1/25/11

Essential Question

We have read Invisible Man and The Great Gatsby, both of which have main characters that are conscience of those around them and how they affect those people, and where that will get them.

Gatsby shows that he has intentions to swoon a woman from his past and has had this deep care for her after years of being apart. He believes as if for most of the novel that he has unselfish intentions for everyone, but blindly acts on love for Daisy. The acts of Gatsby show a rise in what he becomes, simply for this one woman. But with the rise he quickly falls in a matter of days, ruining the other people’s lives of those he befriended during this time.


Much like Gatsby, the Narrator of Invisible Man does things to help improve his life. But Gatsby can be somewhat seen as a leader for people such as Nick and Daisy, while this Narrator tends to follow what people order him to do in his life, believing that is what is best for him. Similar to Gatsby he doesn’t see how his actions will affect people around him. He is blind to why he is be ordered around to do the tasks he is given by many of the characters. Until the end he doesn’t seem to consider what he has to offer people, until he lives underground and reflects how working for the brotherhood allowed him to be a traitor to everyone in Harlem.

1/7/11

Arts and Academics Post #4

Our schools are lagging behind the rest of the world. 
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/20/gates-and-weingarten-fixing-our-nation-s-schools.html

3. Schools in other countries have longer school days and longer schools years, and in other countries they often times are much more competitive.


In other countries they focus on helping their teachers, and that's why this country has stayed in the same place while the others have surpassed us. 


We spend a lot of money in the wrong places when it comes education. We aren't making the right investments. They also say though that ist isn't monetary issues, its that on a quarter of the teachers are very good, and we need to the rest to be just as good.


2. How do they know who is a good teacher and not? what are the qualifications of that, and what ways are people hiring that are helpful in finding the appropriate teachers?


What types of investments with money do other countries make when it comes to education that is making them so successful? 


1. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338 The journalist says that the problem with how public school classrooms are run if is that the kids don't stay interested and the classes are just bull.

Entertainment Post #4


   
Harry Potter plagiarism case dismissed

















1/6/11

Politics, History and Current Events Post #4

Health care repeal's cost: $230 billion to deficit

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/06/news/economy/health_care_repeal_cost/index.htm?hpt=T1

3. They say that if the bill is repealed it will cost the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars. Those Republicans who want to repeal this bill are also saying they will decrease the deficit but because of the cost of repealing the bill, it won't help.

If the legislation stays there will be a definite debt reduction from saving in health organizations.

Republicans say the reason they want to repeal it is to propose legislation that makes more sense fiscally.


2. How will repealing the bill cost the nation so much?

What kind of legislation would they propose that would be more helpful to the U.S. seeing as nobody can really agree upon any proposals that both parties have made.

1. http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/256349/obamacare-end-beginning-avik-roy. This person, agrees that coming to an agreement is difficult when everyone is so split in American.