I posted on Emilie pollards blog

Homophobia

Brian Burke has made some very risky moves. For a man with a job in hockey, finding out that his son is gay is a very difficult thing. It is one of the most difficult things for a son to tell his father. His heavy load got heavier a few weeks later when his son died in a car accident. He decided to change his perspective and join a campaign that fights homophobia. Homophobia is an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people. It takes place in many of our school systems today. There are kids, and teachers that are afraid of homosexuals. You may think that it sounds kind of funny, but it is really happening!

I think that it is a fantastic thing that Mr. Burke has joined this campaign. People need to stand up to what they believe in, especially professional athletes. He has shown nothing but excellence by doing this. I think that more athletes should be doing this, but thy don’t. They think that all they can do is sports and there is no way they can make a difference. What they don’t understand is that because they are famous more people would want do follow them. They could make so much of a difference if they just tried. If more athletes did this, I am sure that more people would respect them and they might even become more famous than they were.

Everyone is different. Everyone can make their own choices in life, no one can stop them. If someone chooses to like the same sex, there should be no one in their way to stop them. “Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood.” Coretta Scott King

LET US CHEW!

Every kid loves to chew gum. It is a fun and tasty thing to do. It also helps most people focus when they are working. It may be the best thing in the world, but our teachers are missing the point. It could improve out marks, but they don’t care. They only care about the past, and the past has ruined our chance for chewing gum. Dumbest reason ever...right?

They think that if we are allowed to chew gum in class then we will be too lazy to walk over to the garbage can to spit it out! Most of us are athletes and I am pretty sure that we are capable enough to stand up, take a few steps and toss our gum in the garbage. Our chances of chewing gum were spoiled by those in the past that WERE to lazy to stand up, and they stuck under their desks. We ARE different than them. They should let us have a chance to prove to them how much different we are, and show them that we CAN throw out our gum!

Why can’t we have a chance? What has the world come to? Teachers don’t know what they are doing! We should be allowed. Take this message and remember that more than 3/4’s of the school will agree with me! Everyone loves gum and we shouldn’t have to wait till after school to chew.

LET US CHEW!

Every kid loves to chew gum. It is a fun and tasty thing to do. It also helps most people focus when they are working. It may be the best thing in the world, but our teachers are missing the point. It could improve out marks, but they don’t care. They only care about the past, and the past has ruined our chance for chewing gum. Dumbest reason ever...right?

They think that if we are allowed to chew gum in class then we will be too lazy to walk over to the garbage can to spit it out! Most of us are athletes and I am pretty sure that we are capable enough to stand up, take a few steps and toss our gum in the garbage. Our chances of chewing gum were spoiled by those in the past that WERE to lazy to stand up, and they stuck under their desks. We ARE different than them. They should let us have a chance to prove to them how much different we are, and show them that we CAN throw out our gum!

Why can’t we have a chance? What has the world come to? Teachers don’t know what they are doing! We should be allowed. Take this message and remember that more than 3/4’s of the school will agree with me! Everyone loves gum and we shouldn’t have to wait till after school to chew.

Tim Hortons is SUPREME!!!

Tim Horton’s is a true Canadian owned company. Started by THE Tim Horton and carried on by many others. You may think that’s it, but there is so much more to Tim Horton’s than you think. They do something that Starbucks doesn’t have the decency to do and they have kept it to themselves for many years. They don’t advertise their greatness to the world.

Sustainable coffee. Do you know what that is? Probably not because Tim Horton’s and other places that do this, don’t advertise it. Tim Horton’s goes to the country where it buys its cocoa beans and helps them to become better businessmen. They build schools, medical centers, and they help them enhance their farming techniques.

Do you think Starbucks does this to? No, Starbucks only offers them a fair price for their beans. This is still good, but is it really making a big difference? Tim Horton’s takes fair trade one step further and develops partnerships with these farmers.

When you buy a pair of jeans from Gap and everyone thinks your a loser because they aren’t designer, you feel bad. Starbucks is the designer drink. If you don’t drink it, you feel bad because you either can’t afford it, or know that it isn’t good for you at all. Since when did this drink become a fashion? Holding that supposably crisp amazing cup gives you a whole new look. People notice you because you waste your money on some drink with an uncountable amount of calories.

If you want to waste your money on coffee and other fancy drinks, you go right ahead. If you want to have the status of holding a crisp white cup with its prominent green circle, you can go right ahead. If you want to get fat from all of the calories, sugar, and cream you can just go right ahead. Just think about this one thing, is it really worth it?

I commented on Fiona's Blog.

“Swimmers, take your marks, GO!” I plunge into the deep blue sea of water and return to the surface short of breath. One arm, then the next. Breath, stroke, stroke, breath. Approaching closely is the other end, the wall. One last breath and then the flip. Water seeps into my nose and I once again return to the surface short of breath. Again, the same thing is repeated. Breath, stroke, stroke, breath. As I inch toward the wall, a shock of energy leaps through my body. I am now moving faster and faster by the second. I touch the wall completely out of breath and look around me, no one is there. They are all behind me. VICTORY!

You may think that swimming takes no skill what so ever and there, you are very wrong. There is a lot more to swimming than moving your arms in circles and kicking. The flip turn takes precise movements and if your foot touches the ground you are disqualified. You have to be smooth yet fast coming and leaving the wall or else you lose all of your speed. Each pull with your arm requires strength, and each kick is in need of power. One wrong move can cost you the race, and sometimes the gold. Although, you get a warning before you are disqualified.

All in all, if you think swimming is lame and effortless, come out and give it a try. You will think very differently about racing when you actually do it. "The water is your friend.....you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move".
Alexandr Popov