Song Essay

It may not be a number one song, but it still makes you open your eyes to society. The song "Crazy" was made by a band called Simple Plan. It's not that popular, but it's still a good song and poem.
Firstly, this song sounds very good. One reason it's good is because of the repetition. The song repeats the line, "is everybody going crazy?" They repeat this to show that they don't understand how people can be so uncaring. Another reason the song sounds good is because it uses rhyme. They use rhyme to make the song sound better and catchier. The rhyme scheme is AA BB CC etc. That's why the song sounds good.
Secondly, the song brings clear images to mind. One place there's good imagery is in the first verse. It talks about how young girls take diet pills to lose weight. They don't understand why they would die to be on TV. There's also good imagery in the last verse. It says that they see kids starving in the streets. They think that makes life unfair. The imagery in this song is very neegative towards life and people.
Lastly, the song makes you have a new perspective on society. One simile in the song is in the second verse. The line compares parents to enemies. They make this comparison to show how parents are acting. Parents aren't supposed to be like enemies, the should be caring. The other simile compares childhood to World War III. Childhood should be fun, and not anything like a war zone. They use the similes to show how bad life is. The song shows how money is more important than anything to people, and that greed is why the world is messed up.
In conclusion, this song is a good song and poem because it has the three elements of a good poem. It uses repetition and rhyme to sound good. It gives people clear images, so the imagery is good. It makes you think of life in a different way. This shows the true reality of life, and how messed up it really is.

Five Paragraph Essay - Animal Farm

Ms. Melville

Period: 3

It may have been written decades ago, but it still applies to society today. George Orwell wrote Animal Farm in the setting of England. The year was 1945. He wrote Animal Farm as a satire to compare the animals to Joeseph Stalin and the citizens of Russia. In Animal Farm, the way characters respond to stories has a strong connection to their ability to survive.

Squealer was a master of the story. The animals believed all of his lies about the Commandments. He added many things to the list of Commandments, such as "no animal shall sleep in a bed", and changed it to "no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." When the animals became suspicious of the changes, Squealer convinced them that the changes had been there from the beginning. Another thing Squealer lied about was the windmill. When it was built up, a storm knocked it down in the middle of the night. When everyone woke up, Squealer blamed Snowball for its destruction. Lastly, Squealer lied about where Boxer went when he died. He told the animals that Boxer died in a hospital. In reality, Boxer was sold to a horse slaughterer. This an example of how being a master of the story gets you somewhere in life because you act like a leader.

Secondly, Boxer would be an example of the story mastering him. For example, when Squealer said Snowball knocked down the windmill, he didn't question it. He believed that Snowball did it when Squealer said so. When Squealer or Napoleon told him what to do, he did it, for his motto was, "Napoleon is always right!" Also, Squealer altered the Commandments. He believed all the changes when he said they had been there. He didn't question them. Finally, Napoleon started communicating with the humans. Boxer believed everything they said about the humans. He would like them when Napoleon did, and hate them when Napoleon did. In life, if you are a follower and let the story master you, you'll end up like Boxer did - working until death. 

Lastly, Benjamin was a master of the story. Squealer told him that Boxer had died. He knew he was lying, but he didn't say anything. He knew Squealer was lying because he read the truck that took Boxer away which read, "Horse Slaughterer". Snowball and Napoleon debated about the windmill. Benjamin didn't believe either of their stories. So, he remained neutral throughout the entire thing. Squealer altered the Commandments a lot. He was suspicious of the changed, unlike the other animals. He was one of the few animals that could read, so that's why he never believed Squealer. If you are not a follower, have you're own ideas, and know when people are trying to fool you, then you will survive in the end, just as Benjamin did.

In conclusion, the animals' ability to survive has a lot to do with the way they react to stories. Squealer and Benjamin ended up living in the end because they mastered the stories. Boxer died because he was a follower and let the story master him. This story was just like Russia at this time, those who followed died, and those who didn't lived. So in life, when you believe everything that is said, you don't end up the best way you should. 

NHD Rough Draft

Uncle Sam is a famous symbol and icon throughout the world. He provided an identity to the Unites States, and to their government. Because of his existence, he has given the government an identity, which was desperately needed, and has given people something to refer to the government as. His legacy has been carried on for centuries, and will be carried on for many more legacies. The U.S. still refers to the government as Uncle Sam and there are many different versions of him, but the standard version is the one that tries to get people to join the army.
Back in 1812, when Uncle Sam was first created, the United States was in need of some type of identity. The identities people thought about them were also related to England, so the U.S. didn’t have their own identity. When Uncle Sam was created, he brought the U.S. an identity, and not one that could be used to compare England with it. He was created out of the humor of a couple of men, but people also believe that he is based off of a man named Sam Wilson. Uncle Sam made people realize that the U.S. was its own country, and not a part of England. His symbol motivated people to take pride in their country and do whatever it takes to make it better. Everyone made his icon come alive because they all believed he was their symbol. We still use Uncle Sam's symbol today. We use him as the symbol for our government and the symbol to join the army. He had a great effect on society back in his time because instead of seeing the government as mean and strict, they saw them as friendly, just like an uncle would be.
Uncle Sam connects with the NHD project because he left a major legacy in American history. We care about him because without his existence, American wouldn't have an identity. We could have possibly still been related to England without him, and we wouldn't want to be because we are our own country.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/sam.htm

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/

http://www.allaboutstuff.com/General/Uncle_Sam.asp

NHD Introduction

Uncle Sam is a famous symbol and icon throughout the world. He provided an identity to the Unites States, and to their government. Because of his existence, he has given the government an identity, which was desperately needed, and has given people something to refer to the government as. His legacy has been carried on for centuries, and will be carried on for many more legacies. The U.S. still refers to the government as Uncle Sam and there are many different versions of him, but the standard version is the one that tries to get people to join the army.

Napoleon's Lies Paragraph

Ms. Melville
English I

In the story "Animal Farm", Napoleon lies to the animals for a few reasons. Firstly, he lies to get Snowball out of the picture completely. He makes up numerous lies about Snowball, which made Snowball the enemy to the animals. At one of the meetings, Napoleon says, "Here and now, I pronounce the death sentence among Snowball." Secondly, Napoleon wants to get all of the animals on his side. Snowball and Napoleon would always argue about things. At a meeting, Napoleon said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and advised nobody to vote for it. Lastly, Napoleon lies to get all of Snowball's ideas. When Snowball left the farm, Napoleon claimed his ideas. When Napoleon claimed Snowball's windmill idea, "the animals were surprised that Napoleon wanted the windmill". In conclusion, Napoleon lies to the animals just as Stalin lied to his people in Russia, and we compare the two and see just how unfair it was.

NHD Annotation #3

1. Evolving Symbols. October 2008.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/

2. Society is built upon symbols. They are needed to identify groups and individuals, which people create. Symbols can be used for two things. One is that it becomes a marker for the symbolized. They also stand for ideas and concepts. They tell the characteristics and clues about what it symbolizes.

A symbol for America had been thought about long before Uncle Sam was created. The first symbols for America were animalistic. As European civilization expanded, it influenced America into seeing male representatives. He was to be considered one of the “average” American men. This actual man turned into a cartoon character over time.

3. This article was helpful to my research because it gave me the history of American symbols and how they changed over time. This is a secondary source because someone wrote this about symbols. The intended audience was anyone who wanted to learn how our country's sumbols changed.

IRB Log

Ms. Melville
English I

Book: Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck
Pg. #: 112
Summary: Momma gives Jenny and B.J. a hair cut. Then, B.J. goes out to skateboard. Jenny is getting use to her new haircut. Momma tells Jenny to go out and play while she takes her pills. Jenny keeps coming back in the house to check on Momma, but she sleeps, snoring loudly. Jenny can't find her Dad or B.J. She goes into the house, and Momma isn't breathing, and she's cold. She tells B.J. to come in, and he feels that she's cold. He calls the operator. Then, their Dad call people and question them on what happened. He put Momma into a special hospital. In the meantime, their cousin Steve is going to take care of them so their Dad can figure things out.
Rating: The book keeps getting better and better. I want to know what happens next.

IRB Log

Ms. Melville

English I

Book: Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck 

Pg. #: 95 

Summary: After Momma went to the hospital, she stayed there awhile. Daddy brought her back with no warnings. She's still sick, so they have to take care of her at home. She can't get up to do anything. The family has to feed her, and get rid of her waste for her. The book explains how they have to take care of her in detail. Then, Momma and Daddy get in a fight, and Jenny and B.J. hear. Jenny gets up to see her Dad and check to see if everything is okay, but scares her Dad. Daddy tells the kids that everything is alright, but Jenny sees through him, and sees that he is troubled. Then, the kids go to bed. 

Rating: I like this book a lot and I can't wait to read more. It's so sad and cute and what makes it better is that this really happened.

NHD Annotation #2

1. National Icons. October 2008. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/

2. Uncle Sam has fulfilled many roles throughout his creation. People associate him with the nation as a whole and the federal government. Even though he was created in 1812, he was not officially adopted until 1950. It was in 1950 that the government decided that they needed a standardized image of him. People throughout the nation had a pretty good idea of what he looked like, but foreigners made up their own, mostly uncomplimentary, versions. Uncle Sam was not made up by the government or some propaganda office, but by the popular culture, and then adopted officially one hundred and thirty-seven years. The popularity of Uncle Sam after 1812 could be looked at as America’s first sense of identity. A previous symbol, such as Yankee Doodle, was looked at as more of a symbol for New Englanders. Uncle Sam wasn’t looked as an authority figure or monarch, like a parent, but as a brotherly symbol, such as an uncle. He is permanently intertwined within American history. 

3. This article is helpful to my research because it tells how the nation and world thought of him. This is a secondary source because it's his biography, someone wrote this about his image. The intended audience was for anyone who wanted to know about Uncle Sam's history.

IRB Log

Ms. Melville

English I

Book: Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck

Pg. #: 84

Summary: This is about a family - a mom, a dad, a son, and a daughter. The daughter, Jenny, is really close to her Momma. It explains how they would do things in a routine everyday. Then, Momma got sick. Jenny didn't know what to do, because she was only five. The doctors couldn't cure Momma. Momma had to go out and get something, so she took Jenny and went out, even though Momma was sick. They got into a car crash. Jenny was okay, but Momma had to go to the hospital.

I like this story because it's sad and because it's true, this really happened to the author.

The Most Dangerous Game Paragraph

English

Ms. Melville

The author, Richard Connell, believes more in equality than liberty. In the beginning of the story, Connell made it so that Rainsford was for liberty, to a certain extent. You could tell Rainsford valued liberty because he was a big-game hunter who said, "Who cares how a jaguar feels?". He also says, "Bah! They've no understanding." Towards the end of the story, Connell makes it so that Rainsford changes and wins everything. He killed General Zaroff, and then the text says, "Rainsford decided he had never slept in a better bed". This obviously means the good guy won. If Connell valued liberty more than equality, he would've made Zaroff win at the end. That's where the bad guy would've won in the end. In conclusion, this is why Connell values equality over liberty.

NHD Annotation #1

1. Forgotten Origins. Uncle Sam. September 24, 2008. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/sam.htm

2.Most people don’t know that that the character “Uncle Sam” was based on an actual person. If some people do know it was based on someone, they would date it back to the twentieth century, when it is really dated further back. Uncle Sam dates back to the War of 1812. At the time of the War in 1812, there was a need for a new symbolic symbol, which had faded from the Revolutionary War. The character Uncle Sam was based on a man names Samuel Wilson. He was born in Massachusetts, but then settles in Troy, New York. He moved to Troy with his brother, Ebenezer, which was where they started the firm E & S Wilson. It was through that where they got the contracts from the War of 1812 that gave Uncle Sam Wilson his popularity. One of the contracts had to deal with they supply of meats for the Army. On the side of the barrel on the rations of meat where it said U.S., someone related the U.S to “Uncle Sam”, who they all knew was feeding the army.

It was hard to trace the popular cartoon character back to Sam Wilson, but his great- and great-great nephews confirmed it. There were many versions of his character, but the final version came about in 1917 by James Montgomery Flagg. It was the popular “I Want You” version that was to recruit citizens into the Army. Even though there are many versions, this is the standard one.

3. This article was helpful to me because it tells who Uncle Sam was connected to and when it was originated. The intended audience was whoever wants to read about the character of Uncle Sam.

NHD

I choose Uncle Sam for my NHD project because I am interested in why the government is represented by the symbol of him. 

This person is important to history because without their efforts, our country wouldn't have a symbol for the government or the symbol for the army. 

For this week's research, I found an article at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/SAM/sam.htm. I will read and summarize it for next week.

Service Learning

Service Learning is when students volunteer to do community service to help their school, neighborhood, city, state, country, or world. I would hep my community by raising money for breast cancer, by helping old people, or by tutoring little kids. 

Political Issues

I feel a lot of issues are important. One issue I feel is important is healthcare. Obama feels that everyone needs healthcare. If he is elected, he plans on making sure that every American that doesn't have healthcare is going to get it. He also wants to lower costs and make it affordable for people, and provide subsidies to people who can't afford it. He wants small business owners to provide healthcare plans for their employers, which he also thinks would lower costs.

McCain, on the other hand, wants to privatize health insurance. He doesn't want business owners to provide healthcare plans. There would still be some who would, but it would become more rare to see. He says that he would give $5000 to every family and $2500 to every individual in refundable tax credits. He states that once you get that, you can go to any place in America to go buy health insurance.

From what I've researched, I saw that healthcare prices have risen a lot in the past few years. This is the reason why 47 million Americans don't have it. I agree more with Obama's view, which is why I would support him. He believes everyone is deserving of healthcare, so he would make sure everyone has it. I believe the same thing he does about the whole issue.

How Technology Has Changed In My Lifetime.

Technology has changed quite a bit in my lifetime. One example would have to be computers. They weren't that advanced when I was young. I remember them going from Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, all the way to Windows Vista. They now have portable computers called laptops. Cell phones have gotten a lot smaller with more features on them such as the internet and GPS. Listening to music has changed too. Instead of CD's, we use devices with memory such as things called MP3 Players and IPods. Televisions can be HD, have On Demand, an they're bigger and have flat screens. Video games systems have changed. When I was little they had Nintendo 64 and Sega. Now, they have so many others with realistic graphics such as XBox, Playstation, and Wii.