limericks

There once was this kid named Kai

he actually was quite sly

he came from Vietnam

and moved to Guam

this was all during July

Please don’t mess with me

because as you see

I roll up with my posse

we act really bossy

thats just how we be

There once was this kid named Tim

who never learned how to swim

he fell of the dock

went down like a rock

and that was the last of him

Barggin rap

My name is Devin Fuentez

and I make the floor bounce.

‘Cause I drop the bass here

and I drop the bass there.

Here I go, give me room

I’m about to bring the doom.

my grandpa comes from mexico

I am the next to go

to the top in the USA

you know it pays to play

haikus

Hot, dry freedom

no homework, blank emptiness

innocent lazy

Life, fresh air, plants, light

Timeless yet growing closer

to the end, start over

TV, excitement

freedom, skating with friends, cool.

Girls, do they like me?

Abstract Poem

Abstraction

Sadness is deep ocean blue failure with a side of depression.

Happiness is banana yellow music during a rainy day.

Success is Ivory white first prize.

Insanity is Cal trans orange monkeys going crazy.

Anger is blood red light exploding in a fit of violent rage.

Friends are lime green people who stick by your side.

Depression is midnight black spiders engulfing lethal thoughts and ideas.

Things that Should Die or Cease to Exist but Don't...

Things that should die or cease to exist but don’t...

                                                                              One Direction

                                                     My Sister

                                    School

                                       Bad Government

                                     Pickles and Tomatoes

         Mosquitoes

Homework

                                               Work

                                       Bad T. V. Shows

                               Waiting Lines

                       Stupid People

                  Mitt Romney

            Joseph Kony

        Allergies

   Bad Music

Bad Smells

      Mean People

           Arguments

                Divorce

                     Disappointment

                          AIDs

                               Disease

                                   Toxic Waste

                                       Depression

                                            Loneliness

                          Dreams That Don’t Come True

Political vs Poem

Political vs Poem 



Hippie	vs	Capitalist
1970s America	vs	Communist Russia
Obama	vs	Romney
Anarchy	vs	Government
Law Enforcement	vs	Drugs
Democrat	vs	Republicans
C.I.A.	vs	F.B.I.
Taliban	vs	Navy Seals
Taxes	vs	Spending Cuts
Declaration of Independence	vs	Bill of Rights
House of Representatives	vs	Senate
America	vs	North Korea
Imports	vs	Money
Obama	vs	Debt
Gun  Control	vs	Mental Illness
Poor	vs	1% (Wealthy)

Revisiting the Anticipation Guide

Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good. I would have to agree with my previous statement, because it depends on the occasion. In the book Colonel Graff and Major Anderson don't tell Ender that he has killed the kids that he fought."At least they had good sense not to tell Ender that the boy died."
"It's the second time, too."
"They didn't tell him about Stilson, either."
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem. I would have to still say disagree, because violence is not the only way to solve a problem. In the book one example of this is the Locke treaty. But I think the author's opinion is that violence is used more than it should be.
It is okay to kill someone in self-defense. My opinion has slightly differed from strongly agree to in the middle. Because Ender didn't need to kill Bonzo or Stilson, he wanted them to never hurt him again. So I wouldn't really agree with that statement.
Words are stronger than fists. I would have to pick agree because Words can be used for more than fists, words can be used to solve problems and such, fists can be used to solve problems in only negative ways. An example of this is the speaker for the dead, because he doesn't use his fists to express himself that time.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem. I would still pick disagree because that isn't always true. There many reasons why people choose to bully, although one of the reasons may be low self esteem. In the book the author's opinion differs from the statement. An example of this is Peter, I really don't think he hurts people and animals because he has a low self esteem. I think he hurts things because it gives him the feeling of power and control.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders. I would have to agree with my previous statement because, good academics has little or nothing to do with a good leader. Take Andrew Jackson for example, he had little formal education and he became one of the best American presidents, although he did make a few mistakes. An example of this in the book is Peter, the book said that he was a good student but it said nothing of him being the best, and he became the ruler of the world.
Revenge is never justified. Again I will have to agree with my previous statement, because there aren't really any good excuses for revenge, and there are some really good reasons. An example of this in the book is the bugger wars, because they tried to colonize earth and the people of earth didn't want that so we fought them off. Later we go and kill them all, just because we want to get them back and be able to rest assured.
Crying is evidence of weakness. I chose strongly disagree over disagree because there is no evidence that crying is a sign of weakness. Crying can mean many things, such as, sadness, longing, anger, and remorse, I'm pretty sure there more than that but those were just a few examples. An example of this in the book is right after Ender fights Bonzo he starts crying because he is remorseful.
Any action is acceptable in war. I would have to change my answer from in the middle to disagree. I did this because not EVERY action is acceptable in war. An example of this in the book is when Ender kills all but one of the buggers. This is unacceptable because that was destroying a whole race.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves. I would now have to pick in the middle because some teens need constant discipline and some don't. An example of this is when Bonzo attacks Ender. Another example of this is Valentine she needs no discipline at all. 
Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change. I chose strongly disagree because there many examples of this but it is not always true. An example of this is Peter, he becomes the ruler of Earth with no personal sacrifice.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace.
I would have to agree with my previous statement because I don't think that police generate compassion for the serial killers that they are trying to catch. But in Ender's case this is true. an example of this is when he defeats all of the buggers.

CHAPTER 12
Ender provokes Bonzo by disobeying his orders and proving Bonzo wrong. Bonzo responds by punching him in the stomach, then eventually corners him in the bathroom and dies. Stilson is the boy that Ender hurts badly. Ender is thinking of him because he does the same thing to Bonzo and he doesn't mean to hurt them that bad. He expects help from the because if he didn't he would be without hope. I did not know that Bonzo and Stilson were dead until this chapter. The reader finds out that they are both dead when they overhear colonel Graff and major Anderson talking about their deaths. Well with Bonzo he was, because Bonzo planned to kill him first, with Stilson I think he went a little to far. They didn't tell him about the deaths because they didn't want him feeling guilty or getting distracted.
CHAPTER 13
That quote means that who you pretend to be you become. this is supported by the fact that Peter basically becomes Locke and the same with Valentine. Yes I think it is, I think that is how humans have survived all of this time, when humans are threatened instinct takes over.
The conversation between Ender and Valentine is about
It reveals that his enemies try t hurt him but he kills them so they won't ever hurt him again. Valentine still loves Ender but he kind of scares her, and she is afraid that Peter will try and take over the world. Well now Ender is the killer and Peter is the peace keeper. Valentine is now skeptical of both Peter and Ender.
CHAPTER 14
He thinks that it doesn't feel right, kind of nonhuman like. He figures it out in the end of the chapter because him and Graff discuss that Eros  is blacked out. He is the only teacher Ender has ever had because he actually learns things that are useful from Mazer. Because he feels that if he was honest Ender wouldn't have done it. No I don't think Ender could have, because he didn't want to kill Bonzo or Stilson he just didn't want them to hurt him ever again. Well sort of because they attacked us first, but then that is childish so no I don't think that is very justified.
CHAPTER 15
I think that that statement is partially true, the part about the role filling, but not true he could have walked away from battle school and never had anything to do with it. He is amused at the fact that people are trying to incarcerate him, but he feels that there deaths are like all of the other bugger deaths. She made sure of that because he is to easily controlled and could be used to take over the world. She thought that he would end up taking millions instead of saving millions. Well he learned that the queen wanted to live peacefully instead of fight. Because he is the speaker for the dead buggers.

Orson Scott Card Article Response

I think that they should let Mr. Card be with the book, because like it said in the article, "Promoting Ender’s Game without Card would be like trying to promote the first Harry Potter movie without J.K. Rowling." The solution to the problem I think is that DC comics should prohibit Card from speaking about his opinions on gay rights, and let him promote the book. His views on gay rights doesn't affect my opinion on his book, I still think the book is an amazing book, It did however change my view on the Orson Scott Card, it makes me think less of him. No I don't think that Mr. Vack should remove this book from the class readings, because the book contains great morals in it, and it is an exciting story, but I really don't want to support Orson Scott Card now that I know his views on gay marriage. I think that it is like an oxymoron  trying to keep Mr. Card out of the limelight, because as it said earlier "Promoting Ender’s Game without Card would be like trying to promote the first Harry Potter movie without J.K. Rowling." so as you can see this isn't going to go over well either way it is put.

CEJ # 5

First glimpse of a black hole's spin

The study combined X-ray images from two telescopes, one old and one new

Continue reading the main story

Astronomers have measured the rate of spin of a super massive black hole for the first time - and it is big.

Measurements undertaken with two space-based X-ray telescopes imaged the black hole at the centre of galaxy NGC 1365.

The spin measurement, published in Nature, gives precious clues as to how the black hole grew and achieved supermassive status.

That growth influences the evolution of galaxies, so this simple number stands to teach scientists a great deal.

Black holes are notoriously difficult to study, since so much in astronomy depends on the detection of light - and beyond a certain distance, even that cannot escape.

Black holes are known to draw in material - gas and even stars - and stretching the very fabric of space-time at their edges. As matter goes in and gathers into what is called an accretion disk, it heats up and emits X-rays.

Previous attempts to quantify black holes' spins have attempted to analyse these X-rays - accounting for the violent processes within that can stretch and distort the X-rays' energies.

Those studies have until now focused on a fairly low-energy X-ray range. But those lower-energy X-rays can be further distorted by layers of gas between the black hole and the Earth, and previous spin observations have been contentious.

In a spin

Now Guido Risaliti of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and colleagues have looked at markedly higher energies - less subject to absorption in those gas layers - using Europe's XMM-Newton telescope and the recently launched Nustar telescope.

I think this is really cool that scientists can now study the spin of a black hole, because this could give us vital information to protect against the treat of black holes, and/or avoid them. Personally I am just interested with space, that's why I chose to pick this article. 

Ode to my Phone

Oh cellular phone,

I could not live without.

You bless my soul with your ability to communicate. 

I feel a passion from deep within, 

A passion that is beyond measurement,

 A fiery passion of the greatest gratitude. 

Without  you I would be no more, 

My friends and family would take interest no more.

For that reason I thank you with all my heart and nothing more.

With my boredom you bring news for better or worse, 

 So I thank you and that is all.

Ender's game questions chap 9-11

Yes there is a battle between Peter and Valentine, the battle is manipulation. I think the manipulator is Peter, because he eventually gets Valentine to do what he wants. Well, I Valentine's in control. well Demosthenes is a perfect example of Peter because he leads people in revolt then gets beaten. Locke relates to Valentine because she thinks things over more rather than acting upon instinct. He is still angry because he cant be normal. He is a strong leader, because if he wasn't his troops would be weak, and he doesn't want his troops to be weak. He did what he did to Bean because he wanted to be the best, like himself. Salaam  means peace in Islamic culture. it tells us that religion still is extremely powerful even though it is discriminated against.what is important about the end of the chapter is that Ender has to fight two battles at once and he wins. No his reaction isn't a mistake at all I think its a good thing that he's letting the teachers know how he feel about the things that they are doing to him. I don't think this is the action that they wanted. The computer knows Ender so well because it is looking in his past. No it doesn't know Ender so well. That quote shows that if Ender loses he will be considered a failure. The teachers are pushing Ender so hard because they want him to be the best. Because he came and beat all of the challenges that were lain out for him.

Drones

Those predator drones, wow. I feel that it is unnecessary for the predator drones to carry ballistic missiles, because it isn't right to kill people if you think that they are a terrorist. way to go Obama, I think that the drone issue is more unconstitutional than water-boarding , because is torture, and people don't always die when they are tortured, but people rarely survive missile strikes. But like Mr. Vack said in class, drones can be used for good, like taking for real estate, traffic updates, or search and rescue. Overall I think the bad things outweigh the good things. for example, If someone bought a bunch of ingredients that could be used to make homemade explosives, and they were a Muslim doesn't give the government the right to to kill them, that's crap. 

CEJ # 4

Health officials in the UK believe they have the strongest evidence yet that a new respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars virus can spread from person to person.
Cases of the infection may come from contact with animals. However, if the virus can spread between people it poses a much more serious threat.
One man in the UK is thought to have caught the infection from his father.
However, officials say the threat to the whole population remains very low.
There have been 11 confirmed cases of the infection around the world. It causes pneumonia and sometimes kidney failure - five patients have died.
Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK.” Prof John Watson Health Protection Agency

This is the third case identified in the UK. The first was a patient flown in from Qatar for treatment. The second was linked to travel to the Middle East and Pakistan.

The virus is then thought to have spread from the second patient to a close relative. There have been suggestions of person to person transmission in earlier cases in the Middle East, but this was not confirmed.

I play war games. My relationship with my video games is up and down. It is up because of the high intensity, action, and satisfaction when I complete a level. It's down when I have trouble completing a level.
   If I were to design a video game it would most likely be a war game.The main story line would be that the player would be a rebel soldier in Somalia or some other country that is going through a civil war. The final object of the game would be to eliminate the enemy leader. Throughout the game the player would start off as the lowest possible rank then eventually work their way to one of the top positions.The background story on the player is that the player's village is bombed by a squadron o planes in the middle of the night, the player and a few others survive. The player seeks revenge on the enemy so the player decides to join the rebel army.

CEJ # 3

Study finds obesity can 'lead to lack of vitamin D'

A study suggests obesity can lower vitamin D levels in the body. It found every 10% rise in body mass index led to a 4% drop of available vitamin D in the body. The larger storage capacity in obese people may prevent it from circulating in the bloodstream. Vitamin D is made in the skin after sun exposure and can be taken in dietary supplements. Healthy levels are about 50 nano mole per liter,  less than 30 nano mole per liter can cause the softening and weakening of bones.

  This news to me is really frightening, because I know a lot of obese people. To think that they are all suffering from deprivation of vitamin D is pretty scary. It's especially scary because a lot of people in the world are obese.    

I think the purpose of the Giant's Drink is to test the children, and see how they react to certain situations. I think Ender should evaluate his success as a good thing because, his approach was different, and he beat the game for the most part. Yes he is a murderer and no he isn't, yes because he killed the giant to advance in the game, and no because it's just a game and the giant's not real.
  Alai says to Ender is salaam which means peace in I think in Islamic culture. The exchange between Alai and Ender is important because it's religious and religion is discriminated against in the book.
 Well "just living" means being a normal person, watching sports, playing in sports, going over to a friends house, enjoys summer time, and messing up and making mistakes. Yes, it is true that Ender has been "just living" because they are training him and he needs to save the world so he doesn't have time to do the things that normal people do. I think what Ender wants out of life is to be accepted, and not be a disgrace as a third. Also to lead a normal life. I would feel really sad, and I would probably shut down.
 Pertra's helps Ender by being his friend and more importantly being his teacher. Her friend ship provides hindrance to Ender by letting him know that he is not completely alone at battle school.
He learns that he should be strict but friendly.
  The quote means that Ender would do things that Graff wouldn't have thought of,, also that Ender can withstand and endure more than Graff. What is significant about those quotes is that the first one shows that is eager to learn, and the second one shows that the teachers expect Ender to do every thing independently.
His response to the attack is so significant because it shows that he lets his guard down to easily and that he misjudges his nemeses. It represent that Ender is like Peter, but at the same time he isn't. The game knows this by observing his actions throughout the game. The importance of that paragraph is that it shows that Ender doesn't like to kill but it's an instinct. He doesn't like to use his instinct, and he wants to die.

  Devin Fuentez

                                                                                                                            February 5, 2013                                                 

       Type: Business                                                                                                      CEJ 2 #

Canada stops distribution of penny coin

The Canadian penny is being withdrawn from circulation because production costs have exceeded its financial value.
The Royal Canadian Mint will no longer distribute the coin to financial institutions around the country, but it will remain legal tender.The government has advised shop owners to round out prices to the nearest nickel  for cash exchange.Other countries that no longer use the penny include New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.
Despite the change on Monday, electronic transactions can still be billed to the nearest cent.The government has estimated that the coins, which bear the image of Queen Elizabeth II and two maple leaves, cost about C$11m (£7m) each year to make.
The end of the penny has prompted charities around Canada to start penny drives, and some initiatives have been very successful.Toronto-based Free The Children has already collected 70m pennies, CBC News reports.That could provide a lifetime of clean drinking water to 28,000 people in developing countries, according to the NGO.But other organisations, such as Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, say they are worried the disappearance of the penny will make it harder to fundraise.The US Treasury has said the Obama administration has thought about making its one cent coins from a cheaper material - they are currently made of zinc.
 I think thats kind of sad that Canada can’t pay for their pennies. for some people, like me,this would be an advantage.This would be an advantage because I don’t really like pennies, I would rather get my change in nickels, dimes, and quarters than in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. But for other people this might be a slight disadvantage, because some businesses might slightly raise their prices. but overall i think this will be a good thing. I wish America would do this.

Chapter 1 – Third
1. What attitude motivates the adults to lie to Ender?
I think the attitude that motivated the adults to lie to Ender was that he was a little kid and he wouldn't understand.

2. Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third". Show whether this is
a negative or positive fact to:
- his parents,
- his brother, Peter,
- his sister, Valentine, and
- his classmates.
For his parents it's a negative because it's a social disgrace. For his brother and Valentine the same reason. For his classmates it might be a positave thing because thet have someone to make fun of.
Chapter 2 – Peter
1. Was Peter joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine?  Support your answer
with evidence from the novel.
yes I think he was joking because he says so later on.

2. Why is Peter’s behavior at the end of the chapter so completely different from the
rest of the chapter?
I think this is because he has a a change of character.
3. How do you feel about each of these characters (Ender, Valentine, Peter)?  What
did the author do to help create these feelings?  Give examples.
I like Ender, because he seems like the hero/ good guy. I dislike Peter because he seems like the villan/ bad guy.I like Valentine because she seems like a mother figure.
Chapter 3 – Graff
1. What did Graff mean about evolution working against girls?
He means that evolution made girls caring and soft.
2. Ender is leaving to learn how to fight a war, yet he takes Graff’s hand. Why does
Orson Scott Card (OSC) include this action?
I think he included this action because Ender is supposed to be the person that saves the world but he's still a child.


Chapter 4 – Launch
1. Explain the meaning of the following statement: “Individual human beings are tools
that the others use to help us all survive.” 
It means that individual people are used like tools to help mankind survive. Like a gun is used to fend off a bear.
2. Explain the following quote: "Isolate him enough that he remains creative -
otherwise he'll adopt the system here and we'll lose him." Your answer should
include the terms: isolation, creative, adopt, lose. They want to isolate him so he doesn't have friends  and he doesn't adopt compassion so he can lose men and not think about it, and also so he can remain creative in his own way.


3. Did Ender mean to break the other boy’s arm?  What does this incident tell us about
Ender?  Is it acceptable to do despicable things for survival?  Why or why not?
No, that he doesn't like being a victim, In think so because I would rather survive than die.

Chapter 5 – Games
1. Ender works hard to express his feelings in private and not show homesickness in
front of any other person. Is it healthy for him or not?   What is positive and what is
negative about showing feelings?  What is positive and what is negative about not
showing feelings?
No,because it's not good to keep your emotions bottled up, he doesn't keep his emotions bottled up, Positive you don't keep your emotions bottled up, negative others make fun of you. 

2. How did Ender beat Bernard?  Is this an unusual solution to his problem?
He makes a fake account and says things that aren't true.
3. List the different coping mechanisms (ways of dealing with difficulties) Ender
shows. For each one describe whether the overall result of each is helpful or
harmful to Ender.

Devin Fuentez

CEJ # 1

January 31, 2013

EA boss denies video games encourage violent attacks

Theme: Technology                                                                                        By Leo Kelion

The question that video games provoke “actual violence” is being debated. The boss of Electronic Arts (EA) has denied that there is any link between violent video games and  “actual violence”. The topic has become the focus of political debate in the US following shootings in a Connecticut school and a Colorado cinema. After the incidents, the National Rifle Association (NRA) said the video game industry showed "violence against its own people".
 I think that the idea that violent video games cause “actual violence” is not entirely  the truth. The truth I think is that those incidents were caused by mental illness, and bad childhoods, or abusive parents, or a major incident that traumatized the shooters.  I don’t think that violent video games should be discontinued. I believe that they give us an important insight on war. An important insight on war would be a good thing because it would help us be sympathetic to war vets and their families. But violent video games do have their downsides, they are addicting, they can cause anger and rage, which can lead to many things, and they are more exciting than stupid games like pong. All in all I think violent video games shouldn’t be outlawed.