victoria's blog

Internship Photo Essay

2011-01-28T20:10:00.001-08:00

So this is the front door of the office that I was working in. Its not much bigger than it looks. Usually there were only two people in there at a time (myself and the office manager, Jen). BUT, there was A LOT going on in that office. There were constant calls to the office with questions, concerns, appointments, just about any type of call you could imagine. As these calls were coming in, we were trying to do other work as well. It was so busy in that little office, let me tell. There was constant talking, constant ringing, constant printing, faxing, copying. I sat in a room off to the side. See it for yourself.......

Yup, that's where I worked for 4 weeks. That computer was min. That whole, big, clean table was mine....except when they needed it. Let me tell you right now that table was not clean for very long. I quickly piled all my work on that thing. (You'll see in a second). But anyway, I sat at that computer and worked on tons of stuff for SEEDS. Mainly I worked on re designing their website. I came into this office through the front door everyday. i would pass by Jen and say hi. If Stacy, my mentor was in i would said hey to her as well. Then I would go unpack my stuff, clutter my desk and get to work.

There is the mess that was my desk. I promise, I made it look as nice as the first picture everyday before I left.

This is some of the stuff I worked on while I was there. I did a lot of computer stuff for them. they aren't very computer literate, so I helped them a lot in that aspect. You can see the brochures that I created for them. They aren't in color in the picture, but I am happy to report they are now and they are currently being used as the company's brochure. Also there are business cards I created for them. We ordered them the other day so they should be being used in a couple of weeks. There are also a few of the CD labels that I made for them. One day my mentor just asked me to make her some, so I did some research on how to make them and I think they came out really well.

This is my car...how I got to work everyday. I went into internship late and left late so my mom couldn't take me (she has a job, you know). So I drove myself to work, to lunch, and home everyday. It got a little scary at one point....

Dangerous job eehh? On my way to our second internship seminar, something went wrong. After that, I was afraid to drive to internship. But can you blame me?

Thai is Stacy(my mentor).....what I saw of her at least. About twice a week she was in the office, the rest of the time, she was out teaching her curriculum at schools around the state, or she was in her office in a meeting with one of her students. She is one busy woman! I got the opportunity to go to one of her classes before and see her teach. She took me to Murrietta with her one day to see what SEEDS was all about and watch how it helps people with developmental disabilities. I really enjoyed the experience and opportunity to see why it was so important that somebody be doing what SEEDS does.

This is Jen, the office manager. Since Stacy was out so often, she sort of became my mentor. Stacy would tell her what she wanted me to do and then Jen would tell me. I would also help Jen out with whatever she needed throughout the day.

Overall, I really enjoyed this internship experience and I am going to continue to work with SEEDS for a few weeks to help them with a few other things they need.

Internship...The Final Week

2011-01-27T01:01:00.000-08:00

3. How might you continue your internship experiences beyond the scope of the HTHMA internship? What ideas, skills, connections and so on will you bring back to the rest of your life? Will you continue working with your internship beyond January of 2011?

One skill that I have now that I will bring back to my life and future jobs is the ability to anticipate and foresee what your boss will ask you to do. You can quickly and easily get a feel for what you boss likes and wants and you can work ahead and impress you boss. I also have a couple of connections that I was fortunate enough to gain from my internship. My mentor has a psychologist, Katie working with her and she introduced me to her and I worked with her a little. Katie also works at a company called CARES and my mentor has set me up to go in and see what they do. CARES is a company that works with Autistic kids and psychology. I am interested in psychology so I thought that was really neat and I appreciate it a lot. Another connection I will be able to bring back/use is my mentors connection with Stanford. She is friends with some people at Stanford and is going to give them my information and talk to them about me. I thought that was really neat and I am excited about it. I do plan on working with my internship after school starts again. They asked me to stay on with them and help them with a few more things that I wont be able to do by Friday

and just to help them whenever they need my help after that. I was really happy and excited when they asked me to say and told me they like me and what I was doing for them. They told me that what I was doing was helping the company a lot and I was stoked to hear that.

Internship Week 3 Blog 2

2011-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

What are you thankful for in your internship experience?

I am thankful that I was able to get an internship at an organization that helps people. That makes many people's lives better. All the people that work there are there because they genuinely want to help keep these people safe and teach them. They aren't there for any money or recognition. I am also grateful that I am able to be a part of helping those people with them. I have read through and edited a few lessons and by putting together their new website, I am helping to get the word out about the company and hopefully that is able to keep more people from being abused. I am also grateful that all the people at SEEDS are so nice to me. I feel like I have made some really good connections with people. My mentor told me that she would love to write me a letter of recommendation for colleges and talk to people she knows at colleges I am interested in. I am really enjoying the experience and am grateful for every minute of it.

Internship Week 3 Blog 1

2011-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Describe one challenge that arose this week at your internship site (related to the work the company does). How did your mentor and their colleagues solve this problem?

My mentor, Stacy created curriculum for people with developmental disabilities. The curriculum teaches these people how to act in public and interact with people so that they are not taken advantage of and abused. She then goes to schools or individuals that need to be taught her curriculum and either teaches it herself or teaches the teachers at a school how to teach it. On Wednesday, my mentor took me with her to a school that she is working with to teach them her curriculum. There were two classes we were going to visit. One class went smoothly but it was her first time being to the second class and it didn't go as smoothly. The second class didn't have their own curriculum, they were trying to share the same curriculum with the first class. Normally this would have been fine, except that the first class was mild to moderate disabilities and the second class was severe disabilities. This means that the first class is able to understand and retain harder and more difficult information. The second class, on the other hand had students who could barely talk, let alone understand a lot of the stuff my mentor had ready to teach them. The class became very chaotic and everyone began getting out of their seats and stopped listening to the teacher give the lesson. Stacy happened to have brought her flash drive that had picture from a simpler curriculum SEEDS has almost finished and she was able to teach the lesson from those pictures in a way that the kids could understand.

This is the picture off the front of the book/lesson my mentor was teaching that day.

Internship Week 2 Blog 2

2011-01-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

How do you see yourself growing or changing over the course of your internship???

So far over the course of my internship I have become more independent. When I first started I did exactly what the y asked me to do and then when they asked me to make a couple of changes I would do just what they asked again. I did what they asked well and I did it fast, but I have come to realize that I can figure out what they would ask me to do before I show it to them. In a sense I am now able to work ahead and waste less of my mentors time. I feel like in the beginning of my internship, I wasn't really sure what they expected or wanted, but now I understand the company and my mentor better and I can do things I know she wants without her asking me. I think after internship is over, I will be able to take this independancy to future internships I will have and it will impress my mentor and I might get a job?? Through this internship, I also see myself becoming more social with the people I work with. At first I didnt really talk to the office manager who sits near me any more than I had to. But recently I find myself starting conversations with her and just talking to her about regular stuff, outside of work. Now that we are being more social, I enjoy going to internship more and have more fun there.

Internship Week 2 Blog 1

2011-01-14T22:13:00.002-08:00

Descibe a technical/skill challenge you faced that affects your ability to complete your project...

This past week, I have been working on the SEEDS website. I have been making it look more professional, adding pictures and making sure there are no typos. The pictures I had to add were from pdfs and they had writing next to them. The first technical/skill challenge I encountered was that I didnt know how to take the text out of the picture without photoshop (a program that SEEDS doesnt have). I had to use Publisher (which I didnt know how to use before two days ago) to cover up to words. The next technical.skill challenge I came across was that I didnt know how to change a document in publisher to a jpeg. This was a problem becasue the only way I could get that picture that I just spent so much time and energy on onto the website was if it was a jpeg. After a lot of research and playing with it, i figured out how to change it to a jpeg and get it on the website. I am now an expert on publisher and jpegs!!! and taught it to my mentor and office manager.

Internship Week 1 Blog 2

2011-01-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

Describe the company culture at your internship, including how people interact, communicate and work together.

At my internship it, everyone is pretty loud and comfortable with each other. Stacy, my mentor is always going in and out running errands and going to meetings. When she comes in the office she is almost always on the phone, then when she gets off she starts talking (very loudly) about her day so far and what have we been doing? She laughs and yells and talks on the phone then yells some more then talks on the phone then goes to her office. When any of us want something from some one else we just yell it to the other room. She'll ask the office manager what time someone's coming by or tell me to get her the business cards all from her office. When people come in she just yells at them to come on in to her office and sit down. We also have people with developmental disabilities come in and clean or organize for us. They're really nice and very social. The first time you meet them they act like they've known you forever. In the office, everyone works together or with each other. We are all on the same page and everyone moves along to the next thing with each other. Overall I enjoy the enviroment at my internship and I am getting a lot done.

Internship Week 1 blog 1

2011-01-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

Who is your mentor? Describe his or her life, education, career path and more.

My mentor is Stacy Everson. She is the founder and executive director of SEEDS Educational Services. She went to Dominguez Hills State University and got her Bachelors degree in nursing there. She also got her adult and family education credentials. Stacy worked as a nurse for a while, until she realized that she didn't want to be a nurse for the rest of her life. She began working as a family counselor/educator at developmental centers around San Diego. She started noticing that people with developmental disabilities were taken advantage of, abused and didn't know how to act in public. Stacy then started SEEDS Educational services and began writing curriculum for to help people with developmental disabilities interact better in public and protect themselves. She has since been able to help people with disabilities understand relationships, boundaries, and abuse awareness/prevention. Stacy teaches and sells her curriculum everyday. She coordinates public speaking sessions and projects. She also asses people with disabilities to see where they are at and what they have to learn. She is happy with how far SEEDS has come and hopes to retire in 5 years.

Internship Scavenger Hunt

2010-12-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Our first day of internship we went on a site visit for half the day. We met the people we were going to work with and wereable to see and get to know the place we were going to be working. While we were there we answered questions and then wrote the answers in paragraph form. Here are my answers:

To get to my internship site visit I had to wake up at 8:50 and I left at 9:20. I ate Cap’n Crunch with Berries for breakfast. Then I drove myself to my work site, which is in Old Town, and I looked for parking. It took me 20 minutes to get there then 20 minutes to find parking. There was only 2 hour parking and paid parking available and the trolley parking was full. I finally found close free parking and got inside the office at 10:02.

When I walk into my work place I see my mentor and the office secretary. I also see the pizza guys from the Pizza Bella’s right next door. There was also a man trying to fix the computer today. My mentor is Stacy Everson. She is the founder of SEEDS education and she has a BA in Nursing. During my internship I am going to be working with a business major and an SDSU student to re design the SEEDS website. I will also be working with the psychologist to build and create a curriculum for special needs kids so that they learn what is socially acceptable so that they are able to avoid being abused. Hopefully, through my work at SEEDS many more disabled kids will escape being abused and will live a happier more accepted life. During my internship, I will be working Monday through Friday, probably from 8-5.

Around my work site there are a lot of other apt buildings where people work. There is a law firm across the way and there is the trolley station down the street. The office I will be working in is in a courtyard that has many other businesses in it. For lunch I could go to In-N-Out or to the pizza place in the courtyard. I will probably bring myself a lunch too sometimes. To get to my internship, I will either be driving myself or my mom will take me. After the workday is over, I will go home.

W.E.X.

2009-05-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

Grocery Bag 3-4-09

"At first I liked it," explained the navy blue Trader Joe bag. "I used to feel special and important. Like I was saving the world for everyone. It used to be easy to be taken to the store over and over again, getting filled up with my owners grocery's. I saw bags like myself everywhere in the store, all saving the world. Then pretty soon I started to see less and less of bags like me and I got a little depressed,but my heart was still in it... saving the world I mean. Soon after that my owner filled me up with a particularly heavy load of stuff and I began to feel my handles tear. From then on any time my owner put something in me I tore a little more, thread by thread, 'till it began to hurt me. I still wanted to ave the world but maybe my owner could have sewed some patches over me or something. Anyway one day I just broke. I couldn't keep myself together anymore and I just tore apart, the stuff inside of me flying all over the ground. My owner go really mad and chucked me into the back of the car for the first time. It was really dark and scary. It seemed like my owner didn't care about me anymore. Then one day a man I had never seen before came and got me from the car and tossed me right here in this...ummm.....what did you call it again?"
"Dumpster."
"Yeah, this dumpster."
"Wow seems like you had a rough life,"said the milk carton.
"Yeah, but you too. Aren't you supposed to be in that blue recycle bin over there?"
"Yep, I guess people just don't care anymore."

Job 5/5/09

The other day I was walking down the street, and I happened to walk in front of The Coffee Bean. I stopped, looked up and then checked my pockets. I pulled out six dollars, smiled, and walked in. "Hi," I said "can I have a small hot chocolate please?"
"Sure. Whipped cream?" I nodded. "2.59." I handed her my 5 and she gave me my change. "Thanks." I smiled and sat down. "What's your name hon?"
"Victoria," I said to the lady who had taken my order. Wow I really wished that I could work hear. Could you imagine? I would probably get discounts on anything I wanted hear. And I bet if I fudged up the order, I would get to keep the wrong one. "Would you like whipped cream on that?" i would say (only if the person asked for hot chocolate) and she wold say no, but I would go and make it and put whipped cream on anyway. Then when I gave it back to her she would say, "I asked for no whipped I'm so sorry. I'm just not concentrating well today. Let me take care of that for you." And I would make her a brand new hot chocolate and keep the one with whipped cream.
"Victoria," called the lady. I got up and grabbed my drink, said thanks, and walked out the door. I took a sip of the hot chocolate and felt it slide down my throat. It was so thick and chocolaty. And it was never too hot, but it wasn't cold either. It was always the right temperature. It was sooo good. "Best hot chocolate ever," I thought just like I did every time. Wow what a great job it would b at the Coffee Bean.

Belief 5-6-09

I am sitting on the couch staring at he TV. I'm not really seeing what's going on in my favorite show, Smallville though. There is a glare in the TV from the sum coming through the window behind me. Instead of seeing Tom Welling's face fill the screen as he wonders how he could possibly save his best friend this time, I'm seeing the old, brown, rotted wood of the fence behind me, reflecting off the TV. I see the huge bush of purple flowers climbing up the fence as if it's embarrassed by the rotting wood and wants to hide it. I'm too lazy to get up and close the blinds though. No, that's not it, I wouldn't even have to get up. All I would need to do is lift up my arm, and mess with the cord a little, until my grandma came in. She would take care of it. But I didn't even feel like doing that. And, to be honest the reason I'm not watching Smallville is because it's a really hard one to understand and I don't want to think today. So why don't I get up and do something, you ask? Come on do you really think I'm going to do anything at all, when I won't even watch TV because it's hard to understand? Yeah I didn't thinks so. OMG, a thought just struck me; I'm lazy. People always tell me that, but I finally believe it. Wow...I really am lazy.

Cooking Blog

2009-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Wonder

We are growing herbs in our classroom for the L.U.L.S. project. Why? Because L.U.L.S. stands for Lets Use Less Stuff and trying to support a local community. So by growing our own herbs we are not relying on big corporations, we are supporting ourselves. Then we are cooking with them so that we are doing something with what we are growing. We are also trying to answer our projects essential questions which are "Why don't people live more sustainably?" and, "How can I convince them to do so?" In growing our own herbs we can answer the question of how we can convince them to do so because if we know how we can do that, then we ca tell them all the benefits of living sustainably.

Process

First you have to pick what you want to make, then what you want to grow. Then you have to get the ingredients that you did not grow. You can get them from a local farmers market if you want, but we just went down to Von's and got the stuff.

This is what we used to make our guacamole

3 avocados
3/4 of an onion
1 tomato
1 jalapeño
and this is what we grew that we used
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 cayenne pepper

Recipe for the guacamole that we made

1. First you need to pick the cilantro and peppers

2. Then wash them off

3. Then wash off the tomato and the peppers

4. Cut the onion and the tomato into little cubes

5. split the avocados in half, then dice them while they are still in the skin

6. Take the diced pieces out with a spoon and put them in a large bowl

7. Start mashing up the avocados in the bowl

8. then add the tomato and the onion

9. Cut the peepers in half, then scrape out the seeds

10. Dice up the peppers and put them in the bowl

11. Mix all the ingredients together and keep mashing it

12. Add salt and pepper and lime (there is no right amount...just whatever you like)

13. Mix it all together again

14. Then taste it and ad whatever you think it needs

15. Then eat and enjoy

This recipe is from my mom...she just made it up as she went along the first time she made it

Reflect

Our finished product tasted really good. We didn't have any chips so we ate it on garlic bread, while Anthony ran down to Von's and got us some chips. We shared with both our teachers and Chris Wakefield, and everyone else who came into the room.

If I were to do this again, I would make the guacamole sooner ad I would make more of it. I would also remember to get chips at the store before we started making it. Other than that I think it went perfectly.

Yes the growing and the cooking of the herbs has changed my thinking a little bit. I never thought of growing my own herbs an vegetables, but now I do think about it, and I know that I can do it an that it is not that hard. I also know that it tastes really good when it is fresh and now I want to grow my own a little bit. But I don't know if I am going to.

This I Believe

2009-05-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

I really liked this essay. I liked it because it was written by a Military man about teddy bears. It was a really cool story and was really sad at the same time. He gave the elittle boy the girls teddy bear and the boy took it like it was the most wonderful thing he had ever gotten. I also thought it was really neat that he wanted to go back to Afghanastan so that he can give more children teddy bears and make them happy.

Food Blogs

2009-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Her is a link to a food blog that is really cool. People debate about the food and drinks on the blog and post all kinds of recipes. If you scroll down a little you will see one of my favorites. It is the latte that is "too pretty to drink". I thought it was really cool how they did that to the latte.

Here is another link to Another food blog. This is the blog Charlotte showed us, but I thought it was really cool too. It was funny and I like that for each step there was a picture. Also here is a recipe from her blog that used a fresh herb that we grew...basil. Maybe I will make this pizza, it looks pretty good.

Top 3 Recipes

2009-04-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

1. Guacamole

Ingredients
3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

2. Cilantro Lime Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes or 5-6 plum tomatoes, diced small1 med. white onion
, diced small1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, diced (you decide if you want to seed it or not) juice of 2 limes, or one lemon and one lime1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Directions:
Combine everything in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

3. ARCADIAN EIGHT BEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

1/4 lb each of the following dried beans: kidney, white, pink, black, red, pinto, cranberry, and navy

1 lb bacon

5 large onions, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup minced garlic

1/4 cup toasted coriander seeds, ground

1/4 cup ground cinnamon

1/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup cayenne pepper, or to taste for the timid of tongue

1/2 cup ground dried Poblano chili peppers

108 oz (#10 can) Italian plum tomatoes, with juice

12 oz beer

5 lb lean ground beefsalt to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, soak the beans together overnight in water to cover. Drain and add fresh water to cover. Cook at a simmer for 1 1/2 hours oruntil beans are just tender. While the beans are simmering, heat a large skillet. Mince the baconand cook it until it begins to crisp. Add the onions and garlic andcook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add all the spices and the groundPoblanos and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juiceand the beer. Simmer for half an hour. In another pan, cook the beef until the pink color disappears. Drainand add it to tomatoe mixture. When the beans are fully cooked, drain them, reserving the liquid, andadd the beans to the meat/tomato mixture. Salt to taste and let themixture simmer for about 1 hour. If it is too dry, add some of the beanliquid.

Sustainability Visit

2009-04-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

1. What is your name and your role here at the (farmers market, CSA, community garden)?
Tom and I am a shopper and a seller.

2. Why do you choose to shop here/garden here/support this CSA?
To support locally and because I know the people here and its a very social environment. Also because its safe and affordable.

3. When did you first start coming here?
1 month ago, but I have been supporting farmers markets since the 80's....I'm a hippie

4. Do you garden at home? Why or why not?
Yes, because it supports the locals and for all the reasons in #2.

5. How did you find out about this place?
I am a farmer and you hear about these things when you're a farmer

6. What would be your advice to get others to do what you do?

I think it's pretty clear to most people that there are a lot of benefits to shopping here but that's what I would tell them...all the benefits of it.

What struck you about the location you visited? Was it what you expected or very different?

What struck me about the farmers market was that it was outside. I feel stupid for thinking it now, but when I first heard of a farmers market I thought that it would be inside and that there would be animals inside of it and everything, kind of like a petting zoo or something. Then when I got there it was just a long line of tents doing through what looked like a giant parking lot. So, obviously, when I saw the real thing it was not anywhere close to what i had expected.

Do you think you will start going to a farmers market more often?

I think that I will start to go there more often then I do now, but I probably will not go there all the time and I will still shop at a regular store a lot. But for some things I will probably go to a farmers market to get them.

How do these locations fit into our essential questions of "Why don't people live more sustainably?" and "How can I convince them to do so?"

The farmers market and the sustainability visits fit into our essential questions because supporting a farmers market is one way of living sustainably and also by getting the interviews from people who support them regularly we see why they do this and we can pass that on to others to encourage them to use farmers markets also.

Ecological Intelligence

2009-03-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

-Explain what ecological intelligence is.

Ecological intelligence is knowing and understanding the consequences we make to the environment every time we buy something that is supposedly "green" or will reduce our carbon footprint. It means that we need to know that just because it says that its made from organic material or that its made from recycled material or something like that it doesn't mean that it is better for the environment than something that isn't.

-How does this article connect to our project’s Essential Questions?

This article connects to our essential questions for the L.U.L.S. project because it is not only talking about living sustainably, but it is also talking about awareness of living sustainably. The article is making sure that we are not thinking that we are living sustainably and actually are not. It is educating us on how to do it more effectively and what to watch out for while trying to live more sustainably.

-How high is your ecological intelligence? Give an example of ecological intelligence in your life.

My ecological intelligence is not very high, it's actually probably, on a scale of one to 100, at about 15 or so. I don't really know about Green stuff and all that. I don't really go out of my way to get stuff like that and I don't even really know if the stuff that I buy is green or organic or anything. I assume that it isn't because I think it would be in big green letters all over the product if it was. One example of ecological intelligence in my life is something my crazy super go green aunt got me one time. It is a box with paper to write on inside and it is all made out of...you'll never guess...elephant poop. You can also give it to the zoo or something like that when you are done using it and they use it for something...I'm not sure what it just says to give it to them.

ads we like

2009-03-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

http://ben.ezymail.com/profileimages/Backup_of_croc_add.jpg This is an ad that my group thought was really cool because it was funny and, like ours, there was writing underneath it explaining what it was for and how it helped and stuff. We thought we could try to make ours funny like that one.

http://interactive.usc.edu/members/tfullerton/nycads1.jpg This is another ad that my group liked because it had something to do with ours and we thought it was a creative way to show it because it was on a billboard and wasn't just a piece of paper.

Data Analysis

2009-03-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the results to our survey on survey monkey.
As you can see the majority of people do garden but they garden something other than fruits and vegetables. Also most of the people who do garden, do it because they think that it is fun, not to save the enviroment. What really struck me about this data was that more people garden than don't garden. I really thought that it was going to be the other way around. I think that some people may have lied about that one though because on the next question, "Why do you garden" the overwhelming majority was "I dont garden". So it really didn't make much sense to me that in the frst question more people gardened, but in the second quesion more people didn't garden.

Before we actually took the survey we made a guess as to what the outcome would be and I guessed that the majority would say that they didn' garden, so obviously, unless they lied like I said before, I was wrong.

I think that my group should try to encouragepeople to garden. I think we should just el tham that all the good things about it and how grat it is. I think this would work because the people wo toook the survey seemed to think that gardening was a good idea, but there is just one thing that is stopping them from actually doing. Also they just need encouragment because 80 percent of the people already think that there is a possibility for them to garden, and all they need is that little push.

Take a survey!!

2009-03-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Click here to take our survey. Please take it, it will help our group project.

Our project

2009-03-10T11:34:00.001-07:00

Click here to see our materials for our project.

Homegrown Revolution

2009-03-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

1. What strikes you about their movie?

What strikes me about the Dervaes' movie is the before and after photos they show of their house. It is really amazing that a family could turn a regular, everyday house into a jungle of fruits and vegetables that they could live on. They don't need anything other than what they can grow themselves, and what they can make out of it.

2. What do you think the Dervaes’ family Needs vs. Wants sheet would look like? Why?

I think that if the Dervaes' have a wants vs. needs list, they would have more needs than most people because they need water, and soil, and seeds, and stuff for their plants and stuff that most people do not need to get and probably don't event think about getting soil, etc.. I also think that their needs list would not be as long as most people's because they are more focused on what they need to do to eat and are always busy working on their life, not working on being miserable and unhappy or thinking my life would be better if I had... or All I need is one more ... and my life would be perfect...

3. How does the Dervaes family fit into what we are studying in My Ishmael?

They fit in with what we are learning about in My Ishmael because in the book Ishmael says stuff about how we need to save the world and how we are destroying it. The Devraes' family is a perfect example of what we all could and should be doing to save the world and to live more substantially.

4. Overall, what are your thoughts on the way this family lives and works?

I think that it is really amazing and cool that the Dervaes' family was able to live off of what they grow in their house in a CITY. I also think that it is really cool that they are working to save the environment by doing all that at their house and by spreading the word with this website and many others. I think that its great that, because they grow their own stuff they don't have to buy it from other countries and not also by growing it themselves the fruit is fresh and good. I also think that we should all try to follow in their footsteps and at least grow some of our own stuff.

Ishmael-Callioppe Part 2

2009-03-01T02:26:00.000-08:00

On page 82 Ishmael talks about ‘anthropomorphism.’ Look up the definition of this term and post it in your blog, then describe what he is applying it to in the chapter.

The definition of "anthropomorphism" is "an anthropomorphic conception or representation, as of a deity." When Ishmael says this he is talking about how humans mark their territory and do whatever they have to defend not only the people and food in the territory, but also the land itself. But animals only defend the other animals or food inside the land until hey are all gone, then they leave and don't give a hoot about the land they left behind. Ishmael is implying that humans think that animals are just like them. That the animals do what they do for they same reason humans do. Ishmael may also be implying that humans think they are better than all other species don't he planet or that everyone and everything on the planet does what they do and copies them.

How does Ishmael define ‘Erratic Retaliation’? How does it work in the case of the Cawks?

Ishmael defines Erratic relation by saying, "Give as good as you get, but don't be too predictable." In the case of the cawks this means that if none of the tribes is attacking then you don't have to do anything, but if one of the tribes does attack then you attack them next. Also if none of the tribes has attacked you for a long time, you don't want them to think that they can come in and take you over soon or anything because you haven't attacked for a long time, so you go and attack one of the tribes.

Why is Erratic Retaliation a peacekeeping method?

It is a peacekeeping method because the unspoken rules of the erratic retaliation game is that you get what you give. This means that if you attacked someone, but only took one piece of fruit, the other team could only take one piece of fruit from you. This keeps peace because no one wants to get more physical or get hurt, so they just keep taking a piece of fruit back and forth. Of course someone could go in a destroy the other team and take all of their stuff, but their are more than just two teams playing and if the team destroyed one team, the other teams would all start destroying each other and then destroy the team that started it all. So, in an easier way this is a peacekeeping method because if you get what you give, and you give death then that is what you're gonna get. And no one wants to die.

Why don’t the Cawks just annihilate each other (instead of just doing the occasional attacks)?

The tribes don't go and annihilate each other because if it's true that you get what you give, and they all know that then why would one of the tribes destroy another. They would just get destroyed back by one of the other teams playing the game. And since none of the teams wants to die, they all just keep it easy going and no one annihilates each other.

Ishmael

2009-02-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

1. Ishmael's two general rules on how to identify people from our culture are that they keep their food under lock and key and "they perceive themselves to be members of a race that is fundamentally flawed and inherently doomed to suffering and misery" (Page 40). No I do not agree with Ishmael's statement that people from all over the world are part of the same culture. I disagree because culture is a quality that people get by hanging out with other people or from their personality or from where they live. I believe that when the world was first created by God and everyone was living together the people were all part of the same culture, but when people started to move away from each other to different places they began to diversify and adapt different cultures, and today there are so many different cultures and not everyone is part of the same one. I agree with Ishmael that we are all part of one cultural if like on page 40 he is only talking about fundamentals like food and clothes and water and that sort of stuff, but only if it is that broad of stuff we are talking about.

2. I agree with Mother Culture's voice and I disagree with Ishmael. I believe that humans are inherently flawed because I am a Christian and since Adam and Eve sinned we all inherit the flaw of being a sinful human being. No body is perfect and we all make mistakes and sin. It is not our fault, but it is true. Although I think that we are all inherently flawed, I believe that we can still try to "save the world" as Ishmael put it. We can still do the things he is telling Julie. Just because we are inherently flawed it doesn't mean that we are being held back from doing anything. We always have a choice in what to do, what to believe. No one is forcing us to do anything.

3. In Ishmael's parable the Takers are farmers and the Leavers are Hunter/gatherers. They relate to American Culture because the Takers are like the Americans and they used to be Hunter/Gatherers but then they realized that if they "danced" or farmed they could eat anything so, like Americans they started to farm all over the place and they began to move from place to place and kept on farming and spreading the "dancing" or American lifestyle. Then the Takers/Americans ran into some Leavers who were happy being hunter/gatherers and leaving it up to nature to provide for them. And they didn't want to take up the Takers way so the Takers/Americans forced the Leavers/Native Americans onto reservations until they would take up "Dancing" then they could come back in.

Sustainable Lifestyle

2009-02-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

1. What does it mean to live a sustainably?

To live sustainably means to have all of your needs supported or taken care of. It means that you are not hungry or that you have enough clothes and you don't need anything more to live. You can fully and totally support yourself. Living sustainably also means being able to keep providing for yourself, even when times are tough and it's hard to keep going.

2. How much freedom and independence do you have as a 14-16 year old in our society?

In our society I, and most other 14-16 year olds get quite a bit of freedom. We all go to the mall when we want, we go watch movies together, we can almost do anything as long as it is not against the country's laws (and even then some people do it anyway). 16 year olds are even aloud to drive, so that is a whole bunch of freedom right there. Your freedom and Independence varies on Your family and parents, but compared to the old days where you had to do a butt-load of chores all day and help your dad in the farm and that's pretty much all you did all day, I'd say that everyone today has a lot of freedom.

3. As a 14-16 year old, how can you currently live your life more sustainably?

As a 14-16 year old there isn't a whole lot that you can do, but there are a few things. First of all you could get a job and try to buy clothes for yourself and food or yourself. That would definitely help your parents out a lot. Also, since you cant get a job until you're like 15 or 16 you could recycle and you would be helping the environment and also you get money from it so you could buy some of your own things.

What i have done

2009-01-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (You cant go all the way to the top anymore, but I have been as far as you can go)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gold panned
27. Run a Marathon (not a full one, but for girl scouts I ran a short one)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a light bulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard and SMALLVILLE!!!!!!!!! and had a conversation with him at the mother goose parade)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (I think I am immune to be stings….. I really do……I am not joking.

I have done 40

Semester Goals

2009-01-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

This semester my goals are to get straight A's. I want to get an A in every class throughout the whole semester. What I mean is that if I were to check power school everyday for the rest of the semester I would see an A in all of my classes every single time. Also I never want to receive below a B- on any single assignment or project.

How are you different now than when you started school in August?

Now I talk more, have friends, and am more comfortable at the school. Also I get the school more, i get the project based learning. Before I didn't get what project based learning was really. I didn't know what the projects were gonna be about and what they would be.

What skills do you think are the most important for succeeding in humanities? Why?

I think that you have to have determination and desire, because if you don't have the desire to do the work and get good grades than why would you? You wouldn't try to succeed if you didn't have desire. Also you need to have determination because when it gets hard you will work through it if you have determination. You also need to have good listening skills so that you listen for what you are supposed to be doing for homework.

One thing I would like to improve on this semester is................I will do this by........................

One thing I would like to improve on this semester is not talking as much during class and getting my DP work done faster and making it look more presentable. I will do this by working on my DP whenever we have free time or time in class to do it. I will also stay in after school to work on it when I have time.

What are you most curious about? If you could study any topic what would it be and why?

I am most curious about what people are thinking about when they do certain things. Like when they are rude what are they thinking?? Why are they rude? Did they mean to be rude, or are they having a bad day? Do they have things on their mind and don't realize what they are doing? Do they think it is all right to be that way. Also why do people swear...what is going on in their brain when they cuss...do they think its cool or what? If I could study any topic it would be the study of the human brain...i think that is psychology right?? I would study this because it would help me to understand better why people think certain ways and do certain things.

Dialectic Journals

2008-12-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

Book 7

Chapter 34

Page 402

" 'Xerxes does not want your lives, sir," Tommie called. "Only your arms." Leonidas laughed. "Tell him to come and get them.' "

What strikes you about this passage? Why is it interesting to you?

What strikes me about this passage is that is how brave and in charge Leonidas is. He laughed in the face of an opposing officer, who told him that he and all the Spartan warriors there didn't have to die if they surrendered to King Xerxes. All Leonidas had to say was a challenge to King Xerxes. I think it shows how in charge he is because he alone shut down a surrender offer, pretty much the Spartan warriors only chance to survival.

Book 8

Chapter 35

Page 412

"I will tell His Majesty what a king is. A king does not abide whith in his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand watch upon the wall. A king does not command his mens loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him."

How does this connect to your life, or to other books (movies) you have read (seen) in the past? Do those connections help you understand the text?

When I read this I pictured Denethor Stewart of Minas Tirith, the Steward of Gondor in Lord of the rings. I pictured that part where he was stuffing his face with chicken and a whole lot of food, while his army was at war and probably really hungry, but there he was hoveling food into his mouth. He couldn't have cared less about his army. I didn't picture this part because I thought, "oh he fits the picture of the perfect king." I pictured him because I thought he was completey the opposite as how Xeo described a king was suppsed to be. I understand why a king isn't supposed to eat, when his men are hungry, or sleep when his men are awake, guarding. It's disgusting, rude, and not honorable. They are people who are not worthy of being king.

Book 8

Chapter 37

Page 429

"These were the final words spoken by the captive Xeones. The man's voice trailed off; his vital signs ebbed swiftly. Within moments he lay still and cold. His god had used him upand restored him at last to that station to which he yearned most to return, reunited with the corps of his comrades beneath th earth."

What strikes you about his passage? Why is it interesting to you?

It is interesting to me that the author just ends Xeo's legacy so quickly. I never expected him to die especially not out of no where, right after he told a story. I can't believe the author killed him like that.

How does this passage make you feel?

This passage mekes me sad because I liked Xeo, and i didn't want him die. I was also surprised that he died, because I always thought he would live and marry Dio.

Dialectic Journals

2008-12-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Book 7

Chapter 30

Page363

"It was this infant whose life would mean Dieneks' death, and Alexandros' and Suicide's by their association with him. And mine as well"

What strikes you about this passage?

What strikes me about this passage is that an infant can be responsible for so many people's deaths just by a woman claiming to be his mother. If he was not claimed, all of those men would not have to die. They would not have even been put into battle, yet because the Lady Arete claimed him as her own, they all will die on the suicide battle mission they may have avoided.

What point is the author trying to make here?

I think that there are two points that the author is trying to make. First of all I think he is trying to emphasize the importance of having a male in your family to continue your blood-line. I think this because the people chosen to be part of the 300 are chosen by whether they have a son or not. If they have no son (like Dienekes) they are not chosen as part of the 300, because if they die they will have no one to carry on their family name. But those people who do have sons (like when the Lady Arete claims the infant, Dienekes then has a son) are chosen to be part of the 300. Also I think the author is trying to make the point that the rules in Sparta are strict and no matter how important you are or how many people do not want you to go to battle, you still have to.

Grateful

2008-11-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

There is so much to be grateful for, but i am most grateful for Jesus. He came to earth and died for us so that we could go to heaven. He loved us so much he died for us. That is something to be grateful for.
I am also grateful that God has given me such a great family that loves and cares for me. I'm grateful that i still have a house and that my mom and dad still have jobs, in a time where many people are losing jobs and even their homes. I am grateful for my little brother, even though he is extremely annoying sometimes, I still love him. I am thankful for my older brother, and sister who are always there for me and make me laugh.
I am blessed to live in America where we have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to say and do whatever we like. I am grateful that we have a justice and that i live in the best country in the world. There is so much to be grateful for, and we don't thank people enough. Maybe every once in a while we should stop and smell the roses and appreciate everything we have.

Dialectic Journal # 7

2008-10-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

Chapter 8

Page 75

"In our separate whippings, Alexandros fell before I did. I mention this, not as a cause for pride; it was simply that I had taken more beatings. I was more accustomed to it."

What strikes you about this passage?

It strikes me that he had taken a lot of beatings. I never thought of him as a "bad boy", but he pretty much just admitted. He must have gotten a lot of beatings for him to be "accustomed" to them. Also what strikes me is that it seems to me that, throughout this book a common theme is beating kids. They do it all the time. Like when he got caught stealing and they hung him and beat him. It also strikes me that he said that he only said that Alexandros fell before him to admit that he had had more beatings, not for pride. I think that this means that being proud was really bad or shameful back then.

What questions does this raise for you?

Was he a bad/disobedient kid? How many times was he beaten? How bad did they hurt? How long did it take for your body to get used to them? Why did he get beat?

Chapter 9

Page 93

"A spasm of the lungs seized Alexandros; his throat constricted, he began to choke. My punch hesitated. A three-foot switch burned my back. "Hit him!" I obeyed. Alexandros dropped to one knee. His lungs had frozen, he was helpless. "Pound him you whore's son!" A voice shouted from behind me. "Finish him"

It was Dienekes"

What strikes you about this passage?

What strikes me about this passage is that, even when Alexandros is completely helpless and already hurt and choking everyone still wants him to hit him. Will there be no mercy!?!?! Jeez they are so mean to Alexandros. Also, when he hesitated to hit Alexandros, he got whipped, even though Alexandros was choking. And then to call him a whore's son!! What in the world is wrong with these people!?!?!? They punished him for showing compassion and giving the kid a break for once. But the think that struck me the most was that it was Dienekes who said to finish him off. Dienekes was so nice before. I cant believe he said that.

What is your reaction to this quote? How does it make you feel?

Chapter 10

Page 103

" 'Dienekes says the mind is like a house with many rooms,' he said. 'There are rooms we must not go into. To anticipate one's death is one of those rooms. We must not even think it.' "

Do you agree with the author? why/why not?

I agree with this totally. Your mind controls everything. There are different rooms in your head and if you go into the wrong one at the wrong time you could let yourself think something that is not true, it will happen. Like if you go into the "sick room" and convince yourself that you are sick you will start feeling sick.

How does this connect to other books (movies, shows) you have read (seen) in the past? Does this help you understand the text?

One time i was watching Smallville and Clark went into someones mind and there was a whole bunch of doors. He had to choose the right one in order to save his friend. If he chose the wrong one he would die or get stuck because the person would experience whatever happened in the door he went into and have a mental breakdown. This helps me to picture the text. I remembered that episode and what the mind and doors looked like. I could really picture and understand this.

btw Clark picks the right door and saves his friend (of course).

Dialectic Journal # 3

2008-10-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Chapter 4

Page 29

" 'We needed Spartans,' the teacher declared, speaking softly behind his sad watery eyes. 'Just 50 would have saved the city.' ..... '50 of them,' the man still shouted, while his wife struggled to tug him back to the safety of the trees. 'Five! One would have saved us!' "

What strikes you about this passage? Why is it interesting to you?

What strikes me about this passage is that the teacher thinks that only one Spartan would have saved the whole entire city from the whole army of the Argives. I think that he must think vary highly of them. Also, for him to think that, the Spartans must have been really strong and skilled and talented. They must be the best warriors that he has ever heard about.

What questions does this raise for you?

Could only one Spartan have saved the city? How skilled are the Spartans? How many of them are there? Where are they? Are they their allies? Why didn't they come to fight with them or protect them?

Dialecti Journal # 2

2008-10-27T11:14:00.001-07:00

Chapter 6

Page 44

"That winter, Bruxieus said, was the coldest he could remember. Sheep froze in the high pastures. Twenty-foot drifts sealed the passes. Deer were driven so desperate with hunger that they straggled down, skeleton-thin and blind from starvation, all the way to the shepards winter folds, where they presented themselves for slaughter, point-blank before the herdsmen's bows."

What strikes you about this passage? Why is it interesting to you?

What strikes me about this passage is how cold it is. It is so cold that sheep freeze to death. I have never been in weather below freezing and I know I'm cold even if its only 60 degrees out. So this weather must be relly really really cold. Like maybe below zero. It was even so cold that there was nothng for the deer to eat and they went right down to the herdsmen to try to get food. This says a lot because when I've seen a deer before as soo as I make even the quietest noise it darts away. So for a deer to walk righ tup to you it has to be because of a really good reason, and in this case it was hunger.

What questions does this raise for you?

How cold was it? What temperature was it? Were Bruxieus, Diomache, and Xenoesused to the cold? How long could they live with the weather as cold as that? Did they have enough blankets? How could they sleep with it that cold?

Dialectic Journal # 1

2008-10-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Chapter 5

Page 43

"Would his love for me impel him to dash in and be nailed alongside me? I didn't care. I wanted the pain to end. I begged the men to kill me. I could feel the bones in both my hands shattered by the spikes.I would never hold a spear or even a gardening spade. I would be a cripple, a clubfist. My life was over and in the meanest, most dishonorable way."

What strikes you about this passage? Why is it interesting to you?

The thing that strikes me the most about this passage is that the pain is so bad that he would rather die than go through the pain anymore. He even begs the men to kill him. He didn't care about anything other than the pain. He didn't care what his cousin did or Bruxieus did, all he wanted was the pain to stop, and if the only way that was going to happen was if he died than he wanted to die. I also think that it wasn't just the pain. I think that it was also that he would be ashamed if he had to live the rest of his life, not being able to do a mans job and fight in a war, or protect his family because his hands were shattered and he would never be able to hold a spear again.

What is your reaction to this quote? How does it make you feel?

My reaction to this quote is, "Ow. That's got to hurt like crazy." I also think of Jesus being nailed to the cross. I also feel really bad for him because he will never be able to do his job. I feel bad for him because he is so young and he had to go through so much pain at the age of ten.

The Next President of America?

2008-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama refused to put his hand over his heart or say the Pledge of Allegiance. He does not deserve to be the next president of the U.S.

Election 2008

2008-10-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

This presidential election is very...hmmm...long! I don't know why, but doesn't it seem like its been going on forever? But no worries, there's only 17 more days until we are finally done with this. I'm not even old enough to vote, and I'm stressed out!

Al right, lets start with some facts (I'll try to be as impartial as possible), then we'll go into my opinions. First off the war: Obama wants to take all combat brigades out in 16 months, but leave some troops to protect the U.S. Embassy and operate in Al Qaeda. While McCain wants to keep troops there until we defeat Al-Qaeda and Iraqi troops will maintain order. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052903844.html.) Now taxes: McCain said he would make larger tax cuts and make bush's tax trim permanent. He said that he lower income would get less of a tax cut than under Obama's, but higher income and corporations would get tax cuts too. Obama said that he would lower or hold taxes for everyone making less than 250k and raise takes on anyone making more than that. He also said he would "spread the wealth around". Wow that is soooo cliche!!! ( http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-litax1412023932oct14,0,5683318.story.)

Here is a picture of both candidates tax plan outcome-if they are both fully true, of course.

Now I'll move on to health care: http://health-insurance-carriers.com/blog/health-care-john-mccain-vs-barack-obama/.

There are probably more issues that I missed, but these seem to be the ones that are continually talked about and seem to be the most important. My opinions on all of this is...vote for McCain. I agree with McCain on leaving the troops in Iraq. I believe that, now that we are there, we need to finish it. I think that we are trying to help out there, not trying to be evil murderers. I agree with McCain again here. His plan will lower or hold taxes for everyone, not just the low income people. I don't think it's fair to raise taxes on the rich people. They worked hard for their money, and they shouldn't be punished for that. I also think that the whole "spread the wealth around" thing is totally socialistic. Take from the rich and give to the poor. ( Take from the hard workers and give to those who don't work.) Check out these videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbWWHFLYHm0&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhX0HTgPwg&feature=related. Go Joe the plumber!! (Also a cliche. Mentioned like 29 times in the final debate). Also on health care I agree with McCain more than Obama, but I don't really get McCain's plan. I agree with it more only because the government needs be less involved. In Obama's plan you can bet your butt it will be there, up close and personal. I also think that if you don't have the money for health care, tax money shouldn't pay for it, you just don't get health insurance. I know that sounds mean, but if you are dying or absolutely need care, you will be taken care of. And don't we already have medicare? Obama is a baby killer, he wants to take our troops out of Iraq, he is a socialist, he hangs out with Bill Ayers and worked with Acorn, who had a little problem...Voter fraud! Barack Obama is not the kind of person I would ever vote for. But I will give him this: he is a good speaker.

Go John McCain and Sara Palin!!

Character Sketch Hero

2008-10-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Melissa is my hero because she is funny and always laughing and in a good mood-I've never seen her mad for more than five minutes. Melissa makes everyone around her happy. She doesn't care what people think of her and she loves to see people smiling and cheerful.

A Picture I Like

2008-10-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

I like this photo because...well for starters it's Tom Welling, who plays Superman in Smallville and I'm obsessed with Superman. I also like it because I think that Tom Welling is really, really hot. I think that this photo is cool because it is half animation and half real life. I think this shows how strong Superman is, as he is breaking roof or whatever that is with his hand. I think this shows how hot Tom Welling is and also that he is a good Superman. I mean seriously doesn't he fit the roll perfectly? Hot, strong, all the girls are in love with him.

Preview, Predict, Code

2008-10-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

1. Some of my predictions were right. Especially the ones about what I thought I would think of the book. I thought that I would like the book and I did. I also thought it would be easy to read and it was. I was wrong about the way it started.

2. My prediction about what the book would be about was very accurate. I said it would be about a motherless girl who runs away and also about bees. Also about if I thought it would be easy to read or not. I said that it would be easy to read and it was.

3. The one that asks how you think the book will start. I said it would start with the mom getting shot, but it didn't. It actually started when all the bees came into Lily's room.

LDW Alliteration

2008-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

What I did Last Weekend

After a fairly fair fight of volleyball, a plan to interview my hero was devised, but it was not devoid of a dilemma. See this was the problem, I was planning to interview my hero after my brothers Saturday soccer game, But I awoke at ten till twelve and it was almost time to take-off. When we were back at home, I called my mom, but she was getting ready to go out. So I called Melissa, but she was gone too. Then I decided to diligently do my blog about similes, metaphors, and cliches. After that I walked to the kitchen and boiled big hot dogs in a pot. As I was eating I remembered that I wanted to watch Wizards of Waverly Place. And low and behold, a Chuck Norris joke was cracked by one of the main characters! Who woulda thunk it? A half hour later, at eight, Heroes was on. So I called my friend and we watched it together, while on the phone. As we watched I got so confused, I had to shout, "Sharon! I'm so confused!" After the oh so confusing Heroes It was way past eight and time for me to sleep.

Literary Device of the Week

2008-09-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Victoria is a world class, state of the art kinda girl. She is as sweet as honey and as gentle as a lamb. She is as nutty as as a fruitcake, but also is a tack, so sharp and intelligent. Victoria is also as pure as the driven snow.

This was as cheesy as the moon. :)

Victoria a cat, always quiet and shy until she gets to know you. Then when she does she is as loud as a squealing pig. Sometimes she can get as nervous as a cat in a rocking chair factory. Other times she is a lion, and is very brave. She is sometimes a couch potato and is as lazy as rug.

The Epic

2008-09-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

An epic is a very long narrated story that is sung or recited as poetry and is passed down many generations in that way.

Three characteristics of an epic are:

1: The main character is larger than life. lines 140-142 "You may be a good man in a fight, Achilles, and look like a god..." He is an amazing warrior and he is half god, half mortal. That seems larger than life to me.

2: The gods play an active roll in the story. Lines 205-228 "Athena came...and grabbed his sandy hair" Athena came down and stopped Achilles from killing Agamemnon, and therefore played an active roll and was physically there in the story.

3: Poem begins with a statement of the theme. The Illiad starts like this "Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles rage" which begins with, obviously, the theme of rage and anger.

The image of superman represents an epic to me because superman is amazing and larger than life. He can do things a normal person could never do. Plus the only thing that can kill him is kryptonite. He also has a dad that could be classified as a god (he could be too).

My Hero

2008-08-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

He was noble. He was brave. He was respected. He was strong. He was honorable. He was our sixteenth president. He is Abraham Lincoln, my hero.

Abraham Lincoln is my hero because he was and is all those things and more. He lead the United States through its most devastating time, the civil war, and kept our nation undivided and united. He also stopped slavery from spreading and made it illegal with the emancipation proclamation and the thirteenth amendment.

Abraham Lincoln is a hero to many, but there is always someone who disagrees with or dislikes someone. In Lincolns case it was those who thought he should compromise on the slavery issue, the Confederate army, the southern sates in the civil war, and of course John Wilkes Booth and his followers who assassinated him.

30 things you didn't know about me

2008-08-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

I love thriller/horror movies.

The only pets I've ever had are fish.

I can't sleep without a blanket over me.

I used to have major OCD.

My favorite superhero is Superman.

Otter pops give me a sore throat.

I've never been stung by a bee.

I'm the only person in my immediate family who has broken a bone.

I have 1 half brother, 1 half sister, and 1 full brother.

This is my first blog ever.

I get sick if I see blood, cuts, stitches, surgeries, etc.

I have never been out of the country.

I like photography.

I know pretty much nothing about computers.

I always play with/twirl my hair.

When I was in kindergarten I beat everyone at my school(k-12th grade)at a game in basketball called bump.

I was food poisoned by eating a piece of candy from a clown.

I can't stand Will Ferrell.

In the same basketball game I scored 2 points for the other team.

My favorite movie is "Raising Helen."

I love watching football.

My celebrity crush is Shia LeBeof(I have no idea how to spell his name though).

My favorite subject is English.

I always have something on my wrist(watch, hairband, etc.).

My favorite theme park is six flags.

I like all things Disney.

I still have one of those tickle me Elmo stuffed toys.

I hate the nails on a chalkboard sound.

I hate the smell of cooking brownies.

30. My favorite color is green.