Many Hands Make Light Work

Many hands make light work. The more people who are helping you, the faster and easier the task is. For many projects, this is true. Not every project is easier with more people; for instance, watchmaking is very delicate work done in a small space. More helpers would make it harder. But for large tasks such as yard work, cleaning up a lot of toys, or cleaning up at a camp, more people means lighter work.

Yard work involves clearing large patches of ground. For one person, it is quite a job to pick up all of the sticks and rake all of the leaves on an acre of land, or even half an acre. With a helper, the work is much easier. With five or six friends, the job won’t seem like much work at all. When I did yard work as part of 4-H community service, our club got together and went to a house that needed help clearing a large yard of branches and leaves or weeding a garden. We would spend several hours and have fun while helping. Having that many people made it a lot easier.


If you have ever been in charge of a group of preschoolers, you know they can make quite a mess with toys strewn everywhere. One preschooler can actually create the same amount of chaos, but that one child will have more difficulty cleaning it up. When you get a group of preschoolers to clean up together, the mess doesn’t seem as overwhelming to them and they will pitch in to help restore order. It will also get done a lot faster. Having more of them changes everything.


My youth group occasionally sends out teams of ten to twelve teenagers to go help do the dishes for a weekend at a local retreat center. When there isn’t a team to go, the councilors for that retreat have to do it themselves. They would agree that more hands makes easier and faster work. For a group of five or six people, the dishes for one to three hundred people are a lot of work. But for twelve or fourteen, it is much easier. We could finish cleaning up all of the dishes, wiping down the tables, and sweeping up within two hours or so. The extra hands made a difference.


This old adage is true for many tasks. Not every job is easier with more hands, but in general this is true. Many hands make light work for yard work, cleaning up toys, and doing a lot of dishes, among other things. The more people you have, the faster and easier it will be to do the work.

Computer Literate

We live in the age of computers. They are everywhere, from workplaces to homes. People use these powerful tools daily. But how many people are actually familiar with them? Computer familiarity means being able to communicate using a computer and being able to store information with a computer. A person who is familiar with a computer should also be able to do these things safely.

Computers allow people to communicate in a variety of ways. Emails are direct, and they work well for talking between two or three people. People use emails to keep friends and family updated or to send information at work. Websites allow people to talk with multiple people more easily. Some websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, offer direct messages. They make group communication simpler, because the whole group can see what each person said. Messages are also faster than emails. Forums are a way of talking with people who share an interest, such as computers or medieval fantasy. They give people a place to discuss hints, the latest model, and ask questions. Computers provide access to all of this.

Computers store information. People store documents, such as essays, stories, and instructions, to name a few. Since people can create as many folders as they need, documents can be filed away into categories for easy reference. People also store pictures. Storing pictures digitally is cheaper and easier than printing them out and putting them in an album. Some people also use a computer to prune through their pictures and decide which ones to print. Another thing people store on computers is music. Computers have a lot of storage space, and they can hold more music than a regular phone or iPod.

Computers need to be used safely, like any other tool. Passwords should be strong, such as a line from a poem or a memorable phrase. They should be written down in a secure place that only the creator knows about. Having a password for the Administrator account that the whole family knows means that children can install whatever they want on the computer. This leads to malware and viruses getting installed. A hacked bank account causes a lot of trouble, and a hacked Facebook account is bad, too. That compromised account can be mined for information about the account owner, their friends, and groups the owner belongs to. A stolen password for Facebook can be used for anything from simple mischief to job loss.

Secure habits, such as logging out of websites and locking the computer, keep information safer. Staying logged into a website lets anyone who gains access to your computer also gain access to all the accounts on those websites. Leaving the computer open compounds the problem. Not only can people access the Web from there, they can cause all sorts of mischief on the computer itself. An unlocked Administrator computer account means that whoever comes over there can install or uninstall anything they want to on that computer. Any account that gets left opened on an unlocked computer can access files and pictures for any other account. They can delete or copy those files easily.

People can copy posts or screenshot them; they can easily spread a post beyond the friends of the poster. What is posted on Facebook may not stay there. Choose wisely what gets posted, so that if it does get copied no one will embarrassed or endangered. Once a post is out there, it never truly goes away. Some people receive all posts from a person or their feed in emails, and those emails don’t get deleted when the post does. Google Hangouts messages can’t be edited or deleted after sending. Anyone who has access to the account can download them.

A computer is a versatile tool that, used safely, can enrich our lives. Communication and data storage are easier than ever before. With computers, the average person has more power than an emperor in the days of Rome—instantly access information or message a friend with the click of a mouse.

Famous and Infamous

Famous and Infamous

A comparison of Washington and Napoleon

 

“What a story my life has been!” Napoleon, the “terror of Europe,” exclaimed as he lay dying. Before hygiene and proper medical techniques, doctors often killed patients who had minor illnesses. The doctors were not trying to kill patients, but their improper understanding of the way illness operates and spreads would many times lead to the patient's death. Napoleon's illness might have been curable by modern science, and he was not the only great man to fall because of inferior medical development. Another famous case is that of George Washington. The main cause of their deaths presents only one of the many similarities between them. Some of these include their love of children and the respect and admiration they gathered. At the same time, the circumstances of each leading up to their deaths are quite different, presenting one of the still more numerous differences between Washington and Napoleon. A few are how they dealt with power, their personal lives, their military tactics, and their situations when fighting.

Though the two leaders have many striking differences, they also shared some traits. Both enjoyed children, and Napoleon had several himself. Washington and Napoleon were both generals who have come down in history for their feats of war, though that may not be the only reason. Fate decreed that they should share a common enemy, the British. Though later America and Britain were to form a strong bond of friendship, it still holds true that the two nations fought each other. France and Britain would also fight on the same side in later wars, but before then an almost continuous history of war and animosity exists between them. Another similar point between these two great and famous men is that they liked fine clothing. Both men dressed well and fashionably, which to Washington meant having fine manners as well as clothing.

Washington and Napoleon both gained great respect and admiration, both among their men and others whom they met. Under them, troops would follow anywhere. Washington's troops were ready to march on Congress and disband it, if he wished. His presence helped to quell the small number of rebellions that arose after the Revolution. Napoleon's men followed him until his defeat and first exile, but still remained loyal to him as evidenced by the mass return when Napoleon escaped. Not only men, but nations, followed both leaders. All America went into mourning when Washington died. Likewise, France mourned Napoleon's passing. Those who met the great men at social functions, or in Napoleon's case as he was going to his new “island empire,” were impressed and remembered the incident for years.

Both leaders are similar in several respects, but there are many more differences than similarities. One of the most prominent is how they each handled power. Washington refused to take over the government when asked to, and would not serve as president for more than two terms. But Napoleon seized control of the government and kept it until forced to abdicate. Washington kept the government's powers small and limited its power. Instead, Napoleon chose to grow his government until it was extensively involved in the business and affairs of several nations, all under his eye. Under Napoleon, private rights, unless you were French, were mostly ignored. Nations he conquered lived in fear of his army. Washington presents a great contrast, with most personal rights being protected and recovery from the war moving along rapidly.

Their personal life and appearance also present great contrast. While Washington kept his temper under control except for a few instances, Napoleon threw huge fits, rather like Kylo Ren. If he didn't get his way, a tantrum followed. Washington seldom raised his voice and never threw a fit. Napoleon was quite short, while Washington was tall. Like many powerful people, Napoleon had several mistresses. Washington had none.

As leaders, they conducted their careers differently. Washington did not use much, if any, propaganda. Napoleon employed propaganda so much that he ended up believing it. Throughout the war, Washington had enormous difficulty in obtaining necessary supplies such as food and clothing. Napoleon was an emperor, and the decision-maker, so he had no trouble about the granting or collecting of supplies. Napoleon's troops had rigorous training, strong discipline, good equipment, and numbers on their side. Washington's troops had varying levels of training, little discipline, poor or no equipment, and the army was small. Even their tactics were different. Washington fought a war of endurance, and his men performed best in a guerrilla-style war, shooting like Indians from behind trees. Napoleon fought European-style, though this only worked well against Austria, Prussia, and those others who fought likewise. Against the Russians, this tactic led to disaster.

Also, the two leaders fought in different situations, with different outcomes. Washington battled the British alone, but Napoleon attacked most of Europe. Only Britain, safe over the Channel, kept well away from Napoleon. Napoleon fought to subdue and conquer both countries and people. In contrast, Washington sought only to defend and protect his newly-formed country. Like the Spanish fighting Napoleon, in a way, France helped Washington finish the war. French troops and ships helped corner Cornwallis at Yorktown, and the French provided much-needed supplies. When Napoleon battled his way across Europe, he had no allies—except those forced to help because they were conquered. And when given a chance, these “allies” turned against him. Washington's allies stayed with him.

Two leaders, two different, even contrasting, places in history. Yet similarities are easily found between them, such as their fondness for children and the admiration they inspired among their men and others. Still, more differences than similarities present themselves to the observer. Though Washington and Napoleon were both leaders, they handled power differently, behaved differently in personal life, used widely separated military tactics, and fought in different situations. Because of these differences, Washington and Napoleon cannot be called similar. Washington went down to history as famous, and Napoleon went down as infamous. The two leaders are not equally worth of praise. 

Bell 
Note: Sorry about the different line spacings! I copied this over from a word processor and it did not transfer correctly.   

A short work on the state of the present Government

The government of the Founding Fathers was a republic, for all to have a voice in, and one with a constitution that allowed for human weakness. The present government does not think we should follow this same constitution that has been our successful guide for many years. This government has deteriorated into something not unlike Communism, though it is not that bad yet.

The crime Edward Snowden is charged with is treason. Show me basis for that! He revealed nothing that would hurt us, but let Americans know what was going on. He is to be praised, in my opinion, for letting us know of the illegal activities carried on by the government.  We need to use that warning he has given us, and hold the government accountable for this.

The government is not formed up of elite people, the only ones eligible to hold an office! They are men and women of the same cut we are. They all came from our ranks, and depend on us to keep them in office. If we don’t like them, they do not get to stay. We decide. We send them up to Washington D.C. to do a good job of representing us and/or running the country.

 America, at the next election, read up about each candidate and find out what they believe in. Don’t believe 75% of what they say they are going to do, because they just want you to elect them. Politicians make promises that they don’t mean to keep, so you will think they will do what you want. Look at their voting history, what they have supported. If what they say goes against it, they probably are just saying they will do this or that. People don’t change their habits often, so what they have done is a good way to determine what they will do. Statistics are out there, and we use them for other things, like what to use against pests, for instance. People try things, and keep using them if they are successful. The stock market is predicted by statistics, too. People’s actions can be predicted, too. If the shoe fits, wear it!    

A good way, sadly, right now to determine which candidates to vote for is to look for the people called crazy, nutty, those things!? Our nation has come to a sad state when this is the way to tell that a certain person gets things done, does things right and according to the rules!

David Simpson is a State Representative in Texas, and people call him all sorts of things. But he gets the job done! He looks for reasons to do things, instead of just doing them! He is the kind of man we need, the kind that follows the rules as things that have a reason for being there, that hold others to do the same! Ted Cruz is another example. He is the junior Senator for Texas, and he makes them all mad up there in Washington D.C! He is getting things done, changing things that need it, making this country better!!

America, I want to challenge you. At the next election, take some time to look at the candidates’ backgrounds, what they have voted for and what they have not, and decide which ones are the best for America. Yes, it takes time, but time spent making a better country, to give your children a better life! Surely time well spent is worth it! You will not regret it. I challenge you, America! Show you care about your future and your children’s’!

Bell