God's Children Reflection

This documentary "God's Children" shows people in the lowest levels of poverty fighting to survive; taking the most desperate measures. Before the landslide that killed thousands living on the garbage dump, the Smokey Mountain dump used to be a place of refuge where people can escape to once they're found out that they can't make a living in the cities. But after the typhoon loosened the ground on which the massive garbage mountains stood on and collapsed it to a heap, it ended and destroyed many people's lives. After that, the government thought it was too dangerous for people to be living there. Not able to physically force people out of their little shacks they called homes, the government issued an order to shut down the dump; garbage was not to be sent there any more.

Not only did it take away the garbage, but also the reason for people to be staying there. The government, however, didn't bother to think about where these people would go if they had to evacuate the dump. The many that remained on the garbage dump had to scavenge even harder for scrap that was lessening each day. Many large families went days without food because they had no money. When they did who says is was clean? It is very easy to fall sick with the lack of hygiene and the families have no money to afford clean and proper food, let alone medicine.

There is a scene where the refugees try to protest to the Philippine parliament to re-open the garbage dump. You see here that even though they already have nothing, they still have hope to go up to the authorities and ask what is rightly theirs. Even pregnant women traveled from the dump all the way to the city's government office to protest. They need this dump. To us, we might shield away from the very thought of living in a dump site, but these people are desperate to get it back.

The documentary features a family of 5 children, with the oldest of 12. Fighting to survive, the oldest child took on the burden of hard labour like the parents and helps support her large family. Before, they used to live in the city and she used to go to school. But once their family started loosing money, she had to give up education for hard manual labour. Education in these times was a privilege. One 50 year old man with a sick child and two other children told interviewers that the only education he got was from 1st grade of elementary school. He didn't get a math education and he's illiterate. The only thing he know how to write is his name.

I think that this documentary is very touching and it makes you realize how lucky you are. In other documentaries about animal cruelty and global warming, the directors like to show the lowest levels of these problems. In this documentary, the director didn't have to; it had been already done by him. He could have taken a simple video camera and taped a walk-through of the whole garbage dump and already it would have been disturbing for others. It's is very important to cherish what you have already because if you think that you have it bad because you're failing a class or your parents argue with you, one must always remember that someone else in this world-- maybe even at your age-- has it even worse.

Aphorism Blog #5

Be hopeful but not foolishly hopeful.

When put under pressure or when under stress, humans tend to find a little spark of hope to look forward too. This is important in life because then what is there to live for or to push on for? This aphorism tells us that we have to look for that little hope in times of pain or sadness, but we cannot be hopeful for something you know deep down inside will never happen.
Why should anyone hope for something when you know it's never going to happen? Why should you waste your time on someone that you know will only disappoint you. That's being foolishly hopeful. Sometimes its just simple and easier to just give up when you know something won't happen (or will happen) or when you're waiting for someone you know just won't show up. When you know you shouldn't fall for someone who will never fall for you. That's when you should just give up because you don't want to waste your time and energy into something that has a lower chance of happening than global warming stopping.

How do Electrolytes work in our body?

Electrolytes are ions that are electrically charged and can take the form of liquids, gels, or paste. Basically, it's the scientific or medical term for salt. Our body contains massive amounts of salt and we need them. It is important for us to have salt in our bodies so as the maintain a healthy lifestyle. We need them in order to function properly.
The foods we eat and drink contain a lot of mineral salts once consumed they dissolve and form electrolytes in the form of liquids. Like stated before, electrolytes are electrically charged. This helps us a lot because our muscles-- like our heart-- are sent electrical signals from our brain in order to move. Sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and potassium are electrolytes and they can be found in our foods. If our body has too little electrolytes, the electrical signals from our brain cannot travel to our muscles, that's why sometimes when exercising, our muscles cramp up. Having a balanced electrolyte level in our body is crucial. All you have to do is remember that you're heart is a muscle too and without it functioning properly, you're dead man.

Other than helping your muscles function properly, electrolytes also help maintain your body's fluid levels. They are controlled by the moving of electrolytes into and out of your body's fluid compartments. Your kidney is an organ that filters your blood for electrolytes and keeps the level's balanced and constant. Your body does a bunch of acts that help balance your water and electrolyte levels. When you sodium (salt) level is too low, your kidneys are signaled to produce more urine (pee, we're gonna say pee from now on because it's cooler) which restores the balance by lowering the amount of water in your blood. When your sodium level gets too high though, your brains sends a signal to you to develop thirst. Once you drink more water, the body wants to keep that water so your brain sends more signals to your kidney to stop you from peeing.

And that's how electrolytes work in your body... :]

Aphorism Blog #4

"When you are utterly frustrated or angry, express these feelings. You don't have to be nice all the time-- just most of the time."

Bottling it up is never good. Some people see these type of 
stoic
 people as nice people because they don't complain all the time. The truth is, not everyone's perfect. We all explode after a while if we keep it all in. So let it out. It's okay to complain and whine about something because life is full of disappointments. People who tell you to just deal with it should take a good look at themselves because they don't want you to let it out. They want the attention so don't give it to them. It's not a crime to express your feelings. Sure you can keep it all in and bottle it up but its healthy to let the emotions out once in the while so you won't explode-- exploding is never good. Like the aphorism says, you don't have to be nice all the time-- just most of the time. This means that you can let it all out in a swear word frenzy every once in a while.

What is Lightning? Why does wearing rubber shoes help you in a storm?

Examples of a small-scale static discharge is like that static shock you get when you touch a doorknob. Now image that shock at a larger scale. That shock is lightning. Lighting is static electricity caused by storm clouds. The amount of electric potential in something is the measure of how much energy or volts something can produce in an electric field. Lightning has the electric potential of millions of volts which causes it to unleash large amounts of energy in different forms (heat, light, sound).

During a thunderstorm, lightning can strike the ground at any moment. Rainwater conducts electricity (because it's acidic) and with all the rainwater on the ground it is important to have rubber at the soles of our shoes. Should we have metal soles, the electric charges from the lightning -- which like said before has the electric potential of a million volts-- can travel to ground, through the water, up the soles of our shoes to our bodies. Since we do not want the charges to get to us we wear rubber at the bottom of our shoes because rubber is an electric insulator (they help prevent electric charges to pass through easily). That way we can walk, sing and dance our hearts out in the rain without being the night's special of "fried human on a stick".

Image Source: <Link>

Aphorism Blog # 3

"Don't assume that it's too late to be involved in something..."

It's never to late to do something. Many of us think that once the deadline hits on a project or assignment or even a chance that's its gone forever. What we don't realize that the only thing that can be gone forever is time. The chance might not come again but it doesn't mean that you have to completely give up on it.

Morrie loved his life and lived it to fullest even before he knew he was going to die. When he found out, he didn't get angry about it and think "oh it's too late for me to go dancing one last time" or "its too late for me to experience the youth life because I'm too old".

When Mitch see his old professor on TV, he tries to push himself to contact Morrie. At first he thinks that it's too late to contact him then because either way, Morrie was going to die. But if he had not called Morrie up anyway, he would have never been able to spend time with his old teacher and he would have never started to think about what the meaning of life is from someone who knows how they're leaving. It wasn't too late for Mitch so never assume that it's too late for you, too.

Aphorism Blog #2

"Learn how to die and you learn how to live"

Morrie lives life at his fullest even before he knew how his was going to die. Even as an old man, he went clubbing and dancing and ate his heart out because he loved life. When his body showed signs that he was going to die and when he finally got his death sentence, his first reaction is proactive and he wonders how he's going to live the rest of his life. He doesn't complain and sulk and think that the whole world should sulk with him because he's going to die. His reaction is calm and positive.

I think that everyone should react to life this way. Then again, not all of us know how we're going to leave this world but it is true that once you know when you're going to die, you start to think of how you're going to live. That is probably why we can't live the way Morrie did before he died. We all know that death is coming but though we don't realize it, we don't want to believe that it's coming.

A Life Without Electricity

What would a day in your life be like without electricity?

Well, let's try and see what I use in a day that requires electricity?

• Cellphone (as an alarm to wake me up, a communicating device...etc,.)
• Laptop (used for leisure and for homework, to find out little answers to the little questions that pop up in my head)
• AC (I'm a stay cool person, I don't like to perspire because it's gross-- healthy, but gross)
• Lights (keeping my room bright, it helps me see things for the way they really are...)
• Internet (no comment... )
  

Without my cellphone, I would not be able to wake up when I would like to. My body wants me to sleep-in, so I do. I would have gotten out of bed at 'round 11. The lights in my bathroom would not work so my bathroom would be all dark and I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror and see how messed up my hair became when I went to bed. The AC would not be working, so the fans in the vents would not work either. The air in the house would be still and by this time I would get pretty frustrated. My patience has always been low and I can't tolerate "still" and stuffy air. Now I would probably open a window and get even more frustrated as all the dust and bugs from the construction site fly into my house.
Breakfast, the most important meal in a day. I usually skip this meal on school days because my tastes buds don't work unless I'm "alive, awake, alert, and a wee-bit enthusiastic". I take cereal but since there's no electricity, my fridge would not work and the milk would be all curdy. No cereal equals no breakfast equals to me being pissed. I like cold stuff. I need my chilled OJ or milk. I don't like water when it's room temperature. Already 30 minutes into my day without electricity and I'm already irritated.

Now since I do not have my cellphone, mp3, CD player, laptop, or television I would just have to resort to the ol' paperbacks. I like reading-- in a comfortable environment which would usually be on a beanbag in a room with AC, with random music on (it doesn't really matter, just as long as I don't hear my family's ruckus). My only choice would be to go to the roof, still on the ledge and read. Without music, reading for me is tricky, but I think I can handle the silence on my apartment roof.

I'd read until 1) I'm bored and/ done with the book, 2) I start getting hungry, or 3) I get pissed and irritated of the drilling noises from the construction site. I'd go back to my apartment. I can't go any where else because that would mean to climb 11 floors down the empty, scary staircase (no electricity = no elevator). My whole family would be a wreck. The modern culture has convinced my family (heck, everyone) that we need all these little things that need electricity to live life. Lights, ventilation, entertainment, etc,.. the list goes on and on.

By dinner time, I expect my family to have turned barbaric already-- like those prep guys in Lord of the Flies. If we are still standing it must be a miracle. I'd be reading, my little brother would have playing with his toy trains. My mom would be trying to keep the house clean, my little sister would be in her room drawing or doing some creative %$#%!@, while my dad reads the paper or takes a nap. My older sister (haha) would be walking around complaining about life without electricity since she basically lives on the modern technology and communication to keep her sane.

Bottom line: I, my family, would not be able to live life without electricity. A day is all I can handle. Culture has caused us to believed that "we need entertainment" or "we need cool air" or "we need cars and transportation to get around" and "we need our cell phones because snail mail is too slow". We have evolve into such a planned life and we can't get out of that habit unless we find the meaning of what life is. Electricity is a need in our life. It wasn't supposed to be-- but it is now.

A/N: If there was no electricity, there would no internet, therefore it would have been impossible to complete this homework blog post assignment.

Aphorism Blog #1

"Get as much help as you can when you need it"

This aphorism is taken from the book Tuesdays With Morrie. It's pretty straightforward, when you need help don't just take little bites, take as much as you can! It's almost like the French saying, "Croque la vie" which basically life life at the fullest.
I think that this is a great aphorism to live by. Say you need cash and you're offered about 5k from your parents, why would you take half of that when they are already offering a lot. One shouldn't be afraid to admit that they need help and they shouldn't be embarrassed to take it all. It's a blessing and once it's given to you, one should accept it with open arms.
Help from peers and family members or even random strangers are like little nudges to help yourself in life. Why take a little step when you can leap?

The Pearl: Moral

The Pearl is definitely an amazing story to read. The author John Steinbeck keeps it short and sweet. It shows how something that most people would think as a treasure could lead you to your downfall or maybe like in the book, it could bring evil to others too.
Kino found the Pearl of the World in the beginning of the story and the rising action is mainly what happens after he found the pearl, how all this neighbors are suddenly very interested in it, and how thieves are coming in the middle of the night to try and steal it.

Since the beginning, Juana, Kino’s wife has always knew of how the pearl would cause great evil upon their family. She was looking ahead and she knew that Kino would be overcome with greed once the pearl took up such a big part of his life that he wouldn’t notice the evil it came with. He didn’t know when to stop being so greedy because he merely thought that this was a great blessing from the gods.

How could Kino have been so blind? Not only has attackers been coming from the outside of his family, but he himself is the “attacker”. When Juana tried to throw the pearl back into the ocean, how could he have not listened to his wife and tell himself that the pearl was causing him to go insane. He was thinking too positively and wasn’t looking at the effects that the pearl has caused.

Nearing the climax of this parable, Kino tries to run away with his family to try and go to the city and sell the pearl for a good price. By doing this, he led his family into great danger. Trackers were sent to find him because he had killed a man that had tried to attack him and steal the pearl. After dodging the trackers for a while, Kino eventually tries to get rid of the,. He attacks them and kills them without second thought but because he had become so insane, he accidently killed his own son.

That is the point where Kino finally realizes what evil the pearl has caused him. When he goes back to his village with Juana and their dead son, he looks into the pearl. On the surface of the clear, precious stone, Kino sees all the evil that it has caused and finally throws it back into the ocean.

The moral of this story is to not to be overwhelmed by greed. It tells us to be careful of our blessings because they just might be a curse in disguise. Kino had to find out that the pearl was evil the hard way; the death of his own son while trying he was to protect his family and more importantly (to him) the pearl, which had become his soul. It also teaches us not to grow too attached to something because you never know when it can suddenly disappear or turn its back on you. That’s when it hurts the most...

Earth Day

On April 22nd, the world celebrated Earth Day, a whole day dedicated to appreciating the planet we live on. On this day, many of our classes didn't turn on the AC and even in French class, Kader didn't allow me to even charge my computer. We were very green-- just for that day though.
But being green is perhaps the only thing that is keep our future generations alive and happy. In a few more decades, many densely populated areas will be covered in water due to global warming. Our planet is dying as we speak. So how can we be more green? In school? Outside of school?

- Turning off the AC: In a classroom, the AC uses the most energy and electricity. We live in Hsinchu, the windy city, open a window or two if you feel uncomfortable in the heat.
- Don't charge your computer if you don't need it: If you're not using your computer, put it to sleep or shut the whole thing down
- Don't turn on all the lights: Our classroom's use fluorescent lights which saves more energy than normal lightbulbs, but this doesn't mean they still don't take up energy. It's summer! Open the blinds and let the natural light in!
- Carpool/Walk/Ride a Bike to school: Many of our teachers ride their bikes to school and a couple of students carpool. You don't need a personal car to get you to and from school. Why be a loner when you can call up a nearby friend to drive you?
- Don't use too many electrical devices: This may be pretty hard as most of us at least use our cellphones, mp3s, computers, etc.,
- Stop Cows & Sheep Farts: This is almost close to impossible but here are the facts: Cow and sheep farts produce more greenhouse gases then our car exhaust. This does not mean that we should nuke Wales and New Zealand...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The Pearl Blog #1

1. How would you change if you had a lot of money? Would your personality be different?
I think I would. Of course I would spoil myself a little bit more due to the significant amount of money increase and my view of life would change but I don't want the people to treat me different or vice versa. I have no right to lower my respect of others just because I'm rich. But even though I know that is the wrong thing to do, I think I have no control against my self and would become a little bit snotty and my expectations will be raised, even though I will try not to.

2. Would you ever take a risk to reach a goal?
Knowing me, I don't really think too much before I take action. I guess that it depends on how big the goal is and what risks I have to take. If the risk is only self-inflicting, I would take it. But if it involved hurting others, I wouldn't take it. As said above it all depends on the goal and the risk I have to take to reach it.

3. Would you ever hurt member of your family just so you could be accepted by friends?
I really don't want to but I know that I always hurt my friends and family even if I don't realize it. If wanting to be accepting by my peers meant hurting my family and one's I love, then it's not worth it. If it meant protecting the ones I love in danger, I would take the risk but if it was only for my worth, it's not that important.

Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Mysteriously Dies

Just recently, a passenger is forces to land a plane with it's pilot becomes incapable to. Luckily this passenger had a pilot's license and had already flown 130 hours before. On April 13, Doug White and his family were passengers on a small plane with one pilot flying them to Jackson, Mississippi from an island off the Florida coast. Just as the plane was going over 9,000 the pilot mysterious becomes unconscious and dies. So Doug had to take over, however, he had never flown this type of plane before. He radioed with the air traffic controllers and they helped guide him to land in a nearby airport. Though he did not know who to land that plane model he still knew generally how to land a plane and some buttons to push. After all this, the cause of the pilot's death is still unknown.

"Passenger land turboprop plane after pilot dies" CNN.com. Apr 13 2009. Apr 14 2009.

The YouTube Ban

Everybody know YouTube, a video-streaming site owned by Google. But today China banned the Web site and didn't explain the reason. Some people think that the ban might have been caused by some videos of abuse of Tibetans on YouTube.
When you're in China and try to access the site, all you get would be an error message saying "Network Timeout. The server at youtube.com is taking too long to respond."
This however is not the first time YouTube has been banned in China. In March 2008 during the riots in Tibet, China also blocked YouTube. This led to protests and vehicles and shops burned down. 18 civilians died just from a ban of one of the most important web sites in the world.
But the question is, why now? Why ban it again?

"YouTube blocked in China" CNN.com. Mar 25 2009. Mar 25 2009.

Image link

Dragon Attack

In Indonesia, a fisherman trespassing in the Komodo National Park was attacked by a Komodo dragon. A Komodo Dragon is the heaviest lizard in the world. It could grow up to 3 meters and they have a toxic bite that they use to kill their prey. These lizards can eat big animals like buffalos.
Fisherman, Muhamad Anwar, bled to death on the way to a clinic after he was biten by a komodo dragon while looking for a sugar-apple, a type of fruit. The area was closed because of the wild Komodo dragons.

Neild, Barry. "Komodo Dragons kill Indonesian fisherman" CNN.com. Mar 24 2009. Mar 25 2009.

Culture of Living in Scotland

In Scotland, most of the poorer people lived in little "huts" that was built out of mud and stone with a thatch roof. This means that whenever it rains (which is very often), you would have to change the roof because it's so wet.
For the people, they are very unhygienic. Since there's no place for baths or a sink to wash their hands, these people are almost always dirty. Their faces are always covered in grime and dirt. The men's hair are mostly long because they don't have time or equipment to cut it properly. Since they don't bathe, have long hair, and almost always working, their hair is matted and knotted.
Their clothes are just as worse. Poor people can't afford silk and satin clothing so most of their clothes are just rags sewn together. Clothes weren't used for fashion, but just to keep warm and to cover their bodies.

There was one scene where there was a marriage celebration going on in the Scottish village. The villages were dancing and singing and drinking. Some food was available and games were happening. Then soon the English "knights" interrupted and took the bride away to the lord where she would spend her first of her married life with the lord of the manor or they would kill the husband. This shows how much little power the poor people had against the lord of the manor.

Reading Resonse Journal

Reading Journal: A River Runs Through It
Jen Quan

Journal 001: March 11th 2009
Quote #1: “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing”
Quote #2: “Although Paul was three years younger than I was, he was already far ahead of me in anything relating to fishing..”

I have two sisters and a little baby brother. I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I’m almost better at everything artistic than my older sister. I find that maybe Paul at first was trying to hard to live up to his older brother that in the end he was better and didn’t need to feel better anymore because he brother didn’t care. It’s the same thing for me. When I was younger it seemed that my older sister was good at everything she did. I tried so hard to live up to her and find something I was good at and when I was finally better at her at something (art, being artistic) I realized that she didn’t care about beating me at something. I’m sure she’s proud at me for being better at something, but she will always be older than me and better at everything then me and now, finally, I accept that.

[No questions so far... :) ]

Journal 002: March 11th 2009
Quote #1: “She was a beautiful dancer as he was a fly caster”
Quote #2: “It is like a rattlesnake striking, with a good piece of his tail on the ground as something to strike from.”
Quote #3: “At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear”

Norman had to get up in the middle of the night to pick his brother and his brother’s girl from jail. Norman is like the person who picks up the mess that his brother leaves. I guess I could say that I can relate to both Paul and Norman. With Norman, I can say that I am sometimes left to deal with the mess that other people create. When I was reading the part where Norman picks up Paul and Paul’s Native American girl that I found it very coincidental because this reminds me-- and in a very exact way-- of my everyday life. I guess I could also say that I related to Paul because I usually leave a mess behind me as well, metaphorically...

What is the Indian girl’s real name? Because Norma gave her a name but it’s not her birth name...

Journal 003: March 13th 2009
Quote #1: ““Brother,” he would say, “there are no flying fish in Montana. Out here, you can’t catch fish with your flies in the air.””
Quote #2: “His flies were in the water at least twenty percent more of the time than mine”

At the part when the weather changed and many fish started jumping I can relate to how when the weather changed, someone else happens, especially my mood. There are many people out there that love it when it rains. I hate it. I hate being wet and when the sky is dark. I hate it when it’s snowing really hard too. I only like light flutters. For me, snow is frozen rain and rain is wet and I don’t like to be wet. When it rains or there’s a blizzard my mood changes almost immediately from content to sad and moody. Just like the fish suddenly jump out of the water when the weather changes, so does my mood.

Why is fly fishing so important to everyone?

Journal 004: March 16th 2009
Quote #1: “That's one trouble with hanging around a master–you pick up some of his stuff, like how to cast into a bush, but you use it just when the master is doing the opposite”
Quote #2: “In death it had its pattern, and we can only hope for as much”

The two brothers had buried their beer bottles in the stream to keep cool but couldn't find it later. I find this a connection to my life because I always live thing behind me. Not necessarily objects but ideas and feelings. Later on when I come back to them, I can't feel them again because I've lost it and have forgotten how it's like to have that emotion. I would resort to just having a feeling that is like the feeling I lost but it would never be the same. Just like the brothers having to drink stream water instead of beer to quench their thirst, anyone would have wanted the beer instead.

[Questions]


Journal 005: March 17th 2009
Quote #1: “It's like the auto-supply shop over town where they always say, 'Sorry, we just out of that part'”
Quote #2: “Whenever we had a family reunion, Mother and Paul were always the central attention”

Most of the school knows that my older sister had relationship problems. Most of the time when she cries, it's weird because she doesn't like me comforting her, yet allows my best friend to do it. It's like my best friends are more closer to my sister than I am. Just like my first quote, my sister doesn't accept help from me. Later, my friends would ask me, accusingly, why I'm not helping and comforting my sister. My friend and her sister and close and both sisters accept help from each other.
I guess my sister's ashamed of me because I'm not ashamed of myself. I'm not afraid of what people think of me because it's always my life to live. I want to live my last few months of freedom in this school with fun and with my friends- not sulking around because I'm moving. I guess you could say that I'm immature, but I don't want to be mature all the time because before long, you realize that you missed you chance of being a kid. I want to be a kid until I'm 27 because after that, life really starts calling you.

I would want to give help to my sister, but if she doesn't want it, and I shouldn't waste my time.

How can someone get burned from head to toe when they're wearing clothes?

Medieval Life after the collaspe of the Roman Empire

The time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance Era was the Middle Ages. But what were the affects on life in the medieval ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire?
Most of the cities and states between isolated because the European trade had been destroyed. The stone road system between prosperous cities were abandoned, segregating the cities. If people tried to trade, they were usually stopped by bandits living in between manor states. Because of all the cities and states breaking away from each other, communication slowed down and if there was an attack, there was no way to warn other cities in time. At around the 9th century, most of the western Europe was divided into large manor estates ruled by landlords.
While inside, people who did not farm or were artisans were forced to leave the manor and moved alone and unprotected in the country-sides; this was because they couldn't afford to barter off money and protection.
Since there was no trading business, whatever the manor estate they needed they had to get it within their walls. The manor was supported only by its inhabitants.
Later on, the schools close and education and cultural activities became forgotten because it was so hard to get by. Many people were illiterate the arts were almost forgotten.
There was almost no order. The coin system was not really used and people fell back to trading and bartering. The times were harsh and unhygienic. Many people died young, from sickness or by murder (there was no "officiers" to maintain peace and protect people). Even the knights, who were supposed to be the protectors turned rogue and used their authority in the wrong way.

On the good side, slavery slowly and gradually died out.
___
"Medieval Times: The Basics" 42explore.com 10 Mar 2009.

Blog #6: My Favorite Place

Since I move around a lot I haven't really found my favorite place. For my family, we haven't stayed in a house for more than a year; always moving, house-to-house, country-to-country.
But so far I've found my favorite place to be wherever my family and friends are. That's where my real home is. There isn't a day that ends where I find myself wanting to run away from my favorite place.
My family and friends are what keep me sane. Wherever they are, I feel safe and free because they are the ones that make the atmosphere feel comfortable. I could do whatever I want around them. There are no physical walls around me. But my friends and family are the four walls that will move and change whenever.
With them, I there are no limits. If I wanted to suddenly play basketball, my friends and I could go to the basketball court and that would be where my favorite place is. I could be just hanging out with my friends in the student lounge and that would also be my favorite place.

Nitrogen Passport Reflection Questions

1. There are so many choices that a nitrogen atom will go in a nitrogen cycle. Each of us would roll a number each time and it will lead us to different places. There were about three options at each station, when we rolled the die, it would tell us which of those three options to go to. No one (unless in a weird coincidence) would go in the same cycle because we rolled to a different option each time.

2. Cycles are not just "once-you-go-to-one-place-you-can't-go-back". Nitrogen cycles are not all the same. It just shows that all the different situations are connected whether you were animal waste of surface water.

3. Yes, I think that the atmosphere station was pretty popular. This is because evaporating into the air is more "common" for a nitrogen atom because evaporation is pretty quick.

4. Probably the main point of this activity was to show that the nitrogen cycle is all connected. You could be in animal waste then turn up in the atmosphere then somehow back to animal waste. Also I teaches use where nitrogen atoms can turn up.

The Sun Also Rises: Behind the Title

What does the title of the story mean?


Well to me, the title shows that everything is a cycle. Just like the sun rising is a constant cycle, so are the lives of characters like Jake and Brett. For Jake, his life is basically helping Brett with get another man and keep him, then saving Brett from herself and falling for her. For Brett her life is all about playing with men's hearts; She attract them like magnets, then she goes off with the guy, and then finally rejecting them. "The Sun Also Rises" shows that there is a cycle in life, just like the run rising and setting.

The "also" part of the title, however, makes me think that even though there's bumps along the way of the cycle, the sun will always rises and it will continue again. Lady Brett falls for someone then runs away with them or does something crazy. But in the end, she would always reject them. It's like she's just a trip, but not a vacation. However, "the sun" will also come up no matter what. Life goes on, it's crappy, but it goes on. C'est la vie...

Image Source: http://daskull.deviantart.com/art/The-start-of-the-sun-rise-27328966

Feudalism

Feudalism- Widespread in Europe

Feudalism was the dominant form of political organization in Europe during Middle Ages. The system was mostly used in western Europe. In the feudal life, a noble lord(who can also can be a King or Queen) will grant a fief to a vassal (who was any free man who receives a part of land). In return, the vassal provides military and other services. Later the vassal can still grant parts of the fief to other free man; The lord can give a land grant to serf farmers (they were semi-freemen) to grow crops and also provide protection and then the lords get crops, livestock, and also military service from his vassal.

But though that is what the simple definition everyone has been studying, on technical terms, the feudal system wasn't the "dominant" form of political organization (classing people into different groups). Feudalism was not what connected everyone in the society together. All that stuff said about the serf farmers working for the lords in return for protection is called manorialism (or seignoialism); this was not part of feudalism. The kings and queens did not use the system to exert control over their subjects, during their challenges and weaknesses.

So if this is saying feudalism never existed, where did the idea come from? In my opinion, all the little connections, like the serf and the lord, etc., where called different things and all were different types of politial organization, but the general idea of giving and taking something back is feudalism. Sure you could say that is never existed because it wasn't the dominant form of political organization but just the way that they did it. I think that the definition of feudalism should be revisited and to be tuned out.

Image Source: http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/SocialStudiesResources/Social_Studies_Resources/GHG_Documents/European%20Feudal%20System%20Chart%2006.03.jpg

Snell, Melissa. "The F-Word" About.com. 4 Mar 2009.

Benjamin Button TED talk

The Science of Benjamin Button
The film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button features a lot of special effects to create a very genuine idea of who this person is. Their purpose was that they obviously didn't want this person took look so fake so they put in a lot of effort into making sure this character looked truly old; they spent a lot of time in the lighting and the face, making the cheeks and muscles move like they should in real life.
Their hypothesis for this was probably: "If the put in a lot of effort (time, money) into making this look real then will it look truly genuine to everyone?". They managed to put a lot of facial markers into a form or make-up so that the computers and cameras would be able to detect the facial expression of the actor.

It's pretty obvious that their procedure took a long time; 2 years, did they say? All this just for that one hour of the movie that the actor had to look 40 years older. First they had to do a lot of research and find ways to create the face. Then they had to get the equipment and do many tests. After bringing in the actor, they still had to do all the scenes and put it together with the special effects. With all the faces done, they had to settle the lighting so that the face looked like it was still in the scene. When they were all done they had to work with the people for the movie and put it all together so it would be the great film.

Their analysis for was probably to go through the whole movie and to check whether it looks real by showing it to people who haven't seen it before and know what they were doing. Once the testing audience approves that it looks real, then can they show it to the public.

The First Crusade

To me, the First Crusade was just a death trap from the very beginning. It was all about trickery and death. More people died in just the journey rather than the fights along the way.

The First Crusade's point was to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims in the Middle East because the place where all events of Jesus Christ was happening, happened in Jerusalem. Then the religion was overtook by the Muslims. In my opinion, I think that they should not have started a crusade for it was useless and because different religions will spread whether you like it or not. Then again, it was the Holy Land, where Jesus Christ was supposedly crucified on a hill but cultures and religion will always be shared and changed. People have their own opinion of who to worship.

Spreading Catholicism became pointless not only through the journey but already from the start! Most of the people that joined the crusade only hopped on the wagon for riches and a free card to heaven. Tricking the people into a trap that will lead more that half of the people to their ends. Is killing another and sinning truly the way to walk with God? Did the Bible tell them to go on a long journey and end lives so you could reclaim religious land? Why did people take the risk of life of death with riches and wealth in the Middle Ages just because the opportunity popped up? When what they wanted was the be more Christian they became what they were trying to fight from the very beginning.

The Pope and the Emperor of Byzantine were the minds that brought death to thousands so why weren't there people to oppose them. Was everybody so convinced by the Pope and the Emperor that they were completed blinded to what they have been believing in for so many years?

Interesting stuff about "Blood Red Horse

Blood Red Horse is a story was William's road to becoming a knight. He has just gotten a horse that is not necessarily the giant war horse he was expected to get. Hosanna is the blood red horse that seems to fit William's personality. Both of them seem to get on really well.

I find the character Gavin, the older brother of William, a nice feature in the story. In every story whether in movies or novels, their has be that annoying character that brings out the worse in everybody. In this case, it is Gavin. He rode Hosanna to death just for a hunting trip and wasn't even concerned for something that isn't his. I'm amazed that Ellie even like Gavin before for his selfishness and rude attitude. I enjoyed the part when Ellie told Gavin off for almost killing William's horse.

Medieval Simulation Blog Post

Greetings. The name's Joan. I'm the local blacksmith here in this city; well there's the other old, fat blacksmith on the other side of the village but he hates me 'cause I'm of the female society. Oh boo, you Henry! Female blacksmiths are so in right now! And to think I studied the art of making things from metal from him!
Anywho, as a blacksmith, I'm pretty important to the society. I make all these types of weapons and armor for the knights and soldiers. I get a lot of customers from the noble lot, all wanting shiner swords and this and that. I make the fine swords used by the good and brave knights of our city. I also make keys if anyone wants to keep closets locked or doors barred. Also chains for the prisoners; the guards usually come in with a whole lot of orders 'cause their chains from the con-man Henry keeps rusting and bending. Heh.
As an artisan, I sell and make for my town and also support my family in our house above my shop. I must say, they complain so much about the "banging" and "clanging". But that "noise" is merely the sounds of my best friends hard at work.
You can probably already guess that because I'm so busy, I ain't got real friends. That's pretty true but I don't like people much; they talk a lot, complaining all the time. My friends are the anvils, hammers, rasps, files, chisels, and pincers. I absolutely love my hammer 'cause I made it myself. They help me get on in life and support the people I love. The hammer helps me flatten and shape metal. I bang it on hot metal when it cools a little after coming out of the furnace. My anvil is used as a template to shape the metal. I use the file to smooth out rough edges. I like this tool quite some too, but as my usual orders are swords, I can't use them.

___
"Blacksmiths" 11 Apr 2003. 18 Feb 2009

Blood Red Horse

Two Main Characters of this story are Will and Gavin. Will is the younger brother of Gavin. He is the one that is trying to prove to everyone that he is prepared and a candidate for knighthood. He doesn't like this older brother, Gavin, but he likes Ellie. Gavin, Will's older brother, is the teasing type. So far, not much has been told about him, but we can tell that he too likes Ellie. Both sons are candidates or being knights because they are sons of a lord.

Will and Gavin are part of the nobles' society. Because they are the sons of a noble/lord, they live in a manor. The have a nurse that takes care of them, sort of like a baby-sitter. She probably belongs in the servants group.
If a lord/noble's son does not get picked for knighthood, they head off to to be monk or a bishop. Gavin hints to Will a lot about the local monks that are trying to build a monastery (where monks live and have scheduled times to learn and pray...etc) that he should go hang out with them to get used to the daily life in the future. Here, Gavin is simply competing with his brother and teasing him that Will will become a monk and not a knight, because Gavin will...


Author's Note: Doesn't that last line confuse you? Will will become a monk and not a knight because Gavin will...

Blog #5: Bull Fighting- Humane or Inhumane?

Do you think Bull fighting is a humane or an inhumane sport? Why do you feel that way? Please explain....

Bull fighting is a dangerous sport, true. There are many other sports that are dangerous like racing cars, or skateboarding, or gymnastics. But unlike those dangerous, I think that bull fighting is an inhumane sport. Bull fighting is in my opinion, a derivative from the gladiator fights in Ancient Rome. In the Gladiator fights, they put people in a "ring" to kill each other, just to see who is the strongest.
Bull fighting is similar except that they kill the bull at every fight. This is actually such a waste of bulls because nothing actually happens to the bull after it dies. Also, it is also not respecting animal rights because they bring a bull into a ring, anger it and kill it for entertainment. Would we consider it humane and a sport if bulls suddenly took over the world, use us in a fight? Waving a red cape in front of us, get us frustrated and angry and then eventually kill us while the herd of bulls celebrated around us? No. This is totally barbaric; playing with your food before ending its life.

Blog #4: The Clock of Life

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at a late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, Love, toil with a will. For the clock may soon be still." - Robert H. Smith

This quote basically tells us that you only have one life to live, therefore you have to life it as it's fullest.
The first line where it says "The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop at a late or early hour" is a metaphor. The clock symbolizes our life and no one knows when our life will end, whether you will die at a young age or live many decades. The second line, " Now is the only time you own. Live, Love, toil with a will," means that you have to do what you want in your life and take risks because now (meaning your life) is the only time you'll get to experience many things. The last sentence basically tells us why we should "Live, Love, and toil with a will," and that is because the clock will soon stop. This means that life is short and yours might soon end.

SMASH Day Reflection

For this SMASH day, we did another mission scenario. This time, we were on a submarine under the water. We were trying to find out what the "treasure" was. The problem was that the treasure was in a box and our periscope was too small for us to see into the box. So, we had to make another longer periscope using cardboard and mirrors. Mrs. Smith gave us a piece of card board, some paper, tape, and four mirrors.
Our group modified our periscope twice. First we had the angles right, but we couldn't see clearly into the box. So we changed our design just as spy time started. We folded the tope part of the box so that it will be holding the mirror deeper into the box. In the end, we could see the items in the box without using angles but only one mirror.
Each of us gave ideas and listened to each other. I think that we communicated very well but we had so many ideas that we had to rush.

I would advise others to talk to their team carefully and to plan it out first, that way you won't have to rush in the end. Also, don't think so deep because our team didn't even need to set angles in the end. Plus it makes it hard to see the items when you're looking through two mirrors.

Blog #3: Mirror Image

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you think others see you as you see yourself?

I think I'm a bit conceited and arrogant at times- or most of the time. I know that others see me as a little selfish sometimes. But I know that I'm not a bad person. No one is born a bad person but becomes one through experiences and tough times when growing up.
Yeah sure, sometimes I annoy my sisters and friends by being so selfish. I know that I sometimes only want to do my homework first before I help others. At times I can be nice when I want to.

A lot of people say I'm easy. I don't know why and I don't think I'm that but they do... which is weird because I'm selfish...not easy..

The Death Field

As we all know, serving your country in the military can be either a very harmless job like sitting behind a desk and reporting to stations or you could be doing field work. Field work in the military is like a big game of life and death.
In every scene, someone is saved and someone dies.
Recently in southern Afghanistan, two U.S. soldiers and three Afghans were killed while the soldiers were trying to disable a bomb.
While accompanying Gulab Mangal, a governor of the Helmand province, the convoy of soldiers came across two bombs stack on top of each other. After the soldiers tried to disable the bomb, one of them blew up and killed the five people.

The soldiers were part of a convoy of soldiers to go with Mangal to a village where they farm opium. Mangal was going to talk about alternatives to harvesting drugs. South Afghanistan provides two-thirds of the world's drugs, opium and herion.

Article: <LINK>

Free Food

As American falls more deeper into recession, some families have jumped on board with food stamp programs.
Before 52 year old Walter Thomas joined the federal aid program, he used to skip meals because his cabinets were emptying and his savings was running out. Walter was one of millions who have lost their jobs in this recession and now him and many others keep from going hungry by relying on food aids.

One in 10 people in the the U.S. depend on aids like these to get by in life.

In some cases, "need" is not the excuse for using food stamps. With the government setting up aids like food stamps and food banks, many people jump on the idea of free food given by their tax collectors. I think that those people should just take a look at the people around them that need the food and money. People shouldn't be so greedy and take what they want. Something should be done to tell the people that if you don't need to aid don't take it, because other people's lives may very well depend on them.

________

Article: <LINK>
Image Source: <LINK>

Blog #2: An Effective Communicator

An effective communicator in my life is one of my friends Jean- and also Ariel. When explaining things I do not understand, both of them can easily explain it without using difficult words. I think they really possess this trait because they have the ability to communicate with me, even though English is their second language. They are also very good listeners because they understand pretty fast when others explain to them, too.
One example of them being effective communicator was one of the first SMASH days we had with Mrs. Smith's class. Both Ariel and Jean were in my group and we have to communicate to build something. Only Jean knew what the original piece looked like and only she could talk to Ariel without showing her the item. Ariel could not see the item but using the information Jean told her, she had to tell me (I was all the way across the room) and describe how the object looked like so that I could build a replica of it. This proves we shared effective communication as our replica was the exact same thing as the original object...

Reflections on Video Project

My humanities Research Report video took a lot of effort in piecing it together. I used some of the 5 Learning outcomes while working on it and presenting it.

I think being an effective communicator is one of the learning outcomes you can't help but use while showing this video. I communicated to the audience through pictures and voice-over. My pictures showed what I had to say and nothing was out of place (eg. wrong information with wrong picture). The pictures were clear and easy to understand. My voice-over recording also showed being an effective communicator because I spoke clearly and used strong adjective to describe each picture.
I was also an active learner because I went further and did more extra research and went deeper in the areas of religion, economy..etc. I compared the culture areas of both ancient Greece and Rome thoroughly and explained the details.

I most of the content knowledge from this research report video comes from the original research report which is a written report sharing my thesis of how Ancient Greece and Rome's culture was entwined with each other. I did most of the research for that paper then used the content and showed it through a video.
I learned how to effectively set the time of picture in iMovie to fit the voice-over. If not, the voice-over would not match up to the picture I'm describing. I also learned how effectively showing pictures are than just writing a picture. The audience can understand better as a picture tells a thousand words. Instead of just typing stuff up on keynote, it's much easier for the audience to understand if it was just pictures...

Blog #1: Effective Communicator

Being an effective communicator is not just being able to talk properly but also to listen. To effectively communicated with another is to be able to communicate and ideas and listen to others.
Communication also involves a lot of body language and being able to explain clearly.

Effective communication is very important. Without it, people won't be able to communicate and talk with one another. Ideas are not understood and words are not comprehended. The world will be living in confusion and so will classes. Heck, classes would not exist because the idea of "school' will not be understood!

To be an effective communicator, you have to be able to explain and idea or subject to another. Not just verbally, but through action and writing. If the person listening understands what you are trying to put out, this is effectively communicating. Listening is also effectively communicating because you need to break down what others are trying to say in the way that you understand and reply if you have to. Body language and the way you present yourself to others is also effectively communicating because the atmosphere will change to the theme of what you are trying to say. I find acting out a word or phrase easy to get through people who doesn't understand something. It's so easy because if you are trying to say to kick the ball to someone who only speaks Arabian, you can act out kicking a ball.

Ben-Hur: Reflections on Culture part 3

Before the chariot race in the men's "lounge" the floor showed culture factors of art. The pictures and designs where made up of mosaics, which are little colored tiles cemented on the ground to create a picture. Mosaic can be seen everywhere today to depict pictures or even scenes.

Throughout the whole movie, the chariot race has to be the best part. It was amazing how even technology back then was so durable to force. The chariots have to be my favorite contraption so far. It could stand the speed of the horses, the sharp turns, and the weight of the racer on it. It really showed how advanced these people were, even back then.

The colors of the horses and the chariots and even what they wore symbolized on what grounds Ben-Hur and Messala stood. Black and red, which are said to be the colors of the devil (the bad side) was what Messala wore. He chariot showed the same effect and all four of his horses were black. What was even worse that showed Messala as the bad guy were the spikes on his wheels that could saw and rip through the wood of opponents' wheels and the metal of the chariots. Messala was also the one whipping his horses to go faster; at one point also started whipping Ben-Hur into stopping him to win the race.
Ben-Hur, on the other hand, came in like an "angel". Donned in white and bright colors, he also sported a blue sash while entering the stadium with the white horses he rode with. The chariot he used was an egg-shell color with golden designs.

Above the valley of Lepers, the men used a pulley system to drop food and supplies for the lepers below them. The use of gears started with the Romans and Greeks and now people use them all the time.

Current Events: Gas dispute leaves thousands freezing

Hundreds of thousands of families throughout central Europe and across the Balkans went through a freezing cold weekend as a deal between Russia and Ukraine of settling an argument stayed uncertain to follow through.
But now those families can turn their heaters back on as the Siberian gas flows through theirs and many other's houses as they go through the snow in. Many areas of eastern and southern Europe were covered in snow as one of the coldest weather in 10 years. Since the gas cutting off on Wednesday, panic was gone through parts of Bulgaria, Madeconia, Serbia, and Bosnia where they almost entirely depend on Russian gas for heating.
The gas begin cut off not only kept people freezing but also closed many companies, factories, schools, clinics and hospitals.
Because there isn't any gas, nay families revert back to the old fashion way of burning coal and wood and electric heaters, causing many people using the power systems. This surge in power threatened to break down the electricity under the strain.
All this trouble was just caused when the Russian gas leader, Gazprom, refused to send gas through the Ukraine pipelines to people in Europe. Gazprom claims that Ukraine was using the gas for its own use after not paying the Russian monopoly's gas price.

Article (link): EU says deal struck with Russia over gas supply
Ian Traynor, 9 January 2009
Guardian.co.uk

Ben-Hur (continued...)

As we continued to watch Ben-Hur at the part where the battle on the sea starts. The battle is against some pirates. Ben-Hur has been on a galley as his sentence for three years so far, rowing the boats for the Romans as a slave when he used to be a descendent of a nobleman.
During the battle, both sides use these type of catapults to throw balls of fire onto the opponents ships. Catapults are kind of the ancient day's cannons. These ideas of inventions came from the Greeks. So did the gears and the levers idea to catapult the flaming balls over a long range and height.
When Ben-Hur escapes from his position and everyone is trying to escape, he killed a man that was trying to kill Arrius (the general of the ship who was testing Ben-Hur earlier with the rowing speed) using a spear. When I watched this, I had some sort of flash back to the beginning of the movie where Messala and Ben-Hur play with the javelins and Ben-Hur is good.

An example of how a slave is rewarded is when Ben-Hur saves the life of Arrius when their ship sinks. When they are pulled out of the water by another Roman ship, they are told that they won the battle. Arrius is pretty happy that he lived to learn of victory and is happy with Ben-Hur, even if he is a slave. He gives Ben-Hur water and later tells about him to Caesar. He is even allowed to ride with Arrius on a chariot.

During a party of the adoption of Ben-Hur, we can see how wealthy Romans entertain themselves. There were dance acts and throughout the night a live music performance. Large numbers of people gather to acknowledge Ben-Hur because now he was part of the elite.

We can see the power of Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. When he was going to speak, he could just raise one hand or gesture and the whole city would be quiet. Everyone practically worships Caesar but they fear him as well.

We can see social classes at work. When Messala receives a gift from the son of Arrius, and finds out it is Ben-Hur, he can't do anything about it because Ben-Hur is more important and well-known than Messala.

Current Events: Kidnapped European Journalists Freed

In November just last year, two journalists were kidnapped in Somalia. Now the British and Spanish reporters have been released, says a Somali press group.
Both journalists, Colin Freeman and Jose Cendon, both worked for London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the two journalists were reporting the Somali pirate activity in a port city of Bosasso, Somali when they were captured. Along with the European journalist abducted where two Somali journalists.

So far there have been no details about the conditions of the reporters and the release. Nothing so far has been said about the two other Somali journalists that were kidnapped with the European ones. Omar Faruk Osman of the NUSOJ said in a statement, "...it is intolerable that [the two] journalists [were] kidnapped for their legitimate work in order to get ransom,"


Article (link): Two Kidnapped journalists reported freed in Somalia
January 6, 2008
CNN.com

Current Events: Death Toll In Gaza Rises After Missile Shootings

For months already has the terrorist group, the Hamas, been firing rockets towards Israel from Gaza City. The Israeli government had been trying to fight peacefully and support their country but enough has been enough for them. On Saturday night, January the 3rd, the Israeli government fired back missiles into Gaza city and the crisis has begun.
So far the death toll of Palestinians caught in the range of the Israeli missiles have bumped up to 555 people. Though most deaths are of military officers, at least 100 civilians have been killed too. Most of the injured are civilians, making the injured list to come up to 2,750, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Though the Israeli are only trying to defend their nation, and their goal was to hit at homes of people linked to the Hamas, recently they have hit an elementary school where it is to be known that 400 Palestinians were taking shelter. On this attack, three Palestinians were killed.
Just in, as an Israeli missile hits near a U.N. school, 10 people just outside the school have been killed while 3 people inside the school have been injured.

Though many nations are now sending in their diplomats to try and get a cease-fire (countries like France and the United States of America), both the Hamas and Israeli leaders seem to want to end the fighting. The Palestinian organization says that he firing may go on for several months.

Article (link): 10 dead as Israeli missile hits near U.N. school
January 6, 2008
CNN.com

Ben-Hur: Reflections of Culture

The Roman soldiers wore helmets and breastplates; underneath them they wore their togas and the different colors and stripes represented their level of authority. In one scene where Messala, Ben-Hur's childhood friends is talking to his other officer. Also later, when Ben-Hur arrives to meet his old friend. Messala and all the other soldiers where helmets, capes, and breastplates. Because Messala is the commanding officer, he sports high level garmets, like red togas and crafted and designed breastplates. His helmet top has red feathers instead of the average broom brush on others' helmets.
Later when Ben-Hur and Messala are greeting each other, they test their sporting skills. Probably, when they were young, they competed in javelins and other sports activities together. In this scene, they play a short game of javelin against the door arch.

Jewish people too owned slaves. Ben-Hur's family has two (showed in the movie) slaves, Simonides and his daughter, Esther. Simonides isn't like a slave who is badly treated and punished and made to do everything the master wishes. Simonides travel around to gather fine items to bring back to Ben-Hur for him to trade. When Simonides returns with more items, Ben-Hur greets him like family, almost as if he wasn't a slave and Ben-Hur didn't own him. Later on, even Esther, whom is about to go into an arranged marriage is given freedom as a wedding present by Ben-Hur. She even says that she doesn't feel like she's lived a life of a slave. This shows that different familes treat their slaves differently.

When Ben-Hur's sister accidently injured a soldier, and are arrested immediately by Messala's soldiers. Even though Messala knew it was an accident, he doesn't give hims old friends a trial. Maybe it was to show and warn the other Jewish people who tried to interfere with the Roman Empire taking over. This shows how social ranks can differ whether someone gets a trial or not. In this case, Ben-Hur was one of the many Jewish people who didn't get a trial and was sent to the galleys.

Galleys were the large Roman boats with a small sail. The real power comes from the many slaves rowing oars below deck. Those slaves are chained to the boat that when the boat sinks, all the slaves die with it; an example of how slaves were not cared and made no difference to the lives of the Roman soldiers. Ben-Hur now is a slave and with the other men down there were only put there as if they were sentenced to death. The Romans keep them alive so that they can row their ships until they die, then they can be replaced by other slaves. The slaves here are treated poorly. They were whipped when they weren't going by the rhythm, when they were doing a poor jobs, or when they were tired and passed out or stopped rowing.