Occupy Maine Protesters

I think they have a right to peaceably assemble. Denying them this right would be a violation of the constitution. The constitution is the building blocks for our government, and if we took the foundation away then the governmental building would come crashing down.

Turbines; Why or Why Not?

I have not asserted my position thus far. I would like to know more information about the turbines including but not limited to how they will affect the sea life and if they will have any effect on the environment. I prefer to be thoroughly educated before making a decision. 

12/2 Favorite Winter Activity

My favorite winter activity is staying in bed all day. I like being under the weight of all of my blankets. I like being able to hide away from the world; being able to be inside myself and just be alone. It's good thinking time, and also its very warm. I also like sitting in a dark room at night when the Christmas Tree is lit up, it reminds me of the happier days. I do somewhat enjoy snowboarding, which is basically all I do on the winter weekends, but it gets lonely being all by yourself every weekend.

"'Eyesore' or 'Noble Cause?'"

I think that if people are willing to stand up for what they believe in then kudos to them.
In regards to my stand on this cause, I'm ambivalent, because I do not know enough about this "Occupy Maine Campaign" to draw a conclusion as to whether or not I support it.

Exciting, Organized, or Dull?

None of those words describe my life. Now I bet you might try to combat that with reminding me that the question was, "Which word best describes your life..." nonetheless I must inform you that all three words equally do not describe my life. I have no one word to describe my life. It is what it is. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I make my own decisions, my life is my choice. I do with it what I please. I believe life has so much to offer me that I haven't even begun to grasp yet. I am thankful for my life, because even though I've definitely been through some rather difficult times and my strength and will power have been strained and tested, I have a loving and supportive family and amazing opportunities ahead of me. And I also have my brain. I am glad that I am able to realize that if I want something to change, I must change it myself.  It's so incredibly frustrating and agonizing for me to see people going through hard times and waiting for their fairy godmother to come and "bibbity-bobbity-boo" all their problems away; I hate to sit and watch people destroy themselves while I [unsuccessfully] try my hardest to get them to realize that they are the only ones who can change it. And thus I am glad that my family and friends don't have to stand helplessly and watch me die when the answer was right in front of me all along. So in conclusion, I'd like to think that my life simply cannot be described in one word, because every second is so different from the one before it that to attach one word to the 473 million seconds (give or take) that I've lived.

The Monkey's Paw

There was a couple and their son. One evening the Sergeant-Major came to their house. He told the family a story of a monkey's paw which granted three wishes to three men and then revealed that he had been the second man and attempted to dispose of the paw by tossing it in the fire, but the father got to it before it burned and disregarding the sergeant's warnings, proceeded to wish for 200 pounds. His wish was granted, but at the cost of their sons life. A time later the wife made the husband wish for their son to be alive again, but before the son could enter the house the man made a final wish and the son was gone.

I think the moral of this story is the obvious: be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

Cultural Shock

I think the advice that they gave is good because it addresses the problems students might face and tells how to effectively deal with and prevent them.

Genocide

Based on my prior knowledge genocide is the act of killing a large group of people solely bases on elements such as ethnicity, and religious or political views.  As defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary: "Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group."

The obvious example of genocide in history would be The Holocaust, but like I said, that would be obvious. But what I'm going to tell you about decimated more than twice that of The Holocaust. Mao Ze-Dong, founder and Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); whose intention was to invoke socialism in China; they aimed to do that by eliminating traditional, capitalist, and cultural elements from the Chinese society, and inflict Maoist orthodoxy within the party. 

The Selfish Giant Summary

The story is about a giant who after a seven year visit with his friend, returns to his garden and scares off the children who had adopted it as their own. Of course, all actions have consequences, the giant would soon learn. Because of the giant's selfishness, spring did not come to his garden, nor did autumn. Finally, the giant realizes that the children are what had kept the garden alive when he awakens to the sweet song of a bird, and peers out his window to see the children, who had snuck in through a hole in the wall he had constructed to keep the garden to himself. There was one little boy who was to small to get in a tree, and that tree was still miserably stuck in winter. But the giant had realized his wrong-doing, and helped the boy into the tree. The giant chopped down the wall, and the children would be allowed to visit the garden whenever they pleased. The giant grew old, and wondered constantly about the little boy, for he had disappeared after that day. Then, one winter day the giant saw the little boy under the tree again and rushed to his side. The little boy had scratches on his hands and feet, which he confided were the wounds of love, before taking the giant to his own garden which he called paradise. That afternoon the children arrived to find the giant dead under the tree that the little boy had once been helped to climb. 

10/21 Favorite Season

The rainy season. I love rain. I find it comforting and it usually lightens my day. I am in significantly better moods when it rains. Thunderstorms are exciting too. I don't typically like loud noises, or noise in general, but I do enjoy thunder. Standing outside in a downpour with thunder bellowing above gives me a sense of how small I really am, and allows me to connect with the earth.

Civic Center Bond

Honestly, I don't care. I don't see why I should. It's not like I have any say in whether or not it happens. I've never even been to the Civic Center. I tend to not have opinions on things that don't directly affect me. I'm ambivalent.

Behavior

Every day. I had to change my behavior because I learned that people don't know how to accept reality. Or at least the reality that I knew.

Armed Children

If children are to be allowed to hunt [with firearms], they should be required to take and pass a safety course beforehand.

The Lottery

In this small town, with a population of three hundred, give or take, it was tradition to hold a lottery in June. The heads of all the families in the town pick slips of paper from a traditional black box, and if their slip was blank, then they were safe. However if a person pulled out a slip with a black dot on it, the townspeople would throw rocks at them until they were no longer amongst the living.
The writer also alluded to other towns participating in this ritual as well.
It used to be more of a ceremony, where there was an initiation of the "name-caller," and there was a chant that went along with the ritual as well. It seems as though those traditional elements were dropped over the years, which leads me to believe that the tradition was no longer for religious or cultural purposes, but for mere entertainment of the townsfolk.

George's Statement

What is important is being able to balance those two things. College is just as important, if not more important than romance. Today, if you want a good job, you have to go to college. Although, college might not have been as vital in the early 1900's.

Obama Jobs Bill Proposal

Honestly, I was not provided with enough information to deduce whether or not I agree with Obama. Contrarily, I believe that there is a better way to improve our economy; possibly a way that doesn't involve spending more money.

9/12 Culture

My culture? Hmm that's a tough one. Well, my family isn't very religious, or at least we don't go to church (by the way I'm undecided as far as religious views go, but I know for sure that I do not believe in Jesus or The Bible, it's very contradictory. But ya know, "to each his own"). We enjoy skiing and snowboarding. Most of the time we try to be healthy.We are a bit outdoors-y, and enjoy activities such as camping and hiking.

9/26 Culture Influence

Love. I act so differently because of love. I can honestly say that it saved my life, and I'm so glad that I've been fortunate enough to find it.

9/16 Civic Center Restoration

I don't think they should restore the civic center because the money would be more well spent on schools, because they keep cutting "non-essentials," that are very essential, out of the program. Including teachers and supplies.

Casinos/Racinos

In the article I read, "Crystal Canney, spokeswoman for the Yes on 2 campaign, said the developers of the Biddeford Downs project want to create good-paying jobs that can support Maine families." Well I would like to point out that it will tear apart more families than it will support because gambling can become an addiction and you can lose a lot of money. I'm apposed to gambling and casinos. Because addictions aren't fun, and they're hard on everyone. When you get addicted to something, it's not only you that you're hurting....

An aspect of culture that significantly impacts daily life in Grover's Corners is the widely accepted belief that men are superior to women. A great amount of the daily life in Grover's Corners is arranged to accommodate this belief. As you may have noticed, the men in Grover's Corners go to work, while the women stay home and tend to the housekeeping.
When Mr. Webb gave George a little premarital advice, he tells George the same thing his father told him before he got married, "...start out early showing who's boss...Best thing to do is to give an order." Mr. Webb also told George that if anything about his wife ever bothers him, to just up and leave, and to never let your wife know how much money you have.
These are a few reasons why gender stereotypes/generalizations impact Grover's Corners.

The Culture of Grover's Corners

       Grover's Corners like every other place inhabited by humans, has their own unique culture. In Grover's Corners a typical day for the average family goes like this...
       The children awaken and get ready for school. Their mothers have made breakfast for them, and have their lunches ready for them to take to school. The children depart, and the mothers are left to take care of the chores and such, while the fathers are at work. Mothers are busy preparing dinner when the rest of the family returns. They sit down together to a family dinner, and converse about the day. After dinner, the children tend to their schoolwork, wash up, and retire to their rooms for the night.  On Saturdays, children are free to do as they please, to play and have fun and be kids. Sundays, most families attend church.

Fireworks

Individual cities should have the right to ban fireworks, even though the state legalized it. Fireworks are more dangerous in some cities than others. For example, the cities that have a higher crime rate (referring to crimes the fall under the category of arson), might be at higher risk for firework related "accidents." Cities in Northern Maine that have large areas of farmland are at a higher risk as well. July (the time when fireworks are most popular) is the peak of summer, the hottest month, so therefore grass and other plants have a tendency to dry out. Dry grass and improperly set off fireworks are a recipe for disaster. This is why cities should have the right to ban fireworks if they deem it necessary.

Time Capsule

I would put a map of the school in it, so people could see how much the school has changed since then. Also, I would include that there is no cure for cancer, because I bet in the future there probably will be. I might also include music and clippings of current fashion, so they can examine how much cutlure has changed or stayed the same.

"USA- Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette"

I learned a great deal of things from this article that were surprising and fascinating to me. One thing I attained was that it is acceptable to be 30 minutes late to a large party/gathering. I also discovered that if you are not finished eating, you cross your fork and knife over your plate, with the knife under the fork, and if you are finished, you lay your fork and knife parallel on the right side of your plate (this of course, I imagine would typically apply to restaurants, or a very fancy dinner party). Additionally, I read that it is okay to refuse foods or drinks without giving an explanation. Another thing I was unaware of was that it's proper etiquette to remain standing until you are invited to sit down, and to leave a small amount of food on your plate. A final thing I acquired, was that Americans appreciate clear and concise communication, because in America, "time is money." In conclusion, this article was much more informative and interesting than I had apprehended.

Autobiography

    My name is Katie. I am fourteen years of age. I have red hair and brown eyes. I am of average height. I live in South Portland, Maine, and I currently attend the ninth grade at South Portland High School. I live close to the high school. I walk most mornings, unless it is rainy weather. My house is a one floor yellow, with a finished area in the basement. The garage doors are blue. Both of the cars that live in the garage are of gray-silver hue. My house is occupied by myself, my mother, father, dog, and cat. I have a sister also. Her name is Nikki. She has two kittens. Baby Girl (Kahlúa) and Big Boy (Baby Binny). Her boyfriend is named Vincent. He is very friendly. Nikki is 20, and she lives in Westbrook. I do not get to see her often. The end.

9.8.2011 Summer Reading

   This summer I started reading Let The Right One In. Over all, I would say that I enjoyed it. Therefore, I would definitely recommend it. Although, I would warn that at times it was rather disturbing. There are some parts in it that I wouldn't consider appropriate, such as references to pedophilia, and the misuse of alcohol. Additionally, there is a fair amount of violence, along with very visual descriptions of "gory" scenes.
    Otherwise, the plot was suspenseful and alluring. The author, John Ajvide Lindqvist, presented it in a way so that you were routing for the "bad guy." I really got involved in the plot, and felt like I was the main character, Oscar. I would recommend it to anyone who likes creepy vampyre stories. I would also suggest that you watch the movie first (the Swedish one, not the American remake), and then make a decision based on the movie. All things considered, in many ways the book is a lot scarier than the movie, and if the movie gave you the heebie-jeebies, then you probably shouldn't read the book.
    In conclusion, I would recommend this book, but with caution.