Moral Education

While I was growing up, I always had my parents around 24/7 of the time. They would never let me leave their sight for a split second, like I was some sort of treasure for them. One thing they have always taught me, was to have respect, manners and morals. I was always told to never interrupt an adult while they were talking. I was taught how to act at a diner table and how I should represent my self. Most importantly, I was taught by my parents to always have the ten commandments in mind, every time I mad a decision. My parents were responsible for my moral education because without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
Form my experience of growing up with my parents, they taught me a lot about moral education. There was never really a teacher or a family member who took the time to teach me how to act or teach me right from wrong. I think when I was younger, I already knew right from wrong, but from my surroundings it seemed that a lot of kids weren’t as lucky as I was. Many of the kids would tell story’s of how they stole candy from a corner store or how they would come home very late. From finding out the backgrounds of the kids, most of them had a single parent, or some had step mom’s or step dad’s. At that time I knew parents had to play a big role on teaching their children moral education.
I never really thought that teachers helped their students to become morally educated. The reason behind that was because they have a lot of students and the have their own problems or children to worry about. I am not saying that all teachers are like that, but there a few that do care about their students. Basically, parents are responsible for our every movement, after all we are a miniature of our own parents. They are the ones who brought us to this world, and a child is never to be blamed for his/her action.

Thank you, Ma'am - by Langston Hughes (Summary & Opinion)

In the short story Thank you, Ma'am tells a story about a young boy who tries to steal a woman's purse. When he thought he had it, he thought wrong because he tripped and fell on the lady. The lady asked him if she let him go would he run, he responded yes so she didn't let him go. The lady saw that the boys face was dirty, and she didn't want him going home like that. What she did was that she brought him home with her and she fed him food. She asked him why he wanted to steal her purse, and the boy said it was because he wanted blue sued sneakers. Later on, the lady gave him ten dollars and walked him out of the house. The boy wanted to thank the lady but before he did, the lady closed the gate.
This short story will be very memorable for me, because instead of the lady turning in the boy to the police, she instead took him with her. She understood the boy for trying to steal her purse, and she forgave him in a different manner without saying anything (for ex. feeding him food and giving him water to wash his face). The boy was confused throughout the whole time in her house, because she left the door open and her purse out in the open. He had many chances of escaping, but he didn't. He preferred to give her trust as the same way she gave him. I liked this story a lot because there was a lot of trust and a lot love.

Questions of Story of an Hour

1. The story says Mrs. Mallard “had loved him [her husband]–sometimes. Often she did not.” If she was “often” not in love with him, why did she marry him?
- She married him because maybe she didn't have a choice. Her parents must've put them together or maybe he made her marry him.

2. What was life like for Mrs. Mallard in the home of Brently Mallard?
- Mr. Mallard must of been very mean to Mrs. Mallard because when she heard he did she felt free. Mr.Mallard must have made Mrs. Mallard do every house work and he probably was meant to her

3. In the report of the train accident, Brently Mallard's name was at the top of the list of fatalities (Paragraph 2). Does this information mean that Mallard was an important citizen in his community? Does it also suggest that perhaps Louise married him, in part, because of his standing in the community?
- I think she did because back in the day they would put people with good reputations together. Or maybe Mrs. Mallard had a bad reputation and in order to get a good reputation she married Mr. Mallard.

4. Do you believe Brently Mallard mistreated his wife? In answering this question, keep in mind the following: (1) In Paragraph 13, Louise Mallard recalls that Brently was kind and that "he had never looked save with love upon her." (2) However, Paragraph 8 had previously informed the reader that Mrs. Mallard's face "bespoke repression," and Paragraph 14 says Brently had a "powerful will bending her."
- Mr. Mallard probably mistreated her at home, but in public he probably treated her with love and respect.

5. How much of Mrs. Mallard's apparent unhappiness in her marriage was her own fault?
- I think none of it was her fault.

6. After Mrs. Mallard receives news that her husband died in a train accident, she goes to “her room.” Do these two words mean that she slept separately from her husband? Does the fact that no children are named in the story indeed indicate that she and her husband slept apart?
- I think now that her husband is dead she must own the house and now she has her own room.

7. Research the life of Kate Chopin (1851-1904). Then decide whether the death of her husband in 1882 influenced her when she wrote “The Story of an Hour,” published in 1894 in Vogue magazine.
-It did influence her a lot, because she can express her self through her stories.

8. Did author Chopin herself face problems similar to those of Mrs. Mallard?
- Kinda , not really because her husband was abusive to her but she didn't experience what Mrs. Mallard went through.

The Story of an Hour

In the short story, The Story of an Hour, it kept me in suspense till the end. The main idea that the author is trying to portray is how marriage was in the 1800’s. Mrs. Mallard is the main character of the short story and her feelings through it have a good connotation. She expresses herself as free soul because her husband passed away and now she has no one to control her. Basically throughout the short story Mrs. Mallard is happy and free while everyone thinks she is going through a rough time.
In the beginning of the story, the author starts to name out all the characters that are in the story. She explains that Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s friend, Richard, is at her house to make sure the telegram was sent correctly and that her husband did die. The author starts to explain the setting of the room that Mrs. Mallard was in and how she feels good vibes. Later on, Mrs. Mallard’s sister knocks on the door thinking that she was grieving over her husband or simply going crazy because of what happened. But in reality, she’s happy that her husband passed away. She said to herself that she’s “free, free, free!” and that she’s a free soul. Later on in the story, after thinking that her husband is dead, her husband walks in the door and states he wasn’t anywhere near the accident. After immediately seeing him, she dies of a heart attack. Knowing that she was a free soul for awhile.
The author, Kate Chopin, wrote this short story to communicate to the public how marriage was in the 1800’s. I think it was to express how women felt back in those days and to show that they had a rough time with their husbands. The author probably felt this way and to express herself she wrote a short story, and to show the setting how of women felt when they didn’t have a husband during that time period

The Domino Effect

1. How is the "domino effect" affecting the global economy?

     - The domino effect started in the United States because banks gave a lot of amount of loans to low income people. Those people couldn't pay some of their loans back and didn't know how to return the money. So we were the first domino to fall and it affected a lot of countries because they depend on us.

2. What caused the U.S housing crisis?

    - What caused it was the Banks because they gave out their loans to low income people, who at the end had trouble paying back the loans.

3. Why is the cut consumer spending a serious problem?

    - Cut consumer spending is a big problem because, if people cut down on the things they buy then any goods wont make good money and if the goods aren't making good money then the company goes bankrupt. 

4. How is less spending affecting local and state governments?

    - Less spending is affecting local and state governments because they also had to cut down on their budgets. They cut down on programs, raised their taxes, or used emergency funds to balance any budget.

5. What trend does expert Brian Sack predict for the economy?

    - The trend he's predicting is that he's calling this situation a recession, and that we are going to have a tough time in 2009 and 2010.

6. What have the world's key central banks done to stop the crash?

    - Global banks have stopped helping each other financially. Great Britain has helped many banks and they spend $865 billion. Iceland took control of their own bank.

Black Fraternal Society's

Before Reading:
I did not know there was a "Mosaic" group.
I did not know what their purpose was of keeping the group together or what their purpose was.

After Reading:
I learned their history of helping the society, their legacy and it might not be the end for them. Their history was mainly about spreading around the U.S.A and helping people, they published themselves as a Company, a Business College, and a Hospital. Their legacy goes all the way back where Moses lead the Jews out of slavery.The article states that the Fraternity might not stay up because not a lot of people joined the group and in a few years the group will die out. But the Museum in Arkansas will always stay up.

Discussion Question:

I think the most important contribution of the Mosaic Templars in the U.S.A was giving financial protection to the black people because in the late 1800's. Racism was a big thing and helping each other is the best thing to do at hard times.

Government Taking Over Firms

Comprehension
1. Why has the government taken over some U.S. firms?
The nation is in an economic crisis. Taking the firms keep the nation moving.
2. What firms has the government taken over?
The government has taken the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, and it has also taken AIG.
3. What is a bailout?
A bailout is when a government takes over a firm and and giving the company money so that it wont fail.
4.Why does David Walker have doubts about the bailout?
Because the government doesn't have enough experience.
5. What did Daniel Mitchell say about the bailout?
He said "It appears they're doing the wrong thing in the best way possible"

Discussion Questions
1. Do you think it is a good idea for the government to take over and run some U.S. forms? Why or why not?
I think its some what good for the government to take over the firms because it keeps company going and it's a definite that the company won't fail or go bankrupt. But on the other hand the government doesn't have enough experience handling a company, so it could lead to a bad ending.

2. Would you agree with Daniel Mitchell that government officials are "doing the wrong thing in the best way possible"? Why or why not?
I do feel that the government is doing the wrong thing in the best way possible because they are just throwing ideas out there thinking its the only way how to fix the economy. The article also states that one of the senators said that the government will make a lousy job. Its coming from a senator and if he thinks that then everyone can.

Texting

Ever since I got my phone, instead of using my phone to call people, I would instead text message people. I feel that texting is very private, and people wouldn't find out your conversation. Another reason is that when you text someone, they are able to send you a message back without using your minutes, so its definitely money saver. In the article, I do agree with some of the statements they put out there. For instance "some distracted texters walk into lamp posts and walls." Being distracted is very dangerous while walking or driving, you should always be aware of your surroundings. Before reading the article, I use to text while driving and walking, but now I am going to make sure that I am less distracted and be more cautious.

Before and After Reading: " Election 2008- the issues"

In this Article what I know is that people have to pick a side which is republican and democratic and when the election comes people have to vote. The President that gets chosen has to deal with today's crisis and other problems the United States is having. The things that I want to know is how the voting system works because I never voted before, this is going to be my first time. After read the article I learned about world affairs, energy crisis, health care, immigration, and the supreme court. There is nothing I want to know, just who is going to win the election.

My Thanksgiving Narrative

When I wake up on Thanksgiving Day, it’s usually about eight o’clock. I would get up and go to the bathroom and do my necessities. I would then go to my room and change into something comfortable because till five o’clock I am going to be working hard. Once I am done changing, I head to the living room and make sure that my mom left the food list and that my dad left money. It’s usually there every year, so then I would go to the supermarket and buy all the things needed that night. After I am done with buying all the things that are on the list I would go to my grandmother’s house and I would help make all the food.
Making the food doesn’t take long because my grandmother and I, we work fast and carefully, we always make sure the food has the right amount of salt and that it’s not over cooked. I would then go back to my house, and usually when I get home my mom is there so then we would start fixing the house. We would decorate the house and make sure the house has a thanksgiving vibe and we like it when there is a lot of room because every year we invite about thirty people. We would get rid of the night table, put the table more into the wall, move the television into another room, and put portable chairs around the walls.
Our guests usually arrive around eight o’clock, and I would have time to fix myself and make myself look very handsome. Around seven-thirty my grandmother would come to the house and set all the food onto the table, and she would her own flavor to how the house should look like on thanksgiving. I would usually wait downstairs and great our guest when they enter and say “Thank you for coming would you like something to drink?” At about nine o’clock, our entire guest is at our house telling jokes, eating, drinking, laughing, and telling old memories. At some point in the night, there is only one random person who gives a toast, and they would say the usually like “thank god for the meal” or “Everyone is a great person”, but most importantly they always say “Thanksgiving is all about being with friends and family, but mostly the effort that was put to bring us all together”.

Answers From Compare and Contrast Story

1) They gave her weird looks, because it wasn't her turn to talk

2) Tennis

3) They hit the ball back and forth, not to start with a new ball, but to state opinions.

4) Bowling-Quiet, waits turn

5) Taking turns-anyone joins, waits turn

     Approach-Anyone can join, oldest first

     Pausing-New conversation, new person talks

    Reactions of par.-Anything, only the oldest talks first

    Determine score-opinions, rudeness.

6) "Japanese-style conversations develop quit differently from western styles conversations"

7) How conversation is used

8) Because Americans don't speak like that, so it's hard for the japanese culture

9) Not with japanese people but with korean people

10) Not really, same as tennis

11) Western Style

12) Hi how are you? I am doing fine

      Hows your family? they are good etc. 

Comparing And Contrasting

From the first day I got out of my mother's wound, the only two things I did besides sleeping and crying w to eat and laugh a lot. Even since today, those have been the two things I have done the best. Why do i love eating you say?Well eating is a great way to relieve stress, I have gone through rough times and to make myself happy I would eat. But the negative effect to this, I could gain a few pounds and increase my fat tissues. On the other hand, if I laugh a lot, I can lose a lot of weight and make myself skinnier. When hanging out with my friends and the mood is boring, I would just laugh and the people would start opening up. Basically laughter brings happiness to my life, the same goes with eating.

 Eating                    Same                Laughing

- Causes you to get fat-Brings Happiness-Makes you skinnier

- Increase fat tissue-Stress reliever-Live Longer

                                                              -Healthy

WEEK TWO ASSIGNMENT

 Topic Sentence

" Do not take this storm lightly... This is not a storm to gamble with, it is large; it is powerful; it carries a lot of water." (from article)

- This vigorous dangerous storm should not be taken gently, it causes danger to the state and the ones around us. (mine)

Questions

1.  The reading strategies I am using to read this article is making sure I am using the 5 w's ( who, what, where, when , why and how), and most importantly knowing the main idea of the article.

Who: People in Texas

What: Hurricane Ike

Where: Texas and its borders

When: Mid September

Why: Article explains that the storm is very dangerous, and explaining that people should be evacuated forcefully and rabidly, even though the people of Texas prefer to stay.

    How: ?

2. The details that support the article,"More than 1,300 inmates from the Texas Correctional Institutions Division's Stevenson unit in Cuero were being evacuated...," 

Learning Styles

Majority of the people, when they study they usually read their notes for every class. But me, I am a different case, for different subjects i have different ways of studying with the same background. Lets say i have to study for math class, i would need to practice over and over the math problems. But for in order to understand what I am doing, I need to be home in my room with no noise or no distractions so that i can hear my self think. If i am studying for an English test and i need to read the book, i also need to be in my room with peace and quiet, but usually i need to take breaks in between because if i get bored, I know i am not going to remember what i read that point. And for science and history I make index cards because those two subjects contain mostly definitions and has a lot of memorization. With this background I can study mostly any where, I would prefer a noisy place.
I have many study habits, but there is many things that intervene with my study time. I live with a older sister and a younger brother, and most of the time my younger brother is always asking me to help him out with his homework, and this distraction lengthens my study, and its hard for me to study. What I usually do is help him out first and then I go out to the library just in case i get another distraction. I have many friends that like to text and call me to hang out to watch a movie or just hang out, but them calling me distracts me from my studying, cause I know I am going to pick it up. My solution for this problem, i would prefer to turn off my phone for my study time and then i would eventually turn it on afterwords.

All About Me

Hey, my name is Christian Hidalgo and i am 17 years old. My favorite subject is math.