What makes a good poem?

I promise, the long pause between posts will end.

Anyway, I wrote a poem recently, and this is the result:

i love you within the
deepest depths of my heart

Which shattered like a silence interrupted
when you said forever we should part

The sun is dull, compared to your warmth
All the fireworks, the explosives lit in merry delight
become mere flashes in your presence

a mug of the warmest coco, a fire burning so powerfully
Smoke masks your breath for a moment

Becomes icy as the frost lining my bedroom window
When memories of you pop suddenly inside my deepest thoughts

The ticklish sensation of your soft lips clashing against mine, rough and chopy,
Yet you didn't seem to mind.
Our first kiss seems it happened only seconds from now

You never sent me flowers, sonnets, chocolates with cherry centers,
Never told me you loved me between each subtle embrace

I could tell each time you acted kindly--you were respectful, beautiful, every kid of "ful" in the world, is what you were


"Nothing could compare"------that's the ballad i'd have recited if you'd fit my well-crafted description

You heartless pig.

I hope you dream of your cruelties,
And wake up in a mess of tears, an ocean of blankets, pillows, sweat
SCREAMING MY NAME

I showed it to my dad, and the question he asked was "who is this about?" I told him that it wasn't about anyone in particular, that couldn't poets write about fantasy events? "Poets have to include the characters in fantasies as well." So after that, i began to think about what made a poet stand out. Does a poem really have to include the characters? does it have to rhyme, or use complicated words to make it sound as if you were writing something better than Shakespeare? What do you think a poem needs? What do you think of mine?

History

After the long-awaited election, voters, volunteers, and donors all over America waited to see if their efforts had paid off. My efforts had paid off, because Barack Obama is the next President of the United States. He's the first black president we've had, and to think we elected him after one of our worst presidents got two terms in the white house. John McCain gave a really sincere speech for him, which I admired, that he was able to put his feelings aside and congradulate Obama. On Facebook, I, along with some of my friends from Hyde Park, changed our profile pictures to Obama for the day, and was excited that he won when I heard the news. (Obama's from Hyde Park, so that was a big part of the "Obama profiles") Don't get me wrong, I like some of McCain's ideas, but he had promised to fight a clean campaign, which he didn't, and because of that, he's filled the minds of supporters with hate and violence towards Obama; at a McCain rally, supporters were shouting "Off with his head!" at Obama. On facebook, things are scary, since Facebook friends made comments such as "We are oh so screwed" and "Go back to Indonesia" and worst of all "He's not my president" on election night. Hopefully, America can see past prejudice and hate that Palin had been spreading and that had been around for centuries, and accept this man as our next President. He's not a socialist, a terrorist, or a threat. He's a smart man, and maybe soon people will get past their hate and realize that.


He gave his acceptance speech in Grant Park in Chicago, the scyscapers lit up for the occasion. My motorcycle was broken then, but I would have loved to attend, and instead watched the event on TV. I loved seeing the reaction in Martin Luther King Jr.'s church, where his daughter and a huge crowd cheered and celebrated. I could imagine Nas, and how he must feel, since he had high hopes for Obama. Eminem, I bet, is glad the war will come to a close soon, since his previous albums showed strong feelings towards the war. Jay Z, Kanye West, Will. I. Am., Busta Rhymes, Common; I could imagine them all celebrating the night. Whether or not you supported Obama or not, history has been made.

Busy sunday

It feels great to be blogging again after months of nonstop Facebook! This Sunday, though was busy and not at all spent lazily surfing the net. I got to meet Hillary Clinton today. My dad and I were invited by this family to hear her speak, and to meet her in person. The place was really small, and filled with fancy-looking people, which made me feel uncomfortable. When Hillary walked in the room, however, I didn't feel nervous anymore. It was her birthday, so we all sang Happy Birthday to her before she gave a short speech about Obama and how we need to get more democrats elected to the senate and congress so that Obama's plans will be able to get passed. When the speech was over, she shook hands with people and said hello to familiar faces. I was luckily able to shake her hand, and my dad got a book written by her signed. I got my picture taken with her as well, but not with the camera I'd brought. (Hopefully they'll send it to us) I was impressed that Hillary was working so hard for Obama after their rivalry in the primaries, and that she was able to joke about her temper during the speech as well. To be able to meet in person someone like Hillary Clinton was an amazing experience, and I left feeling incredibly lucky. Later on in the day, since I'm in Global Activism Club at my school, I got to return to Chicago to go to a walk to protest the violence in Darfur as well as in Chicago. The event wasn't huge, and was held in Grant park, (where Obama might be speaking on election night) Fewer than 70 people showed up, however kids from many different schools came and held protest signs as we walked. There was a raffle when we got pack to the park, with computer chips as prizes, but mostly people just wanted to be there to protest and make a difference.

So it was a busy Sunday for me, and though I didn't get to spend much time at home as I normally would have, yet a lot had happened in that one day that made it a great day for me.

Sarah Palin: Mother. Wife. Moose-hunter. Our next VP?

By now, I'm sure you've heard about McCain's choice for Vice President: Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. For someone who is for denying a woman her right to choose to have a baby, and who wants to make shooting wolves from a plane legal, Palin is surprisingly popular in the polls. I'm a girl, so don't accuse me of being sexist. Of course a woman can be President or Vice President of the United States. But when Hillary Clinton ran for President, the right-wing media was nothing but sexist. She was actually smart, and she was mocked by Republican and Democrat men while running for President. Now, when a woman with no original opinions and who has sought porkbarrel projects for the small town she used to be the mayor of might be he next VP, Obama's being accused of being sexist if he even remotely questions her backwards policies. She also has no experience and has never been out of the United States more than one time, when she visited troops in Kuwait. She was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska at one point, but Wasilla's a small town with only 6,000 residents. She served as Governor for only two terms, and graduated from the University of Idaho. Obama worked as a community organizer, and worked to help the homeless. He had also worked as a civil rights attourney, and had served in the Illinois senate from 1997 to 2004. He was also elected to the U.S. senate in 2004 as well. He has been outside of the country many times, and months ago, had gone to visit troops in Iraq. McCain's one strong point against Obama was that Obama "Lacked experience." Now, he goes and nominates someone with even less experience for his running mate. She is a better speaker than McCain, and she is a good debater, using smiles and a soft voice while interrupting the opponent and playing the gender card if Biden will interrupt her while she's speaking. However, think about it: John McCain's 72 yeas old. If he dies, then Palin will be the 45th president. Would you want Palin as President, despite all the hype over her?

The Protest (As told by the Winnetka Greaser)

Today, at New Trier West, Rev. Meeks and nearly 2,000 protesters came over, along with a few media trucks. In the parking lot across the street from the school early in the morning, FOX News had set up TV cameras by the road, and a blond-haired woman from FOX was getting ready to report. Their truck was parked alongside my motorcycle,* and right nearby was an ABC news truck. I found out that many students, when being hounded by FOX or ABC, (CBS would come later on in the day) would walk past the reporters without saying a word. Because of a story about a girl over at the Winnetka campus who told the reporters something that they ended up changing to make her sound more like the stereotypical "Winnetkan," Many students were afraid that by talking to reporters, they were vulnerable to be smeared by the news. Some students' parents, however, kept their kids home from school because of protesters, which I didn't think was rational because the protesters were just kids their age, some younger or older, but only by a few years. Just because they were from the city, do parents have the right to envision them as dangerous gangsters? Anyway, the kids and parents protesting went into the Cornhog auditorium and into the gym in the F building to try and register, which they knew they couldn't actually do, though registration tables were set up and administrative staff were running registration booths. The registrations were meant to be symbolic; they were meant to draw the attention that not everyone could go to New Trier, though it was a well-funded school. When walking outside to get to different classes in the buildings, students would occasionally see CPS (Chicago Public School) students that were protesting; students could tell who was a protester because most of the kids and adults wore orange shirts. The New Trier kids and the CPS kids, like with the reporters, didn't talk or stare at one another, but some New Trier kids would wave to the kids protesting, and some would wave back. Later on in the day, Meeks and the protesters left the Freshman campus to have their rally. Meanwhile, at New Trier West, students were back to talking about who was dating who and what kind of iphone everyone had. However, the protest was not completely forgotten. The freshman from Northfield campus still had had a normal day in spite of everything, yet, once again, students may not yet quite understand how much of a difference a bigger fund means to a school on the south side of Chicago, or in the city itself. If the fair funding issue was taken more seriously than it is at New Trier, and if students could get an even better understanding of how important equal education is, and if New Trier did more to get most students involved, than students would be able to help other schools, and see this as a big issue, like they would healthcare, or global warming. Look at how different a school like New Trier(Left of the page) is than a school like DuSable was (Right of the page). (DuSable spent only 7,000 per student.) I'm not saying that New Trier is this blessed place, or that it should be the only one supplying other poorly funded schools. The Illinois Government is the place that should be adressing the issue, which is what Rev. Meeks intended. Students at New Trier should help the Government realize this as well.

This Tuesday, Rev. Meeks is going to, with maybe three thousand people, protest the lack of funding for Chicago public schools at New Trier West. New Trier spends $16,000 per student, whereas in Chicago public schools, only $10,000 per student is spent, and in some schools on the south side of Chicago, only $7,000 per student. Rev. Meeks is a senator, who is trying to get two bills passed; one will create equal funding for all Illinois public schools, and the other, which will most likely not get passed, which Meeks knows will not get passed, will allow any student to go to any public school. Hyde Park, on the south side of Chicago is a rich neighborhood. However, it's an economically diverse place. Most upper middle class Hyde parkers, however, would send their children to private school rather than one of the three public grade schools, which are nice schools, but have more kids in each class, and aren't nearly as advanced as any of Winnetka's three public schools. ( When I moved from Hyde Park, though I went to the private school only because my dad taught there, I was surprised to hear that dance and service classes.) Also, even in the private school, there were no anti-bullying programs, or special education for kids with special needs. There are also neighborhoods on the south side that are far worse off than Hyde Park, with schools that don't have drama classes, or plays, or many different clubs to choose from. Schools with outdated books and few teachers and very few counselors to turn to if a student was having problems. Because of few supplies and teachers, students won't be as eager to learn or to get an education. I think that Winnetka should do more to help underfunded schools, because, and I'm not trying to send the "count your blessings" message, despite the stereotypical spoiled brats that people think of when Winnetka comes to mind, there are a lot of kids at New Trier who, if they could, would march with the protesters tomorrow.

A CD I Recommend

Sorry I haven't been blogging in a while, but there's this new CD out that I recommend for people interested in rap, politics, and the Obama campaign. Nas's new album was originally going to be called N-----, but because of protests from the NAACP, was left untitled. This is a very powerful album, and you can tell that by just looking at the cover. (The cover shows Nas's back covered in whip marks that form the letter N.) There are some amazing songs on the album, like Sly Fox, which is about how the right wing media, particularly FOX news, uses untrue, biased facts and racial prejudice to scare people and to get them to vote against Barack Obama. From the song: "The fox has a Bushy tail and Bush tells lies that Fox trots, so I don't know what's real." Another great song on the album is called Fried Chicken, which is about the food that racist white people associated with black people. One of the most powerful songs on the album is called N.I.*.*. E.R. (The Slave And The Master,) which is about institutional racism and racism today. From the song: " 'Cause anytime we mention our condition, our history or existence, they callin' it reverse racism..." That line stood out for me because I recognized how it related back to the right wing media, and how they try to terrify mostly white, middle and upper middle class people into believing that if a black person makes a statement about centuries of racism in America, they are un-American and must be reverse racists when really America is to blame for it's history of Racism, and the fact that after we've had two whole centuries, we still haven't given reparations to African Americans. I liked how the album ended with the song Black President, which is about Obama, and sends the message that despite America's racist past, and the fact there is still racism and there are still racists out there, we were able to nominate Barack Obama as the Democrat Nominee, and hopefully, we will be able to get him elected as the next President of the United States. It was one of my favorite summer albums, and I think that you should check it out.



Also, two of my other favorite rappers, Eminem and Missy Elliott both have new albums coming out this fall, so you could check those out as well.

Pastor Problems

Have you heard of what Obama's former pastor, Rev. Wright said? How unpatriotic! I mean, "God damn America?" That is the most insane thing I've ever heard! If you've heard reporters, TV channels, or just regular people saying stuff like that, then they've probably never heard of Rev. John Hagee, who had endorsed John McCain months ago. Hagee had been saying things more controversial than Rev. Wright would ever dream of saying, for example, "And they the hunters should hunt them; that will be the Jews. 'From every mountain and from every hill and from out of the holes of the rocks. ' If that doesn't describe what Hitler did in the holocaust you can't see that." Hagee had been making comments like that in a sermon, calling Hitler a "hunter" sent by God to help the Jews reach Israel. He also said that "Those who came founded Israel; those who did not went through the hell of the holocaust." Hagee had also made comments about the Roman Catholic Church, calling it "The Great Whore." Unlike Obama, John McCain had accepted the endorsement and until months later, had denounced the endorsement. Some might argue that McCain hadn't known what Hagee had been saying, but the point is that Obama had dennounced Wright's endorsement right away, while McCain should have known about Hagee's comments, and then dropped the endorsement right away. After hearing of Hagee's comments, I wondered why the media wasn't making such a big deal about him than they were about Wright. Isn't Calling Hitler a hunter sent by God to hep the Jews reach Israel worse than saying "God Damn America?"




Source of Hagee quotes: The Huffington Post

Is Clinton's Campaign Finished?

Judging by last night's primaries, some might think so. Though she beat Obama in the Indiana primary, she only did so by a two delegate lead. Obama won a primary as well, in North Carolina, and had a much larger lead (he had a 14 delegate lead in N.C.) Obama also won the Guam Primary, which may not have seemed very important, however he managed to gain a superdelegate there. Clinton's campaign is also nearly broke, and has started to use some of her own money for her campaign. Clinton says that she won't drop out of the race, but many Democrats, Republicans, and Independents agree that her denial is the only thing keeping her in the race. A week ago, I checked out a poll on doonesbury.com, and the question was: Who do you blame for the prolonged primary? Democrats, Republicans, and Independents once again all agreed on the one person who was to blame: Hillary Clinton. Don't get me wrong, I like Hillary Clinton, and I don't want her to drop out of the race, but I, like many people feel that the primaries have gone on long enough. The Republican Nominee, John McCain, has had more time to strategize for the coming Democrat-Republican debates, while the Democrats are still debating with each other. On the bright side, however, the Democrats will have had more practice with tougher questions asked in debates, while John McCain will not have any experience with harder questions since he's been asked mostly easy questions. In other John McCain news, his pastor had been saying some very controversial stuff, yet McCain accepts his endorsement!

Do you think that Clinton should drop out, or stay in the race? Will John McCain have a better chance at becoming president?

Yep.....Another Poem

Cities and Suburbs:


City lights flicker on and off above an endless sea of sound
Another day gone by.

A radio rests on the apartment window, volume turned up loud
Mom's Mozart can't compete with Daughter's Pop.

Teenagers pass by----Scurrying quickly away from the deadly Chicago streets
They chatter on as they take the alley-cut home.

A homeless man and a wealthy woman both cross the same street,
Going their separate ways.

Both ignore the other in sound silence as they pass.

But as cars pass each other in frustration,
Drivers caught in webs of traffic,

As I write this from a silent suburban town
Where diverse noise, sounds, sights, tastes are scarce,

I envision a seagull, flying above the sights and sounds of the city
wanting to escape it all to a quiet sanctuary.

If we were to change places with the other for just one moment,
Would we be happier?

The Bum-Bot

In Atlanta, Georgia, there was a neighborhood, where it was nice and safe during the day, however homeless people, drug dealers, prostitutes and other people that citizens don't feel safe around walk the streets at night. This was a major concern for Atlanta citizens, until the "Bum-Bot" was created. Rufus Terrill, an Atlanta bar owner, thought that he had the solution to the problem by creating the Bum-Bot; a robot that scares homeless people and people involved in illegal activities from the neighborhood. How does the robot do this? By spraying people with water from a water cannon the robot is equipped with. (Terrill wanted the robot to have a taser, but police wouldn't allow it.) He controls the robot with remote, and has even wired a walkie-talkie to a home alarm speaker so that he can speak warnings to people through the robot. When I first heard of the "Bum-Bot story", I thought to myself, This sounds like something out of The Simpsons. I could picture the character Moe, the local bar owner in Springfield thinking of this exact scheme himself, just for publicity and fame. The Bum-Bot's purpose was much like that. A sign in front of Terrill's bar reads "Home of the Bum-Bot." He's even started selling "Bum-Bot beer." When I heard that, I was fed up. How could the police let some local Bar-Owner spray people with water? I also thought it deeply disturbing and unfair that he actually sprays homeless people with water, not just suspected criminals. When I checked on Comcast.net to hear their interpretation of the whole robot story, Fox News was practically celebrating Terrill and his Bum-Bot, saying things like, "Is this guy a genius or what?" and one reporter also mentioned that by spraying loitering homeless people with water, it was both frightening them and cleaning them at the same time. Cleaning them?! I will never ever hear FOX's opinion on anything ever again, I thought to myself. Do you think that the Bum-Bot is just a publicity stunt, or a good way to prevent crime?

Pennsylvania Primary: Why is it such a big deal for the Democrats?

Probably because it has a lot of delegates, and because it could determine Hillary Clinton's campaign. If Obama wins this, he could be the Democrat nominee, but so far Clinton has the lead. Her lead, however has dropped dramatically in just six weeks. What used to be a 20 delegate lead is now what could possibly be a five delegate lead. The media is already putting a lot of pressure on Clinton to drop out of the race, which means that the Pennsylvania primary is one that Clinton is trying hard to win. The media is also playing a big role in how people vote today. Obama's comments about how "Middle Americans in economically depressed small towns are bitter and cling to guns, religion, and antipathy to people who aren't like them." These remarks were thought of by many news stations, Hillary Clinton, and the media to be "elitist." This of course, wasn't true because Obama clearly wasn't trying to say that all people from small towns are bitter, and he wasn't even speaking at a rally, or giving a public speech. The fact that he was speaking at a private San Fransisco fundraiser, is something the media doesn't fully understand. Also, when Obama scratched his head for a second, an MSNBC reporter mistook him just scratching his head for giving Clinton the finger. Who could possibly think that Obama would flip off Clinton? Why is the media trying to sound stupid just to influence voters? As people in Pennsylvania cast their votes, will the media have an affect on how they vote? Who will win Pennsylvania: Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama?

Just A Poem I Wrote

(based on the painting Chop Suey by Edward Hopper)
1.

A Lady In Green

I walk inside Chop Suey for the first time with my friend.

We take a seat by the dirty windows as a siren in the distance
Goes off.

A man at a table far from ours peers down at his plate,
Oblivious of the woman across from him.

The clear sky, with no rain, no clouds, is just the weather
My friend has dreamed of.

The couple far from us tries to decide their order, but
Their waiter has not shown up for an hour now.

Ours hasn’t either.

Come to think of it, that couple, and my friend and I are the only
People in the restaurant.

Perhaps the bright, red-gold-blue sign reading “Chop Suey”
Wasn’t bright enough for a sleepless city like ours.

Where has everyone gone?

Where do people go on Sunday afternoons?

I think of my cousin and her daughter laughing in Central
Park, tasting the colors, bright green, yellow, pear, grey-as-fog.

And of my father, alone in his home. The rough walls, the sound of
Silence in his ears, tasting the orange of the glowing fire he has lit.

I shall try to get my friend to see a picture at the theatre;
She always did have a fondness for movies.

I am lost, deep in thought. The waiter still has not come.

At times, even a city as busy and bright as New York can seem
As alone and isolated as a Chinese Restaurant, with dirty windows.

And waiters who abandon you.

Is John McCain as moderate as people belive?

For a while now, the media has been portraying Republican nominee John McCain as a moderate. This is not true, because he has been making decisions throughout his campaign that show he is a very conservative Republican. For one thing, he is pro-life, and pro-gun control, and "His reputation is built on opposition to torture, but McCain vetoed against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban." He has done and said many things that the news isn't covering, and that prove him to be very right-wing, since he has also "Voted against establishing a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." and has "Continued to oppose key civil rights laws." He and his family own eight homes, and is one of the richest people in a senate filled with millionaires, however he says that the solution to the housing crisis is to "Get a second job" and "skip their vacations." People are losing their homes, yet are working very hard under minimum wage, and the solution is not to take vacations? Could they even afford vacations? Many people in my school, in my neighborhood, or maybe just about anywhere believe that McCain's views are moderate and fair. Why is the media portraying McCain as a moderate? Will McCain supporters agree with his views if they find out the truth?

The source for this is on a link list to the right of my blog, and I will post it here as well:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-7680910-vrD83B&t=231http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-7680910-vrD83B&t=231

The importance of Hip-Hop

When you think of hip-hop, you might think of drugs, or jail, or murder. You might think that there's no real lyrics to a rap song, just some catchy beat with a bunch of rhymes mixed in. Hip Hop is about way more than the assumptions people have about the popular music style, because though there are some rappers who think that adding a few words about sex into a song will make it popular, there are also rappers who are actually saying something. They use rap music to express politics, and their views on life, and what they feel matters to them. Rap that actually reflects life and what needs to be changed, or just send a message to the listener is what I think of when I hear the word "Rap." There are Hip Hop songs about clubs, and parties that are good as well. Those types of songs can be good if the artist cares about the lyrics, and takes time to think them through, and these can either show a light side, or a dark side to parties and the streets. Whether it's about heavy issues, or lighter aspects of life, Hip Hop is something that reflects a person, and their thoughts and feelings on life.

Here are some Rap songs I recommend:

1. Stan---By Eminem and Dido

2. Wake Up---By Missy Elliott

3. Sing for the moment---By Eminem

4. Good morning---By Kanye West

5. Square Dance---By Eminem

6. Back in the day---By Missy Elliott

7. Shallow Days----By Blackalicious

D.C. Trip

For my spring break, my family and I decided to travel to Washington D.C. to see Stephen Colbert's portrait in the National Portrait Gallery, but I also wanted the opportunity to protest the Iraq War in front of Bush's temporary home--the White House. It was a long drive, but we finally made it to D.C. When we first got there, we passed this neighborhood, which, unlike where Bush lives, was not nice looking or safe looking. A relative in the car with us muttered something about it being a bad neighborhood. It infuriated me that Bush didn't do anything to improve neighborhoods like this, and instead was blowing billions on a pointless war. All the more reason to protest in front of his own house. Stephen Colbert's portrait was incredible. There was even an exhibit on hip hop, which I'm currently in to. We saw the Washington memorial, and the Lincoln memorial, which were both amazing as well. Washington D.C. looked and felt beautiful, but it still upset me that not all of Washington was like that, and that those neighborhoods that weren't where all the tourists and famous people were were being ignored by our own President. My brother wanted to leave but I hadn't protested yet. Words were meaningless--I wanted to actually do something. The White House is a beautiful building. It looks like a birthday cake, and flower pedals were scattered across the huge lawn. Snipers were on top of the building, and they looked very intimidating, but I still wanted to protest. I stood in front of the White House gates and held up my sign for passers-by to see. People looked, but with that "what the heck is she doing" look on their faces. I had my brother take a picture of me holding up my sign. I wanted evidence that I was there. Protesting felt exciting and wondered if people who looked at my sign would see that we need to get out of Iraq and also that we need some change.

Why is trivial News so important?

New York Governor Elliott Spitzer has resigned, because he participated in an illegal prostitution ring. However, instead of on Spitzer, the spotlight's been aimed at the prostitute he hired, because of her "singing career." She didn't even get arrested, though prostitution is illegal, and her Myspace page has become a popular site. Who cares? More than a million Iraq and U.S. soldiers are dead. There's a presidential race going on as we speak. One of the worst presidents in American history is about to leave office, but all anyone cares about is some prostitute who happens to be getting alot of attention at the moment. For a long time, the American people have been obsessed with trivial news, like what Britney Spears is doing in rehab, or Lindsay Lohan's alcoholism. Do people just like hearing about sex or drug-related issues? What is so entertaining about these issues that people will just forget about in two minutes? I like trivial news as much as the next person, so I don't mean to be hypocritical, but I don't really know why I even bother with that news in the first place. The American people have standards for what's trivial or fake, what's beautiful or ugly, or what's fat or thin. These standards can be judgemental, or clouded by ignorance of what's actually important. People get this idea in their mind about how something should be, and are only interested in that one opinion. Why do people want to hear fake news? What kinds of standards does the media have of what's important?



Author's note: No offense to those who like People Magazine. The headline "why I quit sex" is what point this post proves about trivial news.

Political Tensions

The democrats are still fighting for the nomination, while John McCain, the republican nominee, is saving his money for the battle between democrat and republican. Both Clinton and Obama are spending millions of dollars on their campaigns, which could be bad if John McCain not only has more money to spend, but will also be more prepared for the Democrat/Republican election, because the republicans declared their nominee first. Geraldine Ferraro, a Clinton adviser and supporter, has recently made a number of racist remarks about Obama, like "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position He happens to be very lucky to be who he is." By this, she's implying that people are only voting for Obama because he's black. She also refuses to apologize for these comments, which is only making Hillary look worse, because she is working for Clinton. Obama's pastor, has also been making comments, "accusing the country of bringing on the sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism." Obama, however has denounced these remarks, and has called them "completely unacceptable and inexcusable." Clinton, as well has denounced Ferraro's statements, but Ferraro still won't apologize for her statements. Who will become the democrat nominee? What effect does the media have on how people vote?


Sources for more info. on the subject, just click on the link:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/quote-for-th-17.html

A Crime in Winnetka?

Today, while I was doing some work in class, there was an announcement over the PA saying that there was a robbery at the gas station on green bay road. The school was on lockdown, which meant that all the doors in the school were locked, and no one could leave. I was surprised that there was even a robbery in boring old Winnetka, but I guess anything can happen. Kids were gossiping about what they thought the incident really was. Some were saying that there was a murder at the local Panera, while others thought that the robber had a dangerous weapon. Others were clueless as to what happened. Later, in musical theater the drama teacher cleared up any misconceptions we may have had about the crime. She then asked us to use that same sense of "false" fear in this scene we were doing for the play? The scene, however, was actually better. Rumors were still going around. Some said that the robber had a small gun, which he dropped at the scene of the crime, and that he fled to Kenilworth, a neighborhood close to Winnetka. The school was finally off lockdown, since the police had given the school the "all clear." The rest of the day wen downhill from there, but at least something worth blogging about happened.

Should students be rewarded by the school for good grades?

"OK, class, here are your tests. Remember, if you get a perfect score, you win $50.00!"Does this seem fair? In a lot of schools, if you do well on a standardized test, or get straight A's, you win a cash prize or some other reward. The teachers as well get rewarded cash bonuses for which classes get the most A's. This is a corrupt thing to do, because children are being bribed to get good grades instead of actually trying for them, and learning from mistakes. Children who don't do that well in school, or have learning disabilities don't have much chance of being rewarded. I'm in special ed math, so I, for example would never have a chance to earn a reward for grades. School is supposed to be about teaching people that everyone is equal, but are students really equal if the kid with the most prizes is smartest, and the kid with the least is the class idiot? If kids do well on tests and in school because they're being paid, then they're not really learning anything. They're doing well only for the money. Teachers shouldn't be bribed into being good teachers. They should be able to teach kids so that they can become successful as adults, not because they're given bonuses. Money isn't everything, but if people are being bribed to do well, then that's the lesson they're being taught. Rewards for good grades and for the class with the best grades are unfair, and set unfair standards as to who is the smartest and who is the stupidest.You're not going to really learn anything if you are only doing it because of the reward. You're only learning how to be corrupt. Do you think schools should reward the kids who do well on standardized tests and in school? Would doing so be reasonable, or corrupt?

Primary Results

Clinton has scored huge delegates in Texas and Ohio, while Obama wins Vermont. What happened to Obama's big streak? Newsweek has asked the question: "Will Clinton drop out if she loses badly on Tuesday?" The answer, of course is no, because though Obama still has a big lead, the candidates are still neck and neck in the race for the white house. The next big Primaries are Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Wyoming. People think that Clinton will win Wyoming, but Obama will win in Mississippi. As for Pennsylvania, no one really knows for sure, but there are many delegates at steak there, so both candidates will focus more on winning the Pennsylvania primary. Since the Governor of Pennsylvania has just endorsed Clinton, people think that Clinton might win, however Obama won't give Pennsylvania up and will try to beat Clinton as best he can. The Republicans, meanwhile already have their nominee. John McCain has won Vermont, Texas, and Ohio, and Mike Huckabee has dropped out of the race. McCain has won the Republican nomination while the Democrats still don't know who will win. Who do you think will be the Democrat Nominee? Who will become our next president, a Democrat or a Republican?

Chicago Vs. Winnetka

Personally, I hate the suburbs, but what do you think of them compared to the city? Well, while the suburbs are safe to live in, when i lived in the city, I couldn't even play out on the front yard as a child. In the suburbs, it's not as dangerous, and is more kid-friendly. The city also is more crowded and filled with people than a small town, and can also be easier to get lost in. While the suburbs may be more safe and less busy, big cities are more diverse. In some suburbs, like mine, most of the residents are white, which I really can't stand because I think that places should be more diverse than they are. Also, in cities there are more options for entertainment, than the suburbs, as well as more places to visit, or just to go. The one thing that makes me furious is the fact that in the suburbs, the schools might be better than the ones in the cities. My school in the suburbs doesn't do a thing to improve other schools, which I think they should. In Winnetka, we hold this big fundraiser for our own school, while other schools are way worse off and nothing is being done. I'm not saying all suburbs are rich, and all cities are unsafe, I'm just trying to talk about my own experiences In both the city, and the suburbs. Should suburbs like Winnetka do things to help problems in Chicago?Which is better to live in: The city, or the suburbs?

'08 Presidential Race

In the race for the white house, it's basically down to about 3 candidates. I don't want another Republican to win, because that would mean no problems would be solved, and we'd still be at war. I still want a new president badly. One who doesn't read children books while terrorists are attacking and then does nothing except cause problems. McCain supports this president's ideas, and waterboarding, which is surprising, since he was tortured for five years when he was in Vietnam. Personally, I want Obama to win this, because though he lacks experience, he has good ideas for this country, is smart, and can change this country. I'm not trying to convince you to vote Obama, because Clinton is equally smart, and you can vote for McCain if you like. What's equally interesting is why it's so hard to make fun of Obama for people. He has his share of flaws, like the other candidates, and it's not racist to make fun of him or his policies, which I think alot of people are afraid of. As for Clinton, well people are acting as though it's over when it's far from being over. She still has a chance, and people are just acting as though Obama is this perfect person, while she has as good ideas as he does. However, she is using some dirty politics, which I think is a shame, because she's smarter than that, and her tactics are backfiring on her as well, since Obama is replying to these negative campaigns unbelievably well. As the race goes on, the candidates and voters both know that only one person will be president, and though it might be the right or wrong decision, will the new president be heroic, or just another Bush?

Should cellphone companies be allowed to wiretap?

The President wants to let cellphone companies get away with illegally wiretapping people's cellphones, to "protect" us from Terrorists. He argues that we will be stopping another 9/11 from happening, and that spying on people will save lives and create a better sense of security. Others say that no one will know it's even happening, and that there wouldn't be enough evidence to convict the companies doing it. I believe that as Americans, we should have the right to privacy, because it seems unfair that companies should have the right to invade your privacy. As for "stopping another 9/11", wiretapping may help spot terrorists, however I don't really think that spying on people creates a strong sense of security. Should we really trust our president on security, after all, he read the book My Pet Goat instead of the 9/11 warnings, and blamed the whole attack on Iraq, when they weren't involved at all? Post-9/11 fear has been making stupid people seem smart, as well as stupid ideas of "protection." Do we really need our phones listened to, and will it really protect people in America? There are good sides to this; it might protect people from some kinds of danger, but not terrorists. Wiretapping phones might seem like a good idea, but it is in fact illegal. It's not just against the law, it's an invasion of privacy. We should not just give companies access to personal information; companies could abuse their power and take advantage of their wiretapping abilities, to the point where it's not even about protecting America anymore. Should we keep our rights, or give them up to a failure president?