If I had to choose someone to be thankful for I would probably choose Haley since I've "known" her the longest. She's in my division and we live very close to one another. I first met her in freshman orientation and freshmen connection. Since then our relationship has developed into a brother sister relationship. It's weird but funny in way as well. Haley is a good classmate and friend because we have a very good understanding of each other and unfortunately for her I know how to make her angry. However, she also knows how to come back at me with jokes. So all in all we are very good friends that know how to piss each other off and make each other laugh.
For me it seems that the longer that I know Haley the more dependent I have become on her. I find myself asking her lots of questions about homework and other various questions. I think I definitely depend on her more than she depends on me but I'll never admit that to her. Haley has saved me many a times and I thank her for that, and that is why she is probably the best classmate.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
I am a Plow
A plow to me is a agricultural tool. However, I doubt Mr. McCarthy wanted us to talk about how we help a farm. So a plow in this sense, to me, is a person who goes through life with their head down and does the same thing everyday. These types of people are "Going through the motions." Therefore people that take initiative in the world and are passionate in what they do are the ones that aren't plows.
People that are plows wear in the same path everyday by doing the same thing over and over again. On the other hand people that don't do this make new paths. In all both groups of people could be looked at as a plow. One makes the same trench over and over while the other makes a new path each time.
People that are plows wear in the same path everyday by doing the same thing over and over again. On the other hand people that don't do this make new paths. In all both groups of people could be looked at as a plow. One makes the same trench over and over while the other makes a new path each time.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A Direction the Class Needs
A few of my class get to be a little tedious because of the repeated class structure: Go over homework, lecture, in-class work, and then assign homework. To me this shouldn't be how we learn. Classes should be taught the way we want to be taught. We're the ones learning after all. People learn better if they are taught in a way they can relate.
Everyone learns better a certain way so I think they should be taught based on how they learn best. For example, if a student learns chemistry best with hands on examples like labs, then that student should have more labs in his/her lesson plan. Or if someone learns better with lectures then they have more lectures. All in all for me a class has to intrigue me for me to maintain focus. So therefore the classes I like are classes that have aspects that I enjoy.
American Lit this year hasn't had this problem yet because we have discussions that I can jump into if I have an opinion to put forth. I tend to excel in classes that have aspects that are my learning strengths. So in conclusion, I think that if we are taught the way we learn best we can all make it through high school learning and having fun.
Everyone learns better a certain way so I think they should be taught based on how they learn best. For example, if a student learns chemistry best with hands on examples like labs, then that student should have more labs in his/her lesson plan. Or if someone learns better with lectures then they have more lectures. All in all for me a class has to intrigue me for me to maintain focus. So therefore the classes I like are classes that have aspects that I enjoy.
American Lit this year hasn't had this problem yet because we have discussions that I can jump into if I have an opinion to put forth. I tend to excel in classes that have aspects that are my learning strengths. So in conclusion, I think that if we are taught the way we learn best we can all make it through high school learning and having fun.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Modern Day Slavery
Around the world, children are working in more dangerous jobs than the average person in America. Approximately 1-6 children ages 5-14 are victims of child labor. Millions in the world work in very hazardous conditions such as mines, chemical plants, and around dangerous machinery. Most parents are worried when their kids start climbing trees or rough housing on a jungle gym. They couldn't even fathom having their five year-old breathing in harmful chemicals and doing tedious labor for twelve hours. These children are in need, yet they are invisible to most of the world. The majority of people don't care how they got their gold necklace, but if they knew that a child almost died to make it; maybe they'd think twice.
The child slavery all over the world for the most part goes unnoticed, due to the fact that cases aren't publicized. I find this sad because this means that companies that use children are getting away with child labor without penalties. Also child labor isn't exactly thought as slavery it's looked upon more as a wrongful crime. People don't think it is as serious of a problem as it really is. So all in all we all know it is happening yet we don't do anything because no one knows how serious it is.
In conclusion, I don't think child labor is seen as a very serious problem because it is not publicized a lot. The slavery most people think of is either the sex trade or sweat shops. However, child labor is just as serious. To sum everything up child labor should be explained to people so the rest of the world knows of this massive world wide problem. Just think billions of children around the world are victims of child labor. So the next time you buy something made outside of the US, think about the idea that a 5 year old child may have had to suffer in order for you to get that product. And then if you buy that product you support child labor.
The child slavery all over the world for the most part goes unnoticed, due to the fact that cases aren't publicized. I find this sad because this means that companies that use children are getting away with child labor without penalties. Also child labor isn't exactly thought as slavery it's looked upon more as a wrongful crime. People don't think it is as serious of a problem as it really is. So all in all we all know it is happening yet we don't do anything because no one knows how serious it is.
In conclusion, I don't think child labor is seen as a very serious problem because it is not publicized a lot. The slavery most people think of is either the sex trade or sweat shops. However, child labor is just as serious. To sum everything up child labor should be explained to people so the rest of the world knows of this massive world wide problem. Just think billions of children around the world are victims of child labor. So the next time you buy something made outside of the US, think about the idea that a 5 year old child may have had to suffer in order for you to get that product. And then if you buy that product you support child labor.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Puritans Today...
Salem: The darkest times of the Salem actually put it on the map. As the tourists came to Salem the town was filled once again with witches.
Puritans: The puritan was created on the idea that orthodox christianity. They tried to live the bible as literally as possible in their own lives.
House of the seven gables: The House is believed to be haunted. Many employees believe there is a young boy and a women spirit.
Hawthorne: Hawthorne's grandfather was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Father died at a young age, mother went into seclusion until her death. Was a very angry writer, resembled the house.
The Puritans still make their way into our society today but we don't see it as much anymore. Their way of thinking still is around. The literal meanings of things are still around in our now a day political parties. Each has its interpretation on different things to different degrees. However most don't believe that there is a perfect person as did the Puritans. So all in all the Puritans as a society didn't last but their legacy and ways live on forever within the modern day world.
Puritans: The puritan was created on the idea that orthodox christianity. They tried to live the bible as literally as possible in their own lives.
House of the seven gables: The House is believed to be haunted. Many employees believe there is a young boy and a women spirit.
Hawthorne: Hawthorne's grandfather was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Father died at a young age, mother went into seclusion until her death. Was a very angry writer, resembled the house.
The Puritans still make their way into our society today but we don't see it as much anymore. Their way of thinking still is around. The literal meanings of things are still around in our now a day political parties. Each has its interpretation on different things to different degrees. However most don't believe that there is a perfect person as did the Puritans. So all in all the Puritans as a society didn't last but their legacy and ways live on forever within the modern day world.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Moment I Knew I was an American
To be an American? Many things can classify a person as being American; views, background, virtues, goals. For me an American is anyone who expresses the views of freedom and the has the will to accomplish his or her goals. Race, ethnic background, culture have nothing to do with being an American. If you are a hardworking person looking to make a good life for yourself and share the necessity of freedom, you meet all the qualifications. Born in America makes you "American" but only by a slip of paper that says you were born in America. If you believe another countries virtues and opportunity are greater you could consider yourself that nationality. To say the number of people that consider themselves Americans is very few considering how many people say they live in America.
When I was a kid, I was always asking what I was. My mom would say your half Chinese and half Irish. I would also ask the story's of how our families got to America. I would ask my mom's mom especially because she immigrated from China and I found her story to be the most interesting out of all the story's. As I grew older I kept to the same story until I started being asked what race I was on surveys and tests. I had always considered myself Chinese-Irish (Chi-rish), but when I was then asked to choose between "white" and "Asian," I found myself pulled between sides of the family. I was very confused as why an "other" box was so hard to have, there has to be a pretty good amount of multi-racial kids besides just me. So this was the moment I truly realized I was an American. I represented the make up of all most the entire country. Like myself there are millions of Americans who are multi-cultural. There is only small amount of "pure-blood" people and the numbers are going down in each generation. So when I realized that being part of many cultures was the staple of America, I realized I was American.
America was sought as the "Land of Opportunity" and it brought many cultures into it. This movement of people to America is what makes it such a beauty. Before America I would have never existed. There is no way that I would've come to be if America hadn't existed. I am a true product of America because without it I would probably not be here. The chances of an Irish man going to China would've been very slim.
When I was a kid, I was always asking what I was. My mom would say your half Chinese and half Irish. I would also ask the story's of how our families got to America. I would ask my mom's mom especially because she immigrated from China and I found her story to be the most interesting out of all the story's. As I grew older I kept to the same story until I started being asked what race I was on surveys and tests. I had always considered myself Chinese-Irish (Chi-rish), but when I was then asked to choose between "white" and "Asian," I found myself pulled between sides of the family. I was very confused as why an "other" box was so hard to have, there has to be a pretty good amount of multi-racial kids besides just me. So this was the moment I truly realized I was an American. I represented the make up of all most the entire country. Like myself there are millions of Americans who are multi-cultural. There is only small amount of "pure-blood" people and the numbers are going down in each generation. So when I realized that being part of many cultures was the staple of America, I realized I was American.
America was sought as the "Land of Opportunity" and it brought many cultures into it. This movement of people to America is what makes it such a beauty. Before America I would have never existed. There is no way that I would've come to be if America hadn't existed. I am a true product of America because without it I would probably not be here. The chances of an Irish man going to China would've been very slim.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Us vs. Them... Us and Them
Absolutely no idea what this blog is supposed to be about, so here goes nothing.
As you go through life there are always going to be groups. Whether they're social, racial, sports, religion, or what ever they might be, they will exist forever until the world becomes one. However, I don't see this happening in my life time, but what I do see in my future is a lot of "Us vs. Them." Today all around the world their are fights between groups that have gone on for hundreds of years. For example, the Shiite and Sunni Muslim groups have been fighting for a long time and it seems as if there is no end in sight. Religion is a major group difference and it doesn't just happen in Muslim culture it happens in the majority of religious groups.
The main problem with group differences is that they just follow the same views as the generation before them so really the same war is being fought hundreds of times. If you look at some of the main problems different groups have there aren't a lot of new problems that come up most of the problems have occurred for many years. In order to move from "Us vs. Them" to "Us and Them" we have to set our differences aside and solve our disputed problems and agree to disagree on somethings.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that in order for world peace or "Us and Them" different groups have to look at what they are really fighting for. Is the reason that important to be killing over? As soon as one group looks at the bigger picture and realizes, in a hundred years they have made no progress. This is a good sign that maybe that battle is never going to be one and from the beginning there was never going to be a winner. The point I'm really trying to make is that when people see that in order to survive we rely on the good of humanity as a whole, world peace could become a possibility. For example, when you are alone the chance of you surviving by yourself is much lower than if you had a companion, if you were stranded on an island. However, if you have a companion you are more likely to survive (Tom Hanks and Wilson in Castaway).
As you go through life there are always going to be groups. Whether they're social, racial, sports, religion, or what ever they might be, they will exist forever until the world becomes one. However, I don't see this happening in my life time, but what I do see in my future is a lot of "Us vs. Them." Today all around the world their are fights between groups that have gone on for hundreds of years. For example, the Shiite and Sunni Muslim groups have been fighting for a long time and it seems as if there is no end in sight. Religion is a major group difference and it doesn't just happen in Muslim culture it happens in the majority of religious groups.
The main problem with group differences is that they just follow the same views as the generation before them so really the same war is being fought hundreds of times. If you look at some of the main problems different groups have there aren't a lot of new problems that come up most of the problems have occurred for many years. In order to move from "Us vs. Them" to "Us and Them" we have to set our differences aside and solve our disputed problems and agree to disagree on somethings.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that in order for world peace or "Us and Them" different groups have to look at what they are really fighting for. Is the reason that important to be killing over? As soon as one group looks at the bigger picture and realizes, in a hundred years they have made no progress. This is a good sign that maybe that battle is never going to be one and from the beginning there was never going to be a winner. The point I'm really trying to make is that when people see that in order to survive we rely on the good of humanity as a whole, world peace could become a possibility. For example, when you are alone the chance of you surviving by yourself is much lower than if you had a companion, if you were stranded on an island. However, if you have a companion you are more likely to survive (Tom Hanks and Wilson in Castaway).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)