When the Rock fell poem

Daniel Brizuela                                                                                         10/20/11

When the Rock Fell poem.

The rock has fallen,

It fell to the ground with no noise.

The rock has fallen,

No one is picking it up.

The rock has fallen,

Why won’t anyone help it?

The rock has fallen,

It is clear that no one will help it.

The rock has fallen,

I will help it then if no one else will.

Stuntmen

Daniel Brizuela                                                                                                                              11/25/11

Stuntmen.

            Since the invention of film, one thing that has been common in most films, but mostly action oriented films, are stuntmen. A stuntman, double, or performer, is someone who does the dangerous stunts seen in many films that are considered too dangerous for the actor to do. These include the parkour chase, where you move around objects very quickly, in 2006s Casino Royale, the helicopter in the freeway chase in 1991s Terminator 2, and Buster Keaton not moving when a part of a house falls on him and there’s an open window where he was standing in 1928s Steamboat Bill, Jr.

            Although these stunts are dangerous to do, there are a lot of safety mechanisms in place to make sure that the stuntman is safe. It is easier to do all this in movies, shows, and other media as opposed to doing it with a live audience since of the safety concerns and the clever editing to hide out the fact that the actor isn’t doing his own stunt.

            Some famous stuntmen in films include Jim Ford, who performed stunts in 2010’s Knight and Day and The Bounty Hunter, Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in the 8^th to 10^th Friday The 13^th films, and Bob Simmons, who performed the stunts in many of the early James Bond films and was the one who played Bond in the gun barrel opening sequence in the first three films. Even though it’s recommended to have a stuntman, many actors like to do their own stunts. Jackie Chan was given the Guinness World Record for performing the most stunts as an actor. Recently he’s done less because of his age and the injuries he incurred from doing these stunts. Steve McQueen performed many stunts in his films that involved vehicles. Other actors include silent film stars Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, and Angelina Jolie.

            Even though there are numerous precautions and attempts to make sure that stunts are safe and okay to do, there are times when stunts go wrong and certain people, whether the stuntman, actor, or anyone, can get hurt or even killed. Stunts gone wrong include a 1984 Pepsi commercial where Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire and he suffered 2^nd degree burns on his scalp, A flood scene in 1928’s Noah’s Ark where three people died and others were injured, and recently a stuntman was killed in The Expendables 2.

            Even through all dangers that they have to face, and the risks involved in doing it, stuntmen keep doing what they do. To them being a stuntman is very exciting but at the same time can be a very dangerous career for anyone to do.

Dead Oscar categories

Daniel Brizuela                                                                                                                                1/19/12

Dead Oscar categories.

            Throughout the eighty three year history of the Academy Awards, there have been numerous award categories that have been introduced throughout the years. Some of these categories however were retired after some years of use or only used one year and never awarded to films again.

            One of these retired award categories includes one which only lasted the first Academy Awards and to the first film that was Awarded Best Picture, Wings. The award was for Best Engineering Effects, which was one of only two awards that Wings won that year including its Best Picture win.

            Another award category now retired is for Best Assistant Director which was first introduced in 1933 and ended in 1937. The first time the category was first awarded it went to specific film but instead went to various different film assistant directors who each worked for a different film studio like Paramount and Warner Bros. The last time the award was handed out was when Robert Webb won for the 1937 drama In Old Chicago, directed by Henry King.

            The Academy Award for Best Dance Direction is another Oscar category now retired, which only lasted from 1935 to 1937. This award of course would go to a mostly musical film that had large musical numbers with a lot of people dancing. The three films that won it in the three years it was used were the two MGM musicals 1935s Broadway Melody of 1936 and 1936s The Great Ziegfeld and RKOs 1937 English themed musical comedy A Damsel in Distress.

            One of the longest lasting Academy Award Oscar categories was the Award for Best Original Story which lasted from the first Oscars in 1927 to 1956 where it was replaced with the award for Best Original Screenplay. The first winner was the silent crime 1927 film Underworld and the last film to earn it was the 1956 drama The Brave One. In between, films that have won it include the Best Picture winning 1952s The Greatest Show on Earth, 1947s Miracle on 34^th Street, and the 1939 classic drama Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

            In all there have been eleven Academy Award Oscar categories which are now retired either a long time ago or recently. The other retired awards are Best Original Musical or Comedy Score from ’95-’99, Best Adapted or Treated Score from 1962 to 1969 and again in 1973, Best Color Short Film in 1936 and ’37, Best Live Action 2 Reeled Short Film 1936 to 1956, Best Novelty Short Film from ’32-’35, and for only the first Oscars Best Title Writing and Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production.

10 Facts on pickleball

Daniel Brizuela                                                                                                                              10/20/11 Gym12/6-B                                                                                                                            Mr. Patrovich

10 facts on pickle ball.

1. Was first thought up in 1965.

2. Made up by Congressman Joel Pritchard and two friends.

3. Named after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles.

4. Combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

5. The ball is slower than the tennis ball.

6. First permanent court made in 1967.

7. Corporation to protect creation made five years later.

8. By 1990 it was played all over the U.S.

9. First tournament in 1976 took place in Washington.

10. 40 tournaments each year.

The Brave Soldier

Daniel Brizuela

The Brave Soldier

            Mark Witther was a very brave and fearless man who has taken part in numerous missions for the United States Army. He works for a special division of his country’s army that deals with extremely dangerous and violent operations that no other ordinary person could get out of his mind when done.

            Witther has taken part in numerous of these violent missions, from taking down blood-thirsty terrorists, drug dealers that deal in drugs that could kill in just seconds, despotic leaders not afraid to use nuclear weapons against his own people, and many more. Not once has he ever failed a mission, or even gone crazy from all of the work he does as he is one of the best there is.

            However, there are only two things that really get his heart pumping from being scared and nervous and one of them drives the plot of this story. The other thing that he’s afraid of will be brought up at a later time, most likely at the end of this story, so stay tuned.

            It was the first of July when Witther returned from an extremely violent and difficult mission in the Strait of Gibraltar. He had to stop a warlord from unleashing deadly nerve toxins that would have killed millions of innocent people in Europe and Africa.

            Since he hasn’t used any vacation days for the past three years, the army has given him an extended off time from his usual two and half months breaks from the army to be with his longtime girlfriend, Mary Yuler. The two of them were hoping for that so they could spend time together far longer than they did before, which is what will lead to one of Mark’s true fears.

            The first place they went to first was to the beach, where Witther’s fear started to get a hold of him when he tried to grab something that was in his pocket when Mary looked the other way. He decided just to forget about it and just enjoy his time with her before the vacation ends and gets deployed again.

            A few days later they went to a festival celebrating the Fourth of July and watch the fireworks show at night. There, Mark tried to tell Mary something that was a part of his fear and he couldn’t get what he was trying to say out.

            All he could say was how he missed her so much every time he was out there on a dangerous mission and would always think of her. To her that was the sweetest most considerate thing that anyone has ever told her in her life and she was so happy.

            Repeatedly, he tried and tried to spit out what he actually wanted to tell her, but every time he tried his heart would beat so fast. Mark’s heart beat so fast that he almost felt like he was going to have a heart attack or maybe even pass out.

            A few days before he would be sent back, Mark still hasn’t done what he promised he would do as he was so afraid to do it. He wanted to do it, sure, but he’s afraid of what could happen after and how it could affect him and Mary later.

            Mark felt that now was the time, otherwise he wouldn’t be seeing or be with her again for a few more months. If there was ever a time for him to do what he wants to do, now is the perfect time to do it or never be able to.

            When he woke up before Mary, about two days before he would be sent back, he made breakfast and waited for her. As he was waiting for her to walk down, his heart began to beat very fast again with each step that she took to get down.

            If this was going to happen, Mark would have to control himself and not be so nervous anymore, like all the times he goes on his missions. Once Mary arrived, he gave her the food they prepared and as his heart beat faster and faster, Mark remembered all of the training he had and how he used it his missions to get his heart to slow down.

            Once they were done with the food, Mary asked what their plans for that day were, which is what Mark was hoping she would ask. He told her to close her eyes shut for a few second until he told her to open them again and she saw him in front of her and on his knees and holding a ring on his hands.

            It turns out that the thing that he’s been trying to do all this time that actually scared him was asking her to marry him. He was just so nervous of what her answer might be that he just kept putting it down for later until he was brave enough to do it.

            With his heart no longer beating so crazy, Mark can now live with her knowing that they’ll be together for the rest of their lives. Even if something does happen to him on one of his missions at least he’ll know that Mary will always be there as a reason to keep on fighting.

            The day before Mark would have to go back; he and Mary decided to spend one last time together at the amusement park where they went for their first date. They had everything ready for the wedding, which would be the day that Mark returns again, along with the invitations, the clothing, and everything else needed.

            Remember how in the beginning I mentioned that Mark had two big fears, with one being to ask his girlfriend to marry him, which he overcame. The second fear, as I told you in the beginning, will be shown in the end, which is where we are at right now.

            Just like he did with Mary, Mark will face something that’s far more frightening than all of the missions he’s previously been in. That would be roller coasters, which is what he was going to face today so that he had nothing to fear ever again.

End.