Blog Entries
Conditions of Use
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Thinkng Before You Act
Article posted May 2, 2012 at 10:18 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 379
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As Prometheus, I would definitely answer no to the question: "Do you think before you act?". This is because knowing that Zeus hates questions, he annoys him with the questions bothering him most. He doesn't give a thought about what this will do to hurt him in the long run. Also after hearing Zeus' orders, he didn't even consider the consequences of his actions of defying them. He did plan out his idea of how to get the fire to the people, and it was successful, but however, he did not predict what would happen to him after Zeus found out what he had done or if Zeus' envision of the effects was true. Now look where that's gotten him, stuck on a mountain peak while vultures eat his liver. If he had thought about the consequences, he would have obviously acted differently.
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Article posted May 2, 2012 at 10:18 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 379
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Persuasive Speech Topics
Article posted April 15, 2012 at 05:58 PM GMT •
comment (2) • Reads 472
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How do you get someone to take action or agree with you? You must have good, logical reasoning so that you can win over. In class, we have been exploring persuasive topics such as athletes' salaries and how comercials convince you to buy things. There are many different topics that you can argue and persuade people about but there is one that would be the most interesting topic to talk about in class. It is if the school year schedule should be year-round and have many more breaks every month or if it should be the way we have it right now- have school all the time but not in the summer with smaller breaks for each season. First of all, it would be a good topic because everyone can relate to it. We are all students and teachers, so sometime or another, we will want more breaks and free time. The two choices in this topic would be very hard to decide between, because it gives equal total lengths of breaks, but some are shorter or more spread out over time. This way, there will be a close to even amount of people choosing either side. In addition, there can be a variety of opinions and reasons for everyone's choice. You could give many reasons for each preference going both ways. This would make it a very exciting debate and would need many persuasive techniques to convince the other side. Overall, even though there are many topics that we could speak on, this topic could be the most interesting.
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Article posted April 15, 2012 at 05:58 PM GMT •
comment (2) • Reads 472
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Budget Priorites
Article posted April 5, 2012 at 03:06 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 327
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Throughout the years, the U.S. government has used budget spending for a variety of things. Since 1969, the Congress has spent even more money than it's made. Instead of doing this, they should just focus on several more important priorities also to not spend as much. There are three especially important priorties that they should focus more on. First of all, the government should use budget spending to create more jobs for improving the economy. If they created more projects to work on, not only will places have more convenience, but there will be a lot more jobs to contribute into the project. Secondly, the government should focus on education. Education is very important because it prepares us for and to be the future of America. With better facilities, children can learn better to later serve the nation. Finally, another priority is to focus on defense. With a better navy or army, we can have better chances of winning over in wars. This serves our country and affects our future a lot in also keeping us safe. Overall, the government uses budget spending for many things but should focus more closely on some bigger priorities.
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Article posted April 5, 2012 at 03:06 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 327
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Athletes' Salaries
Article posted April 4, 2012 at 02:26 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 330
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Who do you know who makes fiften-thousand dollars an hour? The average doctor only makes one-hundred fifty dollars an hour curing people and saving lives while the average professional athlete makes fifteen-thousand dollars an hour entertaining us. Professional athletes get paid way too much. To start, the truly important jobs in our society don't get valued enough. In the article, "Do Professional Athletes Get Paid Too Much?", it states that athletes such as Babe Ruth make even more money than the President of the United States! Also, doctors save people's lives and keep everyone healthy while only earning a one-hundredth of what professional athletes get paid. People aren't as aware of the importance that doctors have and they should be paid more than people who are there just for our pleasure. Without our doctors, there would be a lot more deaths and unhealthy people. There are also jobs who help children, work to improve the world, and even more life-changing ones. These jobs are way more important than playing a sport on television because entertainment is a luxury, not a necessity. In addition, professional athletes are hard to become. Not everyone can be as amazing as them so instead they can commit their time to the many more important jobs so it is easier to play to their strengths. Not everyone can become physical wonders and it could be hard to achieve that state no matter how hard you try. Some people are simply gifted with it and then they get paid a ton while not working as hard as others. Finally, being a professional athlete benefits the person with an unfair advantage compared with someone having a different job. Professional athletes get to entertain us while making millions and doing what they love for fun. However, people with other occupations work very hard to get where they are but don't make as much while effecting our lives in positive ways more. It shows that entertainment rules over the true priorities unlike how it should be. In conclusion, professional athletes get paid too much especially in comparison to how much the majority earns.
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Article posted April 4, 2012 at 02:26 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 330
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Is The Hobbit an Allegory?
Article posted March 20, 2012 at 04:34 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 474
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a) Based on The Hobbit, I think that Tolkien's attitude towards nationalism is positive and that he believes that it should be done. This is because he portrays Bilbo as very loyal and wanting to be helpful in his group with the dwarves (like his country). Bilbo also believes in what is right so that's why he also gave up the Arkenstone to the other side because that would be the noble thing to do. He remains loyal to his friends even when they wrong him and although he kind of betrayed Thorin by given away the stone, it was for goodness, and Thorin wasn't being reasonable with the treasure anyway. Bilbo just wanted to help a friend in need. In addition, the battle in the end of the book is very gory and many lives were lost, so I think that Tolkein wanted to show us how a little misunderstanding can end up starting a huge fight and that war, no matter what, isn't the solution to problems. I think that after Tolkein's experiences, he then realizes that war is devastating and overall scary so he puts this, whether he knows it or not, into his writing. Lives are lost and lots of sorrow comes along with it. Violence doesn't solve the problems fairly or reasonablely. His description of the battle makes the statement he feels about war in general to show us readers.
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Article posted March 20, 2012 at 04:34 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 474
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Mind Over Matter
Article posted January 31, 2012 at 01:33 AM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 465
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In Language Arts, we recently read a poem called "The Victor". I agree with the author's message that our thoughts influence our success. First of all, hope encourages effort. When you hope to succeed and see your goal, you will try hard to meet and reach it. Also, without the hope and confidence, you can't even start the process to reach your goal. Secondly, perserverence comes with confidence. You will most likely give up if you think you will fail, but with confidence, you keep trying. The strength pushes you and encourages you to keep going. Finally, skill isn't everything. Skill comes from work, and work comes from the hope to win. You can be small but if you have a strong will and heart, you can succeed. There is no strength without the confidence first. As you can see in many ways, mind trimphs over matter.
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Article posted January 31, 2012 at 01:33 AM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 465
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Challenge or Change
Article posted January 17, 2012 at 05:40 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 482
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I Wanted To Change The World
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.
~Author:Unknown Monk 1100 A.D.
Text to text:
This relates to "Change Your World" by Brian Tracy because both show ways that you can help the world just by improving yourself. The poems say that changing the world yourself is very difficult so you can begin smaller by changing yourself. By changing yourself, you can affect others who will affect more people and soon the goodness that you created will spread farther to achieve your goal.
Text to self:
This relates to myself because it shows me that by changing and improving myself, it can really affect others. Although I may be small, that little bit of change in my life can change others' lives too.
Text to world:
When Martin Luther King Jr. saw the need for equal rights to all people, he wanted that himself and by showing that it is really important, more people followed. Even though he made great impact in the world, it didn't just happen over night and in the poem, it shows that change takes time to be made.
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Article posted January 17, 2012 at 05:40 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 482
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What Really Matters?
Article posted December 10, 2011 at 07:18 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 426
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I could not live without happiness and joy in the world. If there is always depression and sadness, there isn't really a way to make life the way you want it to be unless you have the motivation. This and happiness is given in many ways through family, friends, and the way you choose to live. Happiness and joy is the center of many things because having this affects the way you act and how well you do to live life right. This is different than Scrooge's opinion though because he thinks that money is the reason to all success and that anyone being happy means nothing to him. He works very independently and doesn't care about how the rest of the world is doing as long as his business is still flourishing. He may think that this makes him happy but truly, he is lonely inside. Although this is what he thinks right now, his opinion will change and be similar to mine by the end of the story.
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Article posted December 10, 2011 at 07:18 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 426
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A Mystery Setting
Article posted November 12, 2011 at 07:36 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 492
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The setting in a mystery story matters a lot. It affects the whole plot and gives readers a chance to infer from it to find suspects. It betters the story and enables us to try and figure out the mystery ourselves. A perfect setting for the story would be in a place that seems suspenseful and mysterious to go along with the plot. It also needs to be closed though because if the story occurred around the whole world, it would be next to impossible for us to actually know or find out who the criminal is. Clues and leftover objects need to be in the setting too. This way, we are able to put the pieces together and it would make the story more realistic. All of these things help the story to be more interesting to read. I think that the perfect setting would be at an outdoor place where eery things occur but where an ominous plot also emerges from it. It should also be near where people associated with the crime live. This way, it can show us many reasons why the crime would be committed. Then these things can work together to better the story. I especially enjoyed the setting in The Hound of the Baskervilles because of the creepy surroundings. The curse is very mysterious, the moor and neighborhood has a strange feel about it, and the house also explains about the rich inhabitants who belonged to it. The events that occur around these things lead us into constant suspense. Overall, the setting really matters to the mystery because it gives it excitement, reason, and the suspense always needed in a good story.
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Article posted November 12, 2011 at 07:36 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 492
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Fear's Affect
Article posted October 23, 2011 at 05:43 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 428
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Fear comes in many forms for different reasons. It occurs when there is something you are afraid of or if you are afraid to fail whatever you are attempting to do. The unknown scares us too because we don't know what may happen or what something is, so we may not be prepared. It holds you back and makes you begin to doubt yourself. Sometimes, it may even make us stop doing what we want to do or what we believe is right. By having fear though, you can be able to find the courage of pushing those thoughts away. It gives you more courage than if you were doing something without fear. Many people are fearful when they are worried to mess up or do something wrong. In elementary school, we have a school play each year that anyone could participate in. I really wanted to but also had stage fright. Then I found courage to get up on the stage and act. When I finished, I was even more proud of myself. Even though you have fear, if you go for it, you will feel even more accomplished. It motivates you to do better and makes the event more exciting. Fear also hinders us in doing what we want though but overall, it isn't always a bad thing to have.
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Article posted October 23, 2011 at 05:43 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 428
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