Any Hidden Talents?

We watched some talented individuals "sing," dance, and draw today after finishing the Ch.8 slideshow.  I have uploaded the slideshow with my notes from 3rd period to the Moodle.

The first half (1-21) of the Presidential Legacies packet is also available on the Moodle.  You will get a hard copy (2 stapled sheets) on Monday.  I left the pile of packets on the chair by my desk, but hopefully the sub brought them up to E118.  If there's any confusion about what to do, get the key to E118 from Mr. Ries and the packets from E5.  Use the hour in class to get started on something due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. 

I'll update this over the weekend with a full Presidential Legacies file, and possibly get the Court Cases (which you'll be doing Dec. 6th & 7th) done this weekend as well.

I just found this about Lou Dobbs, who is leaving CNN (again) after many years.  The article mentions split-ticket elections and "tea-bagging" but its audience is political wonks, not teens - so get your mind out of the gutter.  Read it though - it will take you less than 5 mins. and it'll make me happy.

As I recall the discussion we had regarding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in 3rd period the other day, I thought about an opening my favorite late-night host did in October.  Take it away Mr. Ferguson (doing his best for the Village People)...

Luddite to Be?

I may become a Luddite...especially after so many technical problems this past week (and I know more lurk in the future).  We didn't quite finish Ch. 8 today - but that is OK.  You learned about Buying on Margin, and third period learned about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the acceptance and economic/political rationale of homosexuality in ancient Greece.  We'll finish tomorrow and maybe have a brief intro to Ch. 9. 

I will upload the "Presidential Eras" packet sometime tomorrow as well.  It is what you will be working on in E118 on Monday - with a penciled-in due date of Weds before Thanksgiving.  I'll accept hard copy or email. Then I'll upload the Supreme Court Cases packet you'll be completing in the same lab on Dec 6 & 7 while I am out some more.  I HATE missing school - especially for staff development things that would be much better served in the summer or on release days. 

So, I watched GI: Joe the other day.  Awful.  My guess is this woman was asked to go see it again...


Marriage Proposal FAIL - Watch more Funny Videos

Thank a Veteran

I hope some of you will look on Veterans and military service a little more kindly after today.  But you should continue to study WHY we get our military involved.  In your opinion, what would justify miiltary action?  This is a very touchy issue for many - and something you will continually update over your lifetime.  There is never a "correct" answer, simply a justifiable and well-supported one.  If all we cared about was money, we should have sided with the Nazis in WWII.  If all we cared about was a basic right to life, Darfur and Somalia would be peaceful and safe. 

I fixed the Moodle this morning so you should be able to get the chapter 8 handout (9 and 10 are also available).  We'll finish the Ch 8 lecture tomorrow and start 9 on Friday.  There is a Political Forum this Thursday, so maybe plan to go tomorrow.  I am going to grant you EC for attending the one on Dec. 10th.  Get involved, stay active...but most importantly - THINK and DO.  PikaPika

Not So Fresh?

Ooh, bad commercial memories with that heading.  But it is related to today's post.  The handouts for chapters 8, 9, and 10 ARE available for your use.  You may have to hit the REFRESH button on your browser.  If you are still having problems tomorrow, show me in class and we'll figure it out.  If you can get it to work, leave a comment so others know I am not the crazy one.  We started chapter 8 today...after a "brief" delay due to technical difficulties.  The tech guy fixed the internet connection so we should be good to go for tomorrow.

I hope to revisit our discussion from Monday as we read the Declaration of Independence (dig your copy out - I gave you one earlier) and the Preamble to the Constitution.  Then we'll watch a short segment or two about US Military use over the past 100 years.  We'll conclude with me showing you some web sites dedicated to the fallen from our recent engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I secured the computer lab (E118) for three of the four days I will be gone over the next 4 weeks - you'll use the "interweb" to fill in some charts for presidential terms (if you read chapter 8, you'll have a little idea of what I may be asking for on Monday) and one for court cases in December.  I suggest you copy and paste info directly into the excel spreadsheet and then email a copy to yourself at the end of class so you can finish it at home...but that's just me.

Before my final say and advice, I gotta share this video of a girl you will NEVER want to cross.  Yikes.



The Forum for this week has also been created - it's about term limits.  And when people worry about Google taking over the world, I can't help but counter with an even greater fear - Apple.  I HATE censorship, so this is ridiculous.  Comments?

Manic Monday

Ooh, I'm old.  That's a Bangles reference in the title.  Kind of a weak 80's girls' group that bridged us from the Go-Go's to the Spice Girls.  Nothing to do with Government though.  I hope today's discussion made you actually think.  Peter made a perfect observation in class - my questions are easy if you could be specific, but they're so broad that...they...well...they make you think about it.  EXACTLY!   For those of you not in class today (including ALL of you from 2nd hour), the four questions are shown below in invisotext (just click and drag over to read).  Take out a note card (you should have bought them last quarter) and answer the four questions in order...WITHOUT jumping ahead.  Part of the fun is answering each question before you know what the next one asks.  When you answer yes or no, follow with a brief explanation (1-2 written lines).  After answering all four, summarize what you thought about.  It's all part of my hope to have a frank and honest discussion on Veterans Day about serving your country.

1.  Would you DIE for your family?
2.  Would you KILL for your family?
3.  Would you KILL for your country?
4.  Would you DIE for your country?

Read Chapter 8 by tomorrow.  We'll finish on Thursday, with a test on MONDAY.  I am pulled out of class on Monday, so I figure it is a good day for you to take a quiz.  I will also be gone on M and T in December, so we have to figure out something for you to do for two consecutive days...I may try to get you into a computer lab for Presidential Legacies and another in-class essay.

I hate Florida and Texas college athletics, but the following video proves that if and when the odds are heavily stacked against you, there still may be a way out...



I gotta take a break...Shalom.

I couldn't find the McNugget video, but I did find something  that will make me think twice about reaching in and eating blindly from the McNugget box next time.  Ugh.

Turn The Page

Grades are done!  There are a handful of INCOMPLETES due to missing finals and previous agreements.  Unfortunately, there were also a few students who failed.  This was primarily due to attendance and missing work.  There is no reason to fail a class - if you're falling behind, see your teacher early and often.  Seek help and guidance.  I made the final out of 90, with one person (take a WILD guess) getting a 91.  That adjustment resulted in anyone scoring in the 80's seeing a nice bump to the final grade.  I can't even begin to relay what I had to go through with the final - one of my keys was messed up.  There I was, correcting exams and realizing that they key was wrong.  So I had to go back and re-correct not only that batch, but verify every other booklet as well.  Needless to say, I had a horrible headache...but I plowed through it all.  We will start with Chapter 8 on TUESDAY - READ THE CHAPTER BEFORE THE LECTURES!!!  I;m gonna step away from the computer now and not think of grades or school until much later...