Humanities *

Power.

2009-05-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

If you go back through history, examining every major event that has taken place since the beginning of time, there has always been one common driving force. This motive is the center of the main question we attempted to understand during 8th grade humanities. Power. What is power? There are countless definitions and attempts to understand such a simple word. Many of the definitions overlap on one point; the ability to affect one’s environment. Therefore, the definition I propose is, “The ability to make decisions that affect you and your environment.” In order to better understand this definition, the positive and negative effects of power will be examined.
In our world, and in our normal society, we see power in various “dimensions” or degrees.r. When you shift into three dimensions of power, the type that is “global, there are MANY large entities vying for control, or more power. Each of them are attempting to make decisions that affect the entire environment, not a small part of it. This can lead to serious problems, wars, and decisions that are not always in the best interest.
The most prominent examples of 3d power gone wrong are the World Wars. Because Germany sought to increase their power and their ability to affect their environment, their interests conflicted with that of another entity. In this case, the entity was a superpower called England, and it’s allies, France, America, and generally the west part of the world. The war that ensued was costly, painful, and all over unnecessary. Another example is the idea of imperialism, or one country’s dominance over another for capitalistic purposes. Because of England’s massive hunger for a larger environment to control, country’s including Africa were subjugated and colonized. Through this process countless cultures and people were eradicated. If you fast forward to negative 3d power in this century, it all revolves around multinational corporations. These corporations have become the new entities, and are relentless in their pursuit of environments to affect through sale of goods.
There are positive effects of power. For example, when people award power to a leader, that leader usually makes smart decisions regarding their country. This is the basic idea that governments like capitalism and socialism are formed around. Taking the United states as an example, President Lincolns decision to remove slavery, and to allow people of all colors to unite allowed progress that was never before seen. Other decisions that affect our environment such as the countless peace treaties with nations, have kept the global populace safe. Those who wield 3d power properly choose the good “global” choice, versus what they would like to see happen.
In conclusion, if you look at the net effect, I can say that Power is good. Good in the sense that the net effect of wielding power usually has good effects on people and society. In our relentless search to influence our environment, there have been many bad decisions made by powerful people. Although this has had severe effects on the populace, or us, we still elect leaders who wield power properly to make smarter decisions. Those decisions including the abolishment of slavery, the freedom of immigration act, and the decision to remove apartheid have all impacted our world positively.

Pop Project... Reflection~

2009-05-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't actually believe that I survived Pop 09. It feels great, like I just found a way to end war, or create renewable energy. I'm extremely proud of myself that I could walk into Ms. P's room and hand in that portfolio knowing that I tried my hardest.

And with this pride, came the memory of countless hours spent hunched over a computer, slowly typing out my ideas. I think that my back now as a permanent curve that will lead to osteoporosis when I'm older. But Time, was always the big thought on my mind. Enough time to finish work... to do homework... to eat...to sleep. If there's anything that Pop taught me, it's managing that time is the most important thing ever. I'm only fourteen, and I found it hard to juggle all these different activities, so what's college going to be like? I know i have to get my time management skills together if I'm going to survive the future.

It was good that we did Population Project, even if we whined and moaned about how much work we were going to do. I'll say it's good because it was a guided example of what school work in the future is going to be like. We had teachers every step of the way that taught us what to do, and how to do it. If there's one thing that I definitely got out of this project, it was simply the information how to put together a portfolio and what goes into it. Even if my management skills weren't THAT great, knowing the skills and resources to develop a research question and investigate it will remain invaluable.

Globalization: Good or Bad? (Net effect of Globalization)

2009-05-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

When I attempt to understand globalization, I look at its effects on the world in positives and negatives. People can argue that this is two flat a view, that there are many grey area effects that cannot be separated into good and bad. I disagree. I believe that the effects of pulling this world together can be both disastrous and productive. We may be able to buy converse shoes anywhere in the world, but is it worth the twenty-one hour workdays a child puts in at a factory? Is it okay for a culture to be wiped out, so that a company can access prime oil fields? We have evolved into a world where something a person does on one side of the world, affects thousands on the other. It is important to consider both viewpoints, that of the positively affected, and that of the negatively. Because there is something running this massive machine we know as globalization, and sure as heck, it isn’t America.

Just imagine a world where you can eat sushi in Texas, McDonalds in Liberia, Levi Outfitters in Mongolia. It’s already happening, and we, the citizens of developed nations, are reaping the benefits. On the pros side of this debate we have unity, global competition, the growth of a capitalistic empire based completely around the consumer. It is the creation of a world where money actually does makes the world go round. Now, every country can compete for the consumer’s interest globally. We can communicate with others across the world, for free, and instantly. This has lead to the creation of new businesses that span several cultures and nations. It has lead to the intermingling of cultures to form a new “superculture” that dominates the entire world. We are becoming uniform, yet diverse, united through our differences in a vast net that spans the world. We promote peace through a union trade and culture. It is the next logical step for capitalism.

Well, its actually the next logical step for those who experience the benefits of capitalism. Its obvious that something is driving this massive force, something is pushing globalization forward. Its something that all those who experience benefits would like to forget and sweep under a rug. The only productive way to provide people with cheap products is to use cheap labor. That means illegal, slave, dirt poor labor, all of which is becoming available on a global scale. There are people in India who work for less than twenty-five cents a day to make clothes and other goods. Even on a slightly higher economic scale, people are losing their jobs to outsourcing. This means that people with half the pay can do twice as much the work, and have it done overnight. In this process we’re replacing cultures, and in some places completely eradicating them. This is developing a society based around working to provide for others, and to survive. All in all, this has just created a larger economic gap between consumer and producer.

All in all? Well I’d have to say that globalization is a good thing. Its good because, even though I can argue the point of a negatively affected person, I am one of the benefices. I am the one who can talk to my friends in NYC for free, and I’m the one that can go to china and buy designer clothes for dirt-cheap. I’m the one that’s going to be using globalization to expand and create new ideas, develop existing ones, and share them all around the world. I would agree that it has a few flaws, and needs to be tweaked a bit for everyone around the world to become a benefice, but at present I’m enjoying the current flattening of the world.

Blogging Cartoon: An analysis.

2009-04-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

The main visual elements of this cartoon are focused around the child and parents eating at a dinner table. They are in a room with modern technology, indicating this cartoon describes the present. The main issue of this cartoon is the use of information sharing technology among the younger, our, generation. While the cartoon doesn't do much except explain the child's age, the caption describes the authors opinion on this issue. He believes that the use of technology in the younger generation causes loss of personal contact. Creating new methods of sharing information will eventually eliminate the human element. This is implied from part of the caption, "we could read your blog...OR you could just tell us about your day." I believe that the irony shown in this cartoon is that WE, the children, are blogging OUR responses to this cartoon, so that our parents, our teachers can read our responses, instead of us just tellling them. This cartoon holds a warning much like the words of Kurt Vonnegut, and the countless examples we created in our socratic seminar. Using technology eliminates human interface. This cartoon is realtively well desgined, however I think that if the author wanted to achieve greater effect, he could have made it more aparent that the child was integrated with technology.

Pop Project Work Week

2009-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Monday- I'm going to finish my research by doing two things. Visiting the library for any extra data, and reading two articles online. Start taking notes.

Tuesday- Cite my available sources using BibMe. Continue taking notes on sources. Start figuring out the organization of my paragraphs. Finish my outline by the end of the day.

Wednesday- Fine tune the outline, making sure that it makes sense. Also, start writing the thesis statement/paragraph.'

Thursday- Finish thesis statement, if it's not done already, and start the first draft>pulling info from my outline and organizing it.

Friday- Peer edit(?) the first draft. Start second draft.

*most of these three days are focused on the Research Paper.

Technology?

2009-03-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

1.Technology is defined by the Oxford American Dictionary as “a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge.” Pretty much, what that means is using new knowledge or more efficient ways to solve a basic task. However, to me, it means something completely different. Technology has come to define the world that I’m growing up in. It means computers, ipods, cellphones, the internet, printers, televisions, Xboxes, cameras, etc. So I guess I can define it as the new, more efficient, better way to solve basic tasks, connect with others, and define our world.

2. Everyone is different, meaning they're going to say different things. But for me, my top five are all used many times a day. Coming in a first is, of course, the computer. Second: cellphone, Third: Internet, Fourth: social software or things like facebook or msn, and Finally: The Usb and flash drive systems. Well, on the topic of least used technology, coming in at first place is the Rubik's Cube. They say it's a form of entertainment, but if waisting half a day rearranging shapes for no reward is entertainment, then I'm outa here. Second, The dish Maker, Third: Stickers, Fourth: Excesise Videos, and Finally: the Spork

3. I think that the amount of technology at Aes is pretty good, and not lacking to much. We can do ALOT from our small laptops, like printing, sharing, and creating. Also, there is alot of new technologies on the way. In fact, Aes is pretty far ahead when it comes to utilizing technology. For instance, my old school just got a laptop system like the one here. So overall, @∑S has done a pretty good job of intergrating technology into our lives..

Just a quote to share, " The future is already here, just not widely distributed yet." -Willam Gibson, SF novelist.

Reflection on Kurt Vonnegut's Writing

2009-03-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

“Do you know what a Luddite is? That’s a person who doesn’t like newfangled contraptions. Contraptions like nuclear submarines armed with Poseidon missiles that have H-bombs in their warheads, and like computers that cheat you out of becoming. Bill Gates says, “Wait till you can see what your computer can become.” But it’s you who should be doing the becoming. What you can become is the miracle you were born to work—not the damn fool computer.”

False. That's my assessment. I disagree with the quote for a few reasons. The first is that everything Kurt does in his writing defines him as a hypocrite. For example, even though Harrison Bergeron and the Euphio Question are meant to be satirical, they force the reader to accept technology, not to despise it. If the attempt of these writings was to repulse readers from technology, he failed horribly, resulting in people leaping into the science fiction genre with a vigor. Second, this idea that everyone has stoppped "becoming" is complete rubbish. Mr Vonnegut, I believe, doesn't understand the fact that becoming is really a form of development, and development is something disinctly human. The only true form of "not becoming" can be found in harrison Bergeron, where everyone has been handicaped from developing. It is through this development that we as humans can make better decisions, communicate faster, create new ideas. Finally, the very essence of this quote threatens the jobs and livelyhoods of thousands of people that work with technology. What I mean is that people who work with machines are working the mircale they were put on the earth to do. This could be making car parts, fine tunning microsoft software, or typing up reports in an office. In summary, no matter how you look at it, technology is part of the "miracle" were supposed to do on earth.

End of Quarter 3 Feedback

2009-03-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

I think that this quarter of humanities was the most knowledge loaded quarter from this year. There was just so much to learn and understand, and this made my some of my goals hard to achieve. But I still cannot believe that the quarter went by so fast. Period. My goals from last quarter were to turn in all my assignments on time, finish blog earlier then the blog evaluation, and prepare for Socratic seminars with solid facts. I can't really say I kept all of my goals, I missed one of them. All most all my assignments were on time, however, there were still late ones, something that shouldn't be happening this far into my 8th grade year. My blog was finished pretty close to the due date, but there was enough breathing room for me to get it done in time. My final goal, about the Socratic seminar, I completely missed because I wasn't here for it. I WAS IN ISTA! But anyway, two out of three yet again is not bad at all.

For the last quarter of humanities, i think my main goal is to have fun. I know that isn't a measurable goal but it's something I should strive for. I want to keep my goal of turning in my ALL my homework on time. It's a goal that's stuck with me, and it would be a shame to break the habit in the final stretch of school. My second goal, UBD related, is to finish my research paper before spring break. My third and final goal is to finish my short reflection on my 8th grade year. I know, it's not for humanities, but it's has um... ideas and words in it.

Great Powers Game Debreif

2009-03-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

Nikaya and I were the mighty Russian Emipre. While the word "empire" is in the title, we didn't necesarily manage to build and mantain one. One of the reasons was that Russia was hobbled industrially and economically at the start of the game, while other countries like Germany had vast amounts of armies and industries. Relative to the other empires, ours was prosperous but small.

I think that in order to build an empire, it's necessary to have a good balance between military and economy. However, you also had to keep a strong presence abroad. In the long run, since we are all teenagers prone to agression, we should have bought more armies to ensure our saftey. If our country was safe, and not backstabbed by allies, then it could have built up it's industrial strength over time. Despite the fact that we were owned by our freinds in the end, I think we did a good job of bulding the alliances that strangled us in the end. If Nikaya and I had another chance at this game, we probably wouldn't have been so trusting and open with other countries.

Three specific things I learned? Well... First of all, trust no one. Seccond, strength first, economy later. Finally, to survive, you must surround yourself with others who can take the fall for you.

Feedback Feb 16-20. WWIII. Can it happen?

2009-02-22T23:11:00.000-08:00

I think that WWIII is extremely possible, and might take place in my lifetime. The middle east is already a hotbed for conflict, with many opposing ideas. The new idea of fighting for a religion has taken root there, creating extremist behaviour. There is also the threat of deadly weapons like nuclear and biological ones. I believe that the war is going to start with a major terrorist attack on American soil that will susequently cause the collapse of the middle eastern situation. America will join teams with all the european countries, and wage war against the middle east. This war will be economically exhausting, draining the resources of many countries not prepared to fight in the war. Act two will be China increasing it's agression, dominating Taiwan, and eventually Japan. Over the period of the war, the economic centers of power will shift, like they did in WWII, to the Far East manufacturing powers, ie. China. The net effect will be an immense loss of life, an economic collapse, and eventually, the creation of a stronger U.N type governing system to make completely sure that WWIV will never happen.
The scary part is, the precoursers to this war have already started. The world is in economic collapse, and power is shifting rapidly. Nuclear threats and war-alliances are already being forged through trade deals and negotiations. Rouge nations like North Korea, and other dictators who don't garuntee civil liberites are on the rise. So what is acutally going to trigger WWIII? Let's wait and see.

Graphs and info

2009-02-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

State-wise Present Rate of Malnutrition in India (NFHS-III, 2005-2006 and 2007-2012)
(Percentage)
States/UTs	Children under 3 Years		Women (15-49) Years With BMI Below Normal (18.5)		Eleventh Plan Goal- Redn by 50%
States/UTs	Underweight	Anaemia	Body Mass Index	Anaemia	Eleventh Plan Goal- Redn by 50%
Andhra Pradesh	36.5	79.0	30.8	62.0	18.3
Arunachal Pradesh	36.9	66.3	15.5	48.9	18.5
Assam	40.4	76.7	26.5	69.0	20.2
Bihar	58.4	87.6	43.0	68.3	29.2
Jharkhand	59.2	77.7	32.6	70.4	29.6
Goa	29.3	49.3	20.5	38.9	14.7
Gujarat	47.4	80.1	32.3	55.5	23.7
Haryana	41.9	82.5	27.8	56.5	21.0
Himachal Pradesh	36.2	58.8	24.3	40.9	18.1
Jammu & Kashmir	29.4	68.1	21.3	53.0	14.7
Karnataka	41.1	82.7	31.4	50.3	20.6
Kerala	28.8	55.7	12.5	32.3	14.4
Madhya Pradesh	60.3	82.6	40.1	57.6	30.2
Chhattisgarh	52.1	81.0	41.0	57.6	26.1
Maharashtra	39.7	71.9	32.6	49.0	19.9
Manipur	23.8	52.8	13.9	39.3	11.9
Meghalaya	46.3	68.7	14.7	45.4	23.2
Mizoram	21.6	51.7	15.3	38.2	10.8
Nagaland	29.7	NA	15.9	NA	14.9
Orissa	44.0	74.2	40.5	62.0	22.0
Punjab	27.0	80.2	13.5	38.4	13.5
Rajasthan	44.0	79.6	33.6	53.1	22.0
Sikkim	22.6	56.9	9.6	46.8	11.3
Tamil Nadu	33.2	72.5	23.5	53.3	16.6
Tripura	39.0	67.9	35.1	64.4	19.5
Uttar Pradesh	47.3	85.1	34.1	50.8	23.7
Uttaranchal	38.0	61.5	25.7	47.6	19.0
West Bengal	43.5	69.4	37.7	63.0	21.8
Delhi	33.1	63.2	10.6	43.4	16.6
India	45.9	79.2	33.0	56.2	23.0

State-wise Allocation of Foodgrains and Number of Student Benefited under National Nutritional Programme in India (2004-2005)
States	Allocation of Foodgrains (in MTs)			No. of Students Covered
States	Wheat	Rice	Total	Total	SC	ST
Andhra Pradesh	0	2134105.27	2134105.27	9081299	544878	1362195
Arunchal Pradesh	0	35596.8	35596.8	177984	0	135870
Assam	0	1016274.9	1016274.9	3387583	322894	572240
Bihar	0	1958352	1958352	9791760	1778580	85009
Chattisgarh	0	565716.4	565716.4	2828582	414658	890657
Goa	0	12328.02	12328.02	68489	976	8
Gujarat	301766.9	301766.9	603533.8	3017669	321816	740841
Haryana	230377.2	230377.2	460754.4	1627834	502841	0
Himachal Pradesh	0	175270.2	175270.2	590351	194827	30577
Jammu & Kashmir	0	249364.5	249364.5	831215	12178	40428
Jharkhand	0	820000.25	820000.25	3280001	448096	940848
Karnataka	56339.13	1119241.71	1175580.84	5126042	1139271	437249
Kerala	0	423270.8	423270.8	2116354	233618	33561
Madhya Pradesh	1209082.2	390662.8	1599745	7649784	1479824	1833917
Maharashtra	0	2223033.26	2223033.26	9665362	1416494	1160544
Manipur	0	91708.5	91708.5	305695	7366	158586
Meghalaya	0	100514.6	100514.6	502573	N.A.	N.A.
Mizoram	0	18263.23	18263.23	95619	0	91105
Nagaland	0	34719.6	34719.6	173598	0	173598
Orissa	0	1352930.16	1352930.16	5151346	1051628	1435962
Punjab	432223.8	0	432223.8	1498697	874903	0
Rajasthan	1659048.16	26634.08	1685682.24	7662192	1575546	1232137
Sikkim	0	16720.4	16720.4	83602	4009	9172
Tamilnadu	0	861186.4	861186.4	4305932	1140228	68831
Tripura	0	91604	91604	458020	85156	172182
Uttar Pradesh	0	162240.8	162240.8	811204	205636	31287
Uttaranchal	1699691.6	3399383.2	5099074.8	16996916	5726035	16806
West Bengal	0	3025718.5	3025718.5	10326600	2319204	583196
Total	5588528.99	20836984.48	26425513.46	107612303	21800662	12236806

http://www.indiastat.com/india/ShowDataSec.asp?secid=192&ptid=16

=18 Year Females (NPNL - Sedentary Work) of Rural Population in India - Part I (2000-01) " height="1"> NL - Sedentary Work) of Rural Population in India - Part I (2000-01)
(g/day)
States	Mean/ SD	Cereals	Millets	Puls. & Legu.	Leafy Veg.	Other Veg.	Roots & Tubers	Nuts & Oils
Kerala (n=963)	Mean	293	0	17	5	48	65	62
Kerala (n=963)	SD	71	9	22	20	63	80	35
Tamil Nadu (n=501)	Mean	370	3	34	7	48	38	6
Tamil Nadu (n=501)	SD	103	54	29	21	45	43	8
Karnataka (n=712)	Mean	347	87	40	13	25	47	21
Karnataka (n=712)	SD	178	126	29	34	46	47	26
Andhra Pradesh (n=351)	Mean	425	14	24	7	39	28	3
Andhra Pradesh (n=351)	SD	157	56	31	37	54	31	16
Maharashtra (n=391)	Mean	176	136	28	9	24	21	10
Maharashtra (n=391)	SD	151	152	26	23	37	28	15
Gujarat (n=345)	Mean	253	223	41	17	69	83	0
Gujarat (n=345)	SD	209	257	32	41	75	74	2
Madhya Pradesh (n=219)	Mean	390	27	31	22	62	47	0
Madhya Pradesh (n=219)	SD	176	97	33	45	73	51	2
Orissa (n=683)	Mean	422	0	20	28	67	110	1
Orissa (n=683)	SD	97	5	22	44	64	64	3
West Bengal (n=634)	Mean	416	0	9	52	70	135	1
West Bengal (n=634)	SD	127	4	13	82	85	77	10
Pooled (n=4799)	Mean	346	43	26	18	50	69	17
	SD	155	120	28	45	64	72	31
	RDA	410	-	40	100	40	50	-

WWII Letter Home

2009-02-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

February 27, 1945 Fifth Marine Outpost, Iwo JIma

My Dearest Mummy,

I cannot write much to you, not knowing if this letter will ever reach you. I was shot today, Mummy, and it hurts so much. But please do not worry, as I am relatively fine and the medic says he will patch my ribs up good and proper. I’m coming home mother, I hope you and Ms. Potter will be there to pick me up.

Are you attending the church seminars everyday? Reverend Charlie says you must save your eternal soul. I think that the Japs are soulless demons, the way they march around their bunkers. Do you remember Jack, the Reverends son? The machine gun rounds tore his body to shreds on the rocks of the beach. I hope his immortal soul goes to heaven. The medic tent is on muddy ground, and the pristine white flag has now faded to grey. The Japs were waving that flag today atop Mount Sirubachi and it looked like Ms. Potter’s curtains. I killed them Mummy, ran my knife through their black hearts. His blood was hot and sticky on my face, like the ice-cones we used to share in summer. It tasted like cherry. The remaining one pulled the string out of grenade and ate it. He died about three seconds later…The doctor has just injected me with a clear liquid. He says it will make me feel better, but the only thing that will is seeing you and Winston, Alabama again. Maybe it was wrong to lie about my age. I wanted to fight so badly. The battleship guns were deafening, and then the airplanes came in dropping giant craters in the earth. I wore a flamethrower, spewing fire like little Timmy’s dragon toy. I ate the heroes with fire, and left a path of destruction

I am getting sleepy. Very sleepy. I want to put in the picture they took of me. We had to take the camera from the photographer’s dead body as he lay huddled on the volcanic sand. His dog tag named him Joe Rosenthall. There was a picture of men raising a flag on it. I am getting numb all over, and the medic is back, he wants to take my pencil. There is so much to write about here, the green grass, the blue sky, the death and destru…

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Di Angelo

Your son, Mike Di Angelo died at 10:01 PM CST from three bullet wounds sustained in the chest and third degree burns. I am extremely sorry for his death. He died with an honorable discharge. The photo he requested is attached.

Regrettably Yours

John Grisham of 3^rd Medical Corps

Anne Frank Discussion Reflection

2009-02-17T02:01:00.000-08:00

"In her diary Anne opined: “…if you’re wondering if it’s harder for the adults here than for the children, the answer is no…Older people have an opinion about everything and are sure of themselves and their actions. It’s twice as hard for us young people to hold on to our opinions at a time when ideals are being shattered…” (July 15, 1944.) Do you agree or disagree with this quote? When was the last time that you experienced the “shattering” of an ideal?"

My Response: I disagree with Anne Frank's opinion for a few basic reasons. First of all, it was harder for the adult victims of concentration camps like Auschwitz simply becuase they had to preform backbreaking phsyical labor, and provide food for themselves and their children. However, Anne Frank only deals with the psychological half of a concentration camp, not the realistic part like manual labor or the twisted version of natural selection they had to endure. On the topic of psychology of a prison camp, it probably was harder for the children. It is very tough to adapt to completely unfamiliar and dangerous surroudings as an adult, but as a kid, where you cannont know nearly as much about the environment, the difficulty level goes through the roof. The thin and flimsly notions a child may have of the world can be shattered by the commonest thing at Auschwitz; Death. In fact, that is what first shattered my ideals, watching how James Bond shot down anyone in his way. So overall, I have conflicting opinions on the above quote. It may have been harder for the adults physically, but it was unrealisticially hard for children psychologically.

Recipe for War

2009-02-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

Recipe for WWII

Take a worn out piece of fading parchment

with words with no power or meaning

and chop it up into small, thin

slices

Using a hammer, smash up a seat

of no power

located in Geneva, Switzerland

and pour

in two smiling white men

who love pandering to

others

knead slowly while

adding three angry revolutionaries

screaming for war

Next, mix

in tanks, airplanes and

blitzkrieg.

don’t forget to add

a aggressive and relentless

island nation.

Place in an oven for twenty one years

when complete, sprinkle with

the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.

Sit back and enjoy the carnage.

Which Character Do I Most Closely Identify with in Animal Farm

2009-02-02T01:33:00.000-08:00

The book Animal Farm by George Orwell contains many diverse and interesting characters with many steadfast beliefs and ideas. Since the whole book is an allegory of the Russian Revolution, each one of the characters really represents a key figure in the Revolution. In my case, taking a look at the wide range of options, I'd have to call myself a "Snowball." Throughout the entire book, there are many examples and actions that help me relate to Snowball. The earliest example is on page 17 when he writes down the seven commandments of Animalism, to make absolutely sure the equality of animals is kept. I may not be writing down commandments, but I do make decisions that are best for the people or the "animals" as a whole. Snowball is a visionary, who focuses on improvement and development. Just like him, when I'm working on a project and I have idea's, but it's sometimes hard to put them into action. The above statements are "good" traits I share with Snowball, but we also share a flaw. Snowball is a super-optimist, meaning, while he has great plans for the future, he usually fails to consider the present, and the actions needed to achieve the vision, just like me. Therefore he was unable to for-see his own downfall. So, overall, while Snowball and I are visionaries and decision makers, we both focus too much on the future and not enough on the present.

Feedback January 19-23 Tyranny, Injustice, and self determination

2009-02-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

It's best to start off this post by locating where these terms exist. They are key words that relate immensely to the cycle of power in Animal Farm by George Orwell. Let's start by defining the words we're dealing with. What exactly is tyranny, well, it's defined by merriam-webster dictionary as, "oppressive power exerted by the government." Pretty much, it's when the government has total control over the people and resources so that all development is diverted to the small group of rulers instead of for the people. The main example in the book is Farmer Jones, the character who represents Tzar Nikolas II. While he may seem like a normal farmer, in truth, he abuses the animals for their resources like milk, meat, and manpower, which acurately fits the description of a tyrant. They next term, injustice, can be defined as, "an unjust act that violates one's rights." Many animals suffered many injustices like slaughter, slavery, and suppression of basic humane rights under the reign of Farmer Jones. This leads to the third and final term, Self-determination. This can be defined as, "determination by the people of a territory over their own future." Because the animals were treated unjustly in Farmer Jones' tyranny, they sought their own freedom through a revolution. The above paragraphs can be summed up by a simple process. A tyrant rules unjustly resulting in self determination through revoution. This process of power that involves the three words repeats itself over again later in the book. Similar to Farmer Jones, Napoleon becomes a tyrant and rules unjustly, abusing the animals for resources. Because the animals suffer, and understand why they are suffering, the prepare to seek self determination near the end of the book. However, it finishes before the next revolution.

The Mustachioed Man

2009-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

"Hello," I say

The big man with the mustache laughs

“Why?” I ask

We huddle closer together as he thumbs

the brass and wooden

trigger

“I am invincible!” he says,

swinging at us with the bayonet.

“Are you sure?” I ask

“I leave a wake of death and

destruction in my path,”

he roars, “Headstones are laid

wherever I walk!”

“Is that not power? Foolish boy!”

One man smiles, and collapses as

a bullet pierces his head.

“Are you sure?” I ask

“I Fight for king and Country!”

the man bellows over the explosions

As the dirt rains down, the others seem

to swell with

pride.

Maybe fighting is right.

I stare

“Are you sure?”

The mustachioed man grows quiet

his vigorous rantings dead

The color drains from his face

and his hands claw at my wrists

“All I see is death,” he whispers

His now dark and empty eyes

search my own

“I don’t believe in goodbyes,”

says the big man with the mustache

He leaps up, over the top…

and his body tumbles back down

“Hello,” I say

Feedback 12-16 The Millitary and YOU

2009-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

I currently hold a U.S passport. In U.S, it isn't mandatory to fight in the millitary. It's an intresting delima, giving yourself and your experties over to a country. It requires ultimately supporting your country no matter what. Personally, I don't think I could commit my life to something else, especially, in this case, if it invovled killing other humans. The current age for the draft is 18-25. Lets consider this for a second, 18-25 years. Thats incredibly young, and sending 18 year olds to the war is like throwing our future into the fire. That would be a complete waste of whatever gifts and ideas I and anyone else could share with the world. We are given life, and life is ment to LIVE, to create and to prosper. How can I or anyone else achieve that if were fighting and killing in the name of someone else's mistake. I wouldn't join the army to fight a war, period.
If the draft was ever ressurected, I would probably flee to Canada. Fighting for a cause I don't believe in is worse then fighting to die.

Political Cartoon Evaluation

2009-01-11T23:53:00.000-08:00

This interesting cartoon pretains to the first world war. The main visual elements are the different military commanders representing their country. Each one of them, except for the lady on the left, are interconnected via rolled up parchments. I think that the parchments represent treaties or deals made between the millitary commaders of WW1. Therefore, this cartoon is about the numerous treaties, ceasefires, trade deals, and other "receipts" for behind the back deals that all the countries in WWI enacted. The main divide down the middle, where Germany and Austo-Hungary meet, forms the two "alliances" from WW1. However, if you examine the picture closely, you can see that all the countries, Turkey, Russia, Italy, America, and Brittan, are actually connected. This means there was no war , because in the end, the enimies are signing deals with the allies. Thats what I think the Author's oppinion on this issue is that there was no WWI. The one other piece of evidence that supports this is how the Swiss representative has been cut out off the treaties. The reason behind this is that Switzerland maintained neutrality throughout the war, refusing to join either of the "alliances."

I think that if the cartoonist wanted have a bigger impact, he should of done two things. First was he should have added a caption, and second, make it a little clearer which countries were which.

This cartoon relates to the great powers game in many ways. The first and most prominent is that we all represented great powers like Russia or Germany. Also, just like the cartoon, in our attempts to gain power, we ended up being allies with every single person in the game. The example of our trade deals and war plans were two alliances, the "axis," and the "allies." *cough*
However, if you traced some of the deals and treaties, it turned out there was no "axis and Allies," it was just one massive grouping of people tied together. We had all inadvertedly ended up supporting the opposing side. This tangle of failed treaties eventually led to the collapse into chaos and war. So really, this cartoon represents more then our game or ww1. It represents basic human nature to secure power, and fail miserably doing so.

Quarter 3 Goals.

2009-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

This quarter was tough but fun, and this made my goals from last quarter harder to achive. However, I think that I managed to cover all three of them. My first goal was to turn in all my assignments on time. Almost all my assignments were turned in on time. One or two were late, or unsatisfactory. Thats why I'm keeping this goal as one to work on for the upcoming quarter. My second goal was to study harder for tests and quizzes, and review along the way. I think that I accomplished this goal partially because I actually did put more time aside to study, and also because my overall test grade was increased. My third gaol was to finish AR on time, becuase last time I did AR I had to rush to complete it. This quarter I finished AR with a few weeks to spare, and it was also above sixteen points. Overall, I did a pretty good job on accomplishing my goals. Two out of three isn't that bad.

This quarter I wan't to keep one of the above goals since it's a long term goal. I wan't to turn in ALL my assignments on time. The second goal I wan't to accomplish is finish my blog a little earlier before the blog evaluation. Last time, I waited untill twenty four hours before the blog evalutiton to update my blog. My third goal is to prepare for the upcoming socratic seminars, and back up all my info.

Feedback 24-28 (Pros and Cons of Imperialism)

2008-12-01T00:53:00.000-08:00

Positives

Improved communications
Better transportation
The general uplifting from the dark ages into the modern age of industry and wealth
Continental Language
Development of resources
Global Trade
Exploration of undeveloped areas
Attempt to civilize and proselytize Africans
Gave medicine and health care for free
David Livingstone

Negatives

Complete destruction of African Culture
Exploitation of resources
Development of Slavery
Draining of resources
Creation of states that are suicidal
Mass slaughter
Incited genocide
Creation of the Apartheid
They came, used Africa, and left, leaving almost no knowledge behind
Creation of "spheres of Influence"
King Leopold
Death by foreign diseases

Southern Africa Current Event (3)

2008-11-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Annan, Carter and Machel's Zimbabwe visit blocked

The condition of Zimbabwe has continued to collapse. The political infighting has increased, along with a near total collapse of utilities and amenities. This has prompted a survey visit from three representatives of the U.N to asses the humanitarian crisis. However, Zimbabwe has banned and blocked the three people and stopped their visit. The three people, known as experienced politicians are former President Jimmy Carter, former U.N secretary General Kofi Annan, and the wife of Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel. The reason for this injustice was printed in a government owned paper, The Herald. "The visit has been deemed a partisan mission by a group of people with partisan interests." This small snippet of text pretty much sums up the government's argument, and those of the Zimbabwean politicians concerning the U.N. So by banning the U.N visit, a dying nation has thrown down the gauntlet. What is to come in the next few days will be closely watched.

I believe this is news for few reasons. The first and most prominent reason is "unexpectedness." No one at all expected these respected people to be banned from a country. The story is also relevant, and it is about a conflict that has been raging for a while now between the political icons. It is also "bad news" for the people of Zimbabwe.

Government and Economy of Southern Africa.

2008-11-19T05:08:00.000-08:00

The development of a true African Government began shortly after the Apartheid was abolished. This happened primarily because of economic sanctions against Africa, and the general movement of people beginning to realize how unfair the Apartheid really was. One of these people was Nelson Mandela, a young activist who was imprisoned for protest. This is the same man who would eventually shape South African politics, win a Nobel Peace Prize, and become a hero, after twenty-six years of imprisonment.

As to the countries themselves, alot of them were incredibly dependent of the Afrikaans and Europeans for support. This was because it was the trade the Europeans brought that created the Southern African economy. The only nation that stayed strong after the Apartheid ended was South Africa. It had a vast amount of resources, a stable government, and the initiative to lead development in Southern Africa. Meanwhile, small kingdom countries like Lesotho and Swaziland became dependent on South Africa , supplying mineral resources, food crops, and labor for the developing economy. Other countries like Namibia, the Comoros, and Madagascar are rich in resources, but have an unstable government, resulting in a failing economy. One success story is Botswana, which managed to establish a stable government and pull through the chaos that came after the Apartheid. Overall, Southern Africa has many problems facing it in the near future. It's a conflict loaded with resources people have been attempting to control for many generations. It is going to be difficult, but with the current rate of development, Southern Africa can pull through the problems to a better and brighter future.

Feedback November 10-14

2008-11-17T01:58:00.000-08:00

The main visual elements of this cartoon are the black Africa, and the giant footprint cutting across most of the country. I believe that this cartoon is about the colonization and subsequent draining of resources that occured in Africa. Also about how the spirits, the country, the people, and the culture of Africa was crushed by a "White" opressive foot. Therefore I'd have to say that the cartoonist dislikes the colonization of Africa. My support comes from the contrast between black and white, also from how the foot has left a desert-like mark, indicating that the people were crushed. The image kind of gives of the feeling of Africa being used up. Kind off like a doormat that everyone crushes and wipes their feet on. I guess this is actually an effectively used propaganda technique. If I could do one thing better, I would add a caption. It would probably be confusing to other people who aren't studying imperial and colonialism.

History and Culture of Southern Africa

2008-11-17T01:33:00.000-08:00

As long as 2000 years ago, the African people were hunter gatherers who were divided into many ethnic groups. These people, called Khoisan, were intruded upon by the Bantu people migrating from West and Central Africa. This mix combined cultures, something that would happen more with the European invasion of Africa. One race, the Shanu, constructed a magnificent stone walled city called New Zimbabwe. As the population grew, Great Zimbabwe became a trading center and capitol of known South Africa. It’s trade routes were said to encompass the Indian Ocean trade network. In fact, it was the wealth obtained through trade that made the Europeans invade Africa. Countries like Germany, Netherlands and the French created small colonies, and yet again the cultures were intermingled. This resulted in a new language called Afrikaans which influenced language development. Violent countries like the British established claim and made war over land owned by tribes, one of which were the Zulu. By the 1900’s, the Afrikaners, descendants of Western colonists, controlled the government. They established racist policies called apartheid which divided people into four racial subgroups. These groups were allocated better or worse resources depending on race. However, the Africans struggling to throw off racism caused by the Europeans achieved freedom in 1980. They put back together their culture, which combined Christianity, many languages created by Afrikaneers, and holidays and festivals from many diffrent ethnicities.

The Scramble for Africa

2008-11-16T04:34:00.000-08:00

While other countries fought it out for territory of questionable value, we attempted to claim territory wanted by other countries. Using this territory, we gained the upper hand in peaceful negotiations over land that we wanted. Also, using this bargaining chip, we would form alliances, like our deal to take over Botswana with Portugal. Our deals were often complicated and sometimes backfired, like us gaining only three squares in South Africa. These constant negotiations prevented other countries from attempting to take our land, and also let us slowly claim more territory to bargain with. When we first laid out our plan, we were looking for the resources mentioned in the note in African Countries. In particular, zinc, iron and copper. We also checked if other countries wanted that area, and if so, was there a way we could work together to get the best out of the territory instead of fighting. We also prioritized our claims of land, so valuable countries were captured first.

I think that France won the Scramble for Africa. They were looking for iron, diamonds, zinc and petroleum, and managed to secure massive amounts of all but petroleum. The also used an effective strategy of taking over South Africa and moving upwards. They claimed a lot of coastline, which was valuable land, and Madagascar, an island with a gigantic amount of disposable resources. I think that Great Britain did the worst out of all the countries. It started out promising, but did not manage to secure any of it's resources. Also, the third objective to control the Suez Canal was thwarted, and the territory divided. On top of all that, they also didn't manage to subdue the french.

South Africa Current Event (2)

2008-11-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

iafrica.com | news | sa news SA's low life expectancy

This link links to a news article regarding the life expectancy of Africans on iAfrica.com, an african news source.

The basic story in the article is the declining life expectancy of the African people in Africa. It has dropped so low, that its lower then the expectancy of war-ravaged Iraq. The world average life expectancy is men-65 years and women-70. However, in Africa it's fallen to men-52 and women-54. It gets even worse. In South Africa, it has lost another three points leaving at men-49 and women-50. This information was gathered by the United Nations Population Fund on Tuesday. Also in the report was information stating that The Hiv Infection rate is fourteen percent in males, and twenty one percent among women. On top of that, the birth ratio is wildly out of check, resulting in twenty three babies born for a thousand teenage girls. Overall, Southern Africa has to get it's death and birth rates in check if it wants to survive as a developing/developed country.

This article can be considered news for a few reasons. Firstly is Impact, because this article deals with lives of South Africans, and how it's going to affect their lifestyle. Also Magnitude, because it doesn't deal with just one South African, it deals with ALL South Africans. Third is Timeliness, because the report dealing with this issue was released only two days ago. It also refers to something negative, in this case, the horrible life expectancy of South Africans, which is a bit unexpected.

Physical Geography of South Africa

2008-11-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

Southern Africa is mineral rich region of intense physical contrast. If you were to walk across South Africa, you would see plateaus, mountains, rivers, and vast deserts. It is on these elevated plateaus deserts that the African people have adapted to survive. Most of the region is located on these grassy plains, with mountains like the Drankensburg and Inyaga separating them into different countries. Other inabitants of these plains are a variety of animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, gazelle, and antelope. Crisscrossing down from the mountians of Centeral Africa are many rivers vying from control over the main plataeu. They almost all empty into the Indian Ocean. It's believed that once rivers like these flowed through the arid deserts like the Namib, resulting in heavy mineral deposits from times past. This wealth is shown in coal, platinum, copper, uranium and iron ore. So overall, the region of South Africa houses rich minerals, diverse cultures, and a variety of geographic features.

Feedback November 11th

2008-11-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Can we trust the truthfulness of "To Be A Slave?"

I believe that we can for a few reasons, the first one being that the book was published under "history" in the first place. If the editor didn't think that the information in the book was credible he wouldn't have published it in the first place. The second reasons is that the reviewers have commented on the truthfulness, "This [To be A Slave] is how it was-a powerful chronicle of tragedy skillfully assembled from the eloquent slaves themselves..." Let me continue with the fact that this book is the winner of countless awards, one of which is the Newbery Honor Book Award. It also appears that Mr. Lester was a deeply motivated historian, with a lot of his books dealing with ideas about race and African culture. In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Lester is a credible author for three reasons. The first was that the boook was published in the first place, the second is that critics believe it's truthful, and finally that Mr. Lester was a historian and all his books deal with African Culture.

South Africa Current Event (1)

2008-11-09T21:08:00.001-08:00

SADC leaders fail to break Zimbabwe impasse.

This link links to an article found on NewZimbabwe, an online Zimbabwean news network.

The article talks about how, yet again, the South Asian Development Council has failed to end hostilities between President Mugabe and opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The old attempt at equality, a power sharing deal between the two, has collapesed in a dispute of control over the powerful Home Affairs Office. The two stand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Even with eminent speaker President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa leading the approach, committee members failed to organize a strategy to heal the rift. Meanwhile, the inflation rate of Zimbabwe is still rising, and coupled with a breakdown of basic services has led to complete panic across the capitol. So while a country slowly tears itself apart, it's two most powerful leaders spend their time bickering.

This news is relevant for a few reasons. The first one is Impact, because if this problem is not sorted out, its going to change the lives of many Zimbabweans for the worse. Also Conflict, because apparently, the rivalry between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has been going on for a while. Timeliness and Relevance are also legitimate reasons, because this story affects almost all of the "local" community in Zimbabwe, and the story is pretty recent, and is still going on.

Five Themes of Geography

2008-11-07T00:08:00.000-08:00

Image taken from http://www.interstate-guide.com/

I think that this photo (above) has all five of the themes of geography. The first theme is movement, and the cars and motorcycles in the picture are moving, carying ideas, to New York. They move along asphalt and cement roads which were created by clearing out the environment in that area. The point mentioned before is an example of the third theme (H/E interaction). You can tell these cars and infrastructure are part of the western region because the writing is English and the state of New York is in the USA. This is also part of the location. The full location is probably somewhere on one of the boulevards coming into NYC. The photo is connected to many overlapping regions of culture. The first major one is of the USA and New York State. On a broader scale, the "West" and on a smaller scale, Interstate 95. This place is unique from all the other places for a few reasons, the first being that it is located in New York instead of anywhere else. Also it has a special type of sign that was discontinued from use shortly after all the intestates leading into New York Area were completed.

All the above covers, M.R. HE.L.P.

Feedback October 27-31

2008-11-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

"Violence leads to more Violence."
Well, most of the time this statement is true, because human beings react solely on danger, but it can also be wrong. For instance, there are times when swift and necessary action have saved the day. However, even swift action can lead to violence, for example in Julius Caesar, Brutus believed that assassinating Caesar would free Rome. Instead, this small act caused a full scale revolution and civil war. The death of Cinna the Poet is also a good example. A man who had nothing to do with the conspiracy to kill Caesar was murdered to quench the bloodlust of the rioters. Also, going back in American history, a blacksmith threw a rock at a American boy. The result of this puny act was the Boston Massacre. Even today, in the modern social environment we exist in, a threat is always responded to with another threat. The terrorist attack of 9/11 and from there straight to the Iraq War. In places where this statement is wrong, the death of Adolf Hitler lead to the freedom of Europe and Germany. So in my opinion this statement is mostly true, and only sometimes, in the presence of great individuals, wrong.

Feedback October 13-17

2008-10-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

I believe that as Brutus I would have chosen the good of rome. I have a few reasons why I believe that is true. The first reason is that Caesar was millitary leader, and while loved by the people, not of the people. If Caesar came to power, he would rule rome as a dictatorship, using the millitary to gain power, not social forms like research and trade. For example, in Act two Scene one, lines 18-20, Brutus states, "That at his will he may do danger with. The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power." This statement reveals that Caesar might abuse the power of Rome's army. Secondly, Brutus thought about the big picture of Rome, how it might or might not survive depending on his decision. If something I could do would define the future of a country, I would make sure something like friendship didn't get in the way. Finally, it comes down to personal values. As we can see from the book, Brutus is all about Honor, and doing the right thing. In my case, my values would and my loyalty would be to something greater than just one person, which is, in this case, Rome. So in conclusion, if I was Brutus, I would have chosen the good of Rome over Caesar.

Feedback October 6-10

2008-10-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

As the west strove in the sciences and technology, resources were necessary to fuel the world-spanning economy created at the peak of the Industrial Revolution. The gleaming gem of the Asian continent, rich in land and labor, quickly attracted the attention of the British people’s immense greed. They set their sights on flourishing cultures in India, Africa, and South East Asia. Their method of attack and control was first trade related, then a complete invasion using brute force. For example, the East India Company, a trading conglomerate that controlled almost all trade routes in and around Asia, infiltrated India and other wealthy nations through trade. With the British led trade came the superior knowledge gained from the Industrial Revolution. Knowledge that improved transportation by building railroads, improved communication by building telephones and telegraphs, and largely affected the lifestyle of Asians in general. Other countries like Singapore and Malaysia or the Africas didn’t escape the expansion of British control. They too were modernized and utilized to their fullest potential. But there were reasons for British Imperialism, and these stemmed from three major aspects of British culture; God, Gold, and Glory. The gold aspect was cash crops, cheap labor, and vast stretches of unused land which was rare in England. Also, the glory of taking key ports like Singapore and Madras defined England and the British Monarchy as the ruling power in the world which consisted of trade. Overall, Imperialism greatly affected the people of the Asian continent culturally, economically, socially, and politically. While some of the aftereffects were bad, most helped sustain a period of growth after Brittan released it’s iron grip. Countries all around the world were changed by British Imperialism, and nowadays, it is these countries that shape our way of life.

Part 2:
The qualities of a good leader are hard to describe. There are the unseen ones like charisma and luck, but these aren't the ones most often used to describe leaders. A good leader must be able to do two things, one is to be able to work together with almost anyone, and the second is to be able to think outside of the box. A leader must be a trendsetter, someone who doesn't conform to society completely and lose his/her initiative. This doesn't necessarily mean they have to be smart, with an IQ of over 140, but it means they can innovate. When a tense situation comes up, a leader is someone who can take control and mediate between those two groups. There are alot of leaders in and around the schools, but one of the more noticeable ones is Aysha. Aysha is a trendsetter, who has an opinion and isn't afraid to show it. Everyone follows her not because she exerts control, but because she works together with everyone well.

End of Quarter 1 Feedback

2008-10-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that I've managed to cover all three of my goals. The first one, about the socratic seminar was completely finished yesterday, when I got back my grade for the IR socratic seminar. The rubric said that I backed up 75 percent of my facts. My second goal was one about being able to write and review a an essay without too much peer revision. On my expostiory piece, I got an okay amount of peer revision and got an A on it.

I have a three goals for the next quarter. The first one is a long term goal, and it's to turn in all my assignments on time. I didn't manage to keep that goal over the last quarter, but I think I'll be able to this quarter. My second goal is to study harder for my tests, and review along the way. The third goal is to read for my AR a little earlier, because last time I had to rush to finish AR before the due date.

Cartoon Analysis

2008-09-21T22:44:00.001-07:00

Around the IR many people, often muckrakers, expressed their opinions through expository articles and political cartoons. The cartoon displayed here, on the right is one of these attempts. The picture describes a gluttonous man who represents capitalism, robbing the skinny immigrant, who represents labor, of his money. The idea that the author attempted to portray was that the capitalistic system robbed immigrants and workers of their money. Capitalism is portrayed as an obiese man becuase the higher classmen that controlled the capitalism system were often gluttonous, and indulged in everything they could. Meanwhile, labor is portrayed as a skinny imigrant, becuase usually immigrants who The money bags around the men are filled with the money derived from child labor. The little caption on the bottom says, "Fi Fi Fo Fam, I smell the blood of the working man. Be he swift or be he slow, I'll grind his bones and get his dough." In this case dough is a slang term for money. This is my evidence that my analysis of the cartoon coincides with those of the author. Overall, this cartoon attempts to point out how the working class was thouroughly exploited by the capitalistic system.

My Goals, an update.

2008-09-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

My first goal is to be able to have a Socratic Seminar where we actually have all the facts to back up our ideas and opinions. My second goal is to be able to write and revise my own essay without too much peer revision.

Well, so far one of my goals has been ticked off the list. In the final Socratic seminar, we rambled a little bit but over all we managed to base most of our facts off of points in the book. Also my final grade wasn't that bad either.
On my second goal, I think I'm doing pretty well. On the Interview assignment, I managed to edit my piece with an equal amount of peer revision. There wasn't much destructive criticism, and the comments were few, but helpful. I think that by the end of this Industrial Museum segment, I'll be able to publish a good piece that meets my goal.

The Stock Market Game

2008-09-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

"You have to spend money to make money."

I feel that this quote relates to me in the stock market game we played. We started with only eighty dollars, but I managed to make it over two hundred dollars through buying and selling stocks. Part of this quote involves taking a risk, or spending money on what you think is a good investment. If you make the correct move, the money you spent can double or even triple in value. When Drexel Morgan hit a low of five dollars, some people thought I was crazy buying up that stock. However, when it spiked I made over fifty dollars per share. There was a risk that if Drexel Morgan had fallen farther, then I would have lost a lot of money. If you don't spend any money in investments, then you can never gain money if your potential stock rises. For every risk there is an equal and great reward. You can either take that risk, or stay happy with what you have, it's up to you.

Feedback August 25-29

2008-09-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Pros
-The Industrial Revolution promoted a century of economic and social growth
-It promoted the creation of time saving machines
-Created an evolved form of capitalism that benefits the buyer
- It created better infrastructure, roads, canals, etc.
- It promoted trade between nations all around the world

Cons
-The amount of air, water pollution that was emitted during the IR was enormous
-The horrible working conditions that people faced in factories
-The Laissez-faire that was created was out of control
-Monopolies were created that shut out small business owners
-With a rise in economy, living standards fell to shambles

So far, my view on the industrial revolution is described in the picture below

The Factory Game 2

2008-08-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

This time in the factory game, instead making things by hand we created an assembly line to make the item. An assembly line is a chain of people who repeatedly assemble different parts of an item. The assembly line is overseen by a manager, and is usually capable of producing a lot of the item relatively quickly. However, in this case our efficiency was poor and our ability to handle large amounts of manual labor was tiny. It took twenty minutes before our first item, a pig, was created. However, it only took a few minutes thereafter to create about thirty pigs like the prototype original version. Compared to Part 1, Part 2 was very hectic but productive. In comparison to the efficiency level of part 1, part 2's efficiency level was off the charts. But even though we made a lot of pigs, the line was hard to control and manage. Sometimes parts didn't come fast enough and sometimes to many came at once. Often there were backups and misunderstandings leading to extra time wasted. Besides these faults, I'd have to say that part 2 is a better and smarter way to create a commodity.

The Factory Game 1

2008-08-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

The factory game was very cool. The background was that we were serfs or peasants before the industrial revolution. Back then all objects were made by hand. It took me a while to put together a simple paper cut out, so how long would it have taken a craftsman to create a wooden tool. We only had to cut out a two dimensional figure, but a craftsmen would have to carve out a perfect tool out of a wooden block with no measurement tools of any type. If goods were being manufactured by hand they must have been good quality. Therefore, I'd have to say that Part 1 of the factory game was a form of a cottage industry. If before the industrial revolution, all the economies of the world were controlled by cottage industries, then prices would be high, and the demand would always exceed supply.

Roller-coaster Ride

2008-08-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

I stood with my eyes flicking back and forth across the giant metal ribbed structure towering towards the sun. I was almost four feet away from the rickety wooden carts, and I could hear them squeak with age. The attendant was slouched over the control board shouting into the mike, “Would the next people please step up.” I slid onto a stiff seat adjacent to a walking ball of flab (a fat human being) and slowly felt the smooth padded covering. With a lurch and a groan, we accelerated slowly up the incline. We could all smell fear, anxiety and B.O as we slowly drifted up to the edge. “Yea!!!” Screamed the riders as we rocketed down the track. The ball of flab smothered me when we soared over the turns. The next thing I knew, the car was dangling over what seemed like a ninety-foot drop. “Oh no…” I whispered to myself, and then the flab smothered me and everything went black. The wind whipped at my hair, but I kept my eyes closed. Round and round, back and forth, this way and that, and after what seemed like hours of this horror, we skidded to a stop. Adrenaline poured through my veins as I detached myself from the flab. My hands still shook and I spat out lunch, but in my mind I knew I was going to ride “The D-Coaster” again no matter what.

2008-08-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

What does the phrase, "Necessity is the mother of invention," mean? Three examples along with it.
I believe the phrase means that when someone needs a better or easier way to do something, an invention will be created to deal with that problem make that life easier. Literally, if you find the meaning of the words, it becomes, “Need gives birth to invention.” However, as the cartoon adequately displays, “Greed is the father of necessity.”

In the 1920s, there was a need to travel distances without traveling on horseback. My first example is the automobile. Henry Ford gave America the invention that solved that problem. Soon every household had a automobile, and Mr. Ford became a very rich man.

The next example is the telephone. After the invention of the telegraph, the information rush slowed down. However, in the 1880’s the need to distribute info spiked, causing Mr. Graham Bell to create of the telephone. The telephone transferred words and sound acro

ss miles and miles of distance. Just like Henry Ford, Mr Graham became a very rich man.

My third and final example is the lever. This invention dates back to cultures as old Indus River Valley Civilization. There was need to move and lift heavy objects, and the man/woman who created this device is not known. After the creation, building became easier because heavy loads could be moved faster. I’m sure that this per

son gained a lot more chickens and whatever materials used for trading in that time than he could ever use.

Feedback, August 11-15

2008-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

How do you learn best? What can Mr. Coyle do to help me learn most effectively in the class?
I think that I learn best through auditory means like discussions or lectures. This may seem kind of boring to others, but I feel that it gives the varied opinion of my classmates as well as the teacher’s. For me it creates an open environment where people can share their thoughts on the subject being discussed. Usually after a lecture or a discussion is over, I spend time thinking over the idea or talking with my friends about it. Overall, auditory learning prompts me to look deeper into ideas and discuss them openly. I also like visual learning aspects like videos and reading. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t like watching a cool video or T.V show that explains a hard concept? Also, literature or textbooks give lots of examples and explain ideas thoroughly. Just like when hear a lecture, after reading something interesting I often research it a little more. Basically I’m an auditory and visual learner.
I believe that you, Mr. Coyle, in the three weeks that I’ve been in your humanities class so far have added a good blend of all three types of learning mentioned. Creative and exciting ways of learning keep students interested and aware of the topic that is being taught. If you follow all three different types of learning students will probably like the idea and keep investigating it after the lesson is over. However, if you keep doing the same type, like auditory, over and over again students tend to stop paying attention and lose interest. Mr Coyle, so far your doing great at teaching us, and I hope it stays a great learning experience.

Feedback, Quarter 1

2008-08-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

What are two highlights from the first week of school?

My first highlight was going to a soccer game again for the first time in 4 months. It felt great to play with my friends and feel the exhilarating rush that you get in a game. My second highlight was meeting all the new people at AES and making a few friends. We even got together to hang out for a while.

What was your first impression of Humanities?

My first impression of humanities was that it was going to be an enjoyable and learning experience. The little Simpsons figures were a give away that humanities eight is great time. Also, all the old 8th graders told me how much fun your class is.

What are two goals you have for this quarter in Humanities?

my "Gang"

2008-08-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

I've had some good freinds in my life. One of them is Paul, and I've known him since I was 6th months old. We went to the same school since preschool, and the eariliest memory I have is of playing with him in the park. Even though I moved to India, we still talk alot. Back at my old school in NYC I had alot of friends. In AES there are a few people who make up my "gang," excluding my parents. Kris, Sebastien, Sam G, Sam R, Adi, Garrett, Snorri. I met Kris on my first day last year, and we've been good friends since. Sebastien wandered into Aes halfay through last year and now were pretty close. I dont really know what to say about Adi, he appeard one day in my humanties class, and he's pretty funny, he can make anyone laugh any time. I'm sure there are a bunch of others, but I probably forgot about them. These guys are my gang because I hang out with them and spend time with them. All of them are always there for me if I need them. We can cry, laugh, smile, frown and play sports together. However, were still working on the synchronized swimming part.

Well this is my second year here, so who knows which friends are gonna stay and which ones are gonna leave, but this is where it stands as of now, August 12 2008.