Nature Portfolio

Most beautiful

The most beautiful thing I have ever seen is when my niece Livia went into my room early in the morning layed her head against the bed and said "Good morning Uncle Aidan."  My smile stretched from ear to ear because it took her a long time to say it. The fact that I never see her and there were 10 other people in the house made the situation superior to other great moments in my life. She walked right past her mom’s room and came into mine to greet me. My time with Livia is limited so when she said hi to me it caught me off guard.

I was 12 at the time so I felt like a kid still and she made me feel mature by coming to my bedroom before going to her mothers. You would think a baby would go to its parent’s room because they are ready for breakfast. I felt responsible for her so I acted as an adult uncle would act. I quickly got out of the bed and made her a bowl of Apple Jacks with a banana on the side. I was watching her eat and when she finished she said "all done" with a smile on her face so that showed that she liked what I prepared for her. I was so happy and that feeling of accomplishment is comparable to winning a championship. I got yelled at because she wasn’t suppose to eat cereal with a lot of sugar but at the time nothing in the world could take that smile off of my face. After this situation she started coming to me for other reasons than just playing. She started asking me for help when she was hungry, in-trouble, or scared.

Before all this she wouldn’t open up and show affection towards me. She wouldn't give me any hugs when she was leaving and she didn’t even wave. That makes her saying good morning Uncle Aidan a very significant part in both of our lives. The effect that it had on our lives is that we both grew up a little. I became more mature and she started warming up to people faster than she normally would.

Word count- 360

A Day With The Sun

Our night is not filled with darkness anymore

We feel the sun’s rays on our skin

It comes at a beautiful price, something you don’t have to pay for

We feel safe, it warms us from within

It lights up our streets, it’s time to explore                                                          5

As the sun rises smiles fill the air

We laugh and we have fun

This is better than anything, nothing can compare

Our day has just begun

The moon rising is such a scare                                                                        10

It’s at its highest point, so we love it

We run at the parks and we yell!

As we enjoy our banana split

Seems like fun is never ending, all is well

We get tired but we fight through it                                                                   15

We put on glasses so we can see
We put on a hat to do the same
This really is our cup of tea
Its about time for the big game
watching sports underneath a tree                                                                      20

The sun is coming down 
Wow, It looks so nice
Every smile will turn to a frown
The sun is rollin' away like dice
Its almost gone from the town                                                                            25

We have to go inside
The sun is gone, kids are crying
As we stand in darkness side by side
Everyone's fun is dying
The night is here, the moon is presiding                                                             30

Weather Experience

 In 2011 there was a huge blizzard that got me a few days off from school. It was really cold outside so everyone had on many layers and snow covered eveything in sight. All of our cars were buried beneath the snow so everyone on the block was trapped. My sister and I decided to get a group together and have a snow ball fight. We built forts and had teams but we didnt take score. We played until we couldnt feel our fingers anymore and then everyone went into the house. I drank hot chocolate because I was frozen and watched christmas movies with my sister even though it was febuary. 

This weather experience was very exilerating because we werent stuck in the house the whole time. We got out and enjoyed the snow.

Native American Creation Story

Once upon a time there was a man named Jaguar and he loved to have fun with his 17 brothers.  They tried to find a game that they all can play but nothing was big enough. Their favorite game was tag with a rock. If you got tagged with the rock you had to sit out. Well one day Jaguar was throwing up rocks and hitting them with sticks and it caught his brother Panther’s eye. Panther asked to see a rock and threw it at Jaguar. Jaguar loaded up and swung at the rock and missed. Jaguar said I bet you can’t do it 3 times in a row. Panther ended up doing so and all the brothers wanted in on. Panther said he needed people to go fetch the rocks that were being hit. All the brothers were spread out across the plain while the rocks where being hit. Jaguar was mad because it was taking forever to bat again. Jaguar decides to divide up the brothers evenly on different teams. So there was 9 on one team and 9 on the other. Jaguar added a few rules which were if you hit the rock over the last person fetching it is a point, You only get 3 rocks thrown at you, if the fetchers catch the rock then it is someone else’s turn, and if the fetchers catch three rocks then they get to switch with the hitters. Jaguar went to hit and hit it over the last fetchers head and got a point for his team. After Jaguar hit he thought he should add another element to the game because his team will be hitting all day. If the ball wasn’t hit over a fetchers head the fetcher can tag the hitters with it to count as a catch.

            The brothers finished there game and noticed many people watching them while they were playing. Nearby tribes were hunting but instead found a new game that 18 people can play in at once. This game was started being played across America due to messengers and teachers. Jaguar called Rockball but today we call it Baseball. 

Word Count (358)

Responses to Snowbound

 In this poem the author describes the snowbound place with "No cloud above, no earth below." That sounds so unreal but it’s appealing. I personally didn’t like snow bound all that much because the tone gets flipped and I get confused. In the beginning they talk about a threatening place and how it’s so bad. When Whittier says "It’s a mute and ominous prophecy" It makes me think the people are afraid of the snow because they find it threatening. Later on in the poem the Author relates the snow to the leaning tower of Pisa which is a tourist attraction. So I get stuck in between the snow being scary and the snow being attractive. I want to see this scene because I wonder if people are outside looking at it or people come to town to see it. I find it interesting when the Author says "we look upon a world unknown" because everything they do know is covered with snow. If I was somewhere unknown I would go explore and make it known. Well in the story the snow really didn’t affect the people because they still went on with their normal lives and still did their daily routines. This poem would be good for someone that enjoys nature and for someone that can relate to this situation.

Word count 221

Response to Walden

  This story was just like the movie Into The Wild. In the movie Into the wild the character Chris went out into the middle of nowhere to replenish his soul with new experiences. I think the point Thoreau was trying to state is being alone and getting rid of materialistic things are good for the soul or just keeping life simple. I wouldnt be able to get rid of materialistic thing, and be alone because I cant live without out my phone and my tv. People would've been able to be alone and get rid of materialistic things when the materialistic things were lesser value.  In the story Thoreau said "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life" Which made me think he was tired of all the artificial world and he wanted something genuine or real. I find it kind of funny that he left the woods for the same reason he settled there. He wanted new eperiences so he went to the woods. He started following the same particular route in the woods and started getting bored of doing so. Since a mans core comes from new experiences he wanted something new again so he left the woods.
Word count 211

Response to Thanatopsis

I found the poem Thanatopsis to be quite interesting because it changed my own views on death. Bryant’s ideas on death are so peaceful and it stays like that throughout the poem. Before reading this poem I was scared of dying and I didn’t want to be alone after death. Now I’m not that scared anymore because my family and friends are going to join me one day so I don’t have to worry about being alone after I die. When Bryant brings up the point about after death everyone is equal it shows that that’s how it’s supposed to be when everyone is alive.  In the poem when Bryant said "Thou shalt lie down with the patriarchs of the infant world with kings......the wise the good, fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, All in one mighty sepulcher." It helped me understand that once we die we are just a piece of the earth. Someone who is atheist and that loves nature would be able to enjoy this poem to its full potential because you will be a part of nature after you die instead of heaven or hell. If the setting of this poem was in Chicago it would be bad because of the landfills, dirty streets, and pollution and nobody wants to be a part of that after they die.

Word count 224

Response to To build a fire

I found this story to be kind of weird because I don’t know anyone in their right mind that would go outside with it being 50 below zero. This can be related to the show Man vs. Wild except the outcome in To build a fire is death. In Man vs. Wild Bear Grylls uses instinct and prior knowledge to survive and beat nature. The Man in To build a fire only used prior knowledge and a few instinctive skills and that’s why he died. The dog knew what to do during the time and it was all instinct. When the dog's paws started freezing the dog started licking them. In the story London says "In his voice was a strange note of fear that frightened the animal" this shows instinct because the dog isn’t use to his tone like that so his voice is like a proceed with caution sign. When the man's fingers were numb he wanted to cut open the dog and put his hands inside of it which he got the idea from a tale of a man who killed a steer and buried himself inside the carcass and so was saved. To sum it all up I think the man died due to his ignorance and his confidence.

Word count 213

Response to Corn Planting

I really like this story because it shows how an old couple deals with their son's death by planting corn. Will's parents took his death and didnt even cry. If I had a son and he died I would look at all of his pictures and start crying. Losing a child is losing a piece of your self. I think they started planting corn right after they found out about their sond death because they feel as if they are one with nature. They could have also used planting corn as a away to escape the real world and take their mind off of their sons death. Anderson believed they planted corn because it was "a kind of silent cry, down into the earth, of these two old people, putting corn down into the earth"  which shows me that every dies its just how you deal with it. When Hal says "They still have their farm and still have Will's letters to read" I think his view of the situation is life goes on and nothings really lost. In the story it makes it heart breaking that the parents thought of their son Will as life and never of death so their son's death caught them by surprise. This story can be related to a fast low blow but a quiet reaction.

Word count 224

Reaction to Essays

The 3 excerpts that I chose to read are Walking by Henry David Thoreau, The American forest by John Muir, and The sound of trees by Robert Frost.

I like Walking by Thoreau because in a way it seems carefree to me. When Thoreau states " the walking of which I speak has nothing in it akin to taking exercise.......but it itself the enterprise and adventure of the day" I think he means to just go out and find new things. Since a man’s core come from new experiences you have to explore different places.

In the essay The American forest Muir states " The forest of American ....... must have been a great delight to god for; they were the best he ever planted" It makes me think of nationalism towards America and by reading this you can infer that Muir is American because the forest in America are the best god ever planted. In the essay it says "fires of the Indians and the fierce shattering of the lighting worked together clearing spots here and there for smooth garden prairies" which makes think everything bad has a good outcome.

In the poem the sound of trees Frost says "Why do we wish to bear forever the noise of these more than another noise so close to our dwelling place?" It makes me think he is annoyed by the sound of the trees and he basically asking why people want to hear it.

Thankful Post

I am thankful for Brianna Fernandez because she is an awesome friend and is always there when I need someone to talk to. Brianna always has a positive attitude and a beautiful smile to follow it up. She is very funny but real with me all the time and I thank her for that. Being with Brianna is a 24-7 reality check. Ever since I laid eyes on her she changed my life. In many ways Brianna helped me "man up" and I thank her for that too.
When I found out I was going to the same high school as Brianna Fernandez I literally cried with happiness. In a way it was the equivalent to winning a championship. I love Brianna Fernandez and I am so proud, happy, fortunate, and lucky to say I walk the same halls as her everyday. This is why I am so thankful for Brianna.
word count- 151

Community Stories

Here is New York
 Whites starts off defining New York by what it isn't to show how bad it is and what it is made up of. White puts a nasty taste in my mouth about New York by talking about people committing suicide and the pedestrians that are walking past only walk faster to get out the way. In a way this shows cold hearted people in New York. A traveler would see mass crowds and get swallowed up by the people that are walking down the street. One of the main problems in New York is the population and how big it is. People maneuver around others and find their own routes to their destination to compensate for the population.
  White's idea of neighborhoods as being cities relate to my Chicago experiences because Chicago is the most segregated city in the US because every neighborhood is named after the people that live there. For example, Little Italy, Greek town, Ukrainian Village, and Chinatown are all neighborhoods in Chicago that can be considered as little cities.

An Account of Experiences with discrimination
A community shapes people and their beliefs because that's what they are around and they are influenced by the people in the community. Many people in the south were racist that racism spreaded because others where influenced. Truth went through a lot of racism and after slavery was over people still looked down on African Americans because of the widespread of segregation.
Primary source are experiencing the event first hand. A reporter gets his information from a primary source making the reporter a secondary source. I feel that a primary source is more reliable and is real. In this case, primary document such as letters, journals, and diaries differ from a reporter or short story in the perspective they give on a community by the primary source living in the community and the reporter being an outsider.

Response to Crucible Act 3

I found act 3 very amusing because the blame was being thrown around in the court room just like the previous Acts. Mary freaked out towards the end which was funny because I could imagine Proctors face during her outbreak. I would've look at her with disgust and ignorance. Now Mary got John Proctor in trouble and John Proctor and Giles Corey are booked. I also like how Danforth layed down the law by saying "You're either with this court or against it" because it showed his power which I can relate to. He was acting like a mom in the court. This Act was all over the place and was kind of confusing. I don't think Giles Corey and John Procter should be convicted. I think Mary should be convicted because she went crazy and Proctor just responded with being crazy to match her craziness. This is what I thought about Act 3 in the Crucible.

Word count- 156

Response to Crucible Act 2

 I like this act because they are a whole lot of accusation without hard evidence. I find it weird how everything is playing out. For instance the needle in the dolls stomach and the needle in Abigail's stomach and that was proof of witchcraft. I also think Proctor is bogus because hes not trying to put Abigail on blast because he doesn't want to get caught with adultery. If I was Proctor I would do what is right and save my wife then some lady I had an affair with. I'm pretty sure Elizabeth would forgive him if he did that. Proctor has his back against the wall and is basically depending on everyone else to help him out. I think everyone is guilty in some for or another. If everyone is going to get punished then ok but the people that are convicted of witchcraft should not go through the process to see if they are witches.

Word count- 158

Notes

1. Chicago's “Little Italy” developed in the Near West Side around Halsted and Taylor Streets near Jane Addams's Hull House in the late nineteenth century. Upon their arrival in the area, Italians quickly established their own cultural, social, and religious institutions, such as Our Lady of Pompeii and the Holy Guardian Angel Roman Catholic churches. (6)

2. By the 1870s a small middle class had gradually replaced the wealthy families around Union Park. But as early as the city's incorporation in 1837, the area already contained the seeds of what would come: residential areas divided along ethnic, economic, and racial lines. (8)

3. Tri-Taylor Historic District, a national landmark neighborhood, is located just west of the Medical Center on Oakley from Grenshaw to Congress Parkway. An historic port of entry for new immigrants, this area was once packed with people from all over the world at the turn of the century. Today, this growing area is stabilized by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Chicago’s medical district. (3)

4. By 1998 UIC enrolled 25,000 students in 15 colleges, making it the largest university in the Chicago area. A major economic engine, it employed about 12,000 people with a budget of approximately a billion dollars. By the turn of the century, one of every 73 Chicagoans over age 21 was a UIC graduate. (10)

5. The university opened in 1965, and college students -- attracted in part by the traditionally low prices at Greek restaurants -- supported places like Diana Grocery and Restaurant, a cozy deli with a few tables in back. In 1968, the Parthenon Restaurant opened and quickly introduced a new flourish to the world: flaming saganaki, accompanied by a waiter's shout of "Opa!" (5)

6. The Hull House is a settlement house that was set up by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. It is located on Halsted. They fought for child labor laws and women suffrage. (12)

7. The background of the picture look trashy. The people have lost faith in Daley because they seen no change. The community Idea that Daley had didn't come into an affect yet. (19)

8. Daley constructed the University of Illinois in Chicago-Chicago Circle and he enlarged our chicago airport OHARE. Mayor Daley produced a promise for a better community. (11)

9. The Greek population is starting to grow around the University of Illinois in Chicago's location. In the early  1900 hundreds Greektown was the best known urban community of Greeks. (9)

10. Many Irish immigrants settled in Near West Side. Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr opened Hull house in this area. The University expanding almost destroyed the Maxwell street market. (8)

11. Many African Americans and Mexicans moved into the Near West Side in the 1930's and 1940's. The Chicago Circle expressway wiped out a significant part of Greektown. The construction of the University of Illinois resulted in the demolition of Italian Neighborhoods. (8)

12. Jane Addams was the founder of the Hull House which was located in the Near West Side. She got help from Chicago Reporters to find a suitable house. She chose her house in between all the immigrant groups.(13)

13. German and Irish immigrants settled in Pilsen. Turned from Eastern European residents to Mexican residents. The creation of thousands of unskilled jobs invited many Bohemian Immigrants. (14)

14. Mexicans changed the Pilsen Neighborhood by decorating it. Immigration Laws kicked Mexicans out of the Near West Side to expand the University of Illinois at Chicago which made many move into Pilsen. (14)

15. Ellen Gates Starr was active in the reform of child labor laws and women suffrage. She was a member of Womens trade union league. Established the Hull House with Jane Addams. (16)

16. The Chicago College of Pharmacy became part of the University of Illinois. U.I.C was called Circle Campus. Largest University in Chicago. (10)

17. This picture explains the hard times of the community. They knew if U.I.C was in their neighborhood then it will be better. (19)

18. Italians were never actually a majority in the area, they maintained a strong presence in the commercial and political fabric of the area throughout the  Near west Side. (6)

19. “Little Italy” developed in the Near West Side around Halsted and Taylor Streets near Jane Addams's Hull House in the late nineteenth century. (20)

20.  Italians quickly established their own cultural, social, and religious institutions, such as Our Lady of Pompeii and the Holy Guardian Angel Roman Catholic churches.(8)

21. In this picture there are alot of people lined up for kindergarten? first pictures of the settlement house. All the kids look Caucasian. (10)

22. The oldest building on campus, Hull House, erected in 1856, has been restored as a memorial to Jane Addams. By 1889, when Addams moved into the old Hull mansion to create a pioneering settlement house. (13)

23. University of Illinois at the Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. The former, which became the West Campus of UIC (2)

24. The oldest sector was settled predominantly by Bohemians displaced by the Chicago Fire of 1891 and was dubbed “Pilsen” after one of the largest cities in their homeland (4)

25. Neighborhood residents unionized in the 1880s, founded Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, published newspapers in several languages, (2)

26.  West Side continued as a center of ethnic group development with fairly stable working-class populations. (17)

27. Chicago emerged as the fourth largest Irish city in America by 1860. Most lived in University Village. Irish and German immigrants constituted much of the Church's membership during its founding years (15)

28. class differentiation among Catholics increased, the creation of an all-encompassing Catholic world, largely based upon ethnic autonomy, continued apace. (5)

29. In this picture they look like they are marching for freedom. They are many of them and are in the streets.(12)

30. One can conceive of Protestantism as a movement within Christianity, the inspirer of various reform and educational agencies, an expression anti-catholisicm(20)

31. St. Paul's members were of German stock. Scandinavian immigrants arrived in considerable numbers in the decade of St. Paul's founding, and in 1848 the Norwegian Lutheran Evangelical members erected their first building. (13)

32. This document is about an article report. The nonsectarian Protestant society, founded in 1840, attempted to canvass the entire city several times in the nineteenth century,

33. Chicago attracted slightly more than 500,000 of the approximately 7 million African Americans who left the South during these decades. (5)

34. When World War I halted immigration from Europe while stimulating orders for Chicago's manufactured goods. (8)

35. The Near west side has experienced more violence then whole cities. There is a lot of gang warfare in the area. (9)

Response to Crucible Act 1

While reading the Crucible I noticed that there were many grudges within the community in Salem. People were fighting over the little things and putting the blame on each other. When someone was accused of something they slapped someone else with it. This was ironic to me because its like an arms race to innocence in a way. This also reminds me of the cold war when The US and The USSR had an Arms race to see who is better. The one thing I didn't like about Act 1 is the whippings and the rest of the punishments were public so the whole town can see. The one thing I thought was funny is when Parris thought he saw someone running naked through the trees. I liked and found it amusing when Proctor got caught up in his affair with Abigail and tried to play it off like it was cool. I think the Author reaches many points and uses alot of symbolism in this act.

Word count- 167

Research post

1."Little Italy Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60607 Detailed Profile." Little Italy Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60607 Subdivision Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Little-Italy-Chicago-IL.html>. Many young females in little Italy (low 20s)

 2."Chicago Neighborhood Details: University Village." Chicago Neighborhood Details: University Village. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.chicagohome.com/NHDetails.cfm?NH_ID=54>. The positive influence of University of Illinois at Chicago has dramatically changed the face of the area.

 3."Chicago Neighborhood Details: Tri-Taylor." Chicago Neighborhood Details: Tri-Taylor. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.chicagohome.com/NHDetails.cfm?NH_ID=52>. This growing area is stabilized by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Chicago’s medical district.

 4."UIC Key Facts." University of Illinois at Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.uic.edu/uic/about/keyfacts/index.shtml>. UIC was formed in 1982 by the consolidation of two U. of I. campuses.

 5."Greektown." Explore Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/neighborhoods/greektown.html>.The university opened in 1965, and college students  attracted in part by the low prices at Greek restaurants.

 6."Little Italy." Little Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/758.html>. Italians were never actually a majority in the area they just maintained a strong presence in the commercial and political fabric of the area throughout the twentieth century.

 7. "University of Illinois at Chicago: Campus Housing — 818 S. Wolcott Avenue (Suite 220), Chicago, Illinois 60612 — 312-355-6300." Family Housing – UIC Campus Housing, A Division of Student Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.housing.uic.edu/halls/family.php>.  U.I.C provides housing for students with families.

8. "Near West Side." Near West Side. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/878.html>. By the 1870s a small middle class had gradually replaced the wealthy families around Union Park.

9. "Greektown." Greektown. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/549.html>. Chicago's Greek population began to grow in the area surrounded by Halsted, Harrison, and Blue Island Streets.

10. "University of Illinois at Chicago." University of Illinois at Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1290.html>. A major economic engine, it employed about 12,000 people with a budget of approximately a billion dollars.

11. "Daley's Chicago." Daley's Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1722.html>. Daley constructed the University of Illinois at Chicago-Chicago circle

12. "Hull House." Hull House. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/615.html>.  A settlement house which was established by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr on the Near West Side.

13. "Jane Addams: Halsted Street around 1890." Jane Addams: Halsted Street around 1890. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2393.html>. The founder of the Hull house

14. "Pilsen." Pilsen. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2477.html>. German and Irish immigrants settled in this neighborhood.

15. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAaddams.htm>. Jane Addams did more than any other woman

16. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAWstarr.htm>. Co-founder of the Hull house.

17. "UIC College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - The Latin American and Latino Studies Program." UIC College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - The Latin American and Latino Studies Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.uic.edu/las/latamst/research/immigrant.shtml>.  Affecting 13 million undocumented and their familie

18. "University Village / Little Italy Real Estate & Homes for Sale." Zillow. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.zillow.com/university-village---little-italy-chicago-il/>. Many houses in this neighborhood are expensive.

19."Vacant Property Razed for UIC, 1962." Vacant Property Razed for UIC, 1962. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3620.html>. Doubt in Senor Daley.

20. "Father Arnold Damen, Chicago’s Jesuit Apostle." Father Arnold Damen, Chicago’s Jesuit Apostle. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://catholicism.org/ad-rem-no-93.html>. Founder of St. Ignatius.

Community Song Post

“My Life” The Game featuring Lil Wayne

[Intro]

 Punk *** motherf*ck*r!

 B*tch *** n*gg*!

 What were you gonna do?

 Kill me in my sleep u b*tch *** n*gg*?

 Tupac, Biggie shut the f*ck up!

 F*cking d*gs, they barking sh*t...

 Don't shoot me! Don't shoot me!

 F*ck you n*gg*!

[Chorus (Lil' Wayne)]

 And I'm grindin' until I'm tired

 And you ain't grindin' until you tired

 So I'm grinding with my eyes wide

 Looking to find,

 A way through the day

 The life of the night

 Dear lord you've take so many of my people

 I'm just wondering why you haven't taken my life

 Like what the hell am I doing right?

[Verse 1 (The Game)]

 Take me away from the hood

 like a state penitentiary.

 Take me away from the hood

 in a casket or a Bentley.

 Take me away...

 Like I overdosed on cocaine,

 or take me away

 like a bullet from Kurt Cobain.

 Suicide.

 I'm from a windy city

 like do or die.

 From a block close to

 where Biggie was crucified.

 That was Brooklyn's Jesus

 shot for no f*ck*ng reason.

 And you wonder why Kanye

 wear his Jesus pieces.

 (My life!)

 Cause that's Jesus people,

 and Game he's the equal.

 Hated on so much

 Passion Of The Christ need a sequel.

 Yeah, like Rockefeller need a Segal.

 Like I needed my father,

 (My life!)

 but he needed a needle.

 I need some meditation

 so I can lead my people.

 They askin' why?

 Why did John Lennon leave the Beetles?

 And Why every hood n*gg*

 feed off evil?

 Answer my question before this

 bullet leave this Desert Eagle.

[Chorus (Lil' Wayne)]

 And I'm grindin' until I'm tired

 And you ain't grindin' until you tired

 So I'm grinding with my eyes wide

 Looking to find,

 A way through the day

 The life of the night

 Dear lord you've take so many of my people

 I'm just wondering why you haven't taken my life

 Like what the hell am I doing right?

[Verse 2 (The Game)]

 We are not the same,

 I am a martian.

 So approach my Phantom doors with caution.

 You see them 24's spinnin'

 I earned them.

 And all the pictures of me and M I burned them

 So it ain't no proof that I ever walked through 8 Mile

and since their ain't no proof I never walked through 8 mile.

 Sometimes I think about my life with my face down.

 Then I see my sons and put on that Kanye smile.

 Damn I know his mama proud,

 and since you helped me sell my dream,

 we can share my mama now.

 And like MJB, no more drama now.

 Livin' the good life,

 me and Common on common ground.

 I spit crack,

 and n*gg*s could drive it outta town.

 Got a Chris Paul mind state,

 I'm never out of bounds.

 My life use to be empty

 like a Glock without a round.

 Now my life full

 like a chopper with a thousand rounds.

[Chorus (Lil' Wayne)]

 And I'm grindin' until I'm tired

 And you ain't grindin' until you tired

 So I'm grinding with my eyes wide

 Looking to find,

 A way through the day

 The life of the night

 Dear lord you've take so many of my people

 I'm just wondering why you haven't taken my life

 Like what the hell am I doing right?

[Verse 3 (The Game)]

 Walked through the gates of hell,

 see my Impala parked in front,

 with the high beams on.

 Me and the devil

 sharing chronic blunts.

 Listening to The Chronic album,

 playin' backwards.

 Shootin' at pictures of Don Imus

 for target practice.

 My mind f*ck*d up, so I

 cover it with a Raider hood.

 I'm from the city that made you

 Mother*ck*rs afraid of Suge

 Made my Grandmother pray for good

 and never made her happy,

 but I bet that new Mercedes could.

 Ain't no bars, but n*gg*s can't

 escape the hood.

 They took so many of my n*gg*s,

 that I should hate the hood.

 But it's real n*gg*s like me

 that make the hood.

 Ridin' slow in that Phantom

 just the way I should.

 With the top back

 and my Sox hat.

 I'm Paid in Full,

 the n*gg* Alvo couldn't stop that.

 Even if they brought the n*gg* Pac back,

 I'd still keep this motherf*ck*r cocked back.

[Chorus (Lil' Wayne)]

 And I'm grindin' until I'm tired

 And you ain't grindin' until you tired

 So I'm grinding with my eyes wide

 Looking to find,

 A way through the day

 The life of the night

 Dear lord you've take so many of my people

 I'm just wondering why you haven't taken my life

 Like what the hell am I doing right?

My Life [4X]

This Community doesnt sound like one I would want to live in because there is alot of violence and drug use. The artist seems indifferent on the well being of his community but he cares about his grandmother so he could feel it needs changing. This was an urban place because the artsist used the word "city" and "hood" many times in the song. During the song the Game said "like Rockefeller need a segal..... like I needed my father but her needed the needle" which ment he had no father support because he was doing heroin. It must've been hard for The Game to grow up with no fatherly support. The Game's community a hood in Los Angeles.

Community Posts

The expectations for baseball is work hard in practice, put in work in the weight room, and have heart. To be a member of the baseball team at whitney you have to perform well on the field and in the classroom. My role on the team this year was to pinch run and steal all the bases.

We practiced on the Whitney Young field at skinner park. After practice we would normally go to the locker room on the second floor in the gym building. When we leave the locker room we would hang out at Billy Goats to eat and crack jokes until our rides come. Doing all these things make me feel warm and comfortable because im hanging with the team and it helps build chemistry when we are on the field. This is my community because I have many things in common with my teamates and I feel accepted.

The expectations in my family consist of keeping your room clean, getting good grades, taking care of one another. To be a member of our family you have to be related to us or be close friends with everyone in our family for a long time. My role in this family is to do well in anything to set an example for the next generation.

We live by the Garfield park conservatory but we spend most of our time on the road going to my games or to parties that other friends/family might have. We spend most of our Holidays at my Grandma's house in St. Louis. I feel comfortable in my family because we make each other better with constructive critisism all time. This is my community because I am welcomed, treated fairly, supported, and my atmosphere would be the same without my family.

The expectations for my friends are to be as funny as possible, be honest, and respect their privacy. To be one of my friends you have to be funny, dress nice, and not afraid to get your mack on. My role with my friends is the "goof ball" since im the funniest I have to keep my friends entertained.

We normally hangout at school but when we go out to lunch we end up going to Chipotle, Bacci's, McDonalds, or Billy Goats. We normally have macking sessions (when you flirt with many girls) when the whole crew is together. I feel comfortable with my friends because I can be open and dont really have to be worried about what comes out my mouth. This is my community because my friends and I share the same values.

Response To Crevecour

 

Jean de Crevecour presented many ideas in his essay. One of which is no matter how bad your past life was everything changes when you come to America. In the essay Jean de Crevecour said "Can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him" which made me think of the latin phrase "Ubi panis ibi patria" that he used that ment where there is bread there is one's fatherland. I think he used this because america was providing protection, bread, and land. He also brought up that there is a mixture of blood in America meaning that there are all kinds of people here. All the Individuals from different nations are melted into a new race (American). He also predicts the people of America one day will cause great change in the world. I find this interesting because many Americans have caused great change in the world.

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