Journal 10

The vocabulary assignment that is set for today should be due for Wednesday because then the students will have more time to work on other assignment such as the English blogs to re edit and make their corrections. The blogs are worth more points and have a bigger impact on our grades and therefore we should have more time to work on them to make them better. The vocabulary words are simple and writing is extremely important and having correct grammar and citations throughout our blogs will help us do better in more classes because we will have the experience we need to write and good paper with correct citations and avoid plagiarism. If we spend time working on vocabulary we will not have as much time to really work on and understand MLA format and if we do not work on the MLA format we are more likely to be excused of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a consequence that is more common than ever before because of the easy access to technology and other peoples work and if we do not know how to properly cite our sources. Knowing how to cite sources is a life skill that students need to learn to continue on in their education. If the student falls subject to plagiarism, they will receive lower grades and therefore fall behind in their plans for the future. This assignment is simple and will not take long to complete so by postponing it we give more time for the assignments that will impact our future and possible our careers and ability to get a job. The vocabulary assignment should be postponed to better allow the students to get caught up and have a better grades and have less stress put on the shoulders to complete everything and stay caught up. Students these days are under a lot pressure and they have many different events that take up most of their time and with one extra assignment could be the difference between staying up til eleven or getting to bed at a decent hour. With school, sports, after school activities, and family students have no time to breath and just be a kid.

Henry Speech Blog

The Rationalism writing style began around the time of the Enlightenment and also the Great Awakening which began to bring Christians back to their faith but separated God from government(Divine). The Rationalism era was started before the American Revolution and is what kind of prompted the American colonist to separate from England. The colonists were tired of England becoming involved in their affairs and taxing them. The colonists used logic and a united front to gain their Independence from England (Divine). "Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings" (Henry 117). The men of the Rationalism period are at war both within themselves and with England. The men have decided without the power of God that they relied on so much before that they need to separate from England(Divine).

The Puritans were strictly all about God doing everything for them and they never asked the question of why things happened. These men during Henry's time believed God was their Almighty King but unlike the Puritans they studied the world around them and why things happen. The Puritans believed that God controlled all things and that people were predestined to their faith and the members of this Rationalism period were fighting for what they wanted with the Revolutionary War (Divine).

"If the seventeenth century saw an explosion of true science (Kepler's formulation of planetary orbits, Newton's optics and laws of motion, Boyle's chemistry, Leibnitz's calculus), the eighteenth century saw science expanded and applied. Pure science (Buffon in zoology, Linnaeus in taxonomy, Priestley and Lavoisier in chemistry) vied with practical applications, as Watt patented the steam engine, Arkwright the spinning jenny, and Cartwright the power loom. Adam Smith demonstrated the logic of markets; astronomers strove to determine a practical method for determining longitude at sea. Diderot published the monumental Encyclopédie (focused less on philosophy and great ideas, one should recall, than on mechanical and technological processes), and Benjamin Franklin, that paragon of canny pragmatism, invented the lightning rod, bifocals, and a new stove while demonstrating the rational principles of economic success. Meanwhile faith in human perfectibility grew as philosophy sought, in human affairs, some equivalent to the laws of physics" (Cowart 2).

These men of the time period were the start of the Rationalism period which influenced many decisions that unified the Nation against the English. These men are the great men that began the research that has put a man on the moon and will one day maybe cure cancer. "They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging" ( Henry 117). Henry has decided that the English are the enemy and that if they do not stop the English's involvement in they will put the American colonists in chains like they have done to the African American slaves they have brought over by the thousands. The Rationalism period created a time that inspired revolt and discover in America.

Cowart, David. "The Luddite Vision: Mason & Dixon." American Literature: A Journal of Literary History, Criticism, and Bibliography 71, no. 2 (1999): 341–43, 362–63. Quoted as "The Conflict Between Rationality and Spirituality" in Harold Bloom, ed. Thomas Pynchon, Bloom's Major Novelists. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Henry, Patrick. "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 116-118. Print.

Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Journal 9

Once upon a time there was a little girl who had a big problem and she was so upset and did not know what to do. The little girl was getting ready for the biggest tea party in all the land. The little girl was looking in her closet for a pretty dress to wear to the tea party and she could not find the one she was looking for. The little princess was freaking out because she had a only an hour to get to the tea party and she was about to cry when she could not find her pretty party dress. The little was getting so upset that she would be late and would not be able to go because she could not find her dress. Her mother had hear her crying in her room and walked up the stairs to go see what was the matter. She walked quickly down the hall and knocked on the door with a slight tap. The little girl tried to muffle her tears and stop sobbing before the door creaked open. Her mom walked up next to her and sat down next to her little princess and ask what was the matter. The little girl fought back the urge to cry as she told her mother that she was missing her princess tea party dress that she wanted to wear to the party and that the party was starting really soon. The little girls mom asked her where was the last place that she saw her dress. The little princess sniffled back a big tear and told her mom that the last place she remembered her dress was in the laundry. The mom took her little girl down to the laundry room and they looked in the laundry on the floor and it was not there. The next place they checked was the laundry room closet and there in the back of the closet hanging up was the pretty tea party dress that the little girl wanted to wear. The little girl was so excited that she grabbed her dress and ran up the stairs and quickly put on her dress and ran down the stairs and jumped into the car and was so excited to go to the party. The little girl had a great time at the tea party and was so glad that she had found her dress. When she got home she hugged her mom and they had tea party together.

Journal 8

The best season ever is autumn because it is breezy and the leaves are changing colors and the weather is pleasant. I go to swimming practice and I drive home through Petersburg and the old Salem area and it looks awesome when all the leaves a different colors and starting to fall I love the look of autumn and also Halloween. Every year the Plains swim girls go to Terror on the Square and it is a great night that we spend at the Subway and then we go through the haunted house. The fall rocks because it is perfect bonfire night and Halloween is a night to get free candy and caramel apples. The only problem with the autumn weather and having swimming is that I do not have any heat in my car which makes it cold and I am wet. We are having chili for dinner which is the best dinner for a fall night that is chilly. The corn is coming down so now it is a lot easier to see around the area. Going to the pumpkin patch and picking out pumpkins to carve for jack- o- lanterns. Having fright nights in the basements and getting completely scare out of my mind with Olivia on the basement couch. We watched the old scary movies like the original Nightmare on Elm Street with Freddy coming for you. They have like eight Freddy movies and they are all pretty scary. I really want to watch the new version of A Nightmare on Elm Street for this years fright night and we also have this super scary movie called Trick or Treat and even Hannah Jackson said she was scared and that never happens. I can not wait to start fall fright night and also the fall season of television is starting like last night "The Vampire Diaries" started and it was freaking amazing can not wait for next week. Fall is the best time of year and fall also has the holiday that you get to stuff your face with food. An for Thanksgiving we go to see my mom's family in New York and I love that family because they are the best. Hopefully we will also be able to take a college visit on the way out. I can't wait to see McKenna and her cute little face, she is my first cousin on my mom's side and she is fifteen years later. Homecoming is also in the fall and that is always a good time. Fall is a time when there is always something fun to do and so many great things happen, but eventually it starts to snow and then you can not get out as much.

Journal 7

Bullying is an natural occurrence that affects both the victims and the bully and influences how they act throughout their lives. The bully until he is confronted will continue to bully people and pick on them because they do not know what they are doing is wrong. The bully will continue their ways because they think its okay and they are also insecure with themselves. This insecurity causes them to hurt other people to make them better about themselves and this way of self esteem is sad. Everyone has their own perception of themselves and they should like themselves and instead of bringing others down who are probably just like the bullying feeling insecure they should give a compliment. Saying something nice to someone goes a lot farther than bringing them down like if you give someone a compliment about them in the morning it makes you feel better for giving someone else a bit of confidence and the person who receives the compliment feels better about themselves and they enjoy that recognition which will make them feel great all day. If changed the way people think about themselves that bullying would be decreased by a lot in the real world we are influenced by the magazines and media on what is pretty. I read a article in a magazine a while back that talk about how mean we are to ourselves about what we look like and they found that women tell themselves about a dozen awful things about their bodies everyday and this leads to low self esteem and it is not healthy. The world has their own version of beautiful and it is a way too skinny super tall model that is beautiful but everyone is and the new Dove campaign that is fighting this version of perfect is doing amazing work and will change lives. Everyone deserves to feel pretty inside and out and by telling yourself these awful things that do not matter. In a perfect world bullying would not be a problem but it is and it really should not matter what is on the outside.

Journal 6

Blaming someone else for your own mistakes shows that you are a coward and are afraid to take responsibility for your own actions. IF you let someone else take the blame you also begin to get that guilty feeling that will literally eat you alive. I have a huge guilty conscious and I will not be able to eat or sleep if I feel guilty for something that I will eventually fix what I did wrong. The person who takes the fault for your mistakes is going to suffer your punishment and then when they get done they are going to come after you for revenge. A hopefully by then your guilty conscious is telling you to confess and most likely your punishment will be worse than the person's who took the blame. Your own punishment will be worse because you lied and threw someone else under the bus and then you get the second punishment which is going to come from the scapegoat. The person you blame will make you suffer most likely but if they forgive then you will be feeling even more guilty for want you made that person suffer. They would probably do anything to make it up to the person they blamed and that could last a long time. To avoid a guilty conscious you should always be honest and admit to your mistakes and take the punishment that will come with it. Honest is always the best policy and there is nothing better than having a guilty free feeling. I blame my little sisters for stupid little things that do not matter but then I admit that I did it and nothing really happens so I do not get bother by those little things that happen. They it is the little things that matter the most but you do not get in trouble for the little things when they happen. You get in trouble for the build up of little things that drive people crazy and you really do not want to take the blame for the massive build up that leads to a giant explosion that makes you want to run away and hide in a hole. The big explosion happens and all those stupid little things that drive people crazy create a big problem that you never wish to see happen.

Journal 5

Teenage punishments now involve the computer, cell phones, social networking sites, and the television compared to punishments that were giving to our parents which included house phone privileges and not being allowed to hang out with friends. The world of technology is changing quickly around us and the punishments are now all centered around technology. I believe that taking away kids technology is a fair punishment for them and that these punishments also take away their ability to talk with their friends. In my house punishment really does not affect me, but my sister on the hand gets in trouble a lot more. Unlike me it is really easy to take things away from her because she is more attached to her phone and ipod than I am. She also usually gets her stuff taken away because she refuses to use the cases that protect the items that she has. I am not attached at the hip with my phone or technological devices the only thing that would work for punishment for me is if my dvd player or cable box got taken away because the only way I can get to sleep is with either a movie on or criminal minds. I would die if that got taken away and I would lose a ton of sleep and be really angry. The punishments have had to change because the everyday the world is changing and technology is changing and the people in it are different. The world is not the same place that it used to be. There are new laws written everyday and new technology coming out that influence how a person acts and behaves. We are influenced by the environment around us and this causes some of our behaviors which lead to the typical punishments of technology being taken away. Punishments are varied among households and also how the parents of the teenagers were disciplined usually affects how they will discipline their own children and the cycle continues.

Journal 4

Every year I go out to visit my mom's family in New York. I spend about two months out there and it is an awesome time. I love seeing all my family and hanging out with them. I stay with my Aunt Kerry and Uncle John. My other aunts and uncles all come over all the time to hang out in the pool and every other year we have a big family reunion to get everyone together. The worse part about my vacation out East is the sixteen hour drive that it takes to get there. I hate sitting in a car for that long; my knees get really stiff and they hurt. My mom usually drives by the end I want to rip out my hair because my head hurts, I am tired, and the two younger siblings are driving me crazy. Spending my summers out there has really impacted by life in many ways. Getting to know my family is the best and by going to visit I get to have a relationship with them that I would not have if I did not see them. When we are all together it is always a great time whether we are sitting all together on the couch or playing Marco Polo in the pool. Some of my greatness memories come from the times I spent with my family out their. We went white water rafting once and that was flipping amazing. That is one of the coolest experiences of my life. These relationships that I have with my family even though I do not get to see them all the time makes them some of the most important people in my life. Family is number one you could live with nothing as long as you have your family behind you supporting your decisions. I love going out to New York to see my family for Thanksgiving and hopefully they may come out to visit earlier.

Journal 3

Being held hostage would probably be the worst thing ever and I would probably kill myself before I was release. It would also depend a lot on who was holding me hostage. Like if I was being held captive by the friendly Indian it might not have been so bad, but if I was captured by the Japanese during World War II; I would totally kill myself. The same goes for if I was living in a concentration camp. Out of the three I think the Indians might be the best bet for survival because they at least feed Mary and her life was not too bad. She was a slave but she was treated okay and it would not be so awful. I think I would be okay as an Indian captive but I would definitely be looking for a way to escaped from freedom. The feeling of being someone's property would completely devastate be the thought of not being able to do what I want when I want. People held in captivity turn out really crazy after they are released and have a ton of mental issues. I think that the people who survive their captivity have more issues after their captivity than before. The fairy tale world has created a cute story about being a hostage and that's the story of Rapunzel. She was trapped in a tower all her life but then that cute little story is nothing like the real accounts of some hostages. People try to act like hostage situations are not common but I sure there is some crazy guy holding a woman hostage in order to rob a bank or get away from the police. Being in a hostage situation would be a crazy dramatic experience that would change my life and I do not think I could ever feel safe again. Mary was in an awful situation but some of her kidnappers showed her kindness and care. She was still a slave and her sense of freedom was gone. In most cases being a hostage equaled death.