Driven to Distraction

Driven to Distraction
Date: 1/18/10
National News
N.Y Times UpFront
By Matt Richtel in Logan, Utah
pg.18


Over 2,600 traffic deaths are caused because of calling/texting while driving. Studies also show that if you Text/call someone while driving it is the same as driving with a .08 blood alcohol level. If you don't know what that means its the standard limit for drunk driving. Seventeen states have made it illegal to text while driving, and if they get caught they will spend three months in jail and a $750 fine, but if they cause injury or death they will spend up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. In 2006 Reggie Shaw a 19 year old resident of Utah was texting his girlfriend and clipped a oncoming Saturn sedan. And the Saturn spun across the highway and hit a pickup truck. Reggie killed two grown men just because he was texting his girlfriend, because of that pandemic Utah is very strict with people that text and drive. Alaska is equally as tough as Utah. If the police pull over or see a car that has a computer or video monitor they consider it a felony and punishable up to 20 years in prison. They think the same way for texting too.
I totally agree on banning texting and calling while driving. If it causes that many deaths and if its the same as driving drunk then it should be illegal in all the states. It is such a stupid thing to do. I hear people in the class say that they are all for doing it..I wonder if they will be "all for it" if they have killed someone on the street and serving 15-20 years behind bars. Everyone loves texting right but do they love putting their family members, friends, or strangers in danger...no. So I am "all for it" and what I mean by that is I want all of the states to ban texting and calling while driving

Discussion Questions

1.) Why do you think that texting and driving has become a big problem???

2.) Do you think that the jail time for texting and driving is fair?

3.) Do you think that some people should be able to text and drive if they have had nothing on their record or not?

Poem from last year haha

Free verse Poem
A Life of a Teenager

Stuck in a world you thought you once knew
Now all your friends are turning their backs on you
Once quiet people, like puppies on rugs
Have turned their backs and started doing drugs
The boy next door that you liked for years
Has turned his back and started drinking beers
All of these changes are going around
And you yell and scream but they don't hear a sound
What happened to the innocence so easy to find?
You wonder if you're the only one who still has their mind
They try to pull you in and you know you might fall
But nobody knows there's a solution to it all
Right over this wall you can have your life back
Of friends, and laughter, be back with your pack
There's no need to worry, no need to fear
All of the innocence you know is still here
There are just a few obstacles you know you must climb
Persuading and begging to get back your mind
You cannot give up the prize is far too great
Just hope your obstacles don't make you too late
Do all you can to help your chains break
This is all real, nothing is fake
You're stuck in a world you thought you once knew
Turn your back on your world they've turned theirs on you

OCD.....Romeo and juliet thesis

Romeo & Juliet Thesis
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Romeo is a love sick dog obsessed with Juliet. This love affair is making him sick and weak. He is the reason for the untimely death of his love. He doesn't even know her and he is making assumptions that he is in love with his only enemy, Capulet. He only loves her for her looks, because he is so young he doesn't understand what love is and how to handle it.

All he thinks about is the feeling he thinks is "love" but really it's just a teenage boy mind running wild. For example Pg. 23 line's 197-199 " Love is a smoke made with the fume of sigh's; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eye's; Being vexed, a sea nourished with lover's tears". Romeo was way to into this fling with Juliet, but then again so is she, when they meet and fall in love, they have only known each other for about 10 minutes, it's crazy. It doesn't happen like that...at all. All it is is DRAMA and over reacting.

Romeo really doesn't love Juliet, he loves "love", he always has to have a woman in his life just to love. In the beginning of the book Benvolio was talking about how much Romeo loved Rosaline. For instance Pg.33 Line 90. " Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves" Benvolio still thinks that Romeo is head over heels for Rosaline, so its not a new thing with Romeo it seems.
the why Romeo is so desperate to marry Juliet its the only thing on his mind and they have known each other for about 12 hours hes just way to caught up in this "fantasy". When Romeo marries Juliet he tries to make amends with Tybalt, but he thinks that just because he and Juliet are married that everything between the Capulets and Montagues are okay and happy, but they're not, he does things without thinking. For example in the beginning of the book it tells about their grudge and how bad it is. Pg. 7 line 1-5. " Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes.." It says right there how old the grudge is and how much they hate each other so why would Romeo still go after Juliet when he found out that she was a ungrateful Capulet, wouldn't he know the trouble it would cause his family?
And all of this Information shows how "love sick" he is and how he just cant live without love. So this concludes the thesis of Romeo and Juliet, and how Romeo is the center of all of the troubles and is the reason for the inglorious ending to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

mayflower journal ch 15

(Ch.15)
Mar.24 1630
I'm 14 now and soon to be married to someone in there late 20's. I don't know how I feel about it yet I have heard word that another ship of puritans is on there way to New England. I wonder how they will take it.. I wonder if they will be scared..all I can do is wonder. I see in my mind those people risking their lives to have a good life here, but honestly its not better then home.
They have started a charter (a document written by the lawyers) so that we can govern ourselves. I couldn't imagine a world with out laws the town would go a rye! it would be constant trouble.

Mar.27 1630
I am so sick of these Quakers! they don't have the light of God! they will burn in Hell! they believe that they all have the light of God in them and don't need to listen to the minister. I think that is a bunch of Crap!
John Winthrop who was chosen Governor has said " We must consider that we shall be as a city upon the hill" I wonder what that means..I guess i will learn in time. I like Mr. Winthrop, He always try's his best he gets the people he is governing.
Mary More

mayflower Journal ch 14

( ch. 14) Sept. 4th 1621
We have been her for and I'm feeling a lot better about living in America.It has gotten a lot easier in the past couple of months. my brothers have showed me how to skip rocks. It is actually quite amusing because I pushed my bother wrestling into the ocean.
The Land is rocky and it is always cold. Mr.Brewster has thought up the idea to send furs and fish to England. We have to thank the Indians, Without them we would have never survived. They gave us food. We were struggling really bad through the winter. We have made the idea to have a feast so that we can thank them we don't know when to hold it but most likely in the winter when there is no food so that it will be very special indeed. I wonder if I will be able to go since my adoptive father is one of the wealthy men on the ship. It will be very exciting.

Nov.25 1620

The Feast was very good. they were throwing their weapons up in the air at the parade and the Indians were very nice, I played with my brothers while they adults were at the table with he Indian's. I wish i could be older and sit with them it is just so interesting.

MayFlower Mary Mores Journal ch.13

Sept. 16 1620,
There is no room on this boat. The sleeping quarters are as big as the horse stall at home. Because of this new church it has allowed my parents to get a divorce because my mother was having and affair with Mr.Blakeway. So my father sent me and my siblings on to the mayflower to go to America and have a better life. I hate being here on the ship, I am afraid of my life!! all of the people stink and are getting sick. It is absolutely horrid!

Sept. 28 1620,
It is a Better day. The ocean is a pretty blue and the sky's are clear. As I look off the boat I see the birds fly and the fish swim.I am very lucky to be up on the deck, most people arnt allowed on the deck because they might get in the way. My adopted father Mr.Brewster has let me see John Smiths map. It is very difficult to read no wonder they need the fine scholar's to Captain the Ship. I have been playing games with all of my siblings. I'm very happy that my brother and sister haven't died. I would be terribly sad.

Jan. 4th
I can not understand what is happening here in America. It is harder than the sailors back home have told us..were they lying? I have watched my brother Jasper die long ago on the boat and I'm not feeling to well myself, I'm only a young girl and I'm watching the life of my siblings pass, such as mine.
We are growing little on food. I have never felt so sick. My whole body hurts and I feel like I'm going to spew my innards out. I also have sores all over my skin that keep getting deeper.
I have my brother Richard with me and my sister Ellen has gone to another family I remember her not a lot, but I know that I am missing her dearly. I wonder if we will survive here. Its hard to get food in the wild but the Indians have been trading with us so we will be okay once we know the land a little bit better.

Peeps

Peeps!!!

The book Peeps by Scott Westerfeld is a science fiction novel. This book was published in 2005.Scott has also written the famous series The Uglies, and So Yesterday.
Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism (parasite-positives also known as peeps) and must hunt down all of his ex-girlfriends that he has infected. Cal works for the Night watch in New York/ Manhattan , a group that catches and put the Peeps they have caught in intensive care , to make them more human. He also has the parasite, but it's different then the others. He does not thirst for blood or any human flesh.He is obsessed with Girls! He's called a Carrier. He can't even look at them without wanting them...He wasn't always a carrier. When he moved to New York to go to college he met Morgan, also a carrier and she gave him the parasite. He try to find her so he can destroy her so she won't be able to spread it anymore , and during his search he met Lace, a 24 year old girl that lives in the same apartment room as Morgan once did.

Cal and Lace gang up together and try to stop the parasite together because when Cal accidentally told her about it she wanted to help and she wouldn't take no for an answer.

They looked all over town for Morgan and when Lace told Cal that she found out where she lived they went to investigate and Cal saw that there were men there and Morgan was going to turn them too! He was so scared that he jolted out of there and Morgan came after him after her red eyed cat gave her his scent (red eyed cats are vampires too) and he runs all the way back to his apartment in Manhattan and Lace met him there.
In the end Lace gets turned into a Peep when they find out that cats can get the parasite too and transmit it to people....her and Cal fall in love and are still on the look out for peeps.

Village life

I was walking back to my hut from the river on the east where i watched the fish swim up stream. Of course its the time of flowers, so i picked the most pretty flower for my Mother and gave it the name White Snow. The family was waiting for me at the camp where Father followed the Bison. We won't be here for long because Father is lead hunter and we will move again in the winter. My mother and I made our hut, like the other hunters family's in the camp. Out of Mammoth leather from our findings last year. I gave my mother the flower's and she put them on the rug on the floor where we were to eat our food made up of berries and venison. Our camp is surrounded by the mountains, we are in the middle of a river valley with the tall grass all around. We walked here along the river for many miles from our winter camp where the big salty waters touch the land. As we sat down, Mother, Father and I by the food rug where we started eating. My Father would be leaving for the mountains soon with my uncle for a hunting trip and will be gone for a few days so I would have to take care of the fishing while he is gone. I really don't like killing fish, but in the end you do what your told even if it means taking a life.

Capfire

We were huddled by the colorful fire blue, yellow and red, everyone I think, and it was Emily, Meaghan and me on this big tire they found and we had Meaghan's tiger blanket draped over us and they were doing this thing that after every sentence they would throw their arms up and slap their legs and everyone was staring. Mr. York was trying to take pictures without them knowing and everyone was laughing because Meaghan and Emily looked like idiots!!

Veterans Day!

Veterans Day



Veterans Day is a day to honor our country’s hardest workers…..The veterans.
Even though the vets are retired they still support our country with their high hopes and loyalty.
For years they served to protect our country. For their hard work and sacrifice we need to give them more respect. These people are our history and our future and we have put a lot of responsibility in their hands but for them its time to take a break and let them know we care about them.
Veterans Day is a day for the most famous people in the U.S to be recognized again and forever. They have fought in brutal battles, been scared out of their wits but they didn’t back down.
The American soldiers in Iraq also need to be recognized they are our future veterans. Right now at this moment they are fighting to keep America safe from what ever dangers comes our way.
So take a moment to think about Veterans Day and look at the people in front of us and remember why their here today.

Molly

It was a dark stormy night and to a girl it will be one of her last.
I'm Molly Stonebarger your avarage 13 year old girl. I play the viola and is best player in the band.
My best friend Kristie Cornwall had just went into high school and left me her best friend in the dangers
of the cold brutel Cottenwood middle school.
"Hey mom can i call Kristie?" I yelled from acrossed the room.
"ya ok but not for a while i still need to check on my jod aplacation.
My mom was a big time judge in her county until I was born and she had to move.
Judy stonebarger had me when she was 36 years old and her husbend Mark cheated and left in the middle of the night and we never saw him again.
" Ring....Ring....Ring.....Hello" someone said into the phone.
" hi is kristie there its Molly" I wisperd to the person in the phone.
"ya one moment" Jessa said. Jessa is kristies big sister she is three years older then
her and the most popular girl in her school." Kristie!" jessa yelled while putting her
hand over the phone." Its Molly!". I could hear kristie in the backgraound "Be there in a minute"
and then i could hear her feet running acrossed the floor.
"hey molly whats up?" kristie said with a question in her voice.
"Oh nothing....hey do u think I could come over and spend the night??" I ask my bestfriend
"My moms not home but Jessa won't mind.... do you have a ride?"
''No I'll just walk"
"Are you kidding have you seen the weather!!" she yells at me over the phone.
"ya it won't kill me, it might give me a cold but I don't care"I said.
"ok then I'll see you later"
As I was getting ready I could hear my little brother Jammie scream "MOLLY!"
Jammie is six years old he was born a pre-me weighing only 3lbs 12 oz. Me and Jammie
don't share the same father, Jammies father Bill died in a car accident when Jammie was five
but my mom just told him that daddy was on a trip that he couldn't come back from.
"come here!"
"why should I!"
"just come here!" I could hear that Jammie was crying so I ran toward the bathroom
where he was standing over my cat bella.
"look she bit me!"(i could she bite marks on his arm)
"Oh your fine Jammie! your not going to die!"
"I know that but the fact that she did it hurt my feelings Molly!"
" just leave her alone ok!"
"FINE!" he said as he ran out of the room holding his arm.
I got all my stuff into my bag and told my mom and brother I'll be back tomarrow.
My rain coat was hanging on the coat rack so I'll get it on the way out.
I ran out the door and it was pooring rain outside but I knew it couldn't hurt. As i was
was walking down the road i could hear someone yelling my name in the distance I looked around but I
saw no one so I just kept walking and then I heard it again so I started running I ran right into the middle
of the street and I stoped because lights were comeing toward me but I didn't move and then "BAM"
"Molly!" I could hear someone yelling really loud.
I lift my head up, " what" at that point I felt a houge amont of pain rushing through my head.
" Molly are you ok we came to pick you up but we found you on the ground we were calling your name
to try to wake you up. we think you fell."
"I don't remember anything but my head really hurts" I say.
"ok Molly hop in the car" Jessa said
"ok" I climed in the car.
When we got to kristies house I sat on the couch and I was shivering like crazy!
"hey Molly im going to get you a pair of pj's because your like sokeing wet" kristie said as she ran to
her room.
"oh ok kristie thanks"
I heard her comeing back with the pj's , thank god cause im frezzeing! I wonder why I was face down in the road??
"Here you molls I hope they fit"
" ya im sure they will" (jeez is she calling my fat!!!!!!!)
as I whent in to the bathroom I guess someone had taken a shower because it was all wet in there so I had to make
sure not to fall. Oh my gosh these are the cutest pjs ever do u think she will notice if they were gone *laughs*

(NOT DONE ON PAPAER!!!!!!!!!!)