The Philippines is a third world country, which is full of beauty yet still has its flaws. The wealth of the Philippines has not been distributed evenly and because of that many lives are in poverty. Millions of people live in urban slums or in rural areas where the lack of sanitation is out of control. I was a victim of starvation in the Philippines, and this was a very difficult experience. If I were to go back, I would not want to see the same system that we had before. However, I believe that the situation I came from is still going on as it was before, or it may have even gotten worse. The government is primarily at fault for this problem. Poverty is one of the largest reasons that communities in the Philippines are suffering. The government needs to do something about this problem, such as adding more jobs or changing the requirements for getting a job, providing lower education costs, or offering more services in financial aid or job training. The Philippines needs to reduce poverty in light of a fast growing population.
Due to lack of opportunities of getting a job in urban cities, many families move to other cities to find better resources to provide for their family. Most families in the Philippines are impoverished and children at very young aged are forced to find jobs. These jobs could vary from selling cigarettes, flowers, plastic bags, newspapers, hauling, car washing, and other tasks. According to CNC World, “about a third of the country’s 90 million populace are still subsisting on below two US dollars per day. Economic growth hardly dents the country’s high unemployment and underemployment rate. The national statistics office reported early this week that unemployment rate in the Philippines in 2010 was at 7.3 percent, slightly lower than the 7.5 percent rate in 2009. About 2.9 million Filipinos were unemployed in 2010.” The government should try to invest more money to rise up wages.
Many say that education is the way to pursue your dream or to find success in life. Lack of education in the Philippines is very high; many families can’t afford to pay for their children’s tuition. So the question is “How can children go to school if they have no financial income?” It is easy for people who have money to say that education is the way to survive in this bad economy. However, for those people who have a lower level of education and a lack of skills, education is not easily accessible. Many of these people therefore have no way out of poverty because most employees won’t accept unskilled workers. Families often end up living in a damaged area or even on the streets. They build their houses out of cardboard, plastic, cloth, or boxes. The living conditions are very poor throughout the Philippines.
The government or the senate of the Philippines should also offer more services such as financial aid, healthcare or job training for those who have graduated college. The Philippines have money to fix roads and make the islands look beautiful, but when it comes to helping the poor, the government is not so eager to spend. Many graduates from college have degrees but they can’t even find a job. Everyone tells them to go to school and get your degree and get a good job, but now that they have gone to school, most of them can’t even get a retail job in the Philippines. Many strive to migrate to other countries to better their lives. Some of them have degrees, but once they come to America, that degree becomes worthless.
There are some people who criticize the numerous teenagers in the Philippines wandering around doing drugs, and joining street gangs. Many of these youth have not even finished high school. People wonder, if they have the time to do all those things, how come they can’t find a way to better themselves? That’s what most people would say who have finished their education. My counterargument is, however, that these teenagers do those things because they can’t go to school, and they have no money to get into school to better their lives. They have to find a way to survive and cope with the life that they have. Children didn’t choose this kind of life for themselves, and because it is all they have ever known, many of them have no hope on furthering their lives.
In conclusion, the government should help the people in the Philippines make their lives a little easier so that they can provide for their families. Also, this would prevent many people from migrating to other cities or even to other countries such as the United States. It is embarrassing for the government that people have to move to another country to find a better employment to provide for their families back home. Many are far from their loved ones because they sacrifice themselves for their families. The government could also lower tax breaks or even provide better opportunities to people with less education. If possible, the government of the Philippines could also ask the governments of other countries to help Filipinos, perhaps by fundraising to help the poor. There are so many options that the Philippines can take steps to better not only their country, but their fellow countrymen. The Philippines needs to reduce poverty in light of a fast growing population.
List of sources (Work Cited):
-CNCWorld, “Philippines jobless and poverty”, News Report, February 13, 2011, cncworld.tv/news/v_show/12473_Philippines_jobless_and_poverty.shtml.web
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"My Turn" by Natasha Rugley
I have always wanted to be a mother. I can remember watching the film “Look Who’s Talking.” The roles of the talking babies were so adorable. The movie aroused a maternal desire in me and put a comical spin on unexpected pregnancy. My friends and family were all having babies and yet I was still childless. My mother and my best friend had even been pregnant at the same time. Feelings of incompleteness as an adult women dwelled in me deeply. I was getting older and still had produced no seed. I was in a long-time relationship with my high school sweetheart and he too wanted a child with me as we were both at our happiest in our relationship. My boyfriend and I were crazy in love. I felt ready to start a family with him.
One day he asked me, “What would you do if I got you pregnant?”
I told him that, “I would be in dream state of mind.” I thought to myself, he really loves me and I wanted so much to become a mother. I made an appointment with my gynecologist, and on my visit to the doctor, I told her I wanted to get pregnant.
Her council was a series of questions and concerns, “Are you sure you want this?”
At that time I thought I was ready to become a mother, I thought I wanted it more than anything in this world. It was not long after that visit my body went through changes. I was no longer using birth control; I and my boyfriend were definitely raising the odds of me becoming pregnant. Even though we were high school sweethearts, he was a two timing, unfaithful player and so we broke up. Now that my ex-boyfriend and I had separated, my desire of becoming a mother faded. We keep in touch by phone calls.
He would ask, “Did you take a pregnancy test yet?”
“Why do you keep asking me this, I am not pregnant.” I replied with an attitude.
I was sure I was not pregnant even though I did not feel like myself. My sense of smell had changed; the smell of fast food would make me want to puke. When I was around my ex-boyfriend the scent of his cologne that any woman would find seducing, repulsed me.
My ex-boyfriend began to repeat daily, “You’re pregnant!”
I did not believe his words and thought to myself, he does not know my body, I am not pregnant, and I cannot get pregnant. One night I went into a Subway, one of my favorite spot to dine and the instant I walked inside, the smell of the fresh bread crawled inside my nostrils and turned my stomach upside down. Suddenly I knew something was different, something was wrong with me. I quickly put my hand to my mouth as if I were going to vomit in my hand. I placed my order to go and when I walked outside the clear, fresh, night air was like breathing for the first time and relieved me from the smells that sicken me. That is when it hit me,
“Oh my God I’m pregnant,” and I grab my belly and looked down at it.
On my way home from Subway I stopped by the store to buy a pregnancy test. When I got home I went straight to the bathroom and proceeded to follow the instruction on the box. I was not even finished urinating on the test strip when the result came back positive. There was the proof finally, I was really pregnant. I was actually going to become a mother. I called my ex- boyfriend and like a vision he already knew. He took me to the doctors not to support me, but just to confirm his suspensions.
I thought that I would have a happy life together with my ex-boyfriend. I had hoped to have support and a family, but he showed no love. I was two months pregnant and the beginning of motherhood was not the way I expected. I realized I was alone and my ex-boyfriend abandoned me and his unborn child. When I wanted to become pregnant I thought it to be a happily ever after fairly tale, but it turned out to be a hurtful experience.
Yet even though my relationship was broken and torn, there still was a light of hope and joy of becoming a mother. The life growing inside my body distracted me from all that was going wrong. When I was pregnant I was a different person no matter if my life took unexpected loops, it did not concern me because I had my baby that I prayed to God for. A little life was growing in my belly and I could not wait to bring her into the world and in my arms.
One day he asked me, “What would you do if I got you pregnant?”
I told him that, “I would be in dream state of mind.” I thought to myself, he really loves me and I wanted so much to become a mother. I made an appointment with my gynecologist, and on my visit to the doctor, I told her I wanted to get pregnant.
Her council was a series of questions and concerns, “Are you sure you want this?”
At that time I thought I was ready to become a mother, I thought I wanted it more than anything in this world. It was not long after that visit my body went through changes. I was no longer using birth control; I and my boyfriend were definitely raising the odds of me becoming pregnant. Even though we were high school sweethearts, he was a two timing, unfaithful player and so we broke up. Now that my ex-boyfriend and I had separated, my desire of becoming a mother faded. We keep in touch by phone calls.
He would ask, “Did you take a pregnancy test yet?”
“Why do you keep asking me this, I am not pregnant.” I replied with an attitude.
I was sure I was not pregnant even though I did not feel like myself. My sense of smell had changed; the smell of fast food would make me want to puke. When I was around my ex-boyfriend the scent of his cologne that any woman would find seducing, repulsed me.
My ex-boyfriend began to repeat daily, “You’re pregnant!”
I did not believe his words and thought to myself, he does not know my body, I am not pregnant, and I cannot get pregnant. One night I went into a Subway, one of my favorite spot to dine and the instant I walked inside, the smell of the fresh bread crawled inside my nostrils and turned my stomach upside down. Suddenly I knew something was different, something was wrong with me. I quickly put my hand to my mouth as if I were going to vomit in my hand. I placed my order to go and when I walked outside the clear, fresh, night air was like breathing for the first time and relieved me from the smells that sicken me. That is when it hit me,
“Oh my God I’m pregnant,” and I grab my belly and looked down at it.
On my way home from Subway I stopped by the store to buy a pregnancy test. When I got home I went straight to the bathroom and proceeded to follow the instruction on the box. I was not even finished urinating on the test strip when the result came back positive. There was the proof finally, I was really pregnant. I was actually going to become a mother. I called my ex- boyfriend and like a vision he already knew. He took me to the doctors not to support me, but just to confirm his suspensions.
I thought that I would have a happy life together with my ex-boyfriend. I had hoped to have support and a family, but he showed no love. I was two months pregnant and the beginning of motherhood was not the way I expected. I realized I was alone and my ex-boyfriend abandoned me and his unborn child. When I wanted to become pregnant I thought it to be a happily ever after fairly tale, but it turned out to be a hurtful experience.
Yet even though my relationship was broken and torn, there still was a light of hope and joy of becoming a mother. The life growing inside my body distracted me from all that was going wrong. When I was pregnant I was a different person no matter if my life took unexpected loops, it did not concern me because I had my baby that I prayed to God for. A little life was growing in my belly and I could not wait to bring her into the world and in my arms.
"Musical Explosion" by Jessica Barnes
The early morning wake up call, sun hasn’t even risen. Packing a bag, knowing that you are about to have a very long and trying day. The day of a marching band competition is always an exhausting, stressful and rough. There are so many things to do before you even get the chance to perform, getting dressed, warming up process, and tuned, to whatever your sections rituals before your performance. It’s a never ending until you get out of uniform, even after your out of uniform it still continues.
The top of your day begins when arriving at the school at an unusual hour, when no one is ever there. From parking your car, grabbing your hat box, day bag and to-go breakfast you’re running towards the buildings door; afraid that you are going to be late for the attendance call. Walking into the band room, it’s like walking into a smelly room filled with dirty socks and sweat mixed with sunscreen; it’s just beyond gross and sickening. Walking into the room all you see is half asleep people that look like they are going to fall over and pass out soon. The sound is dead quiet, the only sound is the sound of soft hum of music from headphones, and the low mummer of talk, the ticking of a clock on the wall; otherwise you could drop and pin and hear its little ding. Six o’clock comes around; the band teacher walks in calls you to attention and tells you the schedule. From then on it’s a rustle of noise and commotion. Getting uniforms instruments out and ready, the packing of hatboxes; leaving your instrument, hatbox by the truck, so that the pit crew can load it; then loading you and your uniform onto the bus so that you don’t get into trouble. Sitting with your section, getting all the talk out that you can before you leave, setting up your headphones. Once the bus driver tells you the rules of the bus, you’re off to the place that you have been waiting for all week. Once the school’s parking lot is almost out of view everyone on the bus screams, then the silent hype begins. A time to reflect on your show and what you need to do to get ready. All you can hear is the low mummer of music, the nervous breathing of your fellow band mates and your instructors, and the strange whistle of the bus driver.
Once you arrive, everything gets thrown back into a huge frenzy, blended into something crazy. Sounds range from garment bags opening, to zippers going up, angry cries when you can’t get it on right, to instruments being put together. Once off the cramped bus, you’re off to stretching and body warm up. The sound of stretching, pull of muscle, clothes that don’t allow you to move past a certain amount, to the sound of band moms coming around with water and tape. Body warm up is the coolest thing to ever watch. The feel of muscle when you forward march, but while you are forward marching doing 90 degree terms with upper and lower body until you’re backwards marching. Going on until you are back to forward march, and doing this all in across the floors, line by line you see the band goes; each member doing the same exercise. Just to see a band moving together is like nothing else, not being able to tell who is a freshman or who is a senior is just mind blowing to see. The sound of shoe brushing against the grass, the swish of the pant legs against each other. The smell of grass and morning air is all around you, with the tint of fear for what is about to happen. After body warm up is the musical warm up, splitting up into woodwinds, percussion and brass; instruments being warmed up is like a horror movie starting. Playing your music by memory and marking time is a challenge all on its own. However by now it’s nothing you can’t handle.
Five minutes before your performance you’re heading over to the field, the sound of shoes walking at the same time, tap of the drum to tell you “left, left, left.” Once to the field, the band says a prayer passed down from senior class to senior class, “Dear Green Mountain, Today we see those who have come before us. Today we see those who have not yet come to be. Today we see those who stand with us in battle that goes on through life. We ask for a field that is fair and the courage to do and to dare. If we should win, let it be by the code with our faith and our honor held high. If we should lose, let us stand by the side of the road and cheer in the winners go by. So that we may stand in a place where tradition and honor live forever.” Then breaking off into sections to do your own rituals. Lining back up, echoes of movement are around you, butterflies in your stomach and the rush of breathing. Marching onto the field you hear the crowd screaming and cheering, weather for you or for the other school you are unsure of. Your drums majors yelling “I AM NOT AFRIAD” and you repeating, “I AM NOT AFRIAD!” Then you’re off into your starting set with the grass brushing under your feet. Dead silence breaks out, nothing but your own heartbeat in your ears, waiting and waiting for your cue to begin. The announcers announce your drum majors, your instructors and your school; knowing that in a few short heartbeats your cue will be given. “Presenting from Lakewood, Colorado Welcome Green Mountain’s Marching Rams….”
Finally it comes and the sound breaks out like something just dropped. The sound of body’s moving, grass crunching under your feet, brass instruments playing, woodwinds, the drums keeping your beat. Watching your drum majors to keep tempo and place. You go and go without stopping for seven and half minutes and at last your hold your last note and snap your instrument down and breathing comes easier now. Finally, looking at the crowd, and hearing the cheers, claps and screams for you, a smile comes to your face; you see your cue to turn and exit. You march off the field feeling lighter and happier knowing that you have accomplished what you needed to for the morning. Walking back to the bus there is talk everywhere, sounds of high fives, joy is everywhere. After getting out of uniform, finding out that you just have to go through all the tension again in a few short hours you make the best of the time you have with friends.
After the final show, you head back on the bus, sing a song for the bus driver “Three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver, three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver man/lady. S/he smokes and s/he cusses and wrecks all the buses, three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver man/lady, “HIP HIP HERRAY! HIP HIP HERRAY!” and unload yourself from the bus. Return your uniform, grab your hatbox and instruments and put it all away. Discovering that marching band is not just an activity, it’s more like a family not just a group of friends or a group of people. You’re not regretting the blood, sweat, and tears you have shed. Say goodbye to friends and getting ready to go home when someone says party at Denny’s and you head over there instead of home. So after a long day, all your ready to do is relax, but instead you go out and eat food and talk about the day and taking 2nd place overall and celebrating the days accomplishments. Marching band is not something you just “do” it’s something you become a part of, weaved into. Once weaved into, it’s hard to get out or leave it.
The top of your day begins when arriving at the school at an unusual hour, when no one is ever there. From parking your car, grabbing your hat box, day bag and to-go breakfast you’re running towards the buildings door; afraid that you are going to be late for the attendance call. Walking into the band room, it’s like walking into a smelly room filled with dirty socks and sweat mixed with sunscreen; it’s just beyond gross and sickening. Walking into the room all you see is half asleep people that look like they are going to fall over and pass out soon. The sound is dead quiet, the only sound is the sound of soft hum of music from headphones, and the low mummer of talk, the ticking of a clock on the wall; otherwise you could drop and pin and hear its little ding. Six o’clock comes around; the band teacher walks in calls you to attention and tells you the schedule. From then on it’s a rustle of noise and commotion. Getting uniforms instruments out and ready, the packing of hatboxes; leaving your instrument, hatbox by the truck, so that the pit crew can load it; then loading you and your uniform onto the bus so that you don’t get into trouble. Sitting with your section, getting all the talk out that you can before you leave, setting up your headphones. Once the bus driver tells you the rules of the bus, you’re off to the place that you have been waiting for all week. Once the school’s parking lot is almost out of view everyone on the bus screams, then the silent hype begins. A time to reflect on your show and what you need to do to get ready. All you can hear is the low mummer of music, the nervous breathing of your fellow band mates and your instructors, and the strange whistle of the bus driver.
Once you arrive, everything gets thrown back into a huge frenzy, blended into something crazy. Sounds range from garment bags opening, to zippers going up, angry cries when you can’t get it on right, to instruments being put together. Once off the cramped bus, you’re off to stretching and body warm up. The sound of stretching, pull of muscle, clothes that don’t allow you to move past a certain amount, to the sound of band moms coming around with water and tape. Body warm up is the coolest thing to ever watch. The feel of muscle when you forward march, but while you are forward marching doing 90 degree terms with upper and lower body until you’re backwards marching. Going on until you are back to forward march, and doing this all in across the floors, line by line you see the band goes; each member doing the same exercise. Just to see a band moving together is like nothing else, not being able to tell who is a freshman or who is a senior is just mind blowing to see. The sound of shoe brushing against the grass, the swish of the pant legs against each other. The smell of grass and morning air is all around you, with the tint of fear for what is about to happen. After body warm up is the musical warm up, splitting up into woodwinds, percussion and brass; instruments being warmed up is like a horror movie starting. Playing your music by memory and marking time is a challenge all on its own. However by now it’s nothing you can’t handle.
Five minutes before your performance you’re heading over to the field, the sound of shoes walking at the same time, tap of the drum to tell you “left, left, left.” Once to the field, the band says a prayer passed down from senior class to senior class, “Dear Green Mountain, Today we see those who have come before us. Today we see those who have not yet come to be. Today we see those who stand with us in battle that goes on through life. We ask for a field that is fair and the courage to do and to dare. If we should win, let it be by the code with our faith and our honor held high. If we should lose, let us stand by the side of the road and cheer in the winners go by. So that we may stand in a place where tradition and honor live forever.” Then breaking off into sections to do your own rituals. Lining back up, echoes of movement are around you, butterflies in your stomach and the rush of breathing. Marching onto the field you hear the crowd screaming and cheering, weather for you or for the other school you are unsure of. Your drums majors yelling “I AM NOT AFRIAD” and you repeating, “I AM NOT AFRIAD!” Then you’re off into your starting set with the grass brushing under your feet. Dead silence breaks out, nothing but your own heartbeat in your ears, waiting and waiting for your cue to begin. The announcers announce your drum majors, your instructors and your school; knowing that in a few short heartbeats your cue will be given. “Presenting from Lakewood, Colorado Welcome Green Mountain’s Marching Rams….”
Finally it comes and the sound breaks out like something just dropped. The sound of body’s moving, grass crunching under your feet, brass instruments playing, woodwinds, the drums keeping your beat. Watching your drum majors to keep tempo and place. You go and go without stopping for seven and half minutes and at last your hold your last note and snap your instrument down and breathing comes easier now. Finally, looking at the crowd, and hearing the cheers, claps and screams for you, a smile comes to your face; you see your cue to turn and exit. You march off the field feeling lighter and happier knowing that you have accomplished what you needed to for the morning. Walking back to the bus there is talk everywhere, sounds of high fives, joy is everywhere. After getting out of uniform, finding out that you just have to go through all the tension again in a few short hours you make the best of the time you have with friends.
After the final show, you head back on the bus, sing a song for the bus driver “Three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver, three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver man/lady. S/he smokes and s/he cusses and wrecks all the buses, three cheers for the bus driver, bus driver man/lady, “HIP HIP HERRAY! HIP HIP HERRAY!” and unload yourself from the bus. Return your uniform, grab your hatbox and instruments and put it all away. Discovering that marching band is not just an activity, it’s more like a family not just a group of friends or a group of people. You’re not regretting the blood, sweat, and tears you have shed. Say goodbye to friends and getting ready to go home when someone says party at Denny’s and you head over there instead of home. So after a long day, all your ready to do is relax, but instead you go out and eat food and talk about the day and taking 2nd place overall and celebrating the days accomplishments. Marching band is not something you just “do” it’s something you become a part of, weaved into. Once weaved into, it’s hard to get out or leave it.
"Peek-a-boo is Dangerous to Elder" by ThuHien Nguyen
At the my auntie’s party, my grandaunt got a heart attack from her grandchild’s peek-a-boo, then fell on the floor on last Friday.
At the weekend family party, everyone enjoyed their family time, parents chatted together, teenager was busy to play with the Wii, and those little kids chased others, plays, and laughed happily.
My grandma and grandaunt was watching news and chatted with each other at the same time.
It was about 9pm, it was too late for elder’s sleep, so my mom and aunt asked their moms went to their bed.
My grandma head to the guest room and sleep, she was tired. Grandaunt was tired too but she always wanted to go to the restroom first before she went to her bedroom. As she was on the way come out from the restroom.
Her little grandchild, Titi, stood in front of the restroom door. He wanted to play with his grandma, so he jump to his grandma and peek-a-boo her. But she got a slight heart attack and fell on the floor. Titi laughed a lot. Everyone heard the noise and come over.
Parents knew the situation and scolded at Titi. Everyone went to help grandaunt to get up. Luckily, grandaunt just got a minor injury and she said she was okay. And Titi cried and felt sorry for her. What a poor innocent kid, don’t play that game again. That was a small accident.
At the weekend family party, everyone enjoyed their family time, parents chatted together, teenager was busy to play with the Wii, and those little kids chased others, plays, and laughed happily.
My grandma and grandaunt was watching news and chatted with each other at the same time.
It was about 9pm, it was too late for elder’s sleep, so my mom and aunt asked their moms went to their bed.
My grandma head to the guest room and sleep, she was tired. Grandaunt was tired too but she always wanted to go to the restroom first before she went to her bedroom. As she was on the way come out from the restroom.
Her little grandchild, Titi, stood in front of the restroom door. He wanted to play with his grandma, so he jump to his grandma and peek-a-boo her. But she got a slight heart attack and fell on the floor. Titi laughed a lot. Everyone heard the noise and come over.
Parents knew the situation and scolded at Titi. Everyone went to help grandaunt to get up. Luckily, grandaunt just got a minor injury and she said she was okay. And Titi cried and felt sorry for her. What a poor innocent kid, don’t play that game again. That was a small accident.
"Red Riding Hood" by Kamil Adylov
There is an amazing movie called Red Riding Hood I watched last week, and it became my one of my favorite movie. The film presents very old time when there weren't any technologies than we have at present. It shows for audience how it was awesome time when the people lived naturally like hunting, hunting, and milking. Also, the soundtrack of the movie make people more sensitive in some moments, relaxing, excited, and loving.
The movie was about a small village which was located at forest was attacked by werewolf every full moon. People tried to kill the werewolf, but it was to strong and elusive. Every full moon werewolf came to the village and killed people, but only a girl named Valeria who it didn't touch and offered to live with him from the village. Valeria loved a logger Peter, who became a werewolf at the end, but her parents made her get married to a blacksmith. For her marriage her grandmother gave her a red riding hood.
I liked how the village was designed and constructed and also the wood of the forest which I've never seen before looked unusual; they were really tall and their branches were prickly. The movie is pretty interesting, and I would recommend it to my friends. I enjoyed of watching a life about 700 years ago. I think the movie was used from tales, but it was interesting to watch.All time while I was watching the movie, I guested who was a werewolf.
The movie was about a small village which was located at forest was attacked by werewolf every full moon. People tried to kill the werewolf, but it was to strong and elusive. Every full moon werewolf came to the village and killed people, but only a girl named Valeria who it didn't touch and offered to live with him from the village. Valeria loved a logger Peter, who became a werewolf at the end, but her parents made her get married to a blacksmith. For her marriage her grandmother gave her a red riding hood.
I liked how the village was designed and constructed and also the wood of the forest which I've never seen before looked unusual; they were really tall and their branches were prickly. The movie is pretty interesting, and I would recommend it to my friends. I enjoyed of watching a life about 700 years ago. I think the movie was used from tales, but it was interesting to watch.All time while I was watching the movie, I guested who was a werewolf.
"The Art of Hip Hop" by Jonathan Gonzalez
There are many music genres, but none are like Gangsta Hip Hop. Hip hop originated in African-American communities during the late 1970’s in New York, and has spread across the world. Everyone in the world can have something to do with Hip Hop. With 30 years of growing popularity, its growing criticism also grows about the music’s culture negative effect on society. But I think otherwise, and suggest for people who don’t listen to Hip Hop to do so, give it a shot, stop the criticism and listen to it! I’m 100% sure you will find something you like from it. Hip Hop is a music genre, but there are also different genres in Hip Hop, for example; Rap Rock, G-Funk, Crunk, Reggaeton, Christian Hip Hop, and of course Gangsta Hip Hop the most popular. Many different styles of Hip Hop, I am sure one of them will fit you.
The backlash is has taken for influence on the youth, for violence, drugs, and sex and degrading to women might be true. But there are some songs that that can have a movement against violence, drugs and sex and some sweet to women. As far as gangsta Hip Hop, listening to an interview of gangster rapper 50 Cent made me see his music in a different way. He defended his image by saying “I write harsh realities in my music because it’s what I seen my whole life growing up, I write it down on paper and record it so my life story can be heard” He puts his heart into a song. It is amazing music, knowing it’s inspired with real stories living in poverty.
A book has to be read, and the reader has to paint the picture, visualize the scene. A Hip Hop song has to be heard, the picture has to be painted from what you hear, words in a rhythm over a drumroll. Storytelling is art. Expressing with aggression is what some poets do, art. Gangsta Hip Hop is art.
“Hip Hop’s greatest gift and its heaviest burden-is its legacy of urban mythology. It will be remembered as that bittersweet moment when young black men captured the ears of America and defined themselves on their own terms. In doing so, they raised a defiant middle finger to a history that shamed them with slavery, misrepresented them as coons and criminals, and co-opted the best of their culture” said Joan Morgan, a writer from Vibe magazine. It can be a resistance. It can be an issue that can be heard through a song. Events, politics, maybe even a conspiracy question. It is all in a Hip Hop song.
Some talented artists want more than a hit song on Billboard charts, they want to be listened to just like you want to be listened to. The explicit content is from the heart. Hip Hop is entertainment. Listen to Hip Hop closely some of your answers might be over an instrumental. The whole world can fit into the Hip Hop culture.
The backlash is has taken for influence on the youth, for violence, drugs, and sex and degrading to women might be true. But there are some songs that that can have a movement against violence, drugs and sex and some sweet to women. As far as gangsta Hip Hop, listening to an interview of gangster rapper 50 Cent made me see his music in a different way. He defended his image by saying “I write harsh realities in my music because it’s what I seen my whole life growing up, I write it down on paper and record it so my life story can be heard” He puts his heart into a song. It is amazing music, knowing it’s inspired with real stories living in poverty.
A book has to be read, and the reader has to paint the picture, visualize the scene. A Hip Hop song has to be heard, the picture has to be painted from what you hear, words in a rhythm over a drumroll. Storytelling is art. Expressing with aggression is what some poets do, art. Gangsta Hip Hop is art.
“Hip Hop’s greatest gift and its heaviest burden-is its legacy of urban mythology. It will be remembered as that bittersweet moment when young black men captured the ears of America and defined themselves on their own terms. In doing so, they raised a defiant middle finger to a history that shamed them with slavery, misrepresented them as coons and criminals, and co-opted the best of their culture” said Joan Morgan, a writer from Vibe magazine. It can be a resistance. It can be an issue that can be heard through a song. Events, politics, maybe even a conspiracy question. It is all in a Hip Hop song.
Some talented artists want more than a hit song on Billboard charts, they want to be listened to just like you want to be listened to. The explicit content is from the heart. Hip Hop is entertainment. Listen to Hip Hop closely some of your answers might be over an instrumental. The whole world can fit into the Hip Hop culture.
"Suspect in Assault Appears in Court" by Jason Gonzalez
A suspect, who was detained and cited by the Denver police department back in February of 2011, appeared in the new Lindsey Flannigan courthouse on Thursday March 10, 2011 to answer charges of simple assault.
The wheels of justice were churning quite dramatically this past Thursday, due to the suspect of an alleged assault not being prepared for court for his second consecutive court appearance. The suspected assailant, who was stopped and issued a summons and complaint for an alleged assault, requested a continuance by the court because he had yet to hire an attorney.
The suspect who will remain anonymous, was obviously trying to prolong the inevitable, hadn’t even hired an attorney yet. The city attorney’s office, of course objected to the continuance once again, due to the presence of the witnesses of the alleged crime being present.
When asked once again, why the defendant was not ready for his court trial he responded, how it was an extreme travesty of justice that the city attorney’s office was even pursuing these outlandish charges against him, and how he was in fact the true victim on that dreadful day.
The honorable judge interrupted the ranting defendant, and stated that if he represented himself and lost at trial, that it would reflect badly on her decision to allow the defendant to represent himself since he had very little knowledge of trial law and how he would be granted a new trial. The defendant was granted a continuance to hire an attorney and the next disposition hearing will be held on 20th day of April 2011, at 8:30 am in courtroom 3F.
The wheels of justice were churning quite dramatically this past Thursday, due to the suspect of an alleged assault not being prepared for court for his second consecutive court appearance. The suspected assailant, who was stopped and issued a summons and complaint for an alleged assault, requested a continuance by the court because he had yet to hire an attorney.
The suspect who will remain anonymous, was obviously trying to prolong the inevitable, hadn’t even hired an attorney yet. The city attorney’s office, of course objected to the continuance once again, due to the presence of the witnesses of the alleged crime being present.
When asked once again, why the defendant was not ready for his court trial he responded, how it was an extreme travesty of justice that the city attorney’s office was even pursuing these outlandish charges against him, and how he was in fact the true victim on that dreadful day.
The honorable judge interrupted the ranting defendant, and stated that if he represented himself and lost at trial, that it would reflect badly on her decision to allow the defendant to represent himself since he had very little knowledge of trial law and how he would be granted a new trial. The defendant was granted a continuance to hire an attorney and the next disposition hearing will be held on 20th day of April 2011, at 8:30 am in courtroom 3F.
"Divorce" by Nicole Rangel
When I was six years old I lived in a nice big house. My parents let me do anything in the house like play with toys. But it was crowded because a lot of us lived there, my mom, sister, dad, my nanny and her son. There were a lot of us but it was so much fun because I got to do a lot of things like play with my nanny and do cool things out- side with her. She was like my other mom when my real mom went to work. I thought my life couldn’t get any better. We got a big dog named Rusty for my sister and I but the funny thing was it had to stay in this cage in our backyard because it was mean so we couldn’t even play with the dog only look at it because it would bite us if we tried to touch the dog.
Once we got the dog, things didn’t go so well with my parents during the day. When they would both be home at the same time I kept on hearing them yell at each other. At first, I thought they were playing with each other because I would yell at my sister, when we would play so I let it go the first couple of times. I didn’t think it was that important and everything would be fine. One day when everyone was home I was looking downstairs through the railing since my head was able to fit. I would look all the way down the stairs so that I could see everything. I heard my dad tell my nanny and her son “I am very sorry but you and your son can’t live here anymore and that we’re going to have to let you go we are really sorry!” I started to cry when I heard that because my nanny was everything to me and her son was like a brother that I never had. It was a tough day for all of us because my sister and I were very confused about what was going on. We would ask my parents why they had to do that to us my parents said “It was for the best we didn’t need her anymore.” I was so mad I walked away and went to my room; I started to cry I didn’t know what to do about what just happened. I was hurt; a little part of me was gone. The next morning my parents started to fight again but I didn’t think anything could have gotten worse, but it did. My mom said” You can take the couches; I don’t want them you need something to sleep on.” My dad said “Okay I will and I think that the girls should stay with you since they are still young, they still need their mother for a while.” When they said that I went down stairs and asked them what was going on because I don’t like the fighting. They both said “sorry but we have to talk to you and your sister right now about something very important.”
My mom told us that my dad wasn’t going to be living with us. He is moving to a different place and that you guys will be living with me. I was so confused on what was happening until I actually saw my dad get his things and said his good bye and left at that moment. I had fallen apart; I just lost my dad too. Every night I would cry because my dad wasn’t there. I wanted him to come back so that he could say good night to me. My mom said he wasn’t coming back.
At that time, my mom was a single parent; I didn’t see my dad anymore for a very long time. My mom moved us into an apartment that would just fit us three; it was a hard time to deal with. I started to get anger problems and made holes in the walls and doors of my room. I would put holes in the walls and just scream at my mom for letting my dad leave and not have him come back to us.
After the divorce went through I was able to see my dad only every other weekend so it wasn’t that long but at least I was able to see my dad. After that day everything in my life had changed. Who I am now, shows that I got through it and got stronger. When I got older I got the choice to decide who I wanted to live with so I chose to live with my dad and see my mom whenever I wanted and it was the best thing.
Once we got the dog, things didn’t go so well with my parents during the day. When they would both be home at the same time I kept on hearing them yell at each other. At first, I thought they were playing with each other because I would yell at my sister, when we would play so I let it go the first couple of times. I didn’t think it was that important and everything would be fine. One day when everyone was home I was looking downstairs through the railing since my head was able to fit. I would look all the way down the stairs so that I could see everything. I heard my dad tell my nanny and her son “I am very sorry but you and your son can’t live here anymore and that we’re going to have to let you go we are really sorry!” I started to cry when I heard that because my nanny was everything to me and her son was like a brother that I never had. It was a tough day for all of us because my sister and I were very confused about what was going on. We would ask my parents why they had to do that to us my parents said “It was for the best we didn’t need her anymore.” I was so mad I walked away and went to my room; I started to cry I didn’t know what to do about what just happened. I was hurt; a little part of me was gone. The next morning my parents started to fight again but I didn’t think anything could have gotten worse, but it did. My mom said” You can take the couches; I don’t want them you need something to sleep on.” My dad said “Okay I will and I think that the girls should stay with you since they are still young, they still need their mother for a while.” When they said that I went down stairs and asked them what was going on because I don’t like the fighting. They both said “sorry but we have to talk to you and your sister right now about something very important.”
My mom told us that my dad wasn’t going to be living with us. He is moving to a different place and that you guys will be living with me. I was so confused on what was happening until I actually saw my dad get his things and said his good bye and left at that moment. I had fallen apart; I just lost my dad too. Every night I would cry because my dad wasn’t there. I wanted him to come back so that he could say good night to me. My mom said he wasn’t coming back.
At that time, my mom was a single parent; I didn’t see my dad anymore for a very long time. My mom moved us into an apartment that would just fit us three; it was a hard time to deal with. I started to get anger problems and made holes in the walls and doors of my room. I would put holes in the walls and just scream at my mom for letting my dad leave and not have him come back to us.
After the divorce went through I was able to see my dad only every other weekend so it wasn’t that long but at least I was able to see my dad. After that day everything in my life had changed. Who I am now, shows that I got through it and got stronger. When I got older I got the choice to decide who I wanted to live with so I chose to live with my dad and see my mom whenever I wanted and it was the best thing.
"Lights, Camera, Action!" by David Dikeman
As you walk into the movie theater you get a sense that you’re about to enter a world completely different from our own and in many cases that is true. Movies have taking us to galaxies far far away, 10,000 leagues under the sea, even to a world of witchcraft and wizardry. Getting to these worlds beyond our own is no easy task however many people spend dedicated time and devotion to these films just to make it that much more of an experience for the audience. When it comes to making movies there are many steps to making the magic happen. Such things are having a script, finding actors and other parts of the crew, scheduling filming dates along with actually filming, and taking all your footage and editing it to perfection. Filmmaking is a different experience each time depending on the subject of the film. It also depends on what kind of film maker you are. Obviously if you’re Steven Spielberg you can make a movie with practically whatever or who you want. If you’re not Spielberg that’s okay too there is plenty you can film without all the Hollywood tactics. You can be an independent filmmaker. Hopefully by the end of reading you will have a good idea of what it takes to be an independent filmmaker.
Since I make films on my own I do a little bit of everything, however I like to start with a script. Having a script can either be really easy or sort of complex. Writing a script is a somewhat difficult process. It’s like writing a story in a different style with descriptions of scenes and movements usually in parenthesis. The story process is what’s difficult for me the most, it’s always hard coming up new ideas that will work for the movies. Coming with the general idea of the movie causes frustration. Even though it can be difficult, it can be done. Having the right people in your environment when writing can also be very helpful. As your plot begins to unfold it gets easier to fill in the “space between the lines”. Sometimes before the script is written or even after, discussing ideas about the film, it’s always good to have a notepad because not all ideas are the best so writing down the ideas helps to be able to select which ideas to use. After you feel the script is ready that’s usually the green light to move on. If the script isn’t exactly what you want, you can always change it. However you may need permission from the director or producer. Obviously you can’t change the thing as a whole but maybe there certain scenes that could be done differently or enhanced. The desire is to have a good quality script.
After you have a pretty solid picture in your mind of what you want this movie to be, you can start the search for actors. For Hollywood’s producers it’s a lot easier to find someone to act for you especially since they have the money. But for those who have limited budgets they rely on volunteers, friends, or just through social networking. It just kind of reduces the possibility of getting good actors because people are busy and movies take a lot of time. When looking for actors be sure to think about which of your characters they suit best. In addition, when trying to figure out who to pick, try and find out what their schedule is like and see how devoted they are for their craft as an actor. Finding out scheduling is always a good thing because if the person works a full time job until six, quite clearly they do not have time for the movie. Finding the person who correctly fits the role is always tough. These decisions are up to the few people who are doing the casting. With independent filmmaking this is often one of your judgment calls, so just be sure to take time and think about who is going to be the best for your production.
Filming is the next step after you have distributed the scripts to the cast and given them some time to become acquainted with their characters. To help with this, the director will get together and have the cast read their parts to each other. As time sinks in the actors start to feel more comfortable with their character and environment, we can make the magic happen. Filming is one of the key parts to a movie. When filming, be sure to be patient. Getting views from different angles is always a good thing. People have a tendency to get bored if the camera view is just showing the entire set the whole time. Try to think how you are going to bring the audience into the story. For example, if it were a scary movie, maybe showing a close-up to the murderer’s face popping up out of the blackness would give the audience a chill down their back. Little things like that all tie into the movie. At the end it gives it uniqueness and overall excitement. Remember if the scene doesn’t seem right, or a mistake has been made, all you have to do is cut and start the scene over. When filming you want to make sure you show the audience what you want them to see.
Finally you can move on to putting the entire process you’ve been working towards into a visual. Editing is also a very crucial part to movie process. When editing you have to be working on it with a director’s view and also the view of your audience, cause keep in mind the only thing they see is what you put on the screen. When editing one of the things I like to get done first is putting all the scenes together in order of the story board from the script. Now that you have your scenes in order you have to pick and choose which cameras views to use to help show the world you’re creating or recreating. Along with that, sometimes adding transitions to your film helps create the impression that the story is moving along to another scene. This usually happens when you are switching settings in the movie. For some filmmakers special effects are a big part to the editing process. Special effects are mostly for high budget movies but on occasion independent filmmakers will use such things. Since I haven’t made too many movies with special effects my goal is to put the movie together with the best intent and turn all the scenes into a journey someone can follow. One of the last steps I use when editing, is to run through a movie a few times and make sure there’s no error or scenes that could be changed. Then afterwards you are ready to enter in the credits of all that went into your moviemaking experience.
As you go through the movie making process, you can begin to realize that there are quite a bit of steps into just beginning a movie, yet alone finishing a complete motion picture. But after you get started it gets easier by the more you work on it, in most cases. One can probably tell that making movies for big screen is a slightly different process from the ones described, but all follow the same key ideas and concepts. Whether you’re writing the script, becoming an actor, filming the movie, or even editing they all are very important parts of the moviemaking process. I feel lucky to have been a part of all the different jobs there was in making a movie and one day I will move on to creating master pieces like Spielberg, but for now I’ll do what I can to make best with what I have. Now you should have a good idea of what happens when you go behind and on the camera, maybe you are the next big thing in Hollywood. Although you won’t know unless you try, so get out there!
Since I make films on my own I do a little bit of everything, however I like to start with a script. Having a script can either be really easy or sort of complex. Writing a script is a somewhat difficult process. It’s like writing a story in a different style with descriptions of scenes and movements usually in parenthesis. The story process is what’s difficult for me the most, it’s always hard coming up new ideas that will work for the movies. Coming with the general idea of the movie causes frustration. Even though it can be difficult, it can be done. Having the right people in your environment when writing can also be very helpful. As your plot begins to unfold it gets easier to fill in the “space between the lines”. Sometimes before the script is written or even after, discussing ideas about the film, it’s always good to have a notepad because not all ideas are the best so writing down the ideas helps to be able to select which ideas to use. After you feel the script is ready that’s usually the green light to move on. If the script isn’t exactly what you want, you can always change it. However you may need permission from the director or producer. Obviously you can’t change the thing as a whole but maybe there certain scenes that could be done differently or enhanced. The desire is to have a good quality script.
After you have a pretty solid picture in your mind of what you want this movie to be, you can start the search for actors. For Hollywood’s producers it’s a lot easier to find someone to act for you especially since they have the money. But for those who have limited budgets they rely on volunteers, friends, or just through social networking. It just kind of reduces the possibility of getting good actors because people are busy and movies take a lot of time. When looking for actors be sure to think about which of your characters they suit best. In addition, when trying to figure out who to pick, try and find out what their schedule is like and see how devoted they are for their craft as an actor. Finding out scheduling is always a good thing because if the person works a full time job until six, quite clearly they do not have time for the movie. Finding the person who correctly fits the role is always tough. These decisions are up to the few people who are doing the casting. With independent filmmaking this is often one of your judgment calls, so just be sure to take time and think about who is going to be the best for your production.
Filming is the next step after you have distributed the scripts to the cast and given them some time to become acquainted with their characters. To help with this, the director will get together and have the cast read their parts to each other. As time sinks in the actors start to feel more comfortable with their character and environment, we can make the magic happen. Filming is one of the key parts to a movie. When filming, be sure to be patient. Getting views from different angles is always a good thing. People have a tendency to get bored if the camera view is just showing the entire set the whole time. Try to think how you are going to bring the audience into the story. For example, if it were a scary movie, maybe showing a close-up to the murderer’s face popping up out of the blackness would give the audience a chill down their back. Little things like that all tie into the movie. At the end it gives it uniqueness and overall excitement. Remember if the scene doesn’t seem right, or a mistake has been made, all you have to do is cut and start the scene over. When filming you want to make sure you show the audience what you want them to see.
Finally you can move on to putting the entire process you’ve been working towards into a visual. Editing is also a very crucial part to movie process. When editing you have to be working on it with a director’s view and also the view of your audience, cause keep in mind the only thing they see is what you put on the screen. When editing one of the things I like to get done first is putting all the scenes together in order of the story board from the script. Now that you have your scenes in order you have to pick and choose which cameras views to use to help show the world you’re creating or recreating. Along with that, sometimes adding transitions to your film helps create the impression that the story is moving along to another scene. This usually happens when you are switching settings in the movie. For some filmmakers special effects are a big part to the editing process. Special effects are mostly for high budget movies but on occasion independent filmmakers will use such things. Since I haven’t made too many movies with special effects my goal is to put the movie together with the best intent and turn all the scenes into a journey someone can follow. One of the last steps I use when editing, is to run through a movie a few times and make sure there’s no error or scenes that could be changed. Then afterwards you are ready to enter in the credits of all that went into your moviemaking experience.
As you go through the movie making process, you can begin to realize that there are quite a bit of steps into just beginning a movie, yet alone finishing a complete motion picture. But after you get started it gets easier by the more you work on it, in most cases. One can probably tell that making movies for big screen is a slightly different process from the ones described, but all follow the same key ideas and concepts. Whether you’re writing the script, becoming an actor, filming the movie, or even editing they all are very important parts of the moviemaking process. I feel lucky to have been a part of all the different jobs there was in making a movie and one day I will move on to creating master pieces like Spielberg, but for now I’ll do what I can to make best with what I have. Now you should have a good idea of what happens when you go behind and on the camera, maybe you are the next big thing in Hollywood. Although you won’t know unless you try, so get out there!
"CiviliZed?" by Jamie Berk
In a world full of people making their own trends and their own ways, it’s hard to not be rude and disrespectful. Our great Country is no longer ewwhat it once was due to our moral values being shambled almost beyond recognition. We as an American civilization go through daily life wanting to find the easiest and shortest route to the end of the day. Even though it’s of our own making, it’s not entirely our fault. Through history we’ve strived as a people to find the simplest ways to get through our daily tasks. With new iPhones and Droids taking the world by storm its easier every day to avoid human contact and not even notice it. We have the internet, which led to most newspaper companies going under based on the simple concept of making life easier and faster. Just as a people we have come to not respect our fellow man because we’d rather make our own lives flow more smoothly when it’s true that what goes around comes right back around.
What happened to the simple days, when we could leave our doors unlocked and not even have the concern as to it being locked? Times when we didn’t have to worry about something as far as our identity being stolen, cars and homes being broken into or just being blatantly disrespected on a daily basis. The worst part is that now a day people don’t even realize how rude they’re really being by texting you from across the room or messaging you on Facebook when a simple conversation would be just as easy. What happened to when we sat down every morning and read our newspapers, we got our information from reading instead of it being “streamed” into our minds. Instead of instant messaging or texting each other, why not sit down and have a good talk? This alone is without a doubt the greatest problem to manifest itself into our society. We’d rather let an emotionless message speak for us, what happen to the good old days?
There are simply too many afflictions in our world and as hard as it may be to face, re-vamping our values may be too late. The truth is with all the technology we’ve grown accustomed to our “simple lives” are nowhere near “simple” by any means. Everyone has a problem but no one is willing to actually stand up straight. It would seem we have become fearful of one another, rather than embracing our brother we’d rather push them out of the way. Everyone is willing to point a finger but never at ourselves. The fact is our own brainchildren have become our downfall. We have worked so hard to make life the way it is today, so why change now. We have become comfortable with the way we live so why change, why go through the strenuous chore of making the world a better place when its “okay the way it is, why mend what’s not broken?”
The question is and will remain “is it too late for us to fix this?” until as a people we strive for better nothing positive will come. We know as American people that until something gets started nothing can be finished. Considering we are a country based on the beliefs of being the best and willing to share our greatness with whoever is going to work for it to be theirs as well, why aren’t we? We have become a people of careless, egotistic and vanity driven values. It seems to be more about what the next person thinks of you than what you think of yourself now a days and at the rate we’re headed it may too late to steer a stray. The simple concept of change has become so blurred because we would rather do better than the next guy rather than just do the best for ourselves. When we pride ourselves on how we look rather than how we act, nothing but negativity will result. Even though our economy is “rebounding” and we remain one of if not the top nation in the world, I ask, “Are we civilized?”
What happened to the simple days, when we could leave our doors unlocked and not even have the concern as to it being locked? Times when we didn’t have to worry about something as far as our identity being stolen, cars and homes being broken into or just being blatantly disrespected on a daily basis. The worst part is that now a day people don’t even realize how rude they’re really being by texting you from across the room or messaging you on Facebook when a simple conversation would be just as easy. What happened to when we sat down every morning and read our newspapers, we got our information from reading instead of it being “streamed” into our minds. Instead of instant messaging or texting each other, why not sit down and have a good talk? This alone is without a doubt the greatest problem to manifest itself into our society. We’d rather let an emotionless message speak for us, what happen to the good old days?
There are simply too many afflictions in our world and as hard as it may be to face, re-vamping our values may be too late. The truth is with all the technology we’ve grown accustomed to our “simple lives” are nowhere near “simple” by any means. Everyone has a problem but no one is willing to actually stand up straight. It would seem we have become fearful of one another, rather than embracing our brother we’d rather push them out of the way. Everyone is willing to point a finger but never at ourselves. The fact is our own brainchildren have become our downfall. We have worked so hard to make life the way it is today, so why change now. We have become comfortable with the way we live so why change, why go through the strenuous chore of making the world a better place when its “okay the way it is, why mend what’s not broken?”
The question is and will remain “is it too late for us to fix this?” until as a people we strive for better nothing positive will come. We know as American people that until something gets started nothing can be finished. Considering we are a country based on the beliefs of being the best and willing to share our greatness with whoever is going to work for it to be theirs as well, why aren’t we? We have become a people of careless, egotistic and vanity driven values. It seems to be more about what the next person thinks of you than what you think of yourself now a days and at the rate we’re headed it may too late to steer a stray. The simple concept of change has become so blurred because we would rather do better than the next guy rather than just do the best for ourselves. When we pride ourselves on how we look rather than how we act, nothing but negativity will result. Even though our economy is “rebounding” and we remain one of if not the top nation in the world, I ask, “Are we civilized?”
"Where Would We BE if They Were Still Here?" by Adrian Hernandez
Men like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, John Lennon and even Jesus spoke words so powerful they moved the people of there time, they started revolutions and changed the way people think. They all something in common that made their movement even stronger; they spoke to a group of oppressed people.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to his black brother and sisters who were being killed, beat up, and all around mistreated by the “white man.” Gandhi he spoke to his fellow Indian brothers and sisters who were being oppressed by the British forces who were occupying there land. And one of my favorite revolutionaries was John Lennon, he spoke to the world. He preached to a group of kids who were being sent off to war to fight a fight that was not there to fight.
They would speak words that there people can relate too. They spoke the truth that many were afraid to speak. They spoke of words everyone could believe in because these were things that were going on in there time, there culture, and there life. They talked about change a different way of life. These words were so powerful they would often open the eyes of men and women who didn’t believe. I guess you can say they saw the light, not light of God but the light of knowledge. A light they can follow out of the darkness of ignorance and lead them to a brighter future. Its sad to say these men aren’t around any more. It’s almost as though these kind of people aren’t around either. We would like to believe our politicians, men we elect to put in power are these kinds of people but everyday that light these great men once shined upon or world is getting dimmer and darker each day. Where would we be if they were still here?
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to his black brother and sisters who were being killed, beat up, and all around mistreated by the “white man.” Gandhi he spoke to his fellow Indian brothers and sisters who were being oppressed by the British forces who were occupying there land. And one of my favorite revolutionaries was John Lennon, he spoke to the world. He preached to a group of kids who were being sent off to war to fight a fight that was not there to fight.
They would speak words that there people can relate too. They spoke the truth that many were afraid to speak. They spoke of words everyone could believe in because these were things that were going on in there time, there culture, and there life. They talked about change a different way of life. These words were so powerful they would often open the eyes of men and women who didn’t believe. I guess you can say they saw the light, not light of God but the light of knowledge. A light they can follow out of the darkness of ignorance and lead them to a brighter future. Its sad to say these men aren’t around any more. It’s almost as though these kind of people aren’t around either. We would like to believe our politicians, men we elect to put in power are these kinds of people but everyday that light these great men once shined upon or world is getting dimmer and darker each day. Where would we be if they were still here?
"Dealing With Emotional Abuse" by Vanessa Miller
When dealing with emotion abuse systematic psychotherapy is important for the psychological well-being of the patient. Emotional abuse is physical and verbal, it can be traumatizing and cause the mind to dysfunction. In order to deal with emotional abuse most patients’ need to see a professional for help. Most people in society do not recognize the disruption in life that emotional abuse can have on the mental well-being of the patient. It is important for society to understand how emotional abuse affects the mind and how systematic psychotherapy can help.
Emotional abuse can be psychical or verbal. Physical abuse could permanently scar someone, let’s say there is a married couple and they have a very strong relationship, and one evening they are arguing, the husband loses control of himself and shoves his wife against the wall and chokes her at the same time. After this the woman is going to be traumatized and every time there is an argument, from then on she will feel like she has to keep her guard up. Why would she have to keep her guard up? Well this is the effects of the emotional abuse it gives you a different mindset that is not always settling. Verbal abuse is easy to display towards a person, it is normally discomforting. Verbal abuse of course is verbal and phrases that are used like “you’re ugly” or “why do you have those silly pants on” or maybe even “you’re stupid.” All of these examples can change what a person see themselves in reality. If it is heard enough it will then start to change how the person perceives themselves, abusing their minds.
Systematic psychotherapy can be helpful dealing with emotional abuse because it allows the patient to express themselves and get the real life thoughts out of their head. Anyone can benefit from these sessions, even if there is one session attended that could be very helpful. The art of letting our emotions come down from our brain and out of our mouth allows the body to release tension about the situation disrupting us. If you can combine this with a well trained professional this allows them to help us essentially because they are able to ask the right questions. Also most patients just need someone to actively listen and provide constructive feedback that way they feel like they are being understood.
There is no need for anyone no matter where they come from or where they were born to feel less than equal in society. For one not to be happy with themselves because what people say or how they are treated is not normal. A persons actions could turn deadly creating room for suicide and cutting, a modern way that people or displaying their feelings on their wrist, yet not going that deep. With the therapy it this can drastically change.
Now as explained in the beginning, we as people have to allow ourselves to be sensitive and not always be so over talkative and so judgmental that it affects the ones that we care most about or people we don’t know. Not all cases are seen by a professional, but the direction of the one person’s life can be changed just like that.
Emotional abuse can be psychical or verbal. Physical abuse could permanently scar someone, let’s say there is a married couple and they have a very strong relationship, and one evening they are arguing, the husband loses control of himself and shoves his wife against the wall and chokes her at the same time. After this the woman is going to be traumatized and every time there is an argument, from then on she will feel like she has to keep her guard up. Why would she have to keep her guard up? Well this is the effects of the emotional abuse it gives you a different mindset that is not always settling. Verbal abuse is easy to display towards a person, it is normally discomforting. Verbal abuse of course is verbal and phrases that are used like “you’re ugly” or “why do you have those silly pants on” or maybe even “you’re stupid.” All of these examples can change what a person see themselves in reality. If it is heard enough it will then start to change how the person perceives themselves, abusing their minds.
Systematic psychotherapy can be helpful dealing with emotional abuse because it allows the patient to express themselves and get the real life thoughts out of their head. Anyone can benefit from these sessions, even if there is one session attended that could be very helpful. The art of letting our emotions come down from our brain and out of our mouth allows the body to release tension about the situation disrupting us. If you can combine this with a well trained professional this allows them to help us essentially because they are able to ask the right questions. Also most patients just need someone to actively listen and provide constructive feedback that way they feel like they are being understood.
There is no need for anyone no matter where they come from or where they were born to feel less than equal in society. For one not to be happy with themselves because what people say or how they are treated is not normal. A persons actions could turn deadly creating room for suicide and cutting, a modern way that people or displaying their feelings on their wrist, yet not going that deep. With the therapy it this can drastically change.
Now as explained in the beginning, we as people have to allow ourselves to be sensitive and not always be so over talkative and so judgmental that it affects the ones that we care most about or people we don’t know. Not all cases are seen by a professional, but the direction of the one person’s life can be changed just like that.
"Challenges in New Life" by ThuHoa Nguyen
Challenge is hard thing to face with in life. No one can avoid it or you will see it once in life. My big challenges began when I came to the America. This event changed my life such as language, school, friendship, etc. To me, this event was new life. I was sad and cried when I have trouble. From these troubles, I had more experiences than before and made me more confident to face with another challenge.
When I came to U.S.A., in my mind, I thought a lot of plans for new life. First, I would learn English. Second, I would graduate high school and looking for job. I never thought that I would go to college because of English. These plans sounded really easy but it was not to reach. English was not easy to learn because it had a lot of words and grammars. My story began when I said to my mom I would gave up. Then, my mom advised, “You do not try how you know you can’t do it?”
I said, “Mom, English is not easy to me because I am not good in leaning a new language.”
Mom said: “You came to America; English is an essential for you.”
Mom continued: “If you don’t know English, you will be as a silent person.”
Finally, I told my mom: “I understood mom, you are right, I will try my best.”
After two hours, I obeyed my mom and went to school. My aunt and mom took me to school and registered for class. I felt worried because it was also my first day of school. Then, I went to class, the counselor registered for me in ESL classes. I looked around realized that everyone came from different countries and right now I felt relief because I was not different from another. Then, the teacher was nice to me and talked slowly. She asked me, “Where are you from?”
I answered: “I am from Vietnam.”
The teacher asked, “Did you learn English from Vietnam?”
I said “No.”
She asked me with some simple questions, that I realized that she wanted to check how my English. Then, she gave me a book and told me to go home and look at it. Sometimes, she acted by hand to make me understand what she was talking. Right now, I felt comfortable and not stressed anymore. I suddenly remembered to my mom’s words to me, I felt it was right. It would not be a big challenge if you thought it was. I felt I was lucky because everything came to me luckily.
I never thought that I would go to college. My plan was I graduated from high school and looked for job. In my senior year, I knew the program about financial aid and I applied for it. At the end of my senior year, I had result that they approved to pay fees for me if I go to college. I was happy because my family would not worry about my study fees. In my mind, I planned my major. Right now, I still do not believe that I go to college. Coming to America, I changed to a new person and learned how to face with trouble. I was not a kid anymore. Life makes me become a responsibility person. I realized that family is major element to make me stand up and passed every challenge. I still remember all words my mom said to me. It will not be hard if you try it. It’s true.
When I came to U.S.A., in my mind, I thought a lot of plans for new life. First, I would learn English. Second, I would graduate high school and looking for job. I never thought that I would go to college because of English. These plans sounded really easy but it was not to reach. English was not easy to learn because it had a lot of words and grammars. My story began when I said to my mom I would gave up. Then, my mom advised, “You do not try how you know you can’t do it?”
I said, “Mom, English is not easy to me because I am not good in leaning a new language.”
Mom said: “You came to America; English is an essential for you.”
Mom continued: “If you don’t know English, you will be as a silent person.”
Finally, I told my mom: “I understood mom, you are right, I will try my best.”
After two hours, I obeyed my mom and went to school. My aunt and mom took me to school and registered for class. I felt worried because it was also my first day of school. Then, I went to class, the counselor registered for me in ESL classes. I looked around realized that everyone came from different countries and right now I felt relief because I was not different from another. Then, the teacher was nice to me and talked slowly. She asked me, “Where are you from?”
I answered: “I am from Vietnam.”
The teacher asked, “Did you learn English from Vietnam?”
I said “No.”
She asked me with some simple questions, that I realized that she wanted to check how my English. Then, she gave me a book and told me to go home and look at it. Sometimes, she acted by hand to make me understand what she was talking. Right now, I felt comfortable and not stressed anymore. I suddenly remembered to my mom’s words to me, I felt it was right. It would not be a big challenge if you thought it was. I felt I was lucky because everything came to me luckily.
I never thought that I would go to college. My plan was I graduated from high school and looked for job. In my senior year, I knew the program about financial aid and I applied for it. At the end of my senior year, I had result that they approved to pay fees for me if I go to college. I was happy because my family would not worry about my study fees. In my mind, I planned my major. Right now, I still do not believe that I go to college. Coming to America, I changed to a new person and learned how to face with trouble. I was not a kid anymore. Life makes me become a responsibility person. I realized that family is major element to make me stand up and passed every challenge. I still remember all words my mom said to me. It will not be hard if you try it. It’s true.
"Creative Monster Part Two" by Ambrosia Lavery
When I was younger I was told that I never put much thought into my papers, and that they weren’t good enough. Now days I think about what I am writing for a certain amount of time and then write my paper. My writing has got so much better since I was younger. My papers make more sense and they flow better than what they used to be. When I am not in school, I mostly write poems. I have a spiral notebook that is full of them. I also have another journal that is full of my thoughts. Whatever I am thinking about, whether it is serious or funny, I write about it. Most of them are serious because right now my life is serious. I have taken a lot of advise from people about my writing. Like I said it has progressively gotten better, but it could always use some work. Not everything is perfect. Even a final draft of a paper is perfect, but it will always just be a piece of paper with words on it.
"Kowarete iku Sekai" (A Breaking World) by Ngoc Nguyen
Kowarete iku Sekai
(A breaking World)
On the dark-moor road
I step my footprints on the ground
I realize
The feelings of loneliness.
The sky is pale without sunshine
The trees beside the track are emaciated
With the colorless leaf
Why is scenery so colorless?
Even I’m pale.
A guitar leans on the rocks
Wind plays a sad melody on breaking strings.
I can hear
Crying sounds confound the wind whistled cold
On the roof of the hill
I see the word
It is breaking
Little by little, the color is faded away
White
It’s so white.
No more the green of plants
No more the blue of ocean
No more the brown of soil.
The word is turned to become white.
By human
Eventually, human is discolored by human
Human strangle human
Where is the color of sentiment?
Where is the color of heart?
Where is the cure color of human soul?
Without kindness, we live and die as zombies without souls
We corrupt
I want to scream
I want to say stop
This start is discolored
Do you see?
The plant where we live is being discolored
What do you give to it?
Painful
The world is breaking by painful and hopeless
Do you hear?
It’s crying
What kinds of civilization are you proud?
That thing that you think it makes you become prefect.
It’s just the selfish from your mind.
You live on the lies to comfort yourself that you don’t do anything wrong.
Lies… They’re just lies.
Tell me how do you describe the time?
Do you realize the world turned into white?
Do you realize we are coming to the end?
I wonder when we won’t be existed anymore.
I don’t know.
But I can feel
It closes.
The world will end.
But before that, I want to know the unblemished love
I want to live a meaning life
I want to hear the laughs of new born.
I want to see the last peace on this world
And the color of the tears is dropping down to my chin for this star.
Are their whites or not?
A breaking World.
(A breaking World)
On the dark-moor road
I step my footprints on the ground
I realize
The feelings of loneliness.
The sky is pale without sunshine
The trees beside the track are emaciated
With the colorless leaf
Why is scenery so colorless?
Even I’m pale.
A guitar leans on the rocks
Wind plays a sad melody on breaking strings.
I can hear
Crying sounds confound the wind whistled cold
On the roof of the hill
I see the word
It is breaking
Little by little, the color is faded away
White
It’s so white.
No more the green of plants
No more the blue of ocean
No more the brown of soil.
The word is turned to become white.
By human
Eventually, human is discolored by human
Human strangle human
Where is the color of sentiment?
Where is the color of heart?
Where is the cure color of human soul?
Without kindness, we live and die as zombies without souls
We corrupt
I want to scream
I want to say stop
This start is discolored
Do you see?
The plant where we live is being discolored
What do you give to it?
Painful
The world is breaking by painful and hopeless
Do you hear?
It’s crying
What kinds of civilization are you proud?
That thing that you think it makes you become prefect.
It’s just the selfish from your mind.
You live on the lies to comfort yourself that you don’t do anything wrong.
Lies… They’re just lies.
Tell me how do you describe the time?
Do you realize the world turned into white?
Do you realize we are coming to the end?
I wonder when we won’t be existed anymore.
I don’t know.
But I can feel
It closes.
The world will end.
But before that, I want to know the unblemished love
I want to live a meaning life
I want to hear the laughs of new born.
I want to see the last peace on this world
And the color of the tears is dropping down to my chin for this star.
Are their whites or not?
A breaking World.
"Painting Walls" by Tequila Patterson
Painting walls is a knowledgeable thing that requires patience. You have to have the right tools and paint techniques in order to do it right. There are people that are professional painters that can do the job or you can do it yourself. When painting you are required to not wear casual clothes or dress up. You can wear clothes that are ragged or comfortable. There are guidelines when painting if you don’t follow them then you will mess up. You can have a group of people or one person painting it depends on what you are doing. You have to know the color, paint tools, and supplies in order to set your wall up. You also have to know what type of wall you are painting on. If you have the right paint, the tools, and supplies your walls should look how you or someone else wants them to look.
Painting a wall can be either fun or aggravating. Painting walls can be fun, if you have the right people to do it with. You need people that follow directions and listen well. When you have more than one person you can have paint fights and splash paint on the walls.
It can get aggravating if one or group people don’t know what they are doing; If there’s person that is leading everyone and telling them what to do and that person doesn’t give good instructions. Then people get lost on what to do that causes confusion. If you don’t have the right paint, it can also cause a problem. If you paint the walls with the wrong paint then you have to let it dry that will take a few hours and repaint it with the right color. You have to do thin strokes than go over it with medium strokes to even the color.
Painting a wall is easy to do. You have to have patience and follow instructions well enough to do the job right. Painting walls is like a five step process you have to do. The five steps require you to cover any furniture outlets or windows with blue masking tape. You have to put masking tape on the bases and edges of your walls. You have to put canvas sheets or ragged sheets on the floor s. Depending on what type of walls it’s you need the right type of painting tools and supplies. You need your paint bucket or pail. The final step is rolling your roller in the paint and painting strokes vertical up and down to even the strokes. If you follow these steps you should have a nice looking wall. If you don’t follow those steps then it might take you longer to paint your home. You have to use straight line patterns when painting depending on wall texture. It makes the lines on the walls even. When you use different line patterns, the strokes don’t come out right. You have to go over the uneven spots. In that situation, that causes the strokes on the wall to be thicker. You would need a smaller Wooster Roller to go over the thicker spots until it’s even.
It doesn’t matter if you have an apartment or home. You have to have the right tools for painting. If you don’t have the right tools to paint your house might not turn out like you want it to. When painting outside you have to use the exterior paint. This paint can deal with chemicals and weather conditions so your house still looks nice. You can use it on any material like bricks or wood. Depending on the material on your house, you can use a smaller or bigger roller the same for paint brushes. You can also use thick rollers to. Interior paint is use for inside your home or apartment. This paint requires smaller or medium size rollers and sometimes thick rollers. You need small paint brushes.
I would recommend using the Wooster Wool Roller Covers. It is 100 percent lamb’s wool and gives a great finishing touch on your walls. There are many different sizes for the Wooster Rollers. They range from nine inches too eighteen inches. You can use the thick rollers that range from three-eighths too one and one-fourth size. For the smooth walls use a one half thinner cover and texture walls use three-fourth roller cover. I would recommend using the standard nine inch roller. Canvas drop clothes are very helpful when painting. You can put these on the floor to cover your tile or carpet. If you don’t have any canvas drop clothes you can use a ragged sheet or plastic they both work well. You should get a few paint brushes. You need the ones that are three inches long and are flat or have an angle. You need masking tape and plastic to cover your outlets, bases and spots where you don’t want paint. I would tell people that are painting their own home to use the Bercom Handy Pain Pail. This pail is very helpful with other paint projects and allows you to paint easier without having paint everywhere. The Handy Paint Pail is solvent resistant you can put in any type of paint.
There are all different types of paint out there. You have the latex and oil base paint to primer the walls. You can use exterior paint for outside and interior paint for inside. You can use a glossy paint to give your walls a shiny color.
Before you paint the walls all the repairs on the walls have to be finished. If the repairs on the walls aren’t finished and you paint over them then the paint will show the defects of the repair. You are supposed to use two inch masking tape to protect your bases so paint won’t drip on the floor. Masking paper or newspaper is used for your windows to protect them. Blue masking tape is safe to use if you leave the tape on or remove within three to four hours. You can use this tape for the edges or to make a design on the wall. Cover your furniture with plastic to protect it. A good painting rule is never apply water oil paint to oil base paint without priming it. You have to use the oil paint first, and then use the water oil paint so that you won’t have to apply primer to the walls.
When you begin to paint the walls you can use a three inch paint brush around the corners to trim it. You can use the tip of the brush to give a better stroke and don’t add too much pressure. When you put the roller in the paint don’t submerge the roller in the paint. That will produce drips on the end of the roller and paint will be everywhere. You want to do a slow upward stroke toward the corner of the wall. Then make your way over to the middle and repeat the steps. You have to use a straight line pattern when unloading your roller. When you over lap each stroke use three-four inches it will reduce the pressure and spreads the paint out. Continue the pattern until the whole wall is done and go over the thick edges with the roller. When you are done with all your walls you should be happy with the results.
Painting a wall can be either fun or aggravating. Painting walls can be fun, if you have the right people to do it with. You need people that follow directions and listen well. When you have more than one person you can have paint fights and splash paint on the walls.
It can get aggravating if one or group people don’t know what they are doing; If there’s person that is leading everyone and telling them what to do and that person doesn’t give good instructions. Then people get lost on what to do that causes confusion. If you don’t have the right paint, it can also cause a problem. If you paint the walls with the wrong paint then you have to let it dry that will take a few hours and repaint it with the right color. You have to do thin strokes than go over it with medium strokes to even the color.
Painting a wall is easy to do. You have to have patience and follow instructions well enough to do the job right. Painting walls is like a five step process you have to do. The five steps require you to cover any furniture outlets or windows with blue masking tape. You have to put masking tape on the bases and edges of your walls. You have to put canvas sheets or ragged sheets on the floor s. Depending on what type of walls it’s you need the right type of painting tools and supplies. You need your paint bucket or pail. The final step is rolling your roller in the paint and painting strokes vertical up and down to even the strokes. If you follow these steps you should have a nice looking wall. If you don’t follow those steps then it might take you longer to paint your home. You have to use straight line patterns when painting depending on wall texture. It makes the lines on the walls even. When you use different line patterns, the strokes don’t come out right. You have to go over the uneven spots. In that situation, that causes the strokes on the wall to be thicker. You would need a smaller Wooster Roller to go over the thicker spots until it’s even.
It doesn’t matter if you have an apartment or home. You have to have the right tools for painting. If you don’t have the right tools to paint your house might not turn out like you want it to. When painting outside you have to use the exterior paint. This paint can deal with chemicals and weather conditions so your house still looks nice. You can use it on any material like bricks or wood. Depending on the material on your house, you can use a smaller or bigger roller the same for paint brushes. You can also use thick rollers to. Interior paint is use for inside your home or apartment. This paint requires smaller or medium size rollers and sometimes thick rollers. You need small paint brushes.
I would recommend using the Wooster Wool Roller Covers. It is 100 percent lamb’s wool and gives a great finishing touch on your walls. There are many different sizes for the Wooster Rollers. They range from nine inches too eighteen inches. You can use the thick rollers that range from three-eighths too one and one-fourth size. For the smooth walls use a one half thinner cover and texture walls use three-fourth roller cover. I would recommend using the standard nine inch roller. Canvas drop clothes are very helpful when painting. You can put these on the floor to cover your tile or carpet. If you don’t have any canvas drop clothes you can use a ragged sheet or plastic they both work well. You should get a few paint brushes. You need the ones that are three inches long and are flat or have an angle. You need masking tape and plastic to cover your outlets, bases and spots where you don’t want paint. I would tell people that are painting their own home to use the Bercom Handy Pain Pail. This pail is very helpful with other paint projects and allows you to paint easier without having paint everywhere. The Handy Paint Pail is solvent resistant you can put in any type of paint.
There are all different types of paint out there. You have the latex and oil base paint to primer the walls. You can use exterior paint for outside and interior paint for inside. You can use a glossy paint to give your walls a shiny color.
Before you paint the walls all the repairs on the walls have to be finished. If the repairs on the walls aren’t finished and you paint over them then the paint will show the defects of the repair. You are supposed to use two inch masking tape to protect your bases so paint won’t drip on the floor. Masking paper or newspaper is used for your windows to protect them. Blue masking tape is safe to use if you leave the tape on or remove within three to four hours. You can use this tape for the edges or to make a design on the wall. Cover your furniture with plastic to protect it. A good painting rule is never apply water oil paint to oil base paint without priming it. You have to use the oil paint first, and then use the water oil paint so that you won’t have to apply primer to the walls.
When you begin to paint the walls you can use a three inch paint brush around the corners to trim it. You can use the tip of the brush to give a better stroke and don’t add too much pressure. When you put the roller in the paint don’t submerge the roller in the paint. That will produce drips on the end of the roller and paint will be everywhere. You want to do a slow upward stroke toward the corner of the wall. Then make your way over to the middle and repeat the steps. You have to use a straight line pattern when unloading your roller. When you over lap each stroke use three-four inches it will reduce the pressure and spreads the paint out. Continue the pattern until the whole wall is done and go over the thick edges with the roller. When you are done with all your walls you should be happy with the results.
"Fear of Mathematics" by Mamadou Gaye
Many people feel anxiety about taking math course. Math anxiety or fear of math is quite common. In " Tackling the math monster" by Roshmi Raychaudhuri published on May 19, 2004 in the Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, the author described the important place of mathematics in our society.
The extreme fear of math can compromise the future career of certain students. Today the knowledge of calculus is unavoidable for students, who are in research. Students must be good in logical mathematics, as well as making mathematical connections to every day. In addition the universities expect first of all to their students, the mastery of calculus. An analytical brain is another important thing to be admitted in Universities. Many professions need the knowledge of math concepts in higher education.
Our society is held together with math. Every little bit of human society require mathematics. Science, communication, construction, cartography, and music are things that touch every person's lives at one point or another and they all require math to do. The mathematical concepts and methods are not just for the pleasure. They have many benefits that impact on the real-life. These mathematical ideas must be easy to understand. Students should have the strategies to identify any mathematical problems and their utilities.
The author of this article was talking to African and Asian people in their handicap to follow mathematics in their real-life. The backwardness from these two countries in mathematics concepts and methods leads them in underdeveloped. He appeals the readers to get idea about the unavoidable utility of mathematics in daily-life. He uses the causes and effects of mathematics in our modern society.
Actually, I don't believe in mathematic phobia because a phobia is an irrational fear. And I think mathematics phobia is an entirely rational fear and it is a fear of the unknown and undoable. Tell yourself that math is not a scary monster or an aptitude that people are born with. It is a skill that can be acquired. Many students get nervous at the thought of studying or using math. In most cases, the more math you do, the less scary it becomes.
In my opinion, this article is the successful; but, doesn't effective. The author of this article doesn't mention: How do students overcome to this type of fear? I think a positive attitude will help to understand mathematics. However, positive attitude come with quality teaching. Any math problem can be isolated, examined closely, and understand what it's made of. When you do that, you'll soon find the fear goes away.
When I read this article, I feel concerned at all because I came from a country, where utility of mathematics is unknown by most people. Every day, we copy the technology from Europe and America. But, we haven't found yet our own way to make the mathematical concepts and methods profitable for our people in daily-life. I learn from this article the modern society is led by the mathematical concepts and methods. But, I'm still persuaded others things must be considered and consolidated for every step of modern society.
In conclusion, after reading " Tackling the math monster" I get a pleasure to see how author purpose the important place of mathematics in our society. However, the mathematics have never been a monster, only some teachers don't explain as well as the interest of these concepts and methods in real-life. Good teachers can help students to overcome to math anxiety by showing the easy to solve mathematics problems and their utilities in the real life.
Source Citation;
"Tacking the math monster." Asia Africa Intelligence Wire 19 May 2004. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 4 Mar. 2010.
The extreme fear of math can compromise the future career of certain students. Today the knowledge of calculus is unavoidable for students, who are in research. Students must be good in logical mathematics, as well as making mathematical connections to every day. In addition the universities expect first of all to their students, the mastery of calculus. An analytical brain is another important thing to be admitted in Universities. Many professions need the knowledge of math concepts in higher education.
Our society is held together with math. Every little bit of human society require mathematics. Science, communication, construction, cartography, and music are things that touch every person's lives at one point or another and they all require math to do. The mathematical concepts and methods are not just for the pleasure. They have many benefits that impact on the real-life. These mathematical ideas must be easy to understand. Students should have the strategies to identify any mathematical problems and their utilities.
The author of this article was talking to African and Asian people in their handicap to follow mathematics in their real-life. The backwardness from these two countries in mathematics concepts and methods leads them in underdeveloped. He appeals the readers to get idea about the unavoidable utility of mathematics in daily-life. He uses the causes and effects of mathematics in our modern society.
Actually, I don't believe in mathematic phobia because a phobia is an irrational fear. And I think mathematics phobia is an entirely rational fear and it is a fear of the unknown and undoable. Tell yourself that math is not a scary monster or an aptitude that people are born with. It is a skill that can be acquired. Many students get nervous at the thought of studying or using math. In most cases, the more math you do, the less scary it becomes.
In my opinion, this article is the successful; but, doesn't effective. The author of this article doesn't mention: How do students overcome to this type of fear? I think a positive attitude will help to understand mathematics. However, positive attitude come with quality teaching. Any math problem can be isolated, examined closely, and understand what it's made of. When you do that, you'll soon find the fear goes away.
When I read this article, I feel concerned at all because I came from a country, where utility of mathematics is unknown by most people. Every day, we copy the technology from Europe and America. But, we haven't found yet our own way to make the mathematical concepts and methods profitable for our people in daily-life. I learn from this article the modern society is led by the mathematical concepts and methods. But, I'm still persuaded others things must be considered and consolidated for every step of modern society.
In conclusion, after reading " Tackling the math monster" I get a pleasure to see how author purpose the important place of mathematics in our society. However, the mathematics have never been a monster, only some teachers don't explain as well as the interest of these concepts and methods in real-life. Good teachers can help students to overcome to math anxiety by showing the easy to solve mathematics problems and their utilities in the real life.
Source Citation;
"Tacking the math monster." Asia Africa Intelligence Wire 19 May 2004. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 4 Mar. 2010.
"The Elephant Bar" by Colorina Fierro Ogaz
Yesterday me and my and my friends went to visit the Elephant bar located in alameda on reed street. The interior of elephant bar was very pleasant there were wooden booths and wooden tables. The place was very rustic in style. The floors were covered with zebra striped carpet. The bar was in a corner of the restaurant; it was black with four gray elephant heads on its crown. I guess that is what the bar was named after. The whole atmosphere was even more relaxing thanks to instrumental music in the background.
As soon as we come in we were seated by a friendly hostess , she was very friendly and it seemed like she like her job because she was so cheerful. About three minutes later our server, Katie, came to the table and offered us something to drink. I ordered a piña colada and it didn’t take too long for her to get it. We received our drinks in barely five minutes. Since we were ready to order, Katie went on to take it from us. We all ordered sandwiches with grilled steak, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes as well as a side of French fries. It took about ten minutes to get our food, which was served really nicely on a leaf of lettuce. The server impressed us by always being helpful and bringing us a whole set of sauces when we had problems deciding on which one to get. The sandwiches were very good. The meat was perfect and all the vegetables seemed fresh and tasty. We even got an extra portion of fries for all of us. The waitress came by our table numerous times juts to offer refills and ask how the food was. On the other hand, she was not pushy like some servers are.
Unfortunately the meal was so filling that we had no room for a dessert, which I regret because the menu offered a wide selection of desserts. We were all happy with the restaurant, the service and the food and we would definitely go back there or recommend it to others.
As soon as we come in we were seated by a friendly hostess , she was very friendly and it seemed like she like her job because she was so cheerful. About three minutes later our server, Katie, came to the table and offered us something to drink. I ordered a piña colada and it didn’t take too long for her to get it. We received our drinks in barely five minutes. Since we were ready to order, Katie went on to take it from us. We all ordered sandwiches with grilled steak, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes as well as a side of French fries. It took about ten minutes to get our food, which was served really nicely on a leaf of lettuce. The server impressed us by always being helpful and bringing us a whole set of sauces when we had problems deciding on which one to get. The sandwiches were very good. The meat was perfect and all the vegetables seemed fresh and tasty. We even got an extra portion of fries for all of us. The waitress came by our table numerous times juts to offer refills and ask how the food was. On the other hand, she was not pushy like some servers are.
Unfortunately the meal was so filling that we had no room for a dessert, which I regret because the menu offered a wide selection of desserts. We were all happy with the restaurant, the service and the food and we would definitely go back there or recommend it to others.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
"The Critical Monster in my Life" by Kathy Griffin
The critical monster in my life; Wow that is a hurting statement for me, because
I will never forget the pain it brought to me. It has been hard to get past the words or the way this person would punish me for what I felt was good for me. Well, let me start from the beginning I attended a catholic school and I never had friends in my age. The kids in my classes were not nice at all . I guess you could say they were cruel all the way around. Nevertheless the teacher was the lead monster for me! These were two things I recall taking a toll on me, you ask how:
Let me explain how the students and my teacher punished me day in and out.
First, I would like to share with you the terror they put me through during
my preschool year. I truly felt that they were taunting me with their words or objects, like sticks, or by pulling my hair on a regular basis. I began to play the sick roll on school days, because of all the terrible things that my classmates would put me through; Like taunting me by hitting, throwing small objects, pulling my hair or just making up things I did not do. They would always tell Sister Katherine, and I felt she was the meanest person I have ever met. No matter what it was in learning and on my work I would receive a good mark. She
would find something wrong with it. Her main thing in a day was to make me feel belittled, whether if I did a good deed by making sure they was a attended to as quickly as possible. Sister Katherine would blame me for anyone who got hurt like I just walked up to them and pushed The little monsters. The children would fall and hurt themselves and make it seem as if I did it, and that’s when I would find myself in time out and also thwack with her ruler several
times before naptime.
This brings me back to the coveys’ in the beginning when I thought my teacher
(Sister Katherine) was the ring leader of all my time in preschool. Even if my class mates caused me misery and my teacher never made it any easier for me either. Whatever went wrong during the day when I was at school I was the corporate of the whole incident. I ofte asked her;” Why do treat me like you do not like me?” Her response was always; “I do not like your presences’ here at the school of your parents choice, also the kids here are jealous of you in a lot of ways.” I always told her I was sorry, but now that I ponder on it why did I feel so bad for
what other people were going through? Thinking back on those days makes me feel real weak, but I guess it is all in growing up and learning about life. Now that I look back on my younger days, it is actually a little funny but it is a part of my early life that I will never forget.
I will never forget the pain it brought to me. It has been hard to get past the words or the way this person would punish me for what I felt was good for me. Well, let me start from the beginning I attended a catholic school and I never had friends in my age. The kids in my classes were not nice at all . I guess you could say they were cruel all the way around. Nevertheless the teacher was the lead monster for me! These were two things I recall taking a toll on me, you ask how:
Let me explain how the students and my teacher punished me day in and out.
First, I would like to share with you the terror they put me through during
my preschool year. I truly felt that they were taunting me with their words or objects, like sticks, or by pulling my hair on a regular basis. I began to play the sick roll on school days, because of all the terrible things that my classmates would put me through; Like taunting me by hitting, throwing small objects, pulling my hair or just making up things I did not do. They would always tell Sister Katherine, and I felt she was the meanest person I have ever met. No matter what it was in learning and on my work I would receive a good mark. She
would find something wrong with it. Her main thing in a day was to make me feel belittled, whether if I did a good deed by making sure they was a attended to as quickly as possible. Sister Katherine would blame me for anyone who got hurt like I just walked up to them and pushed The little monsters. The children would fall and hurt themselves and make it seem as if I did it, and that’s when I would find myself in time out and also thwack with her ruler several
times before naptime.
This brings me back to the coveys’ in the beginning when I thought my teacher
(Sister Katherine) was the ring leader of all my time in preschool. Even if my class mates caused me misery and my teacher never made it any easier for me either. Whatever went wrong during the day when I was at school I was the corporate of the whole incident. I ofte asked her;” Why do treat me like you do not like me?” Her response was always; “I do not like your presences’ here at the school of your parents choice, also the kids here are jealous of you in a lot of ways.” I always told her I was sorry, but now that I ponder on it why did I feel so bad for
what other people were going through? Thinking back on those days makes me feel real weak, but I guess it is all in growing up and learning about life. Now that I look back on my younger days, it is actually a little funny but it is a part of my early life that I will never forget.
"Dollar A Thought" by Melissa Mestas
The soft beat of Floetry rang in my ears as I watched my breath exit my body into the air. The below zero oxygen entering my lungs was slightly painful as I waited for my bus ride back home. I watched the few pedestrians who are struggling to stay warm. A young girl in a fluffy white jacket was jumping around, I assume in hopes to warm up. All her face and hair was covered with her jacket hood and scarf only leaving her bright blue eyes open to view. An elderly woman walking with a cane on the icy sidewalk in a rush nearly fell.
I continued listening to the music coming from my headphones when I noticed a homeless man just minutes away from me. He looked older, but the closer he approached me the more I realized he was a lot younger than he looked. The thought of him not having a home to go to in the cold weather broke my heart. I pulled my headphones off my ears as he walked closer to me, as to appear not to be rude. He asked if I may have a couple dollars to spare for him to ride the bus. As I dug into my small white purse looking for anything I could help him with, I noticed how thin he was. His hands, ungloved were wrinkly and dirty. I saw the grime underneath his nails as he tried to keep them warm. I finally found a couple dollars and handed it to him. He continued to thank me, even well after we bordered the bus.
I sat there, just kept catching myself glancing at him and wondering. What kind of life did he have? What brought him to the point that he has the life he has now? Every aspect ran through my mind. Could his life have gotten here due to drugs or alcohol? Could he have been an unfortunate person who was affected by the recession? I tried to picture his life before. What he looked like, if he had family, or what growing up was like for him. I imagined him as a little boy going to school or playing football in the yard with an older brother, and having dinner with his family around the dining room table. Maybe he didn’t have a family, or one that cared so much. He could have had a rough childhood, where he had to fend for his siblings. Maybe he got caught up in the party life and just didn’t know how to pull himself together.
As we all know looks are just that, looks. We cannot tell just by looking at someone what their life is like; like the saying goes, “We cannot judge a book by its cover.” So no matter how much I sat there and wondered, I will never know what his life was like. I will not even know if he survived another below zero night. I took a deep breath and pulled my backpack over my shoulders as my bus pulled up to my stop, again I took my headphones off. I looked him in the eyes one last time and told him “God Bless you.” He thanked me again as I got off and the doors shut behind me.
I continued listening to the music coming from my headphones when I noticed a homeless man just minutes away from me. He looked older, but the closer he approached me the more I realized he was a lot younger than he looked. The thought of him not having a home to go to in the cold weather broke my heart. I pulled my headphones off my ears as he walked closer to me, as to appear not to be rude. He asked if I may have a couple dollars to spare for him to ride the bus. As I dug into my small white purse looking for anything I could help him with, I noticed how thin he was. His hands, ungloved were wrinkly and dirty. I saw the grime underneath his nails as he tried to keep them warm. I finally found a couple dollars and handed it to him. He continued to thank me, even well after we bordered the bus.
I sat there, just kept catching myself glancing at him and wondering. What kind of life did he have? What brought him to the point that he has the life he has now? Every aspect ran through my mind. Could his life have gotten here due to drugs or alcohol? Could he have been an unfortunate person who was affected by the recession? I tried to picture his life before. What he looked like, if he had family, or what growing up was like for him. I imagined him as a little boy going to school or playing football in the yard with an older brother, and having dinner with his family around the dining room table. Maybe he didn’t have a family, or one that cared so much. He could have had a rough childhood, where he had to fend for his siblings. Maybe he got caught up in the party life and just didn’t know how to pull himself together.
As we all know looks are just that, looks. We cannot tell just by looking at someone what their life is like; like the saying goes, “We cannot judge a book by its cover.” So no matter how much I sat there and wondered, I will never know what his life was like. I will not even know if he survived another below zero night. I took a deep breath and pulled my backpack over my shoulders as my bus pulled up to my stop, again I took my headphones off. I looked him in the eyes one last time and told him “God Bless you.” He thanked me again as I got off and the doors shut behind me.
"Buying Swords Online" by Spencer Adams
Anyone interested in owning swords of their very own knows that it is extremely difficult to find a shop that sells quality swords. This only leaves one place to buy…the online marketplace. So, if you’re not interested in history, or have never seen any action or fantasy movie, you’re probably asking, “what is a sword?” Well, a sword utilizes a blade that can be made of various types of sharp metals. Swords were commonly used weapons before firearms became popularized. Different cultures, regions, and timelines have popularized different types of swords, such as the katana, wakizashi, and tanto in Japan, the tai chi sword in China, the gladius in Rome, and the claymore in Scotland.
In this day and age, you may be wondering, “ Why would anyone in their right mind want to own a sword?” First, and foremost, one doesn’t need a license to own a sword, nor is there any application process or background check. One major group of sword owners are actors of plays and those in the theater business, which will give their shows a more realistic look than duct tapped cardboard cutouts. Another group is those who just want to have them, whether for collecting or decorative reasons. Surprisingly enough, it is not unheard of people wanting to hunt using swords, whether they want to emulate being an ancient warrior or being just for fun. This paper will explain the dos and don’ts to buying quality swords online.
Before one decides to buy a sword, they need to consider the responsibilities that are required to own a quality sword. Owning a sword is, in many ways, like owning a car; without proper upkeep, our sword will begin to slowly deteriorate to the point of becoming unusable and a useless hunk of metal. That being said, if one should choose to own a sword, they also would need to invest in wax and a very soft cloth, in order to polish and wax their blade to the fullest. Without doing this, your blade will tarnish and even rust beyond repair. Along with wax and a cloth, one also needs to invest in a blade sharpener. Without a sharpener or a regular sharpening, the blade of your sword will become dull, eventually to the point that your blade will no longer sharpen. There are many different types of handles and blade guards, depending on what type of sword you have. Some sword’s handles are actually apart of the actual blade, which makes upkeep easy, as all one really has to do is keep a cord wrapped tightly around the handle. Other swords have handles that are separate. These are usually made out wood that is screwed into the blade. What you need to do is make sure that the blade is always screwed to the handle, or your blade will fall out of the handle, or on occasion, even snap.
Only buy a sword that will fulfill what you need it to. For example don’t buy a theater quality sword, if you’re going to go out and try to cut a tree down, because the chance that the blade will shatter upon impact is great. The same goes for vice versa; don’t buy a battle ready blade in place of a theater blade, for the risk of someone getting hurt is incredibly high.
Once you’re prepared to take care of your sword, now you need to find a quality website. Don’t just buy from the first website you see; actually try to find three to four different sites, just so that you have a variety to choose from. Don’t buy from the most expensive site that you see, thinking that the quality will be better. In all actuality, some of the cheapest sites have the best quality blades. Also, you want to buy from a site that has what you’re looking for. For example, you don’t want to go to a site like coldsteel.com for a sword that will be used in a play, for Cold Steel produces some of the strongest, sharpest weapons around, that would easily decimate any theater weapon.
Before picking a site, look at the reviews for the site. If there are poor reviews, or even no reviews, then this is probably not the best site to shop at. If you want to go a step further, check the Better Business Bureau. If a site is there, and has a grade of anything less than a “C”, then it’s more than likely not worth your trouble. While checking the BBB, keep in mind, not all sites can be found, but this does not necessarily mean that a site isn’t worth checking out; there are plenty of reasonable sites that can’t be found at the BBB that will more than likely have exactly what you are looking for.
Once you have the site that you want to use, and you have everything you want in your shopping cart, go back and check everything, one by one. As stated before, you should make sure that everything that you are buying will accomplish its purpose. Check the materials that go into making each sword. A quality site will show you the type of metal used for the blade, and the materials that are used in the handle. You don’t want to wait until your package comes to you to find out that your sword intended for “heavy play” is actually made out of a weak steel, and has a handle made of wood that is surrounded by plaster, and tied with a cord that is the same quality as a shoelace. If you are unsure of what a material is, always look it up.
Before you make your final purchase, always compare prices with other websites, because you can almost always find the same sword that you want for a lot cheaper, if you just take the time to go through a few sites. As stated before, you want to buy wax and a soft cloth for the upkeep of your sword; most reputable sites will either sell these as a package deal, or will give them away for free after a certain amount is reached. You also want to make sure to always look for sales. Many sites have a refurbished or clearance section, which has blades up to ninety percent off. Usually these swords just need to be waxed and polished to bring them to a point in which they are almost new.
When you actually have your sword in your shopping cart, you want to look at the details of it to make sure that you can handle it. You don’t want a sword that is overly huge, or too heavy to accomplish what you want it to. You also need to make sure that you have the experience needed to handle the blade, so that you don’t harm yourself or others. If you’re not quite ready for an actual sword, you may want to invest in a bokken, which is a wooden practice sword, or a shinai, which is a bamboo practice sword.
In this day and age, you may be wondering, “ Why would anyone in their right mind want to own a sword?” First, and foremost, one doesn’t need a license to own a sword, nor is there any application process or background check. One major group of sword owners are actors of plays and those in the theater business, which will give their shows a more realistic look than duct tapped cardboard cutouts. Another group is those who just want to have them, whether for collecting or decorative reasons. Surprisingly enough, it is not unheard of people wanting to hunt using swords, whether they want to emulate being an ancient warrior or being just for fun. This paper will explain the dos and don’ts to buying quality swords online.
Before one decides to buy a sword, they need to consider the responsibilities that are required to own a quality sword. Owning a sword is, in many ways, like owning a car; without proper upkeep, our sword will begin to slowly deteriorate to the point of becoming unusable and a useless hunk of metal. That being said, if one should choose to own a sword, they also would need to invest in wax and a very soft cloth, in order to polish and wax their blade to the fullest. Without doing this, your blade will tarnish and even rust beyond repair. Along with wax and a cloth, one also needs to invest in a blade sharpener. Without a sharpener or a regular sharpening, the blade of your sword will become dull, eventually to the point that your blade will no longer sharpen. There are many different types of handles and blade guards, depending on what type of sword you have. Some sword’s handles are actually apart of the actual blade, which makes upkeep easy, as all one really has to do is keep a cord wrapped tightly around the handle. Other swords have handles that are separate. These are usually made out wood that is screwed into the blade. What you need to do is make sure that the blade is always screwed to the handle, or your blade will fall out of the handle, or on occasion, even snap.
Only buy a sword that will fulfill what you need it to. For example don’t buy a theater quality sword, if you’re going to go out and try to cut a tree down, because the chance that the blade will shatter upon impact is great. The same goes for vice versa; don’t buy a battle ready blade in place of a theater blade, for the risk of someone getting hurt is incredibly high.
Once you’re prepared to take care of your sword, now you need to find a quality website. Don’t just buy from the first website you see; actually try to find three to four different sites, just so that you have a variety to choose from. Don’t buy from the most expensive site that you see, thinking that the quality will be better. In all actuality, some of the cheapest sites have the best quality blades. Also, you want to buy from a site that has what you’re looking for. For example, you don’t want to go to a site like coldsteel.com for a sword that will be used in a play, for Cold Steel produces some of the strongest, sharpest weapons around, that would easily decimate any theater weapon.
Before picking a site, look at the reviews for the site. If there are poor reviews, or even no reviews, then this is probably not the best site to shop at. If you want to go a step further, check the Better Business Bureau. If a site is there, and has a grade of anything less than a “C”, then it’s more than likely not worth your trouble. While checking the BBB, keep in mind, not all sites can be found, but this does not necessarily mean that a site isn’t worth checking out; there are plenty of reasonable sites that can’t be found at the BBB that will more than likely have exactly what you are looking for.
Once you have the site that you want to use, and you have everything you want in your shopping cart, go back and check everything, one by one. As stated before, you should make sure that everything that you are buying will accomplish its purpose. Check the materials that go into making each sword. A quality site will show you the type of metal used for the blade, and the materials that are used in the handle. You don’t want to wait until your package comes to you to find out that your sword intended for “heavy play” is actually made out of a weak steel, and has a handle made of wood that is surrounded by plaster, and tied with a cord that is the same quality as a shoelace. If you are unsure of what a material is, always look it up.
Before you make your final purchase, always compare prices with other websites, because you can almost always find the same sword that you want for a lot cheaper, if you just take the time to go through a few sites. As stated before, you want to buy wax and a soft cloth for the upkeep of your sword; most reputable sites will either sell these as a package deal, or will give them away for free after a certain amount is reached. You also want to make sure to always look for sales. Many sites have a refurbished or clearance section, which has blades up to ninety percent off. Usually these swords just need to be waxed and polished to bring them to a point in which they are almost new.
When you actually have your sword in your shopping cart, you want to look at the details of it to make sure that you can handle it. You don’t want a sword that is overly huge, or too heavy to accomplish what you want it to. You also need to make sure that you have the experience needed to handle the blade, so that you don’t harm yourself or others. If you’re not quite ready for an actual sword, you may want to invest in a bokken, which is a wooden practice sword, or a shinai, which is a bamboo practice sword.
"The Trade" by Bryant Jackson
Wow! Carmelo is now gone. I’m still a Nuggets fan, but we just became the Cleveland
Cavaliers. I’ll have to root for Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of the year. I’m done with
the Nuggets! Chauncey Billups good luck I hated they had to send you with a selfish player such
as Carmelo Anthony.
Oh “fart”! I’m still a Nuggets fan. I can’t see myself rooting for another team. Bummed out
that Chauncey had to go. Robertta, I’m still a Nuggets fan also, they will probably be way down
for the rest of the year. I hope they can get some good picks like Ty. Keke, I agree. I do like Ty
and Afolao.
Oh my God what is happening to Colorado professional sports teams! Broncos, Avs,
Rockies and now the Nuggets! We have some serious rebuilding to do, to even get to the
Playoffs! I love my Colorado teams and I will never jump ship, I feel some disappointment
coming. We just became the Cleveland Cavaliers preach brother preach!
That is exactly what my daughter said, when I gave her the news yesterday. She was
looking At me sideways asking why does Billups have to go too? We’ll have to get to the cash
versus Loyalty conversation sooner than I expected, the only reason I was rooting for the
Nuggets, because I love the home town kid Chauncey Billups.
I like Ty, K,Martin and Afolao. I like team players and not selfish players and Carmelo
Anthony is that type of player. Anything the Nuggets get, they ask for it that is the front office!
The players are not at fault, it’s a business and that is the part that hurts. If they can play like
They play last night, they will be ok. I’m still a Nuggets fan.
Cavaliers. I’ll have to root for Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of the year. I’m done with
the Nuggets! Chauncey Billups good luck I hated they had to send you with a selfish player such
as Carmelo Anthony.
Oh “fart”! I’m still a Nuggets fan. I can’t see myself rooting for another team. Bummed out
that Chauncey had to go. Robertta, I’m still a Nuggets fan also, they will probably be way down
for the rest of the year. I hope they can get some good picks like Ty. Keke, I agree. I do like Ty
and Afolao.
Oh my God what is happening to Colorado professional sports teams! Broncos, Avs,
Rockies and now the Nuggets! We have some serious rebuilding to do, to even get to the
Playoffs! I love my Colorado teams and I will never jump ship, I feel some disappointment
coming. We just became the Cleveland Cavaliers preach brother preach!
That is exactly what my daughter said, when I gave her the news yesterday. She was
looking At me sideways asking why does Billups have to go too? We’ll have to get to the cash
versus Loyalty conversation sooner than I expected, the only reason I was rooting for the
Nuggets, because I love the home town kid Chauncey Billups.
I like Ty, K,Martin and Afolao. I like team players and not selfish players and Carmelo
Anthony is that type of player. Anything the Nuggets get, they ask for it that is the front office!
The players are not at fault, it’s a business and that is the part that hurts. If they can play like
They play last night, they will be ok. I’m still a Nuggets fan.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
"Tour de Alaska" by Christa Ford
If you are like a lot of people I talk to, then you would love to travel to Alaska. You hear the many stories of how beautiful it is, and see all the amazing pictures. These stories and pictures don’t do the 49th state of the US justice at all. I was born and raised in Alaska, if you get the opportunity to tour Alaska I suggest doing some research. Find out what you want to see, what’s important to you to view and then create your own tour.
There are a lot of “premade” tours available, and they may seem very convienant and perhaps even inexpensive. These “premade” tours may be for some people, but definitely not for everyone. A “premade” tour will take you through the sites of Alaska and give you some time to see the popular sights of Alaska. However, some of the best sights are seen on your own. If you’re looking to see the panhandle there are cruises you can take and they will take you to several stops along the Inside Passage of Alaska and you can see the capitol of Alaska. If you like any of these places more than just seeing it for two or three hours, you won’t be able to if you go on one of these cruises. The cruises pull into port and you get a short amount of time to tour these areas, and buses will be happy to take you to popular sights along the way. You can do all these mini sort of tours even without having a “premade” tour. You can work it into the things you want to see, when you want to see them, and for how long you would like to see them for. Seeing as though I have seen and done most things in Alaska, these are some of my recommendations when touring Alaska.
For the fisherman, what would be cooler than to catch a 300 pound halibut off the coast of Seward? You can charter a boat and have someone else do the dirty work, such as reeling in the big catch, as well as clean it for you. However, you still get the benefit of keeping all that fresh halibut meat! It’s so delicious. Fresh salmon pulled straight from the Kenai River is also amazing. The trout fisherman would not be disappointed either. Fisherman rejoice in all the options in Alaska to feed your fish cravings! If you don’t catch anything the first day, stay as long as you like, you won’t be in any hurry to catch a bus or a train, you scheduled it!
While that man in your life is out catching the “big one” and you don’t prefer to eat fish, or catch it, there is something else you can do on the water that doesn’t involve a fishing pole. You could go whale watching. There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t see a pod of killer whales in the Homer Spit. You can hop aboard a sightseeing boat, and the captain will take you right out to them. Bring your poncho, you’re like to get blow hole water on you! You can film them or just take pictures. I don’t recommend swimming with them, even though it’s the summer season, the water is still quite cold.
You can take the train from Anchorage all the way up to Fairbanks. The trip is amazing and you’re guaranteed to see at least one bear, one moose and perhaps some other wildlife. The train can stop at the Denali State Park, you can even overnight there, go for a hike up North Americas highest mountain peak -- Mount McKinley, also known as Mount Denali. The view from this park is breathtaking, even if you don’t have the ambition to climb the mountain. This is also an amazing drive if you were to rent a car and drive it. With your own car you would definitely be on your own schedule. Staying for as long or as little time as you would like, with a tour you would be on a schedule with other people who make the time slots for you, who choose how long you get to see what.
In Fairbanks at the right time in the summer, the sun won’t actually set. You can stay up all night and just watch the horizon. All you will see is the sun hovering, only threatening to fall behind the mountains. Then it will rise again. It’s absolutely amazing to see!
At any point in your stay in Alaska, so long as it gets dark, you may be blessed to see the Aurora borealis, also known more commonly as the Northern Lights. Never a sight will you see such as the northern lights in Alaska, the way the greens and purples and reds move through the sky. Waving and flying through the dark night, streaking it with color. Residents of the state pull over to witness and capture on film this spectacular sight.
In short, if you are limited on time and funds, a cruise or a packaged tour may be the way to go. However, if you want to truly see Alaska through the locals eyes, do you it your way. Tailor your trip to your lifestyle. If you’re an outdoorsman get the fishing and the hiking. If you’re a bird watcher, take the train or a car up the State Highway 1. No matter how you see Alaska, make sure to see it, and don’t forget your camera.
There are a lot of “premade” tours available, and they may seem very convienant and perhaps even inexpensive. These “premade” tours may be for some people, but definitely not for everyone. A “premade” tour will take you through the sites of Alaska and give you some time to see the popular sights of Alaska. However, some of the best sights are seen on your own. If you’re looking to see the panhandle there are cruises you can take and they will take you to several stops along the Inside Passage of Alaska and you can see the capitol of Alaska. If you like any of these places more than just seeing it for two or three hours, you won’t be able to if you go on one of these cruises. The cruises pull into port and you get a short amount of time to tour these areas, and buses will be happy to take you to popular sights along the way. You can do all these mini sort of tours even without having a “premade” tour. You can work it into the things you want to see, when you want to see them, and for how long you would like to see them for. Seeing as though I have seen and done most things in Alaska, these are some of my recommendations when touring Alaska.
For the fisherman, what would be cooler than to catch a 300 pound halibut off the coast of Seward? You can charter a boat and have someone else do the dirty work, such as reeling in the big catch, as well as clean it for you. However, you still get the benefit of keeping all that fresh halibut meat! It’s so delicious. Fresh salmon pulled straight from the Kenai River is also amazing. The trout fisherman would not be disappointed either. Fisherman rejoice in all the options in Alaska to feed your fish cravings! If you don’t catch anything the first day, stay as long as you like, you won’t be in any hurry to catch a bus or a train, you scheduled it!
While that man in your life is out catching the “big one” and you don’t prefer to eat fish, or catch it, there is something else you can do on the water that doesn’t involve a fishing pole. You could go whale watching. There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t see a pod of killer whales in the Homer Spit. You can hop aboard a sightseeing boat, and the captain will take you right out to them. Bring your poncho, you’re like to get blow hole water on you! You can film them or just take pictures. I don’t recommend swimming with them, even though it’s the summer season, the water is still quite cold.
You can take the train from Anchorage all the way up to Fairbanks. The trip is amazing and you’re guaranteed to see at least one bear, one moose and perhaps some other wildlife. The train can stop at the Denali State Park, you can even overnight there, go for a hike up North Americas highest mountain peak -- Mount McKinley, also known as Mount Denali. The view from this park is breathtaking, even if you don’t have the ambition to climb the mountain. This is also an amazing drive if you were to rent a car and drive it. With your own car you would definitely be on your own schedule. Staying for as long or as little time as you would like, with a tour you would be on a schedule with other people who make the time slots for you, who choose how long you get to see what.
In Fairbanks at the right time in the summer, the sun won’t actually set. You can stay up all night and just watch the horizon. All you will see is the sun hovering, only threatening to fall behind the mountains. Then it will rise again. It’s absolutely amazing to see!
At any point in your stay in Alaska, so long as it gets dark, you may be blessed to see the Aurora borealis, also known more commonly as the Northern Lights. Never a sight will you see such as the northern lights in Alaska, the way the greens and purples and reds move through the sky. Waving and flying through the dark night, streaking it with color. Residents of the state pull over to witness and capture on film this spectacular sight.
In short, if you are limited on time and funds, a cruise or a packaged tour may be the way to go. However, if you want to truly see Alaska through the locals eyes, do you it your way. Tailor your trip to your lifestyle. If you’re an outdoorsman get the fishing and the hiking. If you’re a bird watcher, take the train or a car up the State Highway 1. No matter how you see Alaska, make sure to see it, and don’t forget your camera.
"From the Math Lab" by Teng Wang
A black woman who was wearing a turquoise T-shirt was sitting beside me in the math lab. She raised her hand, and that meant she did need some help on her math.
A tutor went to her table and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I am working on how to find the slope of the equation, and that makes me confused,” she said.
“Well, do you have some questions that I can focus on?”
“Yes, I do,” she answered, “here is the exercise from my homework.”
“OK. I need to show you a formula to solve these serious problems,” the tutor said. And then, he wrote down one formula on a piece of paper and explained to her, “Y equals mX plus b. The coefficient of X is called ‘slope’, and b is ‘y-intercept’.”
“Wow! I never saw that before,” she said.
“Let’s do one example together. So, we need to plug in numbers for X and Y, and then, we will find the slope and y-intercept.”
She nodded and said, “That makes sense! I feel better right now! Thanks for your help!”
“You are welcome.”
A tutor went to her table and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I am working on how to find the slope of the equation, and that makes me confused,” she said.
“Well, do you have some questions that I can focus on?”
“Yes, I do,” she answered, “here is the exercise from my homework.”
“OK. I need to show you a formula to solve these serious problems,” the tutor said. And then, he wrote down one formula on a piece of paper and explained to her, “Y equals mX plus b. The coefficient of X is called ‘slope’, and b is ‘y-intercept’.”
“Wow! I never saw that before,” she said.
“Let’s do one example together. So, we need to plug in numbers for X and Y, and then, we will find the slope and y-intercept.”
She nodded and said, “That makes sense! I feel better right now! Thanks for your help!”
“You are welcome.”
"I Want a Sister" by LaQueta McCauley
For about for years now my seven year old daughter has been informing me that she desperately wants a little sister. Actually she needs a baby sister, and quick! I also have two sons, both of which are typical boys. The oldest is JaVaughn. He is two years older than my daughter Jananya. Then there is the youngest boy Jaylen whom is three years younger than Janaya. And although he is the baby make no mistake he is still a boy. She is the middle child AND the only girl. She is not handling that as well as I hoped.
One day I decided to ask why she wants a sister so bad. At first I thought it was because her little brother refused to the regular client in her home beauty shop any longer, but she told me that wasn’t it. Then, I assumed she wanted someone whom had the same interests as her and would play tea party the proper way. I asked if that was why and she said nope, that’s not it. So I simply asked her why, and she replied “the boys are always messing with me so if I had a sister she could beat up Jaylen while I get JaVaughn.
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or preach so I did a little of both. “So what happens when the little sister sticks around after the brawl and wants to play with ALL of your toys”, I asked. She looked confused. I guess she never thought of that. So she responded, “Never mind, I want a dog instead”. Now I’ve already learned why she feels she needs backup. So I informed her she didn’t need a dog OR a babysitter. That although I’m big, I am still a girl. Therefore, she has a level playing field if she would just train me in the techniques of torturing boys; it had been awhile for me. So with a huge excited smile she prepared me for our mission “Operation Kick Butt”.
We tethered sheets together and grabbed flashlights. We gathered ammo and launchers for the battle. We cut and taped all while the boys ignored us and continued to wrestle, argue, eat and play. We had all day to figure out how to revenge beach Barbie and her poor puppy both of which, due to the boys, are no longer with us. We hid in my closet for seemed like forever until finally the boys started to wonder. JaVaughn came in my room and me and Janaya has taken our positions. Next Jaylen came in behind him and looked around. “Where are they?” I heard JaVaughn ask. Before Jaylen could respond to him we hammered them with spit balls, water-balloons, & dirty socks. I threw on the sheet with holes cut out for the eyes and leaped from the closet screaming in a ghostly voice “leave your sister alone”!
All I heard were footsteps leaving the vicinity and I removed the sheet looking for Janaya so we could celebrate the success of the mission. I looked for her but she was nowhere to be found. I called downstairs for the kids and found them all hiding in the laundry room absolutely petrified. Including Janaya. After about 15min of consoling the completely terrorized children I decided she needed a sister. But for now a life size doll that talks and poops is a close as it gets. I apologized with ice cream and we are all friends again.
One day I decided to ask why she wants a sister so bad. At first I thought it was because her little brother refused to the regular client in her home beauty shop any longer, but she told me that wasn’t it. Then, I assumed she wanted someone whom had the same interests as her and would play tea party the proper way. I asked if that was why and she said nope, that’s not it. So I simply asked her why, and she replied “the boys are always messing with me so if I had a sister she could beat up Jaylen while I get JaVaughn.
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or preach so I did a little of both. “So what happens when the little sister sticks around after the brawl and wants to play with ALL of your toys”, I asked. She looked confused. I guess she never thought of that. So she responded, “Never mind, I want a dog instead”. Now I’ve already learned why she feels she needs backup. So I informed her she didn’t need a dog OR a babysitter. That although I’m big, I am still a girl. Therefore, she has a level playing field if she would just train me in the techniques of torturing boys; it had been awhile for me. So with a huge excited smile she prepared me for our mission “Operation Kick Butt”.
We tethered sheets together and grabbed flashlights. We gathered ammo and launchers for the battle. We cut and taped all while the boys ignored us and continued to wrestle, argue, eat and play. We had all day to figure out how to revenge beach Barbie and her poor puppy both of which, due to the boys, are no longer with us. We hid in my closet for seemed like forever until finally the boys started to wonder. JaVaughn came in my room and me and Janaya has taken our positions. Next Jaylen came in behind him and looked around. “Where are they?” I heard JaVaughn ask. Before Jaylen could respond to him we hammered them with spit balls, water-balloons, & dirty socks. I threw on the sheet with holes cut out for the eyes and leaped from the closet screaming in a ghostly voice “leave your sister alone”!
All I heard were footsteps leaving the vicinity and I removed the sheet looking for Janaya so we could celebrate the success of the mission. I looked for her but she was nowhere to be found. I called downstairs for the kids and found them all hiding in the laundry room absolutely petrified. Including Janaya. After about 15min of consoling the completely terrorized children I decided she needed a sister. But for now a life size doll that talks and poops is a close as it gets. I apologized with ice cream and we are all friends again.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
"The First Time" by Alyssa Gallegos-Orozco
January 5, 2008. I was fifteen and in the arms of my prince charming, every moment we had together led us up to this day. We sat in the dark for quite some time, exercising our tongues together. What felt like hours was only about thirty minutes. We touched each other in inappropriate ways like the adults did in romantic movies. Thoughts raced through my head like cars on a Sunday night illegal street race. I was so caught in the moment I was unable to grasp the reality of what was really going on. I was taking my own “womanhood” to a whole new level.
Gazing into his eyes pulled me back to the summer before freshman year. I got dropped off at church; it was a beautiful, sunny day with a cool breeze to make the temperature perfect. A new kid. Someone I had never seen before, for some reason I felt myself being drawn to him. Knowing nothing about him only made him that more mesmerizing. He was like nothing I had seen before; he wore a bright yellow shirt with the collar “popped.” He had pitch black hair with eyelashes that looked like butterflies trying to escape every time he blinked. I carefully watched him make his way to a crowd of teens that were all Mexican, “Cheds” is what I called them. I found myself walking towards him ready to get my mack on.
I gently said to him in my high pitched voice, “Hi, I’m Alyssa. What’s your name?”
He answered back with an accent that was of Mexican descent, “Heriberto Tena.”
I wittingly answered, “Hairy Burrito what?”
We both immediately bursted into laughter and he corrected with a polite, “You can call me Beto.”
He thrusted his body against me breaking me out of the memory I was stuck in. The way he felt against me made it easy for me to let him enter me. The pain was unbearable, but he was so excited he pushed himself in just a little more each time. I loved him so I decided to let him. Life for me as a young lady was changing; I always told the people I taught at church “If you’re not ready to have babies you’re not ready for sex.” Well that night I ate my words.
I was ready to be done so I whispered “I want you to finish.”
When he got off me I sat up, got myself together and said, “Let’s go see what everyone’s doing.”
He replied with an, “Okay my love.”
I opened the door and looked around for my siblings to my surprise no one was home. Now, being a part of a family of eight and no one being home was an unusual situation. We treaded up the stairs and I was vulnerable I felt regret in my heart and it happen just like my mom said, “After you have sex for the first time, your body will never be the same.” My body instantly felt different, like a little part of me really was missing.
He looks at me and instantly hounded me with questions like, “What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?”
I answered back with a simple “No, it’s nothing I’m fine.”
He didn’t believe me but in all honesty everything was wrong with me. I committed adultery; I sinned against God and my future husband. This boy was my center focus for so long I wanted to do anything in my power to make him happy, he now had me soul and body.
Gazing into his eyes pulled me back to the summer before freshman year. I got dropped off at church; it was a beautiful, sunny day with a cool breeze to make the temperature perfect. A new kid. Someone I had never seen before, for some reason I felt myself being drawn to him. Knowing nothing about him only made him that more mesmerizing. He was like nothing I had seen before; he wore a bright yellow shirt with the collar “popped.” He had pitch black hair with eyelashes that looked like butterflies trying to escape every time he blinked. I carefully watched him make his way to a crowd of teens that were all Mexican, “Cheds” is what I called them. I found myself walking towards him ready to get my mack on.
I gently said to him in my high pitched voice, “Hi, I’m Alyssa. What’s your name?”
He answered back with an accent that was of Mexican descent, “Heriberto Tena.”
I wittingly answered, “Hairy Burrito what?”
We both immediately bursted into laughter and he corrected with a polite, “You can call me Beto.”
He thrusted his body against me breaking me out of the memory I was stuck in. The way he felt against me made it easy for me to let him enter me. The pain was unbearable, but he was so excited he pushed himself in just a little more each time. I loved him so I decided to let him. Life for me as a young lady was changing; I always told the people I taught at church “If you’re not ready to have babies you’re not ready for sex.” Well that night I ate my words.
I was ready to be done so I whispered “I want you to finish.”
When he got off me I sat up, got myself together and said, “Let’s go see what everyone’s doing.”
He replied with an, “Okay my love.”
I opened the door and looked around for my siblings to my surprise no one was home. Now, being a part of a family of eight and no one being home was an unusual situation. We treaded up the stairs and I was vulnerable I felt regret in my heart and it happen just like my mom said, “After you have sex for the first time, your body will never be the same.” My body instantly felt different, like a little part of me really was missing.
He looks at me and instantly hounded me with questions like, “What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?”
I answered back with a simple “No, it’s nothing I’m fine.”
He didn’t believe me but in all honesty everything was wrong with me. I committed adultery; I sinned against God and my future husband. This boy was my center focus for so long I wanted to do anything in my power to make him happy, he now had me soul and body.
Monday, April 11, 2011
"Red Blood Cells, Aisle Three" by Kris Hines
I just started a new job at Standard Heating and Cooling on Monday. It had been a great week of learning about furnaces, air conditioners, sheet metal, fittings and all the duct work parts that a contractor would need to outfit a house with a new heating or cooling system. I was the person who pulled the orders that the contractors called in. I had made it through the week without a cut. Brian, my boss said all week. “Sheet metal is sharp and it will cut you bad!” He told me stories of people he knew that had cut their hands in half. I was afraid to cut myself.
Today is Friday, August 30, 2001. I wake up as usual, showered, got dressed and ate a little breakfast. Brian was also my roommate at the time. We went to the warehouse and opened up for business as usual. I wish I would have known, this was not going to be a good day. Our delivery driver and I were given a pick-list for a contractor and began pulling items needed. We pulled the sheet metal, the fittings and the elbows for the duct work. The next thing to pull was the transition pieces. Transition duct takes a heat duct from eighteen inches to twenty-four inches. I climbed the ladder and grabbed a piece and found two were stuck together.
I turned to our driver and said. “These are stuck together.”
He replied, “Hand them down and I will pull them apart. You don’t want to do it up on the ladder.”
“Ok,” I said
I turned to climb down the ladder a few steps. When I turned, I lost my footing. I teetered left, then right thinking I would steady myself. Wrong! I came off the ladder, pieces of transition still in hand. I slammed to the floor with a jolt to my back. A pain shot through my right arm and everything faded to white. I could not see. My body went into shock, blinding me from seeing the bloody mess that was my arm. I had landed on my feet, which jolted my back and the pieces of transition in my left hand swung around and sliced through my skin in my right forearm.
“Are you ok?” asked our driver, seeing all the blood as I turned towards his voice. “That is a lot of blood! Brian! Bring me some towels! Kris fell from the ladder and sliced himself on these pieces of heat duct.”
“All this blood is from that?” Brian asked, “Wrap his arm and get him to my truck!”
They helped me walk to his truck and we were on the road in an instant. Well, that is what it felt like for me. I could hear the racing of the engine, which meant Brian, was speeding. I could feel the pull of gravity left and right. I found out later, it was because we were weaving between construction cones, in the construction zone he drove right through. It didn’t matter to him that the road was closed.
I asked Brian, “Where are we were going?”
He said, “To the hospital! Let me focus on the road and you relax.”
I told him, “I could not see. Everything was white.”
“You’ll be ok, just relax we’re almost there,” he reassured me.
We pulled up to the Emergency room entrance and my eye sight started coming back. He ran in and grabbed a nurse, who grabbed a wheel chair to get me into the hospital.
My memory in the emergency room is a little fuzzy. They gave me pain medicine and laid me in a bed. My arm was up on a table so they could examine it and clean out any pieces of metal that might be in the cut. I remember the doctor cleaning out the wound and talking to me but what was said I do not remember. After cleaning the wound they took me to the operating room, laid me out on the table, stuck me in the arm pit, and said, “Count backwards from ninety-nine.” I started. “99, 98, 97.” I woke up later in my hospital bed with my roommate sitting there. He told me the doctor would be in in a bit to tell me what damage I had done to my arm.
We talked a little while. He told me that I didn’t need to worry about work and to just get better. The job will be there when I am healed. He also told me that they had cleaned up the mess at the warehouse. “Isle three is now where we keep the red blood cells,” he said jokingly. I said, “Very funny!” I was in a lot of pain so I pushed the button in my hand that delivers pain medicine to me. I went to sleep.
Today is Friday, August 30, 2001. I wake up as usual, showered, got dressed and ate a little breakfast. Brian was also my roommate at the time. We went to the warehouse and opened up for business as usual. I wish I would have known, this was not going to be a good day. Our delivery driver and I were given a pick-list for a contractor and began pulling items needed. We pulled the sheet metal, the fittings and the elbows for the duct work. The next thing to pull was the transition pieces. Transition duct takes a heat duct from eighteen inches to twenty-four inches. I climbed the ladder and grabbed a piece and found two were stuck together.
I turned to our driver and said. “These are stuck together.”
He replied, “Hand them down and I will pull them apart. You don’t want to do it up on the ladder.”
“Ok,” I said
I turned to climb down the ladder a few steps. When I turned, I lost my footing. I teetered left, then right thinking I would steady myself. Wrong! I came off the ladder, pieces of transition still in hand. I slammed to the floor with a jolt to my back. A pain shot through my right arm and everything faded to white. I could not see. My body went into shock, blinding me from seeing the bloody mess that was my arm. I had landed on my feet, which jolted my back and the pieces of transition in my left hand swung around and sliced through my skin in my right forearm.
“Are you ok?” asked our driver, seeing all the blood as I turned towards his voice. “That is a lot of blood! Brian! Bring me some towels! Kris fell from the ladder and sliced himself on these pieces of heat duct.”
“All this blood is from that?” Brian asked, “Wrap his arm and get him to my truck!”
They helped me walk to his truck and we were on the road in an instant. Well, that is what it felt like for me. I could hear the racing of the engine, which meant Brian, was speeding. I could feel the pull of gravity left and right. I found out later, it was because we were weaving between construction cones, in the construction zone he drove right through. It didn’t matter to him that the road was closed.
I asked Brian, “Where are we were going?”
He said, “To the hospital! Let me focus on the road and you relax.”
I told him, “I could not see. Everything was white.”
“You’ll be ok, just relax we’re almost there,” he reassured me.
We pulled up to the Emergency room entrance and my eye sight started coming back. He ran in and grabbed a nurse, who grabbed a wheel chair to get me into the hospital.
My memory in the emergency room is a little fuzzy. They gave me pain medicine and laid me in a bed. My arm was up on a table so they could examine it and clean out any pieces of metal that might be in the cut. I remember the doctor cleaning out the wound and talking to me but what was said I do not remember. After cleaning the wound they took me to the operating room, laid me out on the table, stuck me in the arm pit, and said, “Count backwards from ninety-nine.” I started. “99, 98, 97.” I woke up later in my hospital bed with my roommate sitting there. He told me the doctor would be in in a bit to tell me what damage I had done to my arm.
We talked a little while. He told me that I didn’t need to worry about work and to just get better. The job will be there when I am healed. He also told me that they had cleaned up the mess at the warehouse. “Isle three is now where we keep the red blood cells,” he said jokingly. I said, “Very funny!” I was in a lot of pain so I pushed the button in my hand that delivers pain medicine to me. I went to sleep.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
"A Bond That Could Never Be Broken" by Kristelle Venegas
I remember it like it was yesterday, August 26, 2004. It was a blistering hot summer morning; I was sitting on my front porch basking in the sunshine. I remember not knowing how to feel. Was I anxious, happy, scared, or excited? I guess it was safe to say I was all of the above. After all I was in labor with my first child and not to mention I was two days past my due date. At this point I was barely beginning labor so I was not in an abundance of pain, but talking about uncomfortable and annoying, it felt as if someone was sticking my belly with a needle. My contractions were about ten minutes apart so just when I began to relax from the last contraction another one would begin. The closer the contractions came the more distressed I became, the pain became intolerable. By the tightening of my abdomen cramping and the ache that traveled from my lower abdomen to my lower back, I knew it was time to go to the hospital. It was midafternoon; I told my mom that it was time!
My mom grabbed my overnight bag; I packed as if I were going to be gone for a while. The bag was loaded with baby clothes, diapers, wipes, and just a few changes of clothes for me. She put it in the trunk, me and my daughter’s father piled in the car and left. The hospital was only six miles away from my house but the drive there was agony, it felt more like a two hour ride through hell. When I arrived I was filled with adrenaline and excitement the pain had seemed to subside. Until I was took up to the delivery room and hooked up to all of the monitoring machines, the constant beeping of the monitors, the glaring lights and the pungent scent of disinfectant in the room it became reality, I was going to be a mother.
My mind began to race a million miles an hour, my heart was pumping so fast and hard that it felt like it was going to come out of my chest, and the excitement and happiness dwindled down and became fear. Could I do this? I asked myself, knowing I really did not have a choice, there was no turning back now she was about to come whether I was ready or not. I wasn’t just questioning the delivery but myself as well, was I ready to be a mother? I filled myself with doubt. Thank goodness my parents, my two aunts and my daughters dad were there to help me with their encouraging words and support, I could not have done it alone.
I looked out the window and saw that it was dark; this was an all-day event. I felt like it was talking forever for her to arrive, however the pain had consumed me so much that time was nothing. Just then I felt the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life, it felt as if I was going to explode, as my mother called for the nurse. The nurse came in with her light blue scrubs, her hair pulled back with a cap on it, and a face mask. She told me she going to examine me to see if I was ready to deliver. She sat on an examining chair in front of me, pulling out the awful smelling rubber gloves. I watched as she put them on, snapping them as she was done, and said, “You are ready; let me go get the doctor”. All I remembered from this point on was wishing for it all to be done and over with. The doctor came in. I expected her to come in, in a long white lab coat, like they show on T.V. shows but she was not, instead she looked like all the other nurses there, in her scrubs, hair cap, and rubber gloves. The only thing that separated her from nurses was that she had a shield over her face. Seeing the doctor sitting in front of me I knew it was just a matter of time before I would be introduced to this person that had been growing inside of me for the past nine months. This was frightening but at the same time very exciting, and I could not wait.
Finally I heard her cry, she was here. The doctor asked “So what are we naming her?” Jazzilyn Amirah I answered. My parents, my daughters dad, and my aunts surrounded the bed, we sang happy birthday. The nurse took her away to clean her up, everyone followed behind her ecstatically and ready to take pictures. When she brought her back to me and put her in my arms this was the most amazing feeling, I was overwhelmed with emotions, I was filled with bliss, and felt a great deal of accomplishment. This was my daughter, it was love at first sight, and she was so beautiful it was breathtaking. Her perfect round head full of black hair, her slanted eyes, and her full heart shaped lips. When we made eye contact there was an instant bond, a mother, daughter bond a bond that could never be broken.
My mom grabbed my overnight bag; I packed as if I were going to be gone for a while. The bag was loaded with baby clothes, diapers, wipes, and just a few changes of clothes for me. She put it in the trunk, me and my daughter’s father piled in the car and left. The hospital was only six miles away from my house but the drive there was agony, it felt more like a two hour ride through hell. When I arrived I was filled with adrenaline and excitement the pain had seemed to subside. Until I was took up to the delivery room and hooked up to all of the monitoring machines, the constant beeping of the monitors, the glaring lights and the pungent scent of disinfectant in the room it became reality, I was going to be a mother.
My mind began to race a million miles an hour, my heart was pumping so fast and hard that it felt like it was going to come out of my chest, and the excitement and happiness dwindled down and became fear. Could I do this? I asked myself, knowing I really did not have a choice, there was no turning back now she was about to come whether I was ready or not. I wasn’t just questioning the delivery but myself as well, was I ready to be a mother? I filled myself with doubt. Thank goodness my parents, my two aunts and my daughters dad were there to help me with their encouraging words and support, I could not have done it alone.
I looked out the window and saw that it was dark; this was an all-day event. I felt like it was talking forever for her to arrive, however the pain had consumed me so much that time was nothing. Just then I felt the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life, it felt as if I was going to explode, as my mother called for the nurse. The nurse came in with her light blue scrubs, her hair pulled back with a cap on it, and a face mask. She told me she going to examine me to see if I was ready to deliver. She sat on an examining chair in front of me, pulling out the awful smelling rubber gloves. I watched as she put them on, snapping them as she was done, and said, “You are ready; let me go get the doctor”. All I remembered from this point on was wishing for it all to be done and over with. The doctor came in. I expected her to come in, in a long white lab coat, like they show on T.V. shows but she was not, instead she looked like all the other nurses there, in her scrubs, hair cap, and rubber gloves. The only thing that separated her from nurses was that she had a shield over her face. Seeing the doctor sitting in front of me I knew it was just a matter of time before I would be introduced to this person that had been growing inside of me for the past nine months. This was frightening but at the same time very exciting, and I could not wait.
Finally I heard her cry, she was here. The doctor asked “So what are we naming her?” Jazzilyn Amirah I answered. My parents, my daughters dad, and my aunts surrounded the bed, we sang happy birthday. The nurse took her away to clean her up, everyone followed behind her ecstatically and ready to take pictures. When she brought her back to me and put her in my arms this was the most amazing feeling, I was overwhelmed with emotions, I was filled with bliss, and felt a great deal of accomplishment. This was my daughter, it was love at first sight, and she was so beautiful it was breathtaking. Her perfect round head full of black hair, her slanted eyes, and her full heart shaped lips. When we made eye contact there was an instant bond, a mother, daughter bond a bond that could never be broken.
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