Long time, No blog...

Hey guys! I saw this on Yahoo News, and it caught my eye:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081227/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

It's about a bombing that Israel made on the Palestinians, and I though that this added a whole new level to what we talked about in class about the Isreali/Palestinian conflict. Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and killed over 200 people and wounded over 400. For my proposal, I suggested the two-state solution, but now I don't know what to think.

I just wanna hear your opinion on this!

-composer_for_the_class

Caleb's Culture

I was born into a unique and multicultural family. On my mother’s side of the family, you’ll find the Mexican American culture. On my father’s side, you’ll find the Dominican New Yorker culture. Both cultures have a great impact on my life. I have chosen three ways that these cultures impact my life. These three examples of cultural impact are the main reasons for my personality, taste in music, and my taste for food.
The biggest impact that my mother’s Mexican American culture has on my life is my love for Spanish food. The Mexican American cultural food is well known here in Arizona. My mother was raised most of her life here in Arizona. She was born into a family that had a great love for Mexican food. That love for Mexican food was passed down to her and has been passed down to myself along with many of my siblings. My mother assists her sister who owns a restaurant in Northern Arizona. They both express their love for food to the many people who eat at the family restaurant.
My father was born in the capitol of Dominican Republic but raised in the heart and soul of Bronx New York. At the age of sixteen, he was exposed to the up and coming salsa sensation. He lived in a neighborhood that homed well-known Latin music artists. My father witnessed great performances from great artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, Nicky Marrero, Ray Barretto and many more. By studying these artists, he acquired his great skill in playing Latin percussion instruments. His passion and love for this music has been passed down to me and thankfully at an early age. At the age of four, my father started teaching me the basics in Latin percussion. Now, thanks to him, I am performing in two different Salsa bands and also fill in as a percussionist in many other bands. The music of the Dominican culture though is Merengue. I, along with my father, have studied the Dominican music and am also playing this music in bands also.
The final impact that these two Latin cultures have on life is the common language. Both cultures are of the same language. Of course there are slang words that are different in the two languages, but the two cultures can unite because of the common relation in language. Both cultures, along with other countries and cultures, can express their feelings with each other because of this common language.
The last three examples were of cultural impact on my life. I, along with the rest of my family, am very proud of my two cultures. I am also greatly thankful for being born into these cultures.

- Caleb

Food, Glorious food

What is culture? Culture is a way of expressing yourself, a way of life, or anything you like to do. So, each person has their own individual culture. There are many aspects of culture, like recreation, art, music, and movies. But before someone finds and explores aspect of culture, they must recognize their own culture.
I myself have found it difficult to label myself in a cultural aspect. However, I believe that I am a German-American Jew. The Jewish culture which I belong to has always had many customs and beliefs, some which belong to Europe, and some which belong here. However, this being my home country, it is the most important place in my life.
I am most familiar with the food here because I have been in this country the longest. I am familiar with Italian, Mexican, and Asian foods because those are the main foreign foods which are in the United States. The main foreign foods which I enjoy are beef ravioli and lasagna, steak and fish tacos, chips and hot salsa, pad Thai noodles with chicken, hot & sour soup, and potstickers. I love eating foreign foods because in a way, I can taste how the foods represent their culture. Based on my dining experience, the Italian foods are very complex, and must be done a certain way; otherwise you could not enjoy it. The Mexican foods are full of spicy flavor, yet they have an ideal simplicity to them. Asian foods is also very simple and full of flavor, but the foods can taste sweet, salty, hot, cool, spicy, or sour. However, American foods are different from all of these.
American food has a certain taste and style which makes you feel "bored", in a way. For example, when my family and I got out for American food (ex. Red Robin, Wendy's, Friday's), I am usually satisfied with my food. However, I feel that another kind of flavor is needed, other than just salty or sweet. dct with all of these styles of food, my favorite style is German and Jewish food.
German food (in Europe) is very different from our food. For one thing, you cannot just get a glass of water in a restaurant. You must order a bottle of regular water or sparkling water (or any other beverage) along with your meal. Also, German food is full of unique and rich flavors that can easily go together in any combination; not just sweet and salty.
Jewish food is mildly complex, yet there is always food for everyone. Usually, on Friday evening, we light candles, drink wine, and eat a type of bread called a challah roll, to celebrate the Day of Rest when the Earth was created. There can be many types of challah, including plain, some with raisins, and some with cinnamon.
In closing, these are the types of food which affect my life and always make it a pleasure for me to eat.


-St. Benjamin

Grade Request Update-Mr. Nic

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that I have read all of your columns and will be emailing you tomorrow with your grades. It has taken me longer than anticipated to read and assess all of your columns, but I can say that on the whole they have been wonderful and I think that most of you will be happy with the grade that you receive. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them, all 110 columns! In the future, so that we can continue to do these assignments with some regularity and so that you can share your writing with your classmates and in turn read their work, but so that I can continue to maintain some semblance of a life outside of school (yes, teachers have a life too!) I will read and comment on the columns, but will not assess them. You will get the full points for writing them, as you did with your first writing assignment about your essence. You will still get assessed on your unit papers as well as the occasional in class essays that we will do, now that you have tables to write on. This way we can continue to write on our blogs and you can do so without worrying about your grade, you can write for the pleasure of writing and sharing your incredibly insightful and mature opinions with me and with each other.
Mr. Nic

upps :O

the one below is mine :)

zola

Music,Music, Music

To me music is not only a combination of rhythm, beat, and very talented people, but it is a feeling of emotion. Music to me is important in my culture because it often soothes my everyday stress. Each and every song played brings to mind a memory, a dream, an ambition, or a hope. For example, when I listen to an upbeat song about friends, I often find myself thinking of a school dance or a happy friendship, while at the same time I try my attempt at a few cool head shakes with simultaneously moving my feet (talent). Music’s culture to me will always be chilling with the cool crowd. No matter what, music will always be “in”. Not only is music important to me and the people that surround me, but also to people all over that I don’t know and whom don’t know me .
To me and to many others, music is much more then just a song. Music in my mind is always a story or a part of a story that, is almost always, inspirational. Music is the art of sound. When I think of the culture of music I often think of life, because really without life music would not exist and really either would we. Anyway because of the mess ups, tragedies, revivals and love (etcetera), that are included in life, music is what it is. To me the life in music is really what makes it so great. Music shows the imperfections of human life in the most perfect ways possible. Naturally when thinking of the life of music I lead myself into thinking about my life, and how lucky I am to have the people I know in my life.
Music’s culture of being, is not only one that brings joy to my feet when it gives me the urge to dance, but it also brings and adds joy to the time I spend with my friends and family. The joy of music carry’s emotion that none can bring to the table. Music helps me to walk to my own beat, free of judgment, and in a world of my own, where my soul and mind can become carefree. Music’s beat and bounce impacts my life through the emotion it inspires within me, whether it be of happy or of sad. I will always love music, it is one of the only things in life that will never fail me.

One Proud Teacher

I just wanted to take a quick moment to commend all of you for the time, effort, passion, creativity, and energy that you have put into this assignment. I had high expectations for this, but you have exceeded even those, and I just want to say how proud I am to be able to work with you, and how much I am looking forward to this school year. I will be reading through the columns and comments that you all posted over the next few days, and hope to be caught up on my reading and grading by the end of the week.

I will discuss in class how you will be graded on these, and I do take some time to grade them as I read and reread them carefully, so be patient with me as I know I don’t get you immediate feedback. What I lack in timeliness I will try to make up for with depth in my assessment of your writing.

Remember, I am looking for, in order of importance, the quality of your ideas, your writing style, and the fundamentals of your writing. In other words, what you have to say, how you say it, and that you say it in the proper fashion. I really enjoy reading good creative writing, and to that end I welcome you to challenge yourself and to try different things with your writing. I would rather you take some risks and fall short than to play it safe and give me the standard 5 paragraph AIMS essay, and I will take all that into account when grading and assessing you.

Again, thank you for being such wonderful students and for giving so much of yourselves. I will always do everything I can to live up to the challenge and the honor of being one of your teachers here at ASA.

Mr. Nic