Let's go Shopping

Yasmin Garcia

10/23/12

English 1A

Kristina

Let’s go shopping

Every time a new season comes or every time you’re going to go to a party or get together of some sort a girls first thought is to go shopping. It’s always the same thing, “I have nothing to wear,” when really there is two closets full of unworn clothes. Shopping can be good when you have been wearing clothes from the eighty’s or nineties but if you go shopping all the time it could be a problem.

When u think of shopping you think new clothes, accessories, shoes, etc, you think of how that top will go great with the boots you bought last week. If you really think about it shopping is just a money waster, girls just buy so many unnecessary things and don’t think about it until there broke and cant go show off the clothes because they wasted all of there money on the clothes they bought that they did not need.

Shopping can be a hard thing to stop doing because there is so much advertisement of new brands styles what’s in, there is always something pushing you to go out and buy something new. Almost all clothes advertisement says, stop wearing last week’s stile and buy this, some people really take it that way and go out and buy the new clothes. Advertisement is one of the problems that lead people to go shopping in the first place. If you turn on the TV there is always some sort of advertisement for clothes or shoes. The advertisement is peer pressuring people to go buy what’s new at the store or something that will be coming into the store and you already go pre order so you can be the first to be wearing what’s new.

If you think of what’s new now of days is really what was worn back in the seventies and eighties. Everything is being brought back from my parent’s time. Why not just take the good old vintage clothes from mom and fix it up it looks just as good and who’s going to know it was your moms if she wore it many, many years ago. Learning bargains helps a lot. Also if you wait a little bit they always put clothes on sale, you can buy the same shirt that was fifty dollars last week for only twenty this week and no one is going to notice when you bought it if it was last week or this week. All the clothes that are shoved in the closet could be used again, maybe cut up pants for the summer by making them into shorts or shirts could be worn differently maybe add a belt to a shirt to make it look different. There are many different ways of bargaining I don’t mean going to a thrift store and buying used clothes, but by just reusing clothes that are just getting unworn. No one will no the difference from a shirt you bought last year than from a shirt you bought last week, if your happy with what you look like than that’s all that should matter.

Not saying stop shopping but start shopping smart or only when really necessary. Most people really just go shopping to look better than someone of to show off something new not because they really want it, well not all but most. A shirt or a pair of pants wont kill you every once in a while but people need to learn when to stop. There is always a time and a place for everything, just because you have money doesn’t mean you need to go spend it rite away on a new shirt or purse.

People spend thousand of thousand of dollars every year buying unnecessary things that they don’t wear or wore ones. If you save up all of the money you spend on the unnecessary you could probably buy yourself something really nice maybe a car that you will use everyday. I know shopping could never stop and I not saying stop shopping just start shopping smarter, I promise it will make you feel better when you look at your check book.

Better Than Any Other Sport

Antonio Ruiz

 23 October 2012

Professor Rogers

Essay #2

Better Than Any Other Sport

            Soccer is one of the most hated sports in the Unites States.  Although so many people hate the sport here in the United States in the rest of the world it is the most commonly played sport and also the most famous sport in the world.  It isn’t only fun to play it but it is also fun to watch it.  I’ve watch and played soccer since I could remember and still to this day it is the best sport in the world.  Soccer might not be the biggest sport in the United States but it will always be the biggest sport in the world.

            A lot of people that play and like other sports like basketball, baseball, and football say that soccer is for pussies.  They say you don’t need skills to play it.  What they don’t know is that it is one of the toughest sports to play.  It is also a dangerous sport just because soccer players aren’t being tackled like football players, soccer players don’t wear much equipment to protect them.  All they wear are shin guards.  I would know because growing up I’ve also played baseball, basketball, and football and soccer is still the hardest sport to play.  You have to be in very good shape to be able to run up and down the soccer field for all ninety minutes of the game.  You also have to have good ball handling, if you don’t know how to control the ball then there isn’t much you could do in a soccer field.

            I believe soccer is the best sport because it is the hardest to play.  It’s extremely hard to score a goal it’s not like basketball or football that scoring is easier to do, and when you score it counts for more than one point.  In soccer you could be so close to score but the goalie could block it and just like that you have to go back on the defense.  It’s also harder to come from behind to win a game.  For example in basketball you could make a long distance shot and it would count for three points, in soccer it doesn’t matter from where or how far away you score from it will only count for one point.  Also soccer is harder because there could be a bad call by a referee but he coaches can’t challenge the play like in football.  Whatever call the referee makes goes, the good thing about that is that it makes the game that much more competitive.  You want to play your best that way the referee doesn't have the chance to make a risky call.

            People tell me that soccer is the most boring sport in the world.  They say this because in the United States soccer is barely starting to grow unlike in other countries soccer is the biggest sport watch and played.  Unlike baseball, football, and basketball soccer actually has the World Cup every four years where all the countries in the world try to qualify to play in it to see who the best team in the world is.  It also has another tournament where the best teams in every soccer league play to see which teams is called the best is the world.  Baseball has the World Series but only teams from the United States play in it, basketball and football do the same thing.  The closest to getting to soccer is basketball because of it being involved in the Olympics but the World Cup is still considered to be a bigger event than the Olympics.

            Not only is soccer the best sport to play but it is also the best sport to watch.  You could either watch it on TV or watch it live.  Watching it in person has its advantages.  Since soccer isn't so big in the United States I haven’t been able to go to a lot of games.  The ones I have been too though have been incredible.  The atmosphere at the games is crazy.  For one the crowd gets crazy, and I mean crazy in a good way.  But if crazy isn’t your thing you could go with your family and have fun.  Or you could go with you friends get drunk and enjoy yourself a good soccer game.  Fans at soccer games get so into it that even chants made during soccer games have become very famous.  These chants don’t only get used during soccer games anymore but they are used during all different types of sports events.  Of course I am talking about the famous wave.

            I've been told by many people why do I play soccer, that it’s a waste of time, that it is boring.  They say I should be playing a real sport like football but the people that say this have never played a game of soccer to see how fun it is and also how hard it is to play.  Even my old high school didn't like our soccer team even though we were the only sport that was always winning games.  I like to play soccer because unlike other sports you don’t need a bunch of equipment to play it.  If you just want to play for fun with your friends all you need is a ball.  You don’t need gloves or a bat like you would need in baseball, and you definitely don’t need a basket like you would in basketball.  I also like it because I know I am better at soccer than any other sport I've played.  I've played soccer since I was a kid; I think I got addicted to it and to winning.

            Soccer will always be my favorite sport and my favorite activity to do on my own time.  I still like to play other sports once in a while.  I think if people that talk bad about soccer would either play it or watch it on TV would end up liking the sport.  For example my high school soccer team was made up of nothing but Hispanic players.  One day in physical education we got one of my friends to play soccer.  He would be one of the people that would always say soccer was a boring sport.  He was your typical farmer type of guy.  We got him into playing soccer so much that he actually tried out for the soccer team our senior year.  That is just one example that people that have never played soccer don’t know what they are talking about when they say soccer is boring.  I know that if they actually tried to play soccer they would end up liking the sport.

Gruesome Place

When you think of places to eat you’re usually not thinking of a place that you’ll leave in such anger, so much that you’ll never want to go back again because of the your experience in which is claimed to be, “a fun place for the whole family”. What is considered when looking for a restaurant is somewhere that will satisfy your stomach. If you have children, you have to think of a place that can not only satisfy the children’s stomach but also satisfy the children themselves. Entertainment is a big winner when taking children out to eat, along with entertainment comes the environment. Chuck E. Cheese is a very popular choice for many children. Although it is high on the chart for children, is it worth it? With the experience I had, I would say no. Chuck E. Cheese is one of the worst restaurants because of the food, customer service, pricing, atmosphere, and the rewards.

 

Usually when arriving at a “good” restaurant, you will have a welcoming greeting and soon after you are seated. When arriving at Chuck E. Cheese, you get a stamp on your hand, and if there aren’t too many people you will be greeted. You have to find your own seats at Chuck E. Cheese, if you’re lucky; you’ll find a table without food from the previous customer. Looking around there are plenty tables open, but they all have a “reserve” sign on them which is supposed to be for a party that isn’t going to arrive for another five hours. When you go, you have to make sure there at least three adults, that way among arriving, you split up to find a seat. If you don’t waste any time looking for a place to sit, you may find a seat within the first ten minutes upon your arrival. That is of course if someone didn’t leave a cup to save the seat.

Finally after finding a seat, you get to order your food. The line you order your food in is tremendously long, there are people surrounding the line while waiting to purchase their prize from the prize line, which are a couple inches away from the food line. It’s horrible, not only are children screaming, which if you’re going to a “family outing”, you’re used to, but you also hear adults screaming at children, which is also a little normal but, you also get to hear adults yelling at adults. It’s not a very pleasant site once the adults begin to argue. The adults seem to act more like children then the actual children themselves. The adults even begin to argue about spots in the line, it ridiculous.

 In hope that the food will be delicious because of the pricing, I ordered three pizzas and a salad bar. Since the wait for the pizza is quite a while, I went straight to the salad bar. It was disgusting. The salad was nice and soggy, and even if you didn’t want a certain topping, it wouldn’t matter because they are all mixed together anyway. The Jell-O is mixed with the ranch and the macaroni salad is mixed with peaches, yummy. After every hour you would think the staff would put new food in the salad bar, but nope. The entire four hours that I was there, the same food remained in that salad.

After forty five minutes of waiting impatiently, you get your pizza. Once you actually take a look at you’re not very cheap food, you will be dissatisfied. The food that you have been waiting for, for what seems like years is not properly done. It’s hardly a pizza, with hardly any sauce. The pizza looks as if the chiefs were making a science project based on volcanoes. Not an erupted volcano, but a dry one that hasn’t erupted in years. Sending the pizzas back for a new order was even worse. You get to wait a whopping sixty minutes. It’s like a new born waiting to get fed, not very patient.

When you’re done eating, you get to play with the “oh so fun” games. There’s hardly any room to breathe. Everywhere you turn you either see a face, back, or butt. Not to mention, adults and children everywhere are coughing and sneezing with lovely running noses. The room temperature in there is unbearable for anyone, it’s almost like being in a sauna. If you’re a young child running around, you’re getting rained on, and not by rain. Everywhere you hear arguing. Most of the arguing is and adult arguing with someone’s child because of false accusation. When Chuck E. Cheese came up with the idea to sell alcohol beverages, they should’ve have thought about the position children are now opt to be in. All of a sudden “a fun place for the whole family” isn’t so when you have a under the influence parent drive children home. Although it may have been fun, for the adults, it’s not so fun for the children. It seems as if no one around cares.

At last, the time has come when you get to collect all your tickets and get a prize. The line you have to stand in is over populated with children. As workers pass by to deliver their orders, they bump you back and forth. All the children in line become fussy and irritated. When your overly excited children get to the front of the line, you get a little excited as well thinking the seventy five bucks you spent should get a good prize. Instead, you get two lovely twenty five cent green spider rings. Yippy, so excited. 

Chuck E. Cheese would not be a place I would recommend to anyone. Everywhere I turned, I found something wrong, or it found me. Although the advertisement catches your children’s attention, the reality of it is a horrible for you and your children. Your children will be glad that you didn’t choose such a crazy restaurant to have such a bitter meal at. Unless you enjoy spending waste less time and money on horrible service, entertainment, environment, and atmosphere, I would recommend you to never step foot In a Chuck E. Cheese.  It was the most gruesome place I have ever eaten at.Reply to Samantha DuarteSend

 

Moneyball

Matt Emerson

English 1A

Moneyball: How to Even Out the Odds in Baseball

            There’s a universal concept in the business world that “Cash is King.!” To quote the great Shaolin style hip hop masters the Wu Tang Clan who said “Cash rules everything around me, “C.R.E.A.M” get the money, dolla dolla bill ya’ll.”  Our society defines business success and failures in terms of equity and assets, revenue over expendures (i.e., the amount of money you gain each year vs. money lost) and the bottom dollar amount after a balance sheet has been published.

            In sports, the business equivalent of the “cash is king” is “Moneyball”—a concept that was the theme of a recent movie box office hit starring Brad Pitt.  A business model developed by Bill James, made famous by Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane, Moneyball basically establishes the idea that an average or run of the mill ball club with a less than modest payroll can obtain players that are paid “reasonable” to “bear bones” wages and compete effectively against the few teams that command giant payrolls, big business and superstar athletes, and achieve that ultimate and universal goal of all athletics: score.

            In baseball, teams are built to accomplish one universal goal-- to win a championship. It stands to reason that to be the best in the entire league takes the best effort and the best players. In accordance with the laws of supply and demand, a few teams such as the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have successfully created  dominant business structures that control mass amounts of monies which are then used to outbid their competition to “buy” the “best” ball players…just like any other business.  Moneyball challenges the idea that the team with the most money wins. The concept suggests that competent players being paid average league salaries can come together as a team to compete with players that make possibly 10 to 50 times what the average player makes, in some cases even 100 times what the average player is being paid!  Moneyball is grounded on the principle that a team of players who have an average hits and reach base can compete against a team of one or two superstars who have a high average reaching base many times or have a more frequent home-run success. How well an average player gets on base is one main rule that holds this idea together in the baseball world.  

Rather than trying to buy huge superstars who in some cases may not even continue to play well or be the best anymore (for example, Alex Rodriguez with a $275M contract) Moneyball says a team of with a mix of decent players who all can get on base well and can throw a certain way that doesn’t allow batters to reach base can build on the small things and average out over the course of a game in order to accomplish bigger tasks. Throwing money away on hyped players who don’t end up performing and losing in the playoffs or not making them at all has always been the main reasons why the monied teams do not accomplish their goals of winning a championship. Perhaps, in the end, it seems, it is the old tortoise and the hare concept repackaged in a freshly minted 21^st century package.

            Moneyball states that the small guys like the Oakland A’s with a second to last payroll of $55 million  can successfully compete athletically against superstar teams like the Yankees that that have $200M dollars to spend each year. It is ironic and to some ardent baseball fans tantamount to criminal that some superstar players make more in their contracts than whole teams have to spend in 5 years. The Moneyball strategy has led the A’s to win enough games to make it to the playoffs 2 of the last 7 years and keeps fans coming back even though the coaches do not go out during the offseason and pursue the highly paid and over-paid athletes. The A’s won’t even bring back players who exceed expectations and have years where they put up exceptional stats that give them the ability to ask for more money when the time comes. Instead, the A’s would rather trade these players who proved themselves for a year or two. Players sought out from these trades are young talents that have the upside and potential to equal the player that they have let go and in many times these players exceed the amount of talent that the one player provided to the team.

Through the acquisition of young players, the amount of total contracts can equal the amount of one veteran player. Young talent can be used to also acquire some mid-level veterans that give the team someone who is cheap but has the experience to handle certain situations that the club will inevitably face. The constant revolving door of players makes it hard for fans to continue their loyalty to the club which may trade or release fan favorites. But with the old going out it brings the opportunity for someone who is unproved to step into that role, thrive and make a name for them or fail and never reach their hype or potential.  Some might think it hard to continue success when the team has a good year but no “big” moves are made to possibly put them over the edge. In fact, some moves might appear to some that the team is unloading their roster as if they had not been close to winning enough games to make it to the postseason.

This business concept that the Athletics’ use has been adopted by a few teams across the league, who try to follow the success that Oakland has been having but the process of moneyball can take a year maybe even five years to acquire either enough talent or good enough players to compete. Plus, there is the team element that no one ever talks about which is team chemistry, liking the guy next to you or the guys who you don’t really have anything in common with at another position. The A’s find a way to get past the egos and the attitude of these athletes who make hundreds of thousands to millions a year and focus on the bigger picture to help the team while helping themselves. To make the system work, there are a lot of little things that have to go right and sometime things can go wrong too, but the way that the Athletics can come into a new season every year and not be given any respect for their abilities must be hard to deal with. But, while analysts say the team could set a new record for losses, proving them wrong is probably one of their greatest feelings of accomplishment besides winning the World Series.

“Corny Old Men Dressed As Cowboys, Say What?!”

Whilst wondering through Northern California a random tourist might ponder to themselves what fun activities are there to be done? Well, for a fun filled afternoon, downtown Sacramento would be an excellent choice. Spanning options that would appeal to all age groups from old to young downtown Sacramento has something for everybody. Not only does close proximity too many different forms of entertainment attract a diversity of tourists, but also, it’s found to be very affordable. Downtown Sacramento is one of the most-fun and exciting places for tourists, northern California residents, and fun seekers to visit because of the wide variety it provides for very little cost.
Free of charge, downtown Sacramento hosts many different types of events. One of the most popular events to many people in their late 20’s is the Underground Tour, which takes people all over down town Sacramento to visit the night life. While on the tour you’ll visit the hottest bars, the most raging night clubs, trending restaurants, and interact with locals who offer insight to daily life about downtown Sacramento. On top of the Underground Tour, this part of Sacramento provides a place for local growers to display their best produce. Varying each month local farmers participate in Farmers Markets. One can simply walk through the tented booths sampling fruit, cheeses, wines, pastries, and etc. while listening to live local music. The smell of grilled onions and baking pastries would attract even the strongest willed dieter. During Halloween parents can bring there children to Trick-Or-Treat through out this section of town. Local vendors and shop owners dress up and decorate their venues and children can wander in costume (with parent supervision of course!) throughout the town collecting tons of free candy and forming many exciting memories. One of the biggest attractions, event wise, is the free to attend Day of the Dead Celebration Festival. This festival features hundreds of booths, vendors, live music options, costume contests with prize rewards, delicious fair type food, and lively and exciting new people. If attending this festival the goer can spend the whole day walking around, soaking up the sun, and eating delicious food at very little cost. Other events include the notorious Firework show along the river, the annual ice rink they freeze close to Christmas, award winning Broadway shows, and free/ fancy art galleries. Downtown Sacramento provides a clean, safe, and large area for venues to put on such exciting and affordable events.
If walking around isn’t exactly your gig, downtown Sacramento offers more! Downtown Sacramento lies right along a beautiful river. Whether you want to sit on the antiquely and artfully crafted benches and gawk at the very attractive wake boarders as they zoom by or simply soak up the sun, the river is the place to be. The Sacramento River twists and bends all along side downtown Sacramento, so taking the ferry for tours viewing the beautiful architecture is always fun. If paying the slight fee to ride the ferry isn’t for you then drop your own boat, jet skis, canoes, row boats, or even floaters into the water and ride around. The Sacramento River is deep and wide enough to provide an exciting afternoon to anybody who wants to play in the water and enjoy the California sun. Also, many fishers come to furthest parts of the river to catch the rare fish that breed in the rivers waters. The river provides one with many options when it comes to how they can spend their day.
The number one thing recommended for a downtown Sacramento tourist would be Old Town Sacramento. Old Sacramento is a small sector of downtown Sacramento that contributes itself to giving the illusion to its goers that they are in cowboy and gold mining days. Not only is the architecture old and fascinating to look at, but the sidewalks are wooden and the streets are cobble stone. It’s something that age groups as little as 2 and as old as 86 can enjoy. Children love visiting here because it’s like a huge play ground. There’s stores are filled with toys, ice cream, and candy, there’s a railroad museum, and even a miniature play set. Many people dress up in old cowboy attire and joke around with the tourists and some even make balloon animals and draw caricatures. Parents LOVE visiting Old Town because it’s free to walk around and there is enough diversity in activity choices to please the pickiest of children. Adults love visiting Old Town because they have many fancy restaurant choices featuring locally grown food and wine. Many restaurants provide a beautiful setting along the water that gives a relaxing illusion to its customers. Also for the older crowd, Old Town Sacramento does many Bar Crawls, concerts, and romantic boat rides. The teenagers love it because there’s a huge mall right along side that features hipster stores and a great movie theater. Old Town Sacramento provides an extremely fun atmosphere and it’s free to par ooze around. 
Whether you’re going to see a broad way show, jet skiing along the water, going to a street fair, visiting the California capitol, or walking around Old Town, downtown Sacramento is absolutely a place you want to visit. It’s not expensive to vacation here and there are many different options one can fill their day with. So easily to see downtown Sacramento is one of the most-fun and exciting places for tourists, northern California residents, and fun seekers to visit because of the wide variety it provides for very little cost. If you don’t believe me simply Google the area and you’ll realize your choices are limitless, you never know what you might end up doing? But, whatever you end up doing, I can promise you it will be fun and you’ll end up wanting to come back again

A game or something more

David F

English 1A

Professor Rogers

A game or something more

The gaming community is one that is often looked down upon.  What most people don’t realize is that video games are just as immersive as a book or movie. But, just like these two, video games have different genres. They offer multiple varieties to accommodate different personalities and interests. One of these genres is an RPG “Role-Playing Game”. Role playing games are the most immersive because the fact that they put make the player the character game. Strategies used for this include graphics, character development and storyline. Paper Mario is an RPG for the Nintendo 64 and it is the best RPG because of its storyline, characters and playability.

            The storyline of a game determines what the player will feel and experience. Paper Mario does this well. Storyline can be split up into three parts: Tension, Complexity and Influence, and Originality. Paper Mario gets five stars on all three of these categories. How fast the game throws you into the action or the tension you feel when you do not want your character to get hurt or be in harm’s way. Complexity and Influence go hand in hand in RPG’s. The complexity of Paper Mario isn’t too high which means a lower influence on the character. However, due to the simplicity, a much broader audience is able to enjoy the experience. Paper Mario was the first RPG of its kind. Mario was always a two-dimensional character with no interaction among other characters. This game revolutionized the genre due to its creativity and originality. The story is really one that sticks with you throughout your life.

            Characters offer insight into the world of the game as well as someone you can get attached to. Paper Mario’s approach would involve you meeting this character, usually during an unfortunate event. Once they are acquired, the characters fight a long side Mario in various battles. Each character needs to have a storyline and background, which the game does. These characters develop throughout the game with the choices you make. Upgrading a character gives them more attributes and makes them more effective in battle. Depending on a characters relationship with the player determines who gets the upgrade. By the end of the game, all the characters are in the party. When the game is over the characters are gone, never to come back. The characters were people you did not want to get hurt and wish were real

            Playability is what determines the ease, duration and quality of game play. This is a huge factor in an RPG because a player will either get bored and stop playing, or finish the game and never come back to it. The length of a game is critical. If it is to short then a feeling of emptiness would be felt by the player. But, if the game is to long then the player gets bored unless the story can back it up. The length of Paper Mario is long but every second just adds on to the adventure. How smoothly the game performs also determines if people decide to keep playing. A game with many glitches and performance issues will put off the player and ruin the role playing experience. The end of the game hits you really hard. You ask yourself “Is it really coming to an end”. Playability is what makes a game one you long to play again.

            While there may be many games out there, a true Role-playing game stands above the rest. The three main attributes to put a game on top of its kind are storyline, characters and playability. The storyline is one that sticks with you throughout your life; the characters were people you did not want to get hurt and wish were real; And, Playability is what makes a game one you long to play again. Without these, this type of game would not be successful and Paper Mario exceeds all of them.

            

Silvia Rojas

Definition Esaay

Eng. 1A

October 15, 2012

                                                             Joe’s Crab Shack

            Finding the perfect restaurant can be hard. Many people like complete silence and others like a party like environment. Personally I like going out to restaurants that have a great environment. More that can be noisy when needed and relaxing to eat with whoever you are eating with. Joe’s Crab Shack is a restaurant where you can go and have a great time with your friends and family not only that but if you like sea food this is the place to go.

            The restaurant not only has inside dinning but there is an outside beautiful deck. Yes, it is right in the shore of the Sacramento River. When eating inside the restaurant you can see the different antique objects hanging around the restaurant. It is full of bright colorful lights that are turned on all day. If you go during the night and dine outside you can see how beautiful the yellow bridge from Sacramento lights up the city. The water is calm and the only thing you can hear is the waves hitting the shore. Even though you are in a high elevation where you can’t touch the water you can feel the breeze.

            Can you imagine going on a romantic date. It is a place where you and your other love one can enjoy. Let me tell you that not only for a romantic date can you go but for bithday’s too. They have the best waitress ever they are nice fast and attentive. When is someone’s birthday they let everyone know is your birthday and make the birthday person run around the restaurant while they sing to the birthday person. It might sound embarrassing but it so much fun. Talking about fun not only the birthday people get to have fun but everyone else too. They also have a special timing which is every hour where we can get up and dance. They put the chacha slide, the charley brown and much more fun songs that you can dance too. The waitress dance, man and women, which make you, get in the mood of dancing.

            Right now how our budget is so tight and the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money going out, going to Joe’s is the best choice. They have great prices on their food. Their plates have a portion for two. But if you get the buckets that have lobster, shrimp, corm, and much more it can serve up to four people. The bucket can range from twenty to thirty. Not bad for feeding four people. Not to mention their appetizers, the must have are the crab nachos. They are corn tortilla chips with different colors serve with crab meat, corn, some lettuce, and a special sauce. Those are the once I always get with my friends when I go. Not only they serve sea food, in their menu they have different food. For example they have Joe’s steak deal, pan fried cheese chicken, home style chicken tender and much more.

            I love when a customer gets a fancy drink called the shark, the waitress getting that certain person screens really loud “shark in the house” and they throw some sort of alcohol that is red into this big bowl of cup full of blue alcohol and a shark inside it. It is so cool, even though you get to hear it many times when being there you can’t get enough of it.

            Not only is the restaurant next to the Sacramento River but it is right in Old Sacramento. That means after you eat with your friends or family you can get the chance to walk around Old Sacramento. There are lots of little stores you can visit. Not to mention that you can ride on horse carriages and they take you all over Old Sacramento. The train station museum is also in Old Sacramento, lots of fun for children and adults. And to not forget that in walking distance is down town mall.

            Having to go to Jose’s Crab you can experience something different and unique. It’s a must go restaurant. For those who drink and have the age, they also have a bar. You can sit at the bar and have couple drinks with your friends and they serve you food to you there too.

            Having the privilege of leaving in West Sacramento I can go a walking distance to the restaurant. Me and my boyfriend ride our bikes to Jose’s. Every time we go we have so much fun. We love how friendly they are and how well the waitress treats us. That is why we keep going back.  I recommend such an excellent restaurant.

           

The Zocalo

Maribel Castro

October 9, 2012

English 1A

Professor Rogers

 

The Zocalo

 

The "Zocalo" restaurant is a place I highly recommend not only to dine in, but to have a pleasant experience as well. The Zocalo restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat, I dine in there at least once a month. It is a place where I can enjoy quality time with my family and friends. The restaurant offers a wide variety of mexican food which I love and consider good quality food. They have a very friendly service; every time I go I enjoy the good atmosphere that surrounds the restaurant. This restaurant brings me memories of my home land and reminds me of what a wonderful and happy place I grew up in. There is a special thing that I love about the zocalo restaurant, which is the amazing mariachi band that plays while we eat. This is the main part that reminds me of home.

            From the moment I walk in the door until the time I leave the restaurant, the service is magnificent.  The servers have a great attitude when taking orders, and always make our visit a pleasant one. I also love the mexican specialties; I usually start off with their homemade corn tortillas and some chips with a choice of spicy salsa or guacamole. After these appetizers, I order a delicious "azada" plate that includes beef, served with rice, beans, salad and some guacamole sauce on the side. I am pretty sure I have tried if not all, then a good amount of plates they offer. So far each one I have tasted is delicious. Since everything is delightful, at times it is hard to choose what to eat. Once in a while, I just go with a special mix of that includes three meals on one plate. This way I get a taste of everything. To complete my meal, I order a Pina colada or a margarita to finish off my meal with a nice cold drink.

            The Zocalo is located in Sacramento CA, and isn't only considered a traditional family restaurant, but also as an elegant place where dates and fancy gatherings can take place in. I can confidently say that anytime time I go, I always encounter a new and pleasant experience. Regardless of who I go with, it is always something different, yet always fun. When I go with my friends, I usually have fun by having some drinks and spending a good amount of time conversing and sharing, as well as singing along to the Mariachi. However, if i go with my family, it’s mostly to have bonding time, which I can always accomplish there. It feels more like home when I'm dining with my family because we can all relate to our homeland. In any occasion, and regardless of the people that accompany me to dine, I always have a great time. This is why I absolutely recommend this place; I think it will be the perfect place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special occasion. It can also be the perfect romantic place to have a dinner date in. It will definitely make a memorable date night.

            The first impression of the zocalo is the amazing design of the restaurant. As you walk into the zocalo building you immediately get a sense of the fantastic ambience of the crystal walls and the floor boards, to the decorations that immediately make you feel at home. The zocalo has a slightly upscale atmosphere with a really great view of both inside and outside. The first time i went there I was astonished of how elegant this place. From the outside it looks like an elegant castle with elegant tables outside that give you a great outside view. Even though, the outside has a lovely view, it is nothing compared to the inside. It has a very fashionable looking feel to everything, followed with delicate decorations like candles and wall frames.  The restaurant has a great smell that makes you feel hungry. The zocalo is often busy and full, that one should call and make a reservation in order to have a spot. I have heard from many friends that have gone on busy weekends and had to wait 45 minutes for a spot to clear up. An upside to the waiting is that the restaurant also has a bar area where customers can have a drink while waiting to dine. Another option is to sit in the nice and comfortable waiting area, where you can also enjoy the mariachi music playing. The zocalo offers music on the weekends, which can make people enjoy a part of our Mexican tradition while still being here in the United States. The mariachi is regional and traditional group that are dressed up as a cultural charro and can best represent the essence of Mexico.

     Every visit to the Zoclao I have, I always enjoy to the fullest, from the taste of the food to the friendly service. The zocalo restaurant has become one of my favorite and highly recommended restaurants.

 

 

Captivated by Love Star

Efrén Pérez Plata
Engl. 1ª | Essay 2
10/16/12

Captivated by Love Star

What makes a good, unique and special musical band? Perhaps, its name of the band, their outfits, their music style, the messages of their songs, or the members of the band. For me, all of the above are important qualities that I look forward every time I hear a new song from a new singer or band. That is why I like and I enjoy listening to “Love Star,” a music band that captivated my attention a few years ago.

            I receive a friend request on Facebook from “Love Star,” so I read and looked through Love Star’s information. Right away I noticed that the name “Love Star” is not a person’s name. In fact, it’s the name of a music group that was form in the summer of 2009. This is a good, original and unique name for a band for many reasons. There are bands names like “Kiss,” “Fun,” “One Direction,” “The Black Eyed Peas,” and “LMFAO.” Other or bands like “Katy Perry,” “Nicki Minaj,” “Pitbull” which use their own names and nicknames as their celebrity name to be recognized by millions of people. For me, these kinds of names do not have anything in common with the messages and themes of their songs, unlike, the name “Love Star.” This a perfect example of a good and original name because the words “Love” and “Star” can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, the word “Love” can be used by the members of the band to express the love and passion that they have in common when they write lyrics, create songs, and invent new sounds at the studio. At the same time, they might love to sing their songs in front of unknown people and fans in each venue where they perform. On the other hand, I interpret the word “Star” as a way to describe the fact that they are now in the music businesses and that the members are now celebrity stars, recognized by people around the United States and Mexico as “Love Star” and not by their birth name.

            After I looked Love Star’s information, I visit their YouTube channel, to check out their videos and to see what their style was like. After seeing their music video “Felicidad” (Happiness) I was amazed by their look. One of the boys was wearing black jeans, and a bright red sweater. The other guy was wearing a white coat, a black shirt and a white tie. Both of the guys had clean and stylish haircuts. Meanwhile, the girl’s hair was long on one side and short on the other, which made her look different from the other singers. Her makeup was simple, nothing over the top like Lady Gaga. Her outfit was elegant and unique nothing like I never seen. She was wearing black tights, a black shining black blouse, and a black short jacket that was puffy on the shoulders. Lastly, a black belt with little shinny stones and a pair of silver high heels that match perfectly with her belt were part of her outfit on the video. Not only that, but their face expressions and the smiles on their faces made them unique and special, because they looked nice and friendly.

However, the main reason why I visited their channel was because I wanted to hear their music. As soon as the music video started I was captivated by the rhythm of the song. By the end of the video the song was stuck in my head. For days I couldn’t stop singing the lyrics. The sound of Love Star’s music is original, simple, and worthy of listening. It has fresh beats and sounds that transmit different emotions and feelings.  Whenever I hear one of their song on the internet or radio, I immediately start singing the sound and move to rhythm of the beat. It does not matter if I’m sad, happy, angry or anxious; I always like to listen to Love Star music because in every single song there is a mixture of feelings that are transmitted through the lyrics, the beats and the sounds. That is why I enjoy listening to Love Star, because they have all these qualities on their songs that other bands do not have.

The most important reason I like Love Star is because the members of the band keep in touch with their fans. Adriana, who sings and plays the piano, Will, who plays the guitar, and lastly Joe, who plays the bass, always try to have communication with their fans. Every member of the band “talks” to his/her fans, through their personal and official band websites. They, as a band, constantly upload pictures to their Instagram account, and share their toughs and emotions through their Twitter, and Facebook pages. No only so fans can keep not only in touch with Love Star, but also to inform them of the lasts news about their upcoming shows, presentation, etc. Thus, what makes them special is the importance that they give to their fans. Unlike, other bands and singers, who just like to pretend that they care just to gain popularity around the media.

Apart from my opinion as a fan, I’m the creator of their fan club. You might now think that I everything I said is because I’m the president of “Love Star Fans” (as people call me.) However, I do not feel like the president of a fan site or club. I am a simple guy who loves “Love Star” music just like anybody else could. The only thing that makes me different from other fans is that I have a fan site that I use to inform others and help Love Star to become a more known band between people. Not only because I like their style, but because I love their music and I believe in them as they also believe in my work and my help that I’m giving them. I just feel special, that Love Star knows who I am and that I love and enjoy their music. I recommend you to take a few minutes of your life to listen to their songs, see their music videos, and pictures so you can know what exactly Love Star is, and if you agree with my opinion that Love Star is a good, unique and original band.

Haylee Fonseca

Rogers

English 1A

Due: October 16^th, 2012

Playing with Barbies

            I have a joke: a brunette, a red head, and a blonde are stuck on a deserted island and they find a magic lamp. A genie appears and tells them they each get a wish. The brunette says, “I wish I were home,” and they genie sent her home. The red head says the same thing and the genie sends her home. The blonde was upset that her friends were gone and said, “I wish my friends were back.” Blondes have been portrayed as ditzy, easy, and full figured but not every blonde is the Barbie doll type.

            Toy barbies are blonde, beautiful, and dumb. Since the late 50’s, Barbie’s have made a statement about their perfect wellbeing. When I was growing up, all of my friends had barbies and we compared ourselves to her. She was skinny, tall, beautiful, and always happy. I never realized the effect of my perfect toy had on us. We always strived to look and act a certain way just like her. I was the only blonde out of my group so of course I was judge the most. I was short, athletic, and smart. My family always made fun of me with the “Math is Hard” Barbie and it stuck. I will always be compared to her.

            Throughout history blondes have been categorized as a Barbie and have had to overcome it. We have been put into a situation where we have to defeat the stereotype of a classic blonde everyday of our life. I have been talked down to by teachers because I am a natural blonde. They have talked to me like a deaf five year old while trying to answer a question during class and have questioned my ability to get a right answer or have the best grade in my class. Through that situation, I had to teach my teacher how I got the right answer on every test I took. By the end of that school year, she turned and looked at me and said, “Wow, you are actually smart.” I smiled and said sarcastically, “Thank you,” with a huge f*** you written a crossed my face. I knew that day I had to make a difference just like other historic blonde women.

            Throughout history there have been amazing blonde women. There have been women such as Barbara Walters, Princess Diana, Barbara Streisand, and my favorite Betty White. Betty White inspires people by making them laugh and enjoy themselves but has stared in multiple productions, produced multiple series, and helped in multiple animal welfare charities. These women have proved that no matter what color your hair is, you can accomplish great things.

            I choose to pursue a career in educating students in Agriculture Mechanics. I knew it was going to be a tough career to get my foot into because I am a woman and blonde but I am pushing through it. Through college guys have looked at me in welding class like that’s awesome that a girl can do this stuff too or I should not have even stepped foot into the shop. Last semester a boy had the nerve to look me in the eye and tell me, “A women should never be allowed to pick up a power tool and asked if blondes even know where to turn it on at.” Yes, he is still alive and single. I just take the criticism as encouragement to prove myself against what everyone says even though it used to break me down and question my abilities.

            To enhance blonde women futures we all need to prove ourselves. We need to do something so we are not tolerated as bubble headed girls. We need to show that we are smart, caring, and have a good head on our shoulders. An easy way to show your true spark is raising your hand in class and answer a question that the professor asks with courage and confidence. Confidence is key because even if you are wrong you have put yourself out there and are wrong, people will still respect you. Always keep your head held high and your priorities in order. Even though we were taught at a young age to look up to Barbie, just remember there is only one Barbie and she is perfect because she is plastic. Always be yourself and make yourself happy, no matter what.         

Best Cheese Burger Ever

Trying to find the perfect combination for a cheese burger can be a true challenge. Especially when you have so many restaurants to pick from that offer almost the same thing. The only different would be the quality of the food that you are about to buy. I can still remember the first time I had a cheese burger from In-N-Out I thought I was in heaven. The combination of all the ingredients in my mouth was amazing. And even more so to me, due to the fact that I disliked beef hamburgers. You can look you can search; go to any fast food restaurant you can think of. But you will never find a hamburger better than an In-N-Out cheese burger.

            It is a sandwich made with a patty of ground meat usually in a roll or bun with cheese. That’s what a good cheese burger always has to have in it to make it the best ever. The only place that I have a similar cheese burger like the one in In-N-Out would have to be Carl’s Jr. I have to admit that first bite that I took from the Big Carl; I almost wanted to throw up from how disgusting it was. I was in shock from the disturbing combination of ingredients from that want to be In-N-Out cheese burger. How could they try to imitate the best cheese burger in the world? First of all, it was way to big compared to In-N-Out cheese burger, which was almost impossible to eat the whole thing in one sitting.  There is a reason why In-N-Out has their secret sauce on their burger; it adds that special touch to it which Carl’s JR went completely wrong on theirs. Even the meat seemed to be cooked different. Maybe the fact that they don’t actually grill one by one, all they do it put in threw this big machine and it comes out supposable cooked.

            Another thing that makes In-N-Out cheese burger just that much better is the fact that you can see the person that is cooking your burgers, yes can stare at them as the cook it and make sure they don’t spit on your cheese hamburger. Also you know everything is nice and fresh since you can see the ingredients as they put then in your cheese burger and create that little piece of heaven. You can also see that everything is nice and clean. Even the employees are well cleaned due to the fact that they are wearing white clothes so you know they have to be clean as well.

            Not the combination of certain ingredients put together to create the best sandwich. The ingredients that go this piece of heaven are very simply and impossible to miss as you are eating them.  How can you miss those nice greasy buns that your hands touch as you pick up the cheese burger to put it in your mouth? Then going from the bottom to the top, you have that layer of meat that is cooked to perfection. Then that slice of cheddar cheese melted it on the meat coming out of the burger as you take a bite. Tomatoes also had the watery touch to the cheese burger, you can always be sure to find two slices of these wonderful red vegetables in there. Just to top of the vegetables on this cheese burger you have a nice piece of crunchy lettuce. That nice crispy sound that you hear as you take a bite if these cheese burger every time, it never fails. But what makes this cheese burger the best is their special ingredient, their spread. I swear there is something about the taste of the spread that it makes is perfect. Just the smell in the restaurant makes your mouth water. This has nothing to do with the regular in the In-N-Out cheese burger but, I personally love to open up the cheese burger and add in some of their fries. The fries add that salty taste to the cheese burger that makes my mouth feel like it is in heaven with every single bite. Also the fries must taste so good do to the fact that they are freshly peeled and cut when you order them. They are 100% nature and fresh, and you can even see when the employees are doing them. So you know they must be good.

            It is a patty that is usually placed inside a sliced bread roll. In-N-Out seemed to find the perfect size for their cheese burger. It fits right in your hands; it could be a little small when you first look at it. But is sure fills you up as you eat it every time that you get one. Also the restaurant id always very clean and the restrooms are very well kept. There is never a time when you get this cheese sandwich and you won’t be satisfied. Their ingredients always seem to be the best they can get you. Always very fresh, you can be sure that your lettuce won’t be yellow or brown. You can count on them to always nice and green as well as the tomatoes always nice big slices to make your experience good.  

            I have ate in so many fast food restaurants that to this day I can’t think of a better place for a cheese burger than In-N-Out. Their food is always the top of the line. Everything is always doing to perfection making you visit very pleasant and leaving you with a want to go back once again. But I think what makes their cheese burgers so good is the spread that the put inside them. It adds that special flavor that others don’t seem to know how to get it. Ketchup doesn’t add that wonderful taste that the spread adds. Also maybe the fact that their workers grill the patties on actual grills and flipping them whether than just running they patties threw a big machine like Carl’s JR does. Who wouldn’t want to see when their food is being make, and when you go to In-N-Out you get to experience this every single time. Which makes you in some weird way feel much better about eating the food that you are about to eat. Who wants to eat something that they have no clue how it was made or by who? In-N-Out is also a very friendly place to go. I can’t think of a time that I have gone in there to eat a cheese burger and leaved disappointed in my food. Since the first time that I took bite of the In-N-Out cheese burger I fell in love. I never go to any other fast food to get a good cheese burger. That might be because I have and every time I have been disappointed. I’ve given up and have determined that that wonderful cheese sandwich made with patty of ground meat in a bun had won my heart forever.