Does your Teenager need a credit card

Does your child need a credit card

This article talks about benefits and disadvantages of giving a credit card to a child. I have to say that I didn't understand this text when I read it for the first time. I had to ask my parents to explain some parts for me. I am still 13 years old and to be honest, never got more than $50 to spend (and even that was when I went to NY with jazz choir). I am probably not even going to get a credit card soon so most of the things described in the article was for ..... future reference??

The decision that the parents made was a good one, because at that age (16-18), parents can decide if they can trust their kids or not. If children  are given cars to drive and get their driving licence, that means parents already trust them far more than overspending money through credit card. The dangers of driving a car are much much greater than the dangers of a credit card.

Starting credit history can make banks trust you with their money. It is important to know how to use money, because your credit history is for life. In cases of emergency, credit cards are not the best to use. They would cost you more than a banking card. In some places, credit cards are not accepted and they would only accept cash.

The different options for credit card described are a good way to slowly give more and more responsibility to your child - first with prepaid card, then with a card with a limit. It feels like learning to ride a bike; you first have a toddler one, then you go to riding one with four wheels, then you learn how to bike on your own.

It is a difficult task to give opinion about subject we don't fully understand like this one. I had very little experience with money and banks until now.  On the other hand  this article might be a good start for my future learning.

do over generation set to experience deadline shock

Do-over generation set to experience deadline shock 

      On August 28, 2010, there was an article in globe and mail news papers about new rules that will allow teachers to deduct marks for late assignment(s). This article presents a current problem in Canada that many of the students are being absent or late on due dates for hand in assignment(s). 

   

      At first I was surprised to see that this existed as a problem. Then my opinion was balanced between agree and disagree. Students who hand in their assignment(s) late or are absent on the due date do not learn about the consequences of their actions. Then these actions will become a habit and will continue to do so through high school, university and beyond. Parents might get concerned about this and how this affects their work habit.  

       I agree to this solution for teachers being able to deduct marks for late or missed assignments. Because of this, students will be able to mange their time better and that will prepare them for the other schools. Being absent for every assignment will tell the teachers a pattern and will see if you have been managing your time well for homework. The teachers will be preparing the students for high school, university and their jobs. 

       I disagree with this idea as it might affect students who are really sick. Last year, many people in my class were away and sick during winter missing the assignments. For that reason, their average percent dropped by the end of the school year.  

       In total, I agree with this new policy that teachers should be able to deduct marks for  late assignments as I think it will give good results at the end.

If I could meet one person

If I Could Meet One Person... 

 Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin  

If I could choose one person to talk to it would be... Charlie Chaplin! He was my favorite actor since I was little. I found out a lot about him during the past year and I learned that many things you would think he was, based on his movie characters, he wasn't in reality. What was sometimes funny was actually sad or the other way around. But mostly, he was trying to make people laugh. 

When I was little I would watch Charlie Chaplin's short movies. One, because he made really funny films. Two, he made movies that I liked. He made twelve films in total, and his most popular and famous films were; Modern times, The Gold Rush, City Lights and The Great Dictator. I chose Charlie Chaplin because I could see how life looked like one century ago, and it felt like the films were explaining how Charlie's life was. I found out that was not true, but it didn't keep me from thinking that. 

If I had a chance to meet him I would want to ask him many questions about his career, like; Why did you do comedy and not drama or romance?, Why did you chose to be an actor, and not something else?, If you lived now, what films would you want to make? How did you come up with the different themes for your films?, Did the movies you made show how your life was? and many more. 

 In his films, he sent messages at the end to tell the meaning of the story. In a way, his words tell everyone something we have difficulty realizing or don't notice at all.

He refers to things that we might see in our everyday life, and we might think of them as object that just help us. And yet he pictures them as alive, making us  see them in a different way, we couldn't   notice before.

Beside movies Chaplin was also composing music, mostly for his films. "Smile"* is one of his most popular songs, still played today by many musicians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps6ck1ejoAw

His "Non-sense" song is still one of the funniest piece of music I ever heard and it makes me laugh just by thinking of it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0daS_SDCT_U

If he was still alive, I would like to know what the themes of his movies would be today. The great depression, when he mostly made his movies, is long gone. So is the Second World War. Would he still make movies related to today's politics? Would it be easier to film using the updated technology?, or Will everything be harder to do than it was when he was alive? His performances were based on what is happening in real life. He did one of his most famous films on Adolf Hitler, the German Chancellor. Would he choose one of the wars going on now or another living politician as a theme?  

If I had powers to bring him to life again, we could make today's movies better. Most of the movies made today are based on books and not always reflecting life, like Chaplin did. He could show film makers how to make a film more dramatic, ironic, funny and meaningful.

Composition assignment - I

Composition Assignment - I

I believe the responsibility of Ivan's death lies mostly with himself and partly with his tormentors. What Ivan did was suicidal. Here are some questions that I had in mind: was it really necessary for Ivan  to agree to this challenge? Could Ivan had walked away and not say a word? Why was Ivan so afraid of the cemetery?
I am also going to talk a little bit about the lieutenant. Why did the lieutenant challenge  Ivan? Was the lieutenant scared of the cemetery as well? 

What I do not understand about the story is that there were so many things that Ivan could have done, and yet, he chose to ignore them all. Some of them were: Was Ivan he afraid of the lieutenant and his companions? Did Ivan really need to take the challenge? I am guessing that he was determined to get some sort of money, because he needed it. Ivan did have a chance to say no to this, but he declined it. He was probably also tempted to not let other people mock him even more. 

The lieutenant troubles me. One, how does he know that Ivan does not cross the cemetery to come home. Two, the author does not introduce him. One day he isn't there, the next he is. Since we know that the lieutenant has more power over Ivan, he expresses it in a bad way. He is willingly giving away some of his money, to Ivan, in a challenge. When the lieutenant said that he would see if Ivan did the dare, in the morning, I think that the lieutenant is also afraid of the cemetery as well because he could have said "I will go with you to see if you put my sabre into the ground, and if we come back to the saloon before midnight- five gold rubles to you!". I am not so sure that the lieutenant would even give Ivan five gold rubles:"the lieutenant winked at the others and unbuckled his sabre,". When he said that he winked to the others, he probably didn't actually intend to give five gold rubles to Ivan. Even if Ivan came back to the saloon, they would probably pretend that they don't know what he's talking about or they started laughing at him and ignoring what he was trying to say, by drowning the thought about it by their mockery. 

There are a couple of things that I question regarding his the tormentors- the people who mock Ivan. Why did they pick on him instead of someone else? They probably never experienced living how Ivan did and probably never thought about his situation and how he felt about it.  I guess you can say that they probably respected one another, and they though that Ivan was an outcast and that he didn't belong in there society. The more they mocked Ivan, the more it seemed that Ivan wished to end his life, because of them and under the crucial statements that he needed to live in, in order to survive. This one question seems to be looming in my head -what made Ivan so different from the rest of the town? Its not like he wasn't human or anything like that.

In the end, the message of the story is that we are all responsible for our own fate. If someone pushes us too far,  it is up to us to either confront them or accept it. Most of the time we have a possibility to make choices in our lives and we should use it wisely.

if i could change three things about myself they would be

If I could change three things about myself they would be... 

   The three things that I would change about myself would be; having a long-term photographic memory, being open to try new foods and punctuality. It was difficult to come up with these three things, but one thing lead to another.... 

 Photographic long-term memory

 I sometimes imagine myself having this kind of ability. It would be great to be able to learn three to four times faster and remember almost everything that I read, see and hear. I have many interests, but little time to explore, read, watch everything I want. Having this skill can make me open for more job/studying opportunities. If I could use this memory to combine different knowledge, I could come up with great new inventions that can help mankind.  

 Expand my food menu

 Ever since I was little I was very hesitant to try new foods. There is a limited number of things that I like to eat and I stick to it. My parents like to go out to the restaurants and try different foods, but because of me, we mostly go to the same places. Same thing happens when we travel, in other countries I see different kinds of new foods that everyone around me smells or admires, but not me. Even my little sister is brave enough to at least take one bite of everything that is on the table in front of us. She went that far that she tried the hot Mexican sauce this summer in Arizona. My sister teases me a lot  that I might die of hunger or when I get older and that my friends won't take me anywhere with them or invite me to their homes.

 Punctuality    

 Last night I was late for my volleyball practice.  For almost every single occasion, I tend to be late. It is usually because I do things at the last minute, when I am supposed to do them earlier, or I take too long to finish everything. I sometimes make my mom late in the morning when it takes me too long to get ready for school. Everything takes more time than what it does for average people. I haven't noticed this until, well, yesterday. My punctuality was lacking a bit, okay a lot, but then it was a good thing that I was late yesterday because I found what I needed to improve on, in reality. This is not just a wish, it is a determination.          

Long term photographic memory is a bit of a dream. Having courage to try new foods and to push myself to be on time are goals that can be set and reached. I think I will have to spend some time during the weekend thinking about them.

Blog #1 - Sara V.

 If I could live anywhere, like not just on Earth, I mean anywhere in the universe. I would choose to live in Canada, Earth(just in case if they found another Canada somewhere else in the universe, on another planet of course, just being specific). There are many reasons why I wish to live in Canada, but I am only got to name the ones that are on the top of my head.

   

 My parents will live here for the rest of their lives. I wish to live close to them because if i am on the other side of the world and they need me, i won't be able to get to them as quickly. I might only be able to come in days, weeks or even months. By then, I might not get there in time to help them. I also wish to live closer to my sister. I am soon going into high school, my sister and I are starting to go our separate ways. When I am in high school, finishing my last grade there, I might not be able to see her again anytime soon after that. She might be off to college once I'm done University, and we might not cross paths anytime soon(unless she and I decide to come together and see how everything is going and how is life). 

My friends as well, they might decide to stay here somewhere in Canada. Maybe in Yukon, Manitoba or B.C. I wish to stay close to my friends. If they travel in different directions, from year to year, I will come visit them as often as I can one by one and see how there life is going, do they like, it have they meet new people and have they a nice, loving job.

The money. If I toke a trip to the moon, then to Saturn, then to Pluto and so on that would cost probably the same amount of money of all the rich people in the world, combined. and for me that would be impossible. I mean literately impossible. To get to my point, I would save that money for other purposes in my life. For example taking my kids (if I get any) for vacation during the summer, winter and March break, school trips, extra curricular activities, college, University, furniture, the house and tones and tones of others that my brain can't remember of for now, but you get my idea.

Even if i could go to Pluto and beyond, I still would't wish to go. The reasons that I have given says that I really do like living close to my parents, family and friends. And I would use that money that I was given to spend it on other things.