I'm thankful for...

I'm thankful for one of my closest friends, and actually one of the first friends I ever made in high school, Alana! I'm so glad you mistook me for someone named...Claire? I think? Because if it weren't for that, we wouldn't be where we are now. We've been tight since freshmen year, and I'm so glad we finally get to have a class together. I remember on the night of my birthday, where my baby brother was about to be born and I was pretty much swimming in stress with my other brother crying at home and having both my parents out...you were the one who stayed up with me, you Skyped with my brother to cheer him up, and you helped me all along the way. We've fought...and cried...and laughed till we cried, we bonded over music (Soraru...Senka) and our weight and health maintenance. English is always funnier with you around. I'm just so glad that you're my friend. HAPPY THANKSGIVING ♥

Then he is dead?

Macbeth's actions of murder and deceit for the crown, was not worth it in this situation. Did he obtain his goal? Yes, he did...but consider how long those benefits lasted. Right as he became King he made many more enemies trying to overthrow him, and eventually a whole civil war. Not only that, but he became insane with the deeds of murder and power, and his one partner in crime, Lady Macbeth, died. If Macbeth had done everything but murder to obtain the crown, then I think it would have been worth it. I feel like Macbeth's insanity is mainly driven by his guilt of killing the King who he swore to and his best friend. Also, if he didn't murder anyone, Lady Macbeth wouldn't have gone insane either...In general, the burden and guilt that comes with killing someone, taking a life, weighs much much more than lying, deceiving, or manipulating anyone.

Timeless

Something timeless in The Pardoner's Tale is the lesson that you should treat your elder's with respect. On lines 167 to 169 the old man states, "Do no more harm to an old man than you, Being now young, would have another do When you are old". This kind of ideology is still definitely present today. For example, my parent have always raised me to respect those who are older than me, especially the elderly, such as my grandparents. There are also government funded aids to help the elderly like health insurance or food stamps. Even on the public transit, there are special seats reserved specifically for the elderly. As such, many examples are present today where the elderly are respected and tended to. Any child who would dare to speak roughly to an elder, present day, would be scolded.

Truth

The Shaper sings songs of the "truth", glorified battles, events, glossing over humanity and Hrothgar's victories. This enraptures the soldiers and subjects to remember only what they want to remember. Not the bloodshed, not the violence, or the death, just the victory, the bravery, and the triumph. In general, those memories are much more preferred to a human, and so the Shaper takes advantage of that, by using his artistic abilities. Grendel, however, fully knows how gruesome and violent and evil humans can be. What one human would do to another, how close to monsters they are themselves. But, he, too, also wants to believe in the sweet null and veneer the Shaper casts. What the Shaper provides is part of the truth, however, without the whole truth, it is just a lie.
Someone once told me that they received an A in a very difficult class. The fact that they have an A is true, however what they left out was that they cheated in order to get that A. Part of the truth just doesn't cut it, that A means something different once I found out that that person cheated.

Modern Day Beowulf?

What would a modern Beowulf be like? Someone who's human with some seemingly inhumane powers, someone who represents justice, their nation, and someone who's "the hero Gotham needs, but not the one it deserves." Yes, Batman is very similar to Beowulf in some ways. They are both crime fighters who are completely human physically, but they have qualities/ can do things that seem superhuman. Beowulf has some major strength and Batman has all his cool gadgets (and tons of money). They both work alone, though at one point Batman had Robin...but in honesty it was Batman who received most of the credit along with Beowulf receiving the credits of killing Grendel despite the 14 men he brought along. However the largest parallel is probably in Batman's and Beowulf's motivation to fight. Beowulf fights for his King Higlac, as a kind of representative, and Batman fights for his city, Gotham, and becomes the most important icon for Gotham. The Dark Knight and Beowulf are pretty similar when you think about it.

Me

"Me"...who am I? Well... I guess I'll start with the standard knowledge.

Name? Jennie Weng
Gender? Female
Race/Ethnicity? Asian, Chinese
Height? 5'5

There isn't too much to me. At school I'm usually more on the quiet side, but that doesn't mean I never talk. Outside of school, I'm a part of Key Club and Student Council, and I have a part time job as a tutor. My family also consists of two younger brothers, so I see children a lot. I love my 1 year old baby brother (and of course I love my other brother as well) because he's just the most adorable and loveable human. He's basically one of the main sources of my happiness, and if you ask me "Oh hey, how's your little brother doing" I will literally go on and on and even show pictures of him until you cut me off... I mean he's just so cute, his big cheeks and little giggles, and he's so small and and-
Um, well, anyways, my future goals are still currently undecided...I watch dramas and movies for fun, and I can crochet...and I guess that's it for "me"?

Kidnapped 89-Year-Old to Captors: 'You Got to Be Kind to Other People'

This article is about how these 5 teens are charged for robbing and kidnapping an 89-year-old elder, Margaret Smith. Two teens girl approached Smith and asked for a ride across town, Smith decided to as a good deed but then the two girls stole her car keys and stuffed her in the trunk. Smith was there for two days without food or any of her needed medications, and was later dumped in a cemetery where she was found by someone and brought to the hospital.
http://gma.yahoo.com/kidnapped-89-old-her-captors-got-kind-other-155806683--abc-news-topstories.html

One struggle here is the one Smith faced while she was kidnapped. She, an elderly, had to struggle to live in the trunk of her car for two days. As an elderly she already is more weak in health, but two days without food, water, or any medication is horrible. I feel ashamed to know that the ones who forced her into the trunk and robbed her were teens my age. I was always raised to respect my elders, and I feel disgusted towards those other teens. It's also horrible that this started off with the attempt at doing a good deed...

40 years after epic fire, convicted man to go free

This article is about how Louis Taylor was convicted of suspicion for setting fire to a hotel that lead to 29 deaths.Back when the trial was first held, there was not much evidence showing that Taylor committed the crime, but he was nonetheless found guilty and was sent to jail at age 16. The case was picked up again decades later and through this whole time Taylor stood by that he wasn't guilty. Finally, he plead for a lesser charge, and was released at age 53.

Taylor's struggle is one against "justice". He has repeatedly plead not guilty for 37 years. Being put in jail for so long must have been horrible if he is innocent. It reminds me of how the man, Zeitoun was put in prison after the hurricane. Through the book, Zeitoun, it showed how much stress he went through for being wrongfully treated as a criminal although he didn't do anything wrong. Imagine being treated that way for decades?

By the time he got to Phoenix, dog made unscheduled detour to Ireland

This article is how about a family's dog, Hendrix, who was scheduled to go to Newark, Phoenix, was put onto the wrong flight to Ireland. Hendrix was quickly put back on the correct flight and was fed and looked over by attendants. United Airlines offered a full refund however the family is still outraged and demands for the person responsible to be fired.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/15/us/new-jersey-dog-gone/index.html?hpt=us_c1

One of the struggles here is one between the family and the Airline. Although I can understand why the family is so upset, their dog was taken cared of, fed, and was immediately put back on the correct flight, and arrived safely. I think it is rather unreasonable to still be so angered and demand for the person to be fired when the Airline offered a full refund (though it was probably an attempt for the family to be appeased and not cause a ruckus that would taint United Airlines). In the end, Hendrix arrived safely, and the family and their dog was reunited, and I think that is all that matters.

Arkansas lawmakers back nation's most restrictive abortion bill

Arkansas proposes a new law in which abortion is not allowed once the fetus is 12 months old. As a result, two sides has come up, one supporting this law and one going against it. Some people believe that every woman should have their own right and choice, as stated in the U.S Constitution while others believe that it is important to protect unborn children.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/politics/arkansas-abortion/?hpt=zite_zite8_featured

This article depicts many struggles. There's the political issue of passing this law, and there are those who are for or against it. Abortion has always been very controversial for there isn't any set lines for it and there are many opinions. Is abortion, essentially killing a life? At what point would an unborn child be considered "living"? According to the article, it would be after 12 months, and it has been verified that the fetus has a heartbeat, but is that true and acceptable, however? Does it count if the unborn isn't actually delivered into this world? And then there's the issue of rights. Is it a women's right to decide at any point of her pregnancy to get an abortion? There are just so many factors that go into this topic...none of which have any concrete lines that we can draw. 

I personally believe that abortion is, maybe not killing, but the ending of a life...that couldn't even begin, it's the crushing of the potential to live. From whatever scenario of intercourse that had to have happen, in the end a woman was impregnated. An egg was fertilized. But, no matter what I can't just look at it as, "at this stage it's technically not a life". Yes, I guess it's not, but it would have been. The potential, potential, potential, potential, is what I absolutely cannot let go of. That fertilized egg had the potential to cure cancer, to travel space, to do many many great things. That fertilized egg had so many possibilities that was just ended before it could even develop to anything. Before it could even develop fingers, a brain, a heart, before it could pop out and take its first breath, gasp and squint at the illuminating lights of our world and give out its first cry. Yes, it has just as likely of a chance to become a potential danger, to do many many bad things for the world is unfortunately filled with much negativity as well. But, I believe that every unborn baby should have the chance to grow up and explore the mucky ground after a rainfall, feel the rough city concretes, run their little paws through soft cotton, bite as many objects as they possibly could before crying from pain. Crawl, waddle, stumble, fall, get up, laugh, and cry. One may argue, what if I know this child will not get any of these chances, that they will grow up, and live up miserably? Then, well, I say to you, how do you know that will happen? I reiterate, the potential, is something that will always be there. If these are your thoughts, please do whatever it is in your power to try and ensure as much as possible that your child will get these opportunities. But what if there is a mother out there who does not love their child, who doesn't give one bit of affection to the baby growing inside of her? Then, I don't know. I really don't know. There are many starving, suffering children in this world. There are many many scenarios that happen all around us. There isn't a single out there that exists...that I could even begin to comprehend...there are just too many complexities. But, to me, abortion is to deprive a child of living itself...And if I were personally in such a situation...I don't think I would ever be able to justify that to myself.

Company removes "rape" shirt on Amazon

This article is about how twitter users and other people of the internet are angry at a shirt that seems to promote rape. The shirt states "Keep Calm and Rape On" and was being sold on Amazon. Users and victims of rape angrily sent messages towards Amazon and the Royal Crown Company (the company that made the design for this shirt). This shirt and another one that said "Keep Calm and Hit Her" were both taken off of Amazon. The Royal Crown Company apologizes and states that it was a mistake. The designs for the shirts were created by an algorithm through the computer.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/02/tech/amazon-rape-t-shirt/index.html?hpt=us_c2

The Royal Crown Company is struggling to gain their reputation back. Even after removing the shirts, people all over the internet remain furious. I feel that it is of course, perfectly understandable to be angry, but these people are basically just attacking this company. It was a mistake, one easily made since this company is responsible for over three thousand t-shirt designs. Though the words were offensive, even if someone bought this t-shirt I wouldn't think it would provoke anyone to commit rape. There are many more vile and offensive things over the internet than these shirts, so I feel that the general people's anger is being misdirected. If something to this degree angers you so much, rather than continuing to go against the Royal Crown Company, why not take more action towards the actual rape and domestic violence that's being committed?

"A Child's Struggle Inspires Cure for Disease"

This article is about Rafl Kopelan, a 5 year old girl diagnosed with a rare disease called  epidermolysis bullosa, a rare connective tissue disorder. This rare genetic disease causes Rafl to be covered head to toe in blisters, with the slightest amount of friction. Her organs are also affected by her disease, it damages her heart, eyes, and basically everything. Not one part of her body is unaffected by EB. Because this disease is so rare, there aren't many treatments for it and there isn't a cure either.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/23/health/rafis-run/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

The struggle in this article is struggle against circumstance. Rafl was born with EB and unlike other children, she has to live everyday with the pain of being hurt just by hugging a stuffed animal. Her family also struggles with finding the necessary treatments that would at least make Rafl's everyday life better. Though I can't imagine the pain Rafl has to deal with physically  I feel that she is surrounded by those who love her. Her family and neighbors all create fundraising events to raise money and spread awareness of EB. In this way, Rafl Kopelan is very lucky.