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The results of
CJ Moth
Hi!!!
we are four happy boys and girls from Jever. We call us CJ-MoTh but of
course it's only a synonym. It consists of the beginning letters of our
names: Claudia, Jutta, Moritz and Thomas.
Thomas is 17 years old and thinks he is an computer
fanatic, intelligent guy (As I said: he thinks). He also thinks he is the
nicest and best looking guy in the world. His hobbys are karate, music and
computers.
Moritz is a very difficult person. We don't know how to
describe him. He's 17, lives for flying, and is too practical!
Jutta is 17 years old and lives for adventures. She
likes climbing and outdoor activities. No risk, no fun!
Claudia is 16 years old and a mysterious person on her
own. Her topic: "Love is not one thing, it is the only thing to make
you happy." Her hobbies: dancing, animals and philosophy.
Now you know who we are, so we can continue with our
topics:
At first: Individual sports
Are you practising individual sports? Which one? What do you think about
sports like football (sports, that are practised by many people) What do
you think about individual sports?
The second one: Poems
Do you like poems? What is your favorite poem? Why do people write poems?
Which topic is your favorite one?
Last but not least: The risk of modern technology
What are the risks of modern high-tech? Is it possible to protect the
people against these risks? Can this technology be misused by dictators or
any other criminals to spy the people? What do you think high-tech will be
about in twenty years?
From VHS to Jever, 11.2.
Hi CJ Moth! My name is Frankie DeCandia. I live in a city called Malden, a
suburb of Boston in Massachusetts. I am a senior in high school, and I
attend Pope John XXIII High School. At school I am currently involved w
ith lots of activities, such as Campus Ministry. Campus Ministry is a
bunch of students that help others around the school, and also organize
retreats for the underclassmen.
I have lots of hobbies, some of which I share with you boys and girls. For
ex ample, I also like music just like Thomas does. I was wondering what
kind you liked? I'd love to hear about the different types of music you
have there, and what it sounds like. I, like Jutta, enjoy physical,
outdoor activities. I love playing any kind of sport, though I may not be
the best at it. I'm probably not quite the risk taker that you are, but
I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. Moritz sounds like an interesting
person, though his introduction was a bit concise. I'd like to get to know
him some more, and maybe we have something in common. Last but certainly
not least is Claudia! It is great to find another person who likes
philosophy, especially someone around my age. Who is your favorite
philosopher? I have been reading a lot about philosophy lately, and I have
really gotten into it.
Well, I've had fun reading about you, and I'm looking forward to working
with your group.
Best of Luck!
From Jever to VHS, 13.2.:
Hi Frankie,
here are Claudia and Thomas from CJ MoTh. How are you? Thank you for
youre-mail. First I introduce myself (Claudia). I dont have a
favouritephilosopher. The most important is that the texts are about love.
I likemusic, too. My favourite kinds of music are: punk, rock , grunge
andmetal. I like this bands: HIM, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, System of
adown and so on. In my free time I go to my two horses or go dancing.
Idance ballet, modern and jazz in a group of 12 people. All my friends
tellme, I am "not normal". OK, I have a different philosophie of
life than themost but I think that is OK. I am in the 11th grade at school,
so I havestill to go to school for more than 2 years. But that is not
really aproblem for me because I like school and especially the breaks.......Another
hobbie from me is reading. I always want to know everything and itis very
nice for me to know people better and especially to know peoplefrom other
countries. I know many people from all over the world. I thinkfor the
first that is enough about me. Now, it is Thomas' turn...
I really like different kinds of music, but the most I
like Techno. It's akind of music which you just can "feel". Of
course I listen to other musictoo, for example Rock, a little bit Hip Hop
and so on. I don't only likethe new techno styles like Trance or Hard
House. I also listen to theoldschool beats of Acid House and Electronic. I
even try to produce my ownTechno tracks but I doubt that they'll be played
in the charts. Myfavourite and only sport is Karate. My grade is the 6th
Kyu. I've been totwo karate-competitions and in the second competition I
have become third.Maybe one day I will win... When I'm not listening to
music (I listen toit more than two hours every day) I work with the
computer. I write littlecomputer programs, work on my techno tracks and
train to designHTML-pages. Bye Bye! Claudia and Thomas
to Ramallah, 18.2.:
Hi Shabnam!
This is Claudia from the group named CJ-MoTh. How are you? First I
introduce me and my life . I live in Jever, a little town in the north of
Germany. It is nice to live there but although it is very boring, too. I
am in the 11th grade at school and I like to go to school cause of my
friends and funny breaks..... I think your faviurite music is pretty nice.
I like metallica and System of a down, too. But I listen to many bands:
Avril Lavigne, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, HIM, Nirvana and so on. Punk
and Alternative. In my free time I like to dance, to visit my horses and
have contact to people. My friends say, I am not normal, but I think, it
is a question of defination what the word "normal" means. I like
philosophy and I am interested in Punk and different people. I can tell
you. I do not know many people with the same interestings. And my
favourite music is not the music of the majority here. Do you like poems?
I am collecting them and often I write my own ones. But I do not know if
they are really good. But I think sometimes it helps you to write your
feelings down. Please answer soon. The best wishes from Claudia!
to VHS, 18.2.:
Hi Frankie!
Don't be surprised of getting two emails from our group. We splitted up in
Moritz&Jutta, and Claudia&Thomas. So it's easier to write back to
you. I'd like to introduse myself a bit more. Where to start...? I'm Jutta
Im 17 yars old, but I've decidet not to get older anymore. (I will stay 16
for ever!! Doesn't matter if you do not understand) My favourit activity
is free-climbing (better: freak-climbing) In summer I like to go camping
far away from civilisation, sleeping under a ski with many hundret of
stars, or only sitting on a rock, talking with my frinds. After school I'd
like too live my life my own way, and I don't want to get too much in
common with the regular society. I also like to becomme a military pilot.
And if I get the chance I like to get one step closer to the stars I'm
wathing in long summernights, by getting astronaut. (please don't laugh!)
So, now it's my turn. My name is Moritz and i'm also 17
years old(13 days older than Jutta, rofl). You wanted to know more about
me so i will write a bit. My hobby (or even live) is flying! I am flying
gliders for 3 years now and im going to get my pilot licence this year.
It's a very individual kind of sport and as i know it is not very popular
in the USA. it really can be fascinating if you are flying your own
airplane in 4000ft..... I am interested in physics (physic of the space),
computer games and political or philosophical questions at the moment irak,
wich wonder...... So write back and we will see..
Jutta&Moritz
P.s.: If you like you can send your private e-mail
adress, then we can also talk private.
from VHS, 20.02.:
Hello CJ MoTh!
My name is Emily Groves. I am a junior at Sutton High School, a really
small school in a really small town in Massachusetts, which is in the
northeast region of the United States. I like playing soccer, running
track, reading, writing, and listening to musi c.
Cool group name! Thomas, I'm sorry about your little bio there... sounds
like your friends are vicious, unless that's how you view yourself as
well! One of my ex-boyfriends does karate. When he got his black belt, I
went to watch his ceremony, and i t was very interesting. I can't say that
I understood what was going on, though.
Moritz, well there isn't much information here about you. It says that you
"live for flying." Do you fly an airplane? That's really cool!
Jutta, What kind of climbing d o you do? I have seen so many movies with
rock climbing or mountain climbing in them. It looks much too dangerous
for me!
Claudia, I like your quote, but I can't say that it is true. There are
many other things that can make you happy!
to VHS, 28.2.:
Hi Kelly!
We are Jutta and Moritz from Jever (Germany). We have read your
introduction and decided to write you a mail. You asked about our
favourite sports. My (Jutta) favourite sport is free-climbing. Often
people think that free-climbing is without any safeties. But what they
mean is free-solo.
Moritz likes glider-flying. Is there something like this
in America, too? We think yes! He is also interessted in computergames.
So, now you know a bit more about us.
bye, Jutta and Moritz
to Thomas from Seattle, 26.2.:
Dear Thomas,
Hi my name is Billy N. Based on what you said in your
introduction,I think we may have a few things in common. Your introduction
says thatyou consider yourself a computer fanatic; could you elaborate on
that. Ithink I'm a computer fanatic myself. I spend most of my time on
mycomputer, surfing the Internet or talking to friends via
instantmessaging. You also say that your hobbies are Karate, music,
computers.One of my hobbies are the martial arts, but I don't do Karate, I
doTaekwondo. As for music, could you please be more detailed; like do
youplay music or do you listen to it. Now I'll answer your questions.
First of all, no, I don't play anysports unless you count doing Taekwondo
as one of them. You could though,because it is in the Olympics. Your
second question, poems. UnfortunatelyI don't have much an interest in
poems, and I don't have a favorite oneeither. I think people write poems
to express themselves creatively. Forinstance to show their affection for
someone or to document the beauty ofnature in words. Even though I don't
have much an interest in poems, Ithink the topic that I most is nature. I
think some risks of moderntechnology may be things like the invasion of
our privacy. Another mightbe the advancement in weapons of mast
destruction that may be used in warsomeday. It may be possible to protect
people by taking precautions inwhat people do with the technology. Spy
technology is used by governments to keep tabs on each other, however they
can also use to spy on people.Yes, I do think spy technology can be
misused by people. I think in twentyyears computers will be small as
notebooks, houses that do just abouteverything for us, and cars that will
use alternative fuels, and with onboard computers for safe driving.
From, Billy N.
Claudia to Seattle, 12.3.:
Gangs and violence
Many people think that in Germany there is not much
violence oder even fights between different groups. Some people even close
their eyes because they do not want to see the reality. But it is fact
that there is much violence. Many different groups exist... youths who
want to be like Hitler and some who go go in the completely different
direction. There is another small village near Jever called Wittmund. It
is hard to believe that in such a small town so much violence and fights
between gangs exist. But just this is the situation: Different groups,
different opinions and different organisations. It is dangerous to go in
some of th discos here because many people are beaten up because of their
different opinion or only because they do not look like the others. The
ones who go on demonstrations against fascism or rascism have the biggest
problem. I cannot understand why people are so cruel to beat up or even
kill other people only because of their opinion or their look. Many people
do not know why tolerance is a very important thing in our society. I can
understand the people who fight against fascism (they have their own
organisation). Sometimes I go on demonstrations, too. It is important to
show that you are against rascism and violence against different people.
There are many people who are not interested in this big problem because
they think that it is no REAL problem although it is. Just in our society
of today it is important to be tolerant because there are so many
different ways of life and so many different opinions. Hope to hear from
you!
Sincerely yours Claudia from cj-moth!
Jutta und Moritz to Iran, 14.3.:
Hi!
1)No
2)No
3)Neither...nor
4)No
5)No
6)This one
7)Jutta: I would go climbing and when I've reached the top I'd jump down.
Moritz:I would go flying the last time (With an glider(airplane)),and I
would tell some people what I really think of them. But I wouldn't make a
party or something like that. 8)Moritz: It's hard to say actually. I think
nobody is ready for death but I don't fear it.
Jutta: I'd like to live a few years longer from now, but I think death is
not as terrible as most people think. It's only hard for the ones who stay
alife.
Moritz: I do not believe in life after death. I'm an
atheist and the only
thing I believe in is sience. Maybe it is an radical opinion but I don't
believe in God either.
Jutta: I belive in Paradise. But not as a world in which
we live after
death. There are many small paradises I live in. I enjoy my life. There
are many friends, and lots of moments I wouldn't like to miss. In every
good thing there is a bad thing. But I haven't found my hell yet.
Good bye, Jutta&Moritz
from Thomas to Seattle, 14.3.:
Dear Billy
I'm sorry that it took so long to answer your e-mail. We haven't had
English classes for two weeks, because our English teacher has been ill.
Let me say something more detailed about me. In the intro I said that I'm
fanatic about computers. I spend a lot of time on my computer, but not on
surfing the web, because my computer has no internet access. I use my
computer for many things: writing computer programs, designing HTML pages
and of course playing games. And I use it for my other passion, too: music.
I listen to music all day. My favourite music is Techno, but I listen to
other styles like Hip Hop or Rock too. My favourite groups are "Scooter"
and "The Prodigy". I'm not only listening to music, I try to
create my own music. I played the piano for four years. When I was ten
years old I quitted playing because I haven't been interested in classical
music. When I was 14 I started mixing dance tracks with arranging-programs
like DanceMachine. Last year I started writing my own songs. They aren't
very good, but they become better and better. I started my third hobby
Karate six years ago because my parents wanted me to do some sports. I
liked it from the first moment and last year I medalled in my second
competition.
I agree with your opinion about poems. I'm not
interested in them very much either. I think it's nice if you are talented
in writing poems, but there a lot of different possibilities to express
yourself, which are more easier to create and to understand, so you don't
need poems. Perhaps they don't interest me because I'm absolutely not
talented in writing and understanding them.
In the point of modern high-tech risks I cannot agree
with you completely. Of course modern technology can be misused for
building super-weapons. But I think the main problem is the spy
technology. I think it's possible that everyone is spied in twenty years.
We won't be only spied by the government, we'll be spied by the industry,
too. And this developement is starting now. More and more
computer-programs send personal data like your hard-disk-drive directories,
passwords or program-configurations to the internet. And the new TCPA
default could alow the industry to control your computer by using the
internet. The user becomes more and more transparent. You see I'm a little
bit paranoid about internet security. That's why I started changing to
Linux and one reason why I don't use my own computer for surfing the web.
Thomas
from Kz., 18.3.:
The risk of modern technologies.
The 21st century is the time of new inventions and
achievements. Of course, you know that a big part of new inventions was
made in the 20th century. People have invented many different things such
as electricity, cars, nuclear weapons, computers and so on. But all these
openings lead to big problems. Problems which people try to solve nowadays.
We live in information society that is why information is the base of our
life. People get information from TV, radio, telephone and of course,
computer. The last one gives us an opportunity to work with the Internet.
The Internet is not only source of information but also a very dangerous
thing for our society. Because the Internet contains huge amount of
different information. And one incautious action can destroy all official
returns. For example: bank scoring, password of different organization.
People who know computers very well can use their knowledge in a bad way.
They can make special viruses, which demolish structure of the memory in
computers. They can steal money from banks all over the world. People need
new programs which will protect our computers from unknown viruses. Artyom
Vagner
from Ramallah, 21.3.:
Hi,
We are from ramallah secondary school We think that sports is very
important for the heath
of people, it make them more activity, efficient, and nimbleness. Sports
have many advantages like: 1. It is activate blood circle 2. It makes our
body consistent 3. It full our free time with good and useful thing >In
our school we, make many sports as (basketball, >handball, tennis,
volleyball) >Finally, we agree with you that in this days many
>people do not care about the advantages of the sports >ands they
love many thing, which is not useful, and it >is harm. >We have an
Arabic proverb "healthy mind in the healthy >body "and we
think that is true, and we hope to every >body to make exercise. >Yours
ahlam, sabrin, ruba, rana, banan, jihad >Form ramallah sec school -
Palestine
to Kz., 21.3. (to Art):
Drugs
In my opinion too few people talk about drugs. Maybe they don't want to
see that drugs are a big problem in our society. Every person has a
completely different opinion about this difficult topic. And you should
respect every opinion. Politicians talk about the legalization of
marihuana. It is important that drugs like heroin aren't legal (although
it is so easy to get it in spite of this). There are many people who do
not realize how dangerous alcohol is. For me alcohol is more dangerous
than marihuana. I have never heard of a person who died because of smoking
marihuana but there are so many people who died because of too much
alcohol. On the other hand I don't think that more people would smoke
marihuana if it were legal. You can get drugs from everywhere. It doesn't
matter if it is legal or not. I know so many people who smoke marihuana or
drink a lot of ( or even too much) alcohol. Some of them just have
realized how dangerous alcohol is. But sometimes they aren't able to stop
it. Marihuana is not the problem because most people take it because they
only want to hang out and chill. Chemical drugs like LSD and Ecstasy are
the worst. You can get so bad hallucinations if you take chemical drugs.
Many people who have ever tasted drugs like LSD say they'll never do it
again. It was too bad. I hope to hear from you! Bye Claudia!
from L'Aquila, 21.3.:
Hi CJ Moth
We are two guys who have just read your message [Feb 8]. Our names are
Paolo and Matteo.
Paolo:
Matteo is 16 years old. He did a lot of sport in the past (and in his
previous life), but now he's keen on skiing. He hates going to school but
I don't think that's true. I think he just says it to impress his women.
Usually we meet at the stadium. The topic I chose is individual sports. I
think that the difference between team sports is that you can only count
on yourself and that's a good thing. I did swimming for 5 years when I was
a child and I found it very enjoyable. but difficult at certain levels. In
spite of this I won the regional competition when I was 8. After this I
did football for many years and I enjoyed it more than swimming because I
met a lot of people. Probably it isn't important to choose between an
individual or team sport but it's very important to do a sport 'cos doing
a sport is very useful for your body and your health. The ancient Romans
thought: mens sana in corpore sano. (It doesn't mean that if you don't do
sport you're a psychopath). Besidessport gives you the opportunity to
become famous. In some poor countries like Brazil peopleplay football or
sports in general 'cos in future they can earn a lot of money and help
their friends and family. Probably this is why Brazilians are stronger
than Italians at playing football. It's not chance that Maradona was very
poor and is now considered thegreatest player of all time. I don't like
poems in general because ...
Matteo:
Paolo is 16 years old and a real football fanatic. my first impression of
him was a psychopathic Milan supporter. He loves football but he likes
sport in general and his favourite hobby is to play every possible
computer football game. He goes to the Scientific High School (like me)
and he hates school (like everyone who goes to school. He's not very
original...). His favourite season is the summer 'cos he can doeverything
he wants. At the moment I don't do sport but in the past I did a lot- like
football, swimming, basketball and rollerskating, though sometimes I go
skiing in the mountains nearby. I love football and I watch it on TV and
at the stadium. I think it's the most beautiful sport in the world. I'm
sure individual sports help us have a good opinion of ourselves.
to Grabsen, 26.3.:
My name is Jutta from cj-moth in Jever. I answered your questions as short
as possible. Perhaps you can also write something about our topics (Individual
sports, Poems, modern technologie. Only a short text with your opinion)
Thanks a lot, Jutta
1. What do you do after school? My homeworks, sports...
2. Who do you meet? My friends from school or from other activities
3. Where do you meet? at somebodys home or at the climbinggarden
4. What sports do you like? climbing
5. Which kinds of sports are very important at the moment? climbing
6. What do you do at the weekend? climbing
7. How long are you allowed to go out? the whole day (weekend) long
8. What do you like more, clubs or private parties? private parties
from Seattle, 2.4.:
Poems are a way to put feelings and thoughts on a paper that one posses.
It is when a poet can express their ideas in any way they choose. In a
poem there is no such thing as a limit. A poem can go on forever and talk
about anything. Having incorrect punctuation and grammar, and having
fragments, cannot affect a poem. It doesn't matter if it has bad
conventions because in a poem, you can write whatever you choose in any
way. This is why poems are unique and special. I, myself enjoy creating or
reading poems. Poems are fascinating and very enjoyable. I love poems and
the way you or another poet can show their thoughts in their own way. When
I create poems, I have to believe that what I'm writing is true to me. You
can't just write a great poem if you can't feel it. As I read other poems,
I always pay attention to what the poet is trying to explain. I try to
read between the lines. There is funny poems, sad poems, love poems, and
all different kinds. Poems are a great way to show what you believe in. If
you really believe in something, I suggest you write a poem. Poems can be
really meaningful.
There is one poem that I enjoy reading over and over again. It is called
"Island Sea" by Lezli Renee Gill. It is about the sea around the
island of Guam. It talks about how amazing it is and how it is
breathtaking. I'm from the island of Guam which is a beautiful and
remarkable island. Yes, I love the sea. I haven't been to Guam in 4 years
and this poem brings back the memories of the beautiful ocean that I saw
everyday. The poem reads, "Breathtaking, Breathtaking as can be,
sweet serenity comes over me." I too believe that the sea is
breathtaking for it is the most amazing thing. The ocean is a great sight
and this poem gives me back all those memories of the deep, blue sea.
People write poems, so they can put their thoughts on paper that they
can't say in words. Some poets write them to get their feelings out that
they have hidden for so long. Poems are written for a great purpose. Poets
reveal their true senses when writing poems. They are written to show what
their point is. They are telling about something that comes from their
heart. Poems are usually made because of mixed emotions or real life
experiences. We all should give gratitude to each poem for it is what
someone believes in.
This is what I think poems are and why they are written. Poems can be very
deep and meaningful. They are great and sensational. Always try to see
what the poet sees while reading a poem. It can make you think differently
or see things differently so treat poems with respect. I don't think there
is such thing as a bad poem but there is such a thing as a good poem.
Poems are the greatest pieces of writing in the world.
By Frankie
from Kz., 2.4.:
The risk of modern technologies
After reading your e-mail, we also think that the internet is a little bit
dangerous, but we have other reasons for thinking the internet is
dangerous. Children's psyche could be destroyed, if they sit in front of
the screen everyday and maybe watch sex sites. At the internet there is
too much information, so people don't often go to the library. On the
other hand it is very useful, because you can find a lot of information,
you can't get in encyclopaedias. On TV they show news or soaps, films and
so on. All the modern technology use for example a lot of electric and
petrol and so on, and all these things are made of petroleum and pollute
our environment. If that petroleum was used up one day, the humanity
wouldn't know what to do. So, it is better, if p eople would economise a
little bit. There are some methods for doing so, for example solar energy,
wind- water energy with the help of wind turbines and water-wheels. Today
it's too expensive, but instead of spending a lot of money on things
polluting our environment, scientists could use i t for research in such
things. We hope, we answered your questions. Hope to hear from you soon.
Bye HILAL & MADDA
from Garbsen to Kz., 2.4.:
Dear Kseniya,
We read your letter about sports. The text sounds interesting for us and
we agree with you in most cases. In our opinion sports are important to be
healthy, however, nevertheless it must be fun. You can have fun for
example with people w ho you met or with whom you play sports together. On
the other hand to get some exercise and play in competitions against
friends and other people can make you happy. In addition to that your
sport can be a compensation for a stressful school- or working day. Hope
you write back Jasmin and Katharina
from Kz., 3.4.:
(1) Scientific progress could be a double Edge Sword. Of course this theme
is rather serious and actual to discuss. From the point of view of the
government different modern technologies make the development of economy
more significant, because they give a great profit and power for the
country and increase it's role in the world. But mostly this scientific
progress does great harm and has a big influence on ordinary people's
life. As you know during the 20th century many weapons
were produced and countries began to compete with each other, trying to
show their power in the world. Many innocent people were hurt by different
weapons. One of the example of using these weapons in unfair way is
tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The most beautiful Japanese cities
turned into ruins after the atom bombs which were dropped on them by the
USA in 1945 on the 6th and 9th of August. And people are still suffering
from the consequences of that nuclear explosion. We think that this one
example is enough to show you how scientific progress can be used in the
wrong way. In this concern, we're strongly against of such usage of modern
technologies. Before using any scientific invention people must first
seriously think about all possible dangers for humanity. Baranovich
Zhenya, Brovarnik Natasha, Omelchenko Sasha. 11"A"
(2) The risk of modern technology
Everybody knows that the end of 20th century was a period of great
technical achievements and modern inventions. It was an electronic
century, where computer and other great machines were invented. It is a
great. However, we understand that modern technology of course has a lot
of disadvantages. First, it's very dangerous especially for people who
don't have technical education, because the usage of modern machines needs
good knowledge in engineering. For some people it's very difficult to
learn the instruction of using diffferent kinds of modern machines and
this is the main reason of serious accidents. Futhermore, the modern
machine such as a computer usually takes up a lot of our free time. Young
people (and adults too) spend all days near computer (at home, at school,
at work) forgetting about communication with friends and relatives. These
are not the only reasons of risk of modern technology. But this problem
can be solved if people start thinking more about dangers of modern
technology and trying to use it in the right way.
Nataliya Brovarnik. school-gumnasium # 10
(3) The risk of modern technology.
Nowadays we have well-developed technologies in different fields of
mankind' s activity. These technologies help us to make our work easier,
but very often when we create something new we don't think about the
influence of this invention onto the environment, people's health and so
on. In fact our factories and plants pollute the air, dump their waists
into the rivers. Because of it a lot of animals and seabirds die. I don't
know why people don't think about it and don't want to solve the
environmental problems. What is more, The environmental situation is
becoming worse day by day. But I guess there are a lot of ways out of this
situation. For example, it's possible to create some equipment, cleaning
the waist of harmful parts of them. Anyway it's easier to prevent
polluting of our nature than eliminate the consequences. Omelchenko
Ksandra.
(4) The risk of modern technology
Technologies are improving very fast these years. They
start to play a big role in modern society's life. It seems that high-tech
is changing our lives in a goods way? but if we take a closer look at
them, we might doubt it.
Modern technologies help to make people's work easier. They help us to
produce more goods in shorter periods of time. There are some serious
problems connected with the improvement of technologies. The first one is
an ecological problem. There are a risk that high-tech wil do really harm
to the nature of our planet one day. The second problem is the issue of
nuclear technologies. Some contries have a lot of nuclear weapons
nowadays. The other seem to start producing such kind of military
equipment. One day this can cause a world war that might destroy many
cities and countries. That's really serious. What if the third World War
starts out of the modern US-Iraq conflict? People should think about it
now!
In conclusion I'd like to say that high-tech is improving really fast, so
it 's difficult to imagine what our life will be like in ten or twenty
tears. I think people will get more serious, though. I guess in twenty
years we'll have ecologically harmless equipment and technologies around
us. Hopefully, all the countries will destrous their nuclear weapons in
order to make our planet safe and peacefull. That's what might happen in
future, but in order to achieve these goals we must get smart, clever,
careful, and positive TODAY!
from Seattle, 23.4.:
(1) Topic: Poems-----
To CJ Moth
I think that poems are great because of the emotion and reflection that
the poets put into there poems. All of the poems I've read have been about
the poet's children or wives or lives. Everything is a form of art. The
way you express your feelings is a form of art. Anyone can formulate
anything to art. Everyone can make art into poetry. I think that people
inscribe poems to express themselves and to let people know that everyone
has a soft spot. I think poems are the most excellent form of art. I
really like poems because of how the poets pour their heart and soul into
there poems. Every word placed into the poem has its own meaning. That's
why I like poems. Here's a little story about how I came to like poems. It
all started last year when my 6th grade teacher had us memorize a poem of
our choice. I chose to memorize and recite, "The Children's
Hour", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After I read that poem I was
just so intrigued with poems. Longfellow was such a good poet in my mind
and also in the minds of others. The poems of 100 years ago are very
meaningful because they were a part of history. I think my favorite poem
is, "In a Disused Graveyard", by Robert Frost. The poem is so
interesting even though it is kind of grotesque. It's probably my favorite
poem because of the way he takes words and entwines them together. All of
the words just kind of flow and make sense, even though the poem is about
a not so happy graveyard and how the dead will come to life and rule. The
types of poems that just bounce off the walls reflecting a poet's
personality is what gets me stuck fast inside of the poem or book of
poems. All of the poems that are here now in our time are probably as
meaningful to the writer as it was 100 or more years ago. That would mean
that poems have a large effect on the readers that burn these poems into
their memory. In conclusion I think that poems are a very high form of
art. Just like calligraphy is to the Chinese and how the cultures of South
America are important to them. Where anyone can express their feelings
through words. I hope that throughout my scholastic career that I will be
able to study, learn and widen my poetic literary skills. I also hope that
poetry doesn't die out like games or clothes or anything else. Poetry is
something that I will live with forever or until I fulfill my dream of
writing my own book of poetry.
-Franko
(2) Topic: Individual Sports-----
Individual sports are not big school sports around Seattle. This is
probably because we have so few sports at our school. I tend to lean
towards the team sports myself because I really enjoy hanging out with
friends as I play the sport I love. Team sports are a lot more popular in
the U.S. than the less impacting individual sports for this and many other
reasons. By the way, I'm sorry if I understand wrong but an individual
sport is like a one-man type thing right? Like skiing, correct? Oh well, I
will just talk about that type of stuff. First of all, team sports are the
most popular genre of athletics. Around here, schools have sports like
basketball and football (not soccer), which are team sports. These sports
have the biggest impact and so most people play them. A lot of people at
this school only play one sport; a track star is not going to likely to
play basketball. Instead they just practice that sport all year. Football
around here is a lot like rugby. I don't know if you guys call soccer
football but here football is different. Football, in case you don't know
what I'm talking about, is where a bunch of guys dress up in pads, split
into teams, and run to the other side of a field to score. There is a lot
more to football but it gets confusing. What you probably call football,
we call soccer. Football is a better name for soccer but in America not
everything makes sense. Both sports are popular and are getting more
praise day by day. As football, and basketball gain in popularity, other
sports like baseball almost seem to lose popularity. Finally, to better
answer your question, most people are into team sports like I said, yet
there are still things like swimming, track, and cross-country that are
individual sports, even though there are still teams. Tennis, and other
head to head sports are not very big because people here like to be a part
of a team. Over here having a team is half the fun. I myself think that
individual sports are fun but I am a baseball guy. I sometimes play
racquetball with my older brother but only as a "brother
hangout" thing. I plan on going on the track team but in ways that
might not be considered an "individual" sport. In conclusion,
individual sports, not big, but people still do play them. Too many people
are caught up in the other sports to get worked up over them. Football,
soccer, baseball, and basketball are the biggest sports here and everybody
seems to like them, just don't fight it. -Danny M.
from Iran, 23.4.:
(1) Hi dears ;)
Well now we r gonna tell you something about poems ... whatever we have in
our minds : Iran is a historical country with lots of poets who lived in
different places with different conditions like :history, geography(as u
know great Persia were so big and gigantic) , culture and etc . and they
created so many poems with different topics and the most important one is
"Gnosticism" and it is quite just for iRAN and we r very proud
of it ~some of Iranian poets r very famous in the whole world like : HAFEZ
, MOLANA AND FERDOUSI ... Hafez is a poet who made special poems which can
help u ti understand something about your future ... we mean they can
predict something about your life ! u close your eyes and u pray for your
intention then u open a page of his book then u read the poem completely
and then u will know something more about your future but just for that
intention ! we will be so happy to tell u more !\ so if u have any
question please let us know .... ! best regards iRAN team !!!!!!!!! Wow !
(2) Hi dear all :
when we read this topic here in learning cirlce we couldn't find a good
view point ! and we had some ideas about this subject and here we wanna
write them for u ... the 1st one is that : we r muslim and in our relig
ion we have some holy people who have been very important and effective to
our believes and they r our leaders and they help us to know more about
our religion and one of these people is "Imam Ali" a very kind
man who was our first Imam (Imams r people who come after our prophet to
help us know the rules of religion better ) he was famous for the high
persinality and for judging with justice and he was a very active man in
all the wars against the enemies of Islam . and he had a special sword
that had 2 edges ! and it is called the "Double edge SWORD" and
it is very holy as well ! and the 2nd meaning : Well ! there is a proverb
which says "the truth is like a Double edge SWORD " and it means
that if u don't care as it says u will be a bad human and if u do it
because the world is not true and correct in any way u won't have a good
life ! if u have an y any any other questions we will be greatful to
answer ! with best regards IRAN TEAM ;)
from VHS, 23.4.:
(In response to topic #1, part 3, Jever, Germany, CJ Moth- The Risk of
Modern Technology) The Heroic and Evil Aspects of Technology There is a
saying that goes, "All that is good is matched with evil." This
saying indirectly applies to technology be cause the good aspects of
technology have just as many bad aspects included. We live in a
"technological renaissance," so to speak, as each and every day
we make strides in the world of electronics, computers, and dozens of
other technological fields. Dev ices that simplify human tasks and
decrease the human workload are all the rage. But are there drawbacks? Of
course. As our generation pushes farther and farther forward in the wave
of technology, we become more and more susceptible to different dangers. A
dependency on technology, an increase in laziness, and a loss of privacy
are the more prominent risks to which technology exposes the human race.
One aspect of technology that is easy to overlook is how the human race
adapts. There are obvious conces sions that one would have to make while
using these different devices. A certain routine can be adapted to include
using the new device. There was a time when cars only came with standard
transmission. Everyone drove a "stick shift" whether you liked
it o r not. Now more cars are automatic, and more people take the easy
route by driving a car that does not use a manual transmission. This is
all fine and good, but what if using the device goes too far? The
conventional and mechanical ways, the processes use d before the
technology existed, are often brushed aside and then forgotten. Most
drivers' education programs only instruct the driving of a car with
automatic transmission. Civilization has whole-heartedly accepted this new
technology and change because it makes things easier, and now is pushing
the old, conventional, manual transmission out the door and into the past.
Now the majority of the population is dependent on this technology- an
automatic transmission- because they do not need to know how t o drive a
standard anymore. Should they be put into a situation where the technology
cannot be used, though, there will be trouble. I was at a family party a
few years ago when my aunt started having some type of allergic reaction
that turned out to be fr om a new lipstick that she had started using that
day. Her car was the last in the driveway, so she handed my mom the keys,
and my mom, my aunt, and I got into the car. My aunt refused to go in an
ambulance which is why we had to drive her to the hospital , and I was
forced to go because my mom did not want to be alone at the hospital. My
aunt drives a standard shift car, and my mom has driven an automatic for
the last twenty years. My mom wasn't crazy about driving the standard, but
it would take too long to move the car out of the way. The car ride was
actually quite amusing. We did make it to the hospital, and my aunt ended
up being fine. My mom had so much trouble driving the car, though, and my
aunt claims that she did permanent damage to the car's tr ansmission.
Afterward, my mom said, "When you drive an automatic, you don't
really think about the transmission and how the car really works. There is
so much more to driving a stick shift. I mean, I learned to drive on a
stick shift pick-up truck, and no w I can barely operate a stick shift
sedan." Simple ingenuity and manual labor are often brushed aside
while using technological appliances. This creates a dependency on the
technology and leads to the next danger. Technology can simplify some of
our m ost complex ideas and motions. In a split second a calculator can
perform a mathematical equation that would take a human several minutes.
Technology can also simplify human labor, and even decrease or deplete it.
The invention of the Cotton Gin by Eli Wh itney ended the tedious removal
of cottonseeds by black slaves. It is here where there is room for human
laziness. Though it is often good for devices to perform the tedious and
painful tasks that humans hate, there is a line of acceptable and
unacceptabl e laziness. Inventions like clap-on lights, remote controls,
and wireless telephones make it possible to perform functions without
leaving the seat. Yes, now you can turn off a light without getting up and
walking twenty feet across a room. How difficult is it to walk across the
room? The general and able population abuses and exploits these
inventions, often meant for those who have the inability to move across a
room, like handicapped people. Why actually do something when a machine
can do it for you? B y taking this opinion, we have allowed a machine to
substitute for human contact and human labor, and we have displayed
laziness. The never-ending search for knowledge is one of the magical
aspects of life. The fact that not everything can be known, th at there is
always something more, and so there is always more reason to keep
searching is one of the greatest parts of life. To help us a little with
this search, numerous technological devices have been developed. These
devices, ranging from the Interne t to a video camera, store information
for later human use. These devices can be used for so many tasks, and
their benefits are endless. At the same time, though, it is the use of
different technological devices that brings about a depletion of privacy.
I t is possible for anyone to purchase a small camera or a little
listening device and plant it anywhere they please. Now these people can
see and hear things that, under any other circumstances, would remain
private. A perfect example of this would be another personal story
involving my mother. My mom works at the University of Massachusetts
Medical School, in the financial aid department. Three months ago a hacker
from an outside computer got into the U-Mass computer system. This person
was able to ac cess all of the personal files of students who were
applying for financial aid. This person changed the files of these
individuals, so the computer would have the wrong information, and the
amount of financial aid that a student would get would be incorre ct.
Luckily, this was discovered because my mom prints out the files of every
student that she works on, and when she went to look up a kid on the
computer while she had that same file (which she had printed out the day
before) sitting on her desk, she no ticed that the two files were totally
different, and she reported it. Her department had to get totally new
computers and input all of the files all over again, a process from which
they are still recovering. Naturally there is a multitude of other exa
mples of technology that is incorrectly used and results in the loss of
someone's privacy. Of course if a person was really intent on intruding
into someone else's life, s/he could do it by means not including
technology; but technology does often make ta sks easier, and the task of
invading privacy is no exception. In ending, it is clear to see that for
all the hallowed and amazing contributions that technology has made to
society, there are as many dangers and risks. As the presence of
technology incr eases each day, the number of adaptations toward
technology increases as well. These adaptations bring changes in the way
that we do things, and an eventual dependency on the technology.
Technology also supports laziness. Different technological invention s can
replace human labor and contact. If humans no longer need to do their own
work, they become lazy. Technology also helps to infringe on personal
privacy with various devices that aid in privacy invasion. Technology can
do wonderful things, but where there is a hero, an enemy always lurks in
the shadow. Technology can just be seen as a bipolar, with both heroic and
evil aspects. By: Emily Groves Age: 16 Virtual High School USA
www.govhs.org Sutton Junior/Senior School Sutton, Massachusetts USA April
7, 2003
from Iran, 23.4.:
(1) Hi dears ;)
Well now we r gonna tell you something about poems ... whatever we have in
our minds : Iran is a historical country with lots of poets who lived in
different places with different conditions like :history, geography(as u
know great Persia were so big and gigantic) , culture and etc . and they
created so many poems with different topics and the most important one is
"Gnosticism" and it is quite just for iRAN and we r very proud
of it ~ some of Iranian poets r very famous in the whole world like :
HAFEZ , MOLANA AND FERDOUSI ... Hafez is a poet who made special poems
which can help u ti understand something about your future ... we mean
they can predict something about your life ! u close your eyes and u pray
for your intention then u open a page of his book then u read the poem
completely and then u will know something more about your future but just
for that intention ! we will be so happy to tell u more !\ so if u have
any question please let us know .... ! best regards iRAN team !!!!!!!!!
Wow !
(2) Hi dear all :
when we read this topic here in learning cirlce we couldn't find a good
view point ! and we had some ideas about this subject and here we wanna
write them for u ... the 1st one is that : we r muslim and in our religion
we have some holy people who have been very important and effective to our
believes and they r our leaders and they help us to know more about our
religion and one of these people is "Imam Ali" a very kind man
who was our first Imam (Imams r people who come after our prophet to help
us know the rules of religion better ) he was famous for the high
persinality and for judging with justice and he was a very active man in
all the wars against the enemies of Islam . and he had a special sword
that had 2 edges ! and it is called the "Double edge SWORD" and
it is very holy as well ! and the 2nd meaning : Well ! there is a proverb
which says "the truth is like a Double edge SWORD " and it means
that if u don't care as it says u will be a bad human and if u do it
because the world is not true and correct in any way u won't have a good
life ! if u have an y any any other questions we will be greatful to
answer ! with best regards IRAN TEAM ;)
from Kz., 23.4.:
(1) Scientific progress could be a double Edge Sword.
Of course, this theme is rather serious and actual to
discuss. From the point of view of the government, different modern
technologies make the development of economy more significant, because
they give a great profit and power for the country and increase it™s
role in the world. But mostly this scientific progress does great harm and
has a big influence on ordinary people™s life. As you know, during the
20th century many weapons were produced and countries began to compete
with each other, trying to show their power in the world. Many innocent
people were hurt by different weapons. One of the example of using these
weapons in unfair way is tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The most
beautiful Japanese cities turned into ruins after the atom bombs which
were dropped on them by the USA in 1945 on the 6th and 9th of August. And
people are still suffering from the consequences of that nuclear
explosion. We think that this one example is enough to show you how
scientific progress can be used in the wrong way. In this concern, we™re
strongly against of such usage of modern technologies. Before using any
scientific invention people must first seriously think about all possible
dangers for humanity. Zhenya Baranovich, Natasha Brovarnik, Sasha
Omelchenko
(2) The risk of modern technology
Technologies are improving very fast these years. They
start to play a big role in modern society™s life. It seems that
high-tech is changing our lives in a good way? But if we take a closer
look at them, we might doubt it. Modern technologies help to make people™s
work easier. They help us to produce more goods in shorter periods of
time. There are some serious problems connected with the improvement of
technologies. The first one is an ecological problem. There is a risk that
high-tech will do real harm to the nature of our planet one day. The
second problem is the issue of nuclear technologies. Some countries have a
lot of nuclear weapons nowadays. The others seem to start producing such
kind of military equipment. One day this can cause a world war that might
destroy many cities and countries. That™s really serious. What if the
third World War starts out of the modern US-Iraq conflict? People should
think about it now! In conclusion I™d like to say that high-tech is
improving really fast, so it™s difficult to imagine what our life will
be like in ten or twenty tears. I think people will get more serious,
though. I guess in twenty years we™ll have ecologically harmless
equipment and technologies around us. Hopefully, all the countries will
destroy their nuclear weapons in order to make our planet safe and
peacefull. That™s what might happen in future, but in order to achieve
these goals we must get smart, clever, careful, and positive TODAY!
Art. (The message was written much before the US-Iraq war)
(3) The risk of modern technology
Everybody knows that the end of 20th century was a
period of great technical achievements and modern inventions. It was an
electronic century, where computer and other great machines were invented.
It is great. However, we understand that modern technology, of course, has
a lot of disadvantages. First, it™s very dangerous especially for people
who don™t have technical education, because the usage of modern machines
needs good knowledge in engineering. For some people it™s very difficult
to learn the instruction of using different kinds of modern machines and
this is the main reason of serious accidents. Furthermore, the modern
machine such as a computer usually takes up a lot of our free time. Young
people (and adults too) spend all days near computer (at home, at school,
at work) forgetting about communication with friends and relatives. These
are not the only reasons of risk of modern technology. But this problem
can be solved if people start thinking more about dangers of modern
technology and trying to use it in the right way.
Nataliya Brovarnik.
(4) The risk of modern technology
The development always goes on. Now at the moment we all
have technologies that couldn™t just be imagined by people of the 70-s
or something like this. With all the technical progress our life is
getting easier and easier. Now we can™t imagine our life without some
inventions. But of course, every coin has its another side. So let™s
talk about disadvantages of modern technologies. I™d like to start with
some global problems. The main problem is pollution of the environment. In
our town there are a lot of huge pipes that drop a great amount of
materials that later go to our atmosphere and then to our body through
breathing. Of course, factories are the example of modern technologies and
they make things that are very important for us but do we need that risk
of becoming ill because of industries? But widely " met problem is
computer. After some hours of sitting and working with computer, I usually
start noticing that my eyes are too tired. And it continues for half an
hour after turning it off. Not long time ago I found out that every time
we use mobile phones we are risking. Every phone has a monitor and there
is some radiation going from it. So when you speak holding it very close
to your face it can influence the health A lot of electrical appliances
often become the reason of fire in a house. All this doesn™t mean that
we should live a life without using any technologies but we should protect
ourselves somehow preserving and protecting our health. Yulia Mokshina
from VHS, 27.4.:
(In response to topic #1, part 1, Jever, Germany, CJ Moth- Individual
sports) Equally Rewarding You feel all alone standing at the starting line
with the other runners; butterflies dance around in your stomach as you
shake out your hands and feet. Y ou're feeling the pressure to do your
best, and it's all up to you. There's no one there to help you out or
assist you in any way. The pressure of an individual sport is a lot
different than the pressure people are under while working as a team. When
work ing as a team, you'd have an entire group of people to back you up
and work with you in order to achieve a desired goal. When competing in an
individual sport, there is no one there to back you up. You're pretty much
on your own, and you control your own destiny. I have played two
individual sports and one team sport so far in my life. I am a competitive
figure skater; I ran track when I was in 6th grade, and played softball
when I was about ten years old. I've been on both sides, and there
definitely is a huge difference. In individual sports you are completely
on your own. There's no team there backing you up, and you're responsible
for everything. If you make a mistake, fall, or trip over a hurdle, it's
your own fault, and you can only blame yoursel f. In an individual sport
all the pressure is placed on just you, not a group of people. You are the
one who can control the outcome of the event. When you're involved with a
team, you don't really know what's going to happen since there is an
entire g roup of people involved, and anyone could make a mistake at any
time. When you're involved with a team, everyone needs to work together in
order to achieve the desired goal. As an individual you control your own
destiny. You don't have to worry about some one else making a mistake and
messing up the outcome you had hoped for; it's all up to you to achieve
your goal. I have been a competitive figure skater since I was eight years
old. It's a wonderful feeling after you win a competition or skate an
amazi ng program. I have also participated in Track and Field, and after
winning a race, it feels great! It feels like you have accomplished
something amazing. It seems astonishing that as an individual you would be
able to complete such a challenging task all by yourself with no one there
to help you. The fact that you were able to conquer your nerves to
complete the task yourself, gives you a splendid feeling of success. It's
also a wonderful feeling when you win as a team because you're amazed that
your e ntire team could work together to gain a victory. When working with
a team, everyone is responsible for everything that happens during a game.
Spontaneous events can occur- events that other people have no control
over. During a softball game you might hi t a homerun, but the other
members of your team could strike out each time they go up to bat. The
fact that your performance went well doesn't necessarily win the game. The
whole team has to do their best in order to be victorious. Your victory is
riding on others' shoulders. When your team wins a game, it feels great
because you're glad that a huge group of people could all work together
and achieve a goal. When your running on a track team, you're trying to
achieve a personal best while also trying to do well, so that your team
places well at the meet. In a way I guess you could say that Track is both
an individual and a team sport. However, it seems to be more of an
individual sport because while your running or competing in different
events, you'r e trying to defeat everyone yourself. The entire track team
isn't there to help you win your particular event. Basically you're all
grouped together, and each runner's individual score is added onto the
team score. The team doesn't actually work together to achieve its desired
goal. Not that the participants don't support one another or anything, but
that's just what track's like. In an individual sport it's completely up
to you, and you can pretty much hog the spotlight all you want. You don't
have to worry about whom you should pass the ball to, or anything like
that. You're only thinking of what is going to benefit you and what will
give you the best outcome. There's no one else who could mess you up while
your competing or running a race, unless of course someone distracts you,
but then again, it's up to you whether or not you want the distraction to
affect you. While working as a team, you may be distracted, or a teammate
may be distracted in some way and react to it. You can never be sure when
a teammate will spontaneously make an error or mess up during a major
event. When competing individually, you only have to worry about
controlling your own actions and keeping yourself focused. Both types of
sports have their negative sides. Team sports require everyone involved to
work together as a group. Once in while there'll be that one teammate who
wants all the glory and forgets that he/she is competing in a team sport,
not an individual sport. Sometimes team members will hog the ball by not
passi ng the ball to the other team members. This type of attitude is not
good for a team as whole and won't help them to succeed. Individual sports
have negativity as well. Because everyone is concentrating on themselves
and no one else, there are many problem s that could occur. In skating
competitions for example, some skaters may purposely cut someone off, or
nearly collide with someone on the warm-up ice just to shake them up a
bit. There are different problems that can occur in each sport. I wouldn't
ex actly consider one type of sport better than the other because sports
of any type can be equally rewarding in their own unique ways. I believe
that both individual and team sports have their advantages and
disadvantages. When you're working as a team, you have to worry about
everyone and include everyone in the activity. Everyone has to work
together in order to play well during a game. It really depends on what
kind of person you are. If you're the type of person who works better on
your own and feel lik e leaving it up to just yourself to complete a task,
then you're more likely to succeed in an individual type of sport. If
you're the type of person who likes working with other people and dividing
up the work, then you're the type of person who would do better
participating in a team sport. In individual sports athletes only have to
worry about themselves and control their own outcome while teams need to
work as a group to be successful. By: Kaitlyn DeRoy Age: 17 Virtual High
School USA www.govhs.org Hudson High School Hudson, Massachusetts USA
April 8, 2003
to VHS, 27.4.:
Hi Kathlyn,
What do people like at sports? Is it the friendship in
the team or are movements fascinating to you? I think that is a fact of
what kind of sports people prefer. The most individual sports I know are
grounded on movements. Dancing, Tai Chi, climbing, swimming... Surely you
are moving in team sports, too, but it is not that special. For myself I
love movements. When you exactly know how to move your body to reach what
you want, when you can touch your knees with your nose or when have to
displace your centre of gravity to keep the balance. You get to know about
muscles you haven't expected in that part of your body. Perhaps this is an
other aspect, why people prefer team- or individual Sports.
So far, Jutta
from VHS, 28.4.:
(In response to topic #1, part 2, Jever, Germany, CJ Moth- Poems) Poems
Help You
It all began on February 20, 2003, this year. I decided that poems had
meanings and tones. I asked my teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, "What subject I
should write on for a Metap hor poem?" She asked me what I would like
to write on, and I replied, "Anything." She gladly suggested
that my topic be "Love Is a Puzzle." I decided that this was
going to be an easy topic. I went straight to the computer in my
classroom, my mind filled with thoughts and ideas. I had my mind set on
doing this poem, and this is how it went. Love is a puzzle Love is a
puzzle, Sometimes I wonder where it is and when it's coming, I feel love
at home, and sometimes it disappears, Where can love go? Why does it have
to happen? Although I feel the life of love, It burns inside and is so
confusing, Inside of me, what can I see that love isn't? Very easy for me,
I can't find it and sometimes, Love is a puzzle, Everyone feels it
different, If loving someone were perfect, then where would we be? I can't
believe what love is, There are so many things that love contains The
burning in the heart The joy of a person The love for something too easy
as the rising sun in the sky The heavens light of someone so special, What
can I see? Where is it? I wonder where my love is going and why people say
they Love someone when they don't even know what it is. Sometimes I just
say, "I love you," but I don't really mean it, but I have begun
to think That I should stop, But in my eyes I really haven't loved, but my
best friend's family and my family Because I have known them my whole life
I don't realize that love is so strong, and it all comes together in the
life of a song. My puzzle sure hasn't come together because I haven't
found that certain one. I wonder what he is doing and where he will be
When I find him This person I will love so much. And when I find him, he
won't leave me, If it takes me years, I'm going to find this special
someone, and he Will be the one that fits inside of me and understands who
I am. My puzzle will be complete He will feel the love of me Rising in the
midnight light He will love me so much that he won't realize what he has
done When I see him and he sees me, he will understand What he has done.
It's going to be hard, it's going to be right At night. So come to me, and
let me see what you have for me. The puzzle of me you will see that you're
the one for me Whoever you are, our pieces will match And the brightness
will make me Happy forever and ever and ever. I love you special someone.
I love you puzzle piece. I expressed the things that I thought by writing
them down quickly. The day is what made this poem feel special to me
because the words just spoke out. I was having a good morning, and being
all happy got me in a mood to write about love in an unbelievable way. I
was also doing the things I needed to do. If I had woken up in a bad mood,
I would have probably written about how I could never find my puzzle
piece, and about love as anger. The mood changes the feeling of things. As
for everyone in the world, I figure that everyone has his or her days. It
is always best to write a poem when you are in the same mood the whole
day. This way you can sit down and just write what you feel. It is always
best to write poems out of the b lue. It gets out the whole point in how
you feel and what you want to write about. When you are in a bad mood, you
can just get out all your feelings in a poem without forcing it on
yourself, or the person you're mad at. Poems relieve stress and happiness
. Writing poems is best to tell something that has happened to you whether
it is important to you or not. Poems can be long, short, or somewhere in
between. No matter what, poems can express feelings or thoughts and can
change the way a person thinks. Now you can see how I changed my way of
writing a poem. Consider writing a poem, and it will help you feel a
certain way. Also try just sitting in one place and writing about your
surroundings and how they make you feel. It's always best to get
comfortabl e wherever you are, and that changes the mood of your poem. You
can always sit down and look around in this special place and figure out
what is best about this place. Poems help you realize the goodness and the
badness of life, and what is on your mind. Just remember, poems don't
always have to rhyme. By: Charyse Truesdell Age: 17 Virtual High School
USA www.govhs.org McKinney High School McKinney, Texas USA April 10, 2003
from VHS, 3.5.:
(In response to topic #1, part 2, Jever, Germany, CJ Moth- Poems)
My Passion for Sara Teasdale
I always imagined that I was a great writer when I was younger. In my
diary I used to write big words and about heart breaking experiences. But
most times I would try to write a poem. I'd think of a good reason why to
express my feelings and sit down and let it all out on paper. And almost
all were about boys and heartaches, which are the typical poems that every
girl writes in her life. As I got older and a little more wiser about
writing, I took a class called Creative Writing. This class made me write
in ways that I never thought I could. In one semester my teacher asked us
to find out who our favorite poet was. I really didn't have any poet in
mind , so I went online searching for love poems. As I was searching, I
came about a young women named Sara Teasdale. Sara Teasdale wrote poems I
could understand, poems that I could relate to. And so, I knew I had found
the poet that I was looking for to begi n my new project. I started to
find more information on Teasdale even after the project was completed.
Teasdale was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 8, 1884, the youngest
child of John Warren Teasdale, a business man with a fine stable. Her
poetry follows the feminine school of poetry in that love was the central
theme. Even though her early work is girlish, her discipline and clean
simplicity display the strength of understatement that characterizes the
body of her work. She wrote of her emotions , her emotional response to
the world, and the people around her- a writing personality that is quite
like mine. One of my favorite poems by Teasdale is called "The
Years." I like how the flow of her poem follows how I feel at times.
It makes me feel l ike I am not the only one who expresses my emotions
through words. The Years -by Sara Teasdale Tonight I close my eyes and see
A strange procession passing me-- The years before I saw you face Go by me
with a wistful grace; They pass, the sensitive shy years, As one who
strives to dance, half blind with tears. The years went by and never knew
That each one brought me nearer to you; Their path was narrow and apart
And yet it led me to your heart-- Oh sensitive shy years, oh lonely years
That strove to sing with voices drowned in tears. Other information that I
found about Teasdale is that she dropped the 'h' in her first name when
she first started to publish her poetry. She was known as
"Sadie" within the family until she grew up. Sh e was raised in
the "Genteel Tradition" of her time, in which she was educated
at home until she was 9, and then sent to girl's schools. She was a
voracious reader, a keen observer of nature, and analytical about her
emotions and responses. Teasdale was s heltered and protected and thought
to be frail by her family. She was made to retreat and rest from the world
when stressed. Over the years, she developed illness as a response to
stress and weakening experiences, and her preoccupation with death stems
fr om an early age. Teasdale married, disliked, divorced, and never tried
again. Her emotions, damaged by this experience, imbue her poetry with a
certain bitterness, but as the years passed, and she battled with the
manic depression that hospitalized he r, she gained a sense of peace, of
her own place in time. Another poem by Teasdale that I adore is called
"Barter." It explains in detail about how she feels toward the
love that life brings and what other people should make out of it. I used
this poem as one of my topics in my Creative Writing Class. I really
respect this poem because life does have wondrous things to be thankful
for. Barter -by Sara Teasdale Life has loveliness to sell, All beautiful
and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that
sways and sings, And children's faces looking up Holding wonder like a
cup. Life has loveliness to sell, Music like a curve of gold, Scent of
pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your
spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. Spend all you
have for loveliness, But it and never count the cost; For one white
singing hour of peace Count many a year strife well lost, And for breath
of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be. Teasdale's words and the
way she felt about love have helped me to be true to my feelings. She went
through heartaches and depressing times just like I have had through my
teenage years. She gave women who couldn't express their feelings well, a
chance to read how she felt and how she could express her emotions. I look
up to Sara Teasdale for being so intelligent when she wrote her poems. I
think it helped her to realize her overwhelming response to her poems. I
sur ely will read her poems throughout my life because I find her to be
one of the only women poets who truly captures my attention. By: Kelly
Pluta Age: 18 Virtual High School USA www.govhs.org Ware High School Ware,
Massachusetts USA April 30, 2003
from Jever, 5.5.:
Hi everybody! Thank you for your mails on "Risks of modern
technology"! Now I'm sending you my point of view on this topic. It's
one e-mail for everybody who wrote me about it. It is not that personal
than writing many individual mails, but so I don't need to repeat my
opinion for ten times and I can use the saved time for working out my
point of view more efficient and much longer than I would do on individual
mails. I hope you 're understanding the reasons.
THE RISKS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY
The word modern technology includes many things, for
example computers, the web, hich-tech weapons like the atomic bomb or the
cruise missile, nuclear power plants and so on. And all these things have
two sides (some of you called it an double edge sword). The first one is
the bright side which we normally see in our daily life and which makes
life so easy and comfortable. The second one is the dark shadow which we
usually (want to) ignore. But sometimes we're pushed back into reality by
scandals, accidents and disasters.
(1) Computer and internet
(I'm really fanatic about computers so it will be the first example which
I work out.) Computers and the web are a miracle of modern technology.
They help us to do our work faster and raise the comfort-level of our
daily life. We can use them to play games, to get the latest information,
to meet friends in chats and for thousands of other useful things. But
they are causing a lot of problems, too. States or companies can use the
web to spy the people's private data stored on their computer. So people
who have a different political opinion than the state can be find out and
arrested. Companies can use the information to get marketing advantages.
Even simple criminals can use the web to steal passwords and credit-card
numbers. Illegal political organisations and terrorist groups can use
homepages to spread their ideas and get new members. Another problem of
computers and internet is the risk of getting addicted to them. They can
become a drug. I think in future there will be more technology- addicted
people than people who are addicted to tobacco, alcohol, morphine and the
other stuff. From my point of view you can't prevent the people from this
last risk. But you can protect yourself against the other ones for example
by using firewalls and encoding-software.
(2) Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering is one of the most controversial topics in our
society. Some people think genetic engineering is the technology of the
future, because they believe that it would be possible to heal many
illnesses which couldn't be healed today. But the majority is afraid of
gen-tec, because it could be misused to create the perfect human being
which would replace the natural one which of course is not perfect. Some
people like the idea of creating their children like they want to have
them. Other people compare this idea to playing god. I don't really have
an opinion on this topic, because on the one hand it could be the greatest
medical chance in history and on the other hand it could be the greatest
self-destruction in history.
(3) High-tech weapons
The most useless part of modern technology for the people are modern
high-tech weapons. These weapons are a great danger for everybody all over
the world, especially the weapons of mass destruction. Countless people
can be killed with only one strike. Hiroshima and Nagasaki have shown
this. I don't think that these weapons will be destroyed one day like some
of you do. From my point of view it's really utopic because you can't make
inventions undone. It's more important to try not to use them and prevent
everybody from getting and creating these weapons. If we try to have only
few weapons we have a chance to control them and to protect us from this
danger.
(4) Pollution
One problem which is caused by all kinds of modern techology is the
pollution. Developing, producing and using high-tech needs a lot of
energy. And to get this energy we mostly use oil- or coal- powerplants
which have an high emmission. To solve this problem we have to use more
systems which have no emmission like the fuel cell for example. A special
problem are nuclear powerplants. Either they have no emmisssion they can
radiate the environment after an accident.
(5) Replacement
We are more and more replaced by our modern high-tech. It's paradoxical
that we are working on replacing ourselves either we just think that we
are the center of the universe. But in fact more and more jobs are taken
over by machines. Hundred years ago everything had to be produced
manually. Today there a only few technicians left who are pressing some
redcolored buttons. This makes work more easy and comfortable. But the
consequences of this replacement are high unemployment and a lot of other
social problems, too.
(6) Out of control?
The most risks of modern technology are caused by misusing it. But some
risks are based on losing control. A typical example of it is Tschernobyl.
Because of a constructing mistake the crew of the nuclear powerplant
wasn't able to shut it down after an error occured. So it exploded and
radiated the environment. Technology becomes more and more difficult and
complex. Can we keep it under control any longer? Nobody knows today. But
I won't bet on it!
(7) Technology in twenty years
Of course nobody knows what the future will bring us. But it's fascinating
to predict it. Up to now, many people have tried to do it, but the most of
them were wrong. Now I just try it, too. If I'll be wrong we'll see in
2023 ;-) I don't think that we'll live in a super-progressive society,
which is totally different from today. I think the world will look like
our world today. Of course it will be more developed: Faster computers,
hydrogen powered cars, more internet and multimedia applications. But we
will still have the same problems: War, unemployment, poverty, low
ressources, high pollution (even if we would totally stop pollution today
we can't undo our sins that fast) and so on. You see I'm not expecting too
much from the future because I can't be disappointed if I'm expecting
nothing.
Regards
Thomas from CJ-MoTh
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