Sustainability

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the words “sustainability” is the ability to keep something or sustain it, for it to be kept constant and within certain boundaries. When most people think of living sustainably can be found from the dictionary “Any lifestyle based on energy-saving and environmental responsibility” but I also think this term is limited to living based on saving energy and land but can be applied to government, or money and freedom. What I mean by this is if you look at the actual definition of the word “sustain” it means: to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure. To keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way. If you apply this to a society it could mean being able to keep money within the community or distributed equally so no one is too drastically affected by poverty, or so the whole society’s money doesn’t lose value. It could also mean that government or freedom is kept throughout the community and that everyone is supported and happy.

When I think of my freedom the first thing I think of is the freedom my parents allow me to have. If you base it on that I don’t have much freedom due to my parents paranoia that I am going to get kidnapped and die… If you look at a larger scale like the freedom the government gives me compared to adults we don’t have a lot. We can’t vote for who leads our country, we can’t really drive freely, we aren’t allowed to drink, work most places, buy a house, stay out on the streets past 11 pm (well at least in San Diego) etc… If you compare our freedom to other countries we actually do have a lot of rights. Boys and girls are allowed to go to school, we can wear anything we want, we can have any religion, we are allowed to participate in numerous activities etc. It just depends how you look at it and from what point of view you are taking.

As a 14/15 year old I think I can live my life more sustainably by paying more attention to world issues and problems America or my community is having and trying to help them and play my part in the solution. If you look again at the definition of “living sustainably” : “Any lifestyle based on energy-saving and environmental responsibility” If you look at our world today we are obviously experiencing major issues with our environment due to global warming, pollution and lack or recycling. If I wanted to help that I could recycle more or pick up trash, try to convince my parents to buy hybrids.

Reflection HW

1. How are you different now than when you started school in August?
I am different now because I have learned a lot more then I started school knowing, and have acquired many new skills. Many of these skills come from the projects we have done and project process. Some examples of this are during the Time Travelers project I have learned how to write a bibliography and how to cite in MLA format, which are two skills that I will have to use for the rest of my life. Another example is I have learned everyday things like how to put pipes together and simple construction through building a water filter. I have also learned to work with different types of people, and how to budget my time, thanks to task lists and group work. Working with different types of people is something incorporated in the HTH learning style, and it has opened my eyes with how to deal with certain situations that come with different people.

2. What skills do you think are the most important for succeeding in Humanities? Why? I think time management is an important skill for getting work done and succeeding in humanities. Time management is very important because if you include time for studying and projects then you will not be rushed and you will learn everything without taking shortcuts which could cause information to be lost or forgotten. Another important skill is trying to incorporate what we learn into your everyday life. An example of this is trying to incorporate different literary devices into your everyday writing so you become familiar with them and are comfortable using them in class, when you are required too.

3. One thing I would like to improve on this semester is....I am going to do this by.... Finishing DP work on time, and starting it early at the beginning of the project so I already have the basics on the page ready to go. I am going to do this by making a basic page and linking it, then looking through what I already know about the project, so I can have the basic steps already up on my DP. This is will really affect my grade in a positive way because so much of our grade is affected by our DP and DP reflections.

4. What are you most curious about? If you could study any topic, what would you study and why?
I am really curious about mysteries in history. Like how certain people died or were mysteriously murdered, or how archaeologists have never been able to explain how certain cities or civilizations have just disappeared. This is really interesting to me because there are so many different theories and research/project possibilities.

Dialectic Journals- Book Eight

"....so free from care was the posture the king assumed upon the earth, cushioned upon his cloak as a ground cloth, legs crossed at the ankles,arms folded across his breast, his eyes shaded by a straw sun hat and his head pillowed insouciantley on the bowl of his shield. He might have been a boy, herding goats in some sleepy summer dale." I think the author is trying to make the point that though Leonidas is a king, he is still a real person and can't be expected to be regal all the time. It seems that he is trying to escape the horrors of war and the time of his death through sleep, and just wants to relax in his final hours, and not just renew his energy. This passage is interesting for me because in books it never explains the small details, like people sleeping, but the author makes a point to describe how the king is sleeping, and how he looks while sleeping. I also think the comparison to a boy herding goats is interesting because i can totally see that image in my head, which helps me envision Leonidas.
"A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his mens loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake... He serves them, not they him." I think this quote is really moving and really easy to connect to. The Spartans view of a king is a hero, and a patriot. Leonidas died fighting for his country, taking all the pain so others could live. He did not watch men die for him, he died so they and their families would be saved. I think it's better to have a role model and leader that has endured the same hardships you have, and can help you through them because of their personal experience. You also want someone who does not view themselves as high above you, but someone that is comfortable talking to you and taking time to see and help you through life and struggles. All of this Leonidas did, and the Spartans loved him in return, and were happy to follow him into war, even though they knew they would die.

Dialectic Journals- Book Seven

"...they were one rumor away from terror, and one perceived prodigy from panic." I think the author is trying to bring the reader into the book and also give them insight on how the other army (the Persians) are feeling at that moment during the war. The point of this quote is to explain how afraid the Persians are currently feeling and how close they are to breaking from the strain of war and terror. The Persians have just finished the first half of the battle, and have witnessed how strong and powerful the Spartans are, and have endured a whole day of watching them slay thousands of their men. At this point they are so scared that one rumor (probably about more warriors coming to overtake them) or one "perceived prodigy" (an omen that may mean that they will all be killed or bring bad luck) would throw them into pandemonium, and terror. They are so scared that anything will throw them off the edge. I felt a connection to this quote because I too have felt that close to the edge of breaking that the slightest thing could throw me off into a form of chaos once or twice before, and I think the author did an excellent job of describing this feeling and state of mind.
"Odd as it sounds, the feeling within that cozy copse evoked a hearth of home, a haven. One could still smell that deery smell, the gamy scent of their coats... how sweet it would be, right now, to lie down here like the deer and close one's eyes. To allow all fear to depart one's limbs. To be, just for a moment, innocent of terror." This quote strikes me because I thought it was really strange that all these soldiers, while on a very dangerous mission, randomly find this little place while traveling. It's interesting that it would just appear, and something like that can exist, while thousands are dying, and fighting has broken out all around it. Although hell is surrounding this, this "heavenly" spot has been safe from harm, and remains quiet. I also think its interesting that the author includes the detail that about how cozy and great the deer smell to the men. It's weird to me because I don't think many people would say the smell of deer smells great. I believe he includes this because it reminds the soldiers of their homes, where they eat meat (like the deer), and the memories of hunting when they were healthy, happy and safe. I can also connect to this quote because at certain times I am so tired or angry, and there is all this chaos and noise going on around, but then I'll find a quiet place (usually in my house) where it is absolutely silent, and nothing has reached that place or broken the peace. It feels great to just breath and forget about everything, especially in a place that you feel totally sheltered from the outside world, as if none of the things that were bothering you can touch you.

Book 6 Dialectic Journal

"Why is it in a war you can't fall asleep when you want to and can't stay awake when you have to ?" I definitely agreed with the author when I read this quote because it always seems that when you have to stay awake you can't and when you want to sleep you have to when you're doing something really important that demands both these things at certain times. I can compare this quote to moments when I've been in shows where I have had to dance, and I am really tired because I've been dancing for hours but I can't fall asleep because I have to do another show. By the end of the night I'm all pumped up again and awake from just finishing a dance number so I can't fall asleep when I really need to, so I can get enough rest for tomorrows show.
"His right hand clasped the flare of his cheek piece and tugged the ghastly mask down, in an instant the humanity of his face vanished his gentle expressive eyes became unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the fierce eye sockets of bronze, all compassion fled in an instant from his aspect, replaced with the black mask of murder..." -chapter 24____ This passage really strikes me because it is such a clear image in my head, and the words are so powerful. The part of the quote where the author writes "unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the the fierce eye sockets of bronze..... the black mask of murder" really strikes me because it's so detailed. I can see the shadows from the mask making the soldiers eye's dark and harsh in my head, and what it means. It not only creates a clear picture in your head but it also indicates what the Spartans are trying to represent. "Black mask of murder" is meant to scare the enemy, and make them look like they are fit for battle.

What I'm Grateful For

I'm thankful for a lot of stuff right now!! First of all I'm really thankful for my family who visited me for thanksgiving. They live in Ramona and we haven't seen them in awhile. My Uncle Glen (my moms brother), my Aunt Lynn (his wife), her daughter Sydne, Sydne's boyfriend Sergio, their baby, Grace, and my Aunt Lynn's parents came to our house for thanksgiving. My other Aunt (my moms sister) also came. I haven't seen my mom's side of the family for awhile so this was a really big deal. This was the first time I met Sydne's baby Grace, who is now my second cousin. She is only a couple months old and she is a really happy, adorable baby. The only bad thing is she was sick on thanksgiving so she was kind of sad but still really cute.

I'm also really thankful for all the food we had. Everyone brought a dish and so we had a ton of food. My favorite food on thanksgiving is mashed potatoes and gravy, and my Aunt Terri's brown sugar yams. I'm really thankful for having so much food because I know that most of the world didn't have food that day. I'm a really big supporter of the Invisible Children organization, so I know that the kids and families that live in Uganda, Africa don't have any food or water at all most of the time. They have to spend all day trying to get food, and tons of kids and families are starving, on top of fighting AIDS. I feel really lucky that I am provided for here in America and that i have great food and an amazing family.

Another thing I am thankful for is my AMAZING FAMILY and FRIENDS!! I love both of my parents so so so soooo much! My mom always supports me and watches over me, and my dad helps me through everything and is so supportive of my decisions and helps me through fights with my mom. I love my brother and sister because even though they annoy me sometimes they're both so happy and fun. I LOVE my friends because they keep my life so exciting and they bring out the little kid in me and aren't afraid to be crazy with me and they have great advice and help my through every bump in the road!! They bring me laughter and love and i couldn't survive without all of them!! I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving bye!!!

Oh and I'm also thankful for the amazing opportunities that I get from school and the opportunity to have a great education. :-)

Dialectic Journals Book 2

PICTURE: view the quote from Chapter 10 (scroll down) and my response... " fear the sea anytime, but never more than on a moonless night and in the hands of strangers"

Chapter 8: "...convulse with perverse glee at the misery of whatever luckless mate now found himself spitted above the coals. Up and down the lines of boys, teeth sunk into tongues seeking to suppress his fear-inspired hilarity." -80

I found I have connections to this passage because it seems the boys/soldiers first reaction to fear, or an awkward emotion is to laugh, with I often find myself doing in situations like that. When someone is yelling at someone near me, where I am in danger of getting yelled at too I find I laugh in hysteria. The part of passage where he says "convulse with perverse glee at the misery of whatever luckless mate now found himself spitted above the coals" I can relate to because I laugh in hysteria because someones being hurt/yelled at, which is also mingling with happiness that I am not in their place. This connection helps me understand how they (the other soldiers) feel about Alexandros (the boy being beaten) and the overall feeling of the group. I can almost see their facial expressions too, because I know how me and my friends look in that situation.

Chapter 9: "For once the flesh is seized, a phobokyklos, or loop of fear, may commerce, feeding upon itself, mounting into a runway of terror. Put the body in a state of aphobia, fearlessness, the Spartans believed, and the mind will follow" -78

I thought this quote was interesting because I think most people are terrified when their flesh or body is harmed, so I understand where the "loop of fear" or "phobokyklos" comes from. I think is is interesting that the Spartans believed that if your body is in a state of "aphobia" then your mind will follow, because I believe most fear is created mentally, which then affects your body (instead of the other way around). I believe that because of your past experiences/beliefs/memories; your mind creates fears, that trick yourself into thinking things that effect your body. I think if you can overcome something mentally, it will help you physically, instead of the other way around (like the Spartans believed). This is kind of like if you feel sick, when its really just your head telling you that you feel badly.

Chapter 10: "I fear the sea anytime, but never more than on a moonless night and in the hands of strangers."
I feel like I can definitely connect to this quote because I'm pretty much terrified of the sea and sailing in general. This is mainly because I am scared of anything that goes really fast or has sudden turns or drops, which usually happens because of the waves rocking the boat. If I was in the characters position I would be SO scared because I wouldn't be able to see what was happening (due to the "moonless night) but I could still feel all the motion. I would also not be able to know if something was going to happen, so I could prepare myself for it, but instead I would be shocked and suddenly terrified if a big wave came (or something scary like that). It would be like being spun around with my eyes closed, then being dropped on a roller coaster blindfolded (I HATE roller coasters.... dislike them with passion). If I was "in the hands of stranger" it would be so much worse because I wouldn't know how well they sailed, or their style of sailings, it would be a whole new experience.