Sunshine

A man of the home, a fighter for our nation, a soul holding up of the name of America with pride; this man walks by an angry protestor who lites the red white a blue cloth of pride into a blazing mess of fire. He walks by, and he feels his heart sink into his stomach at the piercing sight of disrespect, but he continues on walking with his eyes casts down. “ I don’t like what they do, but I am willing to fight for it.”
Freedom falls into the territory of the Yin and the Yang, the acrobatic balancing act between good and evil, but the question is, where does the line of demarcation lay? When is it ok to tap telephones, to wire innocents, to force every individual at an air port to go through thorough yet very strenieus security scanning? When is safety protection and when is it suffocation? What is the price of safety in our world today?
I have been flying internationally since the day I first began to gurgle my first syllables. Airplanes never scared me, and neither did the people on them. Unfortunately that all had to change on September 11th , 2001. That terrible day opened an unwanted door in the walls of my mind, letting in fear, loss, lost of faith, lost of trust, and questions that made me wonder if my life was really as safe as I thought it would be. If someone told me right then and there that they could offer me permanent safety by caging me up and putting me somewhere where other people made the decisions for me, I would have said “Yes! Take me!” Today, six years from then, I can see how I could have just surrendered every ounce of freedom that so many people in history have faught and died to obtain for me.
I don’t believe that other people should have the right to make me, or anyone in the world feel that way.

This is just a brief over the beginning of my essay.

Posted by MtEve at 3:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before the Colt revolver, there was only one or two-barrel flintlock pistols that had been invented for hand held use. Samuel Colt was the inventor of the very first revolver. He made sure to named the gun named after himself. The name Colt Revolver came from his last name; which was Colt, and Revolver came from the revolving cylinder located right behind, while aligning up the barrel. Colt revolver soon became the most commonly acknowledged name for the weapon, and Samuel Colt was able to request for and later be granted a U.S. patent for the Colt revolver in 1836. Because it was Patented, Samuel Colt was able to sell his weapon freely, while still controlling the market. Not only did he control the market for the “Colt Revolver,” but it is also common knowledge to say that for every weapon he sold, he was able to continue making money off of them. When an individual’s revolver broke down, or even had a glitch in which they had to replace certain parts, Samuel Colt would be the only person who provided the excess parts. The invention of the Colt Revolver and the later patenting of the idea was an economically constructive decision that led him to great wealth.
According to the Wikipedia encyclopedia, It is believed that Samuel Colt came up with the idea for the revolver while at sea. It said he was inspired by the capstan winch, which was a device that had a ratchet and paw mechanism on it, which was a similarity with the one which was used in the normal everyday guns in order to rotate the cylinder. The Patent was outfitted with a revolving cylinder containing five to six bullets also enclosing a revolutionary cocking device. Colt revolvers were the foundation of what we called today, the cap-and-ball technology. This patent immediately gave Colt a monopoly on the revolving gun in America, as I have stated earlier. Colt relocated his manufacturing company to Hartford. When the civil war began, Samuel Colt was more than prepared to produce enormous amounts of the revolvers. He continued to prepare for the great demand of revolvers to come with the war, until suddenly, there was an unexpected fire started within factory. This fire caused the entire company to shut down for an entire year. By the time he was able to relocated and start up the company once again, time was beginning to run out quickly. He started up production immediately, and when Colt replaced the octagonal barrel with a round barrel, the Union purchased over 107,00 revolvers between. This all took place between 1861-1863. The change from the octagonal barrel to the round barrel, which featured internal rifling, was also an inch shorter. It was a much more efficient design which the Americans seemed to favor. After the new invention of the round barrel, Samuel Colt had the power to price his unique weapons that no one was allowed to imitate at any price he desired, and people still would have purchased it. Because he had this power, Samuel Colt did make the revolvers incredibly expensive, at price at which people where willing to pay, but felt angry at how they were being taken advantage of, all which became the leading cause of his death in 1862.
If I were to basically explain what a rifle is and how it works, I would start with the basics which is; a revolver has multiple firing chambers, which are little wholes in a circular barrel in which you put the bullet in, and all the holes are arranged in a circular cylinder block. When shooting the revolver, the whole in which you supposedly have already placed the bullet into, is brought into alignment with the barrel. Usually when shooting, the barrel aligns itself immediately following consecutively from the last shot to quicken shooting speed. When aligned, the bullet would immediately fire off. There are different revolvers that have been created as branches off from the original Colt Revolver. There is the single action revolver, which involves you pulling back on a hammering piece of equipment, before every shot, which later slams down only to be pulled back up again for the next shot. Although the guns are incredibly useful, and allow a person to fire off shells faster than any ordinary gun, is does have a downside. Due to the quick shot of multiple bullets consecutive to one another, it decreases to shooter’s ability to continue a constant accuracy in their aim. If you where to compare them to auto loading handguns, a revolver is usually much more simple to operate. Even though they are built in a more significant and complicated way, they have always been widely known for reliability.
When reading through a site on weapons of the American Civil War, it says, “The Starr Revolver was a .44 caliber, six-shot, double action weapon weighing in at almost 3 lbs. It fired a combustible cartridge, but could also be loaded with loose powder and ball. Initially the double action Starr was used by Union soldiers in the western theater of the Civil War, but in 1863 the US Ordinance Dept urged the Starr Arms Co. to replace the double action revolver with a cheaper, single action model. Starr complied and sold the Union 25,000 weapons at $12 each.” This was one of the many personal explanations and examples of the American’s reliability and knowledge on these weapons. They had to know as much as they could learn about the gun because they would be relying upon in during the heat of the war, and also to make sure they were getting a deal on the weapon for their precious money.
The colt revolver was one of the most commonly used weapons in the civil war because of it’s incredible speed and efficiency in firing off bullets. The more bullets you fire off, the more likey you are to hit someone. Many of the Americans even relied on these weapons with their lives, because carryign around a heavy shotgun could not only slow you down and tire you, but it was also large and slow. Throughout history, the Colt Rvolver, although it had became more and more advanced over time, was an important commonly used weapons for the Americans. The weapon is also responsible for taking many lives in short periods of time, quickening the death tolls in battle and even sometimes even within a town. Like many other weapons, the revolver is truly a dangerous weapon that had been brought into this world by brilliant minds, such as Samuel Colt. And sometimes these type of things were built for the wrong reasons, which is obvious for the revolver because it was built for killing. From the early Americans, to today, the Colt Revolver has been the root to which newer and more efficient weapons have sprouted from.

Posted by MtEve at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Big dreams for such a small fish,"
Simple people would always say,
"It's a nice dream, a great wish,
But don't count on a life that great."

I listen with my eyes cast down
How can you belittle such dreams?
You talk but I hear not a word, not a sound
You know not one thing about me,

You haven't seen what I've seen,
You haven't dreamed the dreams that I've dreamed
you haven't felt what I've felt,
Solved the problems I've dealt,
Taken time out of day,
to think such problems away,
I really don't think so,
Now I'm sure you don't know,
What I dream, what I wish,
NO, I'm not a small fish!

Posted by MtEve at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Make me oh Lord like metal,
like copper, like iron, like steel,
where deep in the ground i shall settle,
the sins of the world, i wont feel,
I will wait for you to come find me,
Oh, Lord, I would wait all eternity

When you find me, and wash off the dirt,
I will sparkle with luster so fine,
You can shape me and mold what once hurt,
and i will be yours, as you have been mine,
My Savior, my God, my Maker,
My lifelong King, my Creator,

Lord let me be your safe,
a vault in which all of your gospel is held,
no numbers you need to create,
just speak, and I'll yeild, my locks will unweld,
In me keep all that is sacred and holy,
In me you can trust, your safe, yours only.

Posted by MtEve at 2:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lord, He shines His light,
upon the souls of men,
But those who turn away with pride,
Heaven, they'll never see again

He will always be my light
that leads me safely on
He is my strength, my guide
His love, it leads me home

I love my Heavenly Father,
The One who truly cares,
look in the face of a stranger,
You'll see he's always there.

I am always safe,
my soul is purely kept,
My God has saved a place,
in Heaven where I'll be sent

Posted by MtEve at 2:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have always participated in charity events. I love being a volunteer and I love helping people I know need it. One of the main influences of my enthusiasm for helping was the burning down of my house. I remember at age 6 or 7, I stood outside of my home, watching go down in flames and seeing my aunt sobbing on the grassy field just in front of our home. Her passport and jewelry sat inside the house, melting, burning, turning into nothing. I wanted to cry myself but I was in too much of a shock. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. I knew for sure that I was scared. I had never seen my family so glum and hopeless, but I knew that they had every right to be miserable. Then, the police brought us to this housing area, and there we were greeting by people with warm smiles and kind gestures. They gave us a place to stay and food to eat. I remember fingering the Red Cross on one of the woman’s nametags, and I have never forgotten it. They were there when I was in need, and all they where were volunteers. I’m happy to know that now I have been given the opportunity to give back to my community what they have given to me.
One of my latest projects was participating at the club 200, which was a celebration of the endless years of support the Red Cross has been to the CNMI and to the world. I helped hand out emergency kits to the guests. I got to take pictures with children and parents. I was more than willing to donate all of my time to the cause.
I will be willing to donate much more of my time and effort to the future causes of the Red Cross because I am forever in their debt. I am a constant volunteer, and I do it with all the sincerity of my heart.

Posted by MtEve at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was flying around one day late in the winter. It was Christmas and it was very cold. I had been flying around all day and I couldn't find a warm place. I finally came across a house the looked warm inside. I was getting pretty desperate by then so I took a big risk and went to the window and knocked. To my surprise, a boy opened the window. Before the boy could change his mind, I walked straight in the house. It felt so warm and cozy. The boy looked paranoid at first. Then, he gave me some food. Later on we even played games with the nerf ball in his room. It was the most fun I ever had in my life. I continued to go to his house everyday. I sensed that he enjoyed me being there too. We had an excellent bond. Everyday we became closer and closer. He even gave me a name, Nipper. I really grew fond of him, so i began to visit him whenever I could. He seemed scared all the time, but he always liked it when I was around. I had the feeling that he liked me too, and that he was just trying to protect me. One day he let me go with some other strangers, but they just dropped me off where there where hundreds and thousands of pigeons just like myself. Then we were all suddenly captured and then caged. They brought us to a place where there were many people who where playing music, singing, dancing, and laughing. a man opened our cage door and all the other birds including myself flew out. There where loud gunshots and one by one my pigeon freinds fell to the ground. I grew scared, but i felt safe because I knew somewhere in the crowd my freind would be there. After all the other birds fell to the ground, I had a clear view of my freind. I quickly swooped down and landed on his head, finally feeling safe. Then this evil kid swiped me of his head, shook me so hard he probably broke a couple of ribs and then smashed me to the ground. I felt so scared, and then i heard screaming. Finally my freind came for me. He cradled me in his arms and I was safe again. I love my freind, and now i know he really loves me.

Posted by MtEve at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When Palmer LaRue turns nine, he becomes one of the guys. Now a member of a popular gang, with the cool nickname of Snots, his life is looking very good, except for one thing. He is now only a year away from becoming a wringer, which is a 10-year-old boys who has tobreak the necks of wounded birds in the town's annual pigeon shoot. Unlike his pals who can't wait for that privilege, Palmer dreads it. To make matters worse, a stray pigeon shows up at his window, and soon he is feeding and sheltering it in his room. His life becomes a balancing act of hanging out with the guys, who hate pigeons, and attending to his new pet, Nipper, and Palmer is required to go to great lengths to keep the two worlds apart. When he turns 10, and the pigeon shoot rolls around, the boy is forced to take a stand, and eventually has to rescue Nipper from being killed. Eventually he becomes an example and all the other boys with soft hearts and kind spirits, chose to take a stand as well. No more mindless killing of the innocent pigeons.

Posted by MtEve at 2:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Volleyball Starts!
Sweat, concentration, and quick feet have clouded the minds of our School’s volleyball team members. Given a one-week period prior to the seasons start for training, the volleyball team members had to quickly master the skills of a skilled volleyball player. This year’s coach, Mr. Good, has had background experience of playing college ball, and to make sure that he taught the players well, he ordered a volley ball training guide written by true professional coaches. The practices start with a warm up, followed by ball handling drills, and then ended with a scrimmage. The warm up is a pretty tough routine, so tough that many of the players wish they could avoid it. They do lunges, calf workouts, latter sprints, coordinating arm stretches, jumping jacks, and “squat thrust” drills (which is like a hamstring flexors and pushup put into one smooth motion). After the hardest part is through, then comes the part that challenges most of the players mentally rather than physically. The unexpected tossing of the ball in all directions is one of the many great challenges the players have to face when dashing to and fro to retrieve them. Another drill is called the “zigzag” drill. This is the drill which requires the players to stand in two lines, facing towards each other, that’s where they must pass the ball in a zigzag like motion all the way to the end of the line, then all the way back up. Out of all the drills, my favorite drill would have to be the “Bump, set, spike” drill. This is where teamwork is really put into action. One person bumps, the another person sets, and then the last person runs up to the net and smashes the ball onto the opposing side of the court.
On a Tuesday afternoon, the sun was bright, and the sound of the Baptist’s school bell rung throughout the air, proclaiming the ending of another school day. The students shuffled throughout the hallways, excited to get out. This was the day the Marianas Baptist academy students were going to be playing in their first volley ball game against one of the most powerful team throughout the history of volleyball seasons; Mnt. Caramel. MBA’s volley ball team walked out into the court in their new, snazzy, uniformed t-shirts with the words “Pain is temporary, but pride is forever” written on the back. The Mount Caramel students arrived and many of the seniors on the Baptist’s team gave out a sigh of relief. They noticed that all of the Mnt. Caramel’s most powerful players had graduated and where no longer members of the team.
The game started out a little slow paced. Everyone was still getting adjusted to the competition. MBA pulled ahead by winning the first set, but then sadly, we lost the last two sets. The Marinas Baptist’s volleyball team humbly accepted their defeat but swore to win for sure next time!
The volleyball team has undergone some great training and they continue training daily. Make sure not to miss their upcoming games, because the support our school can offer can really make a difference!
By: Myana T Welch

Posted by MtEve at 3:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Myana T. Welch
9/05/06
Mrs. Wheeler
The Giver’s world

The war against terrorism is a never-ending battle. The airports are filled with warning signs, security guards, body scans, luggage scans, pat downs, security dogs, hidden cameras and constant reminders of safety precautions over the intercom. Fear. Children all over the world go to sleep on an empty belly, with tears in their eyes, and a slipping hope of a chance at life. Hunger. Disease and pain plague the people of the world. Death. A man that lives in a world of confusion, anger, and maybe even insanity, rapes and then kills an innocent. Murder. Lives seem so fragile when put face to face with the jagged threats of the world we live in. Our world that is filled with grief, stress, misery, pain, jealousy, and hate, how do we survive it? There is just too much sadness in the world, and with such a dreary world, why live at all? Who wants this life of fear and misery? It’s as if we’re already dead. The answer to all of this is living in a world like the world in The Giver.
In The Giver the only terror is uncertainty. Never do they feel that their lives are being threatened at any time, they trust perfect strangers with their lives, and they never even consider second-guessing another’s honesty. Terrorism is not even a practised vocabulary. Security is unheard of; every door in the community remains unlocked, safety: the provided luxury. How would it feel to be able to step out of your house, and know that when you return everything will be in it’s place, just the way you left it? Imagine never being lost, because every stranger you pass will be a honest person of society, and would be more than willing to help you. How would it feel to not fear? People are people in The Giver, each treated with respect, and trust is
Ever feel hunger? I’m talking about true hunger, starvation. Well in The Giver, you will never have to feel it. You will never even have that feeling of pity or sorrow when watching children suffer the effects of starvation. You work hard to get food on the table, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if all you had to do was work at the job you loved and you and your family will be fed. No pressure on you to be the main provider. Every one is equal, there is no job that is higher paid, there is no house that is more elegantly built, there are no children with clothes that speak out individuality and wealth. You probably like the fact that you can use clothing to define yourself as an individual, but let me point out why it is not a good thing. Consider those individuals who are trying to make the wrong statement, with nudity, swearing, violence, and many more examples of disrespect to society. Yes, the way someone dresses or the things printed on a t-shirt can depict all of those things. Also, why should you feel belittled because you cannot afford to buy the most dazzling outfits from the most popular stores like some of the other girls do. Clothes can even flaunt wealth. In the Giver, all of these problems are not an issue. Uniforms are provided, insuring equality amongst the people of the community. Everyone has the same amount to eat, the same thing to wear, and the same house to live in. Never will you be discriminated for what you are.
Disease and death; two very depressing, yet very real issues that has dominated the world since the beginning of mankind. When watching the news, sometimes you just want to cover your ears, or close your eyes, because what happens is truly a hard thing to swallow. Terrible things happen to people everyday. Sometimes, it happens to normal everyday people, you sometimes wonder, “Can that happen to me?” Imagine swiping your mind clean from all the dirt of the world. Wouldn’t your heart and mind feel so much lighter? You’ll never have to worry about anything like it because everyone lives to a ripe old age, and all your friends and family members are healthy. Death and disease can be a scary fairytale and nothing more. The world of the giver is a perfect world. It eliminates all possibilities of physical or emotional pain. Never again to fear life, to fear death, or to fear for the lives of others. Everyone is given a fair chance at life. To live there would be like living in a utopia. There is nothing better than that. Every time you turn on the news, your reasoning for wanting to live in The Giver will be strengthened again and again. Sacrifice a little, for the perfect life in The Giver.

Posted by MtEve at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)