Theo Fleury, a small five foot six forward was always told he would never make it. He was just too small to play in the show. He got his chance and Fleury proved a lot of critics wrong. He always played with fire and he reached stardom while playing with huge men and never being afraid on the ice. He dominated the league while playing junior hockey for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He also was an integral part of the Calgary Flames Stanley Cup win in 1989. He played in the Olympics in 2002, helping Team Canada win their first gold medal in 50 years. Multi-million dollar contracts in the NHL and a stardom figure, it sounds like Fleury had it all. In truth he battled with sexual abuse in junior hockey. Drug, alcohol, and gambling problems in the NHL, and his career was derailing from the start. Theo Fleury was a very unique and distinctive man. With the combination of Theo’s vacant parents, his abusive coach, and his drug and alcohol problems, it is hard to believe the talented hockey star survived not only in the NHL but also in his own personal life.

Growing up Theo’s family was ridiculously poor. They had a hard time making ends meat. Fleury received support from the community, in particular the Peltz family in Russell. They made sure that him and his brothers were fed and clothed. Theo was very unique. Although he didn’t have the family life most children have growing up he found a new love, hockey. He turned to hockey to get him through elementary and secondary school. When Fleury put his mind to it he got it done. I feel that I am determined in that sense. If I want to get something done I am determined to do it. I try my hardest to reach my goal. I will give it 110% on the court to help my team achieve our goal of winning.

When Fleury started playing with the Moose Jaw Warriors he met Graham James. This was when Fleury encountered sexual abuse. It lasted for approximately two years. I cannot personally imagine being sexually abused before going to bed and then having to get up and play hockey for the man that had been sexually abusing me. It would be so physically and mentally draining. Fleury said that he wouldn’t get any sleep some nights. He would wrap himself in blankets as tight as he could so that James wouldn’t be able to get to him. Not only to play hockey but to put up the outrageous numbers Fleury did in his junior career is outstanding. I personally don’t understand how Theo kept it to himself all these years. I would have to reach out for help in such a difficult time of life.

The most distinctive trait of Theo Fleury very well could have been his drug, alcohol, and gambling problems. During the seasons he would go out all night and get absolutely hammered, do a ton of hard drugs, and gamble his money away. The next day Fleury would play a hockey game. Hungover or not he still performed which is astonishing to me. There is no possible way I would be able to play up to my potential on the basketball court if I had been out drinking the whole night before. Although he played and still put up numbers it definitely wasn’t all glory for Fleury. He was failing drug test after drug test and while the National Hockey League tried to hide it, his antics on the ice showed something was wrong. He needed help and he needed it badly. While playing for the Chicago Blackhawks he suddenly quit for no apparent reason. The drugs and alcohol had obviously gotten to him and ruined his career. This hall of fame caliber hockey player ruined his chances of ever being in the hall of fame.

Throughout Theo Fleury’s playing career he made a unique and distinctive name for himself. Hockey fans or not, everybody knew who Theo Fleury was. He was the type of player that everybody went to the rink to see. He was not only a great hockey player but a cash-grab, a guy who would fill the seats on any given night. I believe that everybody has their own unique and distinctive character. Whether they show it in public or not, once you get to know a person you know what makes them unique. After reading Playing With Fire I now understand Theo Fleury’s life a little more. I understand what made him the unique and distinctive person he is.

In the first poem Blake writes about a dream a child chimney sweeper has. The Chimney Sweeper dreams that he is rescued by an angel and taken to a better place, with sunny meadows. Tom Dacre had a terrible life and it took an angel for him to think more positively. The chimney sweeper’s mother died when he was young, and he didn’t have much of a father. He pretty much lived on his own and that would be a hard way of life for a little boy. Always feeling cold and alone. A child chimney sweeper is left outside by himself while his parents are at church in the second poem. The chimney sweeper acts happy and dances and sings so the parents think they have done nothing wrong. But really the boy is left all alone while the parents go pray at church. Other people play a huge role in our lives, especially family. Blake suggests that family and friends should be an integral part of our lives and that we should treat each other with respect so that our quality of life is high.

In the first poem family is obviously a big factor in the child chimney sweeper’s life. The boy says, “When my mother died I was very young, And my father sold me while yet my tongue.” William Blake is saying that once the boys mother died he didn’t have a family life. His Dad wasn’t as caring and loving as his mom and the boy felt he didn’t belong. When the angel rescued him and his friends he was taken from a coffin. The coffin was holding the boy back of the privileges most kids have. He now got to enjoy life while washing in the river and soaking in the sun. He was now happy with his friends by his side, even if his family was not always there.

A child chimney sweeper is left alone while his parents go to church and praise God in the second poem. He is said to be a little “black thing” in the snow. His parents do not bring him to church, but they leave him outside, to be by himself. I would feel so unwanted if my parents did this to me. I would feel that they didn’t want me in their lives and that i was just useless to them and a pain. It also makes it sound like the little boy is black and that could be a reason for not being as wanted. He is a minority and years ago he was looked at differently by other cultures. This isn’t fair and his parents should accept him for who he is, not what color he is or what he looks like.

William Blake ties romanticism into this post. He has been a crucial part of the romantic movement in not just poetry but painting as well. These poems show romanticism because they talk about family, life, and what it is like when you don’t have a family. You have to dream to be in a better world and hope your dreams come true. Hope for your angel to come and save you. William Blake is a romantic poet and he does a great job of it.

In the two poems about innocence and guilt William Blake is trying to get the point across that family and friends are an important characteristic of life. They are what shape your life and they determine what you do daily. Family and friends should be very close to a person so when you get into hardships you can always have someone there for you. Someone to lean back on in the toughest times. Parents should always be an integral part of your life growing up, trying to make you excel into a mature, young adult. Through these two poems William Blake says that friends and family should be one of the most important characteristicts of life.

Over the past month and a half Gilbert Arenas has been all over the news. The sporting world has been very critical of superstar since the dangerous actions that took place in the Washington Wizards dressing room on Christmas Eve. Gilbert Arenas pulled a gun on Javaris Crittenton that had first stemmed from a gambling debt controversy between the two players. Pulling a gun on a teammate during your practice is unacceptable and dangerous. The outcome of pulling a gun on your teammate can never be positive. Negative consequences would obviously arise.

The National Basketball Association can not have players attempting something this dangerous. The media gets all over that stuff and then it looks bad for the NBA. Also Commissioner David Stern looks at fault because he isn’t giving out harsh enough regulations for the players. To play in the NBA there should be a code of conduct. You should have to respect your teammates, coaches, and the players you play against. If there isn’t any respect amongst players the game will not be played the way it should be. Gilbert Arenas’ teammates told him to keep his gambling away from the team but it ended up getting out of hand during practice. Gambling is not something the NBA is about and they don’t want their players looking like gamblers that don’t put basketball as their number one priority. The NBA wants its players to be role models and actions like this are the exact opposite.

Although Arenas first claimed that pulling the gun was a “joking matter,” he now realizes that guns and violence are a serious matter. If I was able to have a gun registered to my name I would not bring it to work. If I felt that I wasn’t safe and secure without having a gun I would leave it in my car when I go to practice and games. Your team should be one group of people that you should feel secure when you are with them. A person should not feel like they have to have a gun in the locker room. Teammates stick up for each other and always have their backs when it comes down to it. I believe that bringing a gun to work just shows that you are not fully part of the team and that you don’t have respect for your teammates.

Gilbert Arenas did not have respect for Javaris Crittenton. Regardless of how upset Gilbert was there is no reason to pull a gun on Crittenton. The way that Arenas plays on the court makes it appear that he believes he is more important than everyone else on the team. It seems like he believes that If they don’t have him on the court the Washington Wizards chances of winning drop. That could have been part of the reason why he pulled the gun. The team thought that Arenas was so important to them that no matter what illegal acts he committed he would not be suspended by the team or the league. This incident must have been a rude awakening for him. He was instantly suspended by his team and the league indefinetely without pay. Considering that his gun was not registered did not help the cause either.

Another reason why Arenas may have pulled the gun could have been because of stress. He could have been short of cash and needed the money as soon as possible. Crittenton might have owed the money for a long duration of time and Gilbert finally had enough. Although everyone is blaming Arenas the fault could partly be on Crittenton. He owed the money, and Gilbert deserved the money so Crittenton should have payed him. Although there could have been all of these reasons of why the gun was pulled on Javaris Crittenton the point is that Gilbert did something illegal and he should be punished.

Arenas not only violated NBA rules against bringing firearms into an arena, but also violated D.C. rules as well. On  January 14, Arenas was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, a violation of Washington D.C.’s gun-control laws. Arenas pleaded guilty on January 15 to the felony of carrying an unlicensed pistol outside a home or business. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 26. I think that Arenas should receive the same penalty that any other citizen would receive. They shouldn’t let up on his penalty just because he is a sports icon. It is Gilbert’s own fault that it happened and he should have to pay for the actions.

Every single person has their own set of rights and responsibilities that they should follow in their path of life. Rights and responsibilities is a key theme of social justice. I feel that I have my own set of rights and responsibilities that I should follow. If I didn’t have any responsibilities to follow I wouldn’t get anything done. I try to be responsible, but as a teenager you still need some guidance to get things done such as getting homework done, and doing chores around the house. God wanted us to have this key part of social justice partly so we could make responsible choices in life but also so we have some guidance to strive to be the best that we can be. Everyone should have the chance to have the same rights and responsibilities and have the same chance at living a good, high quality life.

One of the biggest responsibilities in life is to follow the law. Some people say that many actions the police take are out of proportion and too serious but if you were being responsible and following the law you wouldn’t even have to worry about them. They are just trying to do their job and protect the citizens of their community.I believe that God has a special purpose for everyone and if we have strict responsibilities that we believe in to follow we will succeed in life. Sometimes it is hard to follow your personal responsibilities and you may not feel like you are succeeding.

In our world today, and especially in Canada, as we are a multicultural society their is many different cultures with many differing rights and responsibilities. Every culture has their own particular responsibilities and rights that makes the culture that they are. Catholics, you could say have the responsibility of going to church once a week to praise God. Other religions such as Muslims are expected to pray way more often and you could say they have way more responsibility to the church. Other religions have a big responsibility to put a certain percentage of their income into the church. Every culture in the world has different expectations and responsibilities they are expected to meet. The type of government that a specific country follows can change their rights. In Canada since we are democratic, we have the right to vote who to put in power of our communities and country. In other countries citizens do not have that privilege.

Overall, I would say that it is very hard to pinpoint exactly what rights and responsibilities a person should set for themselves. From day one you expected to meet goals set by yourself, and others. I have many responsibilities, some 

of them are easy, but some of them seem to be just a pain. My biggest right is having the right of free will. I choose my path of life, and where I want to go in life, what I want t

o do, and who I want to become. This allows me to be happy, and I can take the neccessary actions I want to succeed in life.

This would create conflict because Jesus thought that everyone was worthwhile, and the Pharisees pretty much just put people into classes. If a person was poor, or even if they were mentally ill and it wasn’t their fault at all they were still considered “unclean” or less worthy. I dont’ think that this is fair at all. If a person is too poor to follow a way of life they are expected to live they don’t deserve to be treated unfairly at all. They should get the chance to have good foods and prepare them in a proper way so that they can practise Judaism and Mosaic Law properly.

Jesus put all his time in life to making the world a better place and performing miracles. These miracles made more people follow him and believe in God. The Pharisees did not like that and in the end, ended up killing Jesus because of this. All Jesus wanted to do was make this world a better place to live in and show that God actually existed and people should believe in him. I believe that everyone should be treated equally, and the Pharisees didn’t want this. They wanted a class system.

If the Pharisees were so intent on making Judaism strong again they should help the people that can’t afford or are too mentally ill to live this way. The Pharisees Just assume that people aren’t willing to practise the Judaism while actually, most of them just couldn’t afford to.

Everybody in the world has their own personal interests, abilities and weaknesses. I am interested in sports, woodworking, and I love the summer. During the NHL or MLB playoffs I could sit downstairs all day long and watch sports. One of my favorite golf tournaments to watch is the Masters, It is an awesome course and some really good golf to watch. Also, if it was summer all year long I wouldn’t be upset one bit. 

I have the ability to play most sports and compete in them. A few of the sports I play best are baseball, golf, and basketball. I may not be great at these sports but they are probably my strongest sports that I am personally best at. I am not a very good basketball player but since I have played for so long I think it would just be a waste to quit now. I believe that I was a better basketball player in grade eight and nine. There are possible reasons why I am better at some sports than others. I think that the main reason is desire. If you practice and play a certain sport for a long time you will get better. Over the past years I have grown a stronger interest for golf and baseball. I love being outside and both of these sports are played during the summer months. 

Although i have many strengths, I also have a lot of weaknesses. I am a terrible dancer, I am not very good mechanically, and I usually don’t work, when I don’t have to. Everybody has different weaknesses and I need to work on some of mine, especially work habits. If I can get better work habits then not only will I get better grades but I will also become a better person. I think that God treats all of us equally. If we screw up he gives us another chance to redeem ourselves and do the right thing.

I am trying to become a very good person. Me trying to become a better person, has made me more mature because of it. When I was younger, I would always try to get out of things and never own up to anything that I ever did. If i was in big trouble from my mom, I would try and lie to her just so I didn’t get in trouble even though usually it probably wasn’t a big deal. Now I own up to my consequences and admit what I might have done wrong and own up to it.

The most important thing or one of the most important things to me is to eventually go to college, get a good paying job with a good working environment, and have a family. I want to have a nice house, a reliable vehicle, and not have to come home from work every night worrying if I will be able to pay the bills for next month. I want to strive to be the best I possibly can be and be successful in life. I have made mistakes, but I think that it just makes me stronger and I grow from them. If you don’t make mistakes, there is nothing you can learn from and you can’t grow from it.

Although I believe I am becoming more mature and a better person I still have work to do. I still want to become more mature and make smarter choices on a day to day basis. To be an adult you have to be very mature and be able to make your own, smart choices. At 17 years old i’m not very far off being an adult living on my own. I wasnt to be a respectful person that people can appreciate and trust.

If I want to become a more mature person it will be dictated on the actions I take. It is my decision on what actions I take to become a more mature person. You can’t just expect to become a better person in a day or even a week. It takes a lifetime of being nice, caring, and respectful to your friends family and others.

    Its lookin like we’re getting there

    Over here, comin clear

    Place that has no rhymes, or times, or crimes

    Just good times,

    Just good times

 

    Take me away

    To a place where the good times good times roll

    Don’t let me stay,

    In a place where this hate can steal my soul

Good Times is a very good song. This song has really good morals and after listening to this song I think everyone could take something out of it. In todays world many people get caught up in their own little world, always texting on their phones, not worrying about anyone else. What the song is saying is that you should always try to have the best time possible. Even if times are rough, think about the good times and try thinking positive. I want to live in a place that has no rhymes, or crimes, or times, and this song is evidently portraying that.

I want to live my life to the fullest. Tommy Lee is saying to always overcome your obstacles and live your life. No matter what, never give up. That is how I like to think. I never want to give up, even if this means trying over and over again. Sometimes it feels like I am never going to succeed but I will try until it works out for the best. Sometimes when nothing is going right, you just want to go away. Go away to a place where everyone is positive, and you can’t think about negative outcomes. 

Tommy Lee is a very inspirational man. The lyrics in this song are phenominal. To be able to put lyrics like these into such a great and well known song is amazing. It is very inspirational for many people that he has put together something like this. Tommy Lee lives his life to let The Good Times Roll, and everybody should try doing that. Tommy Lee released the album Tommyland: The Ride in August, 2005. Not only is Good Times an awesome song but many others such as Hello, Again. The former member of Motley Crue has went solo, and that is how he likes it. He says that he enjoys writing music be himself.

Good Times