ISP

Hey Shelby and Amanda here...our presentation is going to be AWESOME!!!!! we plan on talking a bunch, show of our spectacually, amazing, fantasical scrapbook (FYI it is 2:30 in the morning). We will also supply you with wonderfully yummy food and some good videos!! YAY!!!! It will be an adventure like no other!! Come to class tomorrow and experience our Mini Japan!!!! I'm excited aren't you?

Japan!!

Okay, so.. Shelby and I are working on our ISP together and it is going to be awesome! We haven't really gotten much of it started yet but we have lists and plans and schedules.. probably none of which we will follow but it makes us feel better to say we have them. Our presentation is going to have alot of fun stuff for the class to do.. We will talk, then we will make you eat sushi, then we will talk again.. and make you do more fun stuff.. I think that was all we had to blog about so we are going to go actually start our project now :)

xo Amanda and Shelby.

technology and homeschooling

Okay.. I know we're not supposed to do a blog on our own presentation but we talked a little bit about homeschooling and why it would be bad if everyone started being home schooled over the Internet, and I want to talk a bit more about that. First off, if everyone, or almost everyone, were enrolled in a 'virtual school' there would be jobs lost for teachers, secretaries, principals, custodians, cafeteria staff, and the list goes on. Also, there would be students who live in the country or on the outskirts of town, or who aren't active with sports or activities in the community who would not meet other children and learn the life lessons needed from that. To make a friend a child must learn how to socialize with other people, learn to read people's emotions, share, work together, talk, listen, be there for the person. If we had a virtual school system, many students wouldn't learn these lessons that are essential for life. Also, they wouldn't learn about interacting with teachers and adults in charge other than their parents. They wouldn't learn how to deal with people they don't like or how to suck-up to people they do.
Even with all these problems I think the biggest is the parents. School is a good place for children to go where they can be taught by an unbiased adult. If everyone were taught at home, many would be left unsupervised when their parents went to work. Others would be babied by their parents or bullied by their siblings. And then there are the parents who don't care. If a childs education is virtual and the parent doesn't care about the child doing their work, the child wont do their work. It would be educational suicide to many children to have a virtual-based school system.

presentations, pt.1 {perfect school}

ok so.. I unfortunately ( I think) arrived too late to class to hear the first presentation, though I'm told by Erica that it wasn't all just Jeremy talking and that it was actually pretty good.. so I'm going to believe Erica and say that the presentation was awesome! So good job to Erica, Kelsey and Jeremy. The next presentation was.. interesting.. Rob did a very good job with the creepy "perfectly calm" voice.. and Darcy and Lee were good with the 'dancing'. I definately agree that our lives would be much easier if we got to have an extra hour of sleep but I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. And even if it did we would gradually change our concept of 'late enough to go to bed'.. For me, If I look at the clock and it says 12:00 I know I have to go to bed, but if we got our extra hour of sleep in the morning, My concept of bedtime would eventually shift to be whenever the clock says 1:00. Then I'm not really getting anything extra out of it except for loosing an hour of sunlight in my day. Maybe they should set grade-school back an hour and make them wake up earlier so that by the time they reach high school they'll be used to it??
And the breakfast period is also a good idea if we could think of a way to make sure kids came to it instead of sleeping in the extra half hour or so..
I also like the idea of smaller class sizes.. I enjoy knowing everyone in my Gifted class.. especially when I go from Gifted and Spanish (which technically has 6 students) into my 32 person calculus class and realize I don't know most of the people in my class. If you asked my to name off all 32 students I could tell you.. maybe 20 of their names.. I know.. thats sad.. I'm really bad with names and its not really a social class but still..
Anyways.. this is getting long so I'm going to wrap it up.. Good work on the interpretive dance Rob, Lee, Darcy and Connor. I'll post tomorrow on the technology thing.. probably homeschooling.. maybe.. :)

Take A Sad Song And Make It Blasphemous??

OK, so.. First day wasn't so bad.. we had popcorn which made everything worthwhile. Second day I didn't have to watch! (Thank you U.N.!!) Last day was ok.. the end of the movie is not as bad as the rest of it.. So I survived the horror of watching it. I have to say that my biggest problem with that movie was that I am ashamed for Tom Hanks. He is normally such a good actor and yet when playing Robert Langdon he shows no emotion! Now, maybe this is the way the producers wanted it, so maybe it isn't his fault.. but still.. I would think that at some point through the movie he would show emotion.. You know, somewhere between being chased through the streets of London by a crazy servant with a gun and having his trusted friend hold a gun to the pretty girls head he should probably show some pretty strong emotion. Other than that, its mostly the changes they made from the book that bothered me. I mostly enjoyed the book because we got to see all of Langdons thought process and how his mind worked. In the movie, we don't get to see a man who thinks everything through, we see someone who can magically create pictures in the air using his mind.. It should take more than 2 seconds to realize that "O Draconian Devils, O Lame Saints" Is an anagram, and more than 4 second to figure out what it translates to. Also, they gave Sophie no credit for solving any of the puzzles in this one. In the book at least, she was the one to figure out they needed a mirror to read the 'sub rosa' carving, but in the movie that role was taken by Langdon..

As for blasphemy.. I personally like the idea of Jesus being a father.. I don't see how that would affect him being the son of God. I think that some people (me not included) would find it offensive. If anything, I would find the fact that they made the bishop out to be evil and murderous to be blasphemous. At least in the book it was obvious that he was tricked and truly thought he was doing good, but in the movie they had him lie to Fache, break his vows to the church and have an innocent man hunted down for no apparent reason.

Fair??

Okay, so.. lets say that you are given an assignment to do in class. You work really hard on it and get really excited about the fact that its going to be published because your teacher told you that it would all be published. THen you get other people involved too.. using some of their work (art or something) and putting their names on the piece to be published, and spending alot of time working on it outside of class too. So you have this final product, a good final work, something you have put time and energy and other peoples names into. How would you feel if the teacher told you that half of your project was being thrown away so someone else could use the space for their project?? And you wouldn't get any say in which half was being thrown out?? Am I the only one who thinks that that is completely and totally unfair?? I dunno.. some opinions please?? Thanks.

Earth Day

Okay.. I dunno really what to say for this.. I kind of agree with Kelsey and Rob that things look bad.. really really bad.. and probably, being stubborn human beings, we wont do enough to stop it until it is too late. By the time that we do something that will make a significant difference the world will be damaged beyond repair.. We'll have Grolar bears running through cities eating people and mutant people with five arms and two heads walking around. For now, human beings aren't really being affected. Its the 'lower' animals like the polar bears, seals, and insects that are being affected, but sooner or later we will be affected by the extinction of an animal or plant and then we'll be screwed.
As for what to do to make things better? Hmm.. I really don't know.. I say tax everything that can be taxed.. give people free recycling, raise prices on garbage bags and tags, charge people for grocery bags, raise the refunds on returning cans and bottles. Anything like that. That would help.. charge less for recyled paper, etc, etc..

Speaking From the Heart

About the video of Craig Ferguson we watched in class.. First off.. Good for you! congrats on being so long sober.. keep it up. Second.. yes, its good to hear this coming from people on how we shouldn't make fun of celebrities (or anybody) when they are having a hard time, but the truth is we will make fun of them. We will use their pain and embarassment to cheer us up a little. It makes us feel good to think 'hey, maybe she has it all but at least I've never shaved my head'. We all know deep down that it's wrong to laugh at these people but we all do it anyways.. Its a defence mechanism to ridicule the people we view as being 'above us'. It makes us feel better about ourselves. When is it taking it too far to laugh at someone else? When Brit shaves her head? When the front page of Star magazine reads "Did Heath have a secret love child? A look at the stars life behind closed doors"? He's dead! Leave him and his wife and family alone! (sorry.. that makes me mad).. But if we can't laugh at that what will we laugh at? Tom jumping on Oprahs couch? Angie and Brads 5th child? our world is so wrapped around celebrities lives that theres almost nothing left to laugh at. I dunno.. I agree that its wrong to laugh at people but at the same time I find it funny.. I can't not laugh at them even though I know its wrong..

Things

I dunno what I'm going to write about.. Its going to be completely random and probably not thought-provoking or anything.. I'm sitting here at my computer desk.. not at Semi.. thinking about all my friends in their pretty dresses dancing with their boys and taking crazy pictures of each other. My friends are the crazy ones who stay in the corner and jump around where the music is loudest.. then have to yell all the next day because they can't hear anything. And while they dance and enjoy themselves singing as loud as they can I'm stuck here writing this. I'm thinking that I'm going to go and put my dress on and do my hair and make-up just so that I can feel some of the specialness of the night.. yeah.. I really have no life.. I don't really want to keep talking about semi because it is kind of depressing me but all the other subjects I can think to talk about are even more depressing.. I guess I'll just pick one.. umm.. oh! I haven't blogged on Ana yet.. wow.. that really is depressing. Okay. As someone who has someone very close to them with an eating disorder it was kind of weird to watch that girl search thinspirations and methods for controlled eating. But we weren't showed the other side to it. Yes there are sites out there that tell you how to get thinner quicker but at the same time there are ones that offer hope and guidance. Ones that share other peoples stories of recovery and offer ways to help yourself eat better. There are support groups for friends, family, spouses, children, parents. Anything. And really if you think about it, the people that want to get better are going to use those sites to their advantage. They are going to go to these sites, read these stories and help themselves by inspiring themselves. The ones that don't want to get better are most likely eventually going to get caught looking at these sites.. and hopefully someone will help them. I want to throw in here something. Our government sucks! Mr. McGuchan mentioned that his cousin had gone to a place in Guelph to help her recover. The place (I'm assuming.. I don't think there's more than one) is called Homewood. It is an absolutely beautiful building and seems like it has a really positive environment. To get into Homewood there is a 2-4 month wait. That is if you are paying for yourself. On average, people stay 3-4 months. For those 3-4 months the cost is around $25 000. OHIP will pay for it. 3 years later. For a room that you share with 2-4 other people. In the three years that it takes for them to agree to pay for it the person who needed it is most likely already dead. That is not right. In three years time a person can drop to a weight where they are forced to go to a hospital or else die. Our government is doing next to nothing to help the people with eating disorders (I'm going to say right now.. I haven't actually put alot of research into this so If I'm wrong, please tell me so I don't sound stupid again.) There are (I believe) only three hospitals/recovery centres in Ontario that have a program for Eating Disorders. One in Guelph. One in Toronto. and one in Ottawa.

Wow.. okay.. I'm tired. I don't feel like typing anymore so I'm going to bed now. Goodnight all.. Hope everyone had fun at semi.. or sitting at home, like me!

Da Vinci

Da Vinci code.. well. Definately a good book. Much better the first time you read it. It isn't quite as fun or exciting once you already know the answers. The suspense is ruined when you know who the mastermind behind it all is. Far-fetched, a litttle long. I won't be reading it again for a very very long time. Not Dan Browns best work. I liked Angels and Demons and Digital Fortress much better.. I don't think I've gotten around to reading Deception Point yet.. Can't quite remember though. For the most part a good book. Though I don't know how poor Sophie can deal with so much stress in one night. If I were her I would've had to excuse myself for awhile and just gone somewhere to punch something or lay down and scream as loud as I could.
I am NOT looking forward to the movie.. I may just have to be 'sick' that day.. hmm.. guess I shouldn't be saying that where Mr. McGuchan can see it.. oh well..

Need Poetry!

Ok so.. going through everyones blogs and I realiaed that alot of you write poetry. Is anyone willing to publish some of their poetry in the yearbook?? Its getting close to deadline day and so far I only have one poem. If anyone could help me out and submit a poem for me, either on here or in person, that would be awesome! Thanks so much guys.

Growing Up Online..

Wow.. umm.. lots of things going on in that video.. Suicide, Ana, fights on Youtube.. Lots to think about really. Okay so first off.. the PTA mom.. way overprotective.. I understand that she wants to protect her children but at some point she has to realize that she has taught them all well and they know what to do to protect themselves. The computer in the kitchen is a good idea for her to be able to monitor their activities, but even that isn't perfect (the girl who used her friends computer instead of her own). I think that if she is so concerned about her children she should get her own Facebook account. That way she can see who his friends are but she cant go into his account and read his private messages. As for the father of the boy who killed himself. I can't imagine going online and talking to all these people who knew what was going on and yet did nothing to stop it. I think that for me, that would be the hardest part. Knowing that there were people who knew what was going on and had let it happen anyways. I'm running out of time now so I'm going to save Ana for a seperate blog.

???

(Sorry if this posts twice) Is there anyway that we can like, add people as frieds or subscribe to their blogs or anything? Because that would be so much easier than always having to type in their blog adress or finding a post they've resonded to??

My Thoughts On DaVinci

Ok.. thoughts so far on DaVinci.. I've finished the book (don't remember where we are supposed to have read to) and I think that overall it was a pretty good book.. extremely far-fetched and definately questionable on some of the "facts" but still a good read. I like the illustrated version too.. Its helpful to have pictures to look at and reference.. The first time I read the book I ended up looking alot of things up on google or wikipedia. I think that it is a good book in the sense that even if you don't believe in the Holy Grail and the idea that Jesus was only a human being and not the son of God, it makes you think about the fact that for the most part no one can ever be completely 100% sure about anything. If the Bible, which so many people use as their "Life Guidelines" and so many people look up to as being the perfect standard of living can be questioned then what can't be? It is absolutely possible that the Bible has been altered, so for all we know anything could have been altered. Maybe Napoleon really wasn't such a bad guy. And maybe the Spanish never actually killed anyone.. the point is that we can't ever know anything for sure unless we were there and we witnessed it with our own eyes. Does that make sense to anyone else?

I'm back!

Okay.. I have obviously missed doing alot of blogs.. I don't think I'll be able to catch up on them all but I'll do my best.. Before I do though I want to say that two very exciting things have happened to me this week. My sister had a baby on Moday, so I now have a baby neice. Her name is Keira Tyler Legette and I'm asuming shes cute, though I probably wont actually get to see her for at least a couple of months. Second.. I'm going to Greece! Yay!!!! I'm very very excited even though I probably have to find a second job.. but I wan't sure if I was going to be able to go so I'm really happy :) Anybody else going??

Oak Island Money Pit Mystery

I'm curious if anyone believes the legends surrounding the mystery? That the treasure won't be found until seven people have died? Or until there aren't any Oak trees left on the island.. Where did these myths come from anyways? Is it just people making things up to help them feel like they're getting close? Or was there an actual reason to it? But I think definately it was too much work for someone playing a practical joke.. It would have taken way too long to dig that, especially back then when they didn't have the technology we have now.. to dig all of those flood tunnels for the sake of a joke? especially since they wouldn't even be alive to laugh at whoever spent so much time digging it up.. It doesn't make sense.. Whatever is down there is pretty valuble in one way or another.

Poem- Opposites

Its funny
Listening to you talk about her.
You say she annoys you,
Always talking about boys, make-up and clothes.
When all you want is to read your book

Its funny,
Listening to her talk about you.
She says you never listen,
Always burried in homework, basketball and sports
When she just wants you to talk sometimes

Its funny,
Listening to you talk about each other,
Both trying so hard,
Holding on so desperately,
To a friendship that wasn't ever really there
To begin with.

Mensa test

Wow.. umm.. fun.. ish.. I screwed up on the stupid Jim question.. I didn't realize that he could keep going straight and maybe find gas.. How many people tried to figure out what ABC and D were before you multiplied them? Umm.. yeah. hope everyone did well :)

Creative vs. structured learning

Creative learning is being down-graded in order to make more room for more structured learning classes such as English, Science and especially Math. When students enter high school they are told they must complete 4 English credits, 3 Math credits, 2 Science credits, 2 social studies credits. And only one Art/Drama/Music credit. In our first year we are forced to take English, Math, Geography, Science, French and Gym, leaving us only two optional courses. In a way it is bad that creativity is being shut out, for the fact that everyone is becoming less creative and more structured, and many children are finding it difficult to learn in the more structured system. Arts are being down played because people think that maths and sciences are more important. In a way this is true but I think that students should still have more choice as to what courses they take and what they want to do with their lives.

Valentines Day.. <3

Happy day-after-valentines-day!!! Half price chocolate today :)
Ok.. V-day.. yes its a day that the government created to make money on love, and no, its not really a 'special day' because so many people are celebrating, but it is still a day where you can go out with your loved ones and buy chocolate and flowers and stuffed animals for them. It is a day that you can prove that you love them (although it is nice to do that even when its not expected). And for the 51% of people out thers who don't have a date, never fear.. chocolate cures all problems of the heart and luckily most of it happens to go on sale the day after V-Day.. As for me.. even if I don't have a date (which, for the first time ever this year I actually do have) I am consolled by the thought of all the cake I get at my birthday the next week :)

Accelerated Learning

I disagree with the idea of putting children in a school in which they learn at a rate faster than other children. I think that they lose a large part of their childhood and lose the opportunity to make and keep life-long friends. It is an opportunity for parents to push their children into the life they wished they had but couldn't achieve. The parents often become obsessive and cause the children to feel disappointed if their child does not suceed, forcing the children to work even harder to please their parents. It is not necessary for 11 year old kids to be starting high school with the intentions of starting university only two years later. There is no need for a 13 year old child to decide that he is going to become a lawyer or a doctor. The only real advantage that the program offers is to give children an extra two-three years pay before they retire.

First blog!

Hiya.. I was told to write a random sentence so here goes: They said his sin was indeference towards the world, never knew the touch of a girls warm embrace, smiling face, he was so ashamed of his own disgrace, and all he ever wanted was to be somebody else because he couldn't handle what it was inside of him that hurt, he had no possesions no next to kin, no friends to mention, no records of him existed, just a twisted existence, that resisted, and he sort of helped the healing when he felt what he was feeling, lying on the floor staring at the ceiling fan, like God damn what am I gonna do, I don't think this time that I'm gonna make it through, so instead of sedating and waiting for more he said that fate would break him no more and lying there on the tiled floor, he closed his eyes, and was gone, and that was it, but in this song, he'll always live

~~ Empty Pockets~ Wax Philosophic ft. Richard Tribe