Bizarre Jobs of the Middle Ages

      Jobs during the Medieval time period were far more bizarre and outrageous than jobs in today’s world. One job during the Middle Ages that I would be more willing to do is the Treadmill Worker. The Treadmill workers are the people behind the power of the crane. It is a physically demanding job, as well as, very dangerous. However, I believe that if you were cautious about your surroundings and what you were doing, then this job would be much better than the other jobs that include cooking with worms, healing with eels, or being surrounded by blood-sucking leeches. The Treadmill workers were very brave and strong. They risked their lives daily to perform their jobs. Treadmill workers helped evolve technology by improving the system and creating new ideas.

      The worst job during the Middle Ages was the Leech Collector. This job was very painful and grotesque. The Middle Ages were a time of medical advancements, most of which involved ridiculous treatments that rarely were successful. Leeches are worms found in water that bite into human skin and suck blood. The Leech Collectors would walk barefoot into the water where multiple leeches would attach to their skin and drink their blood. Walking into the water, suffering the pain of bites and blood loss was the way to catch the leeches for future treatments. This is a job that I would never in a million years want to have.

Tour Of Anglo-Saxon Website!

     Welcome to the best informational website where you will find all you need to know about Anglo-Saxon history! On this wonderful site you will learn about who the Anglo-Saxons were, their beliefs, how they grew up, their laws and rulers, and much more about the average life on an Anglo-Saxon. The Anglo-Saxons were a mixture of people from North Germany, Denmark and Northern Holland, who settled in Britain 400 years after the Romans invaded. As you will learn on this site, most Anglo-Saxons were farmers. Since they lived close to the sea and large rivers, they were also sailors. The Anglo-Saxons built wooden ships with oars and sails for trade, and to help them travel to new land. These people were religious; however, they were not Christian. Most Anglo-Saxons worshiped many gods and shared similar beliefs to the Celts. You will find on the fantastic site that the Anglo-Saxons participated in many eventful activities in their free time. They liked to tell stories about brave warriors, they created riddles, they got together for many feasts, and they loved playing rough and boisterous sports such as wrestling and weight lifting. You might be wondering, who ruled the Anglo-Saxons and did they have a specific government plan? On this website you will learn about all the kings and laws of the Anglo-Saxons. One noteworthy ruler was Alfred the Great. He is the only king in British history to be called “Great”. King Alfred was advised by a council of nobles and church leaders called the witan. The Anglo-Saxons are remembered for many reasons including their contributions to the English language, sports, food, and many more things that are frequently practiced today in America. On this site you will gain a special knowledge of what the Anglo-Saxons were about, who they were, how they lived, and what happened to them. You will not regret touring this supreme website!

"To be, or not to be" Translation

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether it is nobler to suffer

The slings and arrows of an unbearable situation,

Or to declare war on the seas of troubles that afflict one,

And by opposing them, to end them. To die, to sleep-

And with that sleep we end

The heartaches and the thousand natural miseries

That humans have to endure

It is an end that we all hope for. To die, to sleep-

To sleep. Perhaps a dream. There’s the obstacle,

Because in that sleep of death the dreams we might have,

When we have shed this mortal body,

Must make us pause. That’s the respect

That creates the calamity of such a long life:

For who would bare all the horrible things of this world,

The tyrant’s offenses against us, the contempt of proud men,

The pain of rejected love,

The insolence of authority, and the advantage

That the worst people take of the best,

When one could just release himself

With a blade. Who would carry this load?

Grunting and sweating under the burden of a weary life,

If it weren’t for the dread of the afterlife,

The undiscovered country from whose border

No traveler returns. That is what confounds us,

And makes us put up with the evils we know,

Rather than hurry to ones we don’t know about.

This reflection does make cowards of us all,

And follows the natural complexion of resolution

To end our life is obscured by reflecting on it.

And great and important plans are diluted,

To the point where we don’t do anything.

The fair Ophelia. Listen to my prayers.

Let all of my sins be remembered.

Actual text
To be, or not to be, that is the question:Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause—there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovere'd country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.

The Trouble With Writing

I seriously can not think of words.
All day I have sat here, alone, thinking
I wish I could, like those poetic nerds.
But all my hope is falling down, sinking.
This homework really drives me up the wall.
Can she not see it's tough for me to rhyme?
It shouldn't be this hard, this hard at all.
Assignments like this should be a real crime.
If I, somehow, defeat this writer's block,
I think she should give me a passing grade.
If she does not, I shall be in great shock.
I mean, look at the progress I have made.
All I can do is try my very best.
When I am done at last, I won't be stressed.

A Day at the Beach

I spend many endless summer vacations at the beach
The crystal water smells like a mixture of salt and God's countless sea creatures
Building sand castles with my family is a sunny day at the park
The air tastes like melting fruity popsicles as the playful children run by
Relaxation whispers like the cool breeze that dances around our warm bodies
The unique seashells persuade me to take them home when they say, "Look at me! I'm beautiful"

Dont Blame the Teens

Sometimes it’s hard to be a teenage twin. I live in a house with my two parents, my twin brother, and my two dogs. Since my brother and I are both teenagers, we get blamed for the majority of mishaps in my home. If Ryan, my brother, forgot to do his chores, it suddenly becomes my fault because “we are twins” and we share the same duties. Or if my father breaks a glass plate, I am accused because I am “a teenager” and teenagers apparently have a reputation for not caring about little, unimportant things. No matter what the problem is, if something goes wrong in the Burchfield household, my brother and I are the first suspects. In Wanda Coleman’s poem “Sears Life”, the speaker gets accused of shoplifting because she is an African American teenager. The minute she walks into the store, “eyes follow her everywhere”, because the workers assume she is going to steal something. I know how this feels. Right when trouble presents itself, my brother and I get thrown under the bus. The world needs to know that not all teenagers lack morals and responsibility. Also, my parents need to know that if my brother messes up, it is not automatically my fault too.

Click Here to Learn All About "God Says Yes to Me"!

      Right this way to take a look at Kaylin Haught’s poem “God Says Yes to Me”. As you can see, this is a rather short poem. The speaker is most likely a little girl seeking affirmation. She questions whether it is okay to be melodramatic, short, to wear or to not wear nail polish, and to not paragraph letters. If you’ll notice, the speaker’s questions are all related to general standards and critiques of feminine perfection. The poet uses simple diction and syntax, which reflects the speaker to be humble and ignorant. She doesn’t know what girly behavior is socially accepted which is why she simply asks God these questions. Here’s something you will want to pay attention to—God, in this poem, is portrayed as a woman. Now this contradicts the common image of God. Normally, we see God as being mighty and powerful. We refer to him as The Father. However, in this poem, God represents a motherly figure to the little girl. She calls the girl “honey” and “sweetcakes”. Interesting isn’t it? Another special effect the poet uses is quoting God’s answers, word-for-word. Now, the answers don’t appear in literal quotation marks, but they are straight from God’s mouth. To wrap up this tour, the message of the poem to know that God will help us. Whether God is represented as a male or female, God is a parent figure in our lives and we are all his children. When we seek affirmation like the little girl, we should just turn to God. Thanks for coming everyone!

Appreciate All

APPRECIATE ALL

      Martin Espada’s poem, “Jorge the Janitor Finally Quits”, portrays the importance of loving and appreciating all people, no matter how much of a difference they are making. Jorge in the poem is a janitor, a job that normally doesn’t receive much attention. He says, “No one asks where I’m from. I must be from the country of janitors.” He cleans the floors and bathrooms and no one ever seems to care about him. Guests show no respect towards him when they are around him. Even though his job isn’t outrageous like finding a cure to cancer, he is still helping many people in little ways. The bumper sticker, “APPRECIATE ALL”, well suites this poem because it represents the importance of appreciating all people, no matter what job they have. Jorge received no gratitude as a janitor and at the end of the poem, he finally quits his job.

Que es Poesia?

Que es Poesia? dices mientras claves
en mi pupila
tu pupila azul.
Que es poesia? y tu me lo preguntas
poesia eres tu.
What is poetry?  You ask as I get lost 
into your deep blue eyes.
What is poetry?
You are poetry.

A Dream of Her Own

       Tears racing down my cardinal cheeks, I laid hopelessly in my bed. Why did this have to happen? Why did my mother have to die? Was it my fault? The burden of last night’s fight lay heavily on my shoulders, haunting my every thought. I kept replaying every dreadful moment in my head. It was a cloudy, dull day in San Diego, California. I could hear the news reports of my mother’s car accident streaming throughout the lifeless house. “Someone turn that off!”, I screamed. But I was alone. How could someone be so stupid to text and drive? They killed my mother! I knew I wasn’t to blame, but I couldn’t help thinking that if we hadn’t gotten in a fight the night before then things would be different.

       I impatiently waited my father’s arrival from the hospital. He told me I wasn’t allowed to go because “I’m not old enough” and he didn’t want me to see her dead body. Each minute felt like an hour. I wanted to see him. I wanted to know more than what a CNN news report could tell me.

       School was hard the next few weeks. I sat emotionless in my desk, never saying a word. My friends tried comforting me, but I never found the courage to open up to them. That’s just how I am. I tend to keep all my problems and struggles in a box, which remains locked up until something better rolls around and I can forget about them. I am not your typical girl who pours their emotions out like a glass of milk. That night at dinner, a new encouraging thought suddenly popped into my head for the first time since before the fight. I would start a “Texting Awareness” organization at my school, specifically about the dangers of texting while driving. I knew I couldn’t bring my mother back, but maybe by sharing my story I could save some other classmate’s loved ones.

       So there I was, speaking in front of my entire school of 1,700 people, just three weeks after my mother passed. Palms sweaty, knees weak, and voice shaking, I shared my story. When finished, the loud sound combination of hollers and claps consumed my ears. Surprisingly my story spoke to many of my fellow classmates. They supported me. For the first time in weeks, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness that I hoped would stick with me.

       The old saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”, is extremely true. I loved my mom dearly through the ups and the downs. We had our share of fights, but then again, what mother-daughter duo doesn’t? I regret ever arguing with her and taking her for granted, but I now realize that I cannot dwell on her death forever. She wouldn’t want me to feel pain the rest of my life. At my school, I am now the president of the “Texting Awareness” organization and am being followed by 700 of my other classmates. We have now expanded the organization to other schools in the district, and someday I hope to make it worldwide. I know my mother is smiling down on me from heaven and I know she is very proud of me. I know I will see her beautiful face again in the future, but until then it is my mission to put an end to texting while driving. I am just a motivated 17 year old girl with big dreams, hoping to save lives.

Similar Teachers

       In the short story “Gryphon”, a unique substitute teacher, Ms. Ferenczi, comes to sub in Tommy’s class. She is wild, eccentric, and knowledgeable. Ms. Ferenczi tells her class many stories and myths, which leaves her students curious and wanting more. She gives them freedom to imagine and does not limit their creativity. Ms. Ferenczi is also very creative and her teaching style is intriguing to the students, unlike a normal boring teacher. She reminds me a lot of Mrs. Hill, my second grade teacher. Mrs. Hill was no ordinary teacher. She always inspired us to think outside of the box and she told us to never settle with something we don’t understand. She wanted us to imagine. In her classroom, she had a pet rabbit. The rabbit always radiated positive energy and lightened the mood of learning. When Ms. Ferenczi’s came, the first thing she did was draw a tree on the board. A tree represents peacefulness. The tree in her classroom brought positive energy, much like Mrs. Hill’s rabbit.

The Blinder Man

      In the story “Cathedral”, we can examine how Bub changes whenever the blind man comes to stay with him and his wife. The blind man, Robert, is a close friend of the wife because she used to read to him. Bub is not at all attracted to the idea of the blind man coming to live in his home. Before his arrival, he would make snarky comments to his wife about Robert’s blindness. Even though Bub can physically see, he lacks insight and self-awareness that makes him even blinder than Robert. Bub is socially awkward and doesn’t mesh well with other people, including his own wife. He doesn’t take the time to get to know her.  They are hardly even a couple. However, Bub is jealous and bitter at Robert and his wife’s relationship. At the beginning of Robert’s arrival, Bub remains quiet with not much to say. When the wife decides to go to bed, Bub and Robert are forced into conversation. To limit all awkwardness, Bub and Robert talk about the cathedrals because there is a show about them on TV. Robert reveals that he has never seen a cathedral, causing Bub to attempt their description. Robert eventually asks Bub to draw one with him, which turns into a self realization. Eyes closed, Bub draws the cathedral as Robert asked. This small act of drawing leads to Bub having an epiphany. For the first time in a while, Bub feels uplifted rather than empty. He is inspired. He takes a deep look into his life and realizes that there is more to life than shallow relationships and getting high. After this drawing, Bub finally sees for the first time.

Sharecroppping 101

         Sharecropping is an agricultural system in which a landowner allows a tenant farmer to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land. The landowner in return would provide the farmer with food, clothes, and other necessities. This method was created in the South after the Reconstruction era and lasted until the mid twentieth century. Sharecropping was intended to benefit both sides of the deal. Farmers were encouraged to stay throughout the harvest season so they could rely on the landowners for food and supplies. However, the farmers were never given the chance to move up on the socioeconomic ladder. The landowners would benefit from receiving the crops from the harvest. Eventually, there was tension between the harvesters and the landowners. Throughout the story, “Barn Burning”, Abner Snopes and his family switch from owner to owner because Abner cannot contain his anger causing him to burn down all the owner’s barns. The Snopes family constantly goes through this cycle. This horrendous cycle is really hard on the Snopes family because they can never settle down. Sarty, one of Abner’s sons, finally cannot put up with his father anymore and decides to leave the family at the end of the story.

Martha's Meaning

      Martha is Lieutenant Cross’s love, motivation, hope, and reminder of his life before the war. She never leaves Cross’s mind, which isn’t always a good thing when it comes to fighting. Cross carries her letters, pictures, and a lucky pebble that she sent him. He daydreams about her more than anything. Martha signs all of her letters, “Love, Martha”, but Cross knows this is not the love he desires. Martha is hope for Cross’s future when he comes home. She is his motivation and his reason worth fighting for. Before the war, Cross and Martha would go to the movies. Cross even kissed her outside of her dorm once. Some of his memories haunt him because he wishes he would have “been brave” or made a bigger move. However at the end of the story, Cross makes the decision to get rid of all her letters, pictures, and even the stone. Cross does this to commit to the war and step up as a leader. No more Martha means no more daydreaming and no more distractions. From this point on, “when he thought about Martha, it would be only to think that she belonged elsewhere.”

Maggie Knows Best

      In Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use”, the character Maggie is more in touch with her heritage than Wangero. Wangero is Maggie’s sister, whose real name is Dee. Wangero is trying to learn more about her heritage and where she comes from which is why she claims to have changed her name. Wangero says, “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me.” However, the name Dee actually goes back many generations in their family. By changing her name from Dee to Wangero Leewanika Kemamjo, Dee is disrespecting her family’s heritage and portraying that she isn’t in touch with her family’s history. Dee also wants the quilts that have been passed down to hang up on her wall and preserve, which is not the right use of the quilts. Unlike Dee, Maggie knows how to quilt. Quilting is one of their family’s traditions and hobbies. Everyone in the family including the grandmothers, the mother, and Maggie, all know how to quilt. Dee’s lack of knowledge for quilting adds to the point that she knows little of her family’s culture. Maggie is more in touch with her heritage than Dee.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

      I am sorry that I wasn’t the perfect child you always wanted. I know it must have been hard for you to lose everything in China. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. But, growing up was hard for me too. Sometimes the pressure to be perfect got too much for me to handle. Now that I am older, I understand your reasoning for pushing me so much. You simply just wanted me to try my best at whatever I do. Although at the time it seemed like a lot to ask, I am glad that you had faith in me. I appreciate you giving me the piano. After practicing a few of my old songs, I’ve come to realize that I wasn’t so bad after all! With more practice, I could actually become pretty good. Anyways, thank you for always putting your faith in me, even when I couldn’t find faith in myself. Thank you for also opening new doors in my life and introducing me to things I never would have considered without your encouragement. I love you so much and I am sorry for the rude things I said when I was younger.

            Sincerely,
            Your loving daughter

Letter From Sammy

Dear Mom,

        Today I decided to quit my job at the A&P. I know this won’t make you happy; in fact, it will most likely make you upset. But I’m not sad one bit. I did this for myself. During my shift, three girls came in to the store wearing nothing but swimsuits. One in particular caught my attention. She was so beautiful and different from any other girl I have ever seen. I know you are probably thinking that this doesn’t mean much because I am a teenage boy. But this girl was different. Anyways, this girl made me realize that I am so much more than a cashier at a grocery store. She is probably out living some glamorous life while I’ve been working at this dumb store being a nobody. I now have this desire to seek out new opportunities and let go of any limits that I have previously put on myself. I want to start a new life. I know it will be hard and there will be many struggles, but that is how life goes.

Your Son,

Sammy

                                                                                                              

Future Runner

       Drink a lot of water; limit the sodas and candy; eat healthy; always wear your hair up, out of your face; never dress uncomfortably or in something that prevents you from reaching success; this is how you tie your shoes tight; this is how you warm up; this is how you stretch properly; listen to your coach, they are wiser than you are, no matter what you think; run hard in practice; don’t be lazy like the kids are accustomed to failure; push yourself; when times get hard, pray and push through; God gave you legs for a reason, use them; don’t brag about your success because everyone has potential to be great; this is how you get a good start in a race; this is how you finish with everything you have left; always congratulate your teammates and opponents; strive to be better, there is always room for improvement; run for the freedom, not to please others; do it because it makes you happy; don’t complain because of the early morning practices, they scheduled then for a reason; give your body rest when it needs it; take care of your injuries; take a lot of ice baths, you’re going to need them; never give up; never be satisfied-there is always competition; run fast; run hard; have faith in yourself; always try your best because that is all that matters.

Kingsolver's Rhetorical Techniques

      Barbara Kingsolver is a highly relatable and talented author who writes essays and novels about common American controversies. For a whole year, her family moved to a farm and grew their own food, rather than purchasing their food at the local grocery store, to experience what eating all organic food is like. The controversy of health and where food comes from is explained in both her non-fiction works titled, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and Lily’s Chickens. Kingsolver uses many rhetorical techniques to express her beliefs, including, logos, pathos, ethos, a gentle yet warning tone, and an entertaining yet suggestive style.  She does a good job of conveying her purpose on the importance of organic food by relating to the readers and expressing how simple gardening can be. Kingsolver assures that if her family can do it, then so can other families.
      The use of logos is a very important technique in persuading the reader to pay closer attention to their food choices. Kingsolver adds in multiple heath facts and statistics to help make her points. She explains food miles, which is the distance food goes from where it is grown or raised, to your own kitchen. Most food travels all around the world when it can easily be grown in your own backyard. Kingsolver contributes many of her personal life experiences of living on a farm as a child, which gives her logic about gardening and organic food. Pathos is also common in Kingsolver’s writings. She touches the hearts of many parents through her works by telling stories of her children and also subtly convicting them by asking, “don’t you want to do what is best for your children?” Because Kingsolver is a mother of two daughters, she knows what it is like to raise children in a world of bad eating habits and she can easily reach out to other parents who are going through the same problem.  
      Kingsolver also uses ethos in her writings. She earns credibility by not raising herself to a higher level than her audience. She admits to her shortcomings and assures us that she is not perfect. Kingsolver also uses her personal experience to make her more reliable and knowledgeable about eating healthy. Her tone is very gentle and loving, rather than rude and snotty. Since she went through a drastic food change, she could have chosen to act superior to other people, but instead she portrays herself as a normal human being. She doesn’t strictly tell us what we need to eat or make us feel bad about ourselves, but she does suggest a healthier lifestyle that would be more beneficial to our families. Her style is relaxed yet entertaining. She keeps the reader listening by using anecdotes and mixing in some witty jokes.
      Kingsolver is an excellent persuader, informer, and role model in our world consumed with fast food unhealthy diets. She acts as a motherly figure towards her readers by making them feel comfortable yet warning them of the negative consequences of bad eating habits. Kingsolver simply wants us to be aware of our food’s origin and point us in the direction of healthier lifestyles.

                                           

The Kingsolver Challenge

          Fast food is one of America’s greatest pride and joys. Growing up in a family that goes on many road trips has meant a lot quick drive-thru stops for cheap meals. Whether we were traveling for sports or for simple vacations, we always manage to make many fast food stops. After learning about the Kingsolver family and how they lived off food from their own gardens or local farmer’s market has really made me question my love for fast food. Yes, it is delicious, but not knowing where the food truly came from is a huge turn off. The Kingsolver’s challenge would be very difficult, maybe even impossible, for my family. We are always on the go for either Ryan’s, my twin brother, sports or my cross country meets. However, I am now going to commit to being more careful about my eating habits. The Kingsolvers are very inspiring and great role models for keeping the American tradition of farming alive.