Friday, March 5, 2010

Topeka "renames" itself "Google, Kansas"

Topeka "renames" itself "Google, Kansas", by Sutter, John CNN News, 3/2/10, Tech CNN.com



The mayor of Topeka, Kansas Bill Bunten has an email account, but his assistants take care of most of his Internet stuff. Although, Bunten still thinks that the youth of Kansas could use faster Internet speed. And so he has decided that Topeka should rename itself for a month. "What"? You may ask. Well the answer is "Google". "Google, Kansas". The mayor was quoted saying "It's just fun. We're having a good time of it. "Why"? Another question you might ask. Well, here's the answer. Google is doing a program that several cities are battling out for it to be placed in. This program is called the "Fiber of Communities" program. Google will set up extremely fast Internet speeds. The data transfer rates will skyrocket further than 1 gigabyte per second. According to CNN google will choose 1 or more cities for the pilot project. Bunten has hopes that their name change will get the companys attention, and will choose the new city of google as their test subject.

Renaming the city of Topeka as google sounds very ridiculous, and yet on the other hand it does seem harmless. There is nothing wrong with it. Although if this plan to get fast internet speed doesn't work then mayor Bunten would have gone through this whole thing for nothing. Also the mayor of Topeka barely ever uses the internet. As it was said in CNN.com. That seems very strange.

1. Why do you think Bunten wants faster internet when he would barely ever use internet?

2. Do you think it's ridiculous or silly for Topeka to rename itself Google?



Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Raised in the U.S., but still illegal



by Preston, Julia
New York Times
Pages 8 to 9
March 15Th





An honors student at Harold Washington College named Rigoberto Padilla was arrested January, 2009. Why? Because he ran a red light? But as you'll soon see the plot thickens. It was then discovered that Rigoberto was illegally brought to America when he was 6. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that over 1,000,000 people have done the same as Rigoberto. According to the article on January 4th, immigrants from Miami Dade College started four months worth of walking. Their route was from Miami to Washington D.C. as a protest to the lacking of granting legal status to illegal immigrants. The four were quoted saying they have a "deep desire for complete citizenship." The four are doing this "citizenship walk" because they have hit dead ends in their jobs because they lack in legal status. They walk for a passage of legislation called the "Dream Act". The Dream Act will provide citezenship to the illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. when they were under sixteen, graduate from high schools in America, and who do two years of college or do service in the military. The national coordinator of We Dream, Carlos Saaverda said this "maybe our parents feel like immigrants, but we feel like Americans because we have been raised here on American values."


In my opinion I don't really get why there really needs to be citizenship and things like that. From my point of view it seems like someone can only be from the place they were first. It's like moving from Ohio to New Jersey, and then you can't find a job because everyone says "sorry you have different nationality." Why do immigrants need the governments permission to live in the U.S.? I can't think of one reason it's a law.
1. Why do you think people might want proof of citizenship in everyday lifestyles.
2. Why "other than jobs and school" do you think that immigrants might want citizenship.









Friday, February 19, 2010

Romeo and Juliet thesis by Seth

  How Romeo and Juliet Died
by Seth




     Friar Lawrence is to blame for Romeo and Juliet's death to Romeo and Juliet. He didn't even learn his lesson. At the end Friar Lawrence had just run off when he had heard someone coming. For example "Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay"  from Act 5, Scene 3, line 164. He told Juliet to leave the scene quickly. This shows that Friar Lawrence had just run away from everyone when they had come.  No one could teach him anything and  because of that it shows he didn't learn anything. 

     It's weird how after the Friar said his sort of "speech" the Prince said this, "We still have known thee for a holy man" from Act 5, Scene 3. I think this either shows a sort of special treatment because Friar's a priest, or the Prince was surprised.  At the beginning when the Capulets and the Montagues had a sword fight the Prince was really strict. For example, "If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of our piece" from Act 1, Scene 1, lines 98 and 99. I didn't see that same strictness at the ending when three people were killed.  

 What's confusing is that the Friar had gotten two teens married, and their death had been the resolution to the fighting. For example Capulet said "Oh brother Montague give me thy hand"  from Act 5, Scene 3, line 306. This quote shows what I mean. He actually made things peaceful by causing so much chaos.  There was already some chaos before with the fighting, so by adding more he helped make made peace. Shakespeare had written something I can't really understand.


     Romeo and Juliet had died from the Friar's foolishness. He had run away, he had gotten lucky because of the Prince, and even more lucky that the Montagues and Capulets didn't try to kill him. If Friar Lawrence did one of his actions differently the two would still be alive. 

  
      

 

Friday, December 18, 2009

John Cooke's Journal




John Cooke's Journal 14 response





10/12/1621/



  This place is horrible to live in. The New England coast is cold. We can barley plant anything. I'm sure that if we didn't send fish, wood, and so on to England we would die! A couple days ago we met a tall Indian named "Samoset."

  Later he came with many more Indians and a man with great power "Massasoit."There was a man who knew very well English we named"Squanto." Right now he's being taken to England. Earlier today "John Carver" our governor took Massasoit to his home to make a peace treaty.

  Squanto was a very useful tool of god. He taught us how to plant corn and to fish. It's a shame that he has to leave to England.



10/20/1621/





  After our bountiful harvest we invited the Indians for a great feast that will last for who knows how long. We're going to call it the 1621 Harvest Celebration. I hope we have harvest's like this all the time.



 

10/24/1621/







  We had elected "William Bradford new governor. For a strange reason John Carver died mysteriously. He made a record of people who arrived on the next ship "Fortune." The rest of my family came on that ship. I was very happy.    




















John Cooke Response 15 seth


John Cooke Response 15 seth



1/2/1630/


  Today is horrible. A bunch of Puritans copied our idea and came to New England. I bet I can't throw a stone without hitting a puritan .  The puritans think that they're always right. They hate Quakers. I think they should still respect the people of different fate even if they are dead wrong. But John Winthrop said to us all "We must consider that we shall be as a city on a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us." For a reason I have no idea why they brought a charter from King Charles.



 

1/3/1630/





The charter is giving us a bunch of new rules making life here so much harder. For reasons I don't know they look down on us. I think it's because they want to change the churches. I wonder why they pretend they're perfect?  I mean we did run away from England but look at what they did.





1/4/1630/





  I gotta say there must be hundreds of puritans here. Although complaining doesn't get me anywhere. At least it's better than having people who expect you to go to their church. It's alright that the puritans are reminding me it could be worse.

 Well the light is leaving I should retire.












  









Monday, December 14, 2009

John's journal



John Cooke's journal13 response


11/6/1620

 I'm going to have to leave Holland with my father and go to the New World. I'll miss my friends, mother, and sisters. Although I do have a good feeling about a new place to live. My father says in our new home we can practice our own religion. The church of England is so stubborn with other religions we had to go to Holland, and now we're going to the New world. The crew of the ship is going to follow the map of one of the first people to come. "John Smith." The map looks pretty old but promising.
 

 Dad says that we will be happier in the new land and I hope that he is right. I already miss my home in Leiden, Holland and the ship had just left the dock. My old home is soon to become a fading memory as the sight of it fades in the mist. Right now this trip clearly isn't worth it.    
  
 My living space is aggravatingly small.  I can't even go on the dock and breath air that isn't soaked in seawater.  I feel so trapped down here with the ever rotting stench of the sea. My father has just told me that there are 100 other people on the ship! I'm surprised that 102 people can fit on this ship.
    
 I did also learn that there are some interesting people here. I met a man with the same name as me called John Alden. He is related to the master of the ship Christopher Jones. The other john is the cooper of the ship. I had also met Mary Chilton and she told me that her father was hit in the head with a rock and is in desperate need of medical attention.She says that a year ago she, her sister, and father were caught in an anti armination riot and then and there was where her dad got hit. She's about my age also. The last person I met was Francis Eaton. All his siblings were killed except for his brother when a disease was spread throughout his home. He works as a home carpenter. He has a son named Samuel and a wife named Sarah. That's all the people I met today, and I think that the sun has about left.

      

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Columbus log Chp. 16


Columbus log Chp. 16









 Captains log October 9th
 This was a hard day the men I sail with wanted to stop sailing. It almost put an end to my dream. I would have to say good bye to the sea air, the seagulls, and the waves. I had to tell those people they could kill me if we didn't see land in three days.

  
  Captains log October 12th
 I had figured that I would die that day I would say goodbye to my adventure and life. I was sad until I heard someone shouting "Tierra" which in English means land! I was saved. I named the new land we stopped on "San Salvador" as a gift to god because it means holy savior. Later that day I learned something odd. I wasn't in China! I figured I must be in an island in the indies.

 

  Captains log October 13th
 It's strange here how the Indians don't understand Arabic, but I will not complain. It doesn't bother me that much. The Indians here are very nice they gave us these wonderful birds and amazing cotton thread. All they wanted in return was beads. The Indians then took me to a place where they wear gold! They have a very strange custom of setting fire to herbs and putting them in their mouths. It is a very odd habit of the people.