American Born Chinese

. Quiz: 1. What really was the 5 gold pillars? 2. What were the bubbles on Amelia's shoulder from?  3. What is the reason that Danny keeps on changing schools? 4. What was the true identity of the village beggars? 5. Why wouldn't they let the Monkey King into the party? 6. What does the herbalist's wife tell Jin? 7. What does Chin-kee do to Steve's coke? 8. Wong Lai-Tsao gets attacked by what on his journey? 9. What is the true identity of Chin-kee? 10. What is the true identity of Danny?       The first theme of this book is don't take people for granted. Jin took Wei-Chen for granted and didn't respect how good of a friend he was. The Monkey King took Tze-Yo-Tzuh for granted and ended up under a pile of rock for punishment. Danny took Chin-kee for granted and never really tried to learn his background story. All of them learned thought in the end that they needed to look past the cover before they make choices on who that person is.       The second theme is to stay true to yourself. Jin would rather be anyone but himself but later realizes that his life was great before and should of never tried to change it. When the herbalist's wife tells him that he can be anyone as long as he gives up his soul, she's telling him that he can change his ways if he wants but the truth is all he needs he already has. Jin does stay true to himself and changes to Danny, which is where his troubles start.       The third theme is that without friends we would get nowhere. Wong Lai-Tsao would of died without the Monkey King's help. Jin would of been a lonely nobody without Wei-Chen. Without Steve, Danny would have no one as well. Friends are needed throughout the whole course of the book.

Are Atheists Being to Snobby with Rude Billboard?

The American Atheists group has put up a billboard on the New Jersey highway saying, "You KNOW it's a Myth- This season celebrate REASON! People are very unhappy about the sign because they feel like it has a "oh-just-face-it" attitude too it. Hemant Mehta, an Atheist, claims that it's not being rude to Christians but saying tell the world that you don't believe if you really don't.

To see the full article, than click The 'snotty' atheist billboard: Christmas is a 'myth' - The Week

Should parents put their babies on diets?

After SNL did a skit with a parody ad for a product called Baby Spanx, Doctors are speaking up to say that they have seen Mothers and Fathers putting their kids on early diets. The trend seems to be happening before the kids have even reached the age of one. It happens that parents who have their own weight issues are more likely than other parents to put their child through this so young. Most parents would rather have a thin kid than a fat one because "It makes them better than the fat ones." Earlier in the year a young couple had their child put in foster care since they were accused of starving their infant daughter. One doctor says, "Baby diets aren't the answer, but therapy for the obsessive parents can be."

To see the full article, click Should parents put their babies on diets? - The Week

Can Siblings Make a Kid Less Happy?

A new study from a British University say that only childs are more happy then those with siblings. The ones with siblings endure bullying at one of the safest places: home. Quarreling and fighting increases stress for the kids and the parents, which some just give up breaking up squabbles and let their children fight. This new study goes against that happen in Ohio University in 2004, which claimed that only childs have harder times making friends and that sisters can make you more optimistic. The new study could just apply to the British or to everyone, which would mean Ohio was wrong.

For the whole article, click
Are only children happier? - The Week

Airline pat-downs

John Tyner, at the San Diego airpot, left the airport after refusing the security full body scan and the pat-down saying, 'If you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested."Others who are against the TSA's new safety rules are using this as a cry out to the world about security measures. The TSA is proposing a $11,000 fine to Tyner, but people are claiming that, "That's to high". The TSA is wanting to charge him this much so the TSA doesn't end up with an airport full of Tyners. Right now 80% of the public is on the TSA's side.

To see the full article, click
http://theweek.com/article/briefing_blog/175/airplane-safety

British student protest: Violence' in London

Students took to the streets of Britain under protest of higher university fees. They were raised as part of  Britain's new Austerity Measures. The rioters smashed windows, started fires and even got on the roof of the Prime Minister's headquarters. The college fee was only raised a little but the students are ready to fight. This is only the first riot but more are expected to come.

to see the article, click
British student protests: 'Vicious violence' in London - The Week

Sex, Drugs and... Texting?

 A new shows that teens who 'hyper-text', kids who send at least 120 messages a day, are more likely to give into peer pressure and/or do drugs. Hyper-texters are mostly found with people with absent, permissive or single parents which makes them bored and more likely to text. Also people in big family's who don't get as much attention are more likely as well. This study is more like a 'wake up call', since it's not texting that's the problem but the "lack of oversight,".

To view the whole artical, click
Sex, drugs and... texting? - The Week

Kick Me

Kick Me 

By Paul Feig

       The theme of Kick Me is growing up and what it brings along with it. Paul Feig finds out how hard it is and that no one can go from child to man in one easy step. The book is trying to tell us how to take little steps and not rush through it or you'll fall over your own feet.

       Paul Feig, The protagonist, wants to be able to fit in with the other kids. He wants them to look past the nickname Fag and really get to know him. The mentor in this book, Paul's dad, wants Paul to fit in as well and get past some girly features and become a boy, preferably a funny one. 

       Over the course of the book, Paul learns a lot about growing up. He learns that you will have to take a shower in front of other boys when you reach middle school and he learns that as you change, girls do too. Paul changes by finally getting a grip on the fast changing world around him in the last chapter of the book and asks his long time love, Mary, to go to the prom with him. This changes him because Paul's never been able to muster up the courage to ask her or reveal his thoughts on Mary ever to her face. In the end, Paul has reached the point where he has caught up with life and can finally enjoy it.

       Three stories from this book really stood out to me. One was where Paul got this 'rope feeling' when he was climbing up a rope in gym. Later, when he finds out how to get the feeling in the bathtub and tells his friend how to do, I was confused until the end when his friend, Brian, told him about getting his 'thingy' stuck in the bottle. It was hilarious. Another was the Killer game, which in Freaks and Geeks the same thing happens. It was so great to find out the part about him getting detention for swearing. I also loved the dog-pile in the showers. How gross!

        I really liked Kick Me. I thought the author did a great job on the book. I'm surprised he was able to tell the world what he was like when he was younger and love the fact he was open to say the truth. It rocked and totally recommend it to anyone. The beginning is a little slow but once you get into it, it's a wonderful book. I hope everyone in our class this year, and next year, reads this book in (or out of) reading bowl.

Parent meeting

I think that Greg will talk about the fact that I've never missed a homework assignment and Martha will talk about my writing in writing class. I hope she doesn't exactly say what I write about because some of my thoughts on religion might scare them a little. I do want her to tell them that I've read aloud to the class what I've been writing. I believe that Greg will talk about lit and how I think outside the box and find very creative symbols. 

Should parents let toddlers play with iPhones?

Parents are finding out that a new app, 'Toy of Choice', can amuse there little kids for hours. They can press buttons to see the screen light up, watch videos, or do educational apps, But a new study says it can be as neglectful as putting them in front of a tv for a few hours. Kids don't need anymore screen time and need to learn how to interact with the outside world. Do they really need a iGo Potty app?

Are moms too mean to their daughters?

British parenting website Netmums says that moms are twice as likely to be critical of their daughters than their sons. They conducted a survey that concluded that women were twice as likely to criticize their daughters then their sons. It also said that 55% felt like they had a closer bond with their sons vs. daughters.
It turns out that being meaner to girls can scar them: It can make them more self-critical in adulthood. But don't judge your mother because gender is a huge part of our identity. Moms and daughters have a 'special bond' that makes them more openly direct and critical to the people closest to them.

Verizon iPhone

Apple is claiming that the new iPhone compatible with Verizon will be coming out in the first quarter of 2011, but some aren't buying it. Right after Apple released the first iPhone, customers began to complain about AT&T horrible service. Rumors then started to follow that a Verizon iPhone would come out soon and have more reliable service, but that still hasn't happened. After saying that the new and improved iPhone would come out in 2008, every year that date has changed and given them a longer due date. Just a couple days ago a new rumor has started that now it will come out in early 2011, changing the last one from January 2011.

Twist

The theme in twist is that you always need to believe in who you are no matter what other people tell you. In Twist, people kept telling him since his mother was white and his father was black that he was an 'accident', but he didn't listen to them because Twist believed that they loved each other even though he did know anything about them. 

Twist's mentor was Mr. Prodhome. Prod Home gave him his first real home and took him in without anyone asking. He believed Twist when he said that he didn't know that he was selling bootleg and showed Twist how to trust people when no one else does. He was one of the first people to love Twist and take him in.

Having Twist as the title of the story gives it a deeper meaning because it shows how he is a Twist of two different cultures, Blacks and Whites. He is a mixture that makes him a target for people to make fun of and for the Klu Klux Klan. The thing is that he does care. He doesn't care that people might make fun of him and mistreat him. All he wants is someone to love him and give him a home like Mr. Prodhome.

The orphanage acts as a symbol of a jail and a trapped place. He is stuck there and it might keep him safe from his uncle, but it is a horrible place to live. Della's locket also acts like a small piece of Twist's mother which Della decided to hold on to because she couldn't let go of her. 

What I'm going to send

I am going to send a small soccer ball keychain. I love soccer and to me it's my life. I know that in some parts of africa that people are really in to soccer and I hope that the people who will receive this gift love soccer too. To me, the place I feel the best is when I'm on the field, standing right there in front of the goal. Most people think that being a goalie is just a way to get out of running, but it's not. It's more than that. Being a Goalie is the way I can make peace with the world. The game of soccer is amazing, a team of many moving as one. Connecting passes or Connecting minds? Scoring a goal or succeeding in your goal? Feeling the way as everything tunes out as all the sudden it's just you and the ball. Afterwards, after the game, people will come up to me and tell me I did a good job but I just shrug them off. I don't play soccer to get praise. I play it to get better. To feel accomplished. To make peace with myself.
What do you think of when you hear the word peace? I think of no yelling, shouts or cries. Nature is the loudest noise, not cars. And most of all, Everyone is at peace with themselves. They're not mad that they forgot something or that they did something stupid, but they are respecting what they did and learning from their mistakes.

7th grade

Junior High is great. I did know what it was going to be like because of my brother, who told me all about it and the huge homework load. It was a little different then he said though... it was the view of a jennifer and tony's student, thought. I wasn't ready for the speeches and the whole 'trek' from music to science every morning.

The thing I like about junior high the most is being able to see friends in different classes so much. Last year if you weren't in the same class you never got to see them in school. Now, this year, I see everyone between subjects and in the halls. I thought I was going to die when I found out all my friends were in Shom, but now I see it's not so bad. I'm surprise by the speeches. I thought they would be more why we want to run then the story.

I like our teachers a lot. I don't really know much about Martha since she has been more with the eighth graders, but she seems okay. Greg is really cool. I was so excited when he said Freaks and Geeks because I L0VE that show. He and I both don't eat gluten, and although this seems a little weird, I'm kind of happy. I felt so alone thinking I was the only person out there, and Greg is just an awesome person all around. He does have a great sense of humor and adventure by deciding to teach seventh grade kids.

Children Inspiring Hope

This project that were doing seems to me that we will be connecting with this class all the way in Ghana and learning about their culture and daily lives. I'm very excited that now I will have a 'version' of a pen pal now and can't wait to learn all about them! Passed different countries friendship have usually only fallen apart after three or so letters so I'm ready the stick too it and enjoy myself at the same time.
When I think of peace, I think of people living in harmony. No war and no fighting, no pollution, cars, or big factories. I see Japanese gardens and lots of people praying. There aren't any loud nosies besides what nature creates.
I believe poetry is a good way to promote peace. There is an unlimited number of things one can do with paper and pen. When worded brilliantly, it can move people and touch the world.
I think we should send Ghana a little bit of everything. In Peter's class we sent 10 year letters, which are letters he will give us in ten years. We loaded them up with random pictures, business cards, and work we had done that year. I think we should all just send lots of little things like that and maybe we could all write something about ourselves and mail it out to them.

hi this is going to be my academic portfolio for 2010 and 2011!