Hanukkah vs. Christmas

There are many differences between Hanukkah and Christmas, but which one is better. I am partial to this argument. I am Jewish, so I celebrate Hanukkah, but Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. Every year we go to our friends house and pick out a tree and decorate it, and on Christmas eve, we go to peoples house for a Christmas eve dinner. There are many pros and cons to both holidays. Hanukkah, you get presents for 8 days, and Christmas you only get presents for one day. On Christmas you have to go to church (pro or con depending on the person), and on Hanukkah you have to light a candle each night and say one prayer. I have been debating with people which holiday is better, and I have come to the conclusion that you can't really decide, unless you celebrate both. For example I am Jewish, but I wish that I could celebrate Christmas, but I have some Christian friends, who wished that they celebrated Hanukkah. You decide which one is better, and which one you wish you could celebrate.

What would your parents say?

This week during American Studies, we have been talking about mythology and identity, and what we were raised to be and what is expected of us, and does it matter where you come from. I thought about this question a lot. Someone in the class said that money is everything and that is what our parents have been teaching us, and that we have to have a lot of money in our future. I do not think that this is correct. I think that one of the biggest things that is important to your parents is that their children do what makes them happy. I am at the stage of starting to think about college, and it is a big decision, and I thought of what it would be like if I decided not going to college, and what my parents would say. I told my dad that I don't want to go to college and he said that's fine, as long as you do something that you can be successful in. I think that being successful is one of the big ideas of what we are meant to do. You can be successful in many ways, you could be poor and be successful, and have a lot of money and be successful. I do not think that all of our parents are saying is that you have to go to college, then grad school, and then get a job and work your way up to CEO. I think that we all chose our own destiny, and that our parents can not brain wash us with all that is important is to have lots of money. What do you think, and what do you think your parents would say?

Did Blagojevich really think he would get away with this?

If you don't know yet, which I don't how you would not know yet, but Governor Blagojevich got arrested earlier this week, for bribing people to become senator. I don't know how, but he thought that he would not be caught and would get away with this. He has decided not to resign, and I am not sure what his next action will be. He said when he was running for Governor that he would not be like Illinois previous Governor Ryan who also got arrested, and here we are years later and going against his word and getting arrested. It is such a big deal that even SNL (Saturday Night Live) feels like they have to make fun of him. There is an article at Chicagotribune.com about Saturday Night Live bashing Blagojevich. If he thought that he could get away with this in this age where Bush has the government tapping phone lines. The Governor was wrong, and not being smart, and should go to jail. Why in the first place would he think that this was a good idea at all?

Black Friday!

It is hard to believe that there is actually a day called Black Friday. I had no idea what it meant, I knew that it had something to do with the Friday after Thanksgiving where everyone wakes up early and goes shopping. Do you actually know why it is called Black Friday? The meaning of Black Friday is that the retailers are turning a profit. I think that it is amazing that even with this economy and how bad it is there were still lines out the door and stores were still having such big discounts and sales. I went to Old Orchard at 7:30am and it was really crowded already. There were great deals and everyone there had at least two big bags walking around. I think that it is cool that even though the economy is down, people still have traditions of going shopping for their Christmas presents on that day and will follow through with their tradition no matter what. I was looking at the Newspaper and all the articles were talking about how much stores made during Black Friday, and the articles all made it sound like they were surprised. I know people who woke up at 4am because that's what they do every year, and wait in line for the stores to open. Even the bad economy and things going on people still need Christmas presents and still want to do what they have done all along. One thing that some one did a long time ago, has turned into an unofficial holiday that people have traditions for. Do you think that anything even such a bad economy can stop people from living out traditions?

Thanksgiving

It is funny to see what different people do on Thanksgiving day. There are the classic traditions that most people do which is the typical Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and pumpkin pie. But what about on the day and the day after. I know that in my family we play football during the day, that has been a tradition in my family since my older brother was little. I can't even imagine a Thanksgiving without football. There are so many different traditions that people do on different holidays and I personally think that it is really cool to see what different people do. Some people put up their Christmas lights and others wake up at 4 am Friday morning and go to all the sales. What are some of the traditions that your family has? What does tradition mean to you?

Our most hated President

Most people do not like our current president George W. Bush. He has the worst approval rating of any president that we have had in the history of our country. Bush's approval rating is less than 27%. We all know that when George W. Bush was first running for president against Gore, he lost the popular vote and barely won the electoral vote. If I was Bush and barely won the election the first time running, why would he think that he would win again and how did he win again, and how could he think that people would like him. If I were president and I was George W. Bush right now I would hate myself for not being the best that I could be and that I let my country down. If I were Bush right now I would be happy that my term was over and someone else was going to take over and fix my mistakes. At the same time I feel bad for Obama because now he has to go and fix all the mistakes that Bush made. I wonder what I would be thinking if I were George W. Bush and my job was over and people hated me.

What does the President do unitl January?

As many people know, Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America last night. I have always wondered what happens, between the time that the President is elected, and the inauguration. The Presidents inauguration ball is in January and the election is in November. It doesn't make sense to me. Especially now because of all the technology, they know that night who will be our next president. Years ago when there were no computers, I could understand why they would wait so long, because it took longer to see who was going to be the next president. I am sure that in the months of transition there is a lot of things that are going on and that both the soon to be President, and the soon to be Ex-President, are both working very hard together and apart to make sure that our country is safe. I know that there are meetings between the old President and the new President, but why wait so long to actually move into the white house?
If I was just elected president like Obama, I would not know how to feel. A President elect, has so much power and influence without technically being our president yet. What if you were just elected President and you had to wait to actually go to the white house and move in. How would you feel in those months in between. What do you do to prepare?

Who's More American?

What determines how American a person is, How do you decide? There are many different things that a person can do to show their patriotism. Multiple time this year we have talked and discussed this question in my American Studies class, and I am still without an answer. During my lifetime there are things that I could do to be more American, but I don't feel the need to have to say out loud my patriotism. I think that I am a patriotic person who supports America. I do not stand for the pledge. I sometimes will say the pledge in my seat, but that's all. I do not where an American flag. I do not have any obvious ways of being patriotic or American. I don't know if you noticed, but during Barack Obama and John McCain's campaigns and debates, they would sometimes where an American flag pin and sometimes not. I noticed that one time I was watching John McCain speak and he was not wearing a pin, but he was wearing a red, white, and blue tie. I thought that this was interesting. What if a person is in the Army or some kind of unit protecting our country, does this mean that they are more patriotic than me. What about people with an American flag on their house, I personally have one, because my Dad leaves it up all year, but does that make me more patriotic. Ever since this topic was brought up in class, I have been trying to find an answer. What exactly makes a person more patriotic and American than another person?

Weather is Crazy!

For the past four years my dad has ran the Chicago Marathon in October. Throughout those years the weather has always been drastic in both hot and cold. The first year that we went to go and watch him it was almost perfect, like 60s which is good for running and good for spectating. The next year that he ran, it was 40 degrees and pouring rain which was like sleet, and the rain was cold. I was wearing my winter coat and gloves, it was so cold. Last year when he ran it was 88 degrees which is so hot that after a certain point they had to close the marathon because it was too dangerous to run in. I was sweating and I wasn't even running, I can't imagine running 26.2 miles in that heat. Yesterday when he ran and we went downtown to watch him, it was about 78 degrees, which is hot for the runners, but not as hot for the spectators. You would think that in October the weather would be pretty consistent with fall weather. That may be true, but then the marathon is cursed. It is weird how the weather could change so much, for being the same Sunday in October every year. 

POLITICS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH

I am sick of politics. I think that they are really interesting and that it is an especially cool election this year, but I am so sick of everything politics. There are those people who no matter what they talk about politics is involved. I know that my Dad is very affectionate about politics. It is all he talks about especially with the election coming up. He is so biased and it isn't fair, because no one can say anything about politics especially the other party without him getting really offensive. I will be watching TV and he will come in and see that they are not being fair to both parties and he gets so mad and says that I can't watch that show anymore. I hate it. People are so opinionated which is a good thing but they are overly offensive about their opinions. While I was watching the vice presidential debate, Icouldn't make up my own opinions, because my Dad has brainwashed me to think what he thinks. He keeps saying that he wants me to make my own opinions on which candidate that I like, but if I chose his opponent then I would be wrong and he would tell me all the bad stuff about that candidate. Secretly he wants me to just chose the opponent that he likes. I am just sick of everything involving politics, I understand that politics are important, but why do people have to get so offensive. I like freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean that you have to be so biased that you cant even listen to the other side. 

Pirates in Africa

Somali Pirates are asking for ransom of 35 million dollars to release a Ukrainian vessel and its crew. Who knew that pirates were still out there. When I heard about pirates being off the coast of Somalia I was really surprised I thought that there were no more pirates in the world. The pirates were discovered by a US naval ship called the USS Howard. In the article on BBC News it states that Pirate "mother ships" travel far out to sea and launch smaller boats to attack passing vessels, sometimes using rocket-propelled grenades. I thought that it was cool that there were pirates still in the world, but apparently I am the only one to think that. If I were to see a pirate ship now I don't think that I would be afraid I think that I would want to see if it is like the ones in all the movies.

what would the world be with out computers

In my opinion computers are good, but have many flaws. They are good, because it is a way to research and find information in an easy way. They are good to write essays and stories. They make school a lot more easier. Some flaws are the internet doesn't always work. In resent times (today in class), I tried to upload some pictures to a website called voice thread and it didn't work. I was very upset. It turns out that i inserted the pictures wrong into the power point. Stupid computers. It shouldn't matter the size of the file it should just know what you want and should upload. I think that people are expecting too much of computers these days. Personally i think that our world relies too much on technology and computers. My sister who is in fourth grade has a whole class on just how to use a computer. When i was in fourth grade barely anyone had a computer. She already has an Email set up and Emails her friends. I think that there is no point to have your whole life based off of a computer. I feel like everytime i go on to a computer something always goes wrong.

NL Central Division Champs!!!!!!!!!

The Cubs clinch their division yesterday. While sitting at the game in anticipation i did not know what to expect. I knew that if they won then they would be the champs. The crowd was wild. It was ridiculous. I had never seen anything like it in my life. In a sense i think that i am good luck. The last game that i went to was the no hitter pitched by Zambrano and now this wow. Kerry wood was the closer and he is not that good, so we were all worried that he was going to blow it for the Cubs. It was a really intense game. At the end no one left. We left about an hour and a half after the game ended and we were one of the first people to leave. It was crazy. All the excitement. The players came back on to the field with their NL Division Champion t0shirts and hats. They had champagne and were spraying each other and the fans. It was so exciting to be there live and watch it happen. It was exciting no matter what but to be there and witness it first hand was awesome. I will remember thus day for the rest of my life.
Below is a video of pictures from the game!!!
GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You Ike

As you know there is a hurricane named Ike in the Houston area. I feel bad for the people who are having to deal with the problems of the hurricane. I am also very happy. Because of hurricane Ike the Houston Astros who were supposed to play the cubs in Houston, had to play their game at a neutral field. The MLB association decided that Milwaukee Brewers stadium Miller Park, would be a good place to play, since there is a dome and you could play in the rain. When they announced the game in the Tribune that the Cubs would be playing in Milwaukee, almost jokingly i asked my dad to buy tickets. Then I decided that i really wanted to go. We bought really good seats, the whole game was amazing. Zambrano had a no hitter and the Cubs won 5-0. It was so cool. To be able to watch a no hitter live. The experience was unbelievable. With one day notice there were 23,000 fans and 23,000 Cubs fans. I don't think that i saw one Astros fan, which is sad because it is supposed to be their home game and they are supposed to have all the fans. So with that i thank hurricane Ike for being in Houston and letting me see Zambrano pitch his first no hitter and the first no hitter for the Cubs in 36 years. GO CUBS!!!

Remember 9/11

The morning of September 11th, 2001, I woke up and I remember my Mom getting a phone call before my brothers and I left for school, the person on the phone said turn on the TV. My Mom did without knowing what she was going to experience. We all were sitting on our couch watching the TV and we all thought that they were replaying what had happened. Then we found out that it was live feed and we watched as the second twin tower was hit by an airplane. It was very emotional. My family had been in New York 3 weeks before the 11th. I remember standing in front of the World Trade Center buildings getting my picture taken. It was spooky watching the TV and know that they were gone. It reminds me of my trip to Israel a few years later. I was traveling around with my family, and one day we were in this small village by the border and the next day we heard on the radio that the village we were just in was bombed and gone. I was in shock how this could happen and it reminded me of when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked by the planes. I don't think that at the time I really understood that it was a terrorist attack, but I knew that it was bad and that it couldn't have been an accident. The date of September 11th is more significant to me than just the attacks on our Country, on September 11th, 2004 was my Bat Miztvah. It was a big deal, especially because we had the date before the event of the twin towers and we kept the date to signify the remembrance. During the service we had a moment of silence to remember those who had died. It made the ceremony more meaningful than it already was. I think that to everyone in the United States of America, September 11th means something to everyone. Everyone might view it differently or that date might have more meaning or less meaning to people, but I think that Septmeber 11th is a meaningful date that will be remembered.

What does it take to win 8 gold medals?

As most people know Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, setting the record for most golds in an Olympic games. Before he won those medals, people thought that it was inconceivable. How could one person swim that much and that fast in a period of a week. Some of his heats would only be 40 minutes apart. That is ridiculous, it is unheard of. Michael Phelps had the help of his ridiculous diet containing 10,000 calories daily. An average person is only supposed to have 2,000 calories in one day. For breakfast, he eats three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelet; three sugar-coated slices of french toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee. For lunch Phelps eats half-kilogram (one pound) of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks, and for dinner he has half-kilogram of pasta, with carbona sauce; large pizza; energy drinks. (Diet courtesy of BBC News). With all that food, it explains many reasons why he has so much energy. Everyday, he spends at least five hours just burning off most of those calories. Between training and swimming, he needs that many calories, so he can burn them all off. Michael Phelps is an extraordinary man, not only does he win medals, but he does something with the fame gained. He helps children exercise and does what he can to promote a healthy life. Nobody else could do what Phelps did, and no one would be able to handle the consumption of that many calories in one day everyday. That's what it takes to get that much energy to be crazy like Michael Phelps.