I agree with your statement that the commercials were not very memorable this year as they may have been in the past. I can remember some from years ago and failed to remember any from this past year. I don’t think it has to do with a lack of funding because unnecessary amounts of money are still placed towards these commercials. Instead, I believe it is the lack of ideas that eventually catch up to every business nowadays. We have had decades of creating original pieces, whether it be music, movies, commercials, or television shows. Eventually, I believe original ideas will become slim to none because simply, everything has been done. I also liked your pick for the Super Bowl commercial about the Doritos and the pig. It did possess comedy; something I think grabs the most attention in a thirty second advertisement. I also agree with your dislike towards the Shape Ups commercial mainly because it is unrealistic. I do not know if the shoes actually work, but you’re right in saying they are ugly. That girl in the commercial most likely wouldn’t wear them, nor does she need them. So, in a way, it was false advertisement. It was only successful because it used the sexual aspect in order to grab the attention of the viewers.

David, I agree with your point regarding the college admissions process mainly because it is relatable to the time in our lives at this moment. Like the article and you discuss, students tend to chose classes where they know they will succeed, rather than those they may be interested in or could learn something new. In this instance, they sacrifice taking a risk and learning/expanding their intellect for a simple way to pass, or to look best on paper. We try so hard to improve our GPA to get into these ‘big name’ schools that we believe we will prosper in, but will we really? Maybe Harvard isn’t a match for us. I believe a student can succeed and reach their potential in any school, no matter the name, if they make the best and put effort towards it. Instead, we work towards ‘putting our best foot forward’ by stressing, beefing up our resumes, joining pointless clubs to look ‘well rounded’, and taking classes that we’ll easily pass to boost our GPA. We’ve lost sight of learning and instead have become hungry and obsessed with bettering ourselves, but not in the way we should be. We should be bettering ourselves by taking new classes that will actually teach us something worthwhile, that may, God forbid, challenge us. We should spend our time doing things we feel shape us, not aimlessly walking around a nursing home pretending we are being helpful. The article discusses that competition undermines a student for who they are, and I think this is very true. Overall, I agree when you say it is the student that makes the student, not the school.

Okay, well first off, your post made me nauseous. Not from your ... incredible writing, but rather for the story itself. I agree with each point you made about the topic and I also find Betty Makoni an inspirational person. It takes a lot for a single person to stand aganist those who do wrong to either them or others, especially in an act such as this where dominance plays a large role. I also believe a "safe haven" for those who have been sexually abused is necessary because such those who have experienced such an incident usually proves to feel more alone. It is instances like those that need the most unconditional love, counseling, and therapy like you said. Also, like you pointed out, we have the resources to help them lead a better life and show them that they are loved and cared about so there is no reason why we should not be using them. What we need is people like Betty, selfless and inspiring, to do so. Such a selfless act is an admirable one and one deserving of the CNN award. We need more people like this in the grief-stricken world in which we live.

Katie, I liked your post on this subject. Firstly, you sounded passionate about the subject which is good because it is extremely important and something beneficial to all people, like you said. I agree with your standpoint that we cannot leave school without knowing how to handle finances for we will never learn properly otherwise. Many of the things that we learn in school are the things that we will take with us in life. If a finance course was offered, a teen would learn how to balance, purchase, and gain control over their lives and their finances. Without such control, one can fall under the strains of their finances; something one should never have to succumb to. With the recession that we’re in, I believe it is even more necessary to learn about personal finance and spending. A naive look on the outside world is one that one holds without being taught many of life's lessons before they enter the 'real world'. As teenagers, we need to have a more level head on the outside world and an overall better idea of how to survive in a world that at the moment seems less prospering than ever.

Firstly, I agree with, and mentioned in my own post, about the obligation we feel when neighboring countries experience such a tragedy. I believe a person's moral obligation is far greater than the supposed obligation whose validity is debated against. As humans, all of us, we should give help where help is needed. The United States is a world power, much more well off than Haiti, the poorest country in America. Despite our woes of a recession, our issues here are not as large as those there and this is what we need to become more aware of. As Americans, we will prevail through the rough patch we are experiencing because we have obtainable resources and the ability to rebuild. Unlike us, Haiti does not have such abilities. We are very lucky to live in a promising country where opportunity is always available. I think we take advantage of the resources we have here. I do not believe there is any reason not to give some to those less fortunate than ourselves. Second, I like your note that we should help from a distance for if we get too close and too involved, Haiti will become a dependent. Again, the US has problems of its own and does not need dependents to latch on and add to the issues of our own country. I agree that we need to help Haiti with immediate effects, such as new shelters, schools, natural resources, and money to rebuild. The country of Haiti needs to become more modernized in order to become and remain one in good standing. If a disaster was to happen again, they would not survive. Nations with industry and technology can better survive natural disasters. We need to preach the methods of ‘going green’ in order to avoid the expansion of global warming which will eventually lead to another natural disaster. As you pointed out, the government of Haiti needs to develop greater as well. They need their own means of money management, leaders, laws, and regulations in order to create a solid, successful country. Yes, I agree that we should not simply fix the country, but I do believe they are in need of our help because they are without so many resources that it is proving seemingly impossible to rebuild alone.

Firstly, I love your response to this article, you made some very good points. Students nowadays do have countless responsibilities due to our ever-changing, expanding, fast-paced society but it is no reason to decrease the quality of education. I agree with what you said about one knowing their limits. The only way for someone to be able to do so is to have a plate full of things to do and to work towards gracefully dealing with 'clearing the plate'. More teens today are more easily prescribed with ADD or ADHD if, God forbid, someone’s thought process switches quickly. Nowadays, people prescribe someone with any type of mental disorder with the first sign of any sort of ‘uniqueness’. People are too uptight, too quick to judge, and simply too afraid of living. In our parent's age, people were not diagnosed with depression so easily, nor were they babied throughout their lives in order to make things easy or doable. Our parents and their parents were hard working independents who were so because of the responsibilities they faced and overcame. I believe anything is possible through any odds which is where I also agree with your point that people have become lazy. Effort is the only thing that will allow people to overcome anything in their lives which is a valuable life lesson. If anyone was allowed to go to college for free, imagine the amount of lazy people who would overpopulate the colleges for those who do put effort in. Here, those lazy and hardworking would be on the same level, which is wrong. I loved your last paragraph because we are, as Americans, free. Being tied down by responsibility does not take away the freedom we fought and obtained. Instead, it takes away our sight of such freedom. We must work towards maintaining our composure, a level head, along with a good amount of effort to 'live freely'.

Erin, I picked the same invention :-) Besides all of the hype about the Iphone or the Ipad, which is not a bad invention don't get me wrong, this type of invention is one that is more generation-moving than technically savvy. I agree with you that it is absolutely crazy that something like this has been invented. Think back to the years of the first cars or even the first machines. Did we ever imagine we'd be having cars run by solar power in the future? I both agree and disagree when you said the Antro is not useful because at the moment, we do have efficient cars and the Antro is simply unnecessary right now. On the other hand, I believe cars like this are the way of the future. I believe cars are slowly becoming more and more futuristic, in shape and in abilities. Today, there are BMWs that can park themselves, Mitsubishi's that can change their tire grip in any weather circumstance, etc. Cars that are as efficient, lightweight, energy conserving, and cheap as the Antro seems are those that will appear in the future. Creating such cars are the first step in reaching this new level of technology.

I LOVED POLLY POCKETS! Yay for childhood toys. Your post was so cute until the end where I almost felt devastated for you only because toys are such a large part of a child's life. I remember all the things Polly Pocket's came with. I had a runway, tiny cars, a mall, a salon, etc. etc. I could spend hours sitting there changing their rubber clothes and centimeter width shoes. The memories that childhood toys bring back are truly precious. They were during such a time of innocence, where nothing but this doll's clothing, 'job', or 'relationship' mattered. What did we know about anything then? It is so fun to look back and wonder what exactly was going through our minds or what our biggest worries were as compared to today's. At times, I wish for that innocence back. The carefree attitude and lifestyle is definitely something I miss.

In your post, I both agree and disagree with you. Firstly, I disagree that everyone should be allowed to play a sport. You claimed that however good or bad they are at the sport, they should be allowed to play. I do agree that everyone should be given an equal chance to play sports, which is why they developed intramural sports teams. In this case, the article is claiming that excellent sport players are given a sort of special treatment in order to remain on the team and achieve good grades. They are accused of receiving "inappropriate help" which I believe is unfair. If such help is continued to be allowed to disregard school work because it is ‘too challenging’ for kids who are ‘too busy’ with sports, the sanctity of education will decrease. On the other hand, I do agree that cheating cannot fully be stopped. Cheating is sneaky, secretive, and has proven to be unstoppable. I agree that the students should not be allowed to play the sport until they are able to maintain their studies on their own without the assistance of others. One doing their own work and balancing their extracirriculars will ensure academic integrity as well as a sense of personal acheivement.

I like your analysis of the teachers and the need for a sense of passion when teaching. Like you said, when teaching, teachers are able to make more real connections, discuss more interesting/exciting topics, and set an overall mood. A good teacher is one who has relatable and caring qualities that allow space for personal discussion and relativity. There is a fine line though. There are boundaries that a teacher should not cross. A teacher should never be viewed as a friend, for they are in a position of authority. It is great if one is able to talk to a teacher but there is a line that must stay in place in order to properly get the job of teaching done. Here is where I tend to disagree slightly. If a teacher becomes too understanding of a child’s extracurricular activities and that workload and begins to give special treatment or take it easy, the child will never learn. No one is going to hold a person’s hand for their entire lives. In my blog, I said that an admirable quality of a teacher is one that challenges. I have learned more from those who forced me to sit down and devote time to my homework than from those who have brushed off work or let me get away with not doing it. Students need to be pushed to their utmost potential and should not be babied by their teachers. There needs to be a healthy balance between workload, a relationship with the student, and knowing their outside lives enough to work around it in a way that both challenges but does not (figuratively) kill the student.

I like who you’ve picked for your celebrity for many reasons. Besides her great acts of kindness and selflessness, with the fact that she is putting her show to an end within the upcoming year, this is a good time to note her for her deeds. Oprah is definitely a role model for all people, young, old, black, white, men, or women. Her caring yet strong attitude and opinions towards today’s world are those of substance. Oprah is firm in her beliefs. She has single handedly changed the world in more ways than one. Like you said, her show is about self-improvement and spirituality which gives people the guidance they may be seeking. Both with and without knowing it, Oprah has changed the lives of many. Obviously, Oprah is known for her creation of the schools in other countries, giving opportunities to young women to be the best they can be. Her “giving back to the world”, as you said, is absolutely what every celebrity should embrace. Oprah has also attempted to keep her personal life public yet private at the same time. She has succeeded in letting the world in on her relationship with boyfriend, Steadman but also keeping their matters to themselves. Unlike most celebrities, the media does not print scandalous news about Oprah. Maybe it is because she does not partake in risky matters or maybe she is just admirable for being able to juggle her personal and public life. Overall, Oprah is admirable for her selfless personality, her acts of giving back to the world, and her strong composure. She is able to be a counselor to those in need, funny, giving, and still remain grounded though she is considered one of the richest and most powerful women in the world. If there were more people like her in this crazy world, we would live in a much better place.

I agree completely with your stance and advice to teens who place practically their entire lives on Facebook. I especially like your notion about the 'time and place for everything' and the fact that no one wants the 'time and place of bad decisions to be in the future in the hands of a potential job or admission'. You are not incorrect in saying that young adults are going to have a good time and do somewhat crazy things. It is a part of life but a part that does not need to be spread throughout the internet. Once something is posted on the internet, it is there forever. Despite how many times we may delete a post, a photo, or a comment on Facebook, it can be retrieved and used against us at any time. The online world is a dangerous place and should be taken with much caution. Facebook is not a bad website. It creates the ability to close gaps with old friends, discuss things on forums, and post pictures for friends and family. My mom actually found a long lost cousin on the site with whom she is now reconnected. Like any other site, it has its pros and cons. Teens especially just need to be most cautious with what they put on the website because it truly reflects their image.

This is a point that I hit in my analysis too. Girls do not play with Barbies knowing they are playing with a controversial toy. They do so to pass the time, or to simply be young girls. I liked your argument about your childhood friend Hunter who played with water and nerf guns. He did not play with them because he wanted to truly kill people, just as girls did not play with Barbies to portray a false image of a young woman. I also agree with your standpoint that "they don't have as much influence as an actual person would have over young children". Children learn by the actions of those around them, not necessarily by their toys. Their toys are simply past times and completely harmless while those around them need to be the ones teaching them the way of life and the messages that oppose those that Barbie portrays. Overall, good observation and opinion. I do have to agree with most of your post.