Quote of the Day
Please note: this page is updated weekly. If journals are collected before the quotes are posted, you are still responsible for having the quotes.
October 19, 2009
"It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man." --Albert Einstein
To respond to this quote, you will need to know what plutonium is. Is it stable? What are its uses?
What does the quote mean? Does Einstein agree with Hobbes or Locke? Would he agree with Golding?
October 20, 2009
"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster." --Friedrich Nietzche
Response: How does this apply to the story we are reading?
October 21, 2009
"The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences." --Henry Ward Beecher
How does this apply to life? To our stories?
October 22, 2009
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." --Mark Twain
Do you agree? Do you think the narrator of "By the Waters of Bablyon" would agree? Give evidence from the story.
October 23, 2009
"Nature does nothing uselessly." --Arisotle
Think about natural disasters. Why do you think that they happen? What are their effects on wildlife and plants? On people?
October 26, 2009
no quote
October 27, 2009
no quote
October 28, 2009
"Indeed man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible." --St. Augustine
What do you think this quote means? Do you agree? Give examples.
October 29, 2009
"But men are so full of greed today, they'll sell anything for a little piece of money." --Little Richard
choose one:
1. How does this apply to our story? Give examples.
2. Do you think this is true?
Write 150 words.
October 30
"We have a social mask right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image. But behind that social mask is a personal truth, what we really, belive about who we are and what we are capable of." --Phil McGraw
Do you think that most teens have a 'social mask' or does this apply only to adults? Give examples to support your position.
November 2, 2009
"Life is too short to spend hoping that the perfect arched eyebrow or hottest new lip shade will mask an ugly heart." --Kevyn Aucoin
Describe an ugly heart. Who has one? Why would that person hide it?
November 3, 2009
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." --Vince Lombardi
HW: 250 word response. What do you think this means? How does it apply to life? Give an example of someone who is committed to excellence.
November 4, 2009
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." --Duke Ellington
How do you cope with problems?
November 5, 2009
"Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love." --Elie Wiesel
How important are relationships with others to a happy life?
November 6, 2009
no quote.
In class writing prompt
November 9, 2009
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." --Basho
What does this mean? How does it apply to our lives today?
November 10, 2009
"1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.
2. From discord, find harmony.
3. In the middle of dificulty lies opportunity." --Albert Einstein
How can you follow Einstein's advice?
November 11
No school.
November 12, 2009
"Getting what you go after is success; but liking it while you are getting it is happiness." --Bertha Damon
250 word response. We all want to be successful but sometimes it is stressful trying to achieve our goals? Is it possible to be happy while trying to be successful?
November 13
no quote
November 16
"That man is rich whose pleasures are the cheapest." --Henry David Thoreau
What does this mean? How does it apply to our story?
November 17
"If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing -less-than-work."--Thomas J. Watson
As we approach the end of the semester, how does this apply to your life?
November 18
"I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it." --Gale Sayers
Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
November 19
"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges."--Martin Luther King, jr.
What does this mean? Give an example of someone who faces challenges.
November 20
"Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater." --William Hazlitt
How does this apply to the stories we are reading?
November 23
"Books have been to me . . . what new fields are to the explorer." --Margaret E. Sangster
How does this apply to the narrative we just read?
November 24
"The stories of past courage . . can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul." --John F. Kennedy
What do we learn from others' stories? Why is it important to read about people who may show unusual courage (or some other virtue)?