also listened to Giants games on the radio on long trips. She also play fantasy baseball.

The tone of the essay is happy because she is talking about past and present times she has been around baseball. 

 Hunter Targosh

            The belief essay I read was Always Go to the Funeral. Deirerdre Sullivan, the writer, never liked going to funerals. When her fifth grade teacher, Miss Emerson, died, she did not want go to the funeral because she did not want to be the only kid there. Her father told her to always go to funerals for the family. She did go and she was the only kid there. However, years later Miss Emerson’s mother still remembered her by name.

            Deirerdre Sullivan believes that people should always go to the funeral. She said that that it is better to do something rather than nothing. Going to the funeral is very important for the family. She believes this because her father always told her to do this. Because of this, she always makes an effort to attend funerals, whether she wanted to or not.

            The tone of the essay is serious. She is telling about something that she truly believes in.

*Sam Pulis*

I read "There Is No God", the authors beliefs come from experiences of his suffering family, and how they were not helped by God, but by themselves. So instead of praying or wishing he acts upon his problems.

    The author's core belief is that there is no God, he believes that what he has and the happiness that he gets from his own family is enough for him, and that it would be rude to ask an "invisible" being for even more. He says that not believing there is a god means the only way he will get forgiveness for anything is by being kind to people the first time around and not needing forgiveness at all. He believes that without God everyone can agree on reality and learn more. His conclusion is about how not believing in God leaves more room for other "provable" things like family, love, beauty and truth.

The tone the author sets is "realistic", he does not believe in anything that cannot be proven because he  cant find any comfort in something he doesn't know is there. So he focuses mainly on the real, or present thing in his life. Family, for example is something he finds to be a great part of his life.

Megan Daigle

The belief essay I chose to read was Creating Our Own Happiness written by Wayne Coyne. In the essay the author describes the pity he felt, while sitting in his warm car, for the poor couple standing at the cold, windy bus stop waiting for their bus. The two strangers turned around and Wayne noticed that they were laughing and smiling. They were happy even though they were in the miserable weather.

Mr. Coyne then reflects upon his own life. He is happy now with his wife, his fans, and his house but then he realizes he was happy even before he had those things.

Wayne Coyne's belief is that you should be happy with the life you are living. You shouldn't long for happiness nor should you look at life as a “series of miserable tasks” you should create your own happiness out of what you have.

The tone the author uses is at first sad for the people, but as he sees what is going on he then reflects and feels guilty for automatically thinking he should pity them.

Tony Keough

I read the essay called " The Freedom of Baseball."  The author of this essay is Hilary Kambor. A specific experince that she encounters is she watching baseball with her sons. Some experiences that have shaped her are she is in a fantasy baseball league with her sons. She sometimes boos at the other team and cheers for her own team. 

She believes that playing baseball takes a lot.  She says it must be hard not to cry in the middle of the game if your losing. She say it must be really hard to throw a guy out at home plate from right field. She also says that the players must be in great shape to play so many games befor they get a rest. 

Kevin Baker

The article I read was "Creating Our Own Happines"  The author encouters a poor couple at a bus stop while he is waiting at a stoplight. He thinks about how bad their lives are. Yet, when he looks again they are laughing. They don't mind the wind blowing around them, or his car. They are gracious for what they have and they make the most happiness they can even in the worst of times. He responds emotionally by feeling no pity for the couple at the bus stop.

The authors beleif is, even when the setting of the moment is the best. There is always a place to find happiness. Although most people see life as a series of miserable events. The author of this essay always finds happiness.

Taylor Paradiso

The essay i choice to read was Creating Own Happiness, by Wanye Coyne. One experience the author ecounters was one day he was sitting in his warm car, on a cold windy day. He saw a couple standing outside, and they didnt look warm. Their coats looked like they were from the thrift shop. He felt bad for the people, then the couple turned around and they were laughing and they looked happy. He felt like the couple needed his pity. Which they didnt. He thinks we all have the power to make moments of happiness happen.

The Author in the essay believes that life may not always be the best, but you got to make it the best that you want. Just how the couple showed it when they were standing outside, waiting. At first the tone was caring, then it changed to regret, because the couple didnt need his regret.

Hannah Armstrong

The essay i chose to read was "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude." The author of this story sometimes encounters "pizza dudes" who cut her off in traffic or pass into her lane. She has to remember to keep her cool because they are the ones who deliver your pizza on a cold, rainy night and she remembers having to have not an ideal job just to pay the bills.

The author's belief is that she is always nice to the pizza delivery man. This belief has shaped life because people who have read this essay probably now think twice before they leave a lousy tip or honk at the  pizza dude when he cuts them off.  This is her belief because she knows how it feels to have a humiliating job, just to pay the rent.  She wants them to feel appreciated and she knows they are doing their best. She also realizes they are delivering to rich to poor, to blacks to whites and knows that everyone is the same and no matter what job you have, to treat people with respect.

Mitchell Mangus~

The title of the essay that I read was Always go to the Funeral. In this essay the author writes about her belief in always going to funerals. She believed in this because her father had told her that she should always go to funerals. She was made to do this to show the other family that she cared about their lost family member. She had been to many funerals with her father before, but never gone to one by herself. Her first funeral was when she was five, her fifth grade math teacher had died. She didn’t want to go, but her father made her go to the funeral anyway. After the funeral whenever she saw Mrs. Emerson’s mother, she would always see her tear up, and smile at her, and she remembered he name because of the fact that she had gone to her daughter’s funeral. Every day that followed that she had decided that she would always go to funerals because, it was not only a time to morn for those who were lost, but to be there for comfort and support for the family of the person who had passed away.

The second encounter that she had was that her father had passed away from cancer. But, there was a problem about the date of the funeral, it was on a Wednesday and Wednesdays are in the middle of the workweek. But, she remembered what she had learned about funerals when she was a little girl. She deiced to go to the funeral anyway, despite it being on a Wednesday. When she got there she noticed how many people believed in the exact same thing that her father had taught her. She has gone to many funerals since her father’s death, even though she might not of wanted to go, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

The tone of this essay is extremely sincere. It’s sincere because, she strongly believes in what she was writing about, and what she believed in.

               Cheyenne Groves

Taylor McIntyre

The article I have read was called “Creating Our Own Happiness”: you yourself can make anyplace anywhere as much fun as it would be anywhere.The author wanted the readers to know that , just because there are people out in the world who are as less fortunate , it doesn’t mean that they cannot enjoy life and be happy like any other person. The author also wants the reader to know that when you see a less fortunate person , you may think that they are unhappy with the way their life is , but you may find that they are just as happy with their life as you yourself would on a regular basis. The author is a singer and guitarist in the band known as “The Flaming Lips” which is an indie-rock band that he founded himself. The author name is Wayne Coyne. The author of the article “Creating Our Own Happiness” was absolutly correct, every person rich, or poor, black or white, even to boy or girl , each and every person has a form of their own happiness. That said, even if they are rich or poor , they are still happy with what they have and are grateful for every moment that they have that makes them happy.

~ Natasha Patel ~

    The title of the article I read was, The People Who Love You When No One Else Will. The author, Cecile Gilmer, believes that not only blood relatives are family. When she was 15, her stepmother kicked her father and her out of the house. They were living in a Howard Johnson Motel, with two double beds, and a very small bathroom. Her best friend, Su and her family took Cecile in when she was in trouble. The Beaches family would treat Cecile just like they treated their own daughter Su.

    Cecile believes that you don't' need a blood relative, to call your family. Anyone can be your family as long as you feel nurtured and cared by them. The Beaches helped Cecile grow and change. They gave her confidence to open her heart. Until she met the Beaches, she thought the only person who could take care of her was her.

    The tone is at a not pity mood, for her situation, but a happy, philosophical tone. By that I mean, it shows that family doesn't need to be someone related. It can be anyone you chose to make your family. The first tone set by the way she describes her situation was a sad, heartfelt tone. It later progressed to a successful feeling.

Becca McIntyre

The title of the essay that i read was always go to the funeral.

The author of this essay,

The belief i found in this essay was that you should always do the right thing. No matter how unwanting the job may be do it! for the better of you and the better of the other people involved.I found this to be true in this essay because even though when Dierdre was 16 and didn't want to go to her 5th grade teachers funeral she did and that impacted on the teachers mother.

The Author of this Essay uses a Tone of Sincerity to those who have passed and those who have been to funerals. She dictated the essay smoothly with comparisons form her life that people could relate to.

      Darby Cady

          The essay that I read was the passage “creating our own happiness”. The author of this essay wrote about a couple he had seen, waiting out in the cold at a bus stop with tattered clothing on. He instanty felt sorry for them. Even though he was sitting in a nice warm car and the couple at the bus stop were out in the cold wind he noticed that they were laughing.  The point the auther was trying to get arcross was that no matter what your situation is in life, live it to the fullest, don’t think of life as a task, but as an opportunity.

                The author in this essay believes that life may not always give you the best moments, but you have to work with them and make them the best moments. Just like the couple standing out in the cold did while waiting for the bus. Life souldn’t be taken for granted.

                The tone used in this essay was caring, and sorrow at first. Then the tone changes to regretful reflection when he realizes that the couple didn’t need his pitty.    

~Erika Rhodes

The author, Fred Flaxman, had a dog that he had to take care of until he was in college. He had to learn responsibility to keep the dog because his mother hated animals. When he grew up and Buster was no longer living, he dealt with the everyday things in life. As the stress of the daily life got him thinking, Flaxman began wishing for the life like his dog Buster. Doing nothing and not worrying about life. I believe Flaxman was sad that he cant have the life of luxury like his dog; not worrying about anything.

 In A Dog’s Life, by Fred Flaxman, the author said he learned everything he needed to know from his childhood dog.  He believed, getting a dog will teach a child about responsibilities. When he was eight, he convinced his mother to get a dog. For ten years, the author would walk ‘Buster’ no matter what the weather was like and did everything else that was needed to be done that dealt with the dog. As he grew up, he realized he had to deal with rush hours, budget cuts, boring business meetings and personal problems. He provided food, clothes, and college education; even contributed to charities. He didn’t think there was much more he could do to be more responsible. Yet, he had a secret desire to have a good life like Buster “introduced” him to. Buster did nothing like useful or put up with rush hours, sit in boring meetings, or any personal problems. Buster was irresponsible in everyway, but the author loved that about him. Having Buster for fourteen years not only taught the author how to be responsible, but how to live as well.

The tone of this essay is grateful because the author is thankful of his dog teaching him about responsibility to do what is needed to be done and to enjoy life. The autor also seems sad because he wishes to have “the dog’s life,” worry free and just enjoying it.

Caitlin Connelly-

In Always Go to the Funeral, Deirdre Sullivan describes how her father had always to go to the funeral, in which to show the family she cares. For, when Sullivan’s old fifth grade math teacher had died, she had not wanted to go because of the fact she was the only child there. After the funeral, every time she had seen Mrs. Emerson’s mother she had known her name and became teary-eyed just because of the fact she had gone to her daughter’s funeral. From then on, she believed going to a funeral was not just going to see someone you knew that had passed, but supporting a family in time of misfortune. This also taught her that you choose the option you know is right, don’t choose the one you don’t want to or feel like doing.

Secondly, Sullivan had experienced the passing of her father, from cancer. His funeral was in the middle of the workweek, and even though it was an inconvenience to her, she had gone, because it was what her father had told her was right. Then, she realized how many other people had the same belief and felt what she had done was, and always had been the correct choice. So “always going to the funeral” is a way of showing others that you care for them, even though the event truly does not mean much to you. For Deirdre Sullivan now has gone to several funerals, and shown a multitude of people she cares. Even though you might not care for something, most likely it means more than the world to someone else.

The tone of her writing was very sincere. Sullivan used very respectful diction and several more descriptive and complex words in order to carry out her message in a more serious fashion.

The article I have read was Choosing Passion: Life exactly what you make it. The author wanted the reader to know you are not better than somebody and you can choose you own path to live and you can choose whatever you want and not to get judge on what you choose to do with you life. The author was not very found of passion and her mom was like you can live a medioko life. She lived a mediocur life until she went to her brother's band concert and heard a 9th grade girl play a hard song and the author knew what good music was and she listened real well. The girl was way pasted her other classmates and then the author reconcidered her passion on to live life. She responds by waking up on earth and says she the same as any other person on earth. she make every day with a new perspective and a new breath, just like she was born.

She thinks you can pick how you want to live your life and nobody should judge you based on your decisions. You can choose your life where you care on what people think about you and you care or you can choose where you do you passion good and don't care what people think of you and how stupid it may be. YOu need to stand up for yourself and keep preforming you task as usual.

The author uses a serious tone at the end because she really wants you to live up to your expetation and contiune on with these things.