Weekly article #5, ♥

        When dealing with the subject of violence of video games mimicking war, like “Call of Duty”, I believe everything people say is exaggerated. Video games such as these are really only for entertainment purposes. If parents or other people think that video games with that amount of violence are too much for them to handle, then they should stay away from it. These games only show a very small example of what truly happens in war, even the amount of blood when shot in these games would never compare to the amount in an actual event where someone is shot. Yes, people will continue to say that the violence is too much, but commercials are shown on TV every day encouraging people to enroll with the Marines or join the military. But yes these games do diminish the amount of violence, but for the specific reason that people do not see the reality of what it is really like in war. If a parent truly believes that their child could be affected by what these games display, it is very easy to stay away from it. Some parents even say that their children may try to mimic what occurs in the game. But the way I see it if you have a child who is able to get to any type of weapon and do things with it then that is called bad parenting, not video game violence. It seems as though some people are trying to find something to blame for anger or violence in their own children or people they know, or maybe even in themselves, and in this case it is games like these. No game tells the player to go out and copy what you see, every one controls their own actions and they are the only ones responsible for what they do, not a game. I think that that is the reason each game has its own rating, it warns you of what is in the game or just how intense it gets. From being someone who has played “Call of Duty” there are even parts in the game that warns you before you play it. The game even asks you if you want to skip any parts, so everything done is by choice. The rating is a clear restriction to anyone who may be offended by these games or anyone who thinks that they are just too intense for anyone. It’s a little crazy itself to blame any video game for being too violent, there is a reason they are called games, entertainment. Either way people should know to look into whatever they are trying to buy anyway, if they do this it would easily solve any problems with people who buy games not knowing the contents that they contain. Videos games that mimic what occurs in war can never be too violent or explicit. The graphics and events in these games has such a diminished level of violence that they could never be compared to the real violence of war.
   
    Video games are different from actual people in war i admit, but each has it's own morals. Also, when you're playing Call of Duty and you die, you could just hit the button that says "play again." But in the case of someone actually fighting in the war, they don't have the type of button where you could just redo it and be alive, instead they die without any changes if shot or bombed. People need to realize the difference. But Call of Duty being just a game should exist because i don't see a reason why it shouldn't.


SOURCE:
http://fur.ly/3myz

The one and ONLY letter..

   The frustrations of just having the letter for the soldiers only life line pretty much sucked. I read some of them, and they say that they find the letter in the bottom of the box and sometimes find them really late. Also, some say that one of their friends write them that they are sick. The soldiers must get really frustrated on how long it takes for their letters to be sent or received. Also it must make them really sad because if a person wrote them that they are currently sick, that person could have already died for what ever reason and the solider would have never known or even had time to write the back a letter. Having that one life line must of caused a lot of stress because now-a-days if i don't talk to my boyfriend for one day, i flip out. I could imagine what they went through missing all of their loved ones, and not knowing if they are okay or not. Mostly, they are mad because they have no clue whats going on back in town, or if their girlfriend has moved on. There are plenty of reasons why one messily letter could pretty much piss off a solider.

It's about to be a WHAAAT? DOGFIGHT!

   Playing the game "Dogfight" I could imagine what goes through the pilots head. It's very difficult to do more than one thing at once. You have to focus on flying and getting to where you can shoot the plane at the direct spot. It's pretty hard. You also have to worry about where your going because you could crash in a split second. The pilots were probably going crazy with their heart racing every second. Every plane probably went down because it really is difficult. I even got shot down by the airplanes while i was playing because it's hard to aim at the planes. The pilots definitely had a hard time with this if in a game it's even hard. The game shows that flying a plane in air isn't easy at all and drove the pilots nearly insane having to worry about every little thing that could jeopardize their life at any given moment.

A place called, (bum, bum, bum) GALLIPOLI!!

   In a place called Gallipoli a lot of casualties took place between Turkey, and Britans and their allies. These casualties were caused in war, people died of being shot or injured. Also, people died of fires, and bombs that they threw at them. Also people died on ships because other ship targeted them and shot a bomb to blow it up. They also used arrows to shoot to kill people in World War 1. Because of these casualties, World War 1 became one of the largest landing operations in history, and also one of the bloodiest battles.

Twitter Queen!

BigKahunaKalani For all those who are reading this, my people, i am ready to make my own constitution but i am postponing if for another day. (Jan. 14)


BigKahunaKalani What is wrong with Minister Stevens? He's not supporting my government against armed insurrection. Other ideas i wish to avoid because i don't want you, my people, in harm. (Jan. 15)


BigKahunaKalani Thank you all for supporting me on this day and also thank you for your loyalty to the monarchy, i really appreciate it a lot. For you United States Americans, you can't replace me, i'm QUEEN! :) SURFS UP AMERICA! (Jan. 16)


BigKahunaKalani Getting kicked off the thrown, not cool -_- (Jan. 17)

Diary of a West Indian worker,

My fair well to this world, at any time...

   Oh lord, it's just so hot out here and i'm just so surprised i survived. I know i should be worried about the diseases i could ketch but that's just one way to die out here. There is plenty more way i worry about dying because it's so easy to be gone in a split second. I always think of falling of trains, being crushed under land and mud slides, and also suffocating from noxious gases. But also being blasted away to make layers of soil and rock from the Cuts to carve out the Canal route is a new one of my worries. I don't understand why they pick us to carry and transport all these explosive dynamites. But when i do carry these dangerous things, i'm very careful. Even a slighted bit of my sweat can said off the dynamite, and POOF there i go, just another worker gone and a new one to replace me. I see those men, random ones, and some who were my friends lying on the "dead body train," and i think to myself, i don't want to be on the train. But that doesn't change anything because i will never know when an accident hits me, and a man thinking the same thing i'm thinking right now, but me being on that train instead.

Weekly article #4, ♥

    

The movie that comes to my mind when i think of imperialism is The Karate kid. This reminds me of the movie because Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is new to area and he really doesn't know how to do karate. Rather than being novice like him, Cheng really wasn't a big fan or Dre. Dre started talking to Meiyling, which Cheng didn't like very much. So Cheng basically knocks him on the ground beating him up because Dre doesn't listen. This represents imperialism because Dre is the weaker person, getting over powered by Cheng with is the stronger person. 

   

    In the movie, the stronger person (Cheng) does get his fair share in beating Dre. But Dre doesn't give up. Dre still talks to Meiyling, even if Cheng doesn't like it. Then he soon figures out what karate is, and how it works, and becomes very interested and also very eager to learn it. Now Dre spends most of his days practicing karate with Jackie Chan. Although Jackie Chan makes Dre do some things he really doesn't understand it pays off. Dre get's stronger and better at karate each day. Also, he develops a strong relationship with Jackie Chan, and finds out what he's hiding inside, and never wants to talk about it. For example Dre finds out what happened to his family and why he works on this car he has a lot in his garage.

   On the way throughout the movie Dre hits a couple of bumps in the road like Meiyling's parents telling her she could't see Dre anymore. Also, getting bullied by Cheng and all his friends in his school. But not all of his days were bad, some were quite good for him. He goes to a parade thing, and see's Meiyling, and actually gets a kiss from her, and also apologizes to her parents, and they forgive him. But the most important thing is when he fully comprehends the art of karate. 

    Jackie Chan sets up a date for Dre and Cheng to fight professionally and has Chengs coach to not let him fight Dre before the fight, not to even touch him. So as days pass by Dre is like a pro learning it, and has his game face on, but is a little intimidated. Cheng thinks he has nothing to worry about, and things Dre doesn't stand a chance. 

    Finally the big day is here. The karate match between Dre and Cheng. As Dre and Cheng fight every other boy to be in the finals, they both successfully win. When it comes to Dre and Cheng to fight, lets just say Cheng was rudely awakened. He was getting beat by Dre. The boy who knew nothing about karate but is now better than he will ever be. The best part is, they hurt his leg, like literally brake it, by cheating and getting him good in the leg to put him out so Cheng can win. But that doesn't stop Dre not one bit, he gets back on his feet and even though he's in so much pain he beats Cheng, and earns respect. 

    This now has changed. The stronger person is now Dre against the weaker person, Cheng. Imperialism is greatly visible in this movie to me, even when it switches the people around. 

     

     SOURCE: 
   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155076/

How to kill 101

    Should they really have School of the Americas watch? They train Latin americans to be killers? No, United States should definitely not have this school. Anything can go wrong. They used their skills to kill other people of their same kind. This school just sounds like bad news, i mean you can't teach anybody how to kill or "assassin." If it's used for actual fighting in the war, than that's a different story, but they can't teach these skills to just anyone. If they do teach these skills to just anyone and have that school they will regret it.

Yellow who? Yellow you!

   An example of yellow journalism would be when Swine Flu was all over the newspapers. There was headings on the newspapers that caught peoples eyes basically saying how many people are currently dying from it. They exaggerated a lot, when come to find out that right away they found a cure. Yeah, you can die from it but the amount of people they said that caught it, and also how easy it is to catch it is ridiculous. Yellow Journalism is in many other newspapers like back when the Spanish American War was going on, they talked about Cuba just to sell their stories. The tales they told got people in high positions just by writing about Cubans, but by writing these stories, people did buy it, because it caught their eyes.

Weekly article #3, ♥

     Blogging is a good thing or a bad thing? Blogging is certainly not a bad thing. I agree with the blogging assessment for many reasons. I agree because blogging helps the environment because we aren't using paper, it helps us with our typing skills, and its more fun and students would actually do it. Students find blogging cool, and an easier way to keep them occupied.
     It helps the environment a lot if you actually think about it. I mean, look how many blogs we do a week. Imagine if we did all these blogs on paper, don't you think that will be a complete waste of paper? It will waste a lot of paper for us to write our blogs or questions on a piece of paper each week, or even every day. I just think its a waste, and blogging is doing a good job helping out the environment.
      This is such a great way to improve our typing skills, and computer knowledge. It will help us definitely in the future. For instance, we go to college later and need a part time job. If theres a job opening that pays good money and it has to do with typing or being an assistant, i would already have skills in typing and i will be able to get the job.
      To tell you the truth, doing these blogs on the computer is way more fun then doing them on paper. It's fun because i enjoy typing also, it's not your boring old average doing homework and assignments on paper and turning them in. Instead it has to do with technology and you know how much teenagers love their technology.
  So, there you have it, the blogging assessment is a wonderful idea, and who ever doesn't think so is crazzzy. :)

Waaay cooler, ♥

   Learning was way different using these blogs posts, and not writing on a piece of paper. It's a quicker way, and for me it's fun typing. it's way better than just writing on pen and paper because thats so boring. Also, I like it because it involves technology and i can change my font, and style of writing. This is really cool, and i'm glad we get to do blogs than just writing on a pen and paper.

faaav, ♥

       My favorite blog post this first quarter would definitely be playing The Oregon Trail game. It was so fun, even though the game was really long and old schooled, it was really fun. All the others were questions that had to do with education, but The Oregon Trail was fun and educational. It was really cool, and i hope we can do another blog like that. 

My, oh my! Ellis Island, ♥

    "Climb aboard!!" Although the immigrants trip wasn't all that great, they finally arrive in oh so amazing Ellis Island. Ellis Island was a big thing for them. It was a big place, with many windows, and very fancy. They probably felt like royalty in a ballroom. It's better than what they are used to, so when they arrived they were very much excited to step a foot in Ellis Island. I know this because they got all fancy just for their arrival, aha. They experienced things like getting a mental test, or having to be checked if they had a sickness. If they were clear, they would let them through, and if they weren't, they would send them back home. Ellis island was a big deal to immigrants back then and it actually made them happy to be here. Now, it's part of history, or should i say US World History. :)

Work, work, work!!! ♥

    So, tell me. Have you been overworked to the point where you're going to drop unwillingly? I highly doubt it. Factory workers back then were worked and worked until they couldn't feel their bodies anymore. After reading the "Song of the shirt," i know that the factory workers were worked all hours of the day, dirty and what not. They were not respected enough to have a minimum of hours to work, or an option to pick. Women, and children were not exceptions. You would see women and children working just as much as the men in the factories. They were in poverty, they were treated like dirt. They worked all day, and hardly got paid to survive. Why were their voices not heard? 

Weekly article #2, ♥

        As an American cowboy he had various job like, managing the cattle, from the range boss to the wrangler, the bronco buster to the line rider, and the cook to the cutting horse. But this man not only wanted to be a cowboy, he also wanted to be a photographer, his name is Erwin Smith.
     He waned to take pictures of the real life of being a cowboy. He wanted to take picture of how life really is like all the tasks to do if you are a cowboy. What he's trying to say is being a cowboy isn't very easy.
     In most of pictures, the cowboys are on a horse and have the big hats on, which is how the cowboys dressed. Also some of the pictures show the ranching equipment they used to use back then. They had many bulls and cows on their ranches. Being a cowboy looks really hard, because you have so many tasks you need to complete. His pictures are basically explaning what cowboys did, and what jobs they needed to maintain.

Gunsmoke, ♥

    In this show there is a lot of stereotypes. The men in this show speak like they are a hillbilly, most of all of them have an accent. Also, there clothes, they all wear the cowboy hats which stereotype them as a cowboy. Also the act like the women are brainless, and do not know nothing, which was really big back in the day. This show wasn't too bad, it's just i don't like how everything is like the way they talk, and act. But i have to say, the show Gunsmoke is pretty stereotypical. 

The Oregon Trail, ♥

    Gaming could potentially connect with learning because the game I played teaches you about history in 1848. It connects with learning because it allows you to be a person going on a trail and you get to choose supplies to bring with you. You learn that during the trip people eventually get sick, and die. Also, you learn that your oxen gets hurt, and you need to buy more supplies. You go through rivers, and have a choice to wait or just go. Basically you have choices for every move you make. This teaches you back in 1848 how they got to places. This game does connect with learning a lot, and it was actually very fun to play and it seemed like i was really on the trail.

Were they really better off? ♥

 Yes, African-Americans were better off because they had the right of self determination. They got to do more things, like joining the army for example. But it also brought a lowering of a standard of living for some African-Americans. After the Civil war slaves had to provide for themselves and became poor sharecroppers and lived in worse conditions then they did as slaves. But still, they had the freedom to improve themselves, something they didn't have before the Civil War. 

Weekly article #1, ♥

    

            The treatment of African-Americans during Reconstruction was terrible. African-Americans were so called "slaves." They became the forgotten people, and people who were lower than the whites. They were hated and abused for reasons different from those that supported anti-black hate and abuse in slavery days. In the Civil rights movement, they were also treated horribly. They boycotted, but still had their rights taken away, mauled by dogs, and sprayed by high power fir hoses. There's not much of a difference, but as time went by, African-Americans began to rebel, and didn't take it anymore. 
           They were not allowed to do much, and certainly were not treated the same as whites. They did rebel because they felt it was not right and they should not have to be treated like this. Many people did little movements to show their rebelling, just as simple as sitting in the front of the bus.
          They were treated horrific, and they really shouldn't have because we are all the same just different appearances. People should  have not been so vulgar. But the treatment during reconstruction was not any better than any other time, until it got better.

Educated slaves, ♥

    How do you think former slaves were educated? The people who wanted to teach them taught them, but not like all the rest. They would hold secret night school for those slaves to learn because they were not allowed to go to school. If they got caught, the teacher would be imprisoned, and the slave would be whipped or had to cope with other consequences. It was hard to hide it, so a lot of times they would get caught teaching them, which was breaking the rules back then. They should have not been like that to humans, but i'm glad all thats changed now.

Don't judge a book by it's cover, ♥

      I think stereotypes are so widely known by so many in our society because thats how many people recognize them as. If they see a picture or something of one person, they will base what they think of all people just like them are. For example, you would think every white person during slave time, had slaves working for them. But it's not true, only a couple white people had slaves working for them, and the rest didn't. People stereotype the way we see that one person, either the color of their skin or ethnicity. Ask yourself, do you stereotype people for the same reasons?

Incy wincy Government, ♥

      "That government is best which governs least." I believe this means that the best government, or a good government is one who does not interfere. It does not interfere with people and their life, and only takes care of wars, laws, and etc. This statement means that the government needs to let the citizens be responsible for themselves. Also, Thoreau believed in the smallest government possible, since that allowed people to have the most freedom. Rather than a big government limiting our freedom. I do agree with this because we should have more freedom and a small government. We do not need them ruling our life completely, and being more strict then they already are. I mean, why do we need a ginormous government anyways?

Younginn's, ♥

    We should not change the way we teach younger students about history of the United States for the simple fact that the details are way too much for them. Younger students should not be informed about the violence and the deaths that took place in history. For their ages it is inappropriate. Even though they should know the truth, and history is not all rainbows and butterflies. But still, even if they don't change the way they teach younger students, they will still learn more and the truth about what took place when they get to the appropriate age and older. Some people right now say that they should of told us the truth, but think about it. If you were a kid, would you want to know that a lot of people died? I know i wouldn't. So therefore, i do not think we should change the way we teach younger students because it is way to much for them to handle and understand.

History matters, ♥

     History matters because it's basically how everything originated. Without history we would have no knowledge, and we wouldn't be where we are today. For example, we would have no idea what works and what doesn't in certain situations. Also, if we had no history, we wouldn't have learned from our mistakes and we would keep repeating the process. By knowing our history it helps us understand our behavior and perspective today. History formed the government and divided country's, which keeps everything in line with the rules, and divides all of us. Without knowing this, the world would be reckless because we had no past to learn and improve from. It allows us to remember the people that came before us, and the events that made the world what it is today. So you ask yourself, does history matter?