Overcomming odds

I read a little MN state overview of the High School boys hockey game against Hill-Murray on this web page.  Hill Murray was the underdog and Edina was ranked number one.  Edina thought they would win.  Hill Murray would have to overcome the odds to beat Edina.  Edina played a not-so-very-great game against the pumped up Hill Murray team.  Hill Murray won by a lot.  Even though Hill Murray was defined as the underdog, i think Edina was the lesser team that.  They worked hard and played together as a team.  Edina was cocky and lazy.  I think it was a typical underdog-beats-the-best team situation and a typical Edina outcome where we were super cocky.  Hill Murray deserved to win!

Love

I read a lovely poem about love.  It expressed how the writer's love grew like a bud into a flower and always grew bigger.  It was a typical love poem.  I read it on the internet.  I think when you truly love some one, that is great and wonderful.  I personally have never fallen in love before but I bet when I do I wouldn't read that poem to the person I love.  I don't think love can be expressed in a poem like that.  Although, I think the person who wrote it wrote it for love or maybe not, but it wasn't very original and they should not be a poet.

Aztec Research #2

link here

cortez!!!!!

-born in Spain, in Medellin in 1485

-exploring: first went to the Dominican Republic (it was called Santo Domingo) in 1504 at age 19

-he helped in the Spanish conquering of Cuba in 1511

-mexico was discovered by a spanish explorer: de Cordoba in 1518

-cortez went to mexico in march 1519 with 600 men, and horses

-he befriended the Tlaxcalans who were emenies of the aztecs

-he went to inner mexico to Tenochtitlan

-the aztecs rebelled and tried to drive out cortez in june 1520 but cortez conquered them in 1521 and captured thier capital

-he was made gov of Spain in 1523

Aztec Research #1

article link is this

-the Aztecs lived 500 years ago in the central highlands of modern mexico from about 1428-1521 on lake Tetzcoco

-in February 1519, Hernan Cortez arived on the cost of the Yucatan Peninsula  with 11 ships.  the conquered the aztecs land by august 1521

-the aztecs had elaborate calendars, poetry, music, danc, sculptures, jewelry, gardens

-slavery was temporary and voluntary

-divorse was legal: much of the times from abuse: mothers could get custody of thier kids

-women who gave birth were well respected: the ones that died were given honors

-they practiced human sacrifice

-cortez came when Motecuhzoma II was ruling (aka Montezuma)

-the aztecs lived on a grid system and islands and had aquaducts

 

"With the European discovery of the New World, two highly developed civilizations that knew nothing of each other collided, and the consequences, for the Aztecs, were catastrophic. It is estimated that when Cortes first set foot on Mexican soil, about 25 million people lived there. By 1600, the population had shrunk to around one million, due to massacres by Cortes and his Indian allies, the brutality of Spanish colonial rule and low native resistance to diseases such as smallpox and measles transmitted by the Spanish conquerors."

- the aztecs had books, pictographs, to document history and religion and alot of it was destroyed by cortez

-the aztecs were ruled by a semidevine ruler through hereditary things, there was a council

-there were warriors, the aristocracy, merchants, artisans, farmers, and slaves

War

I read an article about the war in Iraq.  The article says how the US troops are making progress in decreasing the violence in Iraq.  It talked about how many people now have jobs and more are being given out so people can get out of unemployment.  This improves the conditions there and improves the lives of people.  I think it is a good thing that we are trying to help the people who need hep but i do not agree with the war.  I support our troops but i think we were there for the wrong reasons.  The war is violent and i hope it will end soon and i hope everything will work out eventually.

Imperialism

I read an article about Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico is like a US colony in a way.  It isn't faced with imperialism or violent persecution like many others in history, but it does fall under 

US territory and it is not a state either.  The article was about the Puerto Rico baseball team playing the USA baseball team.  Some of the players switched  teams and were questioned for what they thought.  Both teams really want to win and were going to play hard.  I think the US's relationship with Puerto Rico is much better than other situations that have happened in the past.  The people living their are very free and have their own baseball team.  Woo hoo!  

Global Issue

I read an article about Obama and his plans to help fix the environment.  It talked about how he carefully picked people to be on the energy committees and to work on the environment.  He was very careful because our environment is very important and it is very important how he handles the issues.  The environment and global warming one of the biggest global issues right now and the whole world must work together to move in a positive direction.  Obama has been trying to find alternative energy sources and a cost-effective climate change policy.  I hope and believe that the world is begining to take a step in the direction to help the environement.

Holidays

I read a poem about Thanksgiving.  It was written by a regular person expressing their feelings about the holiday.  I think it shows the true meaning if Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to your family and loved ones.  It is a time to show your thanks for everything you're thankful for.  The poem talks about visiting family, which is something I do as well.  The writer also lists a few things he/she is thankful for that she usually doesn't say on a daily basis, which is what my family does at dinner on Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  We only have Thanksgiving in the United States, but other countries and religions celebrate other holidays as well.  Even though there are many different holidays, a lot of them are in honor of something that happened i the past to honor it or remember it.  Thanksgiving is about the day when the Pilgrims came to America and had a feast and were thankful to the Native Americans who helped them.  Christmas is to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The 4th of July is to remember and celebrate our independence. Every holidays is special in a different way to all different kinds of people.

Bollywood

I read the plot summary of Slumdog Millionaire.  Many people think it is a Bollywood movie even though it was produced by an American company.  Slumdog Millionaire is about a boy who went onto the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire".  He grew up uneducated but ended up answering all the questions on the show, but he was suspected of cheating because nobody knew how he knew all the answers.  The movie then was about his life and how he learned all the answers to the questions.  

Slumdog Millionaire is not a Bollywood movie because it was not produced in Bombay, India and it is not a Hindi language film.  It is also not set up the same way as a Bollywood movie is with the lipsinking, dancing, and length of the movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/plotsummary