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.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"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.
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