Initially, I did not sign up for blogging; I actually did not realize that it was a course a student could choose.  However, when I got my course sheet for the upcoming senior second semester, my senior elective was blogging.  A little frustrated I did not get into Hippie Literature, I still decided to stick it out and see what ‘blogging’ was all about.  Since the word was unknown to me, looking it up on dictionary.com seemed to be the logical thing to do.  I figured I should have some previous knowledge of what ‘blogging’ was before I enrolled in the class.  This definition was the result: ‘an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page’.  So I unhatched what a blog is, a diary that is typed.  I did not understand how the class would even work however; we show up, write what we did for the day and leave?  It just did not make sense.  From the class, I expected my writing to improve, because we would be writing everyday in our ‘diary’, but we did so much more.

            Considering I had no expectations walking into the class, I was still surprised at how much we accomplished in one semester.  ‘Blogging’ was not just a personal diary of a day’s work, it included the news, opinions and gossip.  I had no idea that a blog could consist of so many ideas.  Not only did we practice writing, we watched and learned about the Presidential Election, the Aboriginals, and on a lighter note, freezer balls.  From serious to entertaining, our class discussions ranged from a variety of things.  I did not expect, also, that we would learn how to hold a debate and respect eachother’s opinions.  Not only did I learn how to sort out the good information from the useless information in web articles, but I also got a little more computer savy with using our blogging website, edublogs.org.  

            Every Monday, a blog would be due that would exemplify our writing and thoughts from the previous week.  It could be on absolutely anything, from politics to events around Tabor.  We did around nine blogs each, and there is a big difference in writing style from the first one to the last.  Our writing style consisted of connection of ideas.  Connect your topic to first how it affects you, then your community, and then the world as a whole.  The lessons learned or events that everyone can be educated by was really the theme in each blog.  Along with carefully corrected grammer and paragraphing, the topic had to interest you first, and then your readers.  If you were not interested in the topic, then it was hard to write something interesting that people would read.  It was helpful that there was no parameters on the topics of what we could write about, that way you could write something that interested you.  Also, it was helpful we had a wide variety of interests in the class, some sports, others athletes, and as a result each blog was unique.

A post that I had, ‘Its still a good day to be a seawolf’, exemplified our writing style because it connected to me, as it was about losing the semi-finals on the team that I was on, and how it affected me.  Moreover, it connected to the Tabor community and the world as a whole because although we lost, the lessons learned and companionship will stay longer than the happiness of a championship.

            Blogging was a great class to learn the ins and outs of internet.  It taught me how to use a certain writing style to connect to not only yourself, but to the people around you.  It brought to my attentions events that I would never have explored myself, such as the Presidential Election and Obama’s Priest.  These things make me recommend blogging as a senior elective.  One thing I would advise doing would be to spend a little more time using the website, because it is complicated to figure out on your own.  Thank you giving me the experience of blogging!

The Celtics against the Cavaliers game seven was a hard fought battle, but Celtics came out on top, advancing into the semi-conference finals. The last place team just could not out work the top-seeded Celtics. Despite LeBron James having over 40 points, the rest of the team could not knock off Boston, who has homecourt advantage throughout the whole playoffs, and are undefeated at the Garden during their playoff season. Pierce, number 34 from the Celtics, also had over 40 points, despite having a bruised quad. From tip off through the last quarter, it was a very physical game, and the veterans from the Celtics had more experience at the end of the game to hit very crucial shots, whereas the three year rookie James, missed an important foul shot that could have saved the game. Although the Cavs were upset, to bring the series into game 7 with the top seeded Celtics was an accomplishment all in its self.Although the Celtics squeaked by Cleveland, they are going to have a tougher time against the Detroit Pistons. The two teams, seeded number 1 and 2 respectively, have had a long line of history when it comes to the playoffs. The Celtics have beaten the Pistons to end their chances at the playoffs in the years, 1968, 1982, and 2002. In contrast, Detroit has knocked Celtics out of the playoffs 1988, 1989, and 1991. It is going to be a tough brawl, the two teams met during the regular season and the Celtics won two out of three, however Detroit beat them at home, which is a hard thing to accomplish. The Celtics have had two tough series so far, the first against the Atlanta Hawks and the seconds to the Cavs. Detroit beat the Magic in five games, so their legs will be fresh and well rested from the week off of not having to play. Although the ‘Big 3’ on the Celtics, Garnett, Pierce and Allen, are more skilled than most of the players on the team in my opinion, but they will be very tired from playing 14 games in a short period of time. The Celtics are 7-0 at home but 0-6 on the road, and if the series comes down to game 7, I don’t think home court advantage is going to triumph over the Celtic’s fatigue. The last time the Celtics clinched the Eastern Conference was in 1987, and as a strong team they can advance and do well. The Pistons have something to prove as they lost to the Spurs last year in the Championship. Almost everyone one the Celtics team have made a playoff appearance, and I think with their experience, they will win over Detroit. Whichever team wins will have a hard time beating the Lakers if they should win.

Mothers Day is generally a day that goes by, celebrating with little family gatherings and quiet afternoons.  For the Duggar family, they found themselves on the TODAY show, and heard their mother announce she was pregnant- with her 18^th child!  Michelle Duggar, 41, surprised her other 17 children, with another sibiling.  “We’re expecting!” the happy mother told co-host Meredith Vieira, “Number 18!”  The new baby due around new years, 10 months after their last child was born.  The Duggar’s kid range from ages 9 months to 20 years old, with all the names starting with ‘J’.  There are ten boys, seven girls, and two sets of twins.  Michelle has gone through 15 pregnancies, with 13 natural births, and 2 C-sections.  Michelle’s husband, Jim Bob, and herself are both real estate agents, who pay for everything in cash, and essentially are debt free.  They are currently building a 7,000 square foot house over the course of two years, which will have 9 bathrooms, and 13 rooms dormitory style, in Tontitown, Arkansaw.  

The couple belongs to a evangelical Christian movement called Quiverful.  The claim that children are the lord’s blessings, and should accept them as they come.  The lord will determine how many kids.  “We just let the Lord decide,” Jim Bob, 42, told Vieira, on the TODAY show.  Married in 1984, Michelle was 17 and Jim Bob 2 years her senior. They did not have kids for four years, until Michelle stopped taking birth control to have their first son, Joshua. Michelle returned to birth control but still got pregnant. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage, which was because of the pill.  Because of this, the Duggars prayed for more children, as many as the lord would allow them to have.  Seventeen kids later, they are still praying for more. 

Although it is good that they are seemingly out of debt and can afford to feed and dress seventeen kids, there is more at stake than the physical.  With seventeen kids outnumbering two adults, it is impossible for the parents to give each one the attention that they need.  The kids must feel left out and with all the demand of seventeen kids, the parents must get exhausted, which is neither good for the health of the children or the parents.  As Michelle keeps getting older and wants to have as many kids as the Lord wants her to have, the babies born in her older age may develop mental or physical deformities due to her age.  The older children have to focus more on their younger sibilings which yes, developes character, but it prevents them from having a normal life.  While I think its great that the Duggar’s feel like they have so much love to give out, but they need to stop focusing on how many kids they are going to have and focus on the children that they have and what is best for them. 

Central Washington University and Western Oregon University faced off for a big softball game to earn a spot in the playoffs from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  They knew if was going to be a good game, but what they did not expect- is it to make national news.                          The Softball game was very important, as the winner of the game would continue their season in the playoffs, while the other would have better luck next year.  The score was 2-0, the lead going to CWU.  Western Oregon batter, Sara Tucholsky got up to the plate with two players on base.  With two strikes on her, Tucholsky connected with the ball on the next pitch to hit a home run, something she had never accomplished in ther four years of varsity highschool, and her four years at college.  The two runners on base come in to score, while Sara Tucholsky starts rounding the bases.  She missed tagging first, so she went back to tag it.  In  the process, she twists her knee in the wrong place and immediately collapses in pain.  Crawling back to first base, it is clear that she is unable to round the bases.              Usually when an athlete gets hurt, the first thing that the coaches, players and spectators think is if they are going to be ok, and to rush them to get to the nearest help.  However, in this case it was different.  If Tucholsky did not touch all the bases and touch home plate, her home run would not count, and the score would be tied, 2-2.  If WOU puts in a pinch runner, meaning a player that has not entered the game yet to run for her, her home run would only count as a single.  This girl is lying here in pain, and it is difficult for everyone to make a decision.  The obvious one would be to put in the pinch runner, but being an athlete, Tucholsky refused to get off the field and not take the lead.  Watching this was painful, as a girl who just hit a homerun, making her dream come true, had to ruin it by getting hurt.  

            As I said before, the game made national news.  The reason?  The first baseman on the opposing team, Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.  The umpire said that there was no rule against it, so the first baseman and shortstop for CWU picked Sara Tucholsky up and carried her around all the bases, stopping at each base and lightly touching it with the good foot.  The girls on the other team gave up their playoff position when the girl scored home, making them lose.  These girls showed a selfless act, and deserved to be recognized on national television.  As an athlete myself, I know how hard it is to lose, especially when you can control the outcome.  It took a lot of courage and strength for those girls to overcome their love for the game to do the right thing.  What makes the story even better was the CWU girls had no idea it was Tucholsky’s first home run in her softball career.  I am glad the news is showing positive things in the world, of people doing the right thing, rather than the murders and robberies they normally show.