The suggestion that male dancers are effeminate, and the fact that the majority of younger people in today’s supposedly “modern” society would believe such a statement, is not so much an insult to male dancers, as it is to our entire community’s ideologies. Such an idea is not only ignorant, and poorly grounded; it fails to conform with our country’s ideals of equality and acceptance. No man should be made to feel ashamed about the fact that he dances. Anyone who is physically and mentally able to participate in a sport as rigorous and intellectually challenging as dancing deserves nothing but praise!

In this speech, I will compare the sport of dancing with one of Australia’s most beloved pastimes, football; and in doing so, will demonstrate on three different levels that dancing is a far more masculine sport.

In order to prove physical masculinity, men are expected to resist pain and endure injuries. Now, if football really is the more masculine sport, why is that we see images of whimpering men with torn hamstrings in the middle of a footy field on the local news, and why is it that footballer’s injuries make headlines? I’ve never seen a dancer’s broken ankle make the front page, and if a dancer did injure himself on stage, he would simply have to keep performing to the best of his ability until an understudy could replace him subtly. He would not dramatise the incident for a bit of media attention, as a footballer would.

On a scientific level, three main elements must be met for an athlete to be considered truly fit. These are, flexibility, endurance and strength. Unlike most other sports, dancing incorporates all three of these elements equally, and as a result, is one of the most physically demanding and severe sports in the world. Football, however, focuses next to solely on strength, and due to their lack of flexibility, many football players develop muscle and joint injuries, and because they are able to ‘sub-off’ the field, footballers do not possess the great endurance of a dancer, who may have to perform for up to two hours straight. The irony of this predicament is that in order to overcome their lack of flexibility and endurance, many professional football coaches encourage their players to undertake dance classes.

Finally, and probably most significantly, it must be acknowledged that the very nature of football suggests that its players are homosexually inclined. Sweaty men jumping on top of each other, showering together, and in ‘special’ circumstances, “hop?wat?ing” each other is definitely not macho. I don’t think I even need to make suggestion as to what happens in the changing rooms. A more masculine sport would be one involving both males and females, requiring participants to interact with each other, and each other’s bodies in order to win. Such a sport is dancing.

To conclude, I would like to draw a comparison between the two sports, just to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that dancing is undeniably more masculine than football:

He was exhausted, but continued to dance. He knew that if for one fleeting second he showed the pain that was hammering through his limbs, the other couple would win. He spun her once, twice, before snapping her body against his. She was exhausted too; he could feel the sweat on her thigh and her heart beating against his chest. Suddenly he bent her back at a most awkward angle until all he could see were her breasts and stomach. He snapped her body against his one final time and they embraced. The music ended, he knew they had won.

And yet for some strange, and rather brainless reason, the majority of Australian’s find this next scenario to be more macho.

He was exhausted, but continued to run. He knew that if he gave into the pain, the other team would win. He dove for the line and grounded the ball in the try area. He had won the game for his team! He was contented, but the glory he was seeking from this triumphant moment was yet to come, and then it happened; all twelve of the other sweaty men in his team ran over, touched him, hugged him…He was in heaven!

This may seem like a comical characterisation of football, however the scenario does carry with it a very serious undertone. I have proven that physically, scientifically, and most definitely sexually, dancing is far more masculine than football. So why is it that male dancers have been labelled homosexuals? The truth is that men don’t find dancing to be as simple as running around a football field, or kicking a soccer ball into a goal, and to hide their own incompetencies, ridicule the men who are brave enough to attempt the arduous sport of dance. I say, GROW UP! And see dancing for what it is: a truly intense, and masculine sport!

Not many people realize how easy it is to become a victim of this crime. It occurs when someone uses your name, address, social security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge. Identity theft could happen to anyone–to a family member, a close friend, or even you.

        

According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2000, 19 percent of all victims of identity theft had a personal relationship with the thief. Ten percent of those were family members. The FBI states that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. In 1992, TransUnion received 35, 000 calls related to identity theft, but in 2000, they reported there were more than 600,000 reports made. It is stated that every 79 seconds an identity is stolen, and it affects more than 2,000 people worldwide each day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that more than 900,000 victims are affected by some type of identity fraud each year. Financial identity theft is the most prevalent type of theft. However, criminal activities, such as taking on someone else’s identity in order to commit a crime, to enter a country illegally, to get special permits hiding ones own identity, or to commit acts of terrorism are common acts of identity fraud also.

With a person’s name, social security number, and date of birth, someone can get loans, access existing bank accounts, open new ones, lease or buy cars, get insurance, or get just about anything they want under your name. A prime example of something someone might use to steal your identity is a pay stub. It has your full name, your address, social security number, complete bank account number if you have direct deposit, your employer, rate of pay, and your approximate annual income. This is a great amount of information, and everything a thief could use if they were looking to steal your identity.

Protecting yourself from identity theft takes time, but is definitely worth it. You can’t simply assume is not going to happen to you. As I stated earlier, it could happen to anyone. I read that it has happened to Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, and Martha Stewart.

If you should become a victim of identity theft, the first thing to do is report the crime to the police and get a copy of your police report or case number. Most credit card companies, banks, and other may ask you for it in order to make sure a crime has actually occurred. You should then immediately contact your credit card issuers, close your existing accounts and get replacement cards with new account numbers. Then you should close any accounts the thief has opened in your name. Next, call the fraud units of the three credit reporting bureaus and report the theft of your credit cards and/or numbers. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, also call the FTC, by contacting the FTC’s Consumer Response Center. The FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, but it does assist victims by providing information to help them resolve the financial and other problems that can result from identity theft.

In conclusion, future efforts for preventing identity theft will most likely come through technological advancements that incorporate some physical aspect of a person’s body in order to verify identity, known as biometrics

        

Knowledge is defined by the four human senses, sight, taste, hearing, and touch. These four senses help us to remember the information easier. For example, we remember the name by the sound; we don’t remember it by touch. So for every single bit of information stored in our brain, there is a sense, which put the information in our brain. For example we can’t really say by looking at the sponge, that it’s soft or hard. We have touched it that’s why we know it is soft. We have already experienced the softness of the sponge.

We can also learn with the sense of sight. For example the memo games, you look at the figures and find them. You don’t ear them. For example the Cave Myth, if the man has grown in darkness and seeing the shadows of the other world. Then he would be really weak and pained in the real world, the world we are, the sun and the other illusions. This is because the man eyes are used to the darkness. The sight has been established during the years where the child is getting used to the world.

The sense of taste actually is another way of putting information into your brain. How do you differ hot or salty? You differ it because you have tasted both of them. So the information is already stored in the brain. All of our life we are learning something new. Every single is a bit of information in our brain. When a child is born, it doesn’t know what is bad or good, it’s learning it by the experience.
I think that knowledge is very important, without it you will keep stepping on the same spot. If you learn and study you will keep going forward, until you will reach the spot where you can’t take in anymore. Maybe because there is no more space for any more information. I think that our brains are the hard disks of the computer. The computer gets less and less space each time you do something on it. Same happens to the brain probably. It’s going to start working slowly when you will be old, because you need time to go over all of the information stored in your brain. Knowledge is actually a very space taking thing in you brain. It is also important; if you know a lot you could easily use it wherever you want. If you have small amount of information, you will find difficulties in some areas of your life.

        

The country’s first online secondary school is not a regular public school, though it is funded by public dollars. It’s not a private school either, though it operates largely outside the realm of state regulations and district polices. Rather, it is a new kind of school, a sort of public/private hybrid known as a charter school. Charter schools are independent, results-oriented, publicly funded schools or choice designed and run by teachers or others under contract with a public sponsor. Teachers, parents, social service organizations, or others develop a contract, or charter, to convert an existing school to a charter school or start a new one. The organizers then seek a sponsor, a local school board, state board of education, State University, or some other public entity, to determine if the school is worth approving and to make sure approved schools abide by the charter terms. If a school fails to live up to its promises, particularly those addressing student performance, the charter may be revoked (Buechler). Now if we take this explanation and add a computer and the Internet, we have Cyber Charter Schools.

The last thing every mother wants is having her son or daughter sitting behind a computer all day. Parents may be concerned with their child staying on track and actually getting a full education. Cyberschoolers follow the requirements of their individual cyberschool regarding attendance. There are different ways of making sure that students stay on track. Most of the cyberschools maintain regular contact with parents and students through email or phone calls and some cyberschools require that samples of student work be sent to the cyberschool periodically (R., Barb). Cyberschools can offer the same education as a public or private school. In a cyberschool a student can work at his or hers own pace. Charter School students learn in both traditional and nontraditional settings employing flexible schedules. Some cyber students can access lessons and perform educational activities on a twenty-four hour day basis seven days per week. This open access to the educational environment permits students to move between home activities, community responsibilities and Charter School programs (SusQ).

Why would a mother or father have their child go through a cyber charter school rather than a public or private school where there is at least some social interaction? Some parents just don’t feel safe sending their children to a public school with all the violence in the world today. Some families may live on farms and need help working the farm, they have their child there to help during the day and do their studies at night. Some teens choose to leave the social burden that public schools offer. There are even occasions where a student could be training for a sport or activity that he or she participates in and homeschooling is a great idea for them to improve their skills. But why cyber homeschool? There are some occasions where there is no parent home or the parent has no time to teach their child lessons, and is best for them to do it on their own. Some kids may even prefer to teach themselves and remain on track through their cyberschool’s deadlines (Wenger).

A cyberschooled student will receive books for each class and a laptop computer or regular computer. Courses may be delivered through the Internet or traditional media. Reading remains a major part of most courses. Physical education is a requirement and is accomplished through utilization of community facilities on a contractual basis (SusQ). It takes a lot of hard work and determination to do cyberschooling and is not for everyone. Tests are given after a student has finished a chapter or section in their class. The tests usually include two sections, a subjective and an objective. The objective section includes your basic true/false and multiple choice questions. The subjective is where the student will write or type the answer in the form of an essay to receive credit. Unlike some classes in public or private schools, when a student submits a test he or she will receive a grade right away. On certain tests there may be an opportunity for the student to retake them (Twenty).

The idea of cyberschooling doesn’t seem fair to some and they have stood up against it. In order for a cybershool to have permission to set up at school they must first be approved by the County’s school district. There have been School Board members in favor and some against the idea. Those that are against cyberschooling are upset because the money to pay the cyberschools comes out of the school district’s budget. It is the tax money that pays for a child to be educated. But a school district also has to dish out some money, money they wish they had. It is also possible for a cyberschool student to participate in a public school sporting event. If there is no team for the cyberschool then the student is able to go out for the team in his school district.

Charter Schools offer the benefits of both public and private schools (Finn). Cyberschooling isn’t for everyone though. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices. There are strict guidelines that must be followed. Who knows what the rest of the Twenty-first Century will hold? Now that it is possible to educate a child over the Internet who knows what may be next? Maybe there will someday be a virtual classroom that will take the place of public schools. Only time will tell.

        

Now as far as toys go, I think my dogs have more than I did as a child. Ginger and Scout, along with many other pets in the United States, have their own toy box. This consists of many different things like tennis balls, rubber bones, stuffed cats, or even a toy mailman. Do my dogs pick their toys up and put them back when they’re done playing with them? Yea right! I’m stuck putting them back up, as if I’m cleaning up after a baby sister. They also get a new toy every week because they get tired of playing with the same one. Just because Scout and Ginger, get a new toy every week, don’t think for one second that I can throw away the old one without them acting like it’s their favorite toy again.

If Ginger and Scout aren’t playing, they’re eating. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dog food though. Scout’s favorite food is cheese, but Ginger loves ham. All they do is sit at my feet and wait for me to finally give in and give them a piece of whatever it is I have. It has gotten to the point where they don’t even eat their food when I put it out. Instead, they will wait until I’m hungry and I get myself something to eat. Does this get old? It can at times, but I guess I only have myself to blame.

Heaven forbid, that I try and make them sleep anywhere but on the bed. Both Ginger and Scout, are English Bulldogs. English Bulldogs have very short legs, therefore, I have to pick each one of them up, and put them on the bed. It can be quite a night with two large dogs in bed that snore louder than a human adult. If Scout isn’t covered up, there’s no way she will stay still all night. As long as Ginger, is in front of the fan, she’ll sleep just fine. I guess it’s not too bad sharing the bed, provided that they stay off of my pillow. Well, at least they’re not afraid of the dark.

Should they even be called pets opposed to family member? Has it gotten to the point where animals in the United States are too pampered? Well, all I know is that Ginger and Scout, have far exceeded the phrase “pet”, and they will never be too pampered.