Assertion/Claim (Topic Sentence) = Main Idea

• The legal driving age should be increased from 16 to 18.

Evidence -Concrete Detail:

• Novice drivers haven't mastered basic motor skills that take time and training to develop than what can be taught and learned in a matter of just two years.
  • Commentary 1: Teenagers or more likely to get into traffic violations like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, etc.
  • Commentary 2:
• Teenagers are less aware of the distractions and risks around the driving environment such as cell phones that might ring, the radio being too loud, what the passengers are doing.
  • Commentary 1: When a teenager transports passengers, the fatality risk of the teens increase by 360%. This goes for passengers who are peers of the teen driver because they might encourage taking more risks.
  • Commentary 2: Teenagers wear safety belts less often.

They say:

• By increasing the driving limit, you take aways rights that have been given to teens for years.
• Some teens have job they desperately need or their parents rely on them to drive themselves and siblings to and from school.

I say:

• Over 50% of all sixteen year olds get some variation of a traffic accident or violation within three months of getting their license. If the limit is increased, it allows two more years of practice to ensure the safety of other drivers, the teens and the teen's parents' pocketbook.
• In the case that teenagers must drive to a job or take sibilings to school, he/she my apply for a hardship license that will allow them to drive under the age of 18 only when it envolves one of the two duties stated above.

My Paragraph:

The legal driving age should be increased from 16 to 18. Novice drivers haven't mastered basic motor skills that take time and training to develop than what can be taught and learned in a matter of just two years. Teenagers or more likely to get into traffic violations like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, etc. They are less aware of the distractions and risks around the driving environment such as cell phones that might ring, the radio being too loud, what the passengers are doing. When a teenager transports passengers, the fatality risk of the teens increase by 360%. This goes for passengers who are peers of the teen driver because they might encourage taking more risks. Teenagers wear safety belts less often than older drivers.

Wounded Warrior Project

The Wounded Warrior Project is to support and provide aid to the veterans wounded in battle. The warriors protecting us go through more hardships than any of us ever will. They at least deserve to have their heroism remembered.

Our warriors are constantly dying and being maimed. Many lose body parts. Others have to endure psychiatric problems from the battles they've been through.

• Yet another example of how great we have it right now. Always remember that there's someone who's gone threw far worse than us.

The military operatives' injuries can actually reverberate into their civilian lives, making them suffer post traumatic stress and breaks down their lives.

• Now, I don't know about you, but if I had the job to give money to get thm therapy, I certainly would donate.

Our warriors go through extensive trials and pain. As they go through them, their families are hurt also. Don't they deserve to at least be commended for it, if not compensated?

Remembering 9/11

Thinking back on that day, ten years ago on September 11th, America still gets melancholy over all of those people that died. Many people lost someone close to them. But the sun still shined after that dark day America still found happiness in people's hearts, especially the children's.

Such harsh feelings are shot at the terrorists. That hatred is more deadly than the missiles the military are hurling into the Middle East. I've actually just let go of that hatred because even though that day was so dark, so history turning, so deadly, so anguishing, so tearing, so heartbreaking, it's not healthy for me to hold dark hatred against anyone, even those who committed this horrendous act.

"Run!": Henry vs. Forest

For those not in my English class, this an analysis for Henry Fleming, the main protagonist in the book Red Badge of Courage, and Forest Gump (yes, the movie!) to draw inferences on what happens in intense situations.

My Inference about Running:

Intense situations causes an instinctual reaction in him/her in order for self-preservation by either fighting or fleeing.

"[Henry] threw down his gun and fled. He ran like a rabbit. He ran like a blind man."

• Henry ran without even thinking. His commanding officer never gave an order for retreat.

In the clip from Forest Gump, Forest wanted to stay and fight when the regiment was attacked.

• The only reason Forest actually ran was because everyone told him to. He was trained to fight when the time came.

Our most basic instincts are to survive and these instincts outweigh everything. People will act in a way they'd never say they will because of that drive they get to survive.

War is...

War is destruction, razing entire cities
War is young men dying,
War is old men talking,
War is fought for greed, power, and selfish reasons
War is suffering to all, fighting those who aren't fighting
War is expensive, bringing poverty to many
War is killing men who wish not to fight
War is Murder
War is Hatred
War is not Kind

The Champion

His movements are like water
His arms are two striking snakes
His eyes enflamed with excitement
The swordsman lunged
At the enemy
In the fray
On the plains
From the stars
To the grave

Zafnerhoff

'Twas hermth, and the yovet holifts
Did froom and flollic in the dage
All myrtle were the kilitops
And the apopt hume adadts


Be cautious of the Zafnerhoff, my son!
The jaws that tear, the claws that rend!
Beware the Hohhawk bird, and repel
The fuming furious Ganderend!

The archer took up his landid bow
Forever his mighty foe, he tracked
So he climbed the Tower of Barneth
And watched awhile in concern

And in cautious space, he dreaded
The Zafnerhoff with scales of chain
And eyes of hate.
It approached

Twing-twang! The arrows flew
With vorpal accuracy
And into the beast
They struck

It lie dead, slashing no more at him
With triumphant air he advanced
And skinned his trophy,
As a well earned reward

"Hast though slain the Zafnerhoff?!
Who wears the skin as his prize?
Oh glorious day!
The archer beamed with pride

'Twas hermth, and the yovet holifts
Did froom and flollic in the dage
All myrtle were the kilitops
And the apopt hume adadts

(Based off of Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll)

(Revised) Harlem Poem

What happens to knowledge left unused?

Does it wither
like a dying plant:
Or infect like a tick
and then flee?
Does it reek like good cheese?
or does it get infected
like an open wound?

Maybe it just falls
like the stock market.

Or does it perish?

Character analysis

Sophocles’s play Antigone is about two conflicting views of right and wrong. The entire story is set in the Greek city of Thebes over the burial of one man, Polynices, who is branded as a traitor of the state. Creon, the newly appointed ruler of the state, believes he has done the right thing by refusing to bury Polynices and will sentence to death anyone who tries to give Polynices burial rights. Antigone, the sister of Polynices, is caught in the act of burying his body and Creon sentences her to die. In truth, this decision brought about the deaths of his family members. Creon is a stern and haughty ruler whose stubbornness leads to his downfall, including that of others.

Not long after being appointed as king, Creon exerts his superiority, enforcing a new law that forbids anyone to give sepulture to the body of Polynices. Instead, Creon says that the body will be left to rot out in the streets, a “prize” “mangled” by the “vultures and dogs” to be “foul to look upon”. In ancient Greek times, all people were required to have burial. Refusal of this practice alone was a great insult to human dignity. Though despite this, Creon still claims that the “providence of gods” does not have any care for the corpse. The gods were the ones who commanded that all people be buried and given the traditional rituals. From what is read here, it seems that Creon considers his law to be greater than the law of the gods.

    Creon believes himself so much greater, that he would go so far as to kill Antigone, the fiance of his son.
        Ismene. And wilt thou slay thy son’s betrothed bride?

Creon.  Full many a field there is which he may plough.

Ismene.  But none like that prepared for him and her.

Creon.  Wives that are vile, I love not for my son.

Antigone.  Ah, dearest Haemon, how thy father shames thee!

Creon.  Thou art too vexing, thou, and these thy words, on marriage ever harping.

    Ruthless is he, Creon, king of Thebes, that he shows no care or remorse for sentencing to death his son’s future wife. He shows severe scurrilous disrespect towards not only Antigone, but Haemon also. Haemon tries to argue against his father, saying that the “whole city wails this maiden’s fate”. Alas, Creon stubbornly refuses to reconsider his choice. In the end, its this same stubborn pride that sends everything in his life into shambles.

All throughout the play, many try to warn Creon against his decision to kill Antigone, one of whom is a blind prophet named Teiresias. He admonishes Creon that leaving Polynices’s body unburied to be maimed has angered the gods. Yet again, Creon refuses to listen to reason and Antigone is thrown into a cave where she is to die of hunger. Haemon is driven into a fury at this and attacks his father, only to accidentally stab and kill himself. It is only after this that Creon finally understands the “evil counsel” of his “rash plans”. He finally understands the error that he committed which led to not only the death of his son, but the death of also his wife, who also died by her own hand after hearing the fate of her son.

In the end, it took the death of both his wife and his son for Creon to fully comprehend the error of his actions. His arrogance and stubbornness led to the downfall of not only himself, but for others as well. He tried to play the hero, but in truth, he was actually the villain.

Technology of Tomorrow

As of lately, I have been doing more and more assignments on a computer since I got into high school and even in the 9th grade. We do essays, projects and daily assignments on them and it’s a lot different from having so many papers to keep up with. After all, computers are the technology of tomorrow. They save trees from being processed into paper; they can save, upload and grant access to vast amounts of information that's easier to look up than going book-hunting in libraries. Resources are limitless, like being able to keep up with documents, save videos, quick (though maybe not always) accessible information on anything world wide. We might even in the near future get rid of heavy textbooks to carry around and read out of textbooks online.

Computers; Center stage Tells that if children in elementary start learning about computers and technology, they become accustomed to them and help prepare them for use of computers in the future. With hard work, they grow comfortable around technology and its mind-boggling uses, even the kids who have no computer access at home. I remember my own English teacher saying that her two-year old daughter has already learned how to scroll through and use an iPhone. It just goes to show, the earlier kids learn, the better they can use technology which will help greatly as kids go through their school years and even later on in life. (Goldstein)

Computer uses and dependability are increasing more and more each day and its essential now to be able to use them properly. It would greatly help students in having these skills so they may use technology to help themselves complete assignments.

Goldstein, Zac. "Technology takes Center Stage: Schools Incorporate Computers in Education." Ebscohost. Sun Journal (New Bern, NC), 17 Dec 2006. Web. 23 Feb 2011.