It's Not Crazy, It's My Life.

            This month has been one of the most stressful and fun in my whole life. Right now I am struggling to get done with so many things for so many classes. I have to read A Tale of Two Cities( the hardest and most confusing book I have ever read) by midterm, I have multiple tests coming up in math on things that I am still struggling to grasp, my homework level has been at an all time high, and on top of all that, I have been missing a lot of school lately. But even then, this week was a party!

            his week I celebrated my 15^th birthday on Monday. I convinced my mom to let me go skiing all day with my little brother. So I went and missed a whole day of school. This seemed great at the time, but I am kind of regretting it now. I did have a wonderful day skiing in the great snow and beautiful sunshine. That day I missed Computer Tech, which is a really bad class to miss because if you fall behind, catching up is very tough. I did go after school to get help with that and I cleared some things up that I didn’t understand before, so that was very lucky. I have commenced reading a Tale of Two Cities, and it is a very tough read. I do enjoy a challenge, but finding half an hour a day to read it is a struggle. My math class has been especially challenging of late, and the homework just seems to pile up.

            While this week has been very hard, it has been a blast. It was spirit week so we had Pajama Day, Hat Day, ugly sweater day, and my personal favorite: Socks and Sandals day! This day was my idea so I guess I am pretty biased. We also had an assembly this week. I only had one thing to say, but being in the assemblies are always fun no matter what, because you get to miss class and be with the other SBOs. We also had cheerleader/ officer switch day. This is when all the Cheerleaders give the officers their jackets, and the officers do the same for the cheerleaders. Then at the girl’s basketball game, the officers are the cheerleaders and vice versa. I found out that being a cheerleader is hard work! I would much rather be an Officer any day.

The main thing that brought me joy this week was being in the State Honor Choir. This is a choir that pulls 390 kids out of the state to come sing a selection of beautiful songs together. A few students are selected from each school to participate, and I was one of the lucky few. You get the music about two months in advance to practice it, then you have one day where you practice these songs from nine in the morning to five P.M. Then you have a performance the next day. This was the most fun thing I have ever done in a choir.

The Saharan Desert

Was there a time today where you thought that you were going to die of being too hot or too cold? Did you hurry to change the setting on your thermostat so you wouldn’t have to suffer the hardship of being uncomfortable? If so, you probably wouldn’t like to live in the Saharan Desert, where temperatures can become a matter of life and death. The Saharan desert is a very unique area in many ways. These may be put into three categories, the area’s unique terrain, climate, and culture. Let’s start off with the unique terrain.

            The Saharan Desert has very unique terrain features. In this desert, there are seas of huge san dunes that stretch for miles. These large piles of sand we call sand dunes are piles of wind blown sand can stand up to 300 meters tall. The Arabs call these seas of sand “ergs”. Another interesting landform that is found in the Sahara is Desert Pavement, flat land that is covered in gravel the Arabs also have an interesting name for the formation, calling them “regs”. These formations can be found in the western part of the Sahara, in a country called Mauritania. A Sabkha, the Arabic word for a salt flats, is a dry lake bed of a once present salty lake. They are present in the eastern part of the Sahara. A large part of what shapes these formations comes from the Saharan desert’s unique climate.

            The Saharan Desert has a very unique climate. Temperatures in this desert can go up from 136 degrees Fahrenheit in the day, to below freezing at night. This paired with the low precipitation(less than 10 inches per year) makes the Sahara a very tough place to live in. Dangerous dust storms also occur in the Sahara. This happens when wind blows large amounts of sand into the air, creating massive waves of sand flying so fast it can take the paint of cars and damage people’s skin. The climate of this land has not only shaped the rock formations, but the people as well.

            The Saharan Desert and its people have a very unique culture. The main use of transport for the many tribes people in the Sahara is the Camel. These amazing animals can go for months without water and can carry large weights across the desert, making them very useful for the distances tribesmen travel. These animals can have one hump (Dromedary) or two humps (Bactrian). These tribesmen also need a place to sleep in the cold temperatures, so they use large tents. The music of the Saharan People is also very interesting, at night many like to watch as the women dance for the men to music that is very influenced by middle eastern music.

            The Saharan desert has a very unique terrain, climate, and culture. The Saharan way of life is certainly different from the rest of the world. When our days become what we call “hard” or “discouraging” we would do well to remember to put our lives into perspective to the hard life of a person who lives in the Saharan Desert.

Snow Removal

            During the winter, one job that I have is to shovel snow. I shovel the walks and driveway at my house and at my neighbor's house. The prospect of snow shoveling has made me try to will the snow not to fall, but it does. One of my favorite things to look at is a freshly shoveled driveway. It is great feeling when you can admire your hard work every time you go past the driveway. Although, what goes on behind the job can be a lot different than people think.

            One time as I went over to my neighbor’s house to shovel his driveway, I was able to use the snow blower he keeps in his garage. As I blew the snow off his walk, I suddenly saw two of his Christmas light up ornaments on his front lawn fall over. I stopped my work to try and figure out why this had happened, before I realized that I had pulled the electric cord that hooked into the ornaments with the snow blower, and had knocked the light-up snowman and Christmas tree into the snow. While I had to spend a few extra minutes setting the decorations right, I still think that was pretty funny for myself.

            Another snow removal mishap that I have had was when I got a newspaper stuck in the snow blower. There is not much to tell about this story except for the way that I ran into a newspaper hidden in the snow, and the snow blower quit working. I then had to stop the engine and work on getting the chopped up paper out of the snow blower.

While I don’t necessarily enjoy doing snow removal, these things can certainly make the job more interesting.

The Highest Peak in Germany: The Zuchspizte

             When I was in the  great continent of Europe, I was privileged to go to the top of the Highest Peak in Germany: The  Zuchspizte. The massive Zuchspizte looms over you as you drive to the base of this huge mountain. At 3000 steep meters to the top, this would daunt any hiker’s abilities. But fortunately for me, a high tech tram is available to take you to the top. As you step into the hot, crowded, and sweaty tram, you might want to turn back. But as you start to glide up the mountain, all thoughts of your discomfort leave your brain. I found myself so engrossed in the beautiful mountains and forests spreading out beneath me, I started to feel light in the head. I then realized that my ears needed to be popped, and after doing so, I soon realized I was at the top of the rocky mountain. After getting out of the claustrophobic tram, you wander out onto the deck where the view of the mountains is breathtaking. We also stopped to see hikers who have successfully climbed the steep face, getting a huge celebratory beer and bratwurst.  After being on the deck, my dad and I went to the very tippy top of the mountain, where there is a monument. It is a short 25 meter stroll, but you have to hang on to the handrails to avoid falling off the mountain. After feeling pretty great about being on top of Germany, we took the tram back down to the bottom, popping our ears once again.

Teenagers and Energy Drinks: A Dangerous Combination

Most American families disapprove of illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine. But what they don’t realize is that high caffeinated energy drinks are just as dangerous. And with 3 billion dollars being made annually on these drinks, energy drinks are fast becoming a big issue. High caffeinated energy drinks should be banned for teens because they are addictive, they are unhealthy, and are gateway drugs.

            High caffeinated energy drinks should be banned for teenagers because they are addictive. Caffeine is an addictive substance found in high amounts in energy drinks that raises heart rate a blood pressure, giving teens an energy boost for a short time period. Most of these energy drinks contain 80 to 300 mg of caffeine per serving. While a whopping amount of caffeine is in one serving, the numbers get even higher when you consider that some people drink two to four servings a day. Many Teenagers who drink energy drinks find that they continue to want more and more of the drink. Teenagers that become slaves to these drugs might endanger their community by committing crimes such as robbery or even murder to get their drug fix.

           

            High caffeinated energy drinks should be banned for teenagers because they are unhealthy. The growing bodies of teenagers need wholesome foods to be able to function properly. Energy drinks are the exact opposite of wholesome, containing ingredients that hinder a young person’s overall health. These drinks contain high levels of acidity, sugar, and calories putting toxins into a body’s system that cause obesity, dental problems, and even cancer. The effects of the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks include dizziness, irritability, nausea, nervousness, and jitters. Another big problem with caffeine is the way it gives teenagers trouble with sleeping. When caffeine in the body makes the heart pump blood faster, the heart is more likely to grow tired. This could cause fatal heart failure and death.  The energy boost from the caffeine makes the pumped up body less likely to get a good night’s sleep, a must for growing teenagers.  Also, teenagers who become unhealthy from drinking these substances are very likely to start taking in more serious drugs into their body.

            Energy Drinks should be banned for teens because they are a gateway drug. A gateway drug is a drug that helps people go down the road to taking in more serious drugs. Studies show that drinking of energy drinks can lead to consumption of more serious drugs like the misuse of prescription drugs. People who drink energy drinks less than 51 days a year were less likely to have trouble with alcohol than people who drank them 52 or more days a year. While some argue that taking away Energy Drinks for teens would conflict with the freedom of choice in America, they fail to realize that alcohol (an equally serious drug), is rightfully outlawed for teens to drink as well. This protects not only the teen’s health, but the health of the community.

            These highly caffeinated poison concoctions we call energy drinks should be banned for teens to eat because they create teens that are addicted, they are unhealthy, and are gateway drugs that lead to more serious offences. If we can support the cause of banning energy drinks for teens, we can help make the adults of tomorrow be the best that they can be.

The Myth of the Quest for the Golden Fleece and the Movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963) the Same, but Different

            Imagine battling a massive demonic hydra, poison dripping from its mouth. You lunge with your sword but trip on a tree root. You look up, ready to be devoured, but suddenly remember that the monster is actually a tiny figure made of clay, a stunning new special effect being used in the movie you are in. Luckily, the hydra starring in the Myth of Jason, written by Edith Hamilton, was not made of clay. The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different and alike in many ways. These two stories are different in that the tasks Jason must complete are different, and Medea is seen as a very different character. They are alike because many characters have the same characteristics in both versions of the story.

            The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different in that the tasks which Jason goes through are different in both stories. In the movie, the Argonauts fight for their lives against a giant bronze statue named Talus, which Jason eventually kills. This trial is much easier for the crew in the book, however, as Talus grazes his only vulnerable part in his body (his ankle with a rock). Also, while on the island of King Phineus, the book tells the story about how a few of Jason’s flying crew members kill the harpies, while the movie has the whole crew dropping a large net on the flying demons. Then, instead of Jason’s crew sending a dove through the clashing rocks before the ship to make it through safely, in the movie, Poseidon comes bursting out of the water to hold the sinister rocks in place. Lastly, the movie differentiates from the book when we see Jason Battle a hydra to get the Golden Fleece. In the book, Jason never has to fight a monster to get the fleece, due to how Medea drugs the dragon guarding the fleece, causing it to go to sleep. This difference in the stories not only influenced Jason’s character, but Medea’s as well.

            The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963) are different in that Medea is seen as a very different character in both stories. One large difference in the stories is the way that Jason and his crew find Medea. In the movie, after Jason escapes from the clashing rocks, a ship that had previously been smashed by the rocks left one survivor, Medea. Jason then rescues her from the sea. On the other hand, the story in the book tells of how Jason finds Medea when he arrives at Colchis. This difference ties in with another in that the movie’s Medea is not King Aeetes Daughter as told in the book, but is a high priestess of Hecate on the Island of Colchis. In the book, after Jason arrives at Colchis, Aphrodite makes Medea fall in love with Jason. But the movie Medea falls in love with Jason of her own free will. Another major difference in the stories is the way the movie cuts out the unhappy ending of the myth. The movies ending is Jason and Medea happily embracing and sailing into the sunset, and nothing is ever mentioned of Medea’s way of getting King Pelias’ Daughters to chop him into pieces and put them in a pot of boiling water. While Medea’s character traits varied just as the stories do, some of the character’s values never changed.

            The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are alike because many characters have the same characteristics in both versions of the story. In both movie and book, Jason is still the heroic, brave, and courageous man that he is. He performs amazing deeds without blinking an eye, and mans his ship and crew with ease. Heracles is another example of heroism and strength in both stories. He remains loyal to his captain and his crew, but sometimes proves to be more brawn than brains. King Pelias also has unchanging character traits. He is evil and scheming, always looking for power and a throne over Ilocius. And, as these characters never changed, neither has the standard essay format, which dictates that what comes after the fourth paragraph is the conclusion.

            The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece written by Edith Hamilton and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different and alike in many ways. These two stories are different in that the obstacles Jason must overcome are not the same, and the enchantress Medea acts very differently. The stories are alike because some character’s motives never change in both versions of the myth. Jason and the Argonauts will be remembered for generations to come. Let’s hope not for the special effects.