Journal 4

Scratch Beginnings: May 11, 2010
The events in the last few chapters show a large amount of falling action, besides Adam’s fight with BG. The only issue Adam still has is that BG is always taking his car and not returning it on time. Beyond this Adam is quite well off and has a decent amount of money saved up. What came as the most surprising thing was that Adam and BG got along much better after the fight. Just as all seemed well the story took an unexpected turn and Adam’s adventure came to an end as he had to go home and help his mother and father who had been diagnosed with cancer.
Although the story had a few unexpected turns in the last couple chapters, it seemed quite clear that the story was coming to an end. Adam had achieved everything he had hoped to achieve and more in less time than he had expected. To some degree the story started lose its excitement as we were not left wondering what was going to happen next as each page went on. It seemed a bit obvious that Adam would eventually teach BG his lesson sooner or later, even though it didn’t happen in a manner we really expected.
Adam maintains his adventurous attitude until the very end of the chapter 16. The chapter ends with him saying he was just taking the next step in his life, as if to say this journey would never really end for him. He was just going to keep moving forward trying to become more and more successful. The big twist in his attitude comes in the epilogue where he explains the significance of his story to us Americans. Adam switches to what seems a more negative tone. After experiencing all he did and learning so much about homelessness and poverty, Adam seems upset with the so many Americans who have given up on the American dream. He explains that people would find a lot more enjoyment in life if they didn’t just think of life as something to tolerate. He believes that people need to take charge in their lives if they want their life to have value and be successful. Adam is also upset that so many people who are already well off do nothing to help those in need and explains that it isn’t difficult to find ways to help those who need it.
Adam’s words in the epilogue can definitely be applied to our lives. As students we often question why we need to do this or that in school. Adam explains in this book that we need to take advantage of things in our lives that will help us become successful. Our education gives us an advantage in the world, but only if we make use of it. Also, as people who are not stuck in poverty we have the ability to make a difference in the lives of people who are in poverty. What we can take from reading this story is that success comes from determination and help from others.

Michael Nelson Graphic Organizer ch.15-epilogue

Tyler Johnson Vocab Ch. 15-Epilogue

Pretense- false appearance or action
Debacle- disastrous collapse, total failure
Onset- start
Belated- having been delayed, done to late
Didactic- excessively instructive
Solace- comfort in distress; consolation
Vernacular- everyday language used by ordinary people
Apathetic- indifferent, unconcerned
Flourish- prosper, thrive
Plight- an unfavorable or unfortunate one

Chris Summary Ch. 15-Epliogue

Chapter 15 is the last chapter of Shepard's experiment. The chapter is focused on the growing conflict between BG and Shepard over BG's use of Shepard's truck. BG is continually using Shepard's truck without permission or lying about how long he will be gone or where he is going. Over time this problem escalates and reaches a climax when Shepard gets fed up with BG's lying and attacks him. Shepard looses the fight but as a result BG is begins to realize how much his actions are affecting Shepard and begins to change. By the end of the chapter Shepard and BG are back to being friends. Most of this chapter focuses on Shepard's rising tension due to BG's misuse of his truck, although Shepard takes ample time to explain various reasons behind their actions. At the end of the chapter Shepard is more upbeat and happy that his friendship with BG is now on better terms. Chapter 16 is an overview of the Shepard family's health problems and reasons that Shepard had to cut his experiment short and move home to take care of his mother. This chapter has a more sombre tone because much of it is spent looking retrospectively at his time in Charleston and then looking forward at his parents health problems. The chapter ends with Shepard explaining the truth of his background to BG and then leaving Charleston, ending his experiment. The epilogue is an overview of the experiment and the results that Shepard was able to walk away with. The epilogue reads like a script for some type of motivational talk and there are several cliches that Shepard uses to help demonstrate his ideas for improving society. The epilogue ends by giving the reader three different types of people and asking them to decide which category they fall under.

Michael Nelson vocab ch.13-14

Perpetual-continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.
Confounded-bewildered; confused; perplexed.
Thiamine-a white, crystalline, water-soluble compound of the vitamin-B complex, containing a thiazole and a pyrimidine group.
Nautilus-any cephalopod of the genus Nautilus, having a spiral, chambered shell with pearly septa.
Ramifications-A development or consequence growing out of and sometimes complicating a problem, plan, or statement.
Eloquent-characterized by forceful and appropriate expression.
Cinch-something sure or easy.
Stint-to be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance.
Immaculate- free from fault or flaw; free from errors.
Maalox-an over the counter antacid.

Tyler Johnson Summarizer Ch. 13-14

In chapters 13-14 of the book Adam finally finds a roommate, Bubble Gum. Adam finds Bubble Gum, or BG, from his work partner Derrick. Adam finds BG a very likable person at first, as they have so many things in common. Then he finds out later on that he does not like BG, but he is going to have to deal with him. Later in the chapter Derrick invites BG to join their moving team. Adam does not like this but again just decides that he is going to have to deal with it. One good thing that Adam got out of this was a raise, because Derrick noticed that Adam was having a hard time working with BG. Then near the end of chapter 14 Adam stated that he had finished all of the goals with almost four months to spare. Adam was thinking of quitting early but decided how high up in society he could get.

This section of the book was written much like it was taken out of a journal of his day to day experiences. He would tell how he and BG just argued all day. There was one time where Adam put their whole argument into the book, like he was writing down his problems. He also wrote how he had accomplished his goals for what he wanted to do like a journal.

Chris Discussion Ch. 13-14

1) Why is BG a good roommate for Shepard?

BG is a good roommate for Shepard because he is very handy. BG has mechanical skills that Shepard lacks and without BG, Shepard would have needed a lot of outside help. BG is also a good roommate for Shepard because he provides a lot of entertainment. Between his friends and his adventures BG is keeping Shepard constantly entertained.

2) Why is Shepard surprised that he was happy during his stay in Charleston?

Shepard is surprised because he did not think that he would be happy just scraping by in poverty. He thought that he would be unhappy because of all the things he did not have access to and because he would be working very hard for very little. He was surprised that when he was working for Fast Company he could look around and appreciate that things could be worse. He was also happy about what he had accomplished and how far he had come from the beginning of his experiment.

3) Why did Shepard not realize the scope of his project until he went home for Thanksgiving?

When Shepard went home he went back to his life before the experiment. This allowed him to look back on his experiment from his families point of view. He could look back and see how far he had progressed from the start of his experiment. He could also see how different his life in the experiment was from his life before the experiment.

4) How did the 18.5 hour move change Shepard's perspective on moving?

After the long move Shepard felt that he had proven himself as a mover. He was actually thankful that he had the opportunity to take such a difficult job and complete it. After the job he was able to look at any other move as something that could be worse. He was also better able to appreciate the stories of the other movers after completing his own 18.5 hour move.

Michael Nelson Summarizer ch.11-12

(1) Chapter 11 starts with Adam breaking his toe while doing a moving job. He only had to stay off the injury for five days and couldn’t work for a few weeks. Before returning to work Adam decides to move out of the shelter into the attic of a man named Mickey. When he returns to work he is assigned to work with a guy named Derrick who is known as the best mover at Fast Company. Adam soon decides to stop riding the bus and to get a car. He writes the driver a letter thanking him and spends a day car shopping and buys a truck. He starts working permanently with Derrick and a guy named Mike getting bigger moves at fast company and making more money. Adam’s boss gets mad one day and gives all the workers a talk about shaping up. After a while working with Mike, Adam can’t handle him so he asks to have Mike removed from his team.

(2) The tone hasn’t really changed at all from the beginning of the book. Adam still sounds like he is enjoying himself and learning from his experiences. Adam gets annoyed with some of the guys he has been working with, but also looks up to Derrick and thinks of him as a friend. He makes it pretty clear that being a mover is tough but it gets easier day by day.

Journal 3. ch.9-12

Journal 3
Scratch Beginnings: 5-7-2010
The main focus of chapters 9-12 is Shepard’s challenges at Fast Company. It starts out with his first day on the job, working with Sammy and Bruno. His second challenge was his partnership with Shaun, a short, loudmouthed, cocky, control freak of a mover. The partnership started off well but went downhill as Shaun began to drink more and more on the job. It eventually ended because Shaun refused to stop drinking on the job and became very difficult to work with. After ending his partnership with Shaun, Shepard was assigned to work with Mike and Derrick, the best movers at Fast Company. This partnership also starts out very well and Shepard is more than happy to be working with such a capable crew. This partnership also crashed eventually as Mike became harder and harder to work with as time went on, eventually resulting in the termination of his employment at Fast Company.
Shepard’s experiences at Fast Company relate to our daily lives in that we must work with other people that we may not get along with or even like. If we want to be successful in our lives we need to learn to fight through our struggles. We also need to learn when enough is enough and when to put an end to a bad situation, like when Shepard decides to fire Mike from the team. If people are bringing us down sometimes it is necessary to cut our ties with them.
The most interesting part of this section of the book was the letter that Shepard wrote to his bus driver. It showed us that we should be thankful for people who make a difference in our lives and do jobs that might not require much skill, but are necessary to our daily lives. It was also important that Shepard showed how the bus driver’s attitude made a big difference in the lives of the passengers. Many of the passengers walked off the bus feeling that their day was going to be better just because of the way they were treated by the bus driver.

Tyler Johnson Discussion Leader Ch. 11-12

1)Should Adam have fired Mike off the team earlier?
I think he should have because he did not like him, and had a hard time working with him. He also had a very bad attitude while he was working. The only reason Adam finally fired Mike was because Derrick came up to him either Mike goes or he goes. This made him look pretty bad because he had lost his assertiveness.
2)Is Adam finally asserting himself as the leader of his moving group a good or bad thing?
I think that it was a very good thing that he did that. It keeps making him think that he is going to accomplish his goal. It also gives him good opportunities to move up because Fast Company sees that he is being assertive again.
3)Did Adam deserve the treatment he received from Fast Company when he broke his toe?
Adam did deserve the treatment he received from Fast Company. He might have been one of their stronger movers, but he was the best for attitude and work ethic. Adam was never late to work and he did not become sluggish while on the job so he could receive more hours.
4)Was it Adams fault that he broke his toe?
It was Adams fault that he broke his toe, because he started to lose his composer on the job. He started less and less to care about things. This made him more vulnerable to injury and that was why the big metal plate fell on his toe.

Chris Graphic Organizer Ch. 11-12

Vocab./News Article

This is in lieu of vocabulary words.

Calif law would add homeless hate-crime protection

By ROBIN HINDERY (AP) – 18 hours ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's homeless would have enhanced civil rights protections under a bill passed by the state Assembly.

The legislation approved Thursday would add the state's estimated 157,000 homeless to the list of groups protected from hate-based violence. That would allow them to sue for larger sums of damages if they are targeted in an attack.

The bill's sponsors say California is second in the nation in the rate of violence against homeless people. In 2008, a homeless man was burned alive in Los Angeles.

Most Assembly Republicans voted against the bill, saying homelessness isn't in the same category as race, gender and sexual orientation.

The bill still needs approval from the Senate and the governor's signature before it would become law.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Michael Nelson Discussion Leader ch.9-10

What is significant about all the men “pull[ing] for the criminal” when they watch COPS?
The men at the shelter can kind of relate to the criminals in the show. The criminals, like the men at the shelter are at the bottom of society. The men at the shelter want to see someone who is in a similar position as them escape from being stuck at the bottom.

What is important about Adam’s statements about learning to adapt and change in ch.10?
Adam is learning that his life is completely different now and that he must learn to accept the differences in his life that he faces. He is starting to learn to make use of what little he has. Adapting to this life helps him learn for the future and helps him make smarter decisions.

What is significant about Adam’s “bumps in the road” in ch.10?
Adam if finally realizing that this isn’t just going to be a fun adventure for him. He is discovering that there will be things thrown into his life that will change everything and there will be many struggles that hinder his path to success. He knew from the start it would never be easy, but he is now realizing that not everything will always go as planned.

What is important about Adam’s first experience sleeping outside?
Like witnessing his first drug dealing, this is another eye opening experience for him. He realizes for the first time that there are homeless men who sleep outside every night. This realization helps him understand that he is lucky, even for a homeless person, to have what has been provided for him.

Chris Vocab Ch. 9-10

1. Cavalier (pg 114): showing arrogant or offhand disregard.
2. Panhandle (pg 114): beg by asking for money on the street.
3. Taboo (pg 121): an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion.
4. Insightful (pg 124): exhibiting insight or clear and deep perception.
5. Eccentric (pg 125): unconventional or unusual.
6. Bracing (pg 129): strengthening or invigorating.
7. Atypical (pg 129): not usual in a normal condition; abnormal.
8. Misconstrued (pg 132): to interpret incorrectly; to misunderstand.
9. Manslaughter (pg 133): the deliberate killing of a person without premeditation.
10. Frugal (pg 135): avoiding unnecessary expenditure.

Tyler Johnson Graphic Organizer Ch. 9-10

Chuck Kulas Chapter 9-10 Summary

After some time in Charleston, Shepherd was getting anxious for a real job. He had contacted Fast Company in the past, but never made it through. Finally, after hearing an inspirational speech made by a fellow shelter mate, he made the trek across town to the Fast Company offices to seek out a position. After waiting for over an hour for the manager to return, he was granted a position after giving a rousing soliloquy of his ambition and telling the manager of "where he has set the bar." Th manager, quite impressed by this agrees to give Shepherd a position at the firm. Shepherd is on a slow and steady start, working on small and relatively easy jobs until he gained some degree of expertise. Not long after, he is paired up with a man named Shaun Caldwell. Caldwell, and ex-convict has a very different personality than that of Shepherd. After a few weeks of work together, they are separated and not long after Caldwell is asked to leave due to his ruckus ways and alcoholism, et al.

Shepherd then deals with some minor setbacks including having to foot the bill for a move in which the cash was lost, and having to spend a night under the stars. Shepherd then goes on to reflect of his time spent at the homeless shelter and of the many personalities that he comes across there. Chapter 11 concludes with Shepherd reflecting on the setbacks that occurred in the chapter and how he wishes to channel his energy not to reflecting on the negative, but to focus on the positive and attain his goal.

Michael Nelson Graphic Organizer ch.7-8

Journal 2 ch.5-8

Scratch Beginnings: 4/30/2010

In Chapters 5-8 Adam spent most of his time trying to find a job. This proved to be a difficult task until he meets Phil Coleman who encourages him to be more assertive. Adam decides to take a different route with getting a job and goes to speak directly with Curtis, the manager of Fast Company. After giving Curtis his whole speech about being the best man for the job, he is hired. We felt Phil’s point about being more assertive could apply to just about anyone trying to get a job. Most managers find that this trait is a positive one to have for employees and is most likely going to help someone get hired for a job because it gives the manager the idea that they really value the work.

One surprising thing we found was how accepting the church was of all the homeless men showing up at the mass baptism. They didn’t seem to mind that a whole group of them arrived and started eating all the food. The people from the church even encourage the men to get baptized while they were there. People were even nice enough to offer some of the men a place to live, but the men rarely took advantage of such offers.

Another thing we found interesting was how many of the men make money just by donating plasma every week. We were surprised that the clinics didn’t mind that they were taking donations from a bunch of men off the streets. We also thought it was odd that the clinic just took Adam’s word for not have been taking drugs and all that, something many homeless men are involved with.

We thought it was interesting that for some of the men cigarettes became a form of currency. Adam, someone who never smoked, bought a pack of cigarettes hoping to gain from trading. Even though he didn’t gain as much as he wanted from trading the cigarettes he found that it was a good way to meet many of the men at the shelter.

The resident known as “Hustle Man” was someone we found very interesting. He knew heroin was killing him, but he had no plans of quitting because he loved it. Also, even though he was a heavy drug user, Adam felt that he was one of the most ambitious guys he had met. What we found most surprising, though, was how easy it was for him to quit using heroin just because it was costing him too much.

At the beginning of chapter eight Adam talks about how repulsive the shelter is, but that he realizes that it is almost done on purpose. It gives the men a place to stay, but at the same time they still have the desire to move foreword with their lives. This was something we really didn’t consider at first, thinking that a shelter should be welcoming to the homeless. Shepard makes a good point, as it is only a shelter and not a home. Dictionary.com defines a shelter as “building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for homeless persons...” It only makes sense that the shelter would be repulsive, it meant to be temporary and if it gave the men all the luxuries of a home then they would never feel that they should try to get out and back on their feet.

Chris Summary Ch. 7-8

Shepard beings chapter 7 by meeting with his caseworker. He spends much of the time in the chapter relating James' story about how he ended up in the homeless shelter. The chapter ends after Shepard speaks to Phil Coleman and decides to take Phil's advice about being more proactive about getting a job. At the beginning of the chapter Shepard is more worried about what he is going to do about a job and how his efforts to get hired have not had any success yet. By the end of the chapter Shepard has a very optimistic outlook and is looking forward to using Phil's advice to get a job at Fast Company.

Chapter 8 begins with Shepard going to Fast Company and confronting Curtis just like Phil Coleman told him to, which succeeds in getting him hired as a driver at Fast Company. After being hired Shepard spends his Sunday working for George again pulling weeds and then he has a conversation with a homeless man named Leo. Leo tells Shepard about the different kinds of people and how some people need to wake up and start doing things for themselves. The chapter ends with Shepard looking forward to his new job at Fast Company. The chapter begins with Shepard being very excited, first about his new method of trying to get a job, and then about getting a job. He remains more optimistic throughout the chapter and through his conversation with Leo. At the end of the chapter Shepard seems very relaxed after his job hunting experience and is looking forward to starting his new job.

Tyler Johnson Vocab Ch. 7-8

Skeptical- having doubt
Atypical- not typical, not conforming to the type
Swagger- to walk or strut with a defiant
Splurge- to show off
Synonymous- having the character of synonymous; equivalent in meaning
Eradicate- to remove or destroy utterly
Taut- same, identical
Repulsive- capable of causing repulsion
Complacent- pleaded
Piqued- to affect with sharp irritation and resentment

Tyler Johnson Summary Ch. 5-6

In chapters 5-6 Adam has the ambition to go on a job hunt. He starts out on Sunday doing a job that he has arranged with a guy he meet at a construction site. Then after he meets up with Marco and they go on a job search. They find a carwash hiring at $6.50 an hour. Thinking that it is not enough Adam uses that as his back-up plan, and heads back to the shelter. Adam gets up Monday to go on yet another job search, he hears of a place hiring people on the spot at $8.00 an hour. It takes him time to find the place, and when he gets there he is disappointed that he has to fill out another application. That night Adam sees his first drug deal and it hits him how bad these things are.

This part seemed to jump around a bit. I had a hard time trying to keep up with what was going on. He would be taken about the present, then flash to the future and come back to the present. I felt that these were some badly written chapters.

Michael Nelson Vocab ch.5-6

Odyssey-a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune.

Finagled-to obtain by indirect or involved means.

Monotony-tedious sameness.

Ulterior-being beyond what is seen or avowed; intentionally kept concealed.

Psychosis-fundamental derangement of the mind characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior.

Rampant-marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint.

Finesse-refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture.

Altruism-unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.

Centrifuge-a machine using centrifugal force for separating substances of different densities, for removing moisture, or for simulating gravitational effects.

Epiphany-a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.

Chris Discussion Ch. 5-6

1) Why did the homeless men choose not to take advantage of the charitable offers at the mass baptism?

They do not take advantage of the offers because the offers will not help them. At this point in their lives they are not self-motivated enough to lift themselves out of poverty. A stranger giving them a free ride would not help teach them how to be self-sufficient. Shepard states "They they needed repetition to get out."

2)Why was Shepard so surprised that one of the homeless men was selling crack?

Shepard is completely surprised by the fact that one of the homeless men was selling crack during one of the smoke breaks at Crisis Ministries. He says he was "...remorseful and angry and, for some reason, guilty..."Shepard's life before this experiment was so far removed from drugs that he did not fully realize that there would be drugs at the homeless shelter until he actually saw them.

3)Why does Shepard include the paragraph about his smell at the end of the section about the mass baptism?

He probably includes this paragraph to make the point that he does not do such artificial things like pretending to get in on the baptism just to rinse off in the water. This could be foreshadowing to a future event in the book where he does something artificial and it causes problems for him. He also may have put this paragraph in because his smell was something that he was overly concerned with at this point in the story.

4)Why does Shepard say that the availability of jobs is irrelevant to him?

By saying this Shepard is saying that the current state of the job market or the economy is not his concern. He is saying that he is not in a position to take time to worry about those things. The only thing he has time for is finding a job and making money because he is so deep in poverty now.

Tyler Johnson-Discussion Leader Ch. 3-4

1)Was Adam Shepard’s argument with the owner of the baby clothing store an important part of his journey?
It makes a major impact on his story. It makes him see that he will not be able just to lay low through this experience. He must speak up for himself or he will not be able to get through his.

2)Was the decision of becoming a roommate with Marco a good or bad idea? Do you think it will happen?
I do believe that he will have Marco as a roommate. This is going to turn out to be a good decision as he will be able to go through being homeless with someone. It could possible turnout bad as they seem to have not spent much time together.

3)Should Adam have taken more time to try to explain to Larry that his plan will not work?
He should have taken time to get Larry’s attention. He is likely to fail in the payments of his apartment and end up in the shelter again. This will leave his depressed and more unlikely to get out of the shelter.

4)Should Adam have given up on Easy Labor and take his time in finding a permanent job?
I think that he should take the time to get a permanent job. An example of why he should do it is one day when he worked his whole day and only came out with $14. He should also take time to find a job that will give him benefits as in the end of chapter 4 he meet a guy that lost his job, because he had no medical insurance and was hit by a drunk driver.

Michael Nelson-Summary ch.3-4

1) Chapter three begins at the start of his second day at the shelter. The men are being kicked out without breakfast because none of them chose to clean the floors. Shepard then goes on about all the new things he is taught about the shelter at his orientation. After orientation and his TB test he goes out to look for a job for a good part of the day, but with no success. At dinner he talks about how he becomes one of the “in” guys at the shelter and begins making friends. On the next day, Friday, he goes to work at a construction site which he seems to enjoy and plans on returning Sunday. The next day Shepard works at a baby clothes store which ends up being a terrible experience. The men were treated poorly and received very little pay. He lashes out at the owner of the store and decides that from then on he would be himself and always say what he thought. When He gets back to the shelter he and Marco decide to team up and become roommates when they have the money. Later, Larry tells him he got a job and he will be moving out the next week. Shepard doesn’t like his decision but Larry ignores him. The chapter ends with him looking foreword to Sunday at the construction site.

2) Shepard usually writes with a positive tone. He is often looking foreward to one thing or another. For the first time in the book, in chapter 4 the tone becomes very negative and angry because of his experience at the baby clothes store. He generally presents the men at the shelter as good people. The people they work for are often explained negatively, he often calls them lazy or careless, but the baby clothes store owner is the first he truly seemed to dislike.

Journal 1 Intro-Ch. 4

Scratch Beginnings: April 23, 2010

The book of Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard has many different twists and turns. He has a few different assumptions when he is starting the book off. He assumes that it is possible to become a self-made man starting out with only $25 and the clothes on his back. He also assumes that many people are getting lazy; they are not trying and giving themselves the ability to succeed. He did not expect to have amenities that were indeed available at the shelter. Lastly he assumes that this will be a difficult experience but possible.

One of the most surprising things about the book was a police officer by the name of Sergeant Mendoza or Sarg by many of the residents. He is surprisingly caring for them, as he wants to make sure that they do not have alcohol of drugs on the premises, he also wants to help them get out of the shelter and onto a new life. His presence at the shelter also keeps many of the men at the shelter honest, as they know he will not shy away from taking them down to jail. Another surprising aspect of this book is how friendly the people of the homeless shelter are. Many try to help him out and give him advice on what to do when he is kicked from the shelter. One of the guys, Marco, after only two days wanted to become roommates with him.

Another interesting part of this book is that he his mostly enjoying himself through this experience. He makes it seem not that bad of a struggle. One example would be at the end of many chapters, he states many different things that are looking up for him. At the end of chapter two he states that he has a plan that he is going to put into action, and he cannot wait to start it.

One of the most important parts of the book is his experience with the fat woman who owns a baby cloths store. During the course of his work with her, she treats him and his coworkers like crap, giving him the picture that they are thought as useless people. After being dismissed from work and an hour wait for the van he heads back into the store to ask if he could use the phone. After being denied he goes on a rant calling out all of the mistreatment that she placed on them. After this rant he decides to change the way he is going about his journey. He decides that he will not keep a low profile, but be himself and say what he is thinking.

The author states that he will not use any source in his book, he is just going to tell it as he experiences it. This technique gives the book an interesting point of view, as many research projects do not give a personal experience. This gives the reader a much better idea of what being homeless is. The information will also not be distorted, as it is a first hand experience, he not taking it from one source and putting it into his book.

One striking difference to that which most people are used to is the lack of longer term personal and financial planning. Unlike many of our lives, the people in the book hold jobs for a few days or sometimes one day. The same is true with the living situation where we see Adam and Marco deciding to live together after knowing each other for a matter of days. Most college students typically do not make such a decision for example after knowing each other for months or years. This short-term mentality is also evident in their budgeting. Instead of planning for future years we see them planning for future days or weeks.

Michael Nelson-Discussion Leader intro-ch.2

1) After reading the introduction, how is this book meant to encourage others?

Shepard’s intent with this book is to teach people that the American dream still exists. He is trying to encourage people to work their hardest because he believes that in the end it will all pay off. At the end of the introduction he mentions that the audience is meant to be anyone who has basically ever doubted the American dream, hinting to them that the dream is not lost.

2) What is important about Shepard’s statement about wanting to have a friend during his journey on p.22?

As Shepard stated, he probably could go through his journey without companions, but he simply didn’t want to. Having a friend with him on his journey would only make it easier and more interesting. He like most people doesn’t want to struggle through life alone. Having a friend to share experiences with gives everything more meaning.

3) What is the importance of Shepard’s statement about all the men at the shelter having their own story on p.25?

It is a way for all of the men to relate to each other. It sort of gives a feeling that they are all in it together as equals. The stories also show how much the men have struggled through life, something Shepard didn’t really seem to know at first.

4) What is the significance of Shepard’s statement at the end of ch.2?

It shows how much his situation has changed in just one day. The reader already has a sense that Shepard’s goal is achievable. It also ends the chapter giving the idea that the journey has only begun and he has a lot mor to go through, but he has hope for success.

Vocab. for Chapters 3&4

I wasn't able to find amny difficult vocabulary words for this reading. I was able to find three:

Nightcap: A usually alcoholic drink taken just before bedtime.

Feasible: Capable of being done or carried out.

Demeaningly: In a form meant to lower character, status, or opinion.

Chris- Graphic Organizer ch 3-4

Shepard starts ch 3 not really knowing any of the other homeless men and spends a day applying for jobs in downtown Charleston. By the end of ch 3 he is accepted by the other homeless men and they teach him some things about being homeless. In ch4 he is treated badly by the owner of the baby store they spend a day working at and Shepard begins to fall into the mindset of a homeless man. He starts looking the things he can and cannot do as a result of his financial situation.

Chris-Vocab Ch1-2

1. Lethargy (pg 1): inactivity; showing an unusual lack of activity.
2. stiffs (pg 3): an average person with no particular skill, distinction, or education.
3. sublimely (pg 3): completely: in a lofty and exalted manner.
4. Murphy's Law (pg 8): anything that can go wrong will.
5. superfluous (pg 9): excess; more than is necessary.
6. scabies (pg 15): contagious skin infection caused by mites.
7. immaculate (pg 20): completely neat and clean.
8. Primordial (pg 31): first, earliest or plentiful.
9. abounding (pg 36): be abundant or plentiful.
10. amphetamines (pg 31): psycho-stimulant drug that can produce euphoria, wakefulness, increased physical activity.

Tyler Johnson Intro-Chapter 2

Introduction

There are many different reasons for one to read our book Scratch Beginnings, it may be an interest in the subject, it may be because of past volunteering and community service in the field, or it may simply be to see whether or not Adam Shepherd, the main character of the book is actually able to attain his goal. His goal in the book is to start out in a new and unfamiliar city with $25 in cash and very little personal belongings. The rest--a car, a house, and whatever he may need to live he is to get by working. He devoted one year of his life to this challenge, which is largely a rebuttal to the works of Barbara Erenreich.

Most of us have had a very rudimentary knowledge of the subject, it is something that everyone has basic knowledge of but lacks the substantial details. Homeless shelters and the plight of our modern poor are something that we have largely relegated to passing glances as we are commuting daily to school or work. In reading this book, we are given a detailed and deep look into the lives of the people affected by poverty and the struggles that befall them. We are given a look into the daily life and struggle of living a day-by-day-lifestyle. We all hope to gain an interesting knowledge through this book that will give us a different look at the subject and give us new information and a new point of view.