Abraham Lincoln Museum

Author's note: This is a writing piece about the time I went to the Abraham  Lincoln Museum. my prompt word for this piece was Abraham Lincoln.

This summer our family went on vacation to Springfield. My Grandparents and my family visited The Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield. When we went into the museum we went to the first exhibit about Lincoln's childhood. My grandpa set off the alarms when he pressed the bed in one of the exhibits. He said he was wondering if anyone was in the bed.  We then went through the museum without another disturbance.

Titanium Dioxide : A Counter to Global Warming?

"The world is ending! The world is ending! Run for your lives!" the people shout as they run through the streets. Meteors come crashing to earth as the suns rays themselves bake people alive. But in reality the world is not ending and people are not screaming because the atmosphere has not been destroyed yet. The atmosphere has not vanished from the greenhouse gasses we ignorantly still polute the air with. If the temperature could be stopped from rising then global warming would end.

A new cooler for the environment has been brought to the attention of scientists. Titanium dioxide ,the same ingredient used in sunscreen. By reflecting the suns rays, these particles could be scattered in the air to cool the temperature on the earth, therefore countering global warming. This technique was discovered when sulfur dioxide was powdered into the air by Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in the Philippines. The temperature was lowered for 2 years after the explosion. Sulfur dioxide is unhealthy for the air so a similar and more effective substance is being used, titanium dioxide.

A major necesity is making sure that the substance is safe for the environment in which you are trying to save and safe for the animals that live in it. Negative effects from titanium dioxide should be minimal for the depth of the layer of titanurm dioxide that would cover the earth is not even a milimeter in depth. In the past several thought to be safe substances litered the air and caused global warming to worsen.

If titanium dioxide is not sent into the atmosphere, our problems won't be solved but, is global warming a problem? Global warming is most certainly not the end of the world. The earth has warmed and cooled many times througout its lifetime and has survived quite well. Plus the amount of heat needed to take down the atomosphere is unthinkable. The earth will eventually adapt to the changes that have occured and continue to forever change in temperature. The more we do to fix global warming the worse it gets.There is no need to infect the air when we could just fix our bad habits.  If we leave the air alone and reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses we emit into the air the world will mend itself. The more we interfere with the atmosphere the worse global warming will become.

Foreshadowing in "The Lottery"

One example of foreshadowing in "The Lottery" is the stones being readied for the stoning. When you read it the first time, you do not realize that the children are gathering stones to kill someone, you think that the kids are just playing with them.The kids bringing the stones to the town square is an example of foreshadowing. Another example of foreshadowing is the wheeling out of the black box. Because the box symbolizes death and fate you can foreshadow that something bad will occur. Also the sudden change of emotion in the crowd once  the box is brought out shows that box gives fear to the people.

Point of View in Life of Pi

The Point of view of Pi is unreliable in the book, Life of Pi.  His story has a lot of unbelieveable content, such as the island made of seaweed, the man on the lifeboat that is blind, and the whole story itself. Because of Pi and Richard Parker's poor nutrition, they where not thinking straight and the whole thing could have been a halucination.


The Chineese investigators at the end of the book parrallel our society, unless we see it or have proof we cannot believe it. Pi's story has no proof so the investigators do not belive him. The version they wanted to hear was the one Pi told second, where the animals on the boat were people. If a person that was not affected by health problems was on the lifeboat, then the story could have been told with no surprises and everything normal.

Stem Cells

Stem Cells

Could you imagine if one day you were diagnosed with a disease and needed an organ transplant, but were able to grow an organ back instead? This amazing use of healthcare could be made possible by the use of stem cells. Stem cells are unique cells that can become the cure to almost any disease.

Stem cells can transform into specific organ cells capable of doing roles in the body.  Because of cell division, stem cells are able to duplicate themselves. When they split, the new cells have the ability to convert into any type of cell in the body. They can also turn into more stem cells.  (Stem Cell Information)

Containing a unique ability, stem cells can be used to cure diseases by injecting healthy stem cells into the infected body to replace dying organs and tissues. Therefore, stem cells can help cure diseases like spinal cord injuries, stroke, burn, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis by transforming into organs or cells the body is in demand of. If stem cell healthcare becomes more popular, it may substantially reduce the need for organ transplants. (Stem Cell Information)

The use of stem cells is controversial. Some people believe that using an embryonic stem cell is killing the life of a human. (The Stem Cell Story) While others think that we should be able to use anything science gives us. Another place where embryonic stem cells are found is in the umbilical cord. This means that once children are born scientists can extract the blood from the umbilical cord and retrieve the stem cells. (Dr. Avraham Kadar) That way babies do not get killed and the same stem cells that were extracted may save that baby’s life one day.

Abolitionists of embryonic stem cell research believe that scientists should use adult stem cells. Adult stem cells come from grown humans and embryonic stem cells come from live embryos. Embryonic stem cells are far more advanced than adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are new and are able to become any cell in the body, where adult stem cells have been limited to becoming only a few organs. Plus, embryonic stem cells are easier to obtain.  (Stem Cell Information) Accesing adult stem cells are difficult because “[a]dult stem cells are rare in mature tissues, so isolating these cells from an adult tissue is challenging” (Stem Cell Information). Embryonic stem cells are the best form of stem cells for scientific uses.

            Once we get beyond the dilemma of the ethical use of stem cells, major advances in disease treatment will occur.  Stem Cells are a great way to improve our healthcare but are still in preliminary stages. Able to cure almost any disease, stem cells are the healthcare of the near future.

Bibliography

Dr. Avraham Kadar, M.D. "Stem Cells." Brain Pop. 19 4 2012 <http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/stemcells/>.

Stem Cell Information. 16 April 2012 <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1.asp>.

"The Stem Cell Story." JDRF. 16 4 2012 <http://kids.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=109760>.

The Last Pickle

Timothy was the last to be freed from this landfill. Ah, the joy of leaving the jar. It has seemed like forever since the lid has opened. Things have changed since his release; the jar has grown a nauseating smell. Even worse, these small bacteria that swim back and forth in the water antagonizing me day and night, have arrived. There hasn’t been anyone else here since Tim left. Now I face boredom itself and its evil adversaries, loneliness and solitude. I don’t know how long I can take this no one to talk to, no one to listen to. The silence is engulfing my body whole. I must block out these distractions and wait till the jar is opened. There is no escape. There is no happiness. There is no anger. There is no family. There is no enemy. There is nothing.The only thing to do is wait.

Mr. Mason's Jars Conflict and Resolution

The passage, Mr. Mason's Jars, contained the conflict of Troy getting on the nerves of Mr. Mason. Troy was new to the school so he hadn't been shown the ropes from Mr. Mason yet. Because Troy was so talkative, Mr. Mason  despised Troy for interrupting class and asking so many questions. Troy just kept pushing Mr. Masons buttons causing Mr. Mason to invite him after school. Mr. Mason resolved Troy's communication issues by taking his soul. A way that Mr. Mason could have avoided ruining Troy's life forever, Mr. Mason could have nicely told him to quiet down or created a different consequence such as sitting in the hall. Troy losing his soul could have been avoided if his science teacher wasn't mentally insane. If Mr. Mason did not steal Troy's soul then troy would most likely continue to annoy him, unless he treated the problem correctly and scolded him appropriately. If he did do what normal teachers do then Troy would be fine. In the story Troy says just before his soul is taken that Mr. Mason was his favorite teacher. If Mr. Mason would have just been nice to his kids then everyone would have been happy and no one's souls would be missing.

Limericks

Author's note: I wrote these two limericks to improve my scores on my district writing assessment. 

There once was a fellow named sue

She was part of a dancing crew

She took a small tumble

And made a big rumble

That made tons of internet views

There once was a girl named Brooke

Who took a class to become a cook

She hated the class

She oh so needed to pass

So she decided to read a book

Major League Baseball Salary Cap

Author's note: This is my district writing piece. I decided to write about why baseball needs a salary cap because so many times I wonder why the MLB does not have a salary cap when I watch baseball.

It is unfair how some baseball teams can barely get a winning record when perennial World Series Champions annihilate opposing teams like a stroll in the park.  Just think how much more enjoyable every game would be if your team always had a fair chance of winning. This could be made possible if a salary cap existed in Major League Baseball.

The Yankees alone have spent over two billion dollars in the last ten years. That is enough to buy 833 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport cars, the most expensive car in the world. The Yankees have 27 national titles, because they pay their players four times as much as other teams. Players from around the globe come to the Yankees because no one can resist how much money they offer. Half of the top ten largest sports salaries ever are current Yankee players. The other half of are also current players in Major League Baseball. The Yankees have had a winning season since 1992. The more money you spend the more wins you will generate.

In Major League Baseball, it should not be a contest about which team can spend the most money.  By having teams more balanced in spending, the league can make sure every team in the league is competitive and has a real chance to make the post-season playoffs.  With a salary cap, teams will become more equal.  If there are more equal games then more people will come to see those games.

The National Football League does a great job evening out the teams with a salary cap. The NFL Draft is another thing that is a positive aspect about the NFL, where better NCAA players get chosen by the teams with the worse records. All but two teams in the NFL have not made the playoffs in the last ten years, whereas half a dozen baseball teams have not been to the playoffs in the last ten years. The NFL has an incredible way of evening out teams, and now the NFL has grown in popularity and financially.  Since the NFL has created a salary cap, the amount of money they make every year has skyrocketed. If the MLB does the same, the outcome will be similar.  They will make more money because more people will enjoy going to a baseball game.  

The Green Bay Packers have the smallest NFL market yet they still are capable of contending for the Super Bowl as well as any other team. If a salary cap is implemented in MLB any team could also do the same. The Milwaukee Brewers are spending more money to maintain valuable players such as Ryan Braun, but we still had to give up Prince Fielder and C.C. Sabathia. Because the Brewers cannot afford multiple high expense players, they will never be able to compete with teams that can afford these players. A salary cap is necessary for Major League Baseball.

How Free Were Free Blacks in the North DBQ Essay

 Freedom really means to determine action without restraint. In the Revolutionary war era, this was not true. Freedom meant to not be enslaved. The few rights that came with it were bonuses. Blacks did not have freedom the north.

Blacks in the North were limited to very few political rights. They were given the right to vote in less than half of the states in the north. Despite one exception, there weren't any blacks on any juries. Despite few political rights they had many economic rights.

Blacks were allowed to own property and businesses. Also they had the right to have a job and become economically strong. These rights were limited by segregation. People would not buy from blacks because they were black. Therefore black businesses were not usually successful.

Socially, blacks held no rights and many restrictions. They could not marry whites, dine with whites, care for whites as a doctor, or talk with whites in the theater, concert room, lecture room, or church.  Blacks were treated the same socially as if they were outcasts and as if they were the most inferior race.

Blacks in the north had few rights. Some say that they were treated the same as blacks in the south. Not true, in the north blacks were not slaves. Northern blacks almost had it worse. They could not be socially accepted in the world that they were considered "free". They worked for a living and learned the hard way that they could not support themselves. Blacks in the north were never truly free until Martin Luther King Jr. gave blacks freedom.  Although blacks were not enslaved in the north, they still were not free.

Response to: "The Big Yellow Taxi"

When you read the lyrics of  "Big Yellow Taxi", you get the feeling that the author is regretting a past decision or arguing that the world does not need more cities. Where as the original song sounds as if they are celebrating that they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. The intent of the song is to influence stopping the growth of cities and to preserve paradise/nature.  However the tone of the song just doesn't fit, it sounds like a preschool sing along should be taking place. This really bothers me; that a sad song sounds so happy. I can just picture unicorns and rainbows everywhere while the music is playing. If a speaker was reading this to a group of people there would be no one jumping around smiling ear to ear, it would be serious. The choice of music in the original "Big Yellow Taxi" is absolutely ridiculous and preposterous.

Gummi Bears

Gummi Bears

The Yellows

taste mellow

The red

taste like lead

Blue

taste bad too

Purple

don't exist

The green

rotting cream

But the clear taste fine

They taste great all the time

The thing that makes them great

is simple and easy to state

for they taste quite plain

A simple fruity sensation

Stairs

Author's note: This is my response to Mother to Son.

In the story, Mother to Son, there are many metaphors. The stairs described in the poem represent life in its fullest. Poverty and sickness parallel the carpet-less stairs.  The tacks and splinters show obstacles in life like job loss and other difficult times. Darkness represents times when you do not know where to go and times in your life that you rather would not look back on. A crystal stair parallels perfection, fame, and richness.

Piscine Patel

Author's Note: This is what I think would happen if Pi Patel would walk into our classroom.

Click click click, the door chimed as Piscine Patel emerged through the door. He  would saunter over to his desk and act like a calm puppy waiting for a treat. Then the teacher would call his name and he would walk up to the board as if he was climbing Mt. Everest or going to die trying. He would hurriedly write:

My name is Piscine Patel

Known to all as

Pi Patel

3.14

 

Like chicken scratch.  The marker would disobey Pi like a bratty toddler and draw everything imperfect. Then Pi would stride back to his desk as if he owned the place.

The Pond

The Pond

Author's note: This is a Haiku about the pond that Cole soaks in every morning.

A frosty ocean

Able to empty the mind

Where you forget all

The Role of Family

 Author's note: This my writing piece for Touching Spirit Bear. This piece is a theme analysis about the Role of Family.


Families look out for each other. Families protect each other. Families are forgiving to each other. However, perfect families never occur whether in novels or real life.  A main character's actions are often determined by the actions of others within their family.  The way family members act is critically influential to the rest of the family.

In the book Touching Spirit Bear, Cole was beaten by his father for misbehaving.  Abusing your child was the only thing that Cole's father new because that is what his father did to him. If Cole's father wasn't abused when he was a kid, Cole would never have gotten anger issues. And if Cole never became angry he never would have destroyed Peter and his life.  This shows that actions that have occurred in the past will infect future generation like a disease.

When Cole was on the island he had no family to guide him.  That being said, he also had no family to guide him when he was at home because his parents had a high level of ignorance for him.  Without being able to control anything at home he was molded into controlling everything anywhere else.  If they had cared for Cole he would not be the control freak juvenile delinquent he was forced into becoming, thus altering his life completely.

Another survival book very similar to Touching Spirit Bear is My Side of the Mountain.  In the book Sam Gribley runs away from home because he lives in a large family were he is often forgotten. Sam felt unloved so he ran away and lived in the forest for a whole year before anyone found him. His family shunned him unlike Touching Spirit bear. 

The Outsiders, a book where Ponyboy and his brothers have no parents, is also heavily impacted because of the absence of his parents. Darry, Ponyboy's older brother, is unable to go to college because of his family's loss. Ponyboy and his makeshift family do not get along well either which also makes Ponyboy run away. If the family was unabridged, they could return to an average life instead of forcing Ponyboy to run away.

In every book the family will affect the main character for the better or worse. Main characters instinctively make the same mistakes that their parents did because of how strong of an influence your family is. An action made by a person in the family affects you unwillingly.

Thank You, Ma'am... not really

 

Author’s note: This is an alternate ending piece for Thank You, Ma’am  about what would have happened if Mrs. Jones had not given him the money. Warning: the last paragraph is creepy. 


  When they were finished eating she got up and said, "Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. As she opened the door Roger began to limp out the door when Mrs. Jones slammed the door square on his forehead as he stumbled backward.

“You’ll never buy them shoes!” Mrs. Jones cackled as she blocked the only escape.

“You can’t keep me here” Roger screamed, “I have to get home!”

“I thought you have no home or no family, you silly boy” She taunted.

“No, I do have a home and a family” Roger halfheartedly stuttered.

“Do not lie to me!” Mrs. Jones roared. 

                Roger lunged for the door but Mrs. Jones was surprisingly faster. She then held him by the wrist and forced him down into the kitchen chair.  Prior to opening the closet door she tied some rope firmly around his hands, feet and body. Grabbing a towel from the table, Mrs. Jones tore it in two and gagged Roger.  Flailing his every muscle Roger unwillingly was set down in the closet like a toddler after a temper tantrum. Then one of the bystanders living in the house eased the door closed. That was the last time Roger saw Mrs. Jones; and the last time Roger saw anyone.

Touching Spirit Bear Prediction

Cole will change. I think he will become a nicer person because the way the book is written shows he is all bad and that he has to turn good. When he was worried about the birds he had some compassion. When he was laying on the ground he started to see that not everything feared him and that he is part of the ecosystem and he should learn his place.  In the book The Outsiders  Dallas Winston is similar to Cole because he is completely reckless and thinks everything runs around him. In the end of the book Dallas changes heart and cares for other people, so I think that Cole will do the same. The book is written like a comedy because Cole is in control if his changes. At the end of a comedy the setting is positive and I think that this shows that Cole will become a better person.

Dead Men's Path in a Nutshell

 Author’s note: This is a retelling response to Dead Men’s Path.

The first event in Dead Men’s Path is when Michael Obi is appointed Headmaster of Ndume Central School. A woman then walked through the path on the school grounds when Michael Obi was the Headmaster. Next Obi blocked off the path with stakes and barbed wire so that the townsfolk could not use the path because the Government Education Officer would not approve of it. The priest of the town then talked with Obi about taking down the blockade and was denied. Two days later a woman died. Subsequently, the townspeople tore apart the flowers, hedges, and what was blocking the path.  

The Point of View of Adam and Moses Cooper

Author's note: I am focusing on Point of view (obviously) and idea development. This is a revision of my earlier post on the point of view in April Morning.

Adam Cooper is a fifteen year old boy who lives in Lexington Massachusetts prior to the Revolutionary War. He believes that his father is argumentative, harsh and unloving. As the reader of April Morning you feel similar because the book is written in Adam's point of view. 

Adam’s father, Moses Cooper, feels opposite about himself, believing that he himself is not harsh. If the book were in the eyes of Moses Cooper; you would feel that he is just trying to parent him and not deliberately yelling at him. On page 100, Adam admits that he does not remember everything, “At least those were the words that I seem to remember”. Adam describes his father more harshly than what his father would have described himself. 

Furthermore the book is in first person in the form of a journal, so the book is entirely in Adam’s view.  Since the book is in only one perspective the content is not objective. This proves that anything Adam describes may be inaccurate or over exaggerated. 

The Harlem Globetrotters

Author's note: In this piece I am informing the reader about a Harlem Globetrotters game and persuading the reader to attend a game.

The Harlem Globetrotters play basketball like no other team in the world.  Staging in six different continents and 120 different countries, they perform to hundreds of millions of fans. The team consists of players ranging in heights from five foot two to seven foot eight.  In addition, the first female player in twenty years was accepted to the Globetrotters this year. The tricks the team plays on the opponents are phenomenal. On the court players make jokes and mess around creating plenty of laughs in the crowd while the game is unfolding.  The combination of the astounding tricks and comical comments is a great family experience.