Baseball Results So Far

You know how when there's a shutout in baseball, it means either the pitcher was really good or the team was just really bad at hitting. So basically if someone shuts out a team that's a very good accomplishment. Yeah, we've been shut out 6 times this year out of 12 games. 4 of those 6 have been decided by 1 run, the other two were not so close. But, because we've lost three 1-0 games, and one 3-2 in extra innings game, I don't think we're actually doing that badly. We're are at a dismal 4-8 so far. But if we had just scored 2 more runs a game, we'd be 8-4...That's the story of the season so far. I've pitched in 4 games. I have a 1-3 record, but all three of my losses were 1-0, 1-0, and 3-2 in extras. Max M is also 1-3 with a 1-0 loss. Paul D is 1-1, but his games have been a little different. He's lost 10-0 and he's won 19-0! Why couldn't the team have saved some of those runs for me and max?!? Sorry if I'm rambling on a little bit here but it truly is frustrating. Our team is so close to being what we could be. The schedule is really starting to pick up so I'll update the blog world (which really seems like just Mr. Kramer) soon.

Baseball

Today, our team's playing Libertyville. I'm pitching and I'm probably going to get rocked, but I'm still excited because it's my first ever varsity start. Last year I came in relief for a game and let up a home run. This year I'm hoping for more success, and it starts today. This is a pretty bad blog so I'm sorry for anyone reading this. Basically I'm excited for the game today, and I'll be sure to blog about the outcome, but I can't promise a specific date because senioritis is definitely kicking in. In fact I might not even blog about it at all because of how lazy I'm getting. Just kidding Mr. Kramer, I'm still working hard in your class.

David Jones Case

I will be a bit biased when describing the David Jones case because I was part of it. There's a saying that says if you work to get something , you more likely to exaggerate or even lie to get it. I worked on this case for a while, and it's natural for me to still believe my side, so I do. David Jones is guilty because No does mean No. The definition of no is: A negative used to express dissent, denial, or refusal, as in response to a question or request (Dictionary.com). Where does it say yes? Oh it doesn't? What about any other definition? Nope, didn't think so. Susan said no, I don't care how she said it, it was still N-O put together. And because there was really no hare evidence, it was David's word against hers. Even if she said no in a kind of weak way, she still said it and meant it enough to charge him with rape. Susan saying no was the only thing. You might have no idea what I'm talking about right now so here's a quick run through: David Jones raped Susan Williams. That's not biased, is it? If you agree that no means no, then I already proved my point. If I haven't then the next time you say no, and the person doesn't stop, then you know what it feels like.

Terrill Swift and Ferdinand the Bull

Yesterday, I had the priviledge of listening to Terrill Swift, who was exonerated from prison after about 17 years. He was originally convicted of murder and rape. Many things surprised me. The first thing I noticed was his poise, calmness, and lack of hatred. He'd been exonerated for only about a month, yet he communicated his story as if he'd been out of jail years ago.  I'll be honest with you, if I'd been in jail for 17 years, fighting everyday for my freedom, I would be a little ticked off when I get out. I kind of connected Terrill to Ferdinand the bull.  He was innocent, but in the wrong place at the wrong time. Terrill and Ferdinand were both set up. Terrill was wrongfully accused by another criminal, and Ferdinand sat on a bee, Without much of a fight, they were both taken to their own worst nightmares (a bull fighting arena for a bull and a jail for a human). They both fought for their freedom by sticking to who they are. Ferdinand just sat down next to the only flower in the whole arena, and Terrill wrote his way to freedom by pleading his case. They were both released back into the real world. Check out Ferdinand the bull's story here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGTVRbpAuRo.

Metting Terrill was my first time talking with an exonerated prisoner. I found his demeanor very interesting considering his past life. Terrill's experience has enlightened me to try and stop wrongful convictions, even if it's one step at a time.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action was first created to create a more diverse environment. Although this still holds true, I believe that it has been taken way too far. I don't think affirmative action should be followed. Colleges and Universities should accept kids based on their academic, athletic, and leadership backgrounds, and not their ethnic backgrounds. If a school chooses it students that way, then it will be very tough for kids to call them racist, sexist, etc... Instead of having to meet quotas in terms of having a specific number of minorities, the school would be able to choose kids that would best fit their school. If this means less diversity, then so what? I don't disagree with schools trying to create a more diverse learning environment, but if it means taking spots away from more deserving kids, then it isn't right. It's different if 2 kids have the same grades, one's white and one's a minority, and a school wants to take the minority for more diversity. That's OK. But let's say there's an Asian kid and a Hispanic kid. The Asian kid has much better grades, but the school wants more Hispanic kids for diversity. So, the school takes the Hispanic kid...that's what creates problems. The best way to avoid those problems is to avoid the 'affirmative action' policies and choose kids based on what's important.
People may argue that having diversity creates a better learning environment. I'm a strong believer that everybody comes from different backgrounds and everybody has their own stories. Just because someone is from a different country or has a different skin color, doesn't mean they bring something extraordinarily different. I'm all for having diversity, but I don't think there's any need to force it.

If I Were A Poor Black Kid

If I were a poor black kid, I would...have no idea how to approach life because I've never been there.

I agree with both sides of the argument. I agree with Marks on the basis of there being opportunities to excel, however I disagree with how easy he seemed to make it. It is impossible for him to explain life of a poor black kid when he has never had the experience. Unfortunately, being a poor African American in America is a disadvantage. Being a kid from an almost all white middle to upper class suburban community, it's impossible for me to think of life as a poor African American. Many of the kids in my town have a warped view on pain, suffering, and racial inequality. Us white suburban kids live in a bubble that shields us from reality. It is this lack of knowledge of reality that deprives us from being able to connect with many circumstances that harm the outside world.

The Big Short #5

People in the North Shore, particularly Deerfield families, find it very important to make the most money and by the nicest things. People brag about extravagant vacations, new cars, million dollar houses, and even their kids' school and athletic records. Very rarely do I see the intangibles come into play when people boast about themselves. Instead of families coming closer together during hard times, it almost becomes a free for all between who can survive and still buy things, and the people who are forced to downgrade. On my street in the past 3 years, there has been one family that downgraded by moving to Michigan. There have been about 5 new houses. On the outside looking in, one may think of that as a good thing, when in reality it brings even more competitiveness. One of the great things about America is that we have a very large middle class. This is one of the key points that The Big Short touched on. The author said multiple times that the key to America's past success was its ability to maintain a stable middle class. The way in which wall street has been working is very inefficient. Very few people get rich, and most people lose a lot. The recession brought small businesses (which is one of if not the biggest provider of jobs), which forced a lot of people out of work. Overtime, there became a larger gap between he upper and lower classes. There was very good recent news saying that the unemployment rate was at a 2 year low. As long as people are occupied and in a stable job, America will continue to rise up to the country it should be. The book's message was clear: Stop living in the wealth of the past, and move on creating wealth for the future.