I Think; Therefore I Care....

Since last week, the answers to many of your questions were thought-prooking, honest, reflective and well-written, I decided a few more good ones would serve you all well.
Keep in mind, these posts are private, they are read only by me and each of you and thatI will, as I did last time, answer them as well.
They are also a quiz grade, so take your time and THINK.

1. Do I ever settle for less than I know I deserve?  If so, why? If not, why?
2. Am I judgemental? 
3. Am I mostly positive or mostly negative about things? Why?
4. Do I pray only when I want something?
5. Do I have a high expectation of other people, and their actions?  If so, why? If not, why?

Think think think. And when you're done, think some more. <3

"I Think; Therfore, I Am"

There is an old proverb that says, basically, if you cannot ask you cannot live. Well, it sounds deeper and more profound than that but I can't think of the exact wording.
Carefully consider the questions below, and do your best to reflect and answer them as honestly as possible.

1. What am I grateful for?
2.  Am I honest?
3.  What do I need to change about myself?
4.  Do I know what my talents are and do I utilize those talents?
5.  When I help someone, do I think, "what's in it for me?"

Again, answer honestly--no one will judge you, especially me.  In fact, I will answer them too.

Quiz Grade

Emotions

In your opinion, what is the most powerful emotion?  Love, hate, jealousy, indifference?  Why?
Provide an example that illustrates exactly how that emotion is the strongest one of all.  Be as detailed as possible.

The End is Near....

Thus far, what has been your most meomorable moment in the 2010-2011 school year? 
It could be sports-related, class-related, personally-related or whatever you feel stands out in your mind as the thing you will reflect on when the year is over.

(350-400 words/50pts)

Senior Wish

You need some imagination for this one, folks.  Take a minute and imagine that a genie, wizard, alien--something that has magical power and can grant you one wish--BUT, you have to give your wish to ANOTHER PERSON.
What would you wish for?
Who would you give your wish to?
Why?

"Suffer the Little Children..."

At some point, I will probably write an OP about crappy childhood memories that shaped my life etc etc, blah blah blah...Everybody has a story and for better or worse, our childhoods are what set us on the path to adulthood. Sometimes the harder and more painful they are, the better off we become-- as crazy as that sounds.  Sometimes, the opposite happens. It all depends on the person, the memory, the childood etc.
So, this week, I would like you to dig deep and think about your most memorable childhood moment.
What was it?
Did it shape the way you look at things, the way you act toward people and the way you look at yourself?
Why?

Success

What is your definition of success?
How will you know if you have achieved it?  How did your definition of it come to be what it is?
Has it changed over the years?

If You Could Change the World...

Mohandas Ghandi once said:  "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
I've tried it--it's hard, but I keep trying. 
Change is hard. We already know this, and some of you will find out in a few months, change happens fast and comes at you when you least expect it.  But, for as scary as it can be, it also provides opportunities and opportunities are good.
So, let's think BIG PICTURE for a moment and step outside your daily life here in sunny ML or Mullica or AC or wherever you live.
Out of these three world-wide epidemics, problems or concerns, which one would you change and WHY.

1. WAR
2. RACISM
3. POVERTY

How would you change the once you choose?

Think carefully--this blog counts as a test grade.

350-400 words

Loneliness

In the book 1984, one of the main themes is how isolation can affect a person and a person's ideas and well-being.  Winston is a lonely, isolated individual in the story.
Tell me why.  Be precise and be specific. (If you have slept in class this will be difficult, but that's what you get for disrespectfully sleeping in class. So mehhh!!)

Next, talk about a time you have ever felt lonely or isolated in the way Winston does. Examples of this could include being around a bunch of people who believed something you didn't or who engaged in activities that you thought were a bad idea, or just about anything that set you apart from other people and made you think you were the only one in the world who felt the way you did.

(400 words/50 pts)

The Plan

For the most part, kids are notoriously bad at planning for the future. It's one of the things that keeps a kid, well, kid-like I guess.
Now, this is a generalization and I don't mean to insult you Type-A folks who plan out your lives to the second because that feels better. I'm talking about kids as a rule--the norms not the exceptions. 

As seniors, you are getting ready to leave the halls of Oak and go and make your way in the world and that can be a very scary concept. It becomes less scary however, if you prepare for some idea of what the future may bring.
So, my question for you this week is--do you have a plan?  If so, what is it?  If not, how come?

Mean What You Say. Say What You Mean. Sometimes it's Just Mean.

What is the worst thing you have ever said to someone? 
What prompted you to say it?  What were the circumstances surrounding the incident?  Are you sorry? Does anyone else know about it?
How would you feel if someone said the same thing to you?  If you knew that the things you say had a long-term effect on the people you say them to, would you still say them?  How do you feel when you hurt someone's feelings with words?  Many questions here, be sure to answer ALL of them

Human Nature is an Oxymoron

In your opinion is it more prevalent to see:

Good people trying to be bad?

OR

Bad people trying to be good?

Support your opinion with three valid reasons based on personal experience, things you see on tv and/or things others have told you.

Pride and Glory

Passion. Courage. Conviction (not the word that means convicted of a crime). These words are largely subjective--which means everybody's definition will be based on their own experiences and personalities. That said,  I would like you to look them up before you answer this week's blog question. Once you do that, consider the following:

1) What is it in your own life, this life that you have been given, that you would die for?

2)  What is your passion; what gives you courage; about what do you hold an unshakeable conviction?

 Once you answer those questions, go back to the original--what would you die for? Do your answers to the second set of questions fall in line with the first?

Under, Over or Middle-of-the-Road Achiever?

True or False?

You always do your best in everything you try.

Answer with complete honesty and talk about the reasons why that statement is true or false.

Study for Your Midterms!!!!

Dearest Senior Babies,

I love you all.
Get off the computer and READ,STUDY and LEARN.

Thanks,
Bunj

The Bucket List

Besides being the title of a not-that-great movie, The Bucket List is an actual thing that people make.
If you don't know what it is, basically, it is a list of things that you want to do before you die or "kick the bucket."  I have one--it has about 25 things on it.  I don't want you to do that many--only 5.
BUT, I want you to explain EACH of those 5 things with a "why," which, as you know, is the most important part of any question. Well, to me anyway. :)

Good luck!

Resolution Revolution

I hate New Year's Resolutions! I really do--I feel like they are set ups for imminent failure and who wants to fail?
So, this year, I didn't make a resolution, instead, I set a goal. I'm going to love Kristie Aaron forever. FOREVER. FoRevEr ;)  She wrote that, pay no mind to it.

So--I will tell you mine, but you have to tell me yours first.  What is your goal for the 2011?
 Go into detail and make sure you go in-depth about what you hope to achieve and what you think you are capable of doing AND what you have already done.
(300/350 words/60 pts)

7-Point Creed

As usual, I'm behind.
I'm behind in my housework, I'm behind in my bills and I'm behind in school work. You know what they say about the best-laid plans...errr, right? Well, honestly, I don't know what they say, but I know it's something about how having the best plans does not always guarantee the results you expect.
But, it is what it is, so onward and upward!

John Wooden is known as being one of the greatest coaches of all time; he is one of my personal heroes, and you know I don't have many.
One of the things he is known for in his coaching and in his life, is the 7-Point Creed. See quote below:

John Wooden's Seven Point Creed,[1] given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:

* Be true to yourself.
* Make each day your masterpiece.
* Help others.
* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
* Make friendship a fine art.
* Build a shelter against a rainy day.
* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.


If you don't know who John Wooden is, look him up--his story is quite remarkable. As I said, I deeply admire him and the things he has accomplished as a coach and as a human being. As you know, I don't say that about very many people.
In any case, your task for this week is to come up with your own 7-Point Creed and share it here. I know that I am asking a lot of you. I know that this is not something you can do in two days. And this is why I am extending the deadline until Friday night. You will really need to put a lot of thought into this. And because you are, you can be sure that this is not as assignment that will stand on its own; you will see this, in some way, again in the future.

If coming up with your creed proves difficult,ask yourself these questions to help you along:

What do I value?
What are my morals?
How do I want to be perceived by others?
What do I want my legacy to be?
What have I learned in my life?
What else do I want to learn?

Now, I certainly don't want you to answer those questions and consider that to be your creed. Remember, a creed is a sort of guideline for living, but it is also completely subjective. Look at Wooden's creed again. The statements there are kind of ambiguous and can be open to interpretation, don't you think? So, when you are doing this, try to keep that in mind. However, it is precisely BECAUSE the statements are ambiguous that you will have to explain what you mean by them, what they mean to you and why you chose them. Always the why.
What you are basically doing is creating a blueprint by which you can live your life. YOUR life. Nobody else's.
After all, who is more important than you?
substantive response/50pts

"I Am Whatever You Say I Am..."

Ahhh...the unwitting brilliance of Eminem. He's no Lupe or Jay-Z, but although, not my favorite rapper, I do honor him as a poet. His ideas are always worthwhile, and although many find his...verbiage, distasteful, offensive or unintelligent, I sort of welcome his viewpoints and his unique expressive take on the world at large. And the song the title references is pretty cool, so...
How many times have you said to yourself, and for that matter, to anyone who would listen--"I don't care what anyone else thinks...". I know I've said it at least once in the past month! In our heart of hearts, though, do we really believe that?
It seems an age-old question, but it is one that may not have just one answer: to what extent do other people's perceptions of you have an impact on the decisions you make?
Peer pressure, parental pressure, self-imposed pressure, all these outside, or inside, forces have the potential to make you act, or react, in ways that you normally might not if never exposed to those influences. My question is: Why? Why do we care? Why is it important? Why do other people's perceptions or expectations of who we are have so much of an influence on us? Or do they? Be honest with yourself when you answer. After all, it's just us.
(400 words/55pts)

All Creatures Great and Small

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Mohandas Ghandi said that, and I, animal-lover to the core, believe it whole-heartedly. I do, after all, have four dogs, and I truly believe my life is better for having them in it. Except when they poop in areas not designated as pooping areas. Like, in my closet for example. Ugh.

If I could, I would have goats, horses, a chicken or two and maybe a peacock to round it all out. Cats--well, they need love too and I have owned many in my lifetime, but I could probably go the rest of my life and not own another one. But, I find them exquisite to watch.

Now, in some cases, makes me a hypocrite because despite my aforementioned affinity for creatures of the four-legged variety, I am NOT a vegetarian. Barbecued chicken or steaks on the grill are way too good for me to pass up, and I NEVER met a burger I didn't like. However, I have been known to start fights with strangers at the dog park because of what I believed to be unnecessarily harsh treatment of their dogs, and I also think the punishments for animal cruelty should be higher than what they are currently. By a lot. Don't even get me started on Michael Vick. I lock my dogs in a safe place the second #7 jumps onscreen. Eww.

Now, onward and upward.
Do you have a pet?
What kind? What is his/her name?
How did you choose that name?
Do you believe that you can communicate with your pet or with animals in general?
Can they communicate with you? How do you know?
What is your take on the activists that spend hours campaigning for the rights of animals? Are they wasting their time frivolously when they could be helping human beings out there in the world?
Do animals even HAVE rights? Should they? Should there be a limit to what people do for them? If so, what is it? If not, where do you draw a line? (400 words/50pts)