Struggle

The article “Facing Difficulty: A Coping Strategy for Dealing with Life's Problems” has a spiritually optimistic view on life’s difficulties and how to overcome them. “For most of us when life is relatively problem free we tend to drift along somewhat aimlessly on auto-pilot. We are not forced to stretch our Spiritual muscle and we do not therefore grow spiritually. On reflection most of us realize that our times of greatest growth have been spawned by the necessity of facing challenge”. The feeling and seemingly winded words of this article provide a second wind to our difficult challenges in everyday life. Compared to the article” Facing Your Problems” by Dr. Wm. G. Seavey, this article seems realistic. “Facing Your Problems”, is an article packed full with colorful metaphors like birds on a power line or airplanes in the wind. Although this article is thoughtful, it seems to provide many more questions than it does conclusions. Seavey says, “An airplane is the same way. It always takes off into the wind, not with the wind, which is a tail wind. Why? Because it gives them the lift they need to become airborne and for the airplane to fly”. The “You and I” feel of the article does represent helpfulness despite the exaggeration. Tips given in both articles on how to overcome struggles like bulimia, stress, and self esteem and relationship problems are very helpful and are a different insight than what’s usually seen in our overpowering media-impacted lives.

"Facing Difficulty: A Coping Strategy for Dealing with Life's Problems." 23 Mar. 2009 .

"Facing Your Problems." Self Improvement from SelfGrowth.com. 23 Mar. 2009 .

Natural disasters blog

The article “U.N warns about natural disaster risks” assesses the issue that the U.S and other places that are in danger of natural disaster have ignorance towards realizing they’re at risk. The article quotes: “The December 2004 tsunami, which killed as many as 230,000 people in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Maldives, served as a wake-up call for the aid community about the need to prepare for the worst impacts of natural disasters”. This article stresses the importance of preparing for inevitable natural disasters. As this article has few facts and only few biased opinions, the article “Disaster preparation is key to saving lives” from the guardian newspaper is another look on this issue. This article, comparing to the first, has a deeper meaning which does have a connection to personal lives and does not only present cold hearted facts. The following quote from this article represents a plead: “In cities where apartment buildings and schools collapse on their doomed occupants, contractors cut corners and pay off officials. In slums and remote locations there are no inspectors to check buildings, or advise on earthquake-resistant construction methods. As always, it is the very poor who suffer most”. As both articles have a similar theme, the difference is the voice that presents the risks of natural disasters and out need to protect ourselves better from them.

"Letters: Disaster preparation is key to saving lives | Environment | The Guardian." Latest news, sport, business, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk. 23 Mar. 2009 .

"U.N. warns about natural disaster risks| Environment| Reuters." Reuters.com - World News, Financial News, Breaking US & International News. 23 Mar. 2009 .

Outside Reading Post 3

Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain

Since my last post Huck was with Ms. Watson eating at a restrant were Huck accidentaly nocked over the salted and quickly reached for the salt to throw it over his shoulder. Ms. Watson strongly suggested against it and advised him that it did not change his luck. After this huck ends up with his father. His dad is against Huck going to school because he is in fear that Huck will be a better man than him and this would hurt his pride. Along with Hucks dad hating Huck going to school he tried to convince judge thatcher to give up the money that he gave him. Even though he is always drunk and acts like an idot. Huck deals with his dad on the way to school and when his dad catches him he gets beet up.

"I reached for some of it as quick as I could, to throw it over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck". (pg 20)Huck is a very superstitious boy and believes in "old wives tales" and tends to carry through with them.

Outside reading post 3

Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain

So far in the book Huck has tried to sneak out. But came back and got scolded by the widow, who tried to teach him about Moses and religion. Next the story introduces Miss Watson. She is the widows sister who also tried to teach Huck how to spell. That night, Huck snuck away again, but this time he met up with Tom and the gang. Jim thinks he hears something and the boys play a trick on him. After this they talk about the band of robber and how he gave his fortune to judge thatcher and how his "pap" is a drunken idiot.

page 6. "We went tiptoeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches would'nt scrape our heads."

This qoute illustaits the mischivousness of Huck and Tom, and how they always seem to get into trouble but are sly enough to get out of it.

Flies and spiders

The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien

"all ready the spiders were weaving there webs all around them from tree to tree"

Bilbo is a very clever hobbit who seems to be able to make his way out of every thing. this quote demonstrates the sevarity of the problems they get themselves out of.
(pg 161)

Riddles in the Dark

The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien

In this chapter of the book Bilbo runs into a shady character called gollum who possed a ring. Bilbo steels the ring from gollum puts the ring on his finger a finds the he has discoverd something very special, it turned him invisble.

pg 87 "He wanted it because it was a ring of power, and if you slipped that ring on your finger, you were invisible;"

Book Blog1

The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien
pg. 62

""What are the moon-letters" asked the hobbit full of excitment."
In "The Hobbit" a hobbit named Bilbo is set off on an adventure.
this quote shows how thrillseeking Bilbo is and his love of knoledge.