Comparative Analysis

            Both plays that we viewed seemed that they were not only made to entertain the audience and treat them with a good, viewable show. I believe that the two plays were made to inform the audience about problems that people went through at some stage in American history. These both have to do with problems that American women endured.  However, For Colored Girls was solely about women of color and what they endured after the Vietnam War. These hardships included pregnancies and child abuse, both of which were an effect of unstable Black men. This play took place in New York. The other play, which took place in Chicago in the 1920’s, was about women in general, but in that time period the main group women that were considered were White women. Therefore, this play consisted of White women. It focused on the trials that they had to bear, which included inequality and suffrage. Both plays are informative and capable of forcing people to acknowledge

55

I go to, and have always gone to, public school. Although I have never had the experience of homeschooling, I have heard things about it. I have also seen things on television about homeschooling. There are both differences between the two forms of learning, as well as similarities between the two forms of learning. Homeschooling gives you the advantage of not needing to go anywhere for your education. Also, you do not have to deal with distractions from other students. Finally, you do not have the trouble of 7 different teachers, some of which would probably be difficult to get along with. With public schooling, you get to meet new people. Also, you get to hang out with your friends everyday. You might meet your future spouse in public school. Also, public school somewhat prepares you for college life. Both of these ways of learning result in knowledge. Also, they both are supposed to prepare you for college, and, ultimately, for the carreer of your choice. They both have pros and cons. These are similar, but they also have differences.

54

Understanding and knowledge are two reasonably similar words. Although they do not sound similar, nor do they look similar, their definitions are similar.  They both have to do with your brain, and getting something into that brain. However, they also have differences. Understanding is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. This means that understanding is the space in your brain for learning. Another definition for understanding is the cognitive conditionof someeone who understands. This, in summary, means "the act of understanding". Knowledge is the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning. Synonyms of the word "knowledge" are cognition and noesis. So, knowledge is something you know. Everything that you learn is stored in your understanding. This shows the specific relationship between understanding and knowledge. Although they are similar, they do have differences.

53

 If you saw the recent Major League Baseball post-season, then I am sure that you have heard of a man named Josh Hamilton.  Josh Hamilton is the starting center-fielder for the Texas Rangers.  He had an exceptional season in 2010, with the exception of the World Series.  What a lot of people do not know is what led up to his monstrous career.  Josh was signed in 1999.  He was a beast and continued to be one in his first year in the minor leagues.  He soon was in a car accident with his mother.  His mother was hospitalized and he suffered back injuries.  He soon went on to continue playing, but was put on the disabled list.  He was twenty years old, wealthy, and alone for the first time in his life.  He found comfort in a group of guys who hung out at a tattoo parlor and did bad things.   He got a lot of tattoos of the devil, and Jesus and things he did not understand.  He also began experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  He was sent to rehabilitation but became angry and left.  He played off and on for a while, battling injuries and drugs.  He often consumed enough cocaine and alcohol to kill a normal person, but his amazing body pulled him through.  He was suspended until 2004.  He then found God, and quit his habits.  Now he is back on the prowl, hitting bombs.  All things are possible through God.

52

I am sixteen years old, and I am in the 11th grade. This means that I have been in school for eleven years, and this is my 12th. In all of these years I have gone through a lot of classes. This means that I have gone through a lot of teachers. In elementary school we only had one teacher per grade. In middle school, or junior high school, different teachers taught different subjects. In high school different teachers teach different subjects as well. This means that I have gone through a lot of teachers. However, despite all of these teachers, including the math teahcers, the chemistry teachers,  the biology teachers, the English teachers, and the history teachers, I believe that one teacher was especiallt effective in teaching the class. This was my United States History teacher in eighth grade. She was very firm, but she was also pretty easy to talk to. Also, she encouraged questions. I believe that this is very essentil to learning something new. Some people learn at different paces, so questions are a good way to keep the class flowing. Also, our teacher put pressure on us, which made us work hard. Our teacher was very efficient in teaching her students academics and things that we will need in our lives as well.

52

I am sixteen years old, and I am in the 11th grade. This means that I have been in school for eleven years, and this is my 12th. In all of these years I have gone through a lot of classes. This means that I have gone through a lot of teachers. In elementary school we only had one teacher per grade. In middle school, or junior high school, different teachers taught different subjects. In high school different teachers teach different subjects as well. This means that I have gone through a lot of teachers. However, despite all of these teachers, including the math teahcers, the chemistry teachers,  the biology teachers, the English teachers, and the history teachers, I believe that one teacher was especiallt effective in teaching the class. This was my United States History teacher in eighth grade. She was very firm, but she was also pretty easy to talk to. Also, she encouraged questions. I believe that this is very essentil to learning something new. Some people learn at different paces, so questions are a good way to keep the class flowing. Also, our teacher put pressure on us, which made us work hard. Our teacher was very efficient in teaching her students academics and things that we will need in our lives as well.

51

Every school day, which is monday through friday, I have a Health class. This class is 0 period, which means it begins at 7:15 A.M. This, in turn, means that I have to wake up at 5 o'clock A.M. to make sure I get there on time. Also, I hae a Creative Writing class, and although it is not so early in the day, it still affects my schedule. The teacher of this class assigns a lot of work. This means that I am often up late doing this homework. The combination of my 0 period Health class and my homework, I miss out on a lot of sleep (and, in essence, growth). Sleep deprivation, or sleep loss, is not good. Your boody needs sleep to function properly, and it is going to get some sleep one way or another. Unfortunately, you might fall asleep at a vital time. For instance, on occasion, I fall asleep in some of my other classes (ones that have not been mentioned). Although this does not really affect me much, it very easily could. Say, for instance, you fall asleep on lecture notes. What if you miss out on vital information needed to be known for the next test, which is on a day that you are not aware of because you were asleep when the teacher said it? Also, you could fall asleep on the test, which may cause you to fail the test. Sleep deprivation is unhealthy, and just bad.. So, get your sleep every night that you possibly can.

50

Who does not love a feel-good, sports-related movie that they can relate to? Most people enjoy these movies. For me, this movie is The Sandlot. I can relate to it, and it can almost always brighten my mood.

            I love baseball; I love to watch it, I love to have conversations and debates about it, and I definitely love to play it. Baseball is one thing that I have always been able to do that took my mind off of negative things in my life. I have been playing since I was seven years of age. Even when I was younger, my father put me on to baseball, and I loved it.

            Another thing that makes me feel good is an interesting movie. I love comedies, but I also like action and suspenseful movies. However, my favorite type of movie is a sports movie. They usually have good storylines, and they also are often true stories, or based on true stories.

            So, when you combine two of my favorite things that make me happy, it obviously appeals to me. The Sandlot is a movie about a boy that moves to a new town. The boy is smart, gets good grades, and does not play sports, nor does he talk about or watch them. His worried mother sends him out to make friends. He stumbles onto a baseball field, and he sees some other boys there playing. The boy, named Smalls, embarrasses himself when he attempts to throw back the baseball that rolled over by his foot. He revealed his ignorance to the sport, and the other boys laughed at him. He ran home in melancholy. Another day, he was asked to go play with them by one of the boys, names Bennie, who helped him catch and throw. Smalls did well that day, and was invited to participate every day. By this time, he was accepted by the other guys as well.

Smalls became better and better, and hung out with them more and more. They all went through a lot of things together. One day, Bennie knocked the cover off of the only baseball that they had. Smalls went home to get a ball to play with, and grabbed one from his stepfather’s trophy case that was signed by Babe Ruth, not knowing its worth. He ended up hitting it into a yard for his first homerun. Unfortunately, that yard was patrolled by the Beast, who, according to the boys, was the biggest meanest dog ever. The guys put their heads together to figure out a way to get it back, but they came up with nothing.

Bennie had a dream in which Babe Ruth told him to just hop over the fence and get it. The next day, he did so, and ended up being chased around the neighborhood by the Beast. He finally won the battle, but the dog became injured in the struggle, and, despite their fear, the boys helped him, and Smalls lead the way. The boys, the dog, and the dog’s master all ended up friends.

This is my favorite movie because it had a good storyline, good characters, and, of course, it had to do with baseball. Also, the place where they played, named The Sandlot, is like a dream come true for me; I always wanted to be able to walk to a field and play a pick-up game with my friends. Despite my main reason for loving this film, which is the baseball references, I would recommend this film to others. It has a good plot and is a great family film.

48

“Hello and welcome to Kentucky Fried Chicken.  How may I help you, Sir?”  The eager man replied,” Yes, my family is extremely hungry.  There are twelve of us.  What do you suggest?”  The woman replied, “Well, we have a family meal.  However, it is for six people.”  “Well, what should I do?”  “I do not know.”  The woman in line behind the man ordering suggested, “Why don’t you just order two family meals?”  The man thought it to be a brilliant idea and exclaimed, “I will have two family meals please.”  The cashier notices that the man is not the brightest star in the galaxy, and she attempts to exploit it.  “Alright Sir, the family meal is $15.  You want two of them, so your total after a ten percent tax, is $54.21.”  “Okay,” the man replied. 

This man has just been duped.  This is one example of why math is very important for people in this society.  There are very many things that math is used for in the world today.  The most common and quite possibly the most important for people is money.  So, for you students, be sure to stay in school and pay attention to your math teachers.

46

Humans often have good relationships with animals.

44

 If you immediately need to contact your associate, or group member, for some homework problem, what is the first thing you would do to reach them?  One thing that you could do is get on your computer in your room and contact them through Facebook.  Another thing you could possibly do on that computer is contact them through My Space.  Finally, on the computer, you could Instant Message them.  You could do so through America Online Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, or MSN Instant Messenger. You could also use your cellular phone to fix your problem, which most teenagers do.  One possibility is calling the other individual.  Another idea would be to send them a text message.  Finally, you could contact them through a social network, such as Facebook or My Space, or through an Instant Messenger, such as American Online Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, or MSN Instant Messenger, on your phone.  However, there was a time when not everyone had cellular phones and computers in their lives.   In recent days, these things have almost become necessities.  About fifteen years ago, people mostly communicated in person.  They would call people and they would even send an email or a letter in the mail every once in a while.  Communication has drastically changed over the years--especially over the last twenty-or-so years.  I do not know why this is so, but it seems that things are still changing and doing so very quickly.  Will the changes in forms of commication ever slow down?

49

To learn a new language it may be vert difficult. To do so, I would most likely use Rosetta Stone as a tool. I have heard that this works very well, so this would probably be my first option. However, if this is not possible,then I would ask for help from the natives, and I would listen to them speak the langueage to get a better idea for myself. I would eventually grasp the language and become fluent in speaking it, though I may have an accent. I believe that if you are around something long enough you will soon begin to learn and develop traits feo. Whateveryou are around. For instance, if you live in an ethnic neighborhood, such as Inglewood, California, you will likely begin talking like they do, with their slang, their lingo, and possibly their accent. I would use this assimilation to my advantage to learn how to speak a strange, new, difficult language in a new country. However, this tactic may, possibly, change me. It is possible that, if I do this, I will begin to walk, talk, behave, and act te same way as the natives, which may or may. It be similar to how I do things. This is why Rosetta Stone would be beneficial.  

47

What I have noticed is that a lot of teenagers like to wear their pants below their waist. This is known to society as "sagging". I am not sure when it started, but it is in full effect right now. I am aware that sagging originated it jail, but have you ever wondered why it became so popular outside of the penitentiary? I bieve that this is because people coming out of jail are considered to ne tough, and since a lot of people want to be tough they do what these people do. This toughness gives these people a sense of security from potential threats on their health and well-being, such as gang members.  

45

Who does not love sweet potato pie? The rich, sweet filling? The nutmeg? The flaky, buttery crust holding the delicious goods? How it just melts in your mouth? Also, who does not love cheesecake? The light, creamy texture? The surprising, semi-tart punch? The buttery, homemade, perfect-textured graham cracker crust? Now, Imagine a combination of these two great desserts. This dream is a reality with the sweet potato cheesecake from the family-owned and family-operated "Harriet's Cheesecake". The combination of the sweet, creamy sweet potato, and the creamy, slightly tart cheesecake make this the richest, most luscious, mouth-watering, pallet pleasingdessert to ever hit anyone's taste buds. This dessert is utterly delicious. You should try to get one any chance you get. If you need an excuse to go out and buy one so that your spouse will not be disappointed. Pick one up for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, birthdays, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Independence Day, Arbor day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter (and a separate one for Resurrection Day), Good Friday, and Earth Day,

45

Who does not love sweet potato pie? The rich, sweet filling? The nutmeg? The flaky, buttery crust holding the delicious goods? How it just melts in your mouth? Also, who does not love cheesecake? The light, creamy texture? The surprising, semi-tart punch? The buttery, homemade, perfect-textured graham cracker crust? Now, Imagine a combination of these two great desserts. This dream is a reality with the sweet potato cheesecake from the family-owned and family-operated "Harriet's Cheesecake". The combination of the sweet, creamy sweet potato, and the creamy, slightly tart cheesecake make this the richest, most luscious, mouth-watering, pallet pleasingdessert to ever hit anyone's taste buds. This dessert is utterly delicious. You should try to get one any chance you get. If you need an excuse to go out and buy one so that your spouse will not be disappointed. Pick one up for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, birthdays, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Independence Day, Arbor day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter (and a separate one for Resurrection Day), Good Friday, and Earth Day,

45

Who does not love sweet potato pie? The rich, sweet filling? The nutmeg? The flaky, buttery crust holding the delicious goods? How it just melts in your mouth? Also, who does not love cheesecake? The light, creamy texture? The surprising, semi-tart punch? The buttery, homemade, perfect-textured graham cracker crust? Now, Imagine a combination of these two great desserts. This dream is a reality with the sweet potato cheesecake from the family-owned and family-operated "Harriet's Cheesecake". The combination of the sweet, creamy sweet potato, and the creamy, slightly tart cheesecake make this the richest, most luscious, mouth-watering, pallet pleasingdessert to ever hit anyone's taste buds. This dessert is utterly delicious. You should try to get one any chance you get. If you need an excuse to go out and buy one so that your spouse will not be disappointed. Pick one up for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, birthdays, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Independence Day, Arbor day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter (and a separate one for Resurrection Day), Good Friday, and Earth Day,

43

I would like to visit a country in Africa. However, it is not because it is appealing. I would like to see, with my own two eyes, how the people in the Motherland are suffering, struggling to survive. I am somewhat aware of the problems that men, women, Nd children are having in Africa. I know about some of the conditions. However, I believe that seeing myself will be more effective I'm making me want to sacrifice time and money to take action.

42

Often, when someone is prejudged, it is negatively. I have been asked if I am in a gang. I am not. I have been asked if I have a son. I do not. I have been asked if I have ever killed anyone. I have not. I have been asked if I have ever stabbed anyone. I have not. I also do no like being asked Hess questions, high it makes me happy that I can answer these, "No," at the age of sixteen. At least the interrogaters know that not every African American has done these things. Prejudice is a horrible thing. It can only bring negative energy and negative effects. Most people to no take well to being pre-judged. Also, some people do certain things when they are angered. If someone is pre-judged, then there is a possiblility of them takin it In a horrible way, and they might resort to violence to get even. So, to avoid problems of this type, do not judge a book by it's cover.  

41

If I had to figure a way to celebrate my bestfriend's birthday, there would be a lot of options: skating, bowling, mall, iceskating, and going out to eat are all options. However, I would probably throw them a party. Parties are almost always fun, and they do not need to be expensive. The party would, though, as the young people like to say, have to be, "Turnt up!" It would have to consist of food, music, and people. The food would have to be cheap, but still satisfactory, such as chips, hot wings, and punch. The music would, as the young folk also like to say, have to be "Poppin'!" There would be no jerking music; no pindropping allowed! Also, he DJ must be under the age of 32. His would prevent any Will Smith from getting played; no getting "Jiggy with it" that night. Finally, as far as the music, it must be heard. Therefore, sufficent speakers are a necessity. As for the people, no gangbanging allowed! Healthy, safe fun. Also, no, as the teenagers also like to say, "doo doo's, ratchets or hoochie mamas." men and women are to be are to be presentable and approachable. This would make for a fun, memorable birthday.

40

If I could live during any decade it would be the 2000's. This is mostly becasue I know about it.

39

Who conceived you? Who gave birth to you? who fed you? Who clothed you? Who is providing you with a clean place to live, even if you are the one that is cleaning it? Who took care of you when you were sick? Made you soup? Too you to the doctor? Got you out of school? Bought you ginger ale? Bought you cough medicine? Made you tea? Checked your temperature? Tucked you in bed? Who took you where you wanted to go? More importantly, who took you where you needed to go? Who taught you, or is teaching you, how to drive, so that you can take yourself everywhere that you need to go? Who is going to buy you a car, so that you can use these skills and drive where you want to and where you need to go? Who took you to school everyday? Who spoke to your teachers when they disrespected you? Who really loves you? Your parents. Your parents gave birth to you. Your parents raised you. Your parents will continue to help you through the early stages of adulthood. Parents are big in the lives of their offspring and need to be appreciated more.

38

Imagine every time you did something positive ou stabbed yourself in the leg. Eventually, you will die. The knife that you are jabbing into your appendage represents pollution. Pollution isthe by product of factories, cars, motorcycles, and things of that nature. Everyday people are working in factories. The more they work, the more waste the building emits. Cars a re also driven everyday. Have you ever seen the emissions comin from the tailpipe of a vehicle? A bus, perhaps? Have you ever wondered where the gaseous emissions are going? Well, if you were not aware, it is released into the atmosphere. This pollution is unhealthy, and it accumulates.

37

"Who was your favorite person?"
"Who was your favorite athlete?"
"Who was most influential to you in your childhood teenage years and young adulthood?"
"Who do/did you care about he most?"
"Who did you look up to?"
"What was your favorite song?"
"What event do you remember most vividly?"
"What would you change about how you lived your life?"
"What was your favorite food?"
"What do you think about our society today?"
"Where did you most like to go?"
"Where did you spend most of your time?"
"Where were you when the most important thing in your life happened to you?"
"Where did you meet your lover?"
"Where is the sweet potato pie recipe?"
"When was your first bad experience with racism?"
"When do you stop and think about everything you have gome through?"
"When did you hav eyour first drink?"
"When was your first encounter with drug abuse?"
"When did you make you first sweet potato pie?"
"Why don't you give up?"
"Why didn't you ever give up?"
"Why didn't you slap the people that disrespected you?"
"Why are you always smiling?"
"Why can I always see sadness in your eyes anyway?"

36

"Mommy, I want to be a firefighter!"

"Mommy, I want to be a policeman, just  like Uncle Ronnie!"

"Mommy, I changed my mind about being a teacher. Mr. Johnson made me mad when he snet me out of class. I want to be a lawyer now!"

"Mommy? Daddy? I have a question to ask you two."
"What is it Billy?"
"What do I have to do to become an astronaut like my role model Neil Armstrong?"

Well, Billy, and the rest of you young children, before you could succeed in these wonderful fields, you must go to college. College is where you study whatever you need to in order to get a career in the field of your choice. A lot of peoplego to college, but what is really important is that you focus on your studies and your scholastic achievement while you are in college. A great number of people get to college and disregard their schoolwork;  they get caught up in party life, they lose focus of what is important, and they sometimes get kicked out of their ideal university. So, to become a firefighter, a policeman, a lawyer, or an astronaut, it sis possible, but you must focus on your school work.

35

What will you do when the world comes to an end? Where will you go when there is no where to go? Yes, this is quite a scary thought. Did you know that you likely are doing things everyday that bring this day closer and closer? Fortunately, there is something that you can do to help the Earth.

            A lot of people have to drive to work. Also, multiple people work at the same location. However, employees still drive to the same location in different cars. I believe that there is one logical way to alleviate the situation. If these people get into the same car and drive to work they would release less smog into the atmosphere, and, in essence, help save Earth. Also, they would save money on gas if there is just one car driving to and from work.

            Another way to help the environment is to recycle. Recycling is quite simple, yet many people do not do it. I believe that it is just because they do not care enough to drop their bottles and cans in the blue bin, rather than the black one. However, they will care when the world collapses around them. All that you have to do is save your bottles, cans, and paper and put them in recycle bins. This way we do not waste our resources, and do not help speed up the demise of our planet.

            One final way to help out the planet is to reserve electricity and water. Many people leave on lights and electronic devices when they leave a house. Just flipping the switch or pressing the button can help alleviate the problem with our environment. Another thing that people do is leave the water running while they brush their teeth. Although it does not seem like much of a waste, it does add up, and can be easily avoided by turning it off until you need it. Also, you could turn off the water when you are washing dishes until you need it.

            Many people say that our planet is doomed. However, there are things that we can do to help bring a halt to the death of our planet. Carpooling is one way. Recycling is another. You can conserve electricity when possible. One final thing that people can do is conserve water. I personally believe that if we all work together, we can handle the situation well and stop the threat.

34

Every morning, my alarm wakes me up at 5:00. I proceed to set the alarm for fifteen minutes later. Then, at 5:15, I set it back another 15 minutes. At 5:30, I wake up, and it takes me about 10 minutes to get out of the bed. I take a shower, get dressed, and await my ride to school. Whenmy ride arrives, we stop at 7-11. I purchase a medium-sized hot chocolate and a donut. We then go to school and await my 0 period teacher. After 0 period, there is either first and third period, or second and fourth period. Then, there's lunch. During lunch, I go to my Theatre and Improvisation Club meeting. After lunch, I go to either fifth or sixth period. Then, i get a ride home. When I get home, I eat. Then, I do homework. Finally, I shower, sleep, and do it all over again the next day.

33

“Man, that bottle of sugar-filled fruit punch was good!  Do you see a trash can anywhere?”  The man that he was walking with replied, “Yes, there is a trash can next to the recycle bin around the corner by the tree.”  If this were you, would you throw away the bottle, or would you go with the clearly, more logical choice of dropping it into the recycling receptacle?  Recycling is one very simple way to help out our environment.  This planet is in grave danger.  There are many things that people can do to stop the Earth from deteriorating so quickly.  Unfortunately, many people do not do these effortless things.  However, recycling is very trouble-free and everybody can participate.  Many people do recycle which is a very positive thing.  Many people do not thing that helping the environment is worth their few extra steps.  However, citizens of California have a system that they run by whether they know it or not.  CRV which stands for California Refund Value, helps to promote the idea of recycling.  When you purchase a bottled or canned item in California, you pay some amount of cents.  When you go to a recycling plant and hand in your bottles and cans you receive this money back.  The small amount of money that is paid per  item seems nominal to many, but eventually this money accumulates, and it can easily be retrieved  by recycling.  So, whether you recycle for your money back or for the environment, I hope that you do so.

32

My favorite season is Fall.Its not because of the gloomy weather, the howling wind, or the falling leaves. I love the Fall because playoff baseball is in the air. This is when the magic happens. This is when the groundball goes under Bill Buckner's glove. This is then Aaron Boone and Kurt Gibson hit the biggest homeruns of their lives. This is when Mariano Rivera gets the most inportant saves of his career. This is Fall. This is baseball

31

Families often have problems. A common problem is fights among siblings. Siblings do not always get along, and families handle this diffrerent ways. Sometimes brother and sister will argue. Sometimes sister will stab brother. Sometimes sister and sister will have a fist fight. Sometimes siblings will fight over a boy or girl. Sometimes they will fight over the remote. Sometimes they will fight over the last piece of French toast. Some parents ket it happen. Some parents break it up. Some parents punish them both. Some parents punish their least favorite. Some parents encourage it. Sometimes kids do not talk to each other for a week. Sometimes they do not talk to each other for a month or two. Sometimes they are friends again after two minutes. Some fights last three minutes. Sometimes fights last an hour. Some fights last a week. In the end, everyone loves each other again.

30

“Would you like a great, big side of deep-fried, oil-soaking, heart-stopping, cholesterol-rising, fattening, blood pressure-rising large fries with your unhealthy, trans fat containing, fattening hamburger with cheese?”  If you ask me, this is all too common in these United States of America.  Obesity is a big problem.  Many people do not pay much attention to what they feed their children.  Large, fattening food that lacks nutrition is not good for our youth.  If everyone could promote better, healthier eating, the world would be a much better place.  Obese children are more likely to get heart disease.  They are also more likely to get diabetes

29

Have you ever been invited to smoke something with your friends?  Did they tell  you that it would make you feel good and remind you that everybody does it?  Even more important, did you type “attending” in the RSVP?  Did you accept and go “fit in” with everyone else?

Unfortunately, many teenagers in the United States of America go through the aforementioned scenario.  What is even more unfortunate is the fact that a great number of these innocent teenagers also accept the invitation.  Smoking marijuana, which is a common issue for teenagers in my environment makes you feel good and makes everything better, according to abusers.  However, according to physicians, the drug kills your brain cells and slowly brings you closer and closer to death.  Smoking cigarettes, according to society is cool.  Smoking cigarettes, according to dentists, stain your teeth.  Smoking cigarettes, according to doctors can lead to lung cancer which can very well lead to death.  To me, smoking anything is just not worth my life.

28

“Hello and welcome to Kentucky Fried Chicken.  How may I help you, Sir?”  The eager man replied,” Yes, my family is extremely hungry.  There are twelve of us.  What do you suggest?”  The woman replied, “Well, we have a family meal.  However, it is for six people.”  “Well, what should I do?”  “I do not know.”  The woman in line behind the man ordering suggested, “Why don’t you just order two family meals?”  The man thought it to be a brilliant idea and exclaimed, “I will have two family meals please.”  The cashier notices that the man is not the brightest star in the galaxy, and she attempts to exploit it.  “Alright Sir, the family meal is $15.  You want two of them, so your total after a ten percent tax, is $54.21.”  “Okay,” the man replied. 

This man has just been duped.  This is one example of why math is very important for people in this society.  There are very many things that math is used for in the world today.  The most common and quite possibly the most important for people is money.  So, for you students, be sure to stay in school and pay attention to your math teachers.

27

One day. Joey La Russa Jonathon Rambo Johnson III went to school. It was his first day at a new school, so he was very nervous. He is very shy, very dull, and great at arithmatic. He likes fishing and hunting, and he has never shot at a rim before in his life. He suffered through the first four periods. He was not very excited for lunch. Nevertheless, he walked into the cafeteria, got his pizza from Ms. Williams, who threw in a few extra French fries, and he could not figure out why. He sat at a table, by his lonesome, and put his ranch on his ample French fries. Another boy comes and sits across from him. He, too, looks shy. They both sat quietly, neither looking at the other. Cathy Johnson walks by and slips on a ketchup packet and falls. Also, the ketchup from the packet squirtss onto the other boy's bowtie. Joey laughed so hard that chocolate milk came out of his nose. They both sat and laughed for 20 minutes, and they were friends ever since.

26

I have a favorite game. It is the greatest game ever imagined. Whoever invented this game needs to be thanked at least once a week every week. The game is wonderful. The game is fantastic. The game is marvelous. This game will make you exhausted. This game will make you think. This game will change your viewpoint on life. This game will touch you. This game may forget about you. This game may always remember you. This game may not be rebroadcasted or retransmitted without the express-written consent of Major League Baseball. This game is sponsered by Pepsi, not Sprite. This game is baseball.

I love baseball becasue it loves me.When I play I can take my mind off of things that bother me. I have ben playong for most of my life, and I liked it ever since I started. It can make you tired, make you run, make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, make you re-think, get you paid, or make you fall in love. This is the greatest game of all time.

25

Often, when someone is prejudged, it is negatively. I have been asked if I am in a gang. I am not. I have been asked if I have a son. I do not. I have been asked if I have ever killed anyone. I have not. I have been asked if I have ever stabbed anyone. I have not. I also do no like being asked Hess questions, high it makes me happy that I can answer these, "No," at the age of sixteen. At least the interrogaters know that not every African American has done these things. Prejudice is a horrible thing. It can only bring negative energy and negative effects. Most people to no take well to being pre-judged. Also, some people do certain things when they are angered. If someone is pre-judged, then there is a possiblility of them takin it In a horrible way, and they might resort to violence to get even. So, to avoid problems of this type, do not judge a book by it's cover

24

Have you ever bought anything before you really thought about it? This is called impulsive buying. Impulsive buying is pretty dangerous and has a number of negative effects, even though it is easy to do. People usually buy on impulse then they see something that really catches their attention. It is dangerous because if this happens too often, it can devastatingly hurt your funds.

23

Imagine every time you did something positive ou stabbed yourself in the leg. Eventually, you will die. The knife that you are jabbing into your appendage represents pollution. Pollution isthe by product of factories, cars, motorcycles, and things of that nature. Everyday people are working in factories. The more they work, the more waste the building emits. Cars a re also driven everyday. Have you ever seen the emissions comin from the tailpipe of a vehicle? A bus, perhaps? Have you ever wondered where the gaseous emissions are going? Well, if you were not aware, it is released into the atmosphere. This pollution is unhealthy, and it accumulates.

14

Teachers-- cannot live with most of them, cannot learn without some of them. There are teachers tha I can get along with. There are teachers that I learn things from. There are teachers that I learn things from and can get along with. On a rare occasion, I have come across a teacher that was not so easyto get along with, but I learned a lot from. However, a common type of teacher is the one that you do not get along with and does not teach you much. I believe that there are things that this last group of teachers can do to affect their students more and do so positively.

In high school, teachers are older than their students. Also, they are the authoritive figure. Teachers fel that they need to establish this authority. This is acceptable, but sometimes these teachers just do more than is necessary. Some teachers need to understand that students are still human beings, and they have emotions, specifically in high school. Personally, I believe that, at any age, if you shoe me respect then you deserve my respect. If teachers showed teachers a little more respect, there would be fewer incidents in the classroom, which are more distracting than a cellular phone ringing for three seconds. Also, it is difficult for a student to do work for a teacher that treats them an ignorant 4 year-old. Another thing that teachers could do is compare the workload with that of other classes. I have noticed that teachers judge students almost solely on their performance in the classroom, and they only see how they perform in their class. which be misleading in some cases. So. the work load could create a domino effect. The work may not respect the student, which means there may be incidents, which means there will be distractions in class, which affects other students.  The classroom would be a much better learning enviroment if teachers did these things.

22

Teenagers, teenagers, teenagers. I have a question for all of you teenagers. What would you do without compuiters? How would you research the topic of your next essay? How woul;d you fin the difference between a solute and a solvent? Chances are, you are too lazy to get the chemistry book from your bookcase. How would you coimmunicate? What would you do without Facebook? What would you do without Mypace (for the people that still use it)? What would you do without America Online Instant Messenger? What would you do without Yahoo Instant Messenger? What would you do without Twitter? What would you do without the gossip? What would you do without the knowledge that Tip Harris is back in jail? What would you do without the mindless, brain-numbing, time wasting, distracting computer games? What would you do without computers? Would you be forced to read the motorious, unloved, forgottten, forsaken book? People, mostly teenagers, are very dependent on computers. What would happen if they became extinct?

11

“Man, that bottle of sugar-filled fruit punch was good!  Do you see a trash can anywhere?”  The man that he was walking with replied, “Yes, there is a trash can next to the recycle bin around the corner by the tree.”  If this were you, would you throw away the bottle, or would you go with the clearly, more logical choice of dropping it into the recycling receptacle?  Recycling is one very simple way to help out our environment.  This planet is in grave danger.  There are many things that people can do to stop the Earth from deteriorating so quickly.  Unfortunately, many people do not do these effortless things.  However, recycling is very trouble-free and everybody can participate.  Many people do recycle which is a very positive thing.  Many people do not thing that helping the environment is worth their few extra steps.  However, citizens of California have a system that they run by whether they know it or not.  CRV which stands for California Refund Value, helps to promote the idea of recycling.  When you purchase a bottled or canned item in California, you pay some amount of cents.  When you go to a recycling plant and hand in your bottles and cans you receive this money back.  The small amount of money that is paid per  item seems nominal to many, but eventually this money accumulates, and it can easily be retrieved  by recycling.  So, whether you recycle for your money back or for the environment, I hope that you do so.

10

“Would you like a great, big side of deep-fried, oil-soaking, heart-stopping, cholesterol-rising, fattening, blood pressure-rising large fries with your unhealthy, trans fat containing, fattening hamburger with cheese?”  If you ask me, this is all too common in these United States of America.  Obesity is a big problem.  Many people do not pay much attention to what they feed their children.  Large, fattening food that lacks nutrition is not good for our youth.  If everyone could promote better, healthier eating, the world would be a much better place.  Obese children are more likely to get heart disease.  They are also more likely to get diabetes

9

Have you ever been invited to smoke something with your friends?  Did they tell  you that it would make you feel good and remind you that everybody does it?  Even more important, did you type “attending” in the RSVP?  Did you accept and go “fit in” with everyone else?

Unfortunately, many teenagers in the United States of America go through the aforementioned scenario.  What is even more unfortunate is the fact that a great number of these innocent teenagers also accept the invitation.  Smoking marijuana, which is a common issue for teenagers in my environment makes you feel good and makes everything better, according to abusers.  However, according to physicians, the drug kills your brain cells and slowly brings you closer and closer to death.  Smoking cigarettes, according to society is cool.  Smoking cigarettes, according to dentists, stain your teeth.  Smoking cigarettes, according to doctors can lead to lung cancer which can very well lead to death.  To me, smoking anything is just not worth my life.

8

“Hello and welcome to Kentucky Fried Chicken.  How may I help you, Sir?”  The eager man replied,” Yes, my family is extremely hungry.  There are twelve of us.  What do you suggest?”  The woman replied, “Well, we have a family meal.  However, it is for six people.”  “Well, what should I do?”  “I do not know.”  The woman in line behind the man ordering suggested, “Why don’t you just order two family meals?”  The man thought it to be a brilliant idea and exclaimed, “I will have two family meals please.”  The cashier notices that the man is not the brightest star in the galaxy, and she attempts to exploit it.  “Alright Sir, the family meal is $15.  You want two of them, so your total after a ten percent tax, is $54.21.”  “Okay,” the man replied. 

This man has just been duped.  This is one example of why math is very important for people in this society.  There are very many things that math is used for in the world today.  The most common and quite possibly the most important for people is money.  So, for you students, be sure to stay in school and pay attention to your math teachers.

21

    If you drive, or have ever been in a car on a road in a city, chances are, you have seen a bad driver.  They are all too common.  But, what is the difference between these drivers and good drivers?  I believe that good driving has to do with eyes.  If you cannot see well, you likely will not drive well.  You obviously need to see the road and you need to see the other cars on the road to make sure you do not hit them.  You need to see speed limit signs, street signs and any other types of signs on the road.  Drivers also need to have good, quick reflexes.  This is in case you need to evade traffic coming toward you.  This is also in case you need to avoid children, balls, potholes, dead animals, or any other obstacles in the street.  Finally, I believe good drivers should have keen instincts.   They should be able to make important decisions on the road in a flash.  This can be the difference between having an accident and not having one, which could be the difference between life and death.

20

    If you saw the recent Major League Baseball post-season, then I am sure that you have heard of a man named Josh Hamilton.  Josh Hamilton is the starting center-fielder for the Texas Rangers.  He had an exceptional season in 2010, with the exception of the World Series.  What a lot of people do not know is what led up to his monstrous career.  Josh was signed in 1999.  He was a beast and continued to be one in his first year in the minor leagues.  He soon was in a car accident with his mother.  His mother was hospitalized and he suffered back injuries.  He soon went on to continue playing, but was put on the disabled list.  He was twenty years old, wealthy, and alone for the first time in his life.  He found comfort in a group of guys who hung out at a tattoo parlor and did bad things.   He got a lot of tattoos of the devil, and Jesus and things he did not understand.  He also began experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  He was sent to rehabilitation but became angry and left.  He played off and on for a while, battling injuries and drugs.  He often consumed enough cocaine and alcohol to kill a normal person, but his amazing body pulled him through.  He was suspended until 2004.  He then found God, and quit his habits.  Now he is back on the prowl, hitting bombs.  All things are possible through God.

19

    A lot of people play baseball.  Some are worse than me. Some are better than me.  Some have been playing for years.  Some have just started playing baseball.  Some people play because it is fun.  Some people play because they love it.  Some people play because they want it on their college applications.  Some people play for money.
    A lot of people go fishing.  Some people go more than me.  Some people go less often than I do.  Some people are worse than me.  Some people are better than me.  Some people do it because it is fun.  Some people do it because they need to do it to feed their families.  Some people have been fishing the whole lives.  Some people recently began fishing for the first time in their lives.
    A lot of people are good students.  Some are better in math than in English.  Some people have always been good at schoolwork.  Some people have recently become so schoolminded.  Some people are born with good study habits.  Some people have to work to remember things that they have learned.  Some people just take tests and do very well on them.  Some people work really hard studying for said tests.  What sets me apart from all these people is that I do all three of these things and I do them well.

18

    Have you ever looked at one of your homework assignments, classwork assigments, projects, tests, quizzes, or exams and thought to yourself, "Man, I could have done better than that!"?  I am sure you have, and you are not the only one.  Everybody has done it, at least one time, including myself.  This just means that you take pride in  your school work.  However, taking pride in said work while you are doing it can benefit you greatly.  If you are taking pride in your work, and you do the best that you can, you most likely will do well.  Also, if you do the best that you can, and you fail, you still feel better about yourself when you see the result.  Too often, I have seen people work under the best of their ability, look back later and say, " Man, I should have done a lot better than this.  What did I do wrong? How is my grade going to look?  Does the teacher just not like me?"  A simple way to avoid this would be to take pride in your work while you are doing it and work to the best of your ability.

17

    Diversity is change.  Things become more diverse when they are a combination of things coming together to make a whole.  Many people think that diversity is a good thing, however, many people also think it is a bad thing.  A lot of people like to see diverse schools.  I believe this is because it shows the schools and mainly that administration are not prejudice.  So, they add people of different backgrounds into their schools: Caucasions, Chinese, Japanese, African-American, Samoan, Russian, Korean, Mexican, Guatemalen, Indian, and Native American people are all included.  Also, people of different sexual orientations are admitted into schools such as heterosexuals, homosexuals, and bi-sexuals.  Finally, people of both sexes, male and female, are added into most schools to keep them diverse.  Schools usually want to stay diverse to show that make sure that people do not think that they are racist. If people believe that they are racist, then only negative things can sprout from that:  People could sue, the press could get a hold of the story and make the school seem horrible to the public, they could lose money, they could lose students, or radical thinkers could possibly tear down or burn down the school (destroying it and keeping it from everyone).

16

    Cooperation is when two or more people work together to do something.  People often need to cooperate to do things.  Most people cannot do absolutely everything by themselves.  Group members for school projects, families, and co-workers need to cooperate.  Without cooperation these things can easily fall apart.  Cooperation holds thing together.  As a baseball player, I know all about cooperation.   If a team cannot cooperate, they will not do very well.  Imagine that you are a catcher.  Your team is tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, and you are on the visiting team, meaning you are on the field.  Take into consideration that it is the bottom half of the inning.  There is a runner on third base.  There are two outs and the count is three and two.  You put down the number one and tap your left leg, indicating that you want the pitcher to throw a fastball on the inside part of the plate.  However, to your surprise, the pitcher throws a curveball off of the outside part of the plate.  The ball gets past you, and the runner on third base scores and you lose the game.  If you two had cooperated more effectively, this may not have happened. 

15

    If you immediately need to contact your associate, or group member, for some homework problem, what is the first thing you would do to reach them?  One thing that you could do is get on your computer in your room and contact them through Facebook.  Another thing you could possibly do on that computer is contact them through My Space.  Finally, on the computer, you could Instant Message them.  You could do so through America Online Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, or MSN Instant Messenger. You could also use your cellular phone to fix your problem, which most teenagers do.  One possibility is calling the other individual.  Another idea would be to send them a text message.  Finally, you could contact them through a social network, such as Facebook or My Space, or through an Instant Messenger, such as American Online Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, or MSN Instant Messenger, on your phone.  However, there was a time when not everyone had cellular phones and computers in their lives.   In recent days, these things have almost become necessities.  About fifteen years ago, people mostly communicated in person.  They would call people and they would even send an email or a letter in the mail every once in a while.  Communication has drastically changed over the years--especially over the last twenty-or-so years.  I do not know why this is so, but it seems that things are still changing and doing so very quickly.  Will the changes in forms of commication ever slow down?

12

    Crack!  The top baseball prospect just hit another homerun!  He is definitely on a roll now.  All of the critics and sports reporters know that he will soon be a Major League Baseball star.  He was known around the country as a prodigy.  His parents raised him to love baseball and they always knew he would be a star.  Well, the premonition is appearing to be true.  He has just received his two-hundred millon dollar signing bonus. 
    Why was talented young man able to become so wealthy?  He does not operate on cancer victims.  He does not arrest thieves or serial killers.  He does not put out dangerous fires.  All he does is play a sport.  Why does he deserve it?
   What a lot of people do not realize is that athletes, and the sports that they play, often have an affect on the people that watch them.  Children and teenagers often look up to athletes.  Many kids tell themselves, "I want to be like him when I grow up!"  For some, their role model is the reason that they play the sport.  Therefore, if it were not for the professional athletes, some children may not play sports.  If these children are not playing sports, they may be doing other things, and these things may not be good.  I, personally, have former teammates who were denied chances to play baseball and, in return, found acceptance in negative places.  Maybe if they had a positive role model to look up to, such as an athlete,
this would not have happened. 

memoir

In a song, a famous rapper named Eminem, also known as Slim Shady, asked listeners if they had “ever been hated or discriminated against...”. Well Mr. Shady, my answer to your question is “yes.” I have gone through moments in my lifetime in which i was extremely furious with individuals.

            To recall a particular situation in which I was pre-judged on what I assumed was my appearance, I would have to think back to two-thousand and five. It was my first year in junior high school, and I was excited, but I was still hesitant to walk into my first classroom. I forced myself into the classroom, and sat through the class for the designated hour, and I realized that it was not so bad. I did the same for my next two classes, and I figured that junior high school would be a breeze. However, when I entered my clas after lunch, assuming my classes would not be so tough, I was proven wrong. As my teacher took attendance for the first time, she thought she heard noises. She looked up, pointed into the sea of student along the east wall, which I nicknamed the Atlantic, and shouted, “You, stand up!” For clarification, I pointed to myself and innocently asked, “Me?” The teacher firmly replied, “yes, you hooligan, you!” In shock, I stood up. The tyrant asked me for my name, and I replied, “Travis Armstrong, ma’am.” She then continued to say, “Well, Mr. Armstrong, I knew that we would have problems in this classroom once you walked in. I do not put up with foolishness; I will not hesitate to send you to the office. Now, be quiet while I am taking roll!”

I was in disbelief of what I had just heard. I realized that we all wore the same clothes, because we wore uniforms at our school. So I did not know why she would assume that I would act badly in her class. Respectfully, I told the woman, “Alright ma’am. I understand that, but I believe that you are accusing the wrong person.” The teacher proceeded to send me to the principal’s office.

personal essay

Nobody likes being disappointed. If someone does like being disappointed, then not being disappointed disappoints him or her. Disappointments are sad, and sometimes can be depressing. Disappointments can cause you to change plans, make plans, or cancel plans. I have been disappointed may times in my lifetime, but one recent disappointment has really devastated me, and is continuing to do so.

            I am in a creative writing class. In this class we do various writing assignments. One day, our teacher assigned three prompts a night for us students to do. This really disappointed me, mostly because each prompt had to be two-hundred and fifty to five-hundred words. I knew that this would be extremely difficult, especially considering I have other classes. Also, with this assignment, I would not have time to cook for myself, which means I would have to eat a lot more fast-food. Also, I would not have time to run or work out at the gym after school. Also, my zero period class is keeping me from doing these workouts before school starts. I predicted that I would gain weight. And this premonition came to be true.

            So, in essence, this creative writing assignment has had a great negative impact on my life. It has affected my health, my baseball career, and my other classes, although my other classes have not been affected so greatly. Also, if I do not do so well in the creative writing class, I may not get a good grade, which could affect my near-perfect grade point average. Another issue is that my teacher judges students on how much work they do in his class alone, disregarding their success in other classes. Therefore, my teacher may very well think that I am stupid, which is far from the truth. Finally, this assignment had made me dislike writing, since I am doing it too much. So, this assignment was a big disappointment.

Figurative Language Poems

1. Courage hides in the depths of your mind
in its shining silver armor
waiting for your releasing touch

courage, worn on the sleeve
plain to the model, unseen by spectators
intil the "unexpected" happens



2. Love, tattooed on the heart
might not be in plain sight
but known by two

Love, tattoed on the heart
worn on the sleeve
it screams out, "I love you"


3. Leadership, if you are not in front, you are losing the race
you cannot hide it, nor should you want to
it leads you, and you lead them

leadership cannot be hidden
its guiding hand is always seen
seeking the mislead, in order to get them onto the path of righteousness.

Persuasive Essay # 5

Today’s top professional athletes often have salaries and bonuses in the tens of millions of dollars. Do you think these athletes deserve such high compensation? Why or why not? Explain your position and use specific reasons and examples.

            Crack! The top baseball prospect just hit another homerun! He is definitely on roll now. All of the critics and sports reporters, as well as fans, know that he will soon be a Major League Baseball star. He was known around not only his neighborhood, but around the country as a prodigy. His parents raised him to love baseball, and they always knew he would be a star. Well, the premonition is appearing to be true. He has just received his $200 million signing bonus.

            Why was this talented young man able to become so wealthy? He does not operate on cancer victims. He does not arrest thieves or serial killers. He does not put out dangerous fires. All he does is play a sport. Why does he deserve it?

 What a lot of people do not realize is that athletes and the sports that they play often have an effect on people that watch them. Adults get tied to their favorite sports teams, whether they have been watching them their whole life, they just moved to a new town, or they just like the jerseys. However, I believe children are impacted the greatest affected by athletes, because many children and teenagers look up to them. A lot of kids tell themselves, “I want to be like him when I grow up!” For some, their role model is the only reason that they play the sport. Therefore, if it were not for the professional athletes, some children may not play sports. If these children are not playing sports, they may be doing other things, and these things may not be good. I, personally, have former teammates that were denied a chance to play baseball, and, in return, found acceptance in negative places. Maybe if they had a positive role model, such as an athlete, to look up to, this would not have happened.

 Also, fame and fortune are motives for adolescents to look forward to. They can achieve those things with hard work, perseverance, and practice; all of these things are very good values to have in this society. Finally, sports, and their venues, have many jobs for people, keeping them out of unemployment. Not only the players are being paid; there are other jobs, such as sports trainers, ticket salesmen, and vendors.

So, although professional athletes are not immediately helping with problems, such as fires and robberies, they are positively affecting people, specifically out youth. And, although I do think that some important jobs’ salaries are lower than should be, I do not think that professional athletes are overpaid, as a whole.

persuasive essay prompt #3

Armstrong, Travis Creative Writing Period 3 October 22, 2010   Persuasive Essay #3     “Carpooling, recycling, and planting trees are all activities that are good for the environment. Write an essay convincing readers to actively participate in one of these activities.”   What will you do when the world comes to an end? Where will you go when there is no where to go? Yes, this is quite a scary thought. Did you know that you likely are doing things everyday that bring this day closer and closer? Fortunately, there is something that you can do to help the Earth.             A lot of people have to drive to work. Also, multiple people work at the same location. However, employees still drive to the same location in different cars. I believe that there is one logical way to alleviate the situation. If these people get into the same car and drive to work they would release less smog into the atmosphere, and, in essence, help save Earth. Also, they would save money on gas if there is just one car driving to and from work.             Another way to help the environment is to recycle. Recycling is quite simple, yet many people do not do it. I believe that it is just because they do not care enough to drop their bottles and cans in the blue bin, rather than the black one. However, they will care when the world collapses around them. All that you have to do is save your bottles, cans, and paper and put them in recycle bins. This way we do not waste our resources, and do not help speed up the demise of our planet.

            One final way to help out the planet is to reserve electricity and water. Many people leave on lights and electronic devices when they leave a house. Just flipping the switch or pressing the button can help alleviate the problem with our environment. Another thing that people do is leave the water running while they brush their teeth. Although it does not seem like much of a waste, it does add up, and can be easily avoided by turning it off until you need it. Also, you could turn off the water when you are washing dishes until you need it.

            Many people say that our planet is doomed. However, there are things that we can do to help bring a halt to the death of our planet. Carpooling is one way. Recycling is another. You can conserve electricity when possible. One final thing that people can do is conserve water. I personally believe that if we all work together, we can handle the situation well and stop the threat.

Essay Prompt #4

“What is your all-time favorite movie and why? Write an essay persuading readers to watch this film.”

            Who does not love a feel-good, sports-related movie that they can relate to? Most people enjoy these movies. For me, this movie is The Sandlot. I can relate to it, and it can almost always brighten my mood.

            I love baseball; I love to watch it, I love to have conversations and debates about it, and I definitely love to play it. Baseball is one thing that I have always been able to do that took my mind off of negative things in my life. I have been playing since I was seven years of age. Even when I was younger, my father put me on to baseball, and I loved it.

            Another thing that makes me feel good is an interesting movie. I love comedies, but I also like action and suspenseful movies. However, my favorite type of movie is a sports movie. They usually have good storylines, and they also are often true stories, or based on true stories.

            So, when you combine two of my favorite things that make me happy, it obviously appeals to me. The Sandlot is a movie about a boy that moves to a new town. The boy is smart, gets good grades, and does not play sports, nor does he talk about or watch them. His worried mother sends him out to make friends. He stumbles onto a baseball field, and he sees some other boys there playing. The boy, named Smalls, embarrasses himself when he attempts to throw back the baseball that rolled over by his foot. He revealed his ignorance to the sport, and the other boys laughed at him. He ran home in melancholy. Another day, he was asked to go play with them by one of the boys, names Bennie, who helped him catch and throw. Smalls did well that day, and was invited to participate every day. By this time, he was accepted by the other guys as well.

Smalls became better and better, and hung out with them more and more. They all went through a lot of things together. One day, Bennie knocked the cover off of the only baseball that they had. Smalls went home to get a ball to play with, and grabbed one from his stepfather’s trophy case that was signed by Babe Ruth, not knowing its worth. He ended up hitting it into a yard for his first homerun. Unfortunately, that yard was patrolled by the Beast, who, according to the boys, was the biggest meanest dog ever. The guys put their heads together to figure out a way to get it back, but they came up with nothing.

Bennie had a dream in which Babe Ruth told him to just hop over the fence and get it. The next day, he did so, and ended up being chased around the neighborhood by the Beast. He finally won the battle, but the dog became injured in the struggle, and, despite their fear, the boys helped him, and Smalls lead the way. The boys, the dog, and the dog’s master all ended up friends.

This is my favorite movie because it had a good storyline, good characters, and, of course, it had to do with baseball. Also, the place where they played, named The Sandlot, is like a dream come true for me; I always wanted to be able to walk to a field and play a pick-up game with my friends. Despite my main reason for loving this film, which is the baseball references, I would recommend this film to others. It has a good plot and is a great family film.

Prompt #7

Eating is a necessity. Everyone needs to do it to survive. However, people do want to enjoy their meals. Foods that satisfy your taste buds are highly favored. Also, a lot of people choose to eat foods that help their bodies as well. When you can find a combination of the two delicacies you have accomplished a great feat.

I do not know how eating has evolved into choosing the foods that you will enjoy the most, because of taste and health. However, this is the case. Yes, I am guilty of performing the same stunt. But, is this because we are programmed this way from birth? If you have the chance to make the very difficult decision between a large, fattening, bad tasting hamburger, or a large, delicious salad with your favorite toppings on it? Well, most people will pick the salad rather than the hamburger, unless they just do not care much for salads. But if you had the chance to choose between a red, delicious apple and a nice, juicy orange, which will you pick? In this case it is entirely up to preference. But, the next time you are trying to decide what you want for dinner, and you pick the chicken sandwich, ask yourself, "Why?"

Prompt #6

When you have a question about your favorite sports team, your old high school, or the health of you or a loved one, what do you do? you look it up on a search engine on the internet, and you almost always find the answer that you are looking for. How do you communicate with your friends when you have a serious question about the homework due the next day, and you cell phone is not operating as it should? You send them an email, an instant message, or you talk to them through a social network, such as facebook, for example. What do you do when you have a teacher that wants to check all work electronically? You set up an account on Blogspot.com, and publish all of your work up on there. What is the common factor in all of these scenarios? The answer to this question is the internet.
Yes, the internet is a business for the people that offer the service. They charge, and sometimes over charge, the innocent consumers. For them, the internet is a great money maker. Although consumers paying for internet service are losing money, the internet greatly benefits them as well. Internet has many different features, such as being able to communicate with people, being able to find answers to an infinite number of questions, and playing many different types of games. Internet has been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I cannot imagine my life without this necessity.

Prompt #5

Imagine that you have very strict parents. Your parents very seldom let you get out of the house for anything other than school. You decided to ask them if you could go to a local party with your friends, although you do not expect them to approve. To your disbelief, your parents allow you to attend the function. You are very shocked, but extremely excited. You walk to the store on your way home from school, and buy yourself some new clothes to wear to the event. Your friends are just as excited and shocked as you are that you get to go. However, while you are at school, someone tells you that the party was supposed to be visited by local gang members. These gang members are notorious for causing trouble at parties. The gang members also are known for shooting random people with the firearms. What do you do?
This is a case where you and your friends need to find something else to do. You all need to change yourplans. This is because, although you do not get to go out often, this one night of fun is not worth your life, nor is it worth the lives of your dear friends. One solution to this issue is to ask your parents if you can do something else, such as all of you go to your friend's house, or you all go to the mall. Hopefully, one of these solutions will help you if this situation occurs.

Prompt #4

When you are worn out, tired, and need a break, you usually say that you want one thing. That one thing is a vacation. Also, you usually want that vacation to be as long as possible. People all over the world go on vacation for one reason, and that reason is becasue they want to relax. Therefore, most people go on vacation in relaxing places, such as The Bahamas, Hawaii, Jamaica, Fiji, or another island of this type. Most vacation spots have either a beach or a pool. They also have a lot to do at these locations, such as casinoes, malls, or spas for women. People also often travel a long way to get to their place of rest.

However, my ideal vacatino spot is just a couple of hours away from my current location by car. There is much to do in this beautiful city, and I would love to spend a vacation here. The great place that i am referring to is San Diego. San Diego is definitely one of my ideal vacation spots. San Diego is a pretty good spot to do some fishing, which is something that I really like to do. You could even get on a fishing boat and ride down into Mexican waters for some premier fishinf. Also, you can visit Sea World in San Diego. I have  never been to Sea World, but I have always wanted to go. There is also the San Diego Zoo to go visit. Finally, the numerous restaurants make this a premier vacation spot.

Prompt #1

Living outdoors can be a very interesting thing, especially for people that are not used to it. It, as most things in life, has its pros and cons. Living in the city is very convenient, since everything that you need, such as schools, stores, and libraries, are in the same area. Things are not like this in the country. Things are sometimes miles away, and would take a while to get to. This would make it difficult to get everyday essentials. Also, if you have children, their school may not be very close to your home. This daily commute to their school can easily eat up gas, and, in essence, your money. However, in the country, you likely have a lot of land. Therefore, you can grow your own produce. Also, you can dig a lake and stock it with fish. With these changes, trips to the grocery store will be less frequent. Also, you can hunt different native animals, such as rabbits, bucks, and does.  Also, living in the country can help you to stay healthy. You can do some gardening, there is plenty of space to walk or run, and the hunting and fishing can help your health as well. Living in the country also can also be very relaxing because it is quiet and there is not much to distract you, like car accidents and sirens on the streets. So, even though some things are difficult to do in the country, I think that the positives outweigh the negatives.