Discussions

The hours between about 11 pm on Friday, February 26th, and 3 pm on Saturday, February 27th were some of the most surreal I can remember in my entire life: A long car ride home. Dinner. Shower. Sleep. Or maybe a more accurate description, insomnia. Then, morning. Breakfast. The rest is a blur. It's difficult to describe, but nothing I did in that time span seemed like it was actually happening. The reason, of course, was basketball. It was almost as if time had sped up so much in the few days prior, with practice each day and then game after game, that after the semi-final, time had to catch up to reality. And although time seemed to slow down, before I knew it, the state championship game was before us. Same as the games that came before, we took the bus out to UVU. Once we arrived, the seniors and coaches of each team gathered together and were told about any unusual circumstances for the game. After this, we gathered in the locker room, went over our game plan, and took to the court. Despite how prepared we thought we were, the game was far from a success. We had just choked in the the state championship. 
 

Sitting on the bench as the clock ran down to zero, I wasn't quite sure how I felt. Obviously, the emotions that were easiest to discern were some variations of disappointment, failure, and frustration. We had just played what was probably the worst game of our season on a bigger stage than most of us may ever see again in our basketball careers. I had my selfish reasons for being disappointed: we didn't get the title, I wouldn't get that ring as justification to all the people who doubted me and denounced my transfer to Judge in the first place, we had a chance to become remembered as a group but let it slip away. Even something as miniscule as letting Wasatch get the better of us in our developing rivalry seemed to be amplified into a personal failure. I quickly realized, however, that these reasons weren't the source of my real disappointment. 

 

At least for me personally, even more than losing the actual game, my greatest disappointment, my shame, came when I looked at all the people around me. True, it was a team effort. But I still felt like I let my teammates down. There was more I could have done. I also felt like we had let our coaches down. We all had an idea that Coach Y was going to retire and hoped to let him finish his career on top; we failed. There was still a deeper source of disappointment that I felt beyond letting down those directly involved in the team, however. When I looked up across the court, and saw all of my classmates, I was ashamed. I felt like we had embarrassed all the people who had supported us all year. We made it to the biggest stage and then didn't show anyone we deserved to be there. I felt like all season long I had taken for granted our fans, my family members, and everyone else who had been to all the games and cheered and yelled for us. I finally realized how much of an impact their support had. I finally appreciated all these people at the moment we let them all down. 

 

I looked around the stadium more, and saw my dad and my mom and my brother. I saw all the rest of my family members who had driven down to see me play. I began thinking about all the people who had supported me, filmed me playing, cheered for me, coached me, played with me throughout my life. I had to wonder if I had let them all down. I can't say whether or not my teammates shared many of these same feelings. But for me, it seemed like ever since the time that I could pick up a basketball I always had a high school state championship in my mind as the pinnacle of success, even more than any personal success I may or may not have in the sport. After the game was over and the outcome was permanent and real and the emotions began to set in, I felt a little bit of fear. It was the fear of no longer having that direction in my life that basketball provided. I no longer had that apex to strive for. 

 

We went back into the locker room and the coaches did their best to explain that we had a successful season. And sure, I knew we had accomplished a lot. Before the season started, not a person was talking about Judge. We had just lost a lot of seniors who had great careers at Judge themselves, and it was supposed to be a "rebuilding year" for us. Nevertheless, we had confidence in ourselves. The coaches told us, and we knew, that no one thought we would win our region, let alone play in the state championship game. This was an accomplishment, no doubt. But at the moment it didn't feel like much of one. 

As a week has passed by, and I have had time to think about it, I've considered that maybe I learned more from losing a game of that caliber than from winning it. Maybe it was better that we lost. Because maybe if we had won I would not appreciate all the people who have supported me the way that I do now. If we had won, I might have continued to feel like we deserved their support because we were successful and we were winning games and thats all we had to do. Because we lost, and because I felt like we let so many people down, I was able to see that we owe everything to those who supported us this year. Without support from people who cared about us, none of us would have gotten as far as we did, whether it be only in basketball or in life overall. Now, a week after the game, I can see the success that we did have, as a team on the court and as a community off the court. 

 

    Haven't you noticed that some people study like maniacs and end up getting a bad grade on a test. Teachers always say "You better study for the test if you want a good grade!" Some people study alot, and others just dont study at all. Like me, I don't study. Once I studied and I got a bad grade on a test. For some reason, studying makes you confused and when you look at the test, you look clueless. Some people get too confident and think they are going to get a good grade because they studied. That can happen to so many people.

    Studying is for the people that are so clueless about the material that they study. Others dont need to study because they have a basic understanding of the material. If those people study, then they are doomed.

    So think about? Which one are you?

    Are you the one that is always clueless, or the one that has an understanding of the material?

After watching the video in English about copyright laws and fair use, I remembered the one thing that stuck with me the most was: Where is the line drawn? What makes some things okay to use, and other things not okay? It's kind of scary to think that everyone is kind of teetering on such a precarious edge of uncertainty. There are so many people who quite technically cross that line every day, downloading music, doing covers without permission, or singing birthday in the quiet privacy of their homes. I mean quite honestly, it's not like these big corporations need the 'petty cash' that we would be paying for the stuff we are obtaining illegally. Plus, if you look at how some of this stuff is being put to use, these big corporations would probably just feel bad for us. For example, the other day, Junior Davis Pope took it upon himself to introduce me to the saddest and most pathetic thing I have ever seen.

Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BVvNE78lyc&feature=related

So, technically speaking, this girl could be sued for infringing copyright laws. Clearly, she didn't pay TSwift to sing (actually, wail) this song for youtube creepers across the globe, but there it sits anyways. Okay, Taylor Swift. I mean, if you really want to sue this poor child, go right ahead. I guess you have the right to.  It just doesn't seem fair, especially in this case.

 

 The concept of fair use is a particularly interesting one. Are copyright laws too strict? Do industries need to lay off upcoming artists? Is there anything truly "new" in the world? These questions are all ones I have been asking especially in my english class this year. We took the time to watch the movie, "RiP, A Remix Manifesto" this year and before this movie I never had questions about copyrights. The most interesting point in the movie for me was the idea that culture always builds upon the past. I had never really thought about this before, but after hearing this statement it got me thinking. In the movie, "RiP, A Remix Manifesto" there is a part in which they describe how Walt Disney used previous ideas and stories to create his movies and shorts. The video for this is below:
 

RiP: A Remix Manifesto - "Disney builds on the past"

 

Now here is a textbook example of copyrights and copyright laws. Walt Disney without a doubt is one of the greatest artists ever. His movies and creations have inspired billions, and have made a tremendous amount of money. However, Walt Disney was able to get away with this because the copyright laws were not as harsh. So this brings up my final question, which artists are being resticted today? If the copyright laws were as intense back when Walt Disney was creating his movies, there probably would have been no Disney right now. Walt Disney was able to take the past, tweek it, and make it his own without having to worry about copyrights. He was taking the culture of the past and making it current. Walt Disney, one of the best creators did exactly what industries are shutting down today. How can we move forward if we cannot build upon the past? The answer is we can't, and until copyrights lay off our culture will be stuck right where it is for years to come.  

 

 

The 15 year old singer Justin Bieber has been one of the most popular artist since his career started off with the song "One Time" Why? Whats so great about his singing and his looks? Why are people so in love with this teen artist? Personally i just dont see what is so great about him. Hes no different than the other artists but why are girls obsseded with only HIM AND THIS FREAKEN LOOKS?! He is 15 and claims to "love a girl" does he even know what love is? Has he ever heard himself sing? 

 

The only reason girls mostly im not saying that guy dont like his music but the real reason girls love his songs so much is because of his "cuteness"

 

What do you guys think?

 

- No offence to any of Justin B. fans        

Well first of, I am against people who cut themselves. I see no point of doing it what so ever. I mean life has ups and downs. You have to deal with it. Life isnt supposed to be perfect and dandy. You are supposed to pass through bad grades, break-ups, embaressment, deaths, etc. Just because  you break  the point of your pencil, you are going to cut yourself? NO! just get up and go sharpen it. Im NOT saying that people who do cut there selves, do it for the tiniest reasons but when you fall, you get up and act like nothing happpened or just laugh it off. Same with life. If someone very close dies, you have to let it pass by. You may cry and it may seem like the world is ending, but people come and go. And that doesnt go only to when you are moving to a new school. I mean I stopped a girl from cutting herself before it was too late. She had already started to cut herself. I stopped her because I cared for her. I also did it because mean while cutting yyourself you could reach a point where you cut a vien and guess what? You just died. Your viens on your wrist are very delicate. You can also lose so much blood that you can even stop breathing and die.  Im against cutting and Ive never tried it, niether will I ever try to. What are your opinons on this?

All I see around me day in and day out is people hugging even if they're not in a relationship and just friends. They sure make it look like they are a hundred timing each other. What happened to a simple handshake the one that makes 2 people friends in the first place? Friendship isn't about giving each other a huge hug or embracing every time you see them. It is about being able to talk to each other, knowing that whatever is said to them is between you and him/her. Talking about things you wouldn't even tell your closet family member. You trust them not to tell anyone your secrets or wishes. It is a bond that sometimes becomes stronger than family bloodlines. When you're with a friend status, race, difference in thought don't matter. Wouldn't it be boring to hang out with someone with the exact same interest or personality? People need others to be different so they don't become narrow minded. If you had friends that are similar to you learning how to deal with different types of people in the future would be very difficult because you're accustomed to people like you. Winnie the Pooh has better friends than most of us, all of his friends are there for him even rabbit is despite the amount of disliking him.

Friends step away when you need space to breathe because they know that if you need their help you are not afraid to ask. They won't be too nosy if the matter is too personal to talk about at the moment. Just when you think you know yourself better than anyone else, your closest friend will figure you out quicker than you ever could. Friends are supposed to be people you can run to anytime to escape situations you can't overcome alone. A friend doesn't need to tell you they care you just know. One gesture and you know if something is wrong or if your friend is extremely excited about something. Friends like that don't need words to express their gratitude towards each other. They are supposed to help you become independent and not pull you down. If they fall you fall with them if they rejoice you celebrate with them. If you need an honest opinion about making a decision or doing something you're doubtful about turn to your friend. The reason why you should ask your friend is because they are not family and won't think about hurting your feelings by being brutally honest.

Of course they care, and they will warn you before they say something but they won't hesitate to speak the truth. If they think what you are doing is ridiculous they will tell you straight up. There is nothing wrong with being frank to protect someone from future criticism. Laughing with you, caring for you, studying with you, talking to you, listening when you really need to vent and can't find anyone else and sharing their life with you as well. It's nice just to have someone sit next to you even if you don't speak simple silence also feels good when you're sitting with your friend and you just need somebody.

Nowadays where can you find friends like that? The perfect friend doesn't exist but all a person needs is someone that trusts them and talks to them when they need some sense knocked into their head.

     If Syracuse, Kentucky, or Duke or any other team managed to remain undefeated throughout their whole season they would be the constant talk of sports center.  What if they had won 71 consecutive games in a row.  Also, they had won each game by at least 10 points in those 71 wins.  They would be known and their point leaders would be common names just like John Wall or Kyle Singler.  However, the only team to accomplish this in the past two seasons is in womens basketball, which explains why most people don't know much about the University of Connecticut Huskies.  On their second perfect season, Tina Charles and Maya Moore have led the UConn huskies to another number one seed in the tournament.  Their average margin of victory in their last 71 games is more than 30 points.  With every game they are creating history of the longest winning streak and at the rate they're going I expect them to win their second national championship in a row this year by ten or more points. 

UCONN Streak (click for video)
   
    The most frustrating part about this program is that they get no recognition for what they have accomplished.  All the focus is on men's basketball even if the team is only average.  Sports specialists spend hours talking about "bracketology" and the different outcomes of games, but centered only on the mens side.  Basketball fans stress over who to put in their final four and watch every game hoping that their pick will come out victorious, but how many of these fans have ever seen a womens basketball game.  Our society downgrades women's sports in ways sometimes we don't even notice.  Even on www.espn.com there isn't a link for men's basketball because it is just under college basketball, where as women have their separate women's basketball link.  The women's game doesn't have the recognition like the men's game does, that's just the way it is.  However, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't appreciate this amazing UConn program and what they have accomplished in the past two years.

srry peps change my mind he is major cute lolzzzz even though im down to earth lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Don't you ever think that you fall in love easily? Well, I do. It's like when you're feeling lonely for an extremely long time, you want to find someone to be with you, or something like that. But, it's kinda good and kinda bad to fall in love.

The reason why it's good to fall in love is because you can be with a new family. Maybe you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life if your parents died. So, yea a lot of people know about it. First, you fall in love. Next, you get a boyfriend or girlfriend. And then, you get married and might have kids....I'm kinda acting wierd now, I think. But anway, continuing.

The reason why it's kinda bad to fall in love is because once you fall in love with someone, then that person might break up the relationship, or you find out that the person you like loves someone else....This happens to me sometimes...once, I fell in love with a friend of mine...he's a really kind person...but, he told me that he has a crush on another girl and he wants some advice from me...Even though I didn't tell him that I have a crush on him, I became heart-broken (T.T) 

So, there are good things and bad things about falling in love. It's kinda painful, isn't it? and for any of my friends that are reading this, I wrote this because I had nothing to type about for the computer homework so I just typed in something randomly...

Something that I have been interested in learning more about has been love. I remember my best friend talking about it she was at my house, but i didn't get her full opinion on finding that right one. Lately, the issue has caught my eye again because I wanna make sure this relationship is the right one for me. I know that many people feel that love come and go and all failed relationships is just preparing you for the right one when he comes your way. From what I have heard,love comes when you at least expect it and you get swept of your feet. Now that's just what I've heard, it may or may not be true but I believe anything is possible.

One thing that I know for sure about love is that it can bring a enormous amount of sadness and also a amount of happiness like never before. Now I've studied my share of,articles and peoples personal opinions and I believe love is the best feeling ever its better to love and lost then not love at all Personally, it's funny to me how love can make you feel.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on love, I chose to do some research on the topic. As I searched for blogs and news articles on Google, I came across this one article: There Is Only One True Love In A Person's Life This article provided a lot of information and opinions on love. Some people felt that it`s better to not love at all then love and have lost. "Love will come and go if a person is not ready for love" I think this is so true because if your not serious about a relationship no one is going to want to get serious with you because who wants there heart to be played with no one. this quote didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel astonished because it is so true.I felt that way because Relationships will come and go in your lifetime but one in particular relationship is meant to be forever you just wont know which one, its up to you to choice wisely.

In another podcast, It`s better to love and lost then to have not loved at all" there was this one statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: "that feeling to love again is marvelous" This is so true because This stood out for me because when all is lost and your heart is torn. You find yourself thinking you will never love again and you penalize the one who's trying to be there for you because you just cant help but keep your guard up to save you from the tragedy of heartbreak but wen you get swept up off ya feet there`s nothing you can do but fall hoping that person will catch you.
In another article,"LOVE",there was this one statement that stood out for me that said"There is all kinds of love"this statement stood out for me because i do believe there are all kinds of love there can be a love for a family member and love for friends but i do believe the love you have for the one your in a relationship with is sorta different but the concept of all kind of loves is true.

All of this makes me think that love plays a big impact on our everyday world.Without love our world is doomed and would be full of hate everyone would be out to get each other and love balances that all out having our world equally balanced of both love & hate.
 

Valentines Day is this Sunday. This is usually a holiday which some look forward to while others dread. For those who dread it, they like to refer to Valentines Day to the more appropriate "Singles Awareness Day." The more popular group of those who cringe at the thought of this day seems to center around girls, typically ranging from the high school age through late 20's early 30's. Quite frankly, this has always frustrated me. Seeing girls wallow and be sad for a whole day simply because they are single. It's not the end of the world and why people think they need someone else to complete their equation is hard to sympathize with. Yes, it's nice to be with someone, but being alone has it's benefits too. I think people need to look at Valentines Day for what it is, just another day, only it's better because they sell Valentines candy and a lot more chocolate hearts in the grocery stores. So here's a fun little tip/idea for all you Single Ladies (sing the song, you know you want to) who frown upon this day and normally spend it crying in your room with ice cream in hand and the Jonas Brothers playing in the back; Go out with your friends! Go to a movie, Valentines Day looks promising, and then head to dinner or eat in. Whatever you do just stop these self pity mind games and helpless feelings of being unwanted in the world, it will do you absolutely no good....OR you can have fun with it and make up someone and follow these ideas provided below in an article about how to survive Valentines Day.

Make up an imaginary partner who is in the Peace Corps and does not have access to a phone or writing materials but that you can sense his/her love for you without having a special day anointed for it.

Act like you are being taken out to dinner that evening without ever having to open your mouth. Grinning like an idiot when someone asks 'if you are doing something special for the evening' will let everyone within a six feet radius know that you have something romantic planned because they will all be staring at you. Finish this off with an affirmative nod of the head and you will never need to explain where.
http://www.helium.com/items/114627-the-single-girls-guide-to-surviving-valentines-day 

 

 

Love is a wonder,
A blessing of life
To end human sunder
And eons of strife
Boys want it, Men need it
A companion to love and kiss
Someone who you’ll dearly miss
There is someone for us all
At least, that’s what they all say
But as summer turns to fall
As night turns to day
I always see…
There is no girl there for me

With no significant other
Why should I even bother
Looking at other couples only makes me see
I am incomplete, just a man-to-be
Love is the nourishment for the soul
The final piece in making your heart whole
That feeling of completeness so rewarding
If only that feeling were for me

 

     My topic choice is sex offenders in California. I know that sex offenders are very serious, and should be taken care of immediately. I have heard that recently a young 15 year old girl named Chelsea king was raped and killed. This topic interests me because it’s very serious and authorities/kids should take it more seriously. I do not know how to make it more aware to kids that it’s dangerous to wander off and to make them more alert. I wish I knew way more on the topic like where they are in my community.  I found this article on Google.   In this article it is stating that a man killed and raped Chelsea king. They are saying that a man named john Albert Gardner pleaded guilty to this assault. “The registered sex offender charged with raping and murdering 17-year-old Chelsea King could be linked to several attempted kidnappings in the area, police said today.” They also said that he was charged with this same assault in January. I really hope that this man goes to prison and never hurts young women again.    I do agree that he should be pleaded guilty for this. This article gave me a very high insight on how dangerous being alone outside can be. I am thinking that this case is very serious and this man should never be aloud out of prison. No man should ever be treated the same after doing this to someone. Hopefully this problem will be treated carefully and girls/boys will be more aware.

 

Well my advisory is doing a community service project. Not like the other advisory's, my advisory made groups of four and each group chose there own helpful thing to do. In my group it is Rashel, Maria, Kayla and myself. Were going to help out at a shellter for animals. Were going to raise money by selling chocolates in TYWLS & out in our neighbor hoods. My group still hasnt found out where the money will go as in which shellter or where we will voluneteer. Next friday or saturday my group is going to meet up and go sell the chocolates, we are all pitching in for 10-15 dollars for the chocolate which we will buy in casco :) Were going to buy about 3 chocolate boxes and try to sell them all. I can't wait its going to be very fun, well as I see it in. Especially since were going to work with animals and i love animals <3 im excited xD Well yeah i was just letting you guys know about my community service project xD wish me luck ? :)

Living with the regrets of my past
But also remembering how it made my present
Did it get better
Or am I still the same heartbroken girl?
My appearance has changed
My self esteem is improved
I observe then act
Not the other way around
I can't let things get to me
But they seem as they do
I have to back down
To see my light shine through
Your darkness
That contaminates my peace
With your very presence
 

 

(not yet finished.... Still editing)

        For a woman, someone who is kind and not fake. Someone who is considerate to others and is not too aggressive. Americans view straightforwardness or some aggressiveness mixed into assertiveness is sexy. But in my point of view, laidbackness and mysteriousness leaves a lot to imagination. Don't get me wrong, there are times when you need to speak your mind, but just not when it is uncalled for.

  I see a beautiful person from outside in. Sounds weird, but I do that, though I always judge them as a whole. Yes, beauty on the outside is a plus, but what you have inside will leave the lasting impression on others. Looks may fade.

  There ability to Understand, then to be Understood.Open-minded to life's troubled challenges.Humbleness, their integrity.

  A kind heart and a open face. Someone who can laugh at themselves and find beauty in everything. Someone who is themselves and does not try to be anything else. Someone who can give love without expecting anything in return. Honesty, a loving heart, and an an inner spark that shines like a star. Someone who accepts others for who they are.

  T ell me, what do you think makes a woman  beautiful? Is it her hair ? Her clothing? Her smell? Her personailty? What she drives? How good of a housekeeper she is? How sexy she is? Where she lives? How much money she has? Her complextion? What makes a woman beautiful to you? What makes people beautiful?

 

What I know about this topic is the young teenage girl Chelsea King who was killed earlier this week. How I heard about this tragic event was on the news and posters at school.  The reason why I find this topic interesting is because our liberal society doesn’t do anything about these sick people that do such crucial crimes. How can anyone treat a significant other like this such as murdering her when he has no idea who this girl is, or who she could have become? What I want to learn about is this topic is maybe something people will take into serious effect and start punishing people for the acts they cause for us and others. It’s a very sad thing people are that sick in the head to do this stuff.

Sheriff: 'Strong Likelihood' Body Found Is Chelsea King the remains of Chelsea were found near Lake Hodges. “This was our worst fear” sheriffs say. Chelsea was an honor student. The man they got last name of Gardner will be in court Wednesday. The man is listed in Megan’s law website.  News ten has a lot of information about this tragic event. Those people have so many negative actions towards the people who let the man out again. Doesn’t anyone notice that were the only nation that suffers from these problems. We don’t seem to let it affect us.

I don’t agree with this article at all! These people out in this world that do such horrific crimes to one another either there let out of prison or pleaded not guilty. I think people need to get there stuff in gear and start cracking down on these. People get more time in prison when they rob a bank them someone killing another individual.  Now personally knowing what is out there I will not walk on the streets alone because I’m in the fear of that happening to me. You look around and would never imagine something would happen like that, or people get the thoughts in their head too do it.

 

 

I know a lot about soccer but I still have a lot to learn. I have heard many wonderful things about it and bad things to but I don’t really care what other people think as long as I like it. This topic interest me because it’s the most watched sport in the world and most popular. I still don’t know many things about it but you learn as you go. I want to learn everything there is to know about it.             Why isn’t soccer as famous in the United States compared to European countries like England, Spain, Germany, or France? But yet the united states have some of the world’s best athletes. In the article Soccer scores with Americans as the World Cup looms it shows how soccer has been increasing in the last couple of years in the United States. It says how the “U.S. Athletes rate among the best in many sports; Americans are rarely mentioned when talk turns to the world's soccer stars”. The article also talks about how top international clubs are getting partner ships in the United States.             Soccer has never really impacted the United States for many reasons. There is too many other sports here that young people can have the option to play compared to England or something. Since the first day they are born they only really have the option to play soccer. It’s true that the united states have good athletes but most of them don’t get the passion to try and play the sport like young footballers get in England. I believe that the united states will one day catch up to some of the European countries passion of soccer. 

 

 For my generation ever since we were young we have been encouraged to "color outside the lines", express our individuality and be confident in what we truly believe. This message is something that has truly changed our culture and I would definitely say in good way, kids are no longer afraid to go against the current, in fact that is now the "cool"thing to do. I am not talking about the mohawk, long trench cloak and combat boot kids, that is a more extreme attention seeking than what i am getting at. If you do not know what I am getting at, a perfectly good example would be the trend of  big thick glasses frames. In movies and shows glasses were used for the audience to identify someone lower on the "social pyramid".  So to wear not just simple glasses, but ones identical to Steve Urkel's, makes you different from everyone else which isn't bad, except when your goal is to be different from everyone else so that you fit in with everyone else. I understand that now this somewhat stylish, but when kids try so hard to act like they aren't trying at all that's just weird, yes i am talking about the kids who don't even need glasses but try to follow this trend. When it comes to changing ourselves to be viewed a certain way by our peers we have done a complete 360 and ended up were we started, before this whole "color outside the lines" thing started. Kids will honestly just find obscure bands that no one has ever heard of before becuase as long as something isn't "mainstream" you will look more hardcore just like naming a movie from a film festival will give you more than naming "How to lose a guy in 10 days" as your favorite movie. When being uncool is the new cool is there really even difference?

 people hate stuff that is ‘mainstream’ – so they go to film festivals where they see movies that every other person in their demographic wants to see. It’s a pretty sweet way to rebel.

Film Festivals 

 

 

Cheerleading!        Something that I have been interested in learning more about has been cheerleading. I have been doing gymnastics since I was seven and I have been involved in many different cheer programs for the past five years. Currently, I am a two year member of my school’s varsity cheer team. I know a lot about it but I am sure there are many more interesting facts I need to learn about the sport. I know some people consider cheer as not being a sport but as an all star cheerleader myself; I believe it is a very hard sport.              I recently read an article about whether cheerleading was a sport or not. I got the article at about.com under cheerleading. The articles name was “Is cheerleading really a sport?”   It said that the criteria of cheerleading only met some of the criteria of being a sport, there for it is not a sport. One thing it mentioned that it’s not a sport because it does not compete, they cheer on the teams that do compete. As a cheerleader I have competed in competitions every year I have done cheer. An important quote from the article was “The skills involved in Cheerleading leave no doubt that cheerleaders are exceptional athletes. To perform their activities, they must be as strong as any football player, as poised as any dancer and as flexible as the best gymnasts. They are athletes by every definition of the word.” -http://cheerleading.about.com/od/skillsandabilities/a/031002a.htm             In the article I found there are some facts I agree with but there are some I disagree with as well. The quote that I found from the article I very much agree with. Cheerleaders do need to be strong, flexible and have good tumbling, its apart of the sport. One thing I did not know was that it is not considered a sport because cheerleaders do not compete, even though many teams do. Now that I read the article I want to prove everyone who thinks it is not a sport wrong!  There is a lot more to being a cheerleader then having fun and cheering on the crowd. The five main key words that express the main idea of my post are     Cheer     Physical fitness     Sports     Passion     Commitment

 

As Summer approaches and I find myself asking my parents for money more and more, I realized that it's time for me to start working again. Even though I don't find a special joy in working, I do appreciate the feeling of self accomplishment as I check my email every two weeks for that special pay stub that provides me with a means for self-provided transportation and social outings. Although I already have a part-time job, I am looking to find another job with minimal hours that would suit my abilities, skills, and age. As I did some research online, I came to realize that most initial job interviews are conducted over the telephone. Why? This is a new way of doing things for companies because it is clearly a time-saver and is a very easy way to weed out ill-prepared candidates for the job. With the nation in the economic state that it is in, there are about 8 applicants for every job opening, which provides for a very competitive and somewhat chaotic system of hiring. Even though I don't have any issue with interviewing over the phone, I decided that it would be wise to research some useful tactics in swaying a potential boss to give me a face-to-face interview. Here's what I found: 

 

Be enthusiastic. "Some people find it helps to smile while they talk," Stevens notes.

Use a land line, and disable call waiting. Interruptions caused by dropped or incoming calls just add stress you don't need.

Have a list of questions prepared. Well-thought-out questions show you're really interested in the company and the job. Also, have your resume in front of you. Make sure it's the same version the interviewer has.

Match your style to the interviewer's. "If the interviewer uses a lot of technical terms and industry jargon, so should you," Stevens says.

Never interrupt. Silently count to two or three seconds after the interviewer stops talking before you start.

Avoid negative words. "Banish negative verbs like 'can't,' 'haven't' and 'don't' from your vocabulary," Stevens advises. "Employers want people who can offer solutions, not potentially create problems.'

Recap your "fit" for the job. Be ready with a 30-second summary of why you're right for this job, using an example or two from your work history.

Ask about next steps. At the end of the call, ask how well your qualifications meet the company's needs. This will give you a chance to address minor issues immediately. Then ask when you can meet with them in person.

Say thanks. Follow up with an e-mail or a handwritten note. While you're at it, briefly remind the interviewer how your skills and achievements can help the company meet its goals.

A few more suggestions, from Paul Bailo:

Wear business attire. Of course the interviewer can't see you, but "you won't feel, or sound, as businesslike in your pajamas," Bailo says.

Eat a cough drop before the call. A medicated cough drop (especially one with menthol) will be good for your voice, says Bailo: "It's a small but helpful thing."

Have a photo of your interviewer on your computer screen. This could be from LinkedIn, Facebook, the company website, or anywhere else your interviewer's face might appear online. (You have Googled him or her in advance, right?) "It makes the interview a little more like an in-person conversation," Bailo says.

Avoid saying "um" or "ah." Try replacing those sounds with a pause, which Bailo says is "a sign of intelligence."

Take notes. Jot down topics and questions that seem to be of particular interest to the person interviewing you, so you can touch on these when you send your thank-you.

 

So next time you are looking for a job, remember some of these tactics and hope for the best. 

 

    Ever since her first single Just Dance became a hit, I have been a crazed fan of Lady GaGa.  Her sound, original and catchy, always intrigued me and left me wondering what she would do next.  When noticed as a crazed fashionista, rumored as a hermaphrodite, and known for being a slutty butterface, she only seemed to thrive off of the attention.  After stunning live performances, creative music videos, and a record breaking four number one singles on a debut album, she was certainly on the map as someone to watch out for.  She worked with top performers such as Akon, Beyonce, and even rumored to have started something with Michael Jackson.  One magazine cover after another and she is finally getting the respect she deserves.  When the addition to her first album came out at the end of 2009 and quickly became platinum, Lady GaGa was a household name.  Her single Bad Romance was blasting through every radio station and was set to repeat on my iPod.  It stayed at number one for a long time and became her fifth number one single of 2009.  The music video was one of the most creative pieces I have ever seen, showing true originality and passion for her art.  Music and her fans are the only things she truly cares about as she says, "I have no interest in love, only the love for my art and my little monsters (referring to her fans)."  She has been on many shows like Ellen, Oprah, Jimmy Kimmel, and Saturday Night Live.  She impresses every host with her quick wit and her contagious humor.  When Ellen Degenerous commented on GaGa's VMA performance, which is said to be the true start of her career, she said, "Do you ever lip sync?"  GaGa replied, "No I have never lip synced in my life.  I think it is funny that so many singers these days lip sync.  I mean, our job title is singer, shouldn't we sing?"  Lady GaGa has captured the attention of the world, and with each new creative piece she shares the more excited I get as I see she will be around for a long time.  She is blowing away other current artists as she is described to "be on a different level, no one is like Lady GaGa."  I am excited to be a fan of this pop artist and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.  

 

 

 

Watch out, Katy Perry: there’s a new princess of pop who kisses girls (for real), claims Marilyn Manson and Madonna as fans and is on the verge of becoming the defining pop star of the year. Lady Gaga struts the streets pants-less, has everyone from Weezer to Justin Timberlake singing her songs and has moved nearly 10 million digital singles — and now she’s on the cover of Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List. Rolling Stone Review

 

In my English class we were talking about hitting girls. Some people were saying that if they hit you first you should be able to hit back. Personally I feel that guys shouldn't be able to hit girls. I feel that it is terrible thing to do. I think that the punishments should be more enforced then they already are. It doesn't matter if you and your partner get in a fight. I feel that it is the wrong way to go if this ever happened.

How do you feel about hitting girls? 

Why do people have the need to kidnap and kill others? I often wonder why. It doesn’t make any sense to me. These registered sex offenders think that its o.k. to do horrible things to people they don’t know and can get away with it. Well they can’t. In the case current case with Chelesea king, the sex offender had abducted her while she was taking a jog! This particular topic interests me because I feel so bad for the family and friends who are all missing a loved one. The things I want to know are the stories of what happened becauseit can help me and others know how to be safe and know what to do for the most part when in a horrible             situation. I’d like to learn how to defend myself when put in a particular situation and how I can take steps      into being aware and safe about my surroundings.

   ‘Tim Eicher, associate professor of family studies, said: "Move like you drive in St. George. Be on yellow alert, always looking out for signs of danger. If any of the signals pop up, be careful and ready to move to red alert."’ www.dixiesunlink.com  

  This article had so much information about how to keep safe. It talked about 7 steps you can take into knowing if you’re in a ‘code red’ situation. I know how to properly look for the things that don’t make sense and that you need to stay clear of someone or something. And with spring break coming up we need to be extra careful because spring break is a high point where things happen because of going to parties and getting wasted but I feel a lot better knowing what to do and how to protect myself properly.

 

I learned something new today while playing Urgent Evoke. I learned that Urgent Evoke can be a lot of fun and that it has a lot of communication like aim, facebook and Twiter because you can get a lot of friends and you can just put up blogposts which is communicating.

I learned something new today while playing Urgent Evoke. I learned that Urgent Evoke can be a lot of fun and that it has a lot of communication like aim, facebook and Twiter because you can get a lot of friends and you can just put up blogposts which is communicating.

After reading the book "UnSpun," I have constantly been thinking about sources from which I receive my news. Obviously, every source is going to have some sort of bias, and while NPR provides accurate journalism, one should not rely on only one network for updates and analysis. But instead of going to FactCheck.org for every piece of news read, there is another way to check the honesty and accuracy of journalists: watch The Daily Show with John Stewart.

NBC: Nightly News anchor Brian Williams himself recently acknowledged the increasingly important role that Stewart plays in today's society:

But "a lot of the work that Jon and his staff do is serious," Williams says. "They hold people to account, for errors and sloppiness. ... It's usually delivered with a smile — sometimes not. It's not who we do it for, it's not our only check and balance, but it's healthy — and it helps us that he's out there."
Brian Williams: Why John Stewart Is Good For News

The Daily Show's role has changed from one of providing comic relief to actually being a quasi-police force for journalism. And today, that is not at all a bad thing. To be sure, like the rest of us, Stewart and his team have their biases:

 

And it's "being compiled by — again, if you had to typecast the way we all get typecast — probably by liberal-minded types on Manhattan's West Side, and they get to do the kind of populist-pitchfork-outrage, keeping-us-all-in-line comedy show every night."
Brian Williams: Why John Stewart Is Good For News

But they do just that, keep other journalists in line. In the article, Williams talked about how when discussing story ideas at NBC, he always has John Stewart in the back of his mind - any story they put on should not be one that will show up on The Daily Show the next night. But the fact that the show is still going strong with no shortage of material shows that this type of reporting, exposing the flaws and incorrect facts or assumptions in the work of other journalists, is needed today.

 

And while providing a very entertaining show, viewers can also be informed. I remember watching The Daily Show during the 2008 presidential race after flipping through almost every major network news channel - they just didn't cut it for me. Each channel had the same analysis, updates, and opinions that became repetitive and boring in my mind. But John Stewart kept the comedy coming. I enjoyed watching the updates when results came in from states across the nation, and was informed without being overwhelmed or disinterested.

 

This brings me to another point that makes John Stewart an effective host. He can be a news anchor one minute and a comedian the other, while running through a range of topics that span from everything to war to Wall Street to the latest celebrity news. This makes the show engaging, a breath of fresh air when compared to the seriousness of regular nightly news.

This quarter in English, we have periodically discussed the concept of Fair Use and the copyright laws that are in place in the U.S. today.  After viewing "RiP: A Remix Manifesto", I began to consider the abnormal copyright laws.  In the film, Girl Talk (a musical artist) plays an important role in exhibiting the problems with our modern coypright system.  Girl Talk creates unique music using samples from other songs and combining them in order to construct an original and authentic NEW song.  However, the music industry is not a fan of Girl Talk.  Record companies that own the rights to the songs that Girl Talk samples believe that Girl Talk cannot sample the music without paying because the songs are "intellectual property".  I believe that this is incorrect because Girl Talk isn't using the songs, he is changing them and creating some thing new.  The following video is Girl Talk creating a short song.  It is obvious that the new creation sounds nothing like the original song that was used:

  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KykbPtRb0K4 This clip is actually featured in the film "RiP: A Remix Manifesto".       Girl Talk is not the only other artist that creates these so called "mashups".  There are tons of other artists that create similar music.  A producer named Danger Mouse once created what many believe to be one of the greatest mashup albums ever: The Grey Album (a mashup between Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatle's White album).  This album wasn't out for long before the record company with the rights to the Beatle's music shut it down. Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) said:

"A lot of people just assume I took some Beatles and, you know, threw some Jay-Z on top of it or mixed it up or looped it around, but it's really a deconstruction. It's not an easy thing to do. I was obsessed with the whole project, that's all I was trying to do, see if I could do this. Once I got into it, I didn't think about anything but finishing it. I stuck to those two because I thought it would be more challenging and more fun and more of a statement to what you could do with sample alone. It is an art form. It is music. You can do different things, it doesn't have to be just what some people call stealing. It can be a lot more than that."^[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grey_Album 

   Within this post I have sampled too things from the internet that are not my own original creations.  However, I believe that through fair use I have used them properly.  Neither of the samples are "transformative".  Both have been used as they were intended to be used.  Also, both samples were appropriate in length.

 

 As I signed on to my Facebook profile to see what new and interesting things have been posted to my wall, I became distracted by a link that said, "'This person' has become a fan of 'this group.'" The group name made me laugh and the fact that that certain person had joined it made me laugh even harder so I decided to check it out. As I scrolled down looking at the group, I noticed that another one of my facebook friends was a member of the group. Realizing that I haven't talked to that person in a while, I clicked their picture and proceeded to their page. Coming to the realization that I was becoming increasingly less and less productive, I quickly signed off and moved on to my youthvoices post. What was I going to write about? Then it came to me. Cyberstalking. I had recently read an article about how the cyberstalking case laws were enforced. There really are not set laws except for in a few states. What really determines a case is whether or not the victim was ever made to feel in danger or threatened. I was interested in this new crime because facebook is such an easy site for people to stalk on...it turns out that it's even easier than I thought. Our world has become so centered around technology that it has come to the point where even crimes are able to be committed at the click of a mouse. Also, our progression into the technological age has allowed, for lack of a better term, "Creepers" to, well, creep. 

 

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I know that all of us expect our right to privacy, but we have to understand that when we post information on sites such as facebook, myspace, and twitter, there are people out there who can find it. We have to be very careful and as much as we want our justice system to protect us from that, we need to take the responsibility on ourselves to protect ourselves.

 

    From getting and giving marker "tattoos" to sitting next to my friend while she got 5 black stars inked in different places on her body, tattoos are something I've always been interested in. I definitely plan on getting one, though I have no idea where or what. However, I know a lot of people (including my mom) who are very disproving of this idea and question why anyone would want to get something permanent on themselves.To be honest, it's mostly just because I can.

    I think that tatoos are fine as long as you are smart about what you get and where you put them (so employers can't see them and would still be willing to hire you). I knew a girl who got "BITE ME" on the inside of her lip, even though it's not something that I would get, it was in a place that no one could see, at least she didn't get it on her hand or something.

    Tattoos can have a lot of emotional significance or can just be there because the design is cool. Travis Barker (the drummer of Blink-182) covered his body with tattoos to force himself to pursue music because he knew that his career outlook would be pretty limited if he was covered head to toe in ink.

"I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music." Link.

I admire him for pushing himself to do what he knew he was capable of, and each tattoo he got helped him get to where he is today. A lot of things people worry about with tattoos is the regret, say 20 years from now. I think as long as you don't get something stupid (such as a boyfriends name), there's nothing to regret. Anyways if you really start to hate your tattoo there is laser tattoo removal which is extremely effective and there is only a 5% chance of scarring.

The Archive (the embed code wasn't working sorry)

Paul has the largest record collection in the world. With over 1 million albums and 1.5 million singles, his collection is worth over $50 million. Only 17% of his music collection is available to the public on CD which means 83% of it isn't available on the shelves. Paul's most valuable record is a Rollingstones album that was never comercially released and is estimated to be worth about $10,000.

It's heartbreaking to hear that the days of vinyl are dying. Paul has spent his whole life collecting records and only wants to share his love for music. He argues that music is 100 times better on vinyl and is sad that many out there today are "asleep" to the value of vinyl. If you love music, you will appreciate the value of Paul's collection.

His asking price is only $3 million and his collection remains unsold.

I hope one day there will be someone who will preserve Paul's vinyl archive. Sometimes I wonder why the most valuable art is neglected.

I believe that I will still be here, with a family, having my favorite meal, a nice steak with french fries. The fries will be as crispy as ever, and the steak will be rare, so its nice and juicy. I'm sitting around the table, eating it with my family, which are also similarly having the same food. We are enjoying it in US, maybe in California since its nice there.

10 years from now, my perfect future would be working as a CEO in some company. I always picture myself having enough money from my career that makes a good amount of money to be able to live well, and give to a variety of different charities. Then it would be that I will always be helping someone and giving back to this world.
 
Having money would be useful in 2020 when Alchemy calls, because it means that I would be able to fund projects that can help benefit the wider community; for example, that I would be able to fund the transport over food to Tokyo.

 

Not all games are the same. Some are video games are  played for the relief of stress. Others seem to be designed to challenge the minds of both men and women, young and old alike. While some are played simply for simple fun. Whatever game it is, the goals are always the same: to reach the end. I enjoy playing video games that challenge the mind. I find them to be more fun than action games. But this doesn't mean that I won't enjoy playing a fighting game like Dead or Alive 4. That is actually one of my favorite game.
 

 

I am occasionally enjoy playing fighter games. I like Dead or Alive, Soul Caliber, and Tekken. Anything and everything that uses fast-paced strategy. I love to find new and easier ways to defeat my opponents and master new moves. I feel accomplished when I complete one of these goals or I win in the final battle at the end of story mode. I also enjoy watching the little end clips that you see at the end of each character's story mode. I enjoy knowing that I'm one step closer to defeating the ultimate boss, to being a winner. If I happen to lose, I do what any other player  would do. I tell myself that I'm going to win the next time that I play. I come back to these games after doing poorly/losing because its not the actual winning that entertains me. Its the battle, the struggle to win, and the challenge that reaching that goal presents.
 

 

Recently, I've been spending some time playing the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life. This is a game in which you have to control a Haitian family, and hopefully not accidentally kill them.  The goal of the game is to survive four years and hopefully educate the family and help them to make enough money to be able to live comfortably. This is a goal easier said than done. The family gets sick if you work them too hard. But if you don't work them hard enough, then you won't have enough money to survive. By the end of the game, if you are lucky enough to make to the end of the game, you have hopefully not killed everyone in the family, but I can almost guarantee you that at least one of the members of the family have passed away.
 

 

The first time you play the game, you immediately think that it will be an easy game to beat. It seems like a simply made game. I mean, how hard can it be to help a family survive 4 years? It really isn't until the third or fourth time when the game starts to get repetitive that you truly realize that the game is never actually the same. You begin to realize that this is what life must really be like for some Haitian families. You become thankful and feel as though you have been taking your lifestyle for granted.
 

 

There are times when you are playing this game that you want to quit. You don't want to keep dealing with all of the illnesses and depression. But you keep going because you can almost see the light at the end of that four year tunnel. So you keep playing, keep trying. Trying to help this family that is depending on you to keep them healthy, safe, and happy. You want to help them to have a life that similar to yours, because you know how happy they would be if they could switch places with you, even for just a little while.
 

 

In the course of playing this game I confirmed my knowledge of the issues of life in Haiti. My knowledge is confirmed that a lot of the living spaces lack interior plumbing. The people are overworked for too little pay, and the children are forced to work at such young ages. They have no choice, but to live this way.
 

 

In my opinion, this is a good way to learn about these issues. But I don't think that this is a good place to pick up facts about life in other areas. People should use games like this to become aware of worldly issues, but then they should take it upon themselves to locate more reliable sources.
 

 

 

     It's believed that sex offender John Gardner III murdered and raped Chelsea King. He’s been in prison for harming teens ages 13 on up. He has to have the title sex offender for harming these young ladies. I've heard a lot about the raping of Chelsea King. It seems to be on everybody’s mind recently. Sex offenders are very mean. I've been wondering what other crimes John Gardener has done other than raping Chelsea King.      I did research on sex offender John Gardner. I found two articles. The first one is “Sex offender suspected in California Teen’s Disappearance, got light sentence in 2000,” and “Chelsea King, John Albert Gardner: Body of missing teen found.” John Gardner went to prison for 6 years because he molested a 13 year old girl. They have “wanted to spare the victim the trauma of testifying. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587741,00.html “When he was sentenced to 6 years in prison a public official said that he "never expressed on scintilla of remorse for his attack upon the victim.”  http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=1294  Police and volunteers have found items that link Chelsea King to him. The end of last December they found evidence of him linking to a female jogger at that same park where Chelsea went missing, later her body was found at Lake Hodges . John Gardner might also be connected to Amber Dubois who has been missing for over a year.                      In the Fox News article there really isn't a view point but I do understand how her parents feel because I’ve had people die in my life. They just have wanted her to have come home. I fully agree with my law article because it is very sad that John Gardner killed Chelsea King. I also believe that people should be able to jog on public jogging trails safely. I learned what happened when John Gardner Molested that 13 year old girl. People can be very terrifying. John Gardner III is very a very dangerous sex offender.    

 

After our religion classes had to listen to recordings of the christian rock songs now in heavy rotation during school masses, some of my friends and I began joking about our school starting to include christian hardcore songs in the mass repertoire. Christian hardcore, for those normal enough to classify modern music into simple rock and rap genres, is a heavy metal offshoot, that derives its musical sound from death metal, but rather than satanic and secular lyrical themes, it uses the New Testament for lyrical muse.

It was only a matter of time before various heavy metal sub-genres started adopting christian themes because modern metal is usually associated with dramatic lyrical themes. Some kids that grew up listening to traditional metal bands liked the sound, but rejected the whole satanic image because of their christian upbringings. When they started their own bands, they used the traditionally brutal sound and delivery of the music to depict gospel images and themes. These bands are used as a form of ministry, intending to bring God into the lives of angry kids.

A Christian hardcore concert is, while being much the same, an opposite from your typical secular show. While moshing and shouting may still persist, and while violent rhythms and burning guitars may still burrow through the crowds' hearing like flesh-eating earwigs, there is also an air of holiness about the place. There is ministry performed by the band members between songs, and there is an effort to "lift up your brother, don't put him down," as P.O.D. says to their fans when the mosh pit breaks open as violently as a Northeastern storm cloud in front of their stage. A hardcore Christian concert is all about enjoying music and praising God, as well as trying to bring those who are in the hardcore scene and thus most detached from God closer to His will.” -Source

Although many see it as a joke, christian hardcore has steadily gained more and more radio play in the last few years. Because lyrical themes are not always obvious on first listen, many do not realize what they are listening to, also meaning the themes are lost on most.

 

     What do you want to do before you die?  This question has been on my mind lately because of all the recent catastrophes in the world.  Life as we know it seems  to be changing.  The earthquake in Chile knocked the earth ever-so-slightly off its axis causing the days to become shorter,  in four years all of the harm humans have done to the earth will be irreversible, and Utah has a 13% chance of getting an earthquake the size of Haiti's and Chile's.      
    My Spanish teacher is constantly saying, "Viven en este momento (Live in this moment)," to my class.  At the beginning of my senior year I just laughed thinking she was being a cheeseball.  But maybe she is right, more evidence is surfacing that the possibility of more cataclysmic events is yet to come.  So as I am slowly learning to take my teachers advice, I am starting with my time right now.  Instead of skipping out on family dinner- I go happily, I tell my parents I love them every time I walk out the door, I try to grasp every opportunity to help others even if it may put me out of my comfort zone, and most of all I am trying to break down walls I put up around myself. 
    Four guys on MTV's The Buried Life seem to have the same concerns as me.  They created a huge list of everything they want to do before they die.  Everything they check off the list, they mark something off of someone else's.  During the show they have reunited old best friends, helped a 13 year old girl face her fear of roller coasters, and gave a blind man the chance to ride a horse again after 20 years.   As they put it, "We were tired of going through life with no direction."  

 

 

 

I'm learning more about Queens sees huge surge in demand for emergency meals and food right now, and in particular what I'm wondering about is: why more than half of food pantries still had to turn people away because they ran out of food.

I was researching this question online, and this news item caught my attention because it explains the problems about giving food to elder people. It also talks about Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer are co-sponsoring legislation to make permanent the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive that encourages businesses to donate unused food items to food banks. It also states that another piece of legislation Gillibrand is co-sponsoring to help support food pantries and other charities is an extension of tax credits for seniors when they make charitable donations from their retirement savings. Such credits are set to expire at the end of this year.

A paragraph that caught my eye was " Emergency measures taken in Washington over the past year dramatically increased the availability of food stamps and government purchases of food for emergency relief programs, according to Triada Stampas, the Food Bank's director of government relations and public education, but failed to fill the gap in the city." This is because it explains about food emergency.

"Because of the bad economy, New York families that typically donate food, warm clothes and other basics to those in need just can't afford to this year," Gillibrand said. "As a result, food bank shelves have gone bare, and hunger and food insecurity have reached disturbing, historic highs." "

The quote I chose here is basically saying the because of the bad economy that we are having right now sometimes it hard for them to find food.
I think this is strong because without money sometimes it's hard to get food. But if people donate or give food that they don't eat then that's good.

'm learning about "We need to realize Africa's potential on agriculture" right now, and in particular what I'm wondering is African farmers must be able to access the knowledge and tools they need to unleash agriculture's full potential for the continent? I was researching this question online, and this article caught my attention because it talks about the threat of food insecurity, of a changing climate, of disrupted marketplaces all paint a picture of potential famine, drought and widespread poverty.

"Climate change is exacerbating an already poor food supply in Africa,
leaving farmers less capable of providing for themselves, let alone their communities. The problems vary across the continent – droughts, flash floods, early rains, late frosts – but they all threaten to make farmers' traditional planting knowledge obsolete. A recent report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) projects that wheat, rice and maize yields in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to drop by 34%, 15% and 10% respectively by 2050."

The quote that I chose here is basically saying that climate is something important because that determines the food.

I think that this is strong because people need food to survive. Without food they are dead.

I'm learning more about Fighting for Africa's food security right now , and in particular what I'm wondering about is how people work so hard? I was researching this question online, and this article caught my attention because it shows how people in Africa need help.

"She continues to till her field with a hand hoe, using seed saved from previous harvests, and applying a teaspoonful of fertiliser per maize plant. Her working hours and type of inputs have remained the same over the years; however, the yields have been declining drastically. "

This quote I chose here is basically saying how they wake up early and start to work so they can get something to eat.

I think that this is strong because for them they have to work really hard to find food. Another quote that I liked was " "This is how I wake up every day, this is how I survive." I like this quote because it shows how they are willing to survive no matter what.

I'm learning more about Online Gaming right now, and in particular what I'm wondering is are we increasingly live our real lives inside of massively multiplayer games? I was researching this question on Online, and this podcast caught my attention because it talks about games. Something that I saw in the podcast that caught my eye was when it said that they are planning to have more games for the people so they can play in public places. Like for example like in hospitals, restaurants,and etc.

"The experience of being good at something"

This quote I chose here is basically saying that with a game you can find yourself knowing how good you are at playing games.

I think this is strong because it is true most people play game sand realize that they are great playing games.

 

One valentines day memory that i will always remember, when i went to middle school. We participated in this grab bag game. I picked the new girl in the class, she also picked me. I thought to my self "oh this is goin to be easy". I thought that because she rarely ever speaked but always henged out with alot of friends. I got her a box of chocolate a teddy bear and baloons. She got me a pair of sneakers. Inside of the sneaker i found a paper. She wrpte me a love letter with her number attached to it. I was cool with it from first so we started going out. Things started gettin weird though. She call'ed me all the time, i mean ALL the time. She wanted to go every where going. I started getin upset and tryed to talk to her about it but i wasnt realy gettin through to her. So i let her go. I didnt want to but i dont regret my descission. I found our friendship way better than our other relationship.
 

 

Blogging is really boring. It can be kind of cool to read some blog posts, especially if someone knows what they're talking about and are passionate about it, but most of us are just not that interesting to have lengthy topics nor do most of us have time to develop and articulate them well. So in the interest of sparing you a blog post I will outline the top 3 reasons why blogging is always going to have a niche status for particular areas but discussion groups will rule the day in the Blogosphere.

This image below of men on a scaffold describes collaboration on 2 levels - imagine the man on the top controls what everyone beneath him does and while people will try to convince him and those in between the bottom and the top that what they want to do is best, the man on top controls all. What discussion allows is for people to move up and down the ladder to work with the person that is on top to create the best product possible. This I believe leads to more engagement in work and promotes more creativity.

Audience - Round 1

Blogs:

Did you like it when your parents told you to sit down and eat your vegetables before your dessert? What if you felt you could ignore them and take the dessert anyway? That's what happens with blogs though - someone tells you what they think and your only resolution is to protest or agree with what they're saying in a sense whether it's by contributing a positive/negative response or contributing relevant information that refutes or supports their point(s). I don't want to eat the vegetables Mr. Blogger tells me to though - if he doesn't give me what I want then I'm resigned to going to the neighbors and having dinner with them since I can't change a blog's "main course". Across many topics this approach can lead to disarray and a scattering of discussion when consolidation of opinions would be more beneficial.

Discussion Groups:

In a discussion no one controls what I can or can't say (with the exception of a moderator) In a discussion I can disagree with what someone says in one thread and then start another thread on a tangential topic related to it - without Mr. Blogger originating a post for me to respond to. If you want 1 author with responses to just that author (and maybe comments responding to other comments) then you go with a blog. If you want real collaboration, real question asking, and the ability to create pools of information quickly with many people, you go with a discussion group. Most times we don't need what blogs offer unless it's an expert or popular opinion - most other forms of blogs do not offer information in a palatable or preferable format and for sharing personal information. I think the micro-blogging movement combined with multipurpose social networks like Facebook(tm) is presenting daily personal information and opinions better than blogs.

Organization - Round 2

Blogs:

Blogs organizationally are boring. Reverse chronological order...with an archive!! Let's throw some tags in there (if I have the time and energy to try to align new tags with past tags to make them useful) and maybe a search bar. All of this requires WORK to figure out - in what time period was a post relevant - what tags might it be listed under - maybe a search will turn it up? But what if I don't know quite what I'm looking for, don't know the tags on the blog that are frequently used (if they're even used correctly), and don't have a time frame to look at - I now need to read through all this person's ramblings or in some cases well structured arguments and hope to find something interesting?

Discussion Groups:

Discussion groups though...discussions are organized into thematic forums that are usually governed by a moderator's guidelines. They are not as versatile as tagging in labelling information but the topics are infinitely more browseable in this format since they're located in just one area and not in an amorphous web of dated entries. The discussion threads in each group are usually in reverse chronological order too which provides the timely benefits of the blog with the more orderly and disciplined categorization of strict categories rather than chaotic tagging. Plus, many discussion forums include a search feature too - so in short with regards to organization, tagging vs. strict categories is what distinguishes blogging vs. discussion groups and in this case, many I believe will find the stricter categorization more welcome than the tagging when it comes to browsing. Tagging and tag clouds can win - if the person who does the tagging is rigorous and smart about it - but most bloggers aren't sadly.

Ownership - Round 3

Blogs:

Blogs are owned by one person. On a blog I am by definition a guest that offers opinions and insights, but the content isn't mine, just the opinions. In addition, my questions will never be primary - they will not be the center of attention and if the conversation drags on long enough then my interesting post will be lost or misconstrued in the mass of comments (on a blog that's very active).

Discussion Groups:

Discussion groups I can be the commentor OR the leader - I can help define and shape the purpose of the forums through the frequency of my posts and the attention they receive (usually based on how thought provoking they are). My thoughts and ideas if they're relevant will have a great impact whereas on a blog I can impact people's opinion only after they've already been molded by Mr. Boring Blogger. In short...Discussion groups offers a democratic approach vs. a tyrannical approach governed by the owner of a blog.

My question to you: How do you feel about these observations and in what ways could a blog be superior to a discussion group?

 

    This summer my family is going "around the world." I am very excited about this trip because I will be visiting some amazing and beautiful places. I will experience different cultures and societies. I am also a little nervous as well because of these very reasons. When I went to New York City I found the typical "New Yorker" attitude slightly offensive. When I went to Belize I found their laid-back attitude very different from people from Utah. These experiences have been spread out over various vacations in my life. But this summer we are going from Italy to Greece to Moscow to Nepal to Australia to Korea to Japan and finally back home.
    I'm also worried because this trip is going to be during the entire month of July, when most colleges have orientations, meet your roommate, and class registration. It seems like I always miss the most important dates for school because of family vacations. I missed the first day of school from 3rd to 6th grade, I've missed every class registration in April for Judge, and I've never actually been to the book sale during the summer.     All of these things aside I think going to these amazing places is going to be super exciting. I've wanted to go to Australia ever since I was scuba certified when I was twelve. I'm most looking forward to scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, one of which I've already been to (the Grand Canyon) and two of which I get to see this summer (Great Barrier Reef and Mount Everest). Another thing that got me excited was this past weekend while at my sister's piano federation I met Apa Sherpa, the man who holds the record amount of times summiting Mount Everest. He has summited 19 times and plans at 20th trip this May.   Some things that interest me about these three natural wonders are:

"The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organic collective visible from Earth's orbit. The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Australia, is one of the wonders of the natural world - it is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. - Great Barrier Reef"

"Whitewater rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon offers a unique view of one of the most popular natural wonders of the world. -Colorado River Rafting in Arizona"

"Mount Everest is just one of over 30 peaks in the Himalayas that are over 24,000 ft/7315m high. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word meaning, "abode of snow", which is so true. The name of the mountain in Nepal is Sagarmatha, which means "goddess of the sky". The snowfields which dominate many of the peaks in the Himalayas are permanent. Yes, they never melt (not even in the summer). - World Famous Extremes"

 Great Barrier Reef
   Grand Canyon    Mount Everest
 

 

    I find myself these past couple of years becoming increasingly busier every year. I've found many times this year and last where I've wanted to uproot my hair from my skull in frustration, or feel as though I'm going crazy from frustration.

Why do I make my life so busy? It seems that it's not just me whose life has grown to be "too much to handle." Many in our senior class seem to be on edge with so much to do. I've noticed a general increase in the number of activities kids and high school students are involved in...and I'm not the only one. It's a growing national trend - kids are becoming too involved in too many activities, without time to do, well, nothing. UCLA Health Care Pediatrics talks about this in an article:
 

Monday – soccer, Tuesday – piano lesson, Wednesday –Spanish tutor… Sound familiar? Between school and extracurricular activities, today’s child often leads a busier life than a corporate CEO.

And it also explains some of the reasons why that younger kids are so overscheduled:

According to Dr. Tyler, well-intentioned parents often sign their children up for too many activities. “Parents sometimes feel pressure to include their children in a variety of activities, believing that it will give them a competitive edge against their peers, whether in sports or school,” she observes. “Parents may feel that they don’t want their child left out of activities that other children enjoy or they may push their children to keep up with the other parents who are also enrolling children in a particular sport or class.”

...“Children may agree to an activity if they feel pressure to please parents who may want it more than they do,” Dr. Tyler notes. “Honestly assess whether you are separating your own needs from your child’s.”

    And while kids in elementary and middle school are involved in more after school activities than ever, the problem doesn't stop there. As I realized before, high schoolers are overscheduling themselves more now than ever as well. A 2008 Washington Post article "Too Busy Teens Feel Health Toll" related to this problem:

Despite warnings by experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which in 2006 issued a report about the perils of "pressure-filled intense preparation for a high-achieving adulthood," and a recent spate of popular books including "The Overachievers" (which focused on Whitman), there are few indications that high school students will face an altered landscape anytime soon... Adolescent medicine specialists say that a primary cause of the apparent pervasiveness of this relentless activity is demographic: The number of applications to the nation's colleges is expected to peak with the class of 2009 and won't begin to decline for several more years. Although there is no precise definition of over-scheduling and little empirical research documenting its impact, pediatricians, psychologists and child psychiatrists say the problem is real.

The "altered landscape" the article talks about is one of late nights doing homework, one of mental breakdowns, of schedules with AP classes, sports, practices, SAT and ACT preparations and part-time jobs. Sound familiar? It does, unfortunately, to me. So why do we put ourselves under all this pressure and amount of commitment? Why do we over-schedule ourselves to the point where we end up exhausted for school itself the next morning? For some, it may be the pressure of parents, for others the pressure of getting into that perfect college and still for others perfectionism itself. However, while downtime is considered "lazy" or "unproductive", I really think it's something we need. We all need some time during our day where we can take a nap, read a book, take a walk or, imagine it, do nothing.

The urls for the websites are below:
UCLA Health -  http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=502&action=detail&ref=175
Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/14/ST20080714...

The lovely photo used can be found at: http://static.stuff.co.nz/1188302400/657/73657.jpg

 

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If anyone knows me at all then they know that I have a small obsession for the "Biggest Loser" on NBC. Every Tuesday (except for those two unfortunate weeks during the Olympics when it was off) i rush home, hurry and finish my dinner and settle in for a good two hours of my favorite show. I dont know what it is about the show that is so fascinating, could it be the pure competition of it all, or people striving to change their lives for the better. Well whatever it is im hooked and I dont see myself quitting anytime soon. However because of my love for the show it shocked and astoinded me when i was walking through my neighborhood grocery store and i glanced at the rows of glossy magazines and saw the biggest loser. Naturally i picked it up and began reading the article. The article was about how the contestants from the show eventually gained the weight back in real life and how they were using dangerous methods in order to lose weight, such as an excess of exercise and literally starving themselves. Online i was reading an article written by a fitness expert who explained some startling facts.
 

What many fans seem to ignore is that weight loss is not the same as fat loss. Body weight includes muscle, bones, internal organs, water, glycogen and don’t forget the contents of the digestive tract.

Fitness article

This is quite disturbing to me because one of the main reasons that i watch the show is because its so uplifting and shows how these people are changing their lives. A good majority of the program focuses on the contestants talking about how they will never go back to their old selves. I can only imagine how deflating that would be to go on the biggest loser and then gain every pound back. These people probably are worse off then when they started. And not only that the detriment to their health but to their mental well being as well. No matter what the cons are i still cant imagine giving up my favorite show. There are many cons but you cant deny the fact that the show is changing lives and while some might go back to their old habits thats the same with all diets. The biggest loser inspired people and helps people get up off the couch and change thier lives.

Heres a picture of a before and after of one of the contestants

http://www.starling-fitness.com/wp-content/uploads/alibiggestloser.jpg

 

     So maybe you're not an avid high school dance goer. Granted they have a tendency to be a little over rated. Drama over dates, dresses, dinner, and such can make the event more stress producing than a fun leisurely event. But all cons aside, I think it's a fairly safe bet that the majority of high schoolers plan on attending their senior prom. Because for most people, it's just something you do. It's one of those "renowned" factors of high school. What I never realized was that in many schools, people of gay or lesbian orientation are prohibited from bringing a date with same-sex preference. In a northern school district in Jackson, Mississippi, senior Constance McMillen wanted to attend her prom with her lesbian partner as well as being dressed in a tuxedo. Not only did the school not allow her to attend, they canceled the prom entirely. 

    Upon coming across this article I was disappointed in a few respects. First, I disagreed with the school board's decision to not allow Constance to bring her preferred date. Although allowing her to bring a female date may have been out of the ordinary, there is no reason why such a request should result in the cancellation of the prom all together. Though what disappointed me just as much as the topic described in the article was the responses in the comments that were posted on the issue. It shocks me that people can leave such demoralizing and rude comments on a public website. Some of the comments that were posted as a response to the article were extremely disrespectful and chances are, had those people who wrote such comments been face to face with Constance herself, they wouldn't have the courage to say the things they wrote on the Internet. Here are few examples of the mean comments that I came across, 

 

"Anonymous | 8:24 a.m. March 11, 2010
    Leave it up to the gays to cause trouble for everyone."

"Alternative | 8:21 a.m. March 11, 2010    
    Students: hold an informal yet widespread alternative prom. Don't invite the one who ruined it all. "

"Anonymous | 11:09 a.m. March 11, 2010
    Your offense does not have justification to oppress others."

    
    Not one of the people who left a negative comment used their names. Society has introduced us to a world of ways to advocate our opinions without being personally judged by our peers. We can leave inconsiderate comments without telling the world our names. I think it is important to live by the standard that the only things you say or write down are things that you could tell someone face to face or with your named signed at the end of your comment. If you are feel unable to do so, then what you're saying probably shouldn't be voiced publicly. ( Below is a picture of Constance McMillen)