The boy climbed strenuously onto Barder's back. The dog looked back at his passenger, Jake, and her let out a short, questioning bark. almost saying, "What cha' wanna do?"
"OK boy, lets see if this works." Jake hesitated and rubbed his hand along Barder's neck. "Do you think it'll work?"
Jake picked up the plastic bag with a crumpled orange rag inside it. He opened the bag and grabbed the rag, the moment he touched it he began to levitate off the dog. Jake jumped and dropped the cloth back into the bag.
"ruff?"
"I'm sorry Barder, let's just try again, one more time?"
This time Jake grabbed the turban out the bag very quickly he wrapped it around Barder's neck and off they went. Flying above the roofs and the tree-tops. At first Barder whimpered in fear but soon even he was having as much fun as Jake.
After half and hour of flight the two headed home. They landed smoothly and just when the scarf had run out of power. Jake, still sitting on Barder picked up the turban off Barder's neck and stared at it with awe. He giggle and laughed and tied it around his head.
"No one else is getting their hands on this!"
The two collapsed on the sidewalk and fell asleep, both dreaming of the next time their adventures would begin.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
E:prompt - Thomson's Violin
Please take some time to reflect on the following classical ethical dilemma.
Thomson’s Violin
One day, you wake up in hospital. In the nearby bed lies a world famous violinist who is connected to you with various tubes and machines.
To your horror, you discover that you have been kidnapped by the Music Appreciation Society. Aware of the maestro’s impending death, they hooked you up to the violinist.
If you stay in the hospital bed, connected to the violinist, he will be totally cured in nine months. You are unlikely to suffer harm. No one else can save him. Do you have an obligation to stay connected?
Make sure to explain your reasoning thoroughly. Note what assumptions your choices make about your ethical value system. Is one life ever worth more than another? Is saving one life worth a terrible inconvenience to someone else - even a random stranger? Are there certain conditions under which you might agree to remain hooked up to the violinist, but not others? What if it weren’t a violinist (how dated is that?), but instead your favorite musician or artist? What if it were me...better yet, what if it were ROSS!?!
I’m also asking that you reflect and comment on at least two of your classmates posts on this topic. Thoughtfully challenge their thinking! We’ll be doing E:prompts like this regularly now. Sometimes we will use classic ethical dilemmas - which moral philosophers make careers out of debating and thinking about - and sometimes we will use ethical dilemmas from my own personal life. Eventually I’ll be inviting you to offer different dilemmas you’ve encountered in your life, and as a class we’ll wrestle with the ramifications.
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No one should ever be kidnapped and then expected to comply to the offenders requests. If I were to be kidnapped, I don't care what the situation may be; I would not help or be a part of it if I could help it. Though Thomson is a famous violinist, it is not my responsibility to save his life. Everyone has to die eventually and who am I to play with fate, especially for a complete stranger’s life. I have other responsibilities and engagements that I would not be able to simply let go of for a nine month time span. The only way I would even possibly consider helping that man would be if I were requested to help not forcefully made to help. I also may surrender months of my life to save either a family member or a very close friend. It is not my moral obligation to save someone else. Life is a right, but it is no one else’s responsibility to save or maintain someone else’s life, but it is also no one else’s right to take away someone’s life. I wouldn't be taking away Thomson’s life because it was never my decision in the first place to support his life. His life is his responsibility; not mine.
Please take some time to reflect on the following classical ethical dilemma.
Thomson’s Violin
One day, you wake up in hospital. In the nearby bed lies a world famous violinist who is connected to you with various tubes and machines.
To your horror, you discover that you have been kidnapped by the Music Appreciation Society. Aware of the maestro’s impending death, they hooked you up to the violinist.
If you stay in the hospital bed, connected to the violinist, he will be totally cured in nine months. You are unlikely to suffer harm. No one else can save him. Do you have an obligation to stay connected?
Make sure to explain your reasoning thoroughly. Note what assumptions your choices make about your ethical value system. Is one life ever worth more than another? Is saving one life worth a terrible inconvenience to someone else - even a random stranger? Are there certain conditions under which you might agree to remain hooked up to the violinist, but not others? What if it weren’t a violinist (how dated is that?), but instead your favorite musician or artist? What if it were me...better yet, what if it were ROSS!?!
I’m also asking that you reflect and comment on at least two of your classmates posts on this topic. Thoughtfully challenge their thinking! We’ll be doing E:prompts like this regularly now. Sometimes we will use classic ethical dilemmas - which moral philosophers make careers out of debating and thinking about - and sometimes we will use ethical dilemmas from my own personal life. Eventually I’ll be inviting you to offer different dilemmas you’ve encountered in your life, and as a class we’ll wrestle with the ramifications.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No one should ever be kidnapped and then expected to comply to the offenders requests. If I were to be kidnapped, I don't care what the situation may be; I would not help or be a part of it if I could help it. Though Thomson is a famous violinist, it is not my responsibility to save his life. Everyone has to die eventually and who am I to play with fate, especially for a complete stranger’s life. I have other responsibilities and engagements that I would not be able to simply let go of for a nine month time span. The only way I would even possibly consider helping that man would be if I were requested to help not forcefully made to help. I also may surrender months of my life to save either a family member or a very close friend. It is not my moral obligation to save someone else. Life is a right, but it is no one else’s responsibility to save or maintain someone else’s life, but it is also no one else’s right to take away someone’s life. I wouldn't be taking away Thomson’s life because it was never my decision in the first place to support his life. His life is his responsibility; not mine.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Week 13
The girls made a blatant attempt to catch the talent scouts attention by dancing in the front of the room together to Arabic music. If it weren't for the theme of the party then this over exaggerated dance may have been considered obnoxious.
The aggravated face was a reaction to a question that was asked far too many times. Many people are very easily upset and defensive when they realise that something they are doing is under interrogation by their peers.
Although Mya tried to pretend that she was disinterested and indifferent to Willy's negative comment about her sun-glasses, she couldn't deny the fact that his opinion still affected her. As soon as he walked away she let her weakness out and exposed the fact that despite how strong she may seem on the surface; every teen including her can be easily hurt by the offensive words of their peers. 
My family is anything but flout with one another. We are all that we have got so there is no point in getting needlessly upset or rude. All of us are very close and we enjoy each other's company. (p.s. Elika, though photography may not be my forte I still hope you enjoy my unproffesional pictures) :]
Vocabulary #13
subtle - fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand
vehement - zealous; ardent; impassioned.
zealous - full of, characterized by, or due to zeal; ardently active, devoted, or diligent.
adverse - being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing
averse - having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed
blatant - brazenly obvious; flagrant
alleged - doubtful; suspect; supposed.
aggravate - to annoy; irritate; exasperate
discreet - judicious in one's conduct or speech, esp. with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.
factoid - an insignificant or trivial fact.
flout - to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock: to flout the rules of propriety.
forte - a strong point, as of a person; that in which one excels
disinterested - unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives
vehement - zealous; ardent; impassioned.
zealous - full of, characterized by, or due to zeal; ardently active, devoted, or diligent.
adverse - being or acting in a contrary direction; opposed or opposing
averse - having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed
blatant - brazenly obvious; flagrant
alleged - doubtful; suspect; supposed.
aggravate - to annoy; irritate; exasperate
discreet - judicious in one's conduct or speech, esp. with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.
factoid - an insignificant or trivial fact.
flout - to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock: to flout the rules of propriety.
forte - a strong point, as of a person; that in which one excels
disinterested - unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives
teen births- current event
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- In a troubling reversal, the nation's teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials and reviving the bitter debate about abstinence-only sex education.
The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.
The reason for the increase is not clear, and federal health officials said it might be a one-year statistical blip, not the beginning of a new upward trend.
However, some experts said they have been expecting a jump. They attributed it to increased federal funding for abstinence-only health education that doesn't teach teens how to use condoms and other contraception.
Some key sexually transmitted disease rates have been rising, including syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. The rising teen pregnancy rate is part of the same phenomenon, said Dr. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health.
"It's not rocket science," she said.
At the same time, some research suggests teens are using condoms far more often than they did 15 years ago.
The new teen birth numbers are based on the 15-19 age group of women, which accounted for most of the 440,000 births to teens in 2006. The rate rose to nearly 42 births per 1,000 in that group, up from 40.5 in 2005. That translates to an extra 20,000 births to teen mothers.
In 1991, the peak year for teen births, there were nearly 62 births per 1,000.
The new report is based on a review of more than 99 percent of the birth certificates from last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report, released Wednesday, quickly took on political implications.
Opponents of abstinence-based programs seized on the data as evidence of wrong-headed government policy.
"Congress needs to stop knee-jerk approving abstinence-only funding when it's clear it's not working," said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado, who is pushing for more comprehensive sex education.
The new report offers a state-by-state breakdown of birth rates overall. Many of those with the highest birth rates teach abstinence instead of comprehensive sex education, according to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
And research has concluded that abstinence-only programs do not cause a decrease in teenage sexual activity, Planned Parenthood officials added.
"In the last decade, more than $1 billion has been wasted on abstinence-only programs," said Cecile Richards, the organization's president, in a prepared statement.
Decreased condom use and increased sexual activity are two likely explanations for the higher teen birth rate. But not all data supports those theories, said John Santelli, a professor of population and family health at Columbia University's school of public health.
For example, a biannual government survey of high school students found that the percentage of those who said they used a condom the last time they had sex rose to 63 percent in 2005, up from 46 percent in 1991.
Contraceptive-focused sex education is still common, and the new teen birth numbers reflect it's failing, argued Moira Gaul of the Family Research Council, a conservative advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.
The CDC also reported that births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high in 2006, but that is part of a continuing upward trend and was expected.
Health officials cautioned that the rise in teen births is not the chief cause of births to unwed mothers, however. Women in their 20s and 30s represent the largest proportion, with teens accounting for fewer than a quarter, said Stephanie Ventura, head of the CDC's reproductive statistics branch.
About thirty years ago, more than half of unwed mothers were teenagers, she said.
The report on births also showed:
• That the U.S. fertility rate is at the highest level since 1971, at 2.1 children. That is an increase of 2 percent from 2005 to 2006.
• Total births rose 3 percent to nearly 4.3 million in 2006.
• Rate of Caesarean section deliveries also rose 3 percent, setting a new record of 31 percent of all births. Health officials say the rate, which has risen by about half since 1996, is higher than is medically necessary.
The high C-section rate is believed to at least partly explain why rates of preterm and low-weight births also rose in 2006. Planned deliveries, including those involving C-sections, are often done before a pregnancy comes to full term, health experts saidhttp://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/05/teen.births.ap/index.html
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Monday, December 3, 2007
Trial reflection
In the trial of State v. George Burroughs, my role was one of the prosecuters and I was then required to question, and interview witnesses and the defendant. Unfortunately, I was not as prepared for this role as I was hoping to be. I had a lot of catching up I needed to do as a result of being ill the week before. If I had the opportunity to try my role again I would take that happily. I would love to be able to do more research into the original case and into the role that the persecution plays in the courtroom. I was unable to have a smooth and comfortable closing statement and wasn’t sure what to expect in the trial as this was our first mock trial as a class. I feel that the next trial we have I will be more experienced and prepared for. I do feel that under the circumstances I was under I was able to improvise and I did the absolute best I could have and I put forth the most effort I could. As one of the prosecution lawyers I still do believe that the defense did better in this trial representing their case.
I think that the case was more comfortable to be defending Mr. Burroughs in this time because of our society now. When this case was originally brought to the courts in the late 1600’s it was more socially acceptable to believe that witches did exsist. Now most people are less religious in believing in witches and other mystical situations. I think it also may have been hard for the jury to really completely remove their bias towards the existence of witches and wizards, I think most of them believed before the trial even began that witches do not exist.
I think to improve the way our next mock trial works is to represent a case that can have two sides that are both more plausible and important in our everyday life. even a case that still holds signifigance in our world or country today, whether or not the case was yesterday or 200 years ago. Although this cases perposterous ideas helped me appreciate how lucky I am and we are as Americans to have oppurtunities to freedom of religion and speech and so many other freedoms that are unthinkable in other countries. The way the times have changed the way we think and gives us the chance to stand up for what we believe in is truly one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. We are so privledge to live in such an open minded society, it seems like it is only up from here. In the time of this trial I can understand how something odd or uncommon can lead others to become frightened for their own life causing just a bug chain of finger pointing and false thoughts.
In America we are more fortunate then many other countries in many different aspects. One of which is our judicial system and the amendment that allows us to remain innocent until proven guilty. Yes, that is much more fair than guilty until proven innocent our system is far from flawless. Like any other laws, rules or any situation where morals and ethics get involved it is nearly impossible to find a completely fair system to protect our citizens.
I think that the case was more comfortable to be defending Mr. Burroughs in this time because of our society now. When this case was originally brought to the courts in the late 1600’s it was more socially acceptable to believe that witches did exsist. Now most people are less religious in believing in witches and other mystical situations. I think it also may have been hard for the jury to really completely remove their bias towards the existence of witches and wizards, I think most of them believed before the trial even began that witches do not exist.
I think to improve the way our next mock trial works is to represent a case that can have two sides that are both more plausible and important in our everyday life. even a case that still holds signifigance in our world or country today, whether or not the case was yesterday or 200 years ago. Although this cases perposterous ideas helped me appreciate how lucky I am and we are as Americans to have oppurtunities to freedom of religion and speech and so many other freedoms that are unthinkable in other countries. The way the times have changed the way we think and gives us the chance to stand up for what we believe in is truly one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. We are so privledge to live in such an open minded society, it seems like it is only up from here. In the time of this trial I can understand how something odd or uncommon can lead others to become frightened for their own life causing just a bug chain of finger pointing and false thoughts.
In America we are more fortunate then many other countries in many different aspects. One of which is our judicial system and the amendment that allows us to remain innocent until proven guilty. Yes, that is much more fair than guilty until proven innocent our system is far from flawless. Like any other laws, rules or any situation where morals and ethics get involved it is nearly impossible to find a completely fair system to protect our citizens.
Book Report: Pride and Prejudice
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. England. Thomas Egerton of London: 1813.
Reason, Type and Setting: This novel was written some time between 1796-1813 and takes place in England. it is a romance novel with some comedy. The story was about a large family with five daughters all trying to be married before their father dies. I chose this book because I have always heard such great things about it, it is a classic and eloquent writing that still holds much truth even 200 years after it was written.
Plot: Throughout this story the readers’ awareness of the Bennet family girls grows, we learn about their individual taste, personality and intelligence. Jane and Elizabeth are the eldest of the daughters. They are both beautiful and intelligent women, Jane is shy and polite and has a very likable manner, Elizabeth is opinionated and sure of herself, she unintentionally wins the affection of many men as she is able to hold a strong and apathetic air about her. As Mrs. Bennet eagerly tries to wed all five of her daughters she seems to overlook the fact that all of the five will someday simply fall into the arms of a man they truly love. Though the Bennet family is not particularly rich or well connected, they have a comfortable state of living, but never-the-less, prejudice holds back the wealthier men from following their heart to the women they love, mainly Elizabeth and Jane, both who have won over two wealthy men. Elizabeth was a headstrong women who hardly took orders from her mother, she falls madly in love with the one man she initially thought to be the worst man alive. After setting a few things straight she finds herself head over heels for Mr. Darcy who has proven his love for her as well. Jane is the center of Mr. Bingley’s attention, and it is very convient that both Lizzy and Jane are best friends as well as Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. By the end of the story both the couples end up happily married and even neighbors so they can visit each other often.
Character: Mr. Darcy one of the few main characters, he was once descried in the book as the man with the ‘quizical brow’. Darcy always was judging and harsh to the public eye. But as the reader learns more about Darcy, we also learn that his character is much less severe and rough as let on at the beginning of the novel. Darcy has a kind heart and is a well rounded and thoughtful man. He is a handsome man but his seemingly rough character deterred most women from being interested in him. He had a very specific taste so he didn’t mind their lack of interest. Darcy, initially seems like he would be of no importance to the plot later proves to be well connected with many of the other characters and even ends up marrying Elizabeth the main character of the story. Mr. Darcy himself did not see that Lizzy could knock him off his feet and by the end of the story be the only woman he could imagine himself with.
I chose Mr. Darcy simply because he interested me the most out of all the characters. He was funny and witty and misunderstood. He dealt so eloquently with that misunderstanding and ignored how everyone else felt about him. Darcy’s only concern was with how the people he cared about were treated and were viewed. He proved that he would do anything for a person he loved, he was sensitive and once his true self was exposed he became the cliché man of every woman’s dreams. What really interested me about Mr. Darcy was the depth of his character. He was very likable and easy to relate to, a lot of his traits were qualities everyone posses, but is just too afraid to show.
Evaluation: I really did enjoy this book, I found it humorous and interesting. Not only did it entertain me, but it was had a lot of truths and problems that still exsist today. What I personally love to find in a book is a plot that could have been written years ago, such as this one, yet the points made and the stances taken are all timeless and still either relevant to the world or personal to myself. I was introduced to the difference in culture between now and when this book was written. It was very enjoyable to see and compare women from that time to women now, and I have come to the conclusion we are still not much different. As technology and the world around us progress, our feelings remain steadfast, our wishes, dreams and fantasies vary very little from then to now. As simple as the title states, this book wrestled with the pride of the young men and women who were intertwined by a pressure that compelled them all to settle for any one who would fit the bill, so to speak. The prejudices of money, stature, class, personality, talent, intellect all played a part in this story. Austen shows very well how pride keeps you from being foolish but prejudice will only get in the way of getting what you truly want. I certaintly would recommend this book to others. It is comical, clever, interesting, well written and captivating with twists in the plot and unpredictable conclusions.
I don’t think that this book is particularly important for others to read because it is a book that would only be enjoyed by someone with particular taste. There are not many situations in the book that relate to current worldly issues.
If I were Elizabeth I would probably be less harsh on Mr. Darcy before I even knew him. I wont deny that I probably would have believed Mr. Wickham when he talked about how Mr. Darcy mistreated him. I really loved how willng Elizabeth was to share her opinions with people even went it wasn’t socially exceptable. I liked the way the booked was concluded, I am not sure if there would have been anything I would want to change.
Author, Context and Trivia: Jane Austen also wrote Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817 in England. I don’t believe I have read any other books like pride and prejudice. I would be interested in reading more books like this and being able to compare and contrast them. I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and would be interested in reading more of Austen’s work in the future. I really loved Austen’s style, I found it both funny and interesting. Though the story had many characters and a lot of twists, it was easy to follow and remained exciting throughout the whole story.
Reason, Type and Setting: This novel was written some time between 1796-1813 and takes place in England. it is a romance novel with some comedy. The story was about a large family with five daughters all trying to be married before their father dies. I chose this book because I have always heard such great things about it, it is a classic and eloquent writing that still holds much truth even 200 years after it was written.
Plot: Throughout this story the readers’ awareness of the Bennet family girls grows, we learn about their individual taste, personality and intelligence. Jane and Elizabeth are the eldest of the daughters. They are both beautiful and intelligent women, Jane is shy and polite and has a very likable manner, Elizabeth is opinionated and sure of herself, she unintentionally wins the affection of many men as she is able to hold a strong and apathetic air about her. As Mrs. Bennet eagerly tries to wed all five of her daughters she seems to overlook the fact that all of the five will someday simply fall into the arms of a man they truly love. Though the Bennet family is not particularly rich or well connected, they have a comfortable state of living, but never-the-less, prejudice holds back the wealthier men from following their heart to the women they love, mainly Elizabeth and Jane, both who have won over two wealthy men. Elizabeth was a headstrong women who hardly took orders from her mother, she falls madly in love with the one man she initially thought to be the worst man alive. After setting a few things straight she finds herself head over heels for Mr. Darcy who has proven his love for her as well. Jane is the center of Mr. Bingley’s attention, and it is very convient that both Lizzy and Jane are best friends as well as Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. By the end of the story both the couples end up happily married and even neighbors so they can visit each other often.
Character: Mr. Darcy one of the few main characters, he was once descried in the book as the man with the ‘quizical brow’. Darcy always was judging and harsh to the public eye. But as the reader learns more about Darcy, we also learn that his character is much less severe and rough as let on at the beginning of the novel. Darcy has a kind heart and is a well rounded and thoughtful man. He is a handsome man but his seemingly rough character deterred most women from being interested in him. He had a very specific taste so he didn’t mind their lack of interest. Darcy, initially seems like he would be of no importance to the plot later proves to be well connected with many of the other characters and even ends up marrying Elizabeth the main character of the story. Mr. Darcy himself did not see that Lizzy could knock him off his feet and by the end of the story be the only woman he could imagine himself with.
I chose Mr. Darcy simply because he interested me the most out of all the characters. He was funny and witty and misunderstood. He dealt so eloquently with that misunderstanding and ignored how everyone else felt about him. Darcy’s only concern was with how the people he cared about were treated and were viewed. He proved that he would do anything for a person he loved, he was sensitive and once his true self was exposed he became the cliché man of every woman’s dreams. What really interested me about Mr. Darcy was the depth of his character. He was very likable and easy to relate to, a lot of his traits were qualities everyone posses, but is just too afraid to show.
Evaluation: I really did enjoy this book, I found it humorous and interesting. Not only did it entertain me, but it was had a lot of truths and problems that still exsist today. What I personally love to find in a book is a plot that could have been written years ago, such as this one, yet the points made and the stances taken are all timeless and still either relevant to the world or personal to myself. I was introduced to the difference in culture between now and when this book was written. It was very enjoyable to see and compare women from that time to women now, and I have come to the conclusion we are still not much different. As technology and the world around us progress, our feelings remain steadfast, our wishes, dreams and fantasies vary very little from then to now. As simple as the title states, this book wrestled with the pride of the young men and women who were intertwined by a pressure that compelled them all to settle for any one who would fit the bill, so to speak. The prejudices of money, stature, class, personality, talent, intellect all played a part in this story. Austen shows very well how pride keeps you from being foolish but prejudice will only get in the way of getting what you truly want. I certaintly would recommend this book to others. It is comical, clever, interesting, well written and captivating with twists in the plot and unpredictable conclusions.
I don’t think that this book is particularly important for others to read because it is a book that would only be enjoyed by someone with particular taste. There are not many situations in the book that relate to current worldly issues.
If I were Elizabeth I would probably be less harsh on Mr. Darcy before I even knew him. I wont deny that I probably would have believed Mr. Wickham when he talked about how Mr. Darcy mistreated him. I really loved how willng Elizabeth was to share her opinions with people even went it wasn’t socially exceptable. I liked the way the booked was concluded, I am not sure if there would have been anything I would want to change.
Author, Context and Trivia: Jane Austen also wrote Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817 in England. I don’t believe I have read any other books like pride and prejudice. I would be interested in reading more books like this and being able to compare and contrast them. I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and would be interested in reading more of Austen’s work in the future. I really loved Austen’s style, I found it both funny and interesting. Though the story had many characters and a lot of twists, it was easy to follow and remained exciting throughout the whole story.
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