It's all Latin to me

"dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapre aude, incipe" or "He who has begun is half done: dare to know, dare to begin!" in the English langue. These words were first used by the poetry Horace. In context of the class it means we need to pursue wisdom and knowledge even through difficulty.

Vocabulary #2

obesity- A condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.

accumulate- to gather

mass- metric measurement of weight

disease- a condition impairing normal functioning manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms.

diet- food or drink regularly consumed

prevalence- the percentage of a population affected with a particular disease in a period of time.

Stigma- a characterizing mark or characterization

Preventable- ability to stop an event or action before it occurs

excessive- over what is usual, proper, or normal.

mechanism -the fundamental process involved in an action, reaction, or natural phenomenon

sedentary - not physically active

predispose- to make susceptible


syndrome- a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition .

analysis text #I

Synopsis:
Obesity in America is on the rise. Measurement of a student's height and weight in school is mandated in approximately one-fourth of the country. Using these measurements they are then able to asses healthy child development in the school system. The controversy commences with the "report cards" or  "fat letters". These so called "fat letters" are sent to the parents of a child classified as overweight or obese. supports claim that this helps raise awareness of the child's condition by serving as a "wake-up call", and can therefore help the child move towards a healthier weight. Opponents claim that "fat letters" can, if discovered by other children, can lead to bullying.

Notes
- The BMI does not differentiate between fat and muscle
-"fat letters" are confidential
-in Massachusetts Report cards" are sent to all parents with their child's corresponding BMI score

My big question

My big question is what am I meant to do? I have skills and a few places to take them, but I still feel as though I can do more, much more? Am I supposed to lead something large in life, or simply help someone else?

This is Phat

I took the time to read the literal definition of obesity on Medicine net.com and fount that an adult who has a BMI (Body mass index) of 30 or higher is considered obese, but an adult with a BMI  between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. The BMI is determined by your mass in kilograms divided by tour height in meters squared. And according to vitals.com 36% of adults in America are obese.

Vocabulary #1

Expository- intended to describe or to explain
Composition - arrangement into specific proportion
Assuage - To pacify, or lessen the intensity of pain
Decadence - a decline in morality
Hackneyed - lacking in originality
Coalition - a temporary alliance of distinct parties for joint action
Transcend - to rise beyond the limits of
Meritorious- deserving of honor or esteem
Lurid- excessively vivid or shocking
Petulant - insolent or rude in speech or behavior

My opinion is not a right

In the Socratic seminar in class last Friday I learned that an opinion is commonly used as an excuse not to continue a debate. Commonly when in a discussion instead of admitting a lack of knowledge to continue the debate the person(s) will declare that they have the right to their own opinion to stop said discussion. When this occurs nothing is changed in either persons opinion. Rights are granted by the government and no one is allowed to infringe upon them under penalty of law. If there was a right to an opinion you would be arrested for attempting to change someone's mind. To demonstrate the fallacy let's assume Timmy thinks four plus four equals six. Now we all know that four plus four equals eight, however since Timmy has the right to his opinion we cannot tell him he is wrong. Now Timmy will never learn that four plus four is eight and not six. Those who try to tell Timmy differently will be arrested and prosecuted for violating Timmy's right to his opinion.

5 sources for Non-fiction

1 The Public Library
2  Scholastic.com
3 SimonandSchuster.com
4 www.thomasnelson.com
5 www.goodreads.com

Reflections on week one

        So far the class has been great and I can't complain. I only hope that the Eagle project I'm working on doesn't get in the way of my homework. It will defiantly take a lot of my time, but it will all be worth while when I finally have my Eagle rank in my hand. This class reminds me of when I had volunteered to be a staff member at National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) in 2012. To be staff I had to learn to take a step out of my comfort zone and give speeches in front of unfamiliar faces. I admit it was hard for me to speak up, but I was able to adapt and help other boy scouts learn leadership skills that they could use in their own troop. Other than that it will be interesting to learn to work with this blog. I usually don't spend time on the internet so I'm hoping that this step will teach me to keep stepping out of my comfort zones and do greater things with my life.

An interesting piece of non-fiction.

"Samuel Adams said that those who prefer the 'tranquility of servitude' had best to 'crouch down and lick the hands which feed you."  (Common Sense by Glenn Beck) In the book I quoted Glenn talks about how the founding fathers of America stood against the British oppression. If we don't stand against oppression are we allowing ourselves to become servants?

This is my blog for this year's English course. I'm looking forward to a productive year.