2011 NFL Lockout

The clash of the pads, the roar of the ecstatic fans, these are the sights and sounds of the wonderful game we call football. Whenever you think of football you think of the excitement, the hard hits, and the amazing plays. What if that was all taken away and there was no 2011 NFL season? That question may become reality with the collective bargaining agreement expiring on March 3, 2011. If the season was canceled, would you be able to make it through Sundays and Mondays without football?

The NFL was created in 1920 and had a total of eleven teams, and only a couple hundred people attending each game. Now there are thirty-two teams with over fifty thousand people attending each outing, which means there is a lot more money in the sport today. The reason for the potential lockout is also for money, the owners of the teams want the players to be paid less so they can make more money; whereas, the players which are represented by the NFL players association want more money for veterans and retired players rather than the owners.

This will not be the first time the NFL has had a lockout, both the 1982 and 1987 seasons were not played in full due to lockouts. In 1982, the players went on a 57 day long strike, reducing the season from 16 games to 9. In addition, the NFL had to adopt a special tournament system, because there weren’t enough games in the seasons to play the entire division. The 1987 lockout was a little different than the previous lockout; it was a fifteen game season without any starting players. Teams consisted of back-ups and people drafted off the street. The strike lasted one month and some players returned and others did not come back until the next season.

If the lockout were to happen, how would you spend your Sundays without football? Sundays would be quiet and tedious without the clash of the Titans on the gridiron. With the 2011 lockout lingering over our heads, how different will life be without Americas Game?




Bibliography
Coller, Matthew. "Comparing the 1987 NFL Strike to Current Labor Issues for the League." 17 9 2009. The Biz of Football. 5 1 2011 .
"NFL Labor Negotiations." 7 12 2010. ESPN. 4 1 2011 .
WOJCIECHOWSKI, GENE. "NFL Strike." 23 9 1987. Los Angeles Times. 4 1 2011 .

Regal Kitchen Pro

Do you feel like you pay too much for bread; and hate driving all the way to the store to buy one loaf of bread? Now there is a solution, use the Regal kitchen pro Bread maker. This machine gets rid of the hassle of driving to the store and brings the bread right to you in your own home.

The Regal kitchen pro bread maker is equipped with three components that work in perfect harmony to create heavenly bread. The first component is the heating chamber, made to heat the bread. Then there is the holding chamber, you use this chamber to put and mix your ingredients. Lastly, there is the kneading tool, this is used to knead the bread giving it its evenly rich flavor.

When you hear about the rich flavors the bread maker can give you may ask what types of bread it can make. The answer, it can make just about any type of bread you desire whether it be white or cinnamon bread. Some types of breads I would suggest are Olive-Parmesan, Oatmeal-sunflower, and Cranberry cornmeal bread. Any of which are tasty, health, and can brighten your day.

Some may say bread makers are very expensive, but that is not true. The regal kitchen pro sells for 18.99 on http://www.ioffer.com/i/regal-bread-machine-paddle-fits-many-o-3-16-k6750-+-15407346. While this may seem too good to be true, there is one catch, it is used due to the fact that they don’t make the regal kitchen pro any more.

The Regal Kitchen Pro’s positives by far outweigh the negatives making it an easy choice. This machine can save you hundreds of dollars each year on breads prices, giving you more pocket money. In conclusion, The Regal Pro bread machine is a great buy and can provide a wide variety of different bread.

The Last Spartan

A soft breeze blows and the trees rustle, there is not a sound from what once was the city of Sparta. Bodies lay throughout the street, homes burned to a crisp with no one in sight. Saul, the Spartan king lies in the middle of the street, once hailed as the king of Sparta. Now crawling to his death, he will be given the name, The last Spartan.

Years before this incident Sparta had the greatest military in the world. Any army that stood in their way was demolished in an instant. The only challenge the Spartans ever faced were the Greeks of Athens. Saul, the Spartan king despised the Greeks and their glorious leader Aeneas. War had separated these city-states once before, now extinction is on the line.


The Great War started with the battle of Epidaurus, where the Greeks used tactics never seen before by the Spartan militia. Instead of using the traditional face to face tactics they used sneak attacks to catch the enemy off guard. In spite of these new tactics the Spartans prevailed and beat the Greeks in a close battle.

“Although the battle may be lost, the war may still be won.” Aeneas proclaimed

These inspirational words rallied the Greek warriors and they pushed the Spartans all the way back to their great capital of Sparta. Now the Spartans with their backs to the wall, make one final stand, to ultimately destroy their civilization.

Once the battle had begun, the Spartans struggled to match the Greek warriors. One by one the Spartans fell. Saul sat on his throne, stunned to see his army, once the greatest in the world drop like flies. Then the Greeks broke through the cities outer walls, with their leader Arenas leading the way.

“Burn the houses, burn the buildings, we shall make this city hotter than Hades himself!” Arenas shouted

At that instance, Saul fled his domain and ran for the hills that bordered the city. Not long after he left his throne he was caught by none other than Arenas. He thrust Saul to ground and proclaimed.

“We are the Greeks, the Spartans are no more, and the Greeks shall live forever!”

With those words still being processed through Saul's brain, Arenas thrust his sword through Saul’s stomach. Now Saul all alone, left dying to contemplate his life on what could have and should have been. There is one thing that Saul will be remembered for, being the last Spartan.

The Protector

A guardian,

A protector,

For the girl,

Careless and free,

May the guardian,

Protect thee

PS3

All year you have saved your money, hour upon hour, dish upon dish, you are now finally ready to buy that game console you always wanted. You walk in the store money in hand, you get to the electronic isle and you see many more consoles than you had planned to see. You second guess yourself; you don’t know what to do. You’re starting to panic when as clear as day you get a sign, that gut feeling when you know that it’s the one. The console that makes you feel that way is the PS3.

PS3 was launched in 2006 by Sony, and has been a top seller ever since. The PS3 was preceded by the PS2 one of the all time greatest gaming consoles. So far the PS3 has sold over 41 million consoles as of September 30, 2010. Overall the PS3 is very appealing, but one thing that puts it over the top is its ability to play Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray is a type of DVD that is read by a blue laser allowing it to store six times as much data to the disc compared to the standard DVD. No other gaming console has the capability of using blu-ray discs.

As if Blu-ray wasn’t enough the creators of PS3 added free online. This feature is very, important because the competition makes you pay to play online, even if the online is the same quality. The popularity of online gaming has increased over the course of the past few years and is continuing to grow. One of the reasons for the growing popularity is the chance to play with your friends even when they’re not sitting next to you. With all these great features why wouldn’t you buy one?

In addition, to free online gaming and Blu-ray capability there is another great feature for the PS3, every game is in HD. Today a majority of people own HD televisions, but what’s the point of having HD if you’re not using it? The PS3 is the only console to have HD on every game. HD stands for high definition, referring to the amount of pixels on the screen which is normally 720p or1080p. The advantage to having HD is the ability to see a clearer image so when you are playing a game you are able see exactly what’s happing.

The PS3 has many innovative features such as free online, HD gaming, and Blu-ray capability. The cost ranges from $250 to $400 depending on accessories. While this may seem expensive, think of all the features you get for paying slightly more than the compititon. No matter what the cost the PS3 will deliver and bring an amazing gaming experience every time you turn it on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/PlayStation-3-PS3/PlayStation-3-PS3-Hardware-Console/abcat0703001.c?id=abcat0703001

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_video

Speak

If something happened so horrendous, so unfathomable, would you Speak about it? In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, the unimaginable happens to Melinda at the end of the year party. Melinda is sexually assaulted at the party. She calls the police to report the incident, but doesn’t speak because she is in a state of shock. As a result of this call, the party was ruined because her friends thought she reported the party to the police. Now Melinda, traumatized by this event becomes a selective mute and never tells anyone about what really happened to her. If speaking is the only way to solve the situation; why didn’t she speak?

Melinda once a happy, young, energetic girl turned into a depressed outcast over this horrific act that was thrust upon her. Another character is Rachel/Rachelle, Melinda’s ex-best friend. Rachel would have been the person that Melinda would have talked to if Rachel weren’t avoiding her. Rachel is a girl trying to fit in and climb the ladder of popularity; with this motive she also avoids Melinda so she won’t bring her social status down. One person who tries to be-friend her is the new girl at school named Heather. In the beginning of the year, Heather is trying to find her place within the social scene in high school. Throughout the year, she attempts to fit in with other groups; she eventually joins “The Martha’s” leaving Melinda behind. Andy Evans/IT is a senior at Melinda’s school and is the one that sexually assaults Melinda sending her in a downward spiral of agony and depression.

Depression, one of the worst conditions a person can endure. Experts report one out of every eight teens suffers from some type of depression. It can be very bad especially when it is preceded by a traumatizing event such as being sexually assaulted. Melinda knew her abuser. In fact experts say that 7 out of every 10 people who are sexually abused know their abuser. It is common for a teenager like Melinda to experience sexual abuse. Studies show that teenagers account for 51% of all reported sexual abuse cases.

When Melinda was sexually assaulted she tried to report it but when the police answered the phone she couldn’t speak because she was embarrassed and afraid. Melinda symbolizes the depressed and lost because she is upset about what happened at the party and doesn’t know what to do or who to tell. Heather symbolizes the selfish because all she cares about is what is in it for her. For example, when Heather needed help to get into the Martha’s she used Melinda’s artistic skills just to get in and soon afterwards told Melinda she wasn’t her friend anymore.

With no friends life can become very lonely and that’s exactly what happened to Melinda. Her loss of friends added to the depression caused by the sexual assault. One lesson that you could have learned in this book is the importance of communication. Talking to someone about what happens to you is important because it starts the healing process and they can direct you to the help you need. Melinda could have lessened the impact of, losing her friends, becoming depressed, being made fun of, by seeking help and talking to someone.

The definition of the word speak is to utter words or to articulate sounds with the ordinary voice. This is something that Melinda did not do when it was needed the most. Was Melinda afraid she might be punished for what happened? Speaking and finding help can be the difference in deciding your future for the better.




http://www.teensuicide.us/articles6.html
http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-abuse/sexual-abuse-stats.html

Patriotism

In the troubled world we have today I believe that patriotism still is part of American Tradition. Patriotism is ones love and devotion towards there country, and over the years has lost its meaning. You can show patriotism by hanging your flag up on a flag post every day to show that you support and love America.