Sunday, February 6, 2011

Anticipation Guide

  1. The key to all emotional healing can be found in nature. Agree
  2. Nature is filled with harsh cruelties. Agree
  3. A person’s priorities should place family before work. Agree
  4. Enjoying life is more important than pursuing fame, glory, and knowledge. Agree
Pursing fame, glory, and knowledge may give you happiness but at the end of the day you will find a sense of emptiness. You will reach a point where you will wonder 'is that all there is?' By pursuing fame, glory, and knowledge what you are actually doing is trying to be happy. You believe that once you're famous you'll be happy, once you've got glory you'll be happy, once you learn something you'll be happy.

The truth is that happiness lies in the moment. It lies in the here and now, it lies in appreciating what you have and in counting your blessings. if you're always trying to get something more then you will never be happy. Happiness will always be around the next corner.
On the other hand if you make being happy now your objective in life then whether you get fame or whether you get glory or knowledge or whatever else you might want to achieve, you'll be happy. This is because you will be enjoying life as you live it now, this very minute, not tomorrow or yesterday.

You could say that if you have glory or fame or knowledge then you can enjoy life. But what if you don't? That's why it is important to look at life the other way round.
  1. Those born with social and financial advantages have a responsibility for those who are not. Agree
  2. Ignorance is bliss. Disagree
This proverb is based on the idea that what you don't know can't hurt you. However, this is not entirely true. Supposing you're in a boat traveling along a river leading towards the Niagara Falls but you don't know that the Niagara Falls are around the corner. You might
be blissfully enjoying the scenery, the boat ride, the moment and the next thing you know you're over the falls and you're dead. In which case ignorance might have ben bliss for that particular moment but you're lack of knowledge for something eventually killed you.

In the same way people may be happier living in their own secluded world, maybe lying to themselves about some truth or rather, not willing to face reality, yet that truth, if they don't face up to it, might eventually destroy them so it's not such a good idea to be ignorant.

If a person for example doesn't know about advances in science, in medicine, in technology etc he might be blissfuly happy in one way but this lack of knowledge could also mean he is missing out on things that could also be making him happier.

  1. The pursuit of knowledge is a volatile quest. Agree
  2. Someone’s ego (over-inflated sense of self-worth or superiority) will cause a tragic fall. Agree
  3. Children learn their behaviors by watching and mimicking adults. Agree
  4. Most people are basically cruel. Agree
  5. Society makes a person whatever he becomes. Disagree
  6. The “disenfranchised man,” who finds himself unable to live within society for whatever reason, is someone for whom we should feel sympathy or reverence. Disagree
  7. Rejection and mistreatment can manifest themselves in a person becoming rage-filled. Agree
  8. If a person or an animal is treated with cruelty, he will respond to others in the same way. Agree
  9. Those people we deem “monsters” in today’s society are merely misunderstood. Agree

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Perspective Piece - To Kill a Mockingbird

I was sitting in the living room doing my embroidery when I heard Scout ask Atticus what rape is. She said she had asked Calpurnia who had told her to ask her father while on a trip to church with her. I put down my sewing to listen. I was surprised as to how Atticus had let these kids be brought up by Calpurnia. When Scout asked if she could go to Calpurnia’s house I just had to interrupt. I told her in no uncertain words that she certainly could not! I was not about to let my niece get too involved with Negros.

“I didn’t ask you!” the rude little girl replied.

Fortunately, Atticus took my side and made her apologize. He made it quite clear to her that she had to do whatever I told her to do for as long as I was in the house. But to my surprise he added that she also had to do whatever Calpurnia told her to do. That was a bit much in my view.

She apologized and stormed off into the bathroom. I took the opportunity to give Atticus a piece of my mind. I told him he had to get rid of Calpurnia.

“You’ve let things go on too long, Atticus, too long.”

“I don’t see any harm in letting her go out there. Cal’d look after her there as well as she does here.”

“Atticus, its all right to be soft-hearted, you’re an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of. A daughter who’s growing up.”

He claimed that’s who he was thinking about but how could he possibly be when he still insisted on keeping Calpurnia in the house.

“Don’t try to get around it. You’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now.”

Unfortunately, Atticus refused point blank. He said Calpurnia was part of their family and that I must accept things the way they are. What’s wrong with the man? Can’t he see that blacks and whites shouldn’t mix? Can’t he see that she could be a bad influence on the kids? This is what happens when your wife dies and you have no one and you don’t have a woman’s wisdom to guide you. He claimed that Calpurnia was like a mother to them but that’s ridiculous.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

To kill a mockingbird: Anticipation Guide

All individuals standing trial in a court of law deserve to be defended

Agree. It is a basic human right for everyone to have a fair trial and to be able to know what he’s being accused of, to face his accuser, and to be judged by a fair jury. Everybody should have a say and be heard. In order to do so a person requires a legal defense. Lawyers, however, cost money and if you cannot afford it that should not mean that you will not be defended. In such a case the state should provide a lawyer free of charge. All humans should have the same rights no matter if they're rich or poor. If we live in a just society then everyone deserves the same treatment. Even people of another race who we may not agree with deserve to be heard. This is especially true for people who are uneducated and so cannot defend themselves. Furthermore this also applies to people who may be guilty since everybody is innocent until proven guilty. All human beings should at least be able to give their point of view because perhaps this could be a point of view that nobody else has heard.

Sometimes murder is a necessary evil

Disagree. Murder is never justified. God has given everybody a life. This is something that we should respect and nobody has the right to deprive anybody else of a life no matter how they chose to live it. Even if they choose to live a life of crime, putting someone to death doesn’t achieve anything. How does it teach them to be better human beings if they’re dead. We like to live in a society where we would like to feel safe. We wouldn’t like it if people went around killing each other so we have laws to control this. Sometimes people think that it is okay to kill another person if it's in self-defense, to protect a loved one or in a war. However, i don't think it is ever necessary. Surely there are other ways to solve problems rather than go to war. Even in the case of abortions. Killing a baby just so that it wont get your disease for example Isn't an answer. Even if it lives for just a brief amount of time, its better than no time at all as every moment of life is precious.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Gist Statement

The snow was falling gently on the streets of Moscow. Passers by walked along hurriedly wrapped up in their thick overcoats. Sasha Uhov watched the scene down below lost in thought and then turned his attention back to the doctor.
"Well thank you for telling me this new." He said ironically. "Its just what i needed."
The doctor looked away embarrassed.
"I know you're not really grateful. To be told that you've got cancer just after your wife Sashkin has left you, is not the best thing in the world."
Sasha stared at his gaudy shirt hanging on the back of the chair in front of him. The more he stared, the more the colours swirled and swiveled in his head until suddenly he exploded. He grabbed the closest thing to him, a beautiful candelabra on the doctors desk, and hurled it across the room.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Agree or Disagree

Feeling responsible for someone can be a burden.
Agree. It means that you have to think of the other person over and above yourself. For example if I'm responsible for looking after my cat i will have to make sure to feed him enough, clean his litter, and let him in and out the house. That would mean that i would not be able to go away for the weekend without making sure that he's looked after. We also have responsibilities to look after our family. Parents need to look after their children when they're young and children need to look after their parents when they're old. This can be difficult at times because it may not always be pleasant. Not only that, it means that you can not be free to do as you please.

It is more acceptable for women to love their female friends than it is for men to love their male friends.
Agree. Men are careful not to be labeled gay. They may be just as attached to their male friends ad women are to their female friends but will not express it the same way. They will be more inclined to pat their male friend violently on the back or give high fives than kiss and hug. The fear of being labeled gay holds them back.

There are times when euthanasia (mercy killing) can be justified.
Disagree. It's not up to us to decide when to die, but up to god. Killing is wrong under all circumstances. Even if you're in pain of have a terrible disease and want to die you never know what could happen. Maybe tomorrow if you stick it out they can find a cure for your pain and you could get better. If you had died you wouldn't have been able to enjoy many more years of life. Or maybe something wonderful will happen to you despite the pain and suffering.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Match Maker















Basic Information

Name: Gollum
Age: I don't know how old i am
Height: Short
Location: Middle earth, underground cave
Relationships: None
Body type: Skinny and slimy


About me
I don't know where i come from, nor what i am. I've lived under ground for a long long time and i'm dark as darkness. I have a little boat with which i row on the lake. I'm very good at catching fish, i just throttle them from behind. I like to speak to myself because i have never had anyone else to speak to apart from my preciouss. I've got a secret in my pocketses that i would like to share with you if you could guesss what it isss.

What I'm looking for
I'd like to find someone small and slimy, like me, who likes the dark, like me, who can answer riddles, like me, and who's smart and crafty, like me. Someone who will help me find my birthday present.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Journey's End by J.R.R Tolkien




In western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night,
And swaying branches bear
The Elven-stars as jewels white
Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.













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