Happy Hanukkah

So I recently started working for Best Buy as "Loss Prevention." That's basically an overblown title for the guy who stands up front and greets all the customers, checks receipts, and follows you around with cameras and sends employees to bother you incessantly if you look suspicious.

Well, last night, it was near closing, and an older couple was waiting for their son to check out. I suppose the father got bored, because he came over after wandering around aimlessly in the register area, and asked me where the 'Merry Christmas' signs were. I looked up and said, "We have our 'Happier Holidays' signs," pointing to them with a smile. "What about Christmas?" he asked, and seemed a little perturbed with me. I told him we hadn't been provided with any, though we did have our Christmas music (which had been blaring from speakers above my head for 8 hours O_O). He shook his head at me and started rambling. "If your bosses don't believe in Christmas then they're not Christians..." He continued on at some length before wandering off in somewhat of a fit. I admit that I stopped listening to him after that first phrase. Sometimes, when you deal with Customer Service, not listening is the best way to maintain sanity, and stay out of trouble.

I heard a news story on the radio recently, as well, that Utah Senator Chris Butters was proposing a bill to promote the use of Christmas in public places to "combat the war on Christmas."

War on Christmas? Eh? Last time I checked, Christmas was the biggest...thing...of the year. I realize that a lot of it is commercial (I've adopted the title of "Annual Debt Renewal Season"), but still. It's not like, for the Christians of the nation, Christmas is in some kind of decline. That businesses insist on saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" doesn't mean that its owners or employees have anything against Christmas. They just want to avoid insulting those Americans that don't follow the Christian faith, and there are plenty. (I'm not sure myself why "Merry Christmas" would insult someone of another faith. As you are simply wishing them a happy season, in my opinion, but they may have their reasons. I, personally, would not be insulted if you wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Kwanza). You could look at it the other way, as well. "Happy Holidays" could be a very Christian thing to say, in the right context. You could argue, because there are so many different religious holidays this time of year, that saying "Happy Holidays" embraces the Christian ideal of acceptance by recognizing those other events.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on the "War of Christmas" or have you even seen anything like this?

Happy Holidays.

This holiday season...

With Christmas rapidly approaching, I'm wondering how the economic downturn is impacting everyone's holiday traditions. What is going to be different this year compared to last year? Many of my friends aren't traveling this Christmas because the costs are too high, and the money could go towards other things, like medical bills. I am donating plasma in order to get some extra cash to buy presents for my family, and a lot of people are ceasing to buy presents altogether. Is this Christmas going to be more spiritual than material? I think so. I think there's going to be more of an emphasis on spending time with family, and not "what did you get for me?" Also, I think that the roots of Christmas are going to be more evident, in that we are all very fortunate and should be thankful for what we've been blessed with. So even with the credit crunch and downfall of the U.S. economy, what is it about Christmas that is going to be special to you?

Thursday and Friday

Hi everyone. This is just a reminder that I will be in my office all day on Thursday and Friday to meet with students and answer any questions you may have regarding the Classical Argument paper or the Genre Translation assignment. My flight from England was delayed, and I am just now getting home, so I will be coming in a bit later than I had anticipated tomorrow, but I will still be there all day. I will be in my office from 10:30 AM to 8 PM. (I may be there a little earlier, but I will be there by 10:30 for sure.) On Friday I will be there from 8AM to 8PM.

Oh, and my dissertation defense went really well. Thanks to those of you who wrote me about it.

-Dr. Westover (still sounds a bit weird, but I'll get used to it)

Controversial

So i was thinking we have not had a controversial blog topic in a while and since we dont have class i am missing the thrill of sharing and hearing feelings on controversial topics :). I am wondering if any of you know much about stem cell research and what your stance is on the subject. I recently learned a little more about it in my biology class and it really intrigues me. Is stem cell research "playing god" and "messing with human life", or is it a "positive scientific exploration" to help further and sustain human life? Let me know what you think.....

1 Page Reflection & Group Evaluations

Hey guys i was just looking at the syllabus for the next week and saw that we have a one page reflection on our paper due next Wednesday...I was going to start writing mine today but i don't know what it needs to contain in it. Does anyone remember what we are suppose to include in it?

And the Group Evaluations..does anyone remember if he said we needed to type something about the people in our group or is he going to give us a paper to fill out in class?...if anyone knows please post a comment on this blogg... Thanks ( :

Homeschooling

Hey Guys...i was just thinking about when i was little and being home schooled myself. My mom pulled me out of elementary School in 5th grade because the teacher was going to fast for me and i couldn't understand the material he was presenting in the math lessons. Being home schooled for a year was a great experience for me. A lot of people think that when kids are home schooled they just watch t.v. all day and that can be true in some families i was taught all the subjects taught in a public school but it was done so at my individual pace and my mom included a morning devotional where we would read scriptures and sing a song to start the day before we started studying. Some of the things i learned a lot of people our age still haven't learned. If it wasn't for my mom pulling me out to mainly teach me math i would've HATED math at a very young age.

So my question to all of you is what your opinion of Homeschooling is? Have you been home schooled before? what was your experience like? do you know someone who was home schooled? Did it work for them? I just wanted to see what your thoughts were on this topic.

Credit Cards

I work at a place that often calls people up without notice and asks them to purchase something over the phone. I have been surprised to see that many people actually go through with giving there credit card information right over the phone. I have asked myself if I would give some random person my credit card over the phone even if what they were selling was a good deal, or a great product. I want to know if you think there should any type of laws or circumstances about calling people up and asking for their credit card number or other personal info over the phone. I know I never would.

Revised Class/Assignment Schedule on Blackboard

Hi all.

There is now a revised schedule up on Blackboard. This new schedule takes us up through the end of the semester. There are a lot of changes, so you will want to take a look. We will be discussing this on Monday and signing up for small groups, so don't miss, and make sure to bring any questions with you.

Have a nice rest of your weekend.
-D

Relevance of Nick's Post on Oral Sex

Nick's post on oral sex is actually a relevant question because it applies to a lot of current issues. (That being said, Nick, you may want to make more of an effort to demonstrably tie your question to a relevant issue or two; what we define as sex is ultimately only important because of the implications of that definition.)

One issue relevant to this question is that teens, in particular religious teens who do not believe in sex before marriage, or who have taken virginity pledges, etc., are defining sex only as intercourse, so everything else does not technically violate their pledge or religious values (at least in their minds). They believe that they can engage in oral sex and remain virgins. I'm guessing that, based on his posting, Nick would agree with this, but it is the subject of controversy in religious communities. Another reason oral sex is increasing among teens is that they (correctly) believe they can't get pregnant while engaging in it and (incorrectly) believe they cannot get STDs from the act. As a result, teen pregnancies are down in our country, but more young people are engaging in oral sex than ever before.

Here is some logos for you: more than half of American teenagers ages 15-19 have engaged in oral sex. 70 percent of 18-and-19-year-olds have. This is not a small number we are talking about.

If you want to know more about why the question is relevant, you can read some of the following articles:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21945.php
http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/20061101/oral-sex-may-spread-common-std
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091500915.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21606.php
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11819-oral-sex-can-cause-throat-cancer.html

And for the record, I did not find Nick's post offensive at all. I just wanted the question to be tied to the potential consequences of its answers because how we define sex does matter.

There is another issue that Nick's post raises, and that is how religious teens view sex and what they perceive as "crossing the line" when it comes to intimacy. I also grew up in a religious environment, and no one ever told me, "This is how far you can go with a girl without offending God" or "This is dirty, but this isn't," etc. It was all pretty vague, and I can see how that can be confusing to young people. Nick's post brings up this issue, and any of you who want to respond to it, or anything else he has said, please do.
-D

Letting Go

Tomorrow at 12 o'clock my sister Kendall will be getting married. I'm happy that she's found someone that she wants to spend the rest of her life with but at the same time I feel like I'm losing something. I had the same feeling with my other two sisters when they got married as well.
When you get married things change: people move away, you're "we" instead of "I", all of a sudden you have to check with your "better half" to see if something is ok, etc. Of course there are many upsides to marriage, they're all so obvious I really don't even have to list them.
I just don't want to let my sister go, she's my friend and I'll miss her. I know I have to let her go but it'll take some time to adjust to things like not being able to run downstairs and ask her which outfit looks better on me or not being able to sit on her bed and talk about our favorite movies that we saw that month.
In the meantime I've got to learn to let go.
What are your guys' thoughts on this. I'm sure that many of you have had a friend/family member get married. Did you have such a hard time? Did you feel like even though they're the same person as before they were married maybe something was lost between the two of you?

NO MORE FILTH!!

HEY! DON'T GO ASKING MORALLY DEGRADING QUESTIONS ON THE BLOG!!

It disgust me that you would ever ask a question like that on the blog! I only read the title and it cause me to retch. If you are feeling guilty about some thing or are curious to know go tell/ask some one you know that won't mind listening.

I would like to never have to see another thing like this: ever! on the blog. So please don't.

IS ORAL SEX REALLY SEX?

I fell that this subject is perfect for this area of the country to get some good thoughts on this subject for me. Now lets get a few things straight, im not some pervert, i just think this is very interesting. Also im not using this to prove my girlfriend wrong so i can get some action. It is a subject that is debated alot in our country. Ecspecially with christian americans. In this part of the country many people are trying to follow their christian beliefs, and i dont care if anyone wants to admit it but alot of people around here follow by not having sex but sometimes do everything but. Growing up i was always told in church and school that oral sex was sex. but is it really? i went to the dictionary and looked up sex. and oral sex to see what the words meant.

Sex means:sexually motivated phenomena or behavior ( or Sexual Intercourse:heterosexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by the penis)

Oral Sex means : oral stimulation of the genitals

im just wondering what everyones thoughts on this subject are. I know many people have the same religious backgrounds and i think i might have a idea on what you think. but you must also look at the facts. Sex is sex, or penitration. You cant get pregnate from oral sex, but you can from sex. i think that oral sex is not sex, like many adults would clame, i know the word sex is in the name, but the act of sex is just on another level. Please let me know what you think on the subject. i know that some may find this riskee(or however its spelled(not risky)) but i dont write this to offend. but just to stimulate some answers, because this is a question that must be answer for the american people.

My plan to phase myself out is almost complete...

So it's a small thing, an almost immature issue. But yet, I'm sure that many of you have experienced the sadness of "losing" a best or close friend to the dating world. I know, I know, it sounds so dramatic. But it feels that way sometimes. It's always the same. You guys hang out all the time, you can talk to them, they understand you, they are there for you. And then comes that special someone. And it's not a bad thing, but all of the sudden they have someone who is in first place. And you get bumped down a small notch at first. But it's the feeling that there is someone else more important that really gets to you. And as they get closer together they call you less and less. You are now on the back burner my friend.

I talk about it like I'm an outsider, as if I were talking about it from a third person point of view. I wish it were so. It is happening to me. And I am happy for my friend, because it's a good thing. She is happy. He treats her well. And it's gotta happen eventually. So I think that's the hardest part. Knowing that I am so immature, so selfish. I only think of myself and the effects that it will have on me and my personal life. I wonder if any of you have been able to cope with a similar situation with a greater level of maturity.

I'm left wondering what is to be done? What can one do to remedy the situation? I feel so helpless. I feel that anything that i say would be purely selfish and inconsiderate. Dear classmates, you must be wiser than I. I am confident that one of you can help me to better cope with the current dilemma, as I feel so childish for my worry and frustration. When faced with the same situation, what have you done? What approach have you taken? Can it really be solved? Anyway, thanks for reading my pathetic little post. I know it's not about politics or current events or anything of any relevance in your lives, and if this were graded I'd probably get an F, but I guess I just need a little bit of advice, and our wonderful english class blog was the first place that came to mind. Comments will be greatly appreciated.

Taxation without Representation

As I watch my friends vote this week I can't help but feel left out. I am 17 years old, my birthday is November 10. It seems my opinion doesn't matter simply because of my age. This might just be me though, I mean, I have plenty of friends under 18 who have no problem waiting for the next election.

I think the voting age should be lowered.
I can only think of two arguments why:
In Texas, once you're 17 you are charged with crimes as an adult. Youth should not be subject to adult criminal penalties without having the right to vote.

"What kind of twisted message do we send when we tell youth they are judged mature, responsible adults when they commit murder, but silly, brainless kids when they want to vote? This is a double standard"

-NYRA

My other argument is perhaps the most obvious, taxation without representation. Rebecca Tilsen, age 14, testified to the Minnesota house subcommittee, stating:

"If 16-year-olds are old enough to drink the water polluted by the industries that you regulate, if 16-year-olds are old enough to breathe the air ruined by garbage burners that government built, if 16-year-olds are old enough to walk on the streets made unsafe by terrible drugs and crime policies, if 16-year-olds are old enough to live in poverty in the richest country in the world, if 16-year-olds are old enough to get sick in a country with the worst public health-care programs in the world, and if 16-year-olds are old enough to attend school districts that you underfund, then 16-year-olds are old enough to play a part in making them better."

Do you consider these legitimate arguments? Do you think the voting age should be lowered to 16? If not, then why?

Do we really want to become a socialist society?

I am proud to be an american. And always have been but seeing were this country is going scares me. As I listen to the politicians talk about health care and "sharing the wealth" I wonder weather or not the majority of people know that we are a republic and not socialists.  The definition of socialism is a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land,ect. in the community as a whole. Now this might not sound bad to some such as the French, but as an American I believe that you should be able to own your own, land, and run a business and if you make money you have the right to keep that money. I am not rich by any means and currently my family struggles to make the money to pay our bills, but that does not mean that I think that Bill Gates should cut me a check just because he has the money. And if you do then maybe you need to rethink your citizenship.

Digital or Hard Copy

I know we've had at least a few discussions about the repercussions of the digital age. Personally, I believe there are a great deal of things that have arisen from the digital age that I love. The Internet allows me easy access to a great deal of information that I otherwise would not have the time or energy to research. Email and cell phones allow me to keep in touch with friends and family back home (Wisconsin) much easier than would otherwise be possible. Though admittedly, I am terrible at keeping in touch with people despite that, as I'm often reminded. One thing that really irks me about digital information, though, is this movement to replace books and magazines with 'e-materials.'

I hate e-books and e-zines, and the like, for a number of reasons, and particularly when I have to pay for them. I'm a Dungeons and Dragons fan, and have been since late elementary school. For those of you who don't know what that is, I'll explain as briefly as I can. You've heard of World of Warcraft or Everquest? Well, Dungeons and Dragons is the basis for those games. Instead of playing it on a computer, however, Dungeons and Dragons is played with pencil and paper and, most importantly, imagination, at a table with a group of your friends. Well, Dungeons and Dragons requires a good many books to play, instead of CDs with expansions for WOW or Everquest and the like. Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of D&D, used to publish a pair of magazines named, respectively, Dungeon and Dragon. Original, I know, but they were great publications! Dragon contained information to help the players create better characters. Dungeon detailed adventures for those players to participate in from start to finish. Well, recently, WotC decided to cancel the publication of these magazines and move them onto their website as ezines. I was a little miffed about this. I've been collecting these magazines nearly since I started playing the game. But I tried not to get too up in arms about it, because the information was being released for free from the website.

Well, today I logged on to look at the new articles published, and I found out that I now must pay $7 per issue of each magazine in order to view the content. For those too lazy to do the math, and I don't blame you, that's $168 for access to all 24 issues that will be published in the next year. $168 for something that I can't even take away from my computer!

Now, the costs aside, I hate this movement to digitize books and magazines for other reasons. I like to pick up and feel the books I'm reading. I like to fill my bookshelves with all the volumes I've collected. My wife and I have three bookshelves bursting with books, and most of those are double stacked because we don't have room for more shelves. I keep my Dragon and Dungeon magazines in protectors in binders, organized by date of publication. I like to write notes in the margins of my books and make marks when I find something interesting. I like the feel of the paper of old books, and I love the smell of old libraries. I used volunteer my time in an old elementary library, I loved organizing and categorizing the books (I liked reading children's stories to the classes that came in, but that's beside the point). I like carrying books in my backpack and being able to whip one out to read when I have nothing better to do. Perhaps that's a materialistic attachment but there's just something about holding a good book in your hands, rather than bringing up some ethereal file on your harddrive that could perish with a particularly nasty virus or power surge.

So I leave you with a quote from the character Rupert Giles, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I know I'm a geek, it goes without saying): "Books smell musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer... It has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, uh... smelly."

What do you think?

For or against same-sex marriage?

After attending the same-sex marriage debate, I am interested in hearing what everyone's views are. Same-sex marriage is legal in California, Massachsetts, and Connecticut. There is much dispute as to whether the legalization should be recognized by all states, or if it should be abolished all together. Many people don't think that it should be morally accepted in society. Many religions are against homosexuality. Proposition 8 was created in hopes of making an amendment to the Constitution to define marriage as strictly being made between a man and a woman.

I think that no law should require people to change their sexual orientation. It's not ethical making people force or change their relationships. Marriage entails the same committments, obligations, and vows regardless of whether it's a traditional couple or same-sex. It isn't right to say that gay marriage is inferior to traditional; all marriages should be treated equally. There are 1,138 statuatory provisions for tax laws in which marital status is involved. I think that the government should grant the same tax benefits and guarantees for ALL marriages. A big question at the debate was if same-sex couples could legitimately raise children. I think that you're sexual orientation doesn't dictate if you and your partner are fit to raise a child. As long as there is a stable and committed, loving home environment, then it shouldn't be an issue. If a single parent can take care of a child, then there's no reason why a same-sex couple shouldn't be able to as well.

I think that same sex marriages should be legally accepted. People should be allowed to choose who they marry. What happened to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL?

Should the legal drinking age be lowered?

Alcohol is consumed by many people every day. It can be found in common places like the supermarket, church, restaurants, gas stations, and especially social gatherings. But where should the legal drinking age be set? Is 21 an appropriate age to start drinking, or could the age be lowered without any additional negative consequences? I think that once people are 18, they should be entitled to make decisions for themselves. There are some negative effects that can come with alcohol, but I don't see those effects being any different when comparing an adult of 18 to that of 21. At 18, you can legally vote, smoke, be arrested, and you are free from your parents' rule. The pressure that is on teens as they reach adulthood prepares them for making life decisions. I think that if you are legally responsible for yourself, you have the ability to judge if drinking is appropriate for you and fully understand the possible consequences.

The Pains and Joys of Love

Hola fellow beings of life!

So this Sunday totally sucked big time for me because at 8:30 in the morning the father of the girl I have completely fallen for has told me to stay the *@#**!! away from his daughter. While he was chewing my head off I really wanted to tell him off because it wasn't my fault that his daughter has a smile that entrances my entire soul. So I took his rebuke willingly and tried to make it as painless as possible.

In the beginning his words scared me a ton and I felt like Brian Regan when his doctor tells him to lay off dairy: "what kind of blanket sweep was that... and no more happiness!" visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q
During church I did every thing to stay away from him but it seamed that everything I did to get away chance made it so I kept on running into him. I couldn't take it any more I was getting the eye of death, and there was going to be no more happiness in life any more, and the cause of all my problems was sitting directly in front of me.

Now that I reflect on what happened 2.5 hours later it is actually pretty funny. There is this boy that likes my younger sister and I want to kill the poor kid just because he likes my sister, so I can only imagine what this father wants to do to me. So I'm curious, for you that have younger siblings do you get defensive when someone starts to like them?
Thanks for reading my woes of life,
~Ukulele kid

Different Views on Hunting

So i am going hunting this weekend, and when i told my roommates i would be gone hunting i got mixed reactions. One of my roommates thought it was cool and asked me to take a lot of pictures. My other roommate however, thought i was the meanest person in the world for "slaughtering beautiful creatures" as he put it. It surprised me because i have always known there were people against hunting, but i have never actually talked to anyone who disliked hunting about hunting. My family all hunts or fishes and so do most of my friends. So I am curious to see what your opinions on hunting are.

RU 4 Online Dating?

I have been contemplating the way(s) that our increasing devotion to technology has affected the ways we communicate with each other and develop realationships. One obvious part of this discussion is the issue of Internet dating. I am really curious to hear your opinions on this topic. There are, of course, convincing arguments for dating online (you can find who/what you are looking for a lot easier; it gives you access to a larger "dating pool"; you can communicate and find out if there is any real compatability beyond physical attraction), but there are also a lot of reasons not to do it (first and foremost, there are a lot of freaks in the world, and many of them spend a lot of time online; the people you meet often live too far away for a real relationship; you can't know if you have chemistry with someone until you meet that person face to face; people are fake online, putting forth a false, or idealized, version of themselves). These are all arguments I have heard, not necessarily my own arguments. I'm sure you have heard these arguments, or similar ones.

So my question to you is this: Is online dating a good thing? Is it improving or hindering the way we meet and fall in love? Is it speeding up an outdated process or taking all of the fun and tradition out of what my grandparents would call "courting"? Feel free to share personal experiences. Do you meet people online? Do you have success stories? Horror stories? I am really interested in hearing your views on this topic, as well as your own diverse experiences.

~D

Text messaging: A nuisance to society?

Text messaging has become increasingly popular over the years. It's convenient, discreet, easy to do, and only takes a few seconds for your message to be sent. But has text messaging become such a staple in society that it's ruining our everyday relationships? What about the people who blatantly text while you're trying to talk to them face-to-face, is it more rude to ignore the person that's talking to you or texting you? Has texting taken the place of having regular conversations with people? Or is it helping relationships because it's so much easier to keep in touch by sending short messages? One major flaw with text messaging is that you can't necessarily determine the other person's emotions in what they write; a lot of messages can be taken out of context and create problems. Is texting while driving more distracting than playing with the radio or chatting with a passenger? Is it acceptable or dangerous? Do you think text messaging has benefited our society or hindered it?

This is America... Right?

Hola! I mean... Hello!

I would like to know how you feel about having Spanish written EVERYWHERE you look. Maybe for those of you that speak Spanish it's not a big deal, maybe it's a huge comfort.
I feel a little left out of the loop. Before I went on my 2 year excursion to Japan, the only thing that had another language written on it was a can of Pringles... I was surprised that when I got home (even though I was in my mother country again) I was only able to understand half of the billboards, magazines, and even things being broadcast on the radio.

My brother has a very strong opinion on this subject. One of the points he constantly made was along the lines of "If we don't want illegal immigrants in our country, why are we making it more convenient for them to live here by putting Spanish everywhere? If THEY want to live, work and be a part of OUR country they should take the time to learn the language that's spoken here!" He does have a valid point I think. Do you agree with my brother?

Are You Sold on Sex?

This week we had a really great discussion about visual rhetoric, and one topic that generated a lot of conversation was sexuality in advertising. "Sex sells" is a truism that we hear from time to time, but we went a little deeper than that today. We discussed what ads that appeal to human sexuality say about us. Do they reveal how far we've come, to a point where we can openly celebrate the human body and our sexual nature, or are they gratuitous appeals to base impulses that exploit and objectify the body? Do they promote unrealistic ideals to consumers, especially young consumers? Or do such images depict common fantasies and impulses that we no longer, in 2008, have to keep hidden? And, from a rhetorical point of view, do these ads work for you? Does this image at all persuade you to buy these jeans? I would love for any of you to sound off on this.

Freedom in the USA

This doesn't really have any relavence to things going on right now it's just something i've been thinking about lately. How lucky we are to be American citizens; we have freedom of religion to be activley Religious or not; we can choose as people whether we want to attend college or not, where we go to school, what classes we take; and the topic that has been weighing heavily on my mind, having the freedom to choose or change a major in school.

I think about all the countries that make all the choices for the people and they have no choice but to go to that certain school, be a certain religion, even choosing a major in school or a career is taken away from people in the world. What must that be like? I can't imagine being forced to be a Mathmatician or a nurse; neither of which i am remotely interested in doing. I would hate life if i had to do either one of those things. How much of a persons beliefs and personality are taken away by not having those freedoms?

I am so grateful that i do live in America, where i have gone to 2 colleges, and been able to choose what i want to do with my life. How much do we take that for granted?

Politics

So..... I am curious to know what everyone thinks about the election. I am also curious about what you believe is going to happen now that Palin has been introduced into the election. What do you think about Palin? Let me hear your thoughts and oppinions. . . . . . :)

September 11th

So I know I'm a little late bringing this up, but September 11th just passed and I felt like it was forgotten. To be perfectly honest, I forgot about it until I remembered the date. I felt really stupid and unpatriotic. My sister is in 6th grade, and was really young when it happened but she said her teacher didn't even bring it up. No moment of silence or anything. Thats really hard for me to take in. Are people just ignoring it now? It doesn't matter if you know someone who was personally affected by September 11th, it touched EVERYONE! I didn't even know what the World Trade Center was when it happened, but I knew how horrible the whole day was, I knew it wasn't good.
I guess I just wanted to know if it's going to end up being some taboo thing we won't be able to talk about. If it does, then I apologize in advance because I for sure will be talking about it. Even if we only mention it once a year, it doesn't matter, as long as it is forever in our minds.

Did I miss anything?

Hey I wasn't able to attend class yesterday because I had to go to a new job training, I had a friend of mine drop my assignment off in class, but I was wondering if there was anything crucial that I needed to know for the next class.

You do not have to use to topics in the book

The list in the book are some the options for topics that we can write about. In class it was also said that we can pick our own topic if it will help us complete the assignment, or if we just did not like any of the options the book gave us. Hope that helped :)

BELIEVE OR DOUBT?

Im sitting here in the library starting the beleiving and doubting assignment but i cant remember if we can pick our own thing to beleive or doubt. im pretty sure we can but there was that list and i remember talking about the list in class so now i have my self confussed about what to do. i was wondering if anyone knew if we were to write one from the list givin in the book or pick our own? if someone will let me know just to make sure i would appreciate it, i will continue to just write it and be safe and pick one from the list. but i was just wanting to know. Anyway it seems like a good assignment because everything you pick a side whether you believe or doubt so in this lesson i like that we get to kind of try and trick our mind into beleiving something we really dont.

New School Stuff

Well this week of school has been very interesting. I went through all of my classes and learned what I would need and what is to be expected. English seems like it will be hard but possibly interesting. It sounds like I am going to start asking for other's point of view instead of stating my own. I am taking a few auto classes that start at 7:00 A.M. Ouch! I have to bring my own tools to my auto classes. It is going to be expensive, but at least I will have them for later on in life. One of the hardest things has been that many of my friends didn't start school until today so I have been trying to include them in my schedule this week also. I have to balance a job as well. It'll be tough but I'll make it.

Welcome

Welcome to our class blog. It was great to meet you all today and to talk about our goals for the semester. I want you to be able to post to the blog right away, so if you haven't done so already, please create a Gmail account and send me the address. I will send you an invitation. Thanks, and I will see you on Friday.