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*Make sure to click the "sound" button for the audio clip of Harvey Milk's last words.

María y Raquel

Solterito Por Chifa

Nosotros gustamos comer ensalada. Es divertido probar nuevos tipos. Hemos probado esta ensalada en un restaurante llamado "Chifa" y decidimos volver a crearo.

According to "Cambodia - Funding law approved for hydropower dams" by Vern Weitzel, "Cambodia remains starved for power and must import most of its electricity from Vietnam and Thailand"

According to "Sustainable Cambodia", their goals for Cambodia is to get: 

• "Fresh Drinking Water Wells
• Biosand Water Filters
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Vegetable Gardens & Irrigation
• Pass-On Farm Animal Program
• Micro-Business & Crop Micro-loans
• Beekeeping
• Village Healthcare Program
• Sylvia Lasky Memorial School (300+ grade-school students)
• Kravanh Bright Futures School (240+ grade-school students)
• University Scholarships (for grade-school graduates)
• Village Preschools
• Adult Literacy
• Mobile Libraries
• Vocational Education"

This list makes me feel sad because Cambodians living in Cambodia don't have freshwater that's accessible compared to us. Also in that list, is water filtering, so even if they have access to water, the water isn't even safe to drink and might even cause a deadly illness or disease. This list is very long, but has many ways to think of resourceable ways to keep things clean with a small price. From my previous post about children works picking up recyclables, if these volunteers teach  them about filtering and how to make them, they can affoard to get water no matter what. One thing I just do not agree with, is the scholarships, mainly because half the population in Cambodia aren't in school, so the money should be put more into get teachers.

According to "Brookline Cambodia Partnership", Education is the key to bringing about significant and lasting change and progress to the people of Cambodia."

According to "Brookline High Teacher Spur Drive to Build Cambodian Schools" by By Neal Simpson/staff writer

• "Staff and students at Brookline High School are helping to build a new school in Cambodia"
• "Brookline Cambodia Partnership to raise about $24,000 to help fund
  construction of an elementary school in a rural area of nation of about
  14.4 million people."
• "Cambodia is roughly the size of Oklahoma"
• "educational opportunities are limited"
• "more than half the population of nearly 14.5 million are under age 21"

Cambodia is in need of help with, not only the works and jobs, but also the education. From my previous and past posts, children in Cambodia are forced to do labor to make money for their family to live and because teachers need to be paid also to teach, the kids dont have a oppurtunity to go to school. Their aren't many school that are free left in Cambodia, so seeing people trying their best to give Cambodia an oppurtunity makes me happy because it's my family's native country and I love seeing all the support people give them.

 Blog 4 

 So you've been reading my blog,  and you feel like you have not been  moved?

Or you feel the need to change your daily use of water?.

Well according to MonoLake  water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water. 

Water Conservation Products : 

Household Products And More For Water Conservation 

Family FUN: 

Educational Game About Water Conservation For Families

How does water and energy connect:

Saving water also saves energy 6.5% of the energy used.

Saving energy and using alternative energy saves water electricity production from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, which is responsible for 39% of all freshwater withdrawals in the nation.

 Bettcha' Didn't Know This :

• Producing 1 lb of bread requires 500 gallons of water. 
• Producing a typical U.S. car requires more than 50 times its weight in water (39,090 gallons)
• Producing 1 serving (8 oz.) of chicken requires 330 gallons of water.
• Growing one cotton T-shirt requires 256 gallons of water
• 1 serving (8 fl. oz.) of milk requires 48 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (2 oz.) of pasta requires 36 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (4.6 oz.) of oranges requires 14 gallons of water. Producing
• Producing 1 serving (4.3 oz.) of tomatoes requires 8 gallons of water.
• Producing a typical American Thanksgiving dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water.

 http://www.preventchildabusetexas.org/images/items/prevent_child_abuse_mag.jpg

Child abuse is a type of thing you will find in all countries, no matter the race, gender, or age whether you five months to 18. If you look in the dictionary the technical definition is physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child. But it can also be more then that. It could be emotionally, verbally, and mentally harming a child. Children are very fragile when it comes to feelings and being mistreated and when they have been abused it can affect them for life.

 According to Vincent Iannelli M.D. in the United States alone about 50,000 reports of child abuse or neglect are made to child protective services (CPS) each week. 

So far, I have found a lot of shocking information about the Canadian Seal hunt. A lot of the information involves grusome pictures that are sometimes hard to view. Over all, a lot of the facts are great for supporting my thesis.

In future blog posts, I would like to do more research on the seal hunt in other countries. I wonder if the laws vary in specific countries. I would also like to explore the laws in for the Canadian seal hunt more in depth and visit PETA's website to see how they view the topic.

Animals deserve more respect. But quite frankly, humans don't have respect for them at all.

Seals in Canada are being hunted for two main reasons. The first reason is for their pelts. Hunters make money off of their pelts by selling them to use for clothing and other items. This is no surprise because pelts from other animals, like rabbits and bears, are used for the same thing.

However, hunters are also killing the seals because they believe the seals are eating
all of the codfish, which is the main export in Cananda. 

Over the years, the codfish population has drastically decreased. According to the website Boycott Canada, "By the 1990s, with northern cod stocks at only one percent of their
historic levels, it was clear decades of over-fishing had resulted in
an ecological catastrophe - in 1992, a moratorium was declared on cod
fishing."

The codfish are food for the seals. They need them to eat in order to
survive. It just so happens that humans are eating codfish too and over-fishing
them.

Big name corporations such as "McDonalds" and "Arthur Treachers" are using extreme amounts of codfish for food because it is firm and holds up well for frying and
freezing.

Because people are overfishing the codfish, they are becoming less and
less throughout the fishing seasons. But instead of cutting down on fishing, the fishers are blaming it on the seals. According to writer Clifford Krauss for the NY Times, "Fishermen contend that the abundance of seals is hindering a revival of
shrinking cod stocks since each adult seal eats an estimated ton of sea
life annually."

It is not because of the Seals. The lack of codfish is caused by human error.

Citations:

Boycott Canada. 2008. Respect For Animals, Web. 7 Jan 2010. <http://www.boycott-canada.com/info/facts.htm>. 

Krauss, Clifford. "New Demand Drives Canada’s Baby Seal Hunt." The New York Times.
05 Apr 2004. The New York Times, Web. 7 Jan 2010.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/international/americas/05SEAL.html?ex=1396497600&en=52563d7cc9b2f1d2&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=1>. 

What's the topic??

-The euthanization of animals in shelters.

Why does it matter?

-It matters to me. I picked it because innocent animals are being killed, "euthanized", because of really stupid reasons that can be fixed.It should matter to other people too, animals are part of our world.

How's the research going?

The research isn't so hard depending on the shelter I'm trying to find.

Looking up shelters in general is difficult, but organizations like the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have a site where I can find a lot of information.

Because I've already done a paper on this subject it makes it easier for me to know where to look for information.

What's next??

I want to do a little more research on the euthanization of animals, especially the reasons behind it. On the bright side I have a good start for links I can use. I have to research what is going on with animals, why so many are being placed in shelters and why people aren't adopting from shelters.

There are many different organizations that have joined forces to help ban seal hunting.

Many animal rights advocate groups, including The Humane Society, are urging more people to continue the fight.

Many coutries have already banned the "sport" all together.

These countries include Russia, Ireland, Paris, and Toronto.

According to a website called "Boycott Canada," a survey led by Schoen & Berland Penn in 2002 shows that 79 percent of American voters oppose Canada’s seal hunt.

This means that people within the chief-seal hunting country are even against it.

This just goes to show how big of an issue this is and how bad it needs to be stopped.

It is completely unacceptable in today's over all society. 

Citations:
Aldworth, Rebecca. "Hunt is Outdated." CBC NEWS. 19 Apr 2006. Web. 7 Jan 2010. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_sealhunt/aldworth.html>.

Boycott Canada. 2008. Respect For Animals, Web. 7 Jan 2010. <http://www.boycott-canada.com/info/facts.htm>. 

Killing animals is wrong and has always been wrong in my opinion. But there are people in certain countries, including Canada that actually kill them for fun!

There is a "sport" known as the Atlantic Seal hunt that takes place between March and May on the gulf of the Atlantic Ocean in Canada. Specifically, it occurs around the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island near Newfoundland.

Hunters literally go out with clubs and murder baby seals.

Harmless, innocent, 25-day old babies.

They were once even allowed to kill the babies that were merely 2 weeks old, known as "white coats." But that was banned because of the said cruelty.

I find it appalling how they don't find the act itself cruel.

The slaughters defend themselves by saying it is only for their pelts so they can be sold over seas, which is the only logical reason I can possibly accept but still despise.

They also say they kill them because they are eating all of the codfish. When in reality, the codfish are being over-fished by fishermen and people are blaming it on the seals. But this is a topic all in itself.

Although it is legal, I still find it to be inhumane and wrong and I wish it was never occurring. No animal deserves to be murdered for their beauty or for just plain sport.

Citations:

Raven, West. "MPs urge seal skin for Canadian Olympic uniforms." Save Feral Human Habitat. 07 May 2009. Web. 7 Jan 2010. <http://bullsheet.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/mps-urge-seal-skin-for-canadian-olympic-uniforms/>. 

Boycott Canada. 2008. Respect For Animals, Web. 7 Jan 2010. <http://www.boycott-canada.com/info/facts.htm>. 

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The polling place I attended was in the church around the
corner from my house. I did not attend a voting place last year for the
presidential election, but judging from videos and pictures posted by the media
of the packed rooms, and lines going out the door for the presidential election,
I already knew my experience was going to be drastically different. Not many
people showed up while I was there, but that may have something to do with the
fact that I did not choose a very busy time to go. However, despite the little
amount of people that showed up I was reluctant to get someone to answer some
of my questions. Finally, I noticed one of my neighbors on the committee, and
she agreed to be interviewed. She worked this years poll and last year, and she
basically said the things that I mentioned already - Far fewer people than last
year, and she said she wouldn’t even be surprised if most people didn’t know
who the candidates were. This lady has been my neighbor for years and she has
always been eager to help out in the community. So it wasn’t surprising when
she said that the most frustrating part of being a poll worker is the fact that
so little people care about these little elections, especially when these are
the people that are really going to make a difference in your community.

Obviously the soldiers carried a large physical load, however, I think The "Things" in "The Things They Carried" represents the emotional load. After killing that soldier, and the images left in O'Brien's head afterwards was a huge burden on him. He was being weighed down with his own guilt. The author decided to focus on that because of how vital it is that a soldier does not feel sorrow for the people that stand in his way while he protects his country.

"He was a slim, dead, almost dainty young man of about tweny. He lay with one leg bent beneath him, his jaw in his throat, his face neither expressive nor inexpressive. One eye was shut. The other was a star-shaped hole."

This is a quote that expresses the notion that although preparing for war has dehumanized him in a way, that he still feels emotion to what is going on. The amount of detail used isn't to necessarily give the reader an image of what he was seeing, but to relay the feeling of guilt that O'Brien feels because of this. And as a result of this guilt, he starts having visions about what this man's life could have been like before he died.

The chapter "Speaking of Courage" centered around Bowker returning home to Iowa after the war. He's done his duty and had the medals to show for it, but the world has moved on without him, he has nowhere to go. He just drives around reminscing and then thinks about telling his dad about how he almost won the silver star. When they camped out on a sewage field and were fired at, they lost Kiowa. He was enveloped by the muck and Norman had to let go of him to save himself. Norman realizes he has no one to talk to at all, and can never tell his story because he doesn't feel like he acted bravely enough.

This deals a lot with the after affects of the war, all these young men went to war as children and came home in a kind of suspended animation state. The world moved on. they were basically forgotten. If they survived the war they were simply expected to come home and act as usual, nothing differing from the norm. 

Over all, I really did not like this book. I could not get interested in it, no matter how hard I tried. But I read it, despite the fact that it was boring, lengthy, and un-interesting. I really disliked the opening chapter with the long sentences describing what the soldiers were carrying. I felt as though it was too long and too descriptive of things that weren't that important. In the future, I hope that we will read better books in English class. i am looking forward to reading some Shakespeare. :D

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In the chapter “The Man I Killed”, it dealt with a lot of
psychological issues that come with killing. It centers on O’Brien and more
specifically the man he killed with a grenade. The wounds he inflicted on the
man haunted him, and he thinks about what kind of person this man was and makes
up an entire history about him. He sees how insensitive the other members of
the platoon are and realizes he has to come to terms with the fact that he
killed another human being on his own.

The next chapter deals with killing in war again, when O’Brien’s
daughter asks if he ever killed anyone, because she believes that is why he obsessively
writes war stories. He insists he never actually killed anyone to her, but
thinks about what stories he would tell her when she was older. He talks about
an ambush that was made on him in My Khe. These chapters really dealt with
killing and psychological damage and guilt afterwards.

This is a response to the first paragraph of the chapter "Ambush."

 "When she was nine...writing war stories."

I find it hard to picture being in his situation. It must have been hard having to respond to your daughter after she asks you if you've ever killed anyone. I wonder how bad it must feel to have the reputation of a killer, let alone have to live with the remorse of it. Even if the killing was out of good intentions, like during a war, it stillmust be painful to have to live with the memory of it all. Just knowing that you ended someone's life seems like an unbearable remeberance. 

In this book, adaption is a strong theme that is present throughout the chapters. For example, when Mary Anne comes to the island to visit the army men, she becomes adapted to way in which the men live. She becomes crazy and begins to believe that she is a part of Vietnam. Her mind is set on the idea that living in a jungle atmosphere is ideal. She starts living as though she's fighting to survive when in reality, she can go back home and live a normal life. This shows that people adapt to certain situations differently and adaption can be a negative or positive change in someone's life.

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The Things They Carried is a very interesting story and is
relatable even though I’m not at war. Thinking back to the interview we
listened to and the question, do we trust the author, I do. It is not about
whether or not you trust the story is true. It’s about trusting the emotion
behind it. I think the emotion O’Brien writes about is what he would have felt
about being at war. I think its kind of what we all would feel like going to
war, worrying if we would ever make it home. I trust that he did research to
give accurate details and a full sense of the characters surroundings. I trust
the author put his heart in this book.

I find this specific section in the book to be quite amazing.It really lets you get into the mind of solieders and how they react to the complicated situation.The girl dancing her ritual dance was something seen as highly significant and respectable act.Dobbins trys to threaten his fellow solider for making a mockery of the girls dance which at first seems noble but in a diffrent prospective think about how pages early hes killing the her people.In times of great despiration do peoples logic and morals become adaptable to there situations.

Some of the chapters we read this week really made this war once again seem "real". A lot of different topics were covered. The chapter "The Dentist" dealt with how for a lot of the soldiers in Vietnam, physical pain seemed less torturous  than psychological pain. Curt was so afraid of the dentist he fainted before the dentist could even see him, the psychological impact of fainting like that in the middle of a war was so huge on him that he snuck back in and had a perfectly fine tooth painfully ripped out rather than face the anxiety of the dentist. 

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1956214/interview.m4a

https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/501971/interview%20on%20change%202.m4a

I think it’s crazy how the two guys made a pact to end each others pain if anything was to happen. At first I thought they were talking about doing whatever that could to help each if they were I pain. I didn’t realize they were talking about killing each other until the end of the chapter. I guess I would feel the same way if I were in that situation. I wouldn’t want to be left in the jungle to die. I would want it to be over quick and easy. When you’re in war you need to be functioning at your highest ability and if you’re hurt you can’t do that.

Desiree Mack 

Water

      When reading the things the carried it gave me a insight on millitary life. It showed me what life is like for a solider. I can start to understand how my cousin mark felt during is tour in Iraq. how hard it can be to miss the person you are in love with at home. So far I really like the book it feels relatable. I think in the long run Luientent Cross will start to regret focousing on Martha during the war. He already started to blame him for Ted Lavender's death. Martha will be his weaken in war but the strength to get him through the war. 

This chapter is the most connecting to war and the effects physically.With people dying and killing to help.That shocked me that someone would rather kill a comrad to put them out of misery then try to hold on to them.This rises lots of questions about faith and in times so extreme as war do people disregard there natrual beliefs.Like things such as not taking a life and being my brothers keeper.

this passage gives you a look at a man and is recollection of the war,and something notiable is the inconsistansy of his storeys.Meaning he starts off one place and in same passage might go somewhere els and it reminds me of forest gump.When hes telling the storey as a reflection and you see how he enphazises certain things that normally you wouldnt thing of and tim o brien does the same thing.For example when he metions the one legged boy and how he asked for chocalate.

Alex McGrorty

One of the main things this book has made me wonder is how anyone managed to survive the Vietnam War. The U.S. sent thousands of 20-somethings into a remote jungle where they knew nothing of the terrain or language. They had to act brave, to prove themselves. These young men, not much more than kids really, subjected to so much violence and terror. They could die at any moment and were painfully aware of that fact. And yet, they all felt the need to prove their worth to each other, to their parents and friends back home and probably to themselves.