Thomas Merton

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."

-Thomas Merton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                          I really like this quote because this is very true to the way that we are living. I think  that is exactly what we do because it suits us better, we woukd rather change the person to be like ourselves. It takes less work, and we would rather do that then just love the person for who  they are. if you cant do that then why did you fall in love with the person anyways?

 

Clarence Darrow

"You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free." -Clarence Darrow

I dont really understand what hes saying or trying to say but i dont think that i completly agree with him, because everyone has rights. If you want to be free you can because thats your right. I also dont agree with the last part of his quote because it just sounds soo demanding, like if hes saying no if i aint free you cant be just cuz i aint. Sheesh.

Current Events

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/06/duchess-of-cambridge-leaves-hospital1

The pregnant Duchess of Cambridge Kate was released from the hospital today because she had a serious form of morning sickness. The only reason we know she is pregnat is because of this sickness.

St. Augustine

"Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering." -St. Augustine

 

I think he is trying to say that we are one of the greatest creations out there but we overlook ourselves and try to find the greater creations. I think that we are pretty up there but alot of times we do forget that we are great ourselves but too conserned with everything else. But maybe thats not even what he means.

Nina Duran

"Never be ashamed of the scars that life has left you with. People have scars in all sorts of unexpected places. Like little secret road maps to their lives. A scar means the hurt is over, the wound is closed and that God has healed you. And even though the pain may come and go, be proud of your scars, for each one holds a lifetime of lessons.” - Nina Duran

 

 

I agree with all the stuff that she is saying but she uses alot of words to get a point across. Although i dont know if you want to be proud of your scars. There are some scars that i dont want to be proud of because sometimes you are the reason for having a scar and you remember because of it that person also has a scar. And i dont want to be proud of them just because "...each one holds a lifetime of lessons.”

Current Events

                                                     Woman Sentenced for Faking PTSD
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/denver-woman-sentenced-faking-ptsd-dodge-jury-duty-161810396--abc-news-health.html

This story was a very interesting one, this lady has no life. A lady didnt want to do jury duty so she faked a mental illness. She was excused from jury duty. Four months later she called a radio show and bragged about her situation under another name. The deputy and the judge caught her and now she is a defendant and has to do community service and some time. Why would you do that in the first place? What is so bad about jury duty?

Washington Irving

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” -Washington Irving

 

 

I think hes saying that tears are a special thing and when someone is crying its not because they are weak, even guys. It takes a strong person to cry in front of others. And that tears are a powerful things and should now be disreagarded. Also that tears are more powerful than words in some ways, especially when a guy cries. All because girls could cry all the time and people would just just used to it, girls can cry everyday and sometimes for no reason. Tears are a very powerful unverbal form of communication.

Marcus Aurelius

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." -Marcus Aurelius

I dont think this quote is true because i think there is facts out there, or like to think there are. There is definietly truth out there, thats how people have hope and see the light in things. Or thats why people have goals and tyr to ove forward towards something. I think that this quote isnt true and that it doesnt add up, and cant apply to everything.

St. Francis

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." - St Francis of Assisi

I think the quote means that if you abuse any of God's creation then you will abuse your fellow peers, and men around you. I totally agree with this quote because if you abuse animals then you are most likely to treat the people around you in the same way.

Current Events

Autopsy: 2-year-old boy bled to death from wild dog mauling at US zoo
~http://news.yahoo.com/autopsy-2-old-boy-bled-death-wild-dog-174015021.html

A little boy was overlooking an exhibit of African wild dogs and was dropped by his mother on Sunday. He was mauled by the dogs and he bled to death. They dont know if his mother dropped him on accident or on purpose. Even if it was an accident, the point is he fell into a pack of wild dogs. It shouldnt even be possible for a man to fall into an exhibit. Thats how safe it should be. No member of his family has made a comment, so i wonder what that means.

 

 

 

As far as the election goes, I hope with alot of me that Romney wins because our future is in their hands. But this whole ordeal is very exciting because the last election was when i was in the 6th grade and i didnt care or understand it. But its exciting to see that this is happening during our time.

Go Romney Go!!! 

Andre Breton

"Perhaps I am doomed to retrace my steps under the illusion that I am exploring, doomed to try and learn what I should simply recognize, learning a mere fraction of what I have forgotten." -Andre Breton

Part of what we call learning is what we should call remembering. Like sort of that deja-vu is just remembering that feeling or that you've already done this. As far as reincarnation goes I don't believe in it, because i don't think that once we die that we could come back as something. Because if God was gonna make us a human the 'first' time, and then turn us into a bee the 'second' time? It doesn't make sense. Why 'use' us again, when he could just snap a bee into existence  as easy as that. I don't think it all adds up.   

Nelson Mandela

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." --Nelson Mandela


I think hes trying to say that if you get get over fear and put it behind you, that is courage. If you can get over your fears. I think a brave man can still be scared because fear is not just something you can forget, you just choose to put it aside: being brave. I like how he said "i learned", meaning this is not just something he thought up, but something that he actually experienced himself.  

Einstein

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."




 


I completly agree with this quote because i think indiffrence is way worse then standing up for something. The world is dangerous, not entirerly because of the evil people, but because of the stupid people who see something wether its right or wrong, and say "meh". Or dont do something. They are lazy and they dont care, that really is our problem.

Camus

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -Albert Camus

 

 

I dont know what he means, but im not sure if i agree. I think people can be happy while trying to find out the meaning of happieness or the meaning of life. But i also think that if you waste all your life trying to figure out the meaning to it and answer all the un-answerable questions; then your gonna waste your time. You just have to live, i dont think the meaning of life is something that we need to find out. Plus diffrent things make diffrent people happy, so happiness doesnt consist if one thing. It up to the person.   

Current Events

Tragic: Manhattan Nanny Kills Two Children in Her Care

A nanny was taking care of two children, ages 2 & 6, and she killed them both with a knife. She then stabbed herself in the neck but didn't die. The parents of the children said the nanny was a long-time friend, and that she didn't have any mental illnesses or any problems of that sort. I think that if that nanny recovers and is stable when its over, (if she lives), that she should go on trial and be put in prison for a lifetime. It was cleary murder, but if there was nothing wrong with the nanny then why did she kill the kids so brutally and then herself. Hmm, ?

Obama's Muslim Outreach

First off, my family thinks that Obama is a muslim or has an affiliation with the muslims and those nations over there. Second, why is he so worried about solving the problems over there in the Middle East when his own nation has some problems he could be solving. But hes over there asking for peace. Yes, peace is good but i dont think peace is what is needed in the Middle East. I think we need tolerance. Obama should be over here, addressing his people on how hes going to give us more jobs or cut the defict.

MLK Jr.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" - MLK Jr.

 

I think he was a very great man that said alot of great things and this is one of them. I think hes trying to say that once we stop standing up for whats right or stop voicing our opinions that we began to die. I also think that this was something he lived off of himself, bacause he used his voice to change the world. So if he didnt stand up for his community of africans and all the slaves out there there, then there would still be slaves, and minorities wouldnt be able to get a job. The world wouldnt be the same as it is now if Mr. MLK Jr. had become silent about the things that matter.

Current Events- October 16th, 2012

Four Teens Go Missing in Xbox Romance

http://gma.yahoo.com/four-teens-missing-xbox-romance-233811767--abc-news-topstories.html

 

 

I think the story was first of all very sad because the kids think that they can travel with no extra clothes, food, tranportation, and only $400 dollars. The parents seemed pretty sorry also claiming that they didnt know he could meet people online through Xbox ,even though he had previously ran away during the summer because of someone he had met through Xbox. How does this make sence? She also said, (the parents of one of the boys who ran away) "We'll protect them as much as we can from any consequences." Why would you want to do that, that is only harming your kids more than actually letting them deal with what they did. With parents like that i probably wouldve run away too. jk...

Current Events Special: Malala Yousufzai

A few days ago, one of the most special young ladies in the world was gunned down by Taliban forces outside of her school. Why? For agrguing loudly for freedom and the right of girls to an education. It is clear to me that Malala represents what is good about this world and the forces that conspired to attack her represent what is rotten. Discuss her story in your blogs.

After watching the videos, my heart hurts for this girl that ONLY wants to go to school! It made me realize how much we/ i take school for granted. It is very violent over there, with death everywhere, and this girl  STILL walks to school by herself. She is very amazing, someone worth looking up too. if she survives this, then she will be able to pursue her dreams. Her very strong will carry her a long way. And if she doesnt survive then she will have died doing what she wanted and standing up for whats right. We need more people like this girl. I think there would be more right in this world and people wouldnt always be arguing about stupid things.  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I think hes trying to say that to be able to still be yourself, to be who you are on the inside, while everybodys trying to form you and make you into someone else is a real accomplishment. i think along the very same lines as he does when it comes to this because i think the media is always trying to get you to do this or be like this person or wear this like she does or use this because she does. To be yourself, you hardly find people who are, but if your never yourself i think youll constantly be miserable.  

 

 

- Terence McKenna

"I don’t feel a need for closure. I don’t see why things should make sense, they never have. They are always in process of formation." - Terence McKenna

 

I disagree with this quote because i believe with the total oppsite. I think everything happens for a reason. I dont understand how he can think that everything happens just because. What about coincedences? i think he doesnt has enough 'info', i guess, to back up his reason for thinking that way. I even think that all coincedences happen for a reason, you just have to sometimes wait it out. And sometimes things happen, but we dont know why, its just that in time the reason will show its self. we just have to wait.

Friedrich Nietzsche

“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

 

I think there is always madness in love but i dont get the part about how there is always reason in madness.  What does he mean by "reason in madness"? But i guess that madness is always for a reason, because ya, your not just mad for any reason or just because you want to.

Bob Dylan

"No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” - Bob Dylan

I think the birds are free, because not only can they fly, but they can see the whole world and not have to be caught up in the things of this world. I dont see how the birds could be chained to the sky. I also, think all the people in America are free because we have rights and morals and we do have rules. But as long as you follow the rules and laws you can be free and do whatever yo want. We are a free people, i think.  

Abraham Lincoln

"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

 

I didnt really understand the quote but i think hes trying to say that everything changes. Nothing really lasts forever, if you think about it, not even us. I personally think that your soul will not pass away it will go either to heaven or hell, but besides that everything dies. 

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. ~ William James

 

The first thing that came to my mind when i read this quote was that if yor smart you will overlook everyones faults. You wont concentrate on them you will look past them and see the person for what good they do have in them. And you also have to ignore the very simple things in life that really dont matter. Like what other people think about you or when certain teams for sports lose. So when you dont let the worthless things bother you, you will not only live a carefeel life but also a (wise) smart life.  

- Dennis Wholey

“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian” - Dennis Wholey

 

I thought the quote was pretty funny. I completly agree with quote because its usually the good ones that people go after. But the world should treat people fairly because we are good people because then the world would probably be a little nicer. People would appreciate others more. But there are always people that despise the good for what ever reason. I think justice needs to be fair and non-racial. I dont really understand the word justice, and i dont think you can pin a defintion on it. Justice is something the world needs.

- Noam Chomsky

"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." - Noam Chomsky

 

I dont really understand what hes tyring to say, but maybe we are participating in it a little bit because we are in war with all of the terrorists over in Iraq, and the Middle East. But in order to stop participating in terrorism there cant be any more of it. When the Twin Tower tragedy happened i dont think we were neccisarly(sp.)  asking for it. And i think everybody has the right to be worried about terrorism because it affects all of us. I honestly dont understand him.  

Eleanor Roosevelt

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." - E.R.

 

 

I think something she might be trying to say would be that we become who we are and have character because of all the hardships youve gone through. I think we are all unique because of all the diffrent hardships weve gone through,and lessons weve learned, all those things shape us all in a diffrent way. And shes also saying that we have to try and do the things we think are impossible, because if you really want it and you set your face to the wind you WILL be able to do it.

- Pablo Picasso

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once (s)he grows up." - Pablo Picasso, Artist (1881-1973)

It makes me think of all the little kids at church, when there in nursery they always want to draw pictures for there mom or dad, always every time. But as these kids get older you notice that they hardly ever draw, much less draw a picture for someone. I think i sort of grew out of the drawing stage, but i wish i hadnt because i would be a better artist then i am now when i try. Being an artist is something that you cant start doing for awhile and then pick it back up and still be good; it sort of like a lifelong talent or else your skills will weaken over time. Other than that i dont know what hes saying, probably something simple. 

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught" -Oscar Wilde

 

I think hes saying that you cant learn the best things from school.  The greatest lessons cant be learned at school. you aquire knowledge at school its something that can be put into your brain ,anybody can have knowledge. But wisdom is sort of something you find inside yourself, i think. Someone cant give you wisdom, even teachers. I think thats what hes trying to say. 

BEN FRANKLIN

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." ----- BEN FRANKLIN

 

 

i think hes saying we would rather give up some freedoms to get saftey. The part i dont understand is why other people dont understand that you can never be super safe, not even if you had money and a whole bunch of body gaurds.. there will always be somebody out to get you. Liberties are something we should never want to give up, thats what makes America diffrent from other countrys. I, personally would never choose saftey over my rights ,becuase then if you had no rights then really people make you do whatever they want no matter what you want because you dont have any rights. therefore you are not safe...!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being." - Goethe

 

 

I think hes trying to say that we need to not look at all the faults that we could find in people. We should look at the good that we can find in people and not always trying to find whats wrong with people because then no one will ever be good enough for you.

Cesar Chavez

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore." - Cesar Chavez

 

 

I think everything he has said is true. I personnaly like the part where he says you cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. But i do think you can humiliate the person who feels pride. A person can only feel so good about themselves, and everybody has weakness. So that would be the only part i would not think is totally true. 

'I ended up cooking her,' chef said of his dead wife

I think this guy, David Viens, 49, who boiled his wife for four days, should be given the sentence of life in prison. he claimed to of duct taped her face, tied her hands and feet and left her like that overnight. In the morning when he woke up she was dead, so he says. The forensic people dont know what initally caused her death because of what he did with her after he died. If he would ammit to something like that then he should be punished, no matter what else he says. 

Oldest Memory

My oldest memory would be when i was four in the kindergarden. My teacher, Ms.Rubio, was going to show us the Polar Express because it was Christmas season. She set up the classroom sort of like a train with the chairs in rows with seat numbers amd she gave us 'train tickets' and we were also given some 'money'. During the movie we could go 'buy' some hot chocolate and enjoy it for the rest of the movie. That is the oldest memory i remember, and its not like that was super important and everytime i remember it it makes me smile. So, now every christmas season i watch the Polar Express and drink hot chocolate. And i remember everything about that class. Its weird...

John Lennon

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?" - LENNON

i think that hes saying we can believe in anything we want. And honestly i dont think that is true, his quote. I mean of couse we have dreams and sometimes  i think about my dreams and im like what? But i think that as far as realitly goes its all there and true. i dint see the point in making something as simple as life, or us so difficult to were we all think we are living in a dream.

Martin Luther King Jr.

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." - MLK

 

It means we has choosen technology over God, and that we have choosen violence or war over peace. I think that is exactly what we have done. And not only then in his day but also now, because the war in Iraq has been going on 1993, that far ago, i mean it seems weird to me that we havent figured out that war doesnt solve problems, it only makes more occur. I mean sometimes we need to just go in and show them whos boss, but not in all cases. On the other hand, scientific power shouldnt be used over God, because like Ghandi said, "My greatest weapon is mute prayer," I think everyones great power should be mute prayer or just prayer, then we should try it because it oviously worked for him.

Thich Nhat Hanh

“Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

I think what hes trying to say is that we need to live in the now and to not take advantage of the moment or of the open doors. Because i dont think youll ever have the same opputunity. And to never let an oppurtunity pass you by. You can talways live in the past because then you miss the future and you waste a whole lot of oppurtunitys. Plus its not good to always be dwelling on things you cant change. But the future you can, if you live in the now. I think that is what hes trying to say.

- Ghandi

"My greatest weapon is mute prayer" - Ghandi

 

 

I dont know really what hes trying to say ,but i think maybe hes trying to say that he doesnt need violence to get what he wants: independence. He doesnt want to get freedom the same way everybody else does through violence. He saying prayer is good enough and prayer answer all the questions or pleas he has. 

Mitt Romney said Tuesday the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was a time to remember those who were lost — and "renew our resolve to protect America from the designs of evil men."

I really do think we should renew our resolve to protect America from evil men because evil men were the ones who flew into the buildings in the first place. I think the Plegde of Allegiance is our resolve in a way. To me the Plegde is a very important thing that we should incorporate into our everyday life. Today is the Eleventh Anniversary of the nine eleven attack. And Mitt Romneys words put what we should do in very good words. (if that even makes ANY sense.)  

 



Pablo Neruda

"Is 4 always 4 for everyone?

Are all 7's equal?

When prisoners think of the light

is it the same that lights up your world?

Have you wondered what color

April is to the ailing?" -----Neruda, Book of Questions

 

I think he is asking a bunch of ritorical questions, just to get you to think about about how diffrently everyone thinks. I like the prisoner question because if you really try to answer the question, you will realize how ofter you take the light for granted. And for that matter how often you take ALOT of things for granted. Because we think of oh its just the sun, whatever its always there, dont care. And the prisoner that doesnt  just get to walk out and see, feel the sun, he thinks of freedom, and life. We all think diffrently and everyone see everything threw their own eyes.

 

 

Inspiration

   I was inspired by alot of my teachers or my sisters teachers to become a teacher. I have a love for children and i care for alot of the children at my church. I like to be able to watch them grow up and become cute little kids. I would probably teach 4th or 5th grade. I wouldnt being around kids all day and being able to maybe insire them in some way and to just be able to teach them.

Anthony Robbins

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the       world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."                           Anthony Robbins

 

Hes saying that we all see the world diffrently and that we all need to acept that. everybodys diffrent, and your not going to be able to change them so if you just keed the mindset that everybody's diffrent then we will all get along.Who wants to think the same way as everybody else.

Current Events Blog...

Album of Charles Manson music to be released on vinyl after Kickstarter campaign!

 

 

What are they thinking?? We just all want to be listening to music from a guy in prison. Does this really need to be released. I think it is very dumb because he is a murderer and that is not exactly the kind of thing that we need plugged into our ears. Especially if he sings about the things he does, or his experiencesses all its going to do is desencitised to that type of thing and that way. Its NOT going to do us any good in anyway.

- Edward R. Murrow

"The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it." - Edward R. Murrow

 

 

Technology cannot think for us, we will still be confronted by the same communicating problems that weve always had. You cant ask the computer how to say something, or how to word it because the computer doesnt know how to talk, obviously, and he doesnt have to communicate.  i wounld not let a machine decide for becuase then if everybody went to a machine for what to say when, then either the government will start to control us or well all turn into robots. And  inner wealth  is one of the most most important assets you have. 

-Lascelles Abercrombie

"How to tell students what to look for without telling them what to see is the dilemma of teaching" Lascelles Abercrombie

 

He's saying how do you tell someone something or how to do something without actually giving away the answer. Or your trying to help someone but you dont want to give the answer away. From the teachers veiw it would be to guide them as much as you can without giving the answer and letting it come from them. Letting the answer be their's.
                     

-Mother Teresa

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."-Mother Teresa

 

I believe we have forgotten that we are all supposed to be one people. That we are all equal and that we have no clue what peace is anymore. We have forgotten that we are all diffrent, yes, because thats why we have wars or conflicts. And why we dont have peace and/or wars is because we dont have communication.

-George Bernard Shaw

"The problem with communication... is the illusion that it has been accomplished." -George Bernard Shaw

I think what hes trying to say is correct because sometimes things go unsaid, but we think that we have said what we were trying to say.  Maybe hes saying we dont know how to communicate.  Sometimes we forget how to communicate and thats how conflicts start between people. The conflict keeps going on and on because communication has never orrured. We know when communication has occured because problems are solved and things happen that wouldnt have happened unles you or they said what they said.