WEEK 7 BLOG

The big story from the past week was Tiger Woods' apology to the golf world for his behavior...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs8nseNP4s0

In the wake of that story, another has developed.  It seems that Mr. and Mrs. Woods have sent a letter of apology to Premier Academy, the pre-school that their two-year-old daughter attends.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100223/ap_on_sp_go_ne/glf_woods__apology

It seems that since the story broke, there has been an increased presence of paparazzi at the school hoping to get photos of the Woods family and attempting to get reactions from the other parents.

First, does this apology to the golfing world really mean anything?  Was it even necessary?  Should his personal transgressions make any difference in the way that the public feels about him as a golfer, and will there be any backlash when / if he does return to the game?  What do you thin the reaction will be?

Secondly, what should be done in the case of the paparazzi at the day care?  Does the public's right / want to know about the personal life of celebrities be allowed to infringe upon the parents / children of others attending Premier Academy?  (PART I due 2/25; PART II due 2/28)

WEEK 6 BLOG

Ealier this week, Senator Evan Bayh (D - Ind.) announced that he would be retiring from Congress.  The main reasons that he gave for retiring was that he did not love working in the Congress due to the amount of partisanship that took place.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100215/ap_on_el_se/us_senate_bayh_retires

This announcement means major things for many different groups who will be both hurting from the announcement and looking to benefit from it...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/the-bayh-decision-winners-and.html?wprss=thefix

Some even believe that this may result in Senator Bayh challenging President Obama in the next primary elections...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/15/evan-bayh-for-president-s_n_463202.html

Furthermore, it potentially shines a light on a bigger issue aas more and more people in Congress (who seem to be "moderates) decide to "call it quits" rather than running for re-election...

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/02/17/general-us-goodbye-moderates_7361913.html

What does this say about the state of the U.S. Congress?  Will this serve as a "wake-up call" for senators and representatives, or will it be a temporary headline followed by "business as usual?"  If a congressman is willing to make statements such as these and give up a seat that he was almost sure to win again, should we as citizens worry about what is going on in Washington?  If Senator Bayh does decide to run for president, do you think he has a chance to beat out President Obama for the Democratic nomination?  (PART I due 2/18; PART II due 2/21)

PHASE II of the Blog Assignments

THIS BEGINS THIS WEEK (WEEK 5)

During PHASE II, which starts with Week 5, there are two parts to the Blog Assignments.

PART I is doing exactly what you've been doing - post an answer to the topic / question presented.  These will be due by Thursday of each week and will be worth 10 points.

PART II is responding to someone else's post.  You will need to respond to two different people, and this must be done in two seperate posts to make it easier to determine whether you have completed the assignment or not.  Each post is worth 5 points, and is due by Sunday of each week.

WEEK 5 BLOG (2/8 - 2/14)

The 2010 Winter Olympics begin next week and with another round of games comes another argument.  It seems to arise every four years, and never seems to be resolved.  Which olympics games is superior...Summer or Winter?

There are those out there who feel that the Winter games are better...

Why the Winter Olympics are better

And there are those that prefer the Summer games...

Why the Summer Olympics are better

So, which side are you on and why?  If you prefer the Summer, why are they superior?  If you like the Winter, what makes the snow and the ice so special?  (PART I due by 2/11 ; PART II due by 2/14)

WEEK 4 BLOG (2/1 - 2/7)

The big controversy this week seems to be the decisions being made by school systems across the area as to whether or not to hold classes the day after the Superbowl.  The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has announced that all schools will be closed...

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20101290355

Indianapolis Public Schools has announced that they will have a two-hour delay to try and avoid the transportation problems that they experienced after the Superbowl in 2007...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100202/NEWS04/100202019/-1/ARCHIVE/IPS-2-hour-delay-after-Super-Bowl

Other school systems are still trying to decide what the proper decision is.  People in favor of the cancellations / delays state that this is an opportunity for families to spend quality time together, celebrating the team's / city's success and enjoying each other's company during a time when most of us seem too busy to do just that.  People who are against the cancellations / delays argue that teachers are already crunched for time as it is to try and get through all of the necessary information in their classes and that doing something like this simply sends the wrong message to children (i.e. that sports are more important than education).

What is the right / proper decision?  Is there really a right and wrong decision here?  Is completely closing schools on Monday a good use of resources, or is a two hour delay more appropriate?  (due 2/7)