Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Another Word for Kind

  • Caring-1. Verb-To be concerned or solicitous. 2.Noun-Temporary keeping, as for the benefit of or until claimed by the owner. 3. Adjective- Feeling or showing care and compassion. Origin-bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE caru, cearu,  c. Goth kara,  OHG chara  lament; (v.) ME caren,  OE cearian, carian
Examples: 1. "I take much care when handeling fragil packages." 2. "They cared for the injured dove until it's wing was healed." 3. "She is such a caring mother twords her three children."
  • Compassion-1. Noun-A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. 2. Adjective-To be full with compassion. Origin- 1300–50; ME (< AF) < LL compassiōn-  (s. of compassiō ).
Examples: 1. As I heared the victims story I was filled with compassion and reached over to give her a hug." 2. Good Samaritans have lots of compassion if they are always willing to help others before themselves."
  • Friendly-1.Adjective-Like a friend, kind, helpful. 2.Noun-A person who is in sympathetic relationship to oneself or one's side; one who shows no hostility. Origin- O.E. freondlic.
Examples: 1. "The girl walked over to the new boy and made the friendly gesture of inviting him to eat lunch with her." 2. "I thought I was being friendly by saying hello to others in the hallway."
  • Amiable-1.Adjective-Having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable. 2.Adjective- Friendly, socialable. Origin- Mid-14c., from O.Fr. amiable , from L.L. amicabilis  "friendly," from amicus  "friend," related to amare  "to love." The form confused in O.Fr. with amable  "lovable," from L. amare . Reborrowed later in proper L. form as amicable. 

Examples: 1. "My colloge roomate was so sweet and amiable, I never fought with her." 2. "At parties Sarah is always being so amiable, telling stories and saying hello to new people."

  • Nice-1.Adjective-Pleasing; agreeable; delightful. 2.Adjective- Amiably pleasant; kind. Origin-1250–1300; ME: foolish, stupid < OF: silly, simple < L nescius  ignorant, incapable, equiv. to ne-  negative prefix + sci-  (s. of scīre  to know) + -us  adj. suffix.

    • Examples: 1. "Though it was winter, the sun was out and it ended up being such a nice day." 2. "My grandmother is always so nice to me when I come visit her."
      • Helpful-1.Adjective-Giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service. Origin-bef. 900; ME helpen,  OE helpan;  c. G helfen.
      Examples: 1. "Being helpful, Josh carried the old womens groceries to her house." 
      • Thoughtful-1.Adjective-Showing consideration for others; considerate. 2.Adjective- Occupied with or given to thought; contemplative; meditative; reflective. Origin-bef. 900; ME thoght,  OE ( ge ) thōht;  c. D gedachte;  akin to thank, think.
      Examples: 1."When I was sick, my friends wrote me thoughtful cards, letting me know they cared for me." 2. "Thinking of what you're thankful for becomes a very thoughtfull process."

      • Affectionate-1. Adjective-Showing, indicating, or characterized by affection or love; fondly tender. 2.Adjective-Having great affection or love; warmly attached; loving. Origin- 1485–95; affection1 + -ate1 , on the model of passionate.
      Examples: 1. "My mom and dad exchange Valentines day gifts because they are so affectionate towards one another." 2. "Cubs are very affectionate to their mothers when they are first born."
      • Good-1.Adjective-Kind, beneficent, or friendly. 2.Noun-Moral righteousness; virtue. 3.Adverb-For good, finally and permanently; forever. Origin-bef. 900; ME (adj., adv., and n.); OE gōd  (adj.); c. D goed,  G gut,  ON gōthr,  Goth goths.
      Examples: 1. "Amanda is a good person for befriending some of the new freshmen." 2. "The power of good always triuphs over evil." 3. "After this month, Sandy will leave the town and be gone for good."
      • Considerate-1.Adjective-Showing kindly awareness or regard for another's feelings, circumstances, etc. 2. Adjective- Carefully considered; deliberate. Origin-1570s, "marked by deliberation," from L. consideratus , pp. of considerare  (see consider). Of persons, "deliberate, prudent," 1580s; meaning "showing consideration for others" is from c.1700.
      Examples: 1. "John was so considerate in bringing me my homework when I broke my leg." 2. "You can tell that the board took a conidereable amount of time to decide the winner." 

      Sources
      • American Psychological Association (APA):

         (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 07, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
        Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ (accessed: December 07, 2010).                                                    
      • Modern Language Association (MLA):

         Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 07 Dec. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/>.

        Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

        Dictionary.com,  Dictionary.com Unabridged. Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 07, 2010.

        BibTeX Bibliography Style (BibTeX)

        @article {Dictionary.com2010,
            title = {Dictionary.com Unabridged},
            month = {Dec},
            day = {07},
            year = {2010},
            url = {http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/},

      Monday, December 6, 2010

      Christmas in October?

      The Christmas season is probably my favorite time of the year. It's a combination of the amazing smell of sugar cookies in the oven and the look of freshly fallen snow on my lawn that gets me hyped for this holiday. Christmas is also the season for giving and nobody likes to shop more than me. Even if I'm not shopping for myself, its almost as fun to buy gifts that you know your family and friends will adore. I can't think of a better moment when you find that perfect gift for that one person in you family that is impossible to shop for. An even better feeling is seeing the surprise and awe as they open your gift, this is the time to pat yourself on the back and to realize that all of those visits to the mall paid off.

      I love Christmas so much however, there are times when I can't help but roll my eyes at the ridiculous traditions some people continue to participate in year after year. Number one being Black Friday. Why is Black Friday associated with Christmas? I just talking about Christmas being a time for giving not a time for pushing, shoving and selfishly stealing all the sale items in your cart. Are the things bought at Black Friday even for presents or are people buying them for themselves?? My second pet peeve is when radio stations begin to play Christmas Music in October. You may think I'm exaggerating, I wish I was. I can understand that people gt excited for the season and they want to get into the spirit but we have other holidays in between for a reason. I'm just saying people need to give equal time and recognition to each holiday before Christmas.

      Overall I can't wait until Christmas Eve to exchange gifts with my family and friends, though some people take the holiday a little too far, I can get passed them in the spirit of Christmas.

      Monday, November 15, 2010

      To Study or Not to Study

      2 Million Minuets really opened up my eyes about the education in the US compared to education in other countries. By the end of the week I am exhausted ready to sleep in and have some time off. In other countries I feel like kids never get a break for football games or trips to the mall, their mind is only focused on school work. I do agree that the priorities of students in today's society may be a problem. It concerned me that at the Carmel High School in Indiana, the football players spent more than double the time practicing football than studying. It was also concerning that the town spent $13 million dollars on a new stadium and athletic facilities. Although I am a big believer in extra curricular activities, I think that the United States needs to find a balance between school work and fun. We need to revamp what being a student athlete is all about.

      When watching this movie you could tell that it was extremely biased. Not all American teenagers sit around watching Greys Anatomy while "studying." Not all of us just go into the SAT thinking "hmm...I'm not going to try very hard, hopefully I'll do fine." I think high-schoolers in the United States have more pressure then ever before. With every passing year it becomes more difficult to set yourself apart from all other applicants for collage. Collages expect to see a number of activities on you application and if you fall short, too bad no excuses for not fitting in the extra time to become the president of Spanish Club or work with orphaned children on a mission trip. Teenagers are stretching themselves thin trying to impress the collage board. Community Service, Student Council, NHS, Team Captain, and Youth Leader are all activities collages EXPECT to see on your resume, what sets you apart...good question.

      Although teenagers in India and China may stress themselves out studying to apply to the top collages in their country, Americans are stressing themselves out working to apply to the top collages in the country. In other countries grades and test scores are at the top of the list to be accepted. In America colleges look at scores but also your time management and how many hours you put into activities outside of school and how far you achieved in them, the more activities the greater chance your going to collage.

      In both cases I feel that teenagers need to work hard but shouldn't have to feel that they must do more then they can handle. After all we are still kids and we should be able to enjoy life while we are young.  

      Tuesday, November 9, 2010

      "I get by with a little help from my friends..."

      1.Definition-Friendship, “the state of being a friend…” says the dictionary. Friendship is so much more than just being a friend though. I mean what all goes into being a friend? To be a friend you must be willing to put someone else before yourself. If you love this person enough, this shouldn’t be difficult. You should be able to see their good qualities and set aside the bad. Friendship means that when you hear your friend just got dumped, again, by her boyfriend you over with a box of cookies and the notebook without a second thought. Friendship is when you know the new episode of Glee is on but you go to his game instead. Friendship is just being there, because you care.

      2.Classification-Friendship can mean different things to different people. Take my brother for example he has many friends, but he only has about 4 friends who he lets in his inner circle. These people he will take his wall down for, he feels he can really trust them. For me I give my trust to people easily, so I make friends quickly. I also use the term “friends” very loosely. In consider just about everyone who I associate with friends. My brother takes the word “friends” more seriously. I know his friends well, and when someone new comes along I can guarantee after he leaves my brother say “Were not friends, were just in the same class.” Other people may not like to get close to people so therefore they don’t have many friends. Some people may have so many friends that they come off as fake and insincere. 

      3. Process Analysis-Friendship takes many stages; sometimes you may get to one stage but then fall back a few stages after a fight. 1. Introduction-introduce yourself to someone nice looking, and then banter about things you like until you have something in common. 2. Hang Out-Once you find something your both passionate about, go do it! 3. Inside Jokes-Inside Jokes, I feel are a large part of a friendship, developing a playful and fun relationship with each other. 4. Hang Out MORE- Hang out some more but maybe introduces each other to friends, boyfriends, family, ect. 5. Be Open-Once you have established a strong and trusting relationship feel free to open up and share your innermost secrets with that person.

      4. Example-Friendship dosen’t always mean your super close with the other person. I think that kindness and friendship go hand in hand and can be shown in the same way. It makes me smile when I hear about the “Drive-Through Difference”, when one person pays for the person behind them. They might not know anything about the person behind them but they show them kindness anyway because that is what friendship is all about. You never know maybe the two cars will meet up for lunch afterward and become great friends, anything is possible.

      5. Narration-Entering preschool, all I could think about was making new friends. I wanted to meet every kid in the classroom, know everyone’s name, and be everyone’s best buddy. But then I realized that it’s the relationship you have with someone that makes them your friend, not the fact that they say “Please…I’ll be your best friend!” I knew walking into that colorful classroom that I would make friends that would last a lifetime. In that classroom I learned valuable lessons about how to keep friends and what you have to sacrifice for them. Maybe it was splitting me PBJ when they forgot their lunch or sharing my crayons when theirs were broken. No matter what age you are the foundation for a strong friendship remains the same.

      6.Description-A girl runs down the escalator passed the baggage claim and is hit by a warm embrace by another girl in a green t-shirt. Their eyes fill with tears and neither one of them can get out a full sentence without a sob in between each word. Still wearing their class rings they walk hand in hand down the airport to their car. They know the week will be filled with long nights reminiscing about old boyfriends, girl drama, and their plans for the future. Five years have passed since they walked out of the doors of high school and into college, and their bond couldn’t have been stronger.  

      7. Comparison/Contrast- “We can be friends or we can be enemies”, this is a popular quote used in many western or action type movies describing the relationship between the hero and the villain in the movie. Normally, your not ever friends with your enemies. In the movie case the hero usually has some kind of connection with the villain but somewhere down the line the relationship grew rocky and the villain vows to destroy the hero. To defeat the Villain the Hero refers back to their old friendship remembering the good times; sometimes the Villain hears this and decides to come out of the dark side and into the light. “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”, another famous saying that appears in movies often. Both of these phrases sum up the fact that there will be people in your life that you don’t like but, you should always be friendly towards them, because you never know when you may need to lean on your worst enemy for guidance or help


      8.Division of Analysis- Friendships may take you by surprise. Sometimes you have no idea how close you can get to someone, how you have became a part of their life, how you feel when you’re with one another. Friendship involves good communication, trustworthiness, and love. Friendship allows for walls to be broken down and for emotions to flow and be shared. Friendship is something we all crave but may not seek out, it can be found in the most peculiar places.  

      9.Cause and Effect-Friendship is caused by a rush of emotions, mainly the happiness of being accepted and loved by another. From day one, people crave attention and love from everyone. When you begin school all you want is to find people who want to play with you and maybe invite your over for a few hours on the weekends. As you get older, you still feel the same way. In high school everyone wants to get in with the in crowd no matter what it takes. But once you find that group or person that accepts you for who you are, the effects begin. Friendship plays a big role in the “Cups Theory.” The Cups Theory describes how people’s needs are met as they are growing up. The more love and attention they receive from family and friends the more likely their cup will be filled and later on attract others who needs are met and a chain reaction occurs.

      10. Argumentative/Persuasive- Thousands of people are rushing passed you, one kid even pushes you off balance as you approach your next class. You scan the roomnay friendly face. You find a nice looking girl wearing a John Mayer Shirt. “I love his music” you stammer. “Oh, yeah…me too.” The girl utters, then flips her hair and goes back to talking to the boy next to her. Your heart sinks. Can you imagine being the new kid in school? It’s more work than you think to jump into a group of kids who have been together since Preschool. I don’t understand why people are so afraid to say hello to the new kid. If anything it’s going to make their day that you’re saying hello. This is where I feel friendship is so important. You don’t have to become best friends with this new kid, but give them a break and show them a little friendship and hospitality. Chances are you’ll make him or her feel so much better and you’ll be feeling good to. When I got to high school I was afraid to step out of my circle of friends, but it was so worth it to give new people a chance. I have so many friends with different personalities now and I have never been happier. So if you’re in class debating if you should go greet the new kid of go sit with the girl you talk to in science at lunch, go for it!   

      Sunday, October 24, 2010

      Ranting...What I REALLY Can't Stand

      It sounds bad, but people use the phrase "Oh my gosh do you know what I hate...!" As a conversation starter. Wether it be long bathroom lines or people who smack their food, everyone has a pet peeve. Recently mine is fame.

      Everyone is looking to find fame. You may not want to become a celebrity but you will settle for that crazy guy streaking during Obama's speech. It just bugs me that people will do ANYTHING to go their 5 minuets of lime light. Take this mom for example. Miley Cyrus is holding a "Meet Hannah Montana Contest" where children write in an essay about themselves and why they want to meet Hannah. The girl who ended up winning wrote about her dad dying over in the war in Iraq. Turns out the mom made up the story, wrote it herself, and turned it in with her daughters name on it. it just makes me sad that some people will go to such lengths as that to win a contest.

      Remember the boy who got "lost" in the balloon last year? That was all a hoax with the little boy hiding in the garage. Later on karma came around and the boy announced "We did this for the show" spilling the hoax about the balloon invention and the fact that the boy was not in the balloon at all. The boy was found hiding in the garage for over four hours. Especially when people put their kids in danger, I think that just crosses the line.

      In my opinion, if I want to become famous I want it to be for something that people will be talking about for a long time and that they will look at in approval rather than a stupid hoax that people talk badly about.

      Thursday, October 14, 2010

      Manufacturers Consent

      Manufacturers Consent...interesting movie I'm not going to lie it was hard for me to get into the movie but I did find it really interesting to hear about Noam Chompsky's views on the media in the United States. I feel like I've had this conversation in classes more then once. Any time I pick up a newspaper I think about the information I'm reading, is this credible? Can I trust the information I'm reading? Is there another side to this story? More likely then not the answers to these questions are not the preferred. When I can't even trust what I'm reading how can I decide what is really going on in other countries is actually happening?

      Noam Chompsky's base for an argument is that the media is censoring what the United States public sees and eventually they will control our thoughts and feelings toward certain debates that were not really a democracy anymore if were being swayed to think one way or another. I think the media can be a good asset to our country but I think we have become so cautious about what we want to know and what we want our future generations to know that we have fluffed up the real news to protect the rest of the country.

      Last year I read Fahrenheit 451 which is set in the future where almost all media and contact with the outside world is forbidden. Firefighters no longer stop fires but start them. Their job is to burn down houses that defy the laws and read or keep books. The main character become curious and discovers that books aren't wrong the government just didn't want the public to think for themselves and form their own idea or opinions. They wanted to show the people what is right and wrong and anything that may get in the way of that should be burned or put away forever.

      I hope that our society won't ever amount tot anything that happens in this book but Noam Chompsky makes some great points explaining that if we don't take part in our media then were really not thinking on our own, which isn't a good thing. Here is an article about how much the media effects citizens thoughts twords polotics. This is a good example of how media can be forming our opinions for us rather then deciding for ourselves who the best candidate is for the place of offices.http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/january_2010/67_say_news_media_have_too_much_influence_over_government_decisions I think that Fahrenheit 451 is a good reminder that we do have our own opinions and we never want anyone to control our lives and what we see and hear.

      Thursday, October 7, 2010

      Heathsgiving

      I love Fall.
      Fall is just such a great season, it makes me so happy all the beautiful colors in the leaves changing and the weather is so perfect. Even the smells of fall are great you have apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice that just fill up your house when you walk inside. Fall is really a great time for celebrating as well. For my family we celebrate Thanksgiving our own special way. For Thanksgiving we all get together to help make the lunch. Everyone wants to include their favorite dish so we always end up with lunch for 20 when there is only 5 of us. We can never decide on what pie to make either so we usually end up with a couple different kinds some with pecans some without some with fruit some with chocolate its pretty great. It's a tradition in the Heath family to go to the movies after we have our naps and watched enough first downs on TV. Its the best time to go, no lines no people. just an empty theater. My brothers and I have started a new tradition where we go black Friday shopping to get a head start on all our Christmas shopping...and some other gifts we may buy ourselves. I love this time of the year because my family is really close and since they all live far away it makes getting together even more special. This year Thanksgiving is going to be one to remember because were having it at my brothers new apartment in St.Louis. Hopefully he has been practicing his hostessing skills because we all have high expectations when it comes to the Heath Thanksgiving.

      Search Heath!