The Quintessential Webpage

I have tried other websites such as Facebook and Xanga but my all time favorite is myspace. Xanga is strictly a blogging site where people just write about the day's happenings or their thoughts. It's possible to add music and backgrounds but still, that's the extend of the personalization of this page goes. Facebook, which i just got this year is "safer" because although everyone uses their real names, you can only see someones page if they add you. Maybe I'm just new to it, but i find it a bit more complicated to use. Also, you can't put your own music or backgrounds on your facebook page. There is also random things on it like how you can "poke" people which is quite pointless. Myspace on the other hand has like everything all the other sites does. It now has albums for multiple pictures like facebook, myspace music, videos, events, comedy, classifieds, forums, groups, blogs and films. Basically everything you need is compiled into one website. Myspace also gives you the freedom to choose your own background, music and videos to go on your site. You can post blogs and write comments and post pictures. Myspace takes a while to get used to but once you get the hang of it you'll never get bored because there's always something to do on it.

Lit Circle: Exodus

During our lit circle, my group discussed how we felt about the concluding chapter of The Poisonwood Bible. We all felt like we didn't like it as much because it broke apart the family into separate individual stories. I myself think that although it was a bit disappointing to see the family get split so far apart, we got to see their individual stories and learn about them. I don't think that they would have been able to do what they wanted if they had stayed together with Nathan. I felt that The Mosquito Coast matched the book EXACTLY, down the the death of the father. Both movie and book tried to portray the same message, I think. They both tried to show how the fathers were stuck in their own ways ignoring their families and others around them. I guess the death of both of their characters made everyone realize what the consequences of being ignorant and stuck in their own ways. I also think that Nathan definitely was sad about his family leaving him but he was too stubborn to give up. He didn't find a balance between his job and family which caused all his problems

Lit Circle: feminist

I chose to be the feminist for the Bel and Serpent because i think Leah going on the hunt was a very big thing. Leah first of all is an American girl in the Congolese Village. This makes her stand out twice as much and made the people twice as reluctant to let her join in on the hunt. Tata Ndu is very much against the Western teachings that Nathan is bringing so letting his daughter come along on the hunt would be even worse. But, aside from that fact, the Congolese women don't even hunt with the men so it would be really weird if Leah went. But to settle the decision, Tata Ndu called everyone to vote again...but this time he lost...and Leah was allowed on the hunt. I think the fact that Tata Ndu lost and Leah went on the hunt symbolizes that some old ways are going to change.

passage post

"Tata Ndu turned to Father and spoke almost kindly. 'Jesus is a white man, so he will understand the law of la majorite, Tata Price. wenda mbote.' Jesus Christ lost, eleven to fifty-six."

I found this passage interesting because Tata Ndu in a sense uses Nathan's ways against him. Nathan tried to come in and force the American ways upon the Congolese who rejected it. Tata Ndu doesn't like the American ways and Christian faith that Nathan is teaching but finds that using the majority rule can be a "fair" way of opposing Nathan. This passage shows how the Congolese aren't going to let Nathan have the power/right to tell them what to believe, they're going to do what they want.

live for yourself

Why do people care so much about what others think? I know i do a lot but it doesn't make sense. You should do things that make you happy not what others want. For the past couple of months I've been not doing some things because of what i think this other person will think. That person shouldn't have an influence in my life but they do and because of that I've been worrying like crazy. This past weekend I realized what I was doing and thought that I should do what I want. No one can live their live worrying about what everyone else thinks because in the end you're not going to be happy. So basically we should live our lives for ourselves because in the end you're the one who's gonna have to live it, not someone else...

SAT Practice Essay #2

I believe that schools should help students understand moral choices and social issues, but only to some extent.
When I think of the word moral choices, I think of problems like drugs and alcohol brought on by peer pressure. Social issues to me is defined as issues affecting our world today. One example of this is the war in Iraq.
It would help if part of a teacher's job was to educate students on the right beliefs but I also feel that some of the learning should be found out on their own. Teachers can tell a student that drugs are bad, but I don't think the child will learn the full extent of "bad" until they do it and are overcome with a truckload of its negative effects. I think that it is important that teachers educate students on what the school believes is good and bad but the student is the one who the decision is ultimately going to be up to.
I also believe that it is beneficial that students lean about current social issues. For example, the war in Iraq is not a popular subject between teenagers but if schools supported education on it, we can keep our youth aware of current issues. As an American citizen, I think that I should be responsible for knowing currest world issues. Although the war may not directly affect you, educating yourself will make you a better citizen. If, in schools, we were taught that sort of knowledge, I feel that it would be a better prep for the real world than quizzes and tests.
Lastly, I believe that schools should educate their students on moral and public issues that concern them, to benefit the students. This would better prepare the students for the real world than any other textbook could.