Not-This-Pig Exploration

"In 2002 President George W. Bush signed an executive order authorizing the National Security Agency to monitor telephone conversations and Internet transactions of American citizens without a court warrant."
I can easily be bothered and it doesnt take much to do so. The above statement that started out chapter 18 was one of those things that instantly bothered me while reading this book. The fact that something like this can happen without the publics knowledge amazes me. I just think that this is such an invasion of privacy and feel like it violates our rights and it seems like the goverenment can do whatever they want whenever they please. This just really got me fired up that they did this. But what really made me mad was when AT&T was questioned in court about the whole thing and they wouldnt specifically say that they were asked to do so by the goverenment, instead they kept saying that "We follow the law." The government didnt even want them to admit to it. This is what really struck me and bothered me!

Introduction

Over time, Las Vegas has been an oasis that became a dessert, and then was resurrected into an oasis by the gambling industry. Today it is not only an oasis, but a fantasy land and an escape from our everyday life to come relax and enjoy ourselves. What is it about “Vegas” makes it so appealing to us all, and why has it been so prosperous. Throughout the history of mankind gambling, prostitution and sinful actions have intrigued us and lead to curiosity. Many things today are the way they are because of the simple fact that “sin” sells. In 1931 when Nevada legalized gambling it opened a big door to entrepreneurs to come in and make profit off of these things. “Vegas” has become a star vacation spot in the US and one of the most profitable cities around. Las Vegas wasn’t always like this though. Today we will be taking a look first at where Vegas came from.

The Smithsonian: Shy and Meaghan

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Cedar Point: Brynne and Don

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MIT: Chris and Perry

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Superdome: Peter and Rob

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Exploration 6

It was the night before a snowstorm and I knew the next day I would be able to make a decent amount money. I figured the only circumstance that would cut into my profit was if school was not canceled; therefore, limiting the hours I could start shoveling snow. I went to sleep that night and woke up around 7 a.m. to Fox news and realized school was canceled.  I started to begin my day as usual with a shower and bagel. As I finished my bagel the phone rang.

I scurried to the phone and said,” Hello.”

“Hey Hen, do you want to play the Xbox today?” answered my friend Stephon.

I thought to myself, if this isn’t temptation I don’t know what is.

“Actually, I was thinking about shoveling snow,” I replied.

“Well can I come along.’

“Yes,” I said while hanging up the phone.

After the telephone call I frantically hurried to find my snow suit and ski mask. I ran to my room and tore my dressers apart until I was fully dressed. I then proceeded to the garage to retrieve my shovel and make an exit from the house by sliding under the garage doors before they crushed me. As I stood up from the ground I saw nothing but snow flurries in every direction. I walked to the end of the driveway just to hear my mother yell” there is a blizzard warning, come back inside.

Amanda and Keith: NASA

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Brittany, Dustin and Evelyn: Mt. Rushmore

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Nate and Henry's Outline of Motown

Introduction: Motown is most well known for its huge impact on the music industry. It has been active since 1957 and has helped contribute in many ways from the help of many people/groups including Berry Gordy and the Jackson 5.

A. History of Motown
     1. Founder
     2. Establishment

B. Berry Gordy
     1. Background
     2. Contribution to Motown

C. Temptations
     1. Background
     2. Contribution to Motown

D. Jackson 5
     1. Background
     2. Contribution to Motown

Conclusion

Josh and Susan's outline

Outline

Las Vegas

1. Introduction
   1. thesis statements.
   2. Get attention. Relate topic to audience
2. Body
   1. First, to understand modern day Vegas, we must look at where it came from.
      1. quick background on Vegas upbringing
   2. Why has sin city prevailed. Why is it so appealing?
      1. Topic sentence-Gambling, live shows, big hotels and clubs are all enticing characteristics of Vegas.
      2. involvement with audience. Why is sin appealing?
      3. Sin is exciting. Its in our History.
      4. supporting ideas or material
   3. American Dream
      1. Topic sentence-Vegas is an oasis of stress free excitement and the opportunity to strike it rich.
      2. What does that represent.
      3. Correlate Vegas and the American dream
      4. supporting ideas or material
   4. The Cycle Theory
      1. Topic sentence-Vegas is not only a bachelor’s paradise but a family vacation site.
      2. does this place apply?
      3. If so Why? And support
3. Conclusion
   1. re-emphasis of thesis’s
   2. closing statement.

Brandon and Nate's Outline

The Bonneville Salt Flats

edit: forgot to post the intro

The sunrise blazing in the east shines bright on the vast, milky white ground. A blue and indigo sky appears and mixes with the fading stars from the night before, truly an awe-inspiring spectacle for the naked eye.  Miles and miles of barren landscape, found in the middle of nowhere, covering close to 30,000 acres. This is a place shaped for speed, for art, a surface unique from any other place in the world. This is a place that captures the beauty of isolation and the need for speed, all intertwined to make a raw and special place. Today we will be talking about the Bonneville Salt Flats. Bonneville is an iconic place shaped by its many uses.  This presentation will describe Bonneville as a whole, by talking about its artistic characteristics, the pure beauty of its desolation and unique landscape, its multiple uses, as well as, the history and importance of speed week. 

I. Introduction

II. Body
     
        1.) Artistic/Landscape
                a.) Uses-Movies, Sculptures
                b.) Photography
                c.) Etc.
     
        2.) Mining
                a.) Uses
                b.) Problems
     
         3.) Speed
                a.) Speed week
                b.) Records
                c.) The Atmosphere (just being there)

III. Conclusion

Alec And Drew

Intro- Walt Disney has had a major impact on our country and our idea of the American dream.
Disney's creations have reached to more than the cartoons and theme parks they run. They
are incredible innovators.

Main Point- innovation= imagination + technology

second point- Walt disney

Third point- escape from reality

Forth point- the american dream

Fifth point- why he was so successful

Megan Stultz and Shy Berning

The Smithsonian Institute

(The ideals and values that the Smithsonian Institute represents)

A. The Smithsonian plays a big role in the preservation of knowledge.

                I. They put money towards the preservation to what they feel is historically relevant

                II. They have a goal to form an “objective” public history for the nation that is also a “collective memory” for the nation.

B. Another  goal of the Smithsonian is the pursuit of knowledge

                I. Seven scientific research centers

                II. James Smithson’s whole reason for donating the money to build the Smithsonian Institute was for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge”

                III. Being a scientist himself he wanted to always have a place for the forward movement of knowledge.

C. Education

                I. they have 19 museums and galleries, over 30 libraries, and 9 scientific research centers, that are mostly free and open every day of the year except for December 25^th.

                II. Their exhibits are made to be easily understandable

                III. They offer countless amounts of education programs and initiatives to offer help in the education of others.

                IV. Education is important because if the Smithsonian spent all this time gathering and preserving the knowledge that they have there would be no point to all their efforts.

Crazy Horse: By Zach Parks and Alicia

                                                  Out Line
1.     The first main point that we came up with involves the history of the  actual Crazy Horse monument.
 *The monument was created because Henry Standing Bear wanted the public to know about the history of Native Americans and so he asked Korczak Ziolkowski to build it.
* The origin of the place of where the monument was to be built was debated upon by the scultor and the family because of the size of the project. The family members of Crazy Horse wanted the monument to be built in the Black Hills because it is a sacred Lakota landmark.

2.     Another main point is how controversial the Crazy Horse Monument is to both Americans and the Lakota Natives.
~ There is controversy on the monument itself. Some Lakota say that he wouldn't want to be honored by defacing the nature of the mountains.
~He was very opposed to alcohol and how it poisoned his people and their minds. A drink industry made a beer with his name on it, which led to the petition to remove it from many people, (Americans and Lakota).
~ There are no proven pictures of Crazy Horse because he did not want his  picture taken. The only main source of what he looked like is a painting of him. The painting was accurate based on his sister's confirmation.

3.    Our final topic in the presentation is on Crazy Horse himself.
-This monument is dedicated to Crazy Horse because of his heroic deeds in leading the Lakota people against the white man.
-His most notable resistance was at the battle of Little Bighorn where he defeated General Custer. He won many battles without getting wounded,until his last battle.
- He was wounded after he surrendered in a battle, by military guards and died from the wounds that night

                                       Introduction

Indians were here before any European influenced cultures. They had a unique way of living that was very different then how we live now. To understand our history fully, we should learn about the ways of these people, and about the heroes of them as well.Though debated, this is seen by most people as the main reason for the Crazy Horse Monument; to educate people about the Native American heroes, so that we do not just remember our European ancestors.

Don & Brynne's Presentation Outline & Intro

How has innovation made Cedar Point so successful?

1. Introduction
1. Story
2. Orgins
1. Started as a beach resort
1. Owner to owner
2. Original owner didn’t want to emphasise the parks rides
3. early rides
1. carousels
2. pony track
3. Place for Innovation
1. Innovative rides over the years
1. Switchback Railway
2. Blue Streak
3. Cedar Creek Mine ride
1. 1969 - First to use steel tubular track
4. Corkscrew
1. 1976 - first with 3 inversions
5. Raptor
1. 1994 - Tallest & Fastest Inverted Roller Coaster
4. Closing

Intro:

Getting closer to the park excitement builds. As each sign directing you toward your final destination makes the heart pound, you know you’re in for a great day. Finally you get out of the car and hear seagulls squawking as they fly overhead and screams from those already enjoying the rides. Cedar Point has been a summer tradition for millions over its lifetime. How did this all start? How has innovation and management evolved this park into what we know it as today?

NASA Outline

Introduction: NASA was created to compete in the Space Race, from there it has had a great influence on technology. Most of which, we take for granted in our daily lives.
                    
First Main theme: The Space race was the reason for the start of NASA.
                               Competition, a lot of funding for new technology, timelime.

Second Theme: NASA's influence on technology.
                          Everyday: Satelites,, examples.

Third Theme: The future of Space exploration
                        future missions, private companies
Conclusion
Amanda and Keith

MIT

Chris Bennett  Perry Gabriel

MIT

Introduction – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, everyone recognizes this name and knows the prestige that this school carries. But what does this Institution actually stand for?

1^st Point – William Barton Rogers wanted to establish an institution that can educate people to make a difference in the world and to have a central place for intellectuals to discuss new ideas.

2^nd Point – Although MIT is a world-class institution there are still downfalls to the university that some people find in the university.

3^rd Point – MIT does not only shape people to make a difference once they leave MIT but many of the innovations come straight out of the university.

In conclusion – MIT can be broken down much further than just an elitist school where the brightest minds of  today reside.

Project Outline - Mount Rushmore

Evelyn, Dustin, and Brittany

I. Intro
   In South Dadota's black hills, spanning an area of 1,278 acres, there are four faces carved into the stone. This monument is not only huge in a physical sense but also a huge part of American history and culture. The presidents represent a span of 130 years of history; men who lived in very different time periods are seen side-by-side. Each of them had an important impact during their time as president and contributed to the America we know today. Yet not everyone sees Mount Rushmore the same way. Mount Rushmore has many conflicting meanings for people of different backgrounds and experiences.

II. The Sculptor's Perspective
   Topic Sentence: Our first analysis point is about how Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, planned for this monument to represent the triumphs of the Anglo-Saxon race, a much less possitve perspective than what we have today.

III. History
   Topic Sentence: Our second main theme centers on the history of the monument of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

V. Conclusion
   In conclusion, modern opinions differ from historical viewpoints, but some conflict still occurrs.

Superdome Outline Topic Sentances: Rob and Peter

(INTRO)     The goal of our presentation is to demenstrate how something considered quite insignificant can transform into a National icon.  How one thing can go from being obsolete to being the center of attention for the city of New Orleans.  It will surely live on long past the horrors that were endured  from Katrina.

 (TOPIC A)    In order to understand its signifigance in the present, our first point must illistrate its past.  The idea of the Superdome was drafted in the year 1966 and the final construction was completed in 1974.  Muhammad Ali also had his last victory ever in the Superdome.

(TOPIC B)     Our second and most important topic of course begins on August 29th, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans.  What most people do not know is that the city of New Orleans actually considered tearing down the Superdome a couple years before Katrina happend.

(TOPIC C)     Our final point of intrest is on what we can can expect from its ever-living legacy.  With all of the memorable moments that have already occured, we most now look forward to what more lies ahead.

Exploration 6 "Well that escalated quickly"

 Well that escalated quickly

           All neighborhoods have ‘the crazy lady’; ours is no exception. Our lady, Christine, lives alone in a huge house with her 6 monster dogs.  Most of them are boxers but some are just mutts that she has rescued.  The dogs are big, strong and vicious and every time someone goes by her property the dogs come running to the edge of the invisible fence barking and growling.  One day over the summer, my friend James and I were longboarding by her house and the dogs came charging at us as usual, barking ferociously the whole time. So… we did what any normal kid would do, we barked back at the dogs.  Suddenly crazy lady came charging from the back of her house screaming at us.  As we ignored her and continued to longboard home, we looked back to see her sprinting after us.  She was yelling and screaming obscenities at us, but we just kept long barding home, just a little bit faster.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.  I have spent weeks perfecting my wench; now this is not what you are thinking, this wench is a motorized pulling rope for wakeboarding, snowboarding and other activities that require one to be pulled quickly. Another friend of my mine, Joel, and I were working on gearing the wench so that we could get higher speeds. Our efforts paid off.  I was flying on the longboard as crazy lady was walking by me with her pack of dogs.  She was intimidated by my speed and began to stammer because she didn’t know what to do or say.  She finally muttered the words, “You can’t do that”, took out her cell phone took a picture of me as I bent down to pose for her with a big smile on my face, and walked away calling the police.  I told my friend not to worry because we hadn’t done anything wrong and that the cops would start talking about racing as soon as they saw my cars. Of course the police showed up really quickly; my neighbors all looked out at the flashing lights in my driveway (Did I say that we live in a very nice neighborhood?) The cop cautiously asked, “What are you boys doing? We explained the wench and how it worked.  He was pretty impressed and we explained what it did and that I had designed and built it and he was even more impressed. The conversation changed and he seemed to forget why he was there.  Then he noticed my racecars sitting in the garage and our conversation completely changed again as I predicted.  He headed to his car, telling us to have fun and to be careful as he wondered why he originally came.  Just before he opened the door he looked back at us and asked if we had barked at the ladies’ dogs.  Joel was truly confused  and I didn’t want to seem weird, so I replied with a very unconfident “ Eh, no???”  As the cop pulled away, laughing, my mom pulled in the driveway, missing all of the excitement.

A Stream At Hand Is Worth Two In The Book

Just over seven miles and a few hours into our hike, I stand at the top of our first summit. The sun bakes us as we look out over miles of mostly uninhabited wilderness along the Tennessee/North Carolina border. 

Shuttled by van this morning to our starting point at Davenport Gap, my wife, a friend, and I plan to travel 36 miles to Hot Springs, NC over a span of three days. With all of our gear on our backs, we brave the AT (Appalachian Trail) in the summer heat.

The peak is called Snowbird Mountain, a 4K with a grassy bald. Off to the side of us is a white, dome shaped FAA radar station humming at us, letting us know it’s presence. Besides the autonomous machine staining the scenery, the trails are the only signs of human interference. We also haven’t seen any other hikers all day. Exactly what we’d hoped for. 

We decide to move on from the peak and escape into the shade of the trees. The need to keep moving is fueled partially by our dwindling supply of water. Earlier we passed a stream, but decided not to top off because our guide book said more sources were a few miles ahead. An unwise move, but we’re inexperienced and trusted our guide book.

Finally after walking for what seemed like forever we find the next water source listed in the guide. “It’s dried up” my wife says in disappointment. Looking down there is little more than moist soil where a spring had previously bubbled up.

“It must be because of the drought” I say, feeling my mouth dry up as I speak. “We better keep going. We’ll probably have better luck downhill.” 

As we walk, we listen intently for the sound of water in the distance. Often we are fooled by the breeze rustling the leaves of the tall trees. They beckon at us to veer off the beaten path, falsely promising to provide what we covet. The water is almost completely gone now and desperation is seeping in. What do we do if we can’t find water?

About a mile further at a fork in the path we find a sign that says we’re a quarter mile from a shelter. The guide book states there should be a water source right by it. We drop our gear down and take only our water bottles and filtration system so we don’t have to carry as much. “I’m gonna be pissed if this one is dried up too”. Says our friend. “What good is the guide book if most of the water sources aren’t reliable”. 

Arriving at the shelter another sign says “water source .1 miles” and points down another path. We keep going.

“I don’t hear anything ye... wait... I hear it. I hear water!” I exclaim, as we all pick up our pace to get around the bend to see it.

Each of us sit around drinking as much water as we can and top off our bottles before returning to the main trail. As the overwhelming feeling of relief wears off, we all start discussing the rest of the hike. Will there be more water sources ahead or will we keep running into this? 

Twenty-six miles to go.

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Slow breaths, slow calming breaths. This was what we all were doing while we were sitting on the snow covered grass, trying to focus on what could have happened just seconds before, on that cold day. We could have died; we could have never made it out and frozen to death.

It had started off as a fun filled day. We were in middle school and it was the middle of February. That winter had been exceptionally cold that year and all of the lakes and creeks had frozen over. My sister and I had gone to my friend Amber’s house for a sleep over.

"Where are your parents?" I asked

"My mom is at work and my dad is sleeping" she replied.

We did not want parents watching us anyway and started playing that we had broken legs. We had found some old crutches of her mom’s that she had used because of a hurt hip, but no longer needed. We were in that stage of some middle school kids lives when they play a form of house, but it was a more “grown-up” version of it. Amber had always been a fan of these kind of games and she was good at being creative and coming up with ideas to incorporate into the role playing. This specific time, we were playing that we were all sisters and each of us had a broken leg. We decided to go back to the trails behind her house and play that we were lost in the woods. Amber’s brother Daniel also came along with their dog, he was a very outdoorsy type of person, always doing something outside, and just came along for the fun of it.    

We did not think about it at the time, but it probably would have been wise to leave a note or wake her dad and tell him where we were going, in case anything happened to us.

They have a small lake back next to their woods where they go fishing and swimming at in the summer. It was currently frozen over though because it had gotten to below 0 a couple of days before. We were not the brightest of middle-schoolers, and we thought it would be fun to play that we had to cross the lake, and there was no other way. We checked the lake by trying to break it with our crutches and when they didn’t break the ice and our weight seemed to hold, all of us girls went out and started crossing the lake. When we got to about the middle though, we heard Daniel yelling their dogs name, “Dakota!”. We looked over to see what he was yelling about and saw Dakota in the freezing cold water trying to escape. Daniel had thrown her a ball out on the lake over where a whole bunch of cattails were sticking out of it. They must have made it so the ice couldn’t freeze over as well as the other part of the lake, because she had broken through.

Amanda was the first to rush over to try to help their dog. She dropped her crutches and raced over to Dakota. The ice broke as soon as she got close though and it sent her into the cold depths as well. Amber and I soon followed her. We were all three then scrabbling about, trying to get out of the freezing water. Every time we got to the sides though, the ice would break more, making it so we would just go into the water again. I thought we would never get out, and our coats and winter boots were weighing us down.

“Oh no, we are going to drown!" Amber said.

Daniel, farther back on the ice where it hadn’t broken yet, grabbed one of crutches we had dropped and held it out for me to grab.

"Grab on!" he shouted. I did and with him pulling, I managed to get on top of the ice and out of the water. We continued to get Amanda and Amber out until we were all out, though still wet and freezing.

We had all lost almost all of our boots in the water and had to walk in bare feet back to their house, shivering the whole way.

A Rather Riveting Tale of Elizabeth

There I was with my Family and friends opening fire against those who opposed us. It was the Summer of 2012, and boy was it a hot one. They were out there scheming to steal our precious property, and we would have none of it. The game was Paintball. We were downhill in a forest with many trees and barricades to protect us from incoming paintballs. We were protecting our flag from the evil that was the blue team. It was the six of us along with our other teammates to guard the flag. First there was me, a large skinny man who enjoyed stopping the enemy in their tracks with precise shots. Then there was Elizabeth, who was covered in 3 layers of clothing and scared at the thought of others shooting in her general direction. Then there was my brother and his girlfriend, which was essentially the same as how I just described Elizabeth and I. The girls would usually be last alive sitting in the back only to be executed with oncoming paintballs if we were to lose, (which happened several times). Lastly, there was my mother and my brother's friend who enjoyed paintball, but not to our extent. When it came down to the last five minutes I suggested that we lay down in the back, waiting for our teams to exhaust themselves leaving us with better chances. My brother's friend and I ran around to the right after everyone on that side of the forest had either gotten out or lost attention. My brother and his girlfriend went left only to be caught in a haze of paintballs. Elizabeth being as scared as she is, was still sitting in the back. After we flanked them from the right we yelled, "Ravioli, Ravioli, give me the Formuoli". A phrase from sponge bob to get their attention. It was a massacre for the poor souls on the blue team. Having been caught between us they didn't last for more than a minute, and the flag was ours to keep. At the end we had overcame the blue team with a sneaky flank, and using my brother as a paint shield, but unfortunately the casualties were heavy. I had come back only to learn that Elizabeth had been shot and sent to the hospital, (the hospital being a small tent to treat boo-boos). As we entered the tent we found her with a small bruise on her neck. Elizabeth had seen combat for the first time. She spent the rest of the day as a war hero having survived he encounter with a deadly paintball, and ready for more action...

Exploration 6

For this exploration I want to describe the first time I rode on an airplane. My family and I were going to Arizona to visit my older sister. I was very excited to see her because she was my best friend whom I enjoyed being around and whom I looked up to. At the time of this trip I was ten years old.  The morning of departure we woke up at about 4:00 am to finish packing, loading up, and to ensure we did not miss our flight. We packed up our entire luggage for two weeks’ worth of clothes in our blue minivan. I slept the entire ride to Port Columbus International Airport. Once we arrived, I was filled will excitement for going to see my sister, yet anxiety on riding an airplane for the first time. We entered the airplane, which, even at my age, seemed significantly smaller than what I had imagined an airplane to be. This was because the plane was only a fifty-seater plane. I sat down in my seat and purposefully chose the seat beside my mother. By the end of the trip, I found out she would be my safe haven for comforting me from all the scary noises and sudden jerks. As soon as the plane started for lift-off, I looked to my mother and sad, "I'm really scared. Will we be okay?" She replied with asssurance in her voice, "Everything will be fine and we will be there before you know it." During the ride I had to chew on some gum because my ears were hurting from the change in altitude. Despite the flight attendant’s promise, "Chew on this gum and your eyes will stop poping and will soon feel better," the gum did nothing for the pain I experienced. After about a four hour ride, we landed in what seemed to be unfamiliar territory. We walked outside and experienced sunny skies and Arizonia's summer weather of one-hundred and ten degree temperature. This was an extreme temperature change for me given the hottest place I had ever been to was Ohio in the middle of the summer. Despite the anxiety I experienced while on the plane, once seeing my sister I realized the plane ride was well worth my fears. I looked to my sister and, with complete seriousness in my voice, said, "I hope you relize how much I love you for having rode that plane!"