Ode to my pencil

Oh my pencil

How you help me so

What would I do 

without your beautiful grey lead?

Made of wood

with brilliant yellow paint

You help me write

or doodle when I'm bored

I fix you when you break

If I make a mistake 

your smooth pink eraser 

will clear them away

No pen compares 

to your versatile use

like shoes my pencil 

helps me everyday

What would I do?

Oh my pencil

Orson Scott Card Article Response

     In the article on  The Hollywood Reporter I learned about Orson Scott Card's, Author of Ender's Game, Opinion on gay marriage. Card wrote Ender's game which is a futuristic science fiction novel where the human race has to go to war with an alien race. In the article Card says that "homosexuality is a 'reproductive dysfunction' born of choice." People may be hesitant to support his works because of his opinion. With the Ender's Game movie coming out next November, the movie company wants to separate themselves from Card's opinion. They say that Card's opinion doesn't reflect in the book or the movie.I think that this is an interesting dilemma, His book is really good but buying it means that you are supporting his views. Everyone is open to their opinion but nonetheless, people will judge him and his book. This article doesn't effect my thoughts on the book but it does make wary as to whether or not I want buy the next book. Personally I think that we shouldn't judge Card's book and Card himself together. His work of art stands alone as a great book.
     I don't think that Mr. Vack should take Ender's game off the curriculum.  I think that reading this book opens the door for students to discuss if the author really is connected directly with the book. I think that Mr.  Vack could do responses in the future and keep learning from this article. I think that the movie company doesn't want Card's view on gay marriage to effect the way people see the movie. The movie company feels that Card would say something to upset the fans of the book and the movie if he is put in the limelight too much. I think that the company is right to feel this way. Although I don't attach Card to Ender's Game other may and that could make him and his book less popular.

Ender's Game Questions Chapters 12 - 15

Chapter 12 – Bonzo
1. Bonzo was really mad after the Dragon army beat the Salamander army. Ender seemed to be an all around better soldier than him and Bonzo didn't want to accept it. While Ender was in the Salamander army he didn't get to do anything and Bonzo treated him badly but despite that Ender was on the top of the ranks. Ender also offended his honor by saying that his father would be proud of him for beating up someone at such a disadvantage  To get back at Ender for beating his army Bonzo got in a fight with Ender, hoping to kill him. As we learn later Ender actually ends up killing Bonzo.
2. When Ender lived on Earth Stilson was the boy that bullied him. After he got his monitor off Stilson tried to make fun of him. Like the situation with Bonzo it came down to fighting. Ender beat Stilson up and killed him. I think that Ender was thinking of him because Ender had to fight with Bonzo just like he had to fight with Stilson.
3. Ender thinks that the teachers need him and they won't let anything bad happen. On page 206 Ender thought "They'll [the teachers] push me as hard as they can in a game, but outside the game they'll keep me safe." Ender expects the teachers to help him because they need him to defeat the buggers but Graff says that it will make him stronger to have to deal with bullies. After his fight with Bonzo Ender knew the the teachers would never help him. Ender was wrong for expecting help. 
4. When I read about the fights I didn't think that Bonzo or Stilson were dead. It really surprised when I learned that. At the end of the chapter you read people talking about the deaths and saying that Ender is scary. When the fight between Ender and Bonzo was done the book said that "Bonzo collapsed, fell to the side, and sprawled directly under a spay of steaming water from the shower." Think back on it it makes sense that they are dead.
5. Yes he was justified, they picked on him first. I think that that could have been avoided if the teachers stepped in. Major Anderson wanted to help Ender but Graff told him not to. I think that they didn't tell Ender about the deaths because he would be depressed and would think of himself as a killer. After Ender killed killed all the Buggers he was really sad because he didn't mean to kill all the buggers. If Ender had found out he killed them he wouldn't want to help defeat the buggers.

Chapter 13 – Valentine
1.I think that this quote means that if you pretend to be someone or something long enough you start to act and think like that person. In the book Valentine pretended to be Demosthenes and after a while she started to think like Demosthenes. This also happened to Ender when he became commander, he started acting more tough and more in charge. I think that this happens not only in the book but in real life, for example, if I were to talk in a British accent for a long time it would be hard for me to stop talking like that because I became the person I was pretending to be.
2. Yes and no, it could be helpful to have an instinct that told you to kill. However in most cases an instinct to kill could just lead to more trouble in death. In the End of the book Ender's instinct told him to destroy the bugger planet. That had some "good" effects and some bad effects. In the book the battles at Battle school were survival of the fittest. Whichever army was the most trained and ready won but in the end the battles didn't really matter, they were just a game to keep the kids busy.
3. Ender and Valentine discuss what the Battle School really is. He tells Valentine that the whole thing is just a game and they are the puppets on the string. Ender says that he finally understands the buggers but he hates them and he loves them. I think that Ender is fed up with the games that they he has been playing and he has conflicting thoughts telling him to help mankind or do what is morally right.
4. At the beginning of the book Peter was murderous and Ender was innocent and helpless. As I read further Ender became more violent and Peter mellowed down, taking the role of Locke, his complete opposite. On page 236 Ender tells how he thinks that he is now the person who has power. Valentine was helping Peter with his plan to control the world and she didn't get to see Ender as much. Valentine was backing Peter up like she used to do for Ender. Valentine still loves Ender and wants the best for him. I think that Valentine is mad at herself for going along with Peter's plan.
5.I think that the outcome would not have been the same. The Buggers had to understand the humans as the humans had to understand the Buggers. The Bugger war helped Ender and the Bugger cocoon communicate. I think that Ender will help start a new race of Buggers. On the other hand the war had a lot of damage and they might have found a way to understand each other. I think that the war could have been stopped but the outcomes worked out for the humans but not the Buggers.

Chapter 14 – Ender’s Teacher
1. Ender hated the way that the the tunnel floors sloped downwards. It gave him a feeling of falling. Another think that Ender didn't like about Eros was the way that the rooms seemed to be ill-proportioned, with the ceilings to low for the width and the tunnels too narrow. He was also disturbed by the amount of people, especially stranger, there were. He found out they were Bugger hives when Mazer was teaching Ender about the Buggers. It made a lot of sense because it never felt like a human place.
2.In the past all the teachers didn't teach Ender as much as learn from him. Graff, himself said that Ender was smarter than he would ever be. Mazer tought Ender things that he didn't know. For example Mazer taught Ender about how the Buggers lived. Mazer gave Ender the Challenge that Ender needed to continue his "studies." On page 264 Mazer says "One is never too old to be a student of the enemy. I have learned from the buggers. You will learn from me." This shows that Ender will learn what Mazer has learned from the Buggers.
3. Why had Mazer been dishonest with Ender? Do you think Ender could have
handled the truth?
I think that Mazer lies to Ender because it doesn't put as much pressure on him. Mazer has to be dishonest because Ender will have fun (kinda) working with his friends. Also if he doesn't know he may be more willing to do extreme but necessary things like he did when he blew up the Bugger planet.  I don't think that Ender could have handled the truth. He would feel a lot of pressure and he wouldn't want to kill all the Buggers. When the war ended Ender was sad and depressed that he had killed all those buggers.
4. Yes they did push the children too far. Ender pushed Petra so far that she was too tired to be used in the battles. While Ender was doing the battles he didn't get any sleep and he was always tired. After a long time of working himself too much he got sick. In the end it was worth it and the children did get better but I think that the Bugger war left some physiological effect on the kids.
5. I don't think that the genocide of the Buggers is justified. The buggers were their own race and they had acquired customs. The golden rule is to treat others how you want to be treated. I am sure that the human race would not like to be annihilated. I think that the genocide of the buggers was in fact inevitable. It may not have happened then but some time the buggers and the human race would be annihilated.

Chapter 15 – Speaker for the Dead
1. I think that Ender would agree with this statement. He was given the roll of the hero that would save the human race and he did his best. He learned about the buggers and lead the humans to victory. Ender didn't really have control over his life, he played along with Graff's games. Graff cared for Ender and forced him to play and do his best at that role. 
2. Ender had done a lot of bad things in his life. For example he killed the buggers, hurt the boys at Battle School, Killing Bonzo and Stilson. I think that Ender thought that one more crime added on to his many other didn't make much of a difference. I think that Ender didn't feel as bad about Stilson and Bonzo's death because they deserved it whereas the buggers didn't do anything to Ender.
3. Valentine new that if Ender went back to earth Peter would take that opportunity to reveal himself making him be even more powerful. Valentine was trying to help Ender live a better life. If Ender came back to earth Peter would control the world even more. By not being able to go back to earth Ender had the opportunity to start another life. He is able to undo his wrongs. In the end it was really for his own good that Valentine made it that Ender couldn't return to earth.
4. The thing that is ironic about Peter saving million of lives is that in the beginning of the book Peter murdered animals and he hurt Ender. After being mean the tables had turned and he was now saving people's life. I think that Peter had other reason for making the Locke treaty nonetheless he did end the war on Earth.
5. After Ender found the cocoon of the new hive queen Ender learned the story about the buggers and he also learned that the hive queen had forgiven Ender. Ender learned all this information by talking reading the bugger's mind, he thought "...How can I see these things, like memories in my own mind."
6. Ender uses the pseudonym "Speaker for the Dead" because when he found the hive queen cocoon he learned about the dead race. After telling people the bugger's story Ender was kind of like the speaker of the dead buggers. His book is the story about the history of the buggers. I think that he wants to be known for his memory of life rather than death.

CEJ 5

Greta Bishop

02-26-13

Brewer sued for ‘watered down’ beer

Independent.ie
02-26-13
Business
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/brewer-sued-for-watered-down-beer-29096767.html

Anheuser-Busch was accused of watering down budweisers, michelob and other brands in a class action case seeking millions in damage. The lawsuit, which was filed in in Pennsylvania claimed that people were being cheated on the alcohol content stated on the bottle. Budweiser and Michelob are said to be 5% alcohol content whereas some “light versions are just over 4%. Information on the lawsuit comes from a former employees at the company's 13 US breweries, some in top-level plant positions, according to lead lawyer Josh Boxer of San Rafael, California. "Our information comes from former employees at Anheuser-Busch who have informed us that as a matter of corporate practice, all of their products mentioned (in the lawsuit) are watered down," Mr Boxer said. "It's a simple cost-saving measure, and it's very significant." The water added before bottling reduces the alcohol content by 3% to 8%, he said. After merging with InBev in 2008 Anheuser-Busch, based in St Louis, Missouri, became the world’s largest alcohol producer.
I don’t think that this has much of an effect on me but some people may be mad that they are paying for beer that is less alcohol than originally stated. I don’t think that there is a bias in this article because the author gives quotes from both parties and tells both sides of the story without stating his opinion. I don’t think that this story is very meaningful but I think it has another meaning. Because Anheuser-Busch is such a big company they may feel that they can get away with cheating people. Who is to say that this isn’t happening all around? I think that the lawsuit won’t work, the whole story will be covered up and Anheuser-Busch will go back to being the billion dollar corporation. On the other hand maybe I’m wrong?

Ender's Game Questions Chapters 9-11

Chapter 9 – Locke and Demosthenes
1.I think that Peter and Valentine have a battle of morals. From the beginning Peter has always been murderous and Valentine is a sweet girl who tries to help others. I think that Valentine is trying not to become like Peter. With their new arrangement of Lock and Demosthenes Valentine must work with Peter. I think that Valentine feels bad for helping Peter control the others. I think that Peter is manipulating Valentine by making her write things but she has to write specific ideas that are the total opposite of her views. I think in a way Locke and Demosthenes are playing good cop, cop on the internet.
2.  In the book Locke is thought to be the more liberal of the two. The philosopher Locke was said to be the father of Classical Liberalism. Locke was the first person to define himself through continuity of consciousness. In the book Demosthenes takes a more violent and immediate stand. She thinks that the Americans should break the Warsaw Pact. The real Demosthenes was a Greek statesmen. He idolized his city and fought to preserve its freedom. He played a big part in his city rebellion. I think that this makes sense because Valentine is urging her followers to start an uprising.
3. Ender was angry because Graff and the other teachers used Valentine to make him feel better. They used the only good memory he had and made her say stuff. I think that Ender is angry because he feels that the battle school and the teachers are controlling him and his life. At first he was angry that he was like Peter but know he is angry that he is so dependent on the battle school, it is the only thing he knows as home.
Chapter 10 – Dragon
1.In book Ender is a stern leader but he is also understanding. He expects his soldiers to be in the best condition but he also feels empathy for Bean because the same thing happened to him. In the end Ender is a really good leader, his soldiers follow him without loathing him. Ender leaves leniency to the toon leaders. I think hat he is that kind of leader because of his experience with other commanders. I think that he was combining all the good qualities of his previous commanders.
2.  Ender pointed out what a good soldier Bean was. He made it so that the other boys in their army was jealous of him. Ender did the same thing that Graff did to Ender. I think that the reason Ender made Bean out to be such a good soldier is so that all the other boys will watch him and he can earn their respect. Plus all the things that Ender said about Bean were true. Ender put a lot of pressure on Bean and he had to live up to it.
3. What does the word Salaam mean?  What could this tell you about the power of religious identity?
In chapter 10 we learned what the word Salaam means. Alai said that Salaam means "peace." I think that this tells you that you can express things with your religion. Alai feels an  identity with the word Salaam and he feels that he can use it to show what he feels. I think that your religious identity has the power to break laws and bring people together.
4.In the End of chapter 10 Ender realizes his and Alai's friendship has a wall.. At the end he was also given a new army full of new soldiers.Major Anderson said that he wasn't allowed to practice with Shen and Alai. I think that Ender's reaction to all this change is what the teachers wanted. Graff wanted Ender for feel isolated and alone, making it so that he can't practice with his friends achieved that goal. Also he took on teaching his soldiers which is what the teachers wanted.

Chapter 11 – Veni Vidi Vici
1.I don't think that the computer doesn't actually know Ender but instead the computer learns how he thinks and his fears from the way that Ender plays the game. The more I think about it the more I come to believe that the computer does not know exactly what Ender is thinking. I think that the computer learns already known facts about his fighting skills and his family to see how he deals with different situations.
2. What Ender means by this is that he can't lose a game because it will make him seem weak. If he seems weak the other boys will try to hurt him. I think that in a way Ender is scared of what will happen if he loses a game. In the context Ender is asking Bean to help him find a way not to loses the battles. I feel really bad for Ender, it is a lot of pressure to have to win every game. With idea of being beaten up right around the corner Ender is doing his best to make himself seem tough and to avoid the inevitable fight.
3. The teachers want Ender to reach his full potential. The buggers are also coming and they need Ender to be prepared. I think that Graff wants to be the one that pushed Ender to become the best. On the other hand too much pushing could lead Ender to become tired and not want to fight anymore. In a way it is already happening. Ender sees the way that the teachers are making the games unbalanced. I think that pushing is good for the human race in the long run but Ender doesn't get to have a childhood or any long term friends.
4.The last two sentences of the chapter talk about how Bean thought of lots of ideas a that were all stupid. Ender had told him to think of the craziest, stupidest ideas that could help the dragon army win the next battles. Beans says that Ender would be proud of him, I think that this shows that Bean is ready to help and looks up to Ender. Ender thinks that most stupid ideas have to potential to become great ideas. Ender chose Bean to come up with these ideas because he is the youngest and the brightest of the boys in the army.
5.Yes this is an appropriate title for this chapter. In chapter 11 Ender's army becomes really good, they learn new skills and watch what others do and then they conquered the battle rooms. They win every game, the whole chapter is about how the Dragon army beat all the other armies and got around the obstacles the teachers but in the game. This title shows exactly what happens in chapter 11.

CEJ 4

Greta Bishop

02/12/13

Quilting Class Gives People Hope

The Times Standard
02/10/2013
Local
http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/ci_22560164/quilting-class-gives-people-hope

In the Hope Center is colorful quilts that show the adversities and achievements of men and women with mental health problems. “These quilts tell stories and provide the people who've made them a creative means to express themselves,” said Oceana Madrone, a long time quilter and Department of Health and Human Services health education specialist. Madrone facilitates the quilting classes held on Wednesdays at the Hope Center. The quilting classes are a peer run classes for people with a mental health problem. Other regular activities include gardening, painting, beading, social gatherings, field trips and peer advocacy groups. The Hope Center is supported by DHHS Mental Health with funding from the Mental Health Services Act. Materials for the quilts are donated from community members.”These are based on the Wellness Recovery Action Program, known as WRAP, which is used worldwide by people dealing with mental health challenges who want to attain the highest possible level of wellness,” said Kellie Jack, a peer specialist at the Hope Center. “These are small quilts, so when they are done making them, they can literally wrap themselves up in the quilts and take them home.” The quilts include inspirational words and pictures that have meaning to the people that made them. Madrone said the the quilts are good conversation started. The DHHS Mental Health also offers a Healthy Moms quilting program every tuesday, helping mothers deal with alcohol and other addictions.

I think that to the community this means that they are willing to help people with mental health problems. I think that this means that people with mental health problems will have a creative way to let out their feelings. It also lets the people learn things be using math and other skills to make the quilts. I don’t think that this article has any bias. I think that this program, class thing is a really good idea and that it is a really good idea. I think that in tough times having a creative way to express your feelings is really good and this helps the people stay mentally stable. This could be the way that someone learns that they are a really good quilter. For example people in the past with problems like loss of sight have turned out to be great artist. I think that this program will keep going for a long time. Another thing that I think is really funny is that Oceana Madrone is Madison's grandma. So local news relates to someone in our class.

Drones, Right or Wrong?

     In the past drones have been used for everyday use. They can be used to monitor traffic or to take pictures, not to mention the use in warfare. The fact that the drones are unmaned makes it so that the targets are less human and only on the screen. Drones seem to be useful machines when used correctly but are they being used correctly? With the use of military drones people can sit at their house and control the drone hundreds of miles away. The people control the drones like a video game, dehumanizing their targets. I think that if they can't see their targets they won't think as much about killing innocen people. I don't think the military should use drones for war because the people controling the drones won't be able to see the full effect of the actions.
     Recently Obama passed a law saying that it is okay to assasinate people with drones if he thinks that they might be terrorist. I also think that his puts too much power in the exsecutive branch's hand. For example if the presiden sees somebody as a threat, maybe no a physical threat to the country but a threat to the president's power, he may choose that to assasinat them is the only answer. I think that the use of drones is helpful but it can also be abused. In Ender's game they use machines to do things that humans could do. I think that in the end of the book unmanned machines will be very important to the rest of the story.

CEJ 3

Greta Bishop

02-06-13

Homeless dogs embark from Kauai to Oakland

Jones, Carolyn
SFGate
02-04-13
State
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Homeless-dogs-embark-from-Kauai-to-Oakland-4249851.php

The Kauai Humane society has a surplus of dogs and have started a new programs to get these dogs a home. When people visit Hawaii they can now bring back a dog. The Kauai Humane Society is awash with a Airedales and other hunting dogs. They are trying to get Bay Area residents to bring back a dog or two on their next vacation. Through a deal with the Alaska Airlines tourist can accompany a dog straight back to the SPCA for adoption. So far 12 dogs have been taken to the Bay Area and 9 of them have been adopted. The SPCA says that the main reason for their success is that they’re not chihuahuas or pit bulls."We have a bazillion brown Chihuahuas. This gives us a little variety," said Allison Lindquist, East Bay SPCA director. "They're something different. They're a hoot." The dogs are mostly Airedale, whippet, and hound mixes, slightly rare mixes for this side of the Pacific. The program started when Brandy Varvel, operations manager at the Kauai shelter moved from Santa Cruz to Kauai to find about 90 dogs in the shelter on an island with only 60,000. This is saying a lot because in Oakland with 400,000 people there is only about 60 dogs in the city shelter. Alaska Airlines which travels year round from Kauai to Oakland, agreed to let the dogs travel for $100 as long as they are accompanied. The Shelter pays the $100 and provides a dog crate, plus the necessary medical paper. Volunteers at both ends handle the rest and after a day or two getting used to the mainland they are ready to adopt. "It seemed like such an innovative solution, and they do all the prep work," said James Pumphrey, SPCA operations manager. "How could we say no?"

I think that there is a little bit of bias in this article. I think that the author of the article is trying to get people to bring back dogs or adopt dogs.Not that this is a bad thing because if possible people should try to adopt a dog. I agree with this article, I think that the idea of bring dogs here is a really good idea. In fact if I could I would bring back a dog myself. Also I think that Brandy Varvel is pretty amazing for setting this up. I was really surprised to hear that there were that many dogs in the shelter. It is a good change to read good news, all the news articles that I’ve read are gruesome or have something to with death. So this is a nice, happy story that restores my faith in humanity. I wonder if other islands have started to offer this transportation of dogs? Can dogs go other places rather than Oakland? I think this could be a good idea for fundraiser. You could raise money to pay for the airplane trip to Oakland or another city. I really liked ready this story and I learned a lot.

Video Game Response

     I don't normally play other video games except for Temple Run and Fruit Ninja. I have no problem with video games but I don't spend my time playing video games. If I were to make my own video game I would make it be a story line game where the player has to save the world. They go through different levels, discovering the aliens, making friends with the alien and then saving the world. This game wouldn't be violent. I think that the reason kids are so violent is because main stream video games focus on death and gore. However not all video games are violent. I used to play a game called puppyluv. In this game you took care of your virtual puppy. I think that this game taught kids how to take car if animals. It taught kids to be responsible for their animals. I don't understand how someone can spend a whole day playing video games. To me it seems that video games control our brains, we have to get the next level, we have to kill the zombie. To win you have to kill everyone, the game makes you take pleasure in other people dying. I think the violence in the games reach your mind subconsciously telling you that killing people is okay. I think that violent video games have a big physiological effect on your mind. On the other hand I am not judging other people for playing video games. In way I feel like what I am saying is a little to opinionated and I'm sure my opinion could change on this so don't quote me.

CEJ 2

Greta Bishop

02-05-13

Two students get fingers torn off during tug-of-war

Soave, Robby
The Daily Caller
02/05/2013
National
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/05/two-students-get-fingers-torn-off-during-tug-of-war/
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune two students at South El Monte High School got their fingers torn off during a tug-of-war game. The two students, one boy and one girl, were participating in their school’s Spirit Week Festivities according to the Los Angeles county fire department who arrived at 12:20 PM. “Fingers (were) amputated during some type of tug-of-war,” said Fire Captain Miguel Garcia in a statement. “They were transported by ambulance to a trauma center.” Neither the fire department nor the school has explained how the injuring happened or who was involved. Luckily no one else was hurt. As a result of this incident the school board will be reconsidering its policy on tug-of-war.
I think that this incident is really terrible. I can not believe that this happened. You would think that tug-of-war is a harmless game but after reading this I don’t think that I will ever think of tug-of-war in the same way. I don’t think that there is any bias in the article. This is because it doesn’t contain that much opinions. I am wondering whether or not someone was involved and was it purposeful. This incident is really gruesome but I think that it shows that even the simplest or trivial games can be dangerous. I think that this event will lead other schools to review their regulations on tug-of-war. This kind of relates to the game red rover. Sometimes kids get clotheslined but I have never heard of anything this gruesome ever happening. All in all this event is horrible and I hope that nothing like this ever happens again.