Last Article

I read "In scenic Simsbury, Conn., the past prevails" By Andrea Sachs. It was about a small Conneticut town that has managed to preserve its history and plans to continue to do so through this age of urbanizing. It was a picturesque article with lots of imagery, such as feeling like peter pan when eating strawberries. This image didn't really connect with me, because I don't like strawberries. But this little country town had more than strawberries. It has a lot of touristy things like tours of a tower and period taverns and shops. There were a few restaurants mentioned. Simsbury sounds like a wonderful place to vacation.

Last Senior Reflection

I am trying to get a job. I am formulating a resume and plan to apply to relatively easy jobs at book stores and retail places. My dad is kind of hinting at trying to get a more professional job at an engineering place, but I just want a quick, easy way to make money this summer. Everyone else is applying to a bunch of jobs, and I really hope I am able to get one. I will probably get rejected from a lot of places first. But maybe I'll get lucky.

Senior Reflection #3

I have noticed that the majority of senior finals are projects. I suppose teachers do this to make the end of the year more fun, but it is misguided. A few projects are OK, as long as you choose your group and have options on what to do. However, some projects are torture. For instance, random group selection, subjects that don't relate to what you have been learning, and having multiple projects due on the same day take away from the "fun" of group projects. Plus, some teachers make you take a test as well as do a project. The good part about projects is that it boosts your grade. If a project is worth half of your final, it is 10% of your year's grade. But if you aren't guaranteed an A, the project is pretty much worthless.

Article #3

Iread the article "Backyard eggs vs. store-bought: They taste the same", by Haspel. It said exactly what the title suggests, that when it comes to eggs, home-grown are not any better than factory eggs. Happy chickens do not make tastier eggs than abused chickens who never see the light of day. The only factors that contribute to the taste of an egg is the chicken feed, and that only makes a difference if you feed the chicken something really strong tasting. Since most people feed chickens corn or soy, there is no discernible difference. The only difference between store-bought eggs and home-grown eggs is that you feel better about the home-grown ones. I think this article is really interesting, considering that it refutes the wide-spread fad of organic, home-grown health foods. I always eat store-bought eggs, and have no complaint, although I make a habit of not htinking about the condition of the chicken the eggs come from.

Reflection #2

I saw Iron Man 2 this past weekend. It was exciting, but I liked the first one better. The first Iron Man movie stood out to me because it had to do with current events and it had a non-cheesy moral. It is different from most superhero movies. The new movie was very exciting and fast-paced. It had a lot of elements from the comic books, I guess, because I had no idea where this weird guy called Dr. Fury came from. It was a great action movie, and the acting was good. There was an amazing car chase. I didn't quite see the things that set the first movie apart, though.

Article #2

"Hirshhorn survey gathers Yves Klein's innovative blue" by Blake Gopnik is an article that raves about the wonderfulness of abstract art. Apparently, a canvass painted completely in blue represents an endless void of humanity. I disagree. There is beauty that changes people, inspires them, even saves them, but a single monochromatic picture is not art. This french guy made a pretty blue paint, which I think is nice, but then he made a blank blue canvass. I don't understand how that can be meaningful. I suppose I am being narrow-minded, and not considering that what is meaningful to me would not be meaningful to others.

"Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 46)," 1955. Private Collection. (Courtesy of Yves Klein Archives)

Yves Klein's, "Obsession de la levitation (Le Saut dans le vide)" (Shunk-Kender - Courtesy Of Yves Klein Archives)

Yves Klein's "Untitled Blue Sponge Sculpture (SE 89)," c. 1960. Private Collection. (Courtesy Of Yves Klein Archives - Courtesy Of Yves Klein Archives)

Yves Klein's "Globe terrestre bleu (RP 5)" [Blue Globe], 1961. Private Collection. (Courtesy of Yves Klein Archives - Courtesy of Yves Klein Archives)

Yves Klein's "Untitled Anthropometry (ANT 100)," 1960. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Holenia Purchase Fund, in memory of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1998 (98.23). (Lee Stalsworth - Courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum And Sculpture Garden)

Senior Reflection #1

I really enjoyed my last two years in high school. I took the most difficult course load this year, and I wish I hadn't taken so many AP's. However, now that all the AP's are over(except Physics...) I am pretty happy. The hardest class I had this year was Calculus. I wasn't sure that I would do well in that class, and last year my precalc teacher did not reccomend that I take BC Calc. I had to do lots of work and study a lot, but I did well mostly because our teacher is great. I don't know what I got on the AP test, but I think I passed. Now we are taking it easy in Calc class.

Article #1

I read the article "Oil spill imperils an unseen world at the bottom of the gulf" by Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post.

The oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is leaking tons of oil into the ocean, and not just affecting the birds that get covered in oil. The deep sea life is being affected a lot because of the chemicals used to disperse the oil disperses it into the deep sea. There are coral reefs and crabs and sharks and other freaky creatures that look like nothing we sea above the ocean. The article said that the natural processes of the deep sea life will eventually clean up the Gulf, because the life that deep is used to harsh conditions. Some bacteria even eat oil. I think that this catastrophe should teach companies to be more careful with products that can damage the environment.

Editorial #5

I read an editorial about how politicians who go against the health care bill will not be supported. Some Republicans are campaigning on the fact that they will repeal the health care bill. However, most of the immediate effects of that bill will be ones that people will like, such as tax credits for small businesses who provide health care. The article referenced a republican presidential candidate of 1936 campaigned to repeal the Social Security bill, and he lost by a lot. I wonder if the republicans will learn from their history? I think that if politicians go against a bill that could help so many people, it could end some careers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/19/AR2010031902636.html

Editorial #4

The Article "Enough panda obsession! Throw your arms around the new octopus" is about how the national zoo should pay more attention to the new octopus it just got than to the panda. It not-so-subtly compares Washington's politicians to octopi(brilliant, with many grasping arms, disguises, and eating habits). She also compares the panda to our economic dependence with China, because the zoo pays millions of dollars to keep up the panda habitat and feed it massive amounts of bamboo. The octopus is smart, has three hearts, and is much less expensive than the panda.

I found this article fairly amusing. Comparing Washington D.C to an octopus is definitely an absurd idea, but it was well-supported in the article. I think that our government should not spend so much money on unnecessary things, but that that kind of spending keeps us high in the opinions of other nations. However, the change to a smarter, less appearance-oriented country is one I would welcome. I think that politicians do use disguise and other unsavory methods to get things done, and that probably won't change.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030803875.html?sid=ST2010030804858

Editorial #3

Iraq has elections coming up and Obama has important decisions to make about relations with the new government and how many troops to pull out. He has for the most part not been very active in Iraq, because of all the problems Bush had with it. However, Iraq could become a democratic ally to the US and a big producer of oil in the middle east.

I think that if the US helps set up a government in Iraq, it might be good for the people there, but it wouldn't be a true democracy. The US would be doing this for oil, not because of good ideology, anyway. Obama has done a nice job putting the mistake in Iraq behind us, while not just leaving a mess behind.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/06/AR2010030601945.html

Editorial #2

Students in Winston Churchill High School in Montgomery County were caught changing their grades. That is a misdemeanor there, so the police got involved. Usually cheating is handled by the school, but this time it was handled more harshly by the law.

The author of this editorial thought that the police involvement was justified, and cheating should always be handled more strictly. I think that if you don't do something, you should not get the credit or the consequences for it. If the consequences for cheating in High School become very severe, and you are framed, then you will have your school career ruined for something you didn't do. The kids in High School are put through a lot and change a lot. Having life-long consequences for cheating in High School does not make sense to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030504237.html

Editorial #1

I read an editorial about the Supreme court rulings on gun control laws. The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that a complete ban on guns is unconstitutional in D.C., but kept a ban on guns not kept in businesses or stored disassembled or locked. There is a case being considered in the Supreme Court on the gun control laws in the states. The 14th amendment protects people against the states taking away any rights without due process of law. The ruling will probably extend the 2008 ruling, and have consequences for other rights like the right to health care and wellfare, which, like gun ownership, were not previously considered fundamental rights of the constitution.

I think cities and states should be able to decide whether or not to enact gun control laws. I think that one law on gun ownership would not be optimal for all states.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030502873.html?nav=hcmoduletmv

Question #6

At first, I had no idea of what to write. Then I decided to write about the earthquake in Haiti. I hope they can rebuild their country to be strong. I can't imagine living in a place with that much destruction and danger. I really makes me proud that the US is sending help. I wish I could do something to help more, too. I am used to writing letters to soldiers, and sending Christmas shoeboxes to orphans. I think politics should not matter in a situation like this, that everyone should be able to help without repercussions.

Cartoon #6

Haiti and Hate By - The Jerusalem Post, Dry Bones * Posted 1/18/2010 by Yaakov Kirschen. This cartoon has angels looking down from the clouds and remarking about how humans always wait for a natural disaster, like the earthquake in Haiti, to help each other. Then afterward, we go back to war. I think that this is sad but true. It would be nice if countries would't have wars because of differences in beliefs. However, since we all know that will always happen, it is comforting to think that there is still a world wide code of conduct: when there is a natural disaster, stop fighting and help save innocent lives.

Question #5

In the next year, I hope the economy improves so that I can get lots of scholarships. It probably will. I think the situation in the Middle East is still being underestimated in regard to time. I don't like the fighting, but now that we decided to interfere with other cultures on a different continent, we should see our changes through. I don't think the US is necessarily on the "right" track, but we are on the USA track.

Cartoon #5

I read a cartoon by Adam Zyglis - The Buffalo News posted 1/7/2010 titled "Fighting Terrorism".
It compares the intelligence agency with terrorist, saying that they are both "many autonomous cells with no central leadership". I don't know if that is true. It might seem like the CIA and whatever other agencies are ineffective at preventing terrorism, but the reason that the underwear bomber guy was such big news is because that kind of thing almost never happens in the US. I have never personally experienced war, and I am very grateful for that. As far as I am concerned, the government has done an acceptable, but not perfect, job at sheltering me from bombs.