modster

2009-08-11T11:12:00.001-07:00

TreeLiFe... + obsessions

2009-06-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Leather
KEWL

GRIZZLY BEAR .....

Jon and kate plus 8 SCandALLllll

AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com

Lefashionnnnn

Grieves

2009-05-15T05:35:00.001-07:00

The Picador in Iowa city welcomed Mac Lathal and Grieves with a crowd no larger then twenty people on Wednesday May 13th. Despite the small audience the show was most definitely worth it. Grieves and his DJ Budo performed music from their new CD 88 Keys and Counting along with songs from their first album Irreversible. Grieves is a hip hop rapper from Seattle who is just looking for people to appreciate his music.

At his show Grieves came on stage with a smile on his face and his apple computer set up behind him plugged into the huge speakers. Budo had a key board set up behind him and they were ready to go. Imagining myself in his shoes i have tremendous respect for the two on stage. Think of how frightening it would be to stand up there in front of 20 people and perform. In the middle of the show Budo played a solo on his trumpet and the crowd went crazy.

Iowa City is the only place where Grieves had been twice so far!! He has tour with Atmosphere and if that ever happens again i will go anywhere to see them.

Lollapalooza

2009-05-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

So freakin excited...

First of all Atmosphere will be there and Lykke Li! Those are probably the two shows i am most excited about. But also i can't wait for The killers, Coheed and Cambria, Arctic Monkeys, Ben Folds, Snoop Dogg, and Rise Against. August 7th-9th i am going to be in heaven.

And the record begins with a song of rebellion

2009-04-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Graduation.....
SONGS
Set your goals-To Be Continued
Rise Against-Broken English
Modest Mouse-The World At Large
Atmosphere-Lovelife
Weezer-Best Friend
Rancid-Journey To The End Of The East Bay
Four Years Strong-Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die
The Ataris-In This Diary
Third Eye Blind-Jumper

The important thing is not to stop questioning.-Albert Einstein

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.-Aristotle

And we'll collect the moments one by one...

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.-Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Release!

2009-04-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Rise Against came out with a new CD: Appeal to Reason.

Has been criticized for some of the songs being boring but the songs that are good are REALLY good.

The ones i like the best.....

Kotov Syndrome

Entertainment

Hero of War

Listen and enjoy.

The People's Court

2009-04-29T08:29:00.001-07:00

Seeing Set Your Goals live changed my life. Front row, getting pushed into the people around me, singing the words as loud as possible while gazing at the band performing their art, it made me feel like everything was right. New Found Glory was pretty great too.

New CD comes out July 21st and i couldn't be more excited.

Also coming back to Des Moines with Four Years Strong (also great).

Photography

2009-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's your chance to get one of your pictures in Monster Children Magazine! All you have to do is take a picture at exactly 3pm on Saturday, April 25th. Then write a fifty word essay describing the picture and send it here! It will be put in their monthly photo issue.

Monster Children is an art magazine. Very cool.

Inhaling Chocolate?!

2009-04-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is a new product that was invented by a Harvard Professor. The idea is that you inhale the chocolate therefor eliminating the calories.

"[it's]a mix of culinary art and aerosol science" says the inventor David Edwards

It's a terrific way to curb an apatite or to accompany a cup of coffee according to the website. This product will not be released until later this month. You actually consume so little chocolate and that's what allows it to reduce the calorie intake to about one per spray. They will be sold in Paris, Chicago, London, and Tokyo. Inhaling one of these revolutionary chocolate tubes is called "whiffing".

I think it would be cool to try one just to see what it is like but i think it is kind of a stupid idea. Why should you want to inhale food? It doesn't even sound appetizing. But i guess i should try it before a say anything bad.

Buy One!

Away We Go

2009-04-13T05:49:00.003-07:00

I saw a preview for this movie when i went to the movie Adventureland. Its release date is June 19th. The movie was about a young couple that was about to have a baby. They travel the U.S. to find the perfect home and along the way they revive their relationship and see different family members and friends. The genre is a comedy slash drama. I am very excited to go see this movie.
Directed by Sam Mendes who won an Academy Award for American Beauty.

Once

2009-04-13T05:49:00.001-07:00

Once is an Irish musical film that takes place in Dublin. It got great reviews and won some awards including best foreign film. This movie is a love story different from most.

The two main characters are an Irish man who performs his music on the streets of Dublin and a Czech immigrant who sells flowers on the streets of Dublin. Neither of them are named in this film, in the credits they are listed as "Guy" and "Girl". The girl is lured in by the guys music and despite his withdrawal she persists with questions about his music. Eventually she finds out that he fixes vacuum cleaners and says hers needs to be fixed. The next day she comes to his spot with her broken vacuum cleaner.

They go to lunch and she tells him that she too is a musician. They go to the local music store and she plays piano for him. They sing and play a song together and it's perfect. (The sound track to this movie is amazing.) After more getting to know each other she takes him to her apartment where he finds out she had has a toddler and lives with her mom. She also has a husband who lives back in Czech Republic, who she seems to dislike. While the guy has a girlfriend who left him and moved to England. They record an album together because the girl wants him to move to London and promote his music. The story ends with all of these things fighting against them being together.

Burn After Reading

2009-04-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

A movie by the Coen Brothers. Enough said.

Burn After Reading is a movie that is more and more shocking every step of the way. The whole movie is the climax. Frances McDormand plays Linda Litzki,a recurring character in Coen Brother movies, for good reason. Osbourn Cox gets fired from the CIA and decided to write a memoir. He leaves the CD that his it is saved on at the fitness club where Linda Litzki and Chad (Brad Pitt) work. They find the CD and decide to turn it into cash. These leads to an unbelievable series of events.

The movie has similar plot twists and themes as Fargo and The Big Lebowski, also written by the Coen Brothers. It is really fun to watch all three of these movies and to point out the similarities. They have some of the same actors which is interesting to see them in different roles. These movies take you on a chaotic adventure that you end up feeling apart of. You want to goofy characters to succeed and get out of their predicament.

I really liked this movie but there are some people who hated it. My advice would be if you are going to watch it go into it with an open mind. In Coen Brother movies anything could happen.

I love you Beth Cooper

2009-04-13T05:44:00.002-07:00

This book was written by a former Simpson writer and the writing definitely reflects this with its sort of TV show feel. It is written as if in real time. One page will be like two minutes in real life and it's great because not many book are like that. I truly feel like you could make this book into a thirty minute show and not miss out on one part of the book. Actual i just checked and it is a movie. Crazy, i need to watch that.

Will basically the book is a bout a nerdy valedictorian who has been in love with the same girl his whole high school career. He decides that during his speech at graduation it would be a good idea to confess his love for this popular cheerleader in front of everyone. This leads to a comical series of events that you would never expect. The cover of the book shows the various stages of appearance Denis (the nerdy valedictorian) will go through during his adventurous night.

The book is really great because the way it is written is so unique. Larry Doyle uses such a vivid explanatory style that you can see everything going on as if you were watching it. He describes things in a way that you would never think to describe them yourself. He says things that you only think in your head and it's really hard to explain so you just have to read the book.

The cover was illustrated by: Evan Dorkin.

Adventurland

2009-04-13T05:44:00.001-07:00

Jesse Eisenberg plays James Brennan beautifully in the movie Adventurland depicting a college graduate broke and living at home. To save money for grad school he gets a job at the local theme park, Adventureland, where he meets Arlene, played by Kelsey Ford. James is an innocent kid who thought his two week relationship with a girl was true love, while Arlene far from innocent. The movie follows them through a rough but hilarious scenario that seems corny but still heart warming.

The movie has sort of a Juno feel where the characters are much older then they look. They look like they are in high school but through out the move they drink at bars and smoke weed, to add to the roller coaster of events of course. I don't know if this was intentional, the young looking characters or not. It kind of confused me in Juno also. I wish Ellen Paige was in the movie though that would have been great. Way off track here but overall the movie was very satisfactory.

My two favorite side characters were definitely the theme park managers. They add to the comedic atmosphere in every scene they are in.

Twiggy

2009-03-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Lesley Hornby, also known as Twiggy, was arguably one of the world's first super models. She was nicknamed Twiggy because she was so skinny and she was said to have started the trend of today's prototypical models, tall and skinny. She got offered a modeling contract at age sixteen, she was only 90 pounds. Twiggy's career took of and she was named the face of '66.

Today Twiggy isn't completely out of the lime light. She was a judge in the hit TV show Americas Next Top Model, where she advised young girls on succeeding in the modeling industry. Twiggy got a lot of criticism for being so skinny and sort of got blamed for aiding the weight problem some teenage girls face. I think this is an unfair accusation because you can't blame someone for having a desirable figure.

I look at Twiggy as a role model because i think she had an amazing life. She was a shy young girl that got thrown into the American eye. Everyone idolized her and she was just an ordinary girl in her own eyes. She wasn't afraid to be different, she was immensely different then the trend in the early sixties.

Wreck This Journal

2009-03-28T09:01:00.002-07:00

Keri Smith is the creator of Wreck This Journal. It is a creative outlet for anyone who wants to express themselves or just wreck something. Each page has different directions on it to do to the journal. The first page says to doodle on the cover of the journal and the copyright page. Some pages tell you to write things like: make a grocery list, write the same word over and over, and record in detail an insignificant event. Each person will interpret these pages differently and think of their own creative way to fill them out.

I received this journal as a present form my friend for Christmas. I really like the idea of it and i think it is a great way to get away from everything. it's sort of like a journal where you write down all your worries and problems and get them out in the open, but it's different. You don't actually come out and say these things you can display them through how you "wreck" the journal. I remember when i got to a page that said write the same word over and over i wrote purpose. That day i was very stressed about college and i couldn't decide what i wanted to do with my life. It's a way to get things out of your head and onto paper because it helps to externalize your feelings sometimes.

The journal also has pages that say things like document your dinner on this page and one collect fruit stickers on this page and one say collect stamps on this page. The fruit sticker one was fun because i am a cashier at Hyvee so i day i just stole every one's fruit stickers as i was checking them out. i collected them all on a piece of paper then transferred them to my journal. Also another page i am looking forward to doing is the one that says place a picture of yourself here that you hate. Now scribble all over it.

The back of the journal looks like a letter and has a place for an address and a return address. One of the pages says tape this journal shut and mail it to yourself. I think that when i am all done with my journal i am going to mail it to someone else. I am excited for this day but i still have a lot to do.

Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry is Medicating a Nation

2009-03-28T09:01:00.001-07:00

Written By Charles Barber, Comfortably Numb is a book about how pharmaceutical companies are taking over the world. It gives his perspective on the increasing mental health issue in the United States and the various reasons it is happening. Charles Barber is a talented author who also wrote Songs From the Black Chair, which is a memoir about his own experience with mental illness. He writes a blog for the Huffington Post.

The use of psychoactive drugs in the U.S. has been rising dramatically which has contributed to a nice profit for the pharmaceutical industry. This wasn't by accident. These companies make this medicating readily available to everyone. They blur the line between mental illness and everyday problems with their advertisements that promise a quick fix. These drugs are the second most advertised product in America exposing millions of people to this unrealistic quick fix. It is illegal to advertise drugs in other countries which would explain why the united states has a much bigger problem with over medication then other counties.

"Comfortably Numb chronicles the extraordinary psychopharmaceuticalization of everyday life that has arisen in recent years and appears to be growing apace. Charles Barber marks out the inconvenient truths on our path to emotional climate change but also offers alternatives to readers who wish to avoid pharmageddon."— David Healy, author of Let Them Eat Prozac

Also pharmaceutical companies bribe psychiatrists to promote their drug so they can maximize their profit. There have been reports of companies paying doctors to write false information about their competitors drugs and even same articles in prestigious journals with unknown authors. These are called ghostwriters whom pharmaceutical companies pay to write an article with completely false information about different medications. A good psychiatrist knows to take what they read in these journals with tremendous doubt.

The problem is these companies promote these drugs and neglect telling people the much saver and better alternatives. People have an unrealistic expectation and vision of these drugs, they are a magical cure. Other routes that people could take is going through therapy or even just good old aerobic exercise which has been proven to reduce stress and make you a healthier person. Just talking to someone and having a strong social support system can also help tremendously. You have to try to help yourself before you resort to relying on a foreign substance to mask your symptoms and risk side effects.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2009-03-28T09:00:00.002-07:00

This movie is about relationships. Almost everyone has went through the misery of a breakup and that is what the idea of this movie is based on. Breakups can be a really hard part in a persons life and they usually always are accompanied by drama, broken hearts, and sad memories. In this movie they invented a way to erase the memories from your brain. They erase all of the memories that have to do with the person that you broke up with. You won't remember them at all, not even meeting them. This is a very interesting concept.

At the beginning of the movie Joel and Clementine meet each other on a train. Joel is shy and sad while Clementine is friendly talkative. They end up liking each other but they don't know that they both have a forgotten past. The movie flashes back and forth between their old relationship and new one while in the process of telling the story of Joel getting Clementine erased from his memory. All of this is confusing at first but the cool part is it's all intricately and thoughtfully interwoven into a story that you'll never forget.

While Joel is getting his memory erased he somehow is conscious of what is going on and wants it to stop. He changed is mind while his brain was flashing back to all of this old memories. This movie is definitely interesting and worth watching.

Actors etc.

Taking the Stage

2009-03-28T09:00:00.001-07:00

Taking the stage is a new reality show on MTV. I know what you are thinking, not another stupid reality show! But seriously this one is different. It's not your typical scripted lame dating show that is usually featured on MTV. This one is actually interesting and real. You never know what is scripted these days so i have no idea if it is reality but i still like the show and all of the kids on it. This show is about about students at the school of Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. You have to addition to get into the school and afterwards students go to persue their dream in all areas of the performing buisness.

The show follows five very talented students and shows how they are working toward their dream.

Mia is a singer-song writter who i fell in love with the first time i heard her sing. She has an amazing vioce and she plays the quitar. She is incredibly driven to be famous and her goal in life is to be signed by the time she is eighteen. The first episode was about their school's talent show and the judges were actually people from the entertainment industry. Mia was in the talent show playing a song that she wrote with her band in the background. She got first place in the talent show and i was so happy. Also i like how she is not afraid to perform and she goes and plays shows wherever they will let her. She has a very funky style and she seems so confident. She can sing, play guitar, write songs, and even dance, she can do whatever she sets her mind to.

Another person i liked right away was Jasmine. She is a very talented dancer and loves ballet. Her goal is to make it to Juilliard which is a performing arts school in New York. She says she wants to be the best profesional dancer of her generation. She can also dance hip hop and it a very pretty girl. In the first episode she meets Tyler, a new student and they instantly hit it off. Tyler is a hip hop dancer and comes to the school to become a more well rounded dancer. He is in Jasmine's ballet class and he asks her for help. He finds out that there is a hip hop group at the school and Jasmine tells him to come to their practice and check it out. When he does Malike, the leader of the group gets angry. Tyler decides he wants to make his own hip hop group because that wasn't his style.

The show is mainly filmed at their school and shows what goes on. One day they had a dance off in the cafeteria. I don't know it this really happened in real life but if it did that would be crazy. I guess it was kind of corny but it still showed off their really good dancing skills. At the talent show Tyler's dance group won over Malik's and that made him very mad. They kind of have a battle of who is better through out the show.

The series just started but i am very excited to follow along. The reason i like this show so much is becasue it's not your typical reality show. I like the content and just the idea of the show. It shows kids who are motivated and very talented. It gives other kids inspiration for their dreams and it's just interesting to watch other people on their journey to fame.

Requiem For a Dream

2009-03-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Requiem For a Dream is a movie infused with addiction and self illusion, drugs and prescription pills, and lives all headed on a downward spiral. The movie follows a mother, her son, his drug dealer and his girlfriend through their chaotic and dreadful lives. The movie depicts these four people caught in the cycle and exposes the means that people go through to feed their habit.

Ellen Burstyn plays the lonely mom who lives alone in her apartment. She is mesmerized by television and watches the same infomercial over and over. When she gets a call saying she will be on television she becomes excited and it gives her a reason to wake up in the morning. She decides she wants to lose weight so she can fit in the same red dress she wore to her son's graduation. She goes to the doctor and gets prescription diet pills which she becomes addicted to. Her life gets consumed by this medication and she becomes one of many addicts.

Jared Leto plays her son who is addicted to heroin and his girlfriend is addicted to cocaine along with his best Friend. All of these characters live the most horrible lives. Everything is centered around when they will shoot up next and who they will buy their next sack from. The movie shows all these character's lives on a downward spiral as a result of their addiction

An intense(like the circus) part of the movie is at the end when all the characters seem to hit their low point at the same time. They flash from scene to scene showing the dramatic affects the drugs are having on their lives and what it has lead them to. This part of the movie makes you sick but you can't stop watching in horror. The ending brings the whole movie together and really gets the point across. This movie is a great movie portraying how addicts really live, even though people might not know about it.

Overview

Blogging

2009-02-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

Blogging is an unconventional way, classroom wise, of sharing our opinions and practicing our writting. I agree that it is a creative and a great idea. However, just the fact that it is all through the computer, with no actual tangible assignments to turn in, makes it so easy to put off and put off until you evenually convince yourself that it's too late to do at all.

A positive aspects of blogging is that you can bring in so much more then just your own ideas. You can link articles and videos and websites that illustrate something further and help to clarify your point, or maybe even refute it. Also, my favorite feature is the pictures, they adds life to your ideas and add a scapegoat from boredom. The attachments that you can add to your website are also fun. They allow you to personalize your space for people to analyze and critique.

After writing a post my feelings could go either way. I could be very proud of my latest creation and be excited to share it with the world. Or, if i didn't put forth all my effort i could hate it and not want anyone to read it. This is a bad feeling and often deters me from posting. The fact that anyone can see my work is exciting yet terrifying at the same time. Blogging goes way beyond just writing your opinions for practice in your AP class. It is linked to the outside world and is open for criticism. Maybe i am just looking too far into it but that often inhibits my motivation to blog. Like i said though, when i am very proud of my writing then it feels good to display. Maybe it's an esteem issue.

Blogging has the potential to be fun. It is a step in a positive direction for our technology advancing schools.

I Don't Want to Be Crazy

2009-02-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

PUSH, the publisher of this book, is dedicated to new authors and getting their voices out. Some of the books are fiction some non fiction and some are a mix of the two. The goal is for the stories to sound real and for the reader to believe what they are reading. PUSH is always looking for new writers and encourages anybody to submit their own work. They are having a 2009 PUSH novel writing contest. These are to rules and regulations. These books are heartbreaking, interesting, insightful, and very easy to relate to.

I Don't Want to Be Crazy is one of the books that I have read from this publisher. It is a poetry memoir written by Samantha Schultz. In this book she takes you on a journey that you feel like you are taking yourself. You become Samantha and experience her words as if they were your own. She tells the story of her terrifying panic attacks that never seem to go away. Her life resolves around the question of when is the next one coming. The way Schultz tells her story leaves the reader feeling her anxiety and relief and happiness.

The story starts with Samantha excited and getting ready to move on to college. She is ready to start a new life all on her own. When Schultz gets to college everything goes great for awhile. Until she is in the middle of a lecture something starts to happen. She feels like her hands are shaking uncontrollably. She looks around to see if anyone notices but no one does. Then she thinks she is going crazy. She gets really hot and her heart is beating fast. She feels like on the inside she is going crazy but has to keep her outside composed. She leaves the lecture hall and doesn't go back. This happens several times within the next few days and Samantha decides to go to the school psychiatrist. She gets prescribed medication but still lives with the fear of another attack happening.

The book goes through Samantha's life and talks about how she copes with these attacks. She talks about the guys she hooks up with and all of the friends she makes in college. The story follows her all the way through her college career and then afterwards also. I loved the way this book was written and it was very easy to read. I couldn't put it down and i didn't unless i absolutely had to (because i had to walk to my next class).

Here are some titles of other books published by PUSH
Kissing the Rain - Kevin Brooks

Martyn Pig - Kevin Brooks
The Dating Diaries - Kristen Kemp

I Will Survive - Kristen Kemp
Cut - Patricia McCormick

Crashing - Chris Wooding

Kerosene - Chris Wooding

Pure Sunshine - Brian James

You Remind Me of You - Eireann Corrigan

The Wackness

2009-02-05T05:03:00.000-08:00

This is a Drama film that is about a drug dealing teenager who is socially outcasted and lacking in confidence. The unique part about this movie is that it was made in 2008 but it takes place in 1994. Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) roams the streets of new york, streaming with Hip Hop, selling marijuana from an ice cream cart. He exchanges drugs for therapy session with Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) who is a therapist who seems to have more problems of his own then his patients.

Luke thinks he is depressed and asks Dr. Squires to prescibe him antidepressants. He tells Luke that it's because of his lack of relationships and he needs to "get with" a girl. Luke has never had a girlfriend until, he developes a crush on Dr. Squires step daughter. They spend the whole summer together because all of her friends are out of town. Stephanie tells Luke that he is depressed because he looks at the "wackness" in life while she looks at the "dopeness". Luke tells her that he loves her and then she leaves him.

Now he is even more depressed and Dr. Squires and him become closer friends. They start hanging out and going to bars together. They teach each other things and loath in their own misery together. The ending is a great way to conclude the movie and leaves the viewer feeling full filled.

Whenever i mentioned this movie to my friends they always look at me funny because of the title. However, The Wackness is the perfect title for this movie. It accentuates it's vintage aspects and the theme the movie follows. You can't judge a book by its cover. This movie has been very successful with viewers and won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Overview

Gender

2009-01-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

There are a lot more gender similarities then there are differences however it doesn't seem that way because everyone seems to focus on the differences. Intelligence variation in males verse females is minor and are in a wide variety of subjects. Males are better at some things while females are better at others. The subjects you would probably have guessed. Females excel in English while males are better at solving math problems.
These petty differences don't tell you much because like i said before you have to focus more on the individual then anything else. Honestly i don't like it when people stereotype and point out the differences of people. Just because it's an average everyone is not average! This kind of stuff leads to employers choosing employees based on race and gender. Facts show that males have a better aptitude for math so if this is publicized, like these kinds of findings usually are, then most jobs dealing with mathematical computation will go to a male.
Gender differences are prevalent but not reliable enough to base anything on. They are interesting however not important. The same with ethnicity differences. Like i have said and will always say it's all about the individual.

Ethnicity

2009-01-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Do people of different ethnicity have different levels of intelligence? Studies show that yes they do. The average IQ score for an Americans is 100. This score is obtained by finding the mental age from an intelligence tests and dividing that by their actual age then multiplying that by 100. The average score for Americans is 100 so that means their mental age is typically the same as their actual age. African Americans have an average IQ of 85. The same gap has occurred in other cultures as well.
Intelligence can be attributed to heredity and environment. Researchers think that the gap could come from peoples different experiences as a racial group. Which lead to different genes and maybe even different intelligences. But also we know that environment is definitely a factor. Deaf children who miss out on the culture of the American language score lower on the test then hearing children do. Environment plays a larger role in group differences then it does in individual difference. One way to prove that environment is a factor is by looking at Asian children compared to American. Asians score a higher average on math tests then Americans do. This is probably due to the fact that they are in school 30 % more days then Americans and spend much more time on math.
However, even though statistics prove that some ethnic groups score higher then others you have to take into account the individual. You can't stereotype and assume that just because someone is a certain race they are not as smart. Once people start to get to college the intelligence gap regresses because the environment is so similar for everyone there. The most important thing is to take the individual into account and not the race they come from.

Emotional-Detecting Ability

2009-01-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

A very different type of intelligence is the ability to detect other people's emotions. There are some people who can pick up on a persons cues and know right away that their is something wrong. Some people are more sensitive to this type of ability while others wouldn't notice at all. Typically women are better at detecting these types of things then men probably because of their motherly instincts.
The way that researchers have studies people to find their emotional detection abilities is through an experiment. They show them a couple second clip and replace the original words with distorted ones. The person is asked whether the person in the clip was lecturing someone or talking about their deceased grandparents. The answers vary from person to person.
I think this is an important ability to have because you have to be sensitive toward a persons emotion if you are trying to make any type of relationship work. If you can't even tell if something is wrong then the person will feel unnoticed and rejected. I feel like everyone has a little ability to be able to detect how a person is feeling if they try. It is all about paying attention and keeping an open relationship with a person.

Creativity

2009-01-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between creativity and intelligence?

I believe that intelligence and creativity are two completely different concepts. Creativity is processed in a completely separate area of the brain and means something totally different. Creativity is being able to think outside of the box to make something that is amazing. People who are creative don't care what other people think and just go with there intuition.
People who are intelligent can be creative but people who are creative don't have to be what our society calls "intelligent".
Studies that have been done on exceptionally creative scientists, inventors, and engineers show that they all have a few traits in common. They are usually intrinsically motivated and are their own toughest critic. They know a lot of information and try to obtain a lot of knowledge. They have the ability to try new things and see things in different ways; they don't have a problem with fixation. They are persistent and don't give up after the first fifty tries. Also they like to work and groups and be supported by their colleagues or friends.
If you don't have all of these traits that doesn't mean you aren't creative. It comes in many different packages and forms waiting to be explored. Creativity isn't a tangible thing that either you have or you don't. It is something that you have to embrace and explore.

Tracking

2009-01-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

Tracking is dividing students up into separate classes with others who share their level of aptitude scores. The reasons for doing this is because some people believe that the truly gifted children are being held back by the others. They think that they would benefit to be in classes with people of the same intelligence.

The Chamber Council on Adolescents Development believes that tracking is "one of the most divisive and damaging school practices in existence." I completely agree with them. To me it sounds a little too much like the segregation we worked so hard to get away from. I believe if our schools were separated bye intelligence levels then some students would begin to feel dumb and would develop a lower self esteem. Also at our school if a student is a lot smarter then the kids in their grade and is not getting anything out of their classes then they cab be moved up a grade. I think this is a lot better solution to students not being challenged then separating them is.

However, things similar to tracking happen at our school a lot more then we would think.We have AP classes which are advanced placement classes and are designed for students who want to be challenged. Then we have directive studies classes which are for students that need a little extra help on their school work. You could consider this a little bit like tracking because it does separate students by intelligence. The one important difference though is that students can't be forced to take these classes.

Standardized Tests

2009-01-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

In order for a test to be valid it must follow three rules. It has to be standardized, reliable, and valid. If a test reaches this criteria then it should yield accurate results. The results may be accurate but what are they really telling us?

I don't think that standardized tests in school are completely fair. First of all different people are good at different things. In my previous post i talked about the theories of different intelligences. Standardized tests are only displaying a persons ability in one intelligence. If someone is better at memorizing and recalling things then the test will show that they are smarter. But are they? I don't believe so. Maybe another person is creatively intelligent or emotionally intelligent, but these test do not show that. I don't think our society should base students intelligence solely on standardized tests.

The tests that are most ridiculous are the ACTs and SATs. These are aptitude tests that determine what colleges you can get into. An aptitude test is supposed to predict a persons future performance, so the ACT is suppose to predict how well you will do in college. These test are not even that accurate on predicting a students future college grades. Studies show that the results correlate closely with early grades, but as the year progresses the correlation severely regresses. Also i don't agree with the way that they give the tests; they are all timed and multiple choice. Timed tests always make me even more nervous and unable to concentrate. I don't understand the necessity of timing the tests because not everyone can process things as fast as other people. They treat the tests as if everyone is the same.

I don't think there is anything we can do to fix this problem in society, at least not in the near future. Reforming would take a very long time because this is all our society knows and it's what we base our lives on. However, my friend Aubrey brought this idea to the table. In China their school system is set up completely different then ours. They have a primary education that all children attend. Then they have a secondary education which is divided into academic or vocational. If students want they can start training for medium level skilled workers in vocational school and they start training for their future jobs as a child, or they can go on to further their general education. I think this is a big benefit because different people are good at different things and they can excel in what they are good at. China is way ahead of us and already has everything figured out.

Warning!

2009-01-22T04:52:00.000-08:00

I'm going off topic for the next few posts in order to share my views on societies definition of intelligence. We talk about intelligence as if we agree upon what it means. However, we don't.

"Psychologist debate weather we should define it as an inherent cognitive capacity, an achieved level of intellectual performance, or an ascribes quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder."-David G. Meyers

The fundamental question is whether intelligence is a general ability or several specific abilities. Robert Sternberg believes that we have multiple intelligences. He organized them into three general categories.
Analytical: found from intelligence tests
Creative: ability to generate novel ideas
Practical: "street smarts"

However, even though everyone is different and has different abilities society continues to only take into account our analytical intelligence. It would be difficult to measure other types of intelligence because of the convenience of standardized tests. If we wanted to change our way of thinking it would call for MAJOR reform. My next six post will be about my opinion on topics that deal with the different aspects of life that are based on societies definition of intelligence.

Feast of Love

2009-01-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

This movie is about the almost mystical, enthralling, and sometimes painful aspects of Love. It captures the marval exchanges that take place between two people truely in love, that nobody really notices, and puts it on display. This movie will make you take a look at your own life and wonder...

Morgan Freeman plays an astute old man who knows exactly what is happening underneath the surface and just lets it all unfold. Greg Kinnear plays a conventionally mindless man who thinks he is in love but really has no clue. His wife, played by Selma Blair, doesn't relize her disinterest toward her husband untill she discovers her true love. However, he is so unobservant he doesn't even know what is going on right in front of his face. The movie include alot of intertwined love stories that all seem to connect in an intricate way.

The movie looks at love as it is simply an aspect of life. All of the relationships in this movie are affected in numerous ways and the reactions follow. Harry (Morgan Freeman) has been married to his wife for many years but their son dies and they have to cope with a different type of love lost. Bradley (Greg Kinnear) beleives in the power of beauty and true love. He is good at falling in love, but usually with the wrong women. Chloe and Oscar fall in love at first sight but have to deal with circumstances that are fighting against them.

The movie sound very dramatic and soap opera ish but it is much, much more. The forshadowing helps bring out the reality of the movie and shows the aspects of life that most people just look over. This movie brings these aspects out in the open for everyone to notice and think about.

Step Brtohers

2009-01-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Will Ferrell and and John C. Reilly team up to be a hilarious duo. They worked together in the movie Talladega Nights, which i wouldn't give as positive of a review however Step Brothers seems to be different. Step Brothers is a hilarious comedy that i was surprised to actually like. Usually i don't go for the dumb witted comic like movies that our society thrives on. However, this one seems to be different, it's just too funny to dislike.
The thing i like most about this movie, sadly, is their wardrobe. Every single shirt that they are wearing is hilarious and great. i honestly want to buy every single one of them.
This movie is about a thirty-nine year old and a forty year old who still live with their parents, who just happen to fall in love. Now these two men have to live together and go through comedic tales that make you laugh out loud. The two eventually learn a lesson from each other and figure out that they have to actually grow up. Of course this lesson can't be learned without many attempts to sabotage their parents wedding.
This is the kind of movie you watch if you want a good laugh but not if you are in serious movie watching mode. Like if you want to grovel at the amazing quality of a movie and how intricately it was made, then don't watch this one. It's definitely a circumstantial movie, that you have to be in the mood to for. It's not one of my top favorites but it's still a funny movie.

Matchstick Men

2009-01-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

Starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman Matchstick Men is an ingenious film. This 2003 movie has you thinking that you have everything all figured out, but you don't. It's filled with suspense and thrilling twists you never see coming.
The movie is about two con men who work as partners. Roy, one of the con men, is genius at crime but failing at life due to his agoraphobe which is the fear of open places and he's a germaphobe. Also after going to a phyciatrist he discovers he has a 14 year old daughter. Being a parents helps him cope with his phobias and makes him want to be a better person. His daughter played by Alison Lohman quickly becomes a special part of Roy's life.

The ending of this movie is something you would never expect. It keeps you thinking long after it is over and makes you want to watch it over and over. It is truly a very mind blowing and crazy film. It's very memorable and worth watching.
I thinks a vital part in making a good film or writing a good book is to have very interesting characters; ones that are memorable and complex. This film was derived from the novel also called Matchstick Men which was written by Eric Garcia.

A Day to Remeber

2009-01-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

This is a band that i first heard about when i was into, i guess you could say, hardcore music. I grew out of the rest of it but A Day to Remember stuck with me. They have really catchy songs that you can't help but sing along with.

Jeremy McKinnon - vocals

Neil Westfall - guitar Tom Denney - guitar Joshua Woodard - bass Alex Shellnutt - drums

They have produces two records thus far one under Victory Records and the other under Indianola Records. Their first album is called And Their Name was Treason. It was very successful for the fact that it's existence was spread through word of mouth only. Then they got signed to a new label and they came out with For those who Have Heart. They were nominated for an award for this album, the best international newcomer, but they didn't win, sadly. They have been on many tour including the all famous warped tour in 2008. I saw them live with The Devil Wears Prada, in Iowa City, which was Amazing.
Their style is post-hardcore however their meldoy is more pop punk which always invites a good sing-alongs. The music has an up-beat, happy, jump up and down feel that i need in times of termoil. Monument is my favorite song on their second CD and it should be yours.

Alas A Day to Remember is coming out with a new CD titled Homesick. The CD is scheduled to be released February 3rd.

Atmosphere

2009-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Atmosphere is an independent hip hop group from Minneapolis. They are extremely successful for being independent and enormously diverse and excellent. The beginning days of Atmosphere are a little confusing and besides the point so basically now the hip hop group consists of Ant and Slug. Ant (Anthony Davis) is the producer and has produced every album except one. Slug (Sean Daley) writes and performs all of Atmosphere's songs. The two are a perfect combination and create amazing music.

Slug has a way of writing lyrics that develop into more complex and intelligent works of art every time i listen to his songs. Lucy Ford is a theme that is seen in many of Slug's songs and is thought to represent his ex-girl friend and the mother of his son. However, she has developed into a symbol that represents all women and a device that only his fans will understand. His lyrics cease to amaze me and he has so many songs a can discover something new every day. His song Love Life displays his lyrical genius. It's like he is an award winning essayist, but he just write songs and if you listen close he knows you will discover his well written songs. Can you figure out what he is describing?

Individually wrapped, placed in neat little rows
Becoming A piece, of everything that grows
Some numbers, A name, to indicate you played the game
Came empty handed and left the same

Atmosphere is different then the mainstream rappers who know their music will sell so they just do whatever to get by. Atmosphere actually has intelligent lyrics that tell a story.
click

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2009-01-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

Written by: Mark Haddon

This book is written in first person through the perspective of a 15 year old autistic boy named Christopher. Christopher is a very interesting character. He Is diagnosed with Aspergers disease however he is brilliant at math and has a photographic memory. The disease that he has is a social disorder. He is not very good at understanding human behavior and relationships. Christopher has some sort of pathological thing against lying. He cannot lie however he can tell only parts of the truth to be misleading, he calls these white lies. Also, he is very observant and has interesting theories. Christopher absolutely hates the color yellow but he loves the color red. If he sees a lot of red cars in a row then he is going to have a good day but if he sees a lot of yellow cars in a row then he will have a "black day" and he won't talk to anybody. All of this makes to be a very compelling main character.

In the book, Christopher lives with his dad, who in the beginning seems to be very compassionate and understanding with him. Christopher is told that his mother died of a heart-attack when he was younger. What starts off the series of events that takes place in the book is the mystery of who killed their neighbor, Mrs. Sheer's, dog. Christopher discovers Mrs. Sheer's black poodle stabbed with a pitch for in her front yard. He is immediately dismayed and doesn't know what to do. The book consists of Christopher solving the mystery and learning things he would have never imagined.

This book never has a dull moment and just keeps surprising you with every turn of the page. I likes it a lot mainly because the perspective was so interesting. I read this book awhile ago and almost forgot about, until i remembered how Christopher gives hugs. He hates touching people or anybody touching him, so to give the people he is close to a hug they put their hands close to each other but never touch. Almost like you are going to give a high five. I remembered this because my boyfriend and I both read the book and we both found the "hand hug" very interesting, so we participate in it. This book is tre bien, read it!

Smart People

2008-12-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

Tagline: Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn.

This is an independent film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008 where the rights were acquired by Miramax Films. The main characters are played by Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page (!), and Thomas Haden Church. I picked this movie up on a whim hoping it would be watchable. It turned out to be amazing.

This movie is about a professor who is a witty pompous widower and his journey to become more...sociable. His daughter, played by Ellen Page is a senior in High School and got accepted to Harvard. She is very found of her father and he is her role model, she doesn't have any friends, except for her step uncle who paid a surprise visit and is not living with them. Lawrence, the professor, meets a former student and starts to fall for her. His personality causes a lot of ups and downs in their relationship. In the end he learns a lesson and everyone is happy.

I liked this movie because i felt smart while i was watching it (haha). All of the large vocab words and grammatically correct speaking gives me a sense of hope for quote unquote normal people. The plot was simple but still interesting because of the script and intricate characters. My favorite was either Vanessa Wetherhold (Ellen Page, the daughter) or James Wetherhold (Ashton Holmes, the step brother). This movie may never be as popular as some but it is still worth watching.

Favorite Quote: Vanessa Wetherhold: Theresa Sternbridge practically runs a soup kitchen and she's always seen posing in photos with crack babies and dying, old, crusty ladies. And do you know why? She scored in the 45th percentile on her SAT. People like you and me don't need to compensate.

Good Will Hunting

2008-12-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

The writers of Good Will Hunting were Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two of the main characters. It started out as an action-thriller movie, which is definitely not how we know it today. After considerable revision and suggestions the movie turned into the award winning film we all love.

Good Will Hunting is about a poor self taught genius from South Boston who has emotional problems bottled up from his childhood abuse(Matt Damon). He works as a Janitor at MIT and gets discovered by a math professor who takes him under his wing. Will gets forced to go to therapy and develops a very good relationship with his therapist(Robin Williams). He ends up finding a girlfriend, who he pushes away in fear of getting to attached. In the end everything always seems to work itself out.

This is such a good movie because even though it has a basic story line there are a lot of extra memorable moments that happen along the way. It is so interesting because you get to watch Will unfold throughout these therapy sessions that reveal more and more about him each time. I can't help but cry every time during the last therapy session. This movie is just a classic that everyone must see.

What my Blog is about.

2008-12-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

This blog is basically all of my entertainment recomenations to you. It is full of my favorite books, movies, and television shows. I try to give them a fair review but they might be a bit bias on my side becasue i only write about things i really like. Maybe i should change that but i would feel bad writing negative comments about anything that someone has put so much work into. Basically you can come to my blog for ideas about what movies to see or books to read. and you can also check out some of the music.

The Kite Runner

2008-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

It is about a boy from Afghanistan who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his friend, who is the son of his fathers servant. The book takes place around 1989 when the fall of the Afghanistan monarchy occurred, which takes place in the novel.It is a very well written and interesting book especially for being the author, Hosseini's first novel. He has written two more books, one is a sequence to The Kite Runner called A Thousand Splendid Sons. I haven't read it yet but i hear it is even better then the first one.The Kite Runner was made into a movie which came out on DVD in march. It is a great movie and it's even in the original language of Afghanistan so it has subtitles. The movie, of course, isn't as good as the book because books are always better but it still is a must see.The book is challenging mainly because of the setting being in a different country with the whole different culture. However that was my favorit part about the book the fact that it was different then most books I have read read. Sometimes you have to jump out of your element. Even though i will probabaly never visit Afghanistan i can still read about it and pretend like i'm there.

The Garden City

2008-12-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

Missoula, Montana
Known as the Garden City, Missoula is supposedly the place to be.
One of my school administrators, Mr. Maxey, whose opinion i highly respect, told my friend and i that we had to visit this majestic place. When i first heard it was in Montana i have to admit i was a little turned off. So i decided to do some research.
It has a thriving art scene according to wikipedia. The international wildlife film festival is held there. I guess one of the members of Pearl Jam is from Missoula, Aubrey would find that interesting (my friend who is taking this trip with me).
It is the second largest city in Montana and is home to the University of Montana. It is some sort of sanctuary for bicyclist because of the American Bicycle Association's location there.
The college town aspect of this city is so far the most appealing feature to me. I feel like it would be an interesting place to take a road trip to.
Aubz and i will plan one during spring break and then i'll tell you how it went.

Fargo

2008-12-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

The only thing i have to say about this movie is that it was produced by the Coen Brothers. They are famous for movies overloaded with plays on stereotypes and over the top movie conventions. Fargo is no exception, this true story comes to life on the screen and it seem to pull you right into the movie.
Fargo is about a car dealer, Jerry, who gets himself into a bit of financial troubles. Jerry comes up with the plan to have his wife kidnapped and held for ransom to be paid by his wealthy father-in-law. The kidnapping doesn't exactly go as planned to say the least and Jerry has to sit back and watch everything happen.

To say the least their are a few murders and allot of blood shed. The genre is kind of a blur between a few things: crime, drama, thriller, and I'm sure a couple more.
My favorite character is Marge Gunderson, who is the pregnant cop sent to investigate the first round of murderers. Her character brings this whole movie together and plays a key role in the plot. She is played by Francis McDormand who is an academy award winning actress.

2008-12-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

This show intrigues me to an extent that i am almost embarrassed. Every aspect of it is so interesting and entertaining. I don't really know if it is fake or scripted but i don't want to know i just want it to stay exactly how it is. The whole aspect of having someone with completely different morals, values, and living habits, come into a strangers home and tell them how they should be living is fascinating.
When you watch the show, the things that are different and some would say wrong with the family seem so obvious. However when you take a step back and think about your family, you wonder are there things like this in my family that i dont even notice? I always wonder that. What would america think of my family and the way we live?
The way the show has its up and downs and always comes to a resolving end is great. The families always change for the better.
Also i think it is the way that they are filming everday american families that makes the show so popular. Everyone wants to know what other people's families are like and they compare thier own with them. I am not a big fan of stupid reality shows that are either obviously scripted or that have no point to them at all. However wife swap is different.

Hot Rod

2008-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is a film that will definitely never fail to produce a good laugh. Hot Rod is about Rod Kimble, a teenager who has never really grown up, and is aspiring to be a stunt man. He is played beautifully by Andy Samberg, an American stand-up comedian.

The plot consists of Rod trying to raise money for his dying step dad. However, he wants to save his life not to be a good son, but because he wants to someday win their never ending battle of beating each other up. Rod uses his stunt man abilities to raise the money, the only problem is, Rod doesn't really have any stunt man abilities. To make things worse he finds out his dead dad was never really a stunt man, which has been his inspiration for everything his life revolves around.

This movie is full of laughs and enjoyment. It is the kind of movie you can watch over and over and fall in love with it more each time. If i could memorize everyline to this movie then my life would be complete.

Rico: I'm freakin pumped! I've been drinking green tea all goddamn day!

Hypnotic

2008-12-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

You are sitting in a velvet read fold up cushioned seat, a line of people are on your right and on your left. A Crowd is staring at all of you while a large man keeps repeating, "You can only hear my voice tune everything else out," in a pathetic attempt to hypnotize you. Of course your mind is far from only listening to his voice. You are wondering, Is this working...I have to go pee...wait PAY ATTENTION...Everyone is starring at me. Then the hypnotist says, "On the count of three you will fall asleep...One...two...Three." Everyone, including you, drops their heads and seem to be asleep. You aren't asleep at all though, you just did this so you wouldn't look like a fool in front of everyone.

This scenario has happened to me twice. Once in eight grade and then again this weekend at my amazingly great work party, i went solely for the free food/gift but decided to join in on the fun and try to get hypnotized. A quarter of the way into the presentation i decided that it definitely hadn't worked and I walked off stage, the person sitting next to me quickly followed. I had noticed that a few other people had walked off earlier. As a watched the rest off the show i couldn't help but think half of them were faking the whole thing.
I don't think that a person can't be hypnotized i just think it takes a certain kind of person to do this and also a very well practiced hypnotist. The kind of person has to be able to be completely relaxed and be able to clear their mind. This is my flaw, i cannot not think if i was forced. This is a very interesting topic, hypnosis is. In fact we just learned about it in Psychology a little bit ago. There are two theories of what happens to a person when they get "hypnotised". Some people think that hypnosis is a unique physiological state, one that a person cannot enter without the help of a hypnotist

Hypnosis researchers believe that hypnosis involves social influences and a special state of dissociation consciousness. So the subjects are partly doing what they are doing to satisfy everyone else but also their mind is separate from the conscience. It's kind of like when you are are getting tickled. If you concentrate hard enough you can disassociate the sensation with the feeling and it won't tickle. This is the same thing that happens with hypnosis.

corporate monsters

2008-11-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

I absolutely hate every cell phone company in the world.
They are so corrupt and ridiculous!
So basically cell phone companies are kind of like the DOT because they don't care about their customers. They know that no matter what they do everyone still NEEDS a cell phone so they will do whatever is needed to have one. The DOT doesn't care because everyone needs a license. So basically cell phone companies can charge whatever ridiculous price they want.
And what i understand is that their is really no way of creating competition. i know that there are different companies to choose from but each is as corrupt as the next. So basically in order to get reception all over the world your cell phone provider needs access to as many cell phone towers as possible. Each company owns their own towers and then pays to use other companies towers. So if one company decided to make their prices lower then the companies they are renting towers from would say, "No more towers for you" because then their lower prices would steal customers from their company. Basically the prices will forever be high because it's a never ending cycle.
Here is my horror story with my cell phone company. I started my own contract, with my mom's signature because i wasn't 18 at the time. My bill was about $80 a month and i had unlimited text messages and like 1200 minutes or something like that. It was the lowest plan they had which made me mad in the first place because i never used more then half of my minutes in a month. So i was way over paying for all of these minutes that i didn't use and i couldn't do anything about it.
That was just the beginning. So my sister, who is 20, decides to add herself to my plan. I told her as long as she could just add herself to my existing plan that would be fine. Because i wasn't using all of my minutes anyway and then i would only have to pay $40 a month. It sounded too good to be true. Trust me it was. She went into my wireless provider and asked them to do this. However they told her that the plan i had was only a single person plan, she couldn't be added to it.
Any normal person would say okay then walk out the door. Oh No not her. She decides to change my whole entire plan so she could be added to it. Ever since then i have been paying $150 plus a month. Every month i go in to ask why and they always have an excuse to tell me why i am paying so much. Every month i go in their to tell them i want my old plan back and every month they tell me i have to wait for a certain period of time before i can do that. I am getting so fed up.
Oh yeah and cell phone companies have these genius things called contracts that lock a person in for as little as two years. If i wanted to just walk away i would have to pay $300.
They have rediculous rules that are only in place for them to make money.
Corrupt jerks
support

11/11....11

2008-11-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day, formally know as Armistice Day, is.....Today!
It came about becasue of the ending of World War I, which was known as The Great War back then.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh hour to end the war. Which is why Veteran's Day is always on November eleventh.
The day was orginally created to celebrate the veterans of WWI but after WWII and the Korean War happened the holdiday was changed to Veterans Day to celebrate all verterans.
It is important that everyone knows about this day and why we celebrate it.
Even if you may not agree with war a still beleive that you need to celebrate and give your appriciation to those people who put their lives in danger to protect our country.
Today make sure you give thanks to any veterans you know and maybe even some you don't know.

True Life | I'm Obese |

2008-11-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in my room and watching TV and this show came on about Obesity. It was talking about obesity being a genetic disease and an how eating is an addiction. The show was giving this man excuses for being fat and justifying his obesity. i found this sick and it made me think about our society. Then i noticed, it is only five o'clock and i am laying in bed watching TV.
How did it come to be like this? How are Americans so lazy?
We do as little as possible to get by.
It's not etirely our fault though
It's just how our culture is.
Compare us to China. They go to school all day and base their lives on the importance of education.
In America education is far from the top of our list.
Bush passes the no child left behind act which has good intentions. But without the money we need to follow through with it then it's crap. It is doing absolutely nothing for us. Kids skip school and hate doing their homework.
In china they are quickly excelling far past American technology and education.
Have you ever met a foreign exchange student?
They are so much more motivated and so much smarter. It's intimidating.
There is only one way to solve it.
We have to change. Our society has to start from the bottom and work our way back up. I think the best way to start is by converting our schools to year-round schooling.
It's to late for my generation we have to start thinking about our kids. How do we want our kids to grow up?

Victory

2008-11-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Lykke Li

2008-11-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

Lykke Li is a singer-song writter from Sweden.

She has her own Blog! Lykke Li's Notes

She has one ablum called Youth Novels that came out in Februaury of '08
Her music is very unique and folk sounding which is the feel you get from this debut album. She says that the album is very personal and is mainly about her own teenage expiriences. She says that she is a very shy person but in her album she can express her deepest feelings and emotions. Lykke Li says that she wouldn't like to be famous and be scrutinized by the public eye, corrupting her personality and life. She enjoys her quiet little apartment with her close friends she hangs out with.

I idolize Lykke Li because she has her own opinions and views much like my own. I like how she knows who she is and what she wants. Someday i want to be as sure of myself as she is of herself. I also love her music and the uniquness of it. She truley is an inspiration to me because of the way she thinks and portrays herself. She doesn't care about fame or even money she just wants to be happy and let other people enjoy her music.

She is inspired by visual things such as photos, movies and books
She is a fan of Richard Avedon Photos
Sally Mann Photos<----her mom Pedro Almodovar Movies

Her favorite musicians are
Dizzee Rascal
Tribe Called Quest
Amy Winehouse

vote or die

2008-11-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

EDUCATION
McCain graduated in the bottom five of his class in the United States Naval Academy.
Then he attended national war college

Obama went to a small private liberal arts college for two years then transferred to Columbia university where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations he graduated with a bachelors degree. Five years later he enter Harvard Law School. He graduated from Harvard with a Juris Doctor which is a professional doctorate in law and in the top 10% in his class.

As you can see Obama is allot smarter and definitely allot more educated then McCain. Why would anyone chose to have someone who graduated in the bottom five of his class to be the leader of their country? That is ridiculous and i can't imagine how anyone can look past this fact.

THE WAR IN IRAQ
McCain supports President Bush's policies and if elected as president he favors the troop increase and wants to maintain troop levels.

Obama was against the war in 2004 saying "I am not opposed to all wars, I am opposed to dumb wars." He is against the presidents troop increase and supports a phased redeployment, meaning he wants to cut the number of troops in phases.

Obama's plan makes most sense because McCain wants to do what we have been doing for the past six years and it has not been working. I believe that we need to try something different because what we are doing is not working. I understand that if we pull all of our troops out we will have a problem because we are leaving Iraq alone and unable to support themselves leaving them susceptible and some say it could end in a genocide. But i believe if we have a well thought out and organized plan to take troops out slowly and carefully we could make it work. I believe that Obama has this well thought out plan.

TAXES
McCain wants to make Bush's tax cuts permanent. This give people earning $250,000 a year a cut on their taxes

Obama wants to let the tax cuts expire as scheduled

What is the point of giving people earning this much money a break on their taxes? They have enough money so why do they not have to pay to government the same proportion as everyone else? There is absolutely no reason for them to pay less. It would actually make more sense for them to pay more. If they have enough money they should be able to help out their country. I would feel the same way if i made $250,000 a year.

Compare and contrast

Everyone should do their own research and find out things about the people who may run our country. Also anyone who is eligible should get out and vote tomorrow!

Ignoring an issue isn't equivlent to not having one

2008-11-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Stress seems to be a never ending problem.
our society contains the most stress from any era in recorded history.
People are stressing over everything these days. If you are in my age group then it is all about college. Where will you go? What will you major in? What if you fail? How will you pay for it? What if you don't find a job when you are done? If you are older it could be a number of things from getting married to just dealing with money. These days people don't take enough time to relax and unwind from the day. It can get to the point where it become dangerous, causing health problems and early aging.

Ways to help prevent stress mainly include just taking time out for yourself to relax and calm. A very good way to relieve stress is doing yoga. Also if you manage your time and find time to relax and of course get plenty of sleep your stress will surely decrease immensely. You can find things to do during the day to help yourself relax such as listening to calming music in your car, soaking in the tub before bed, or taking a quick nap during the day.

psychological explanation
Methods to relieve stress
Interesting

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2008-10-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

The Perks of Being a Wall Flower is a novel written by Stephen Chbosky. It is an epistolary novel which means it is wriiten as a series of documents. It consists of letters that the main charicter, Charlie, writes to a freind, whose identity is never revealed. The book is about being a teenager and it touches on many teenage topics. Charlie is a freshman in the book and at the beginning is the "wallflower".

The book is easily relatable by adolecence becasue it talks about things they are expirieincing. This was my favorite book all through high school. The Catcher in the Rye and this book are very similar in the aspect that they both have a teenage boy as the main charictor and they talk about them going through tough situations. In the book Chbosky reffers to other literature and films, one of them being the Catcher in the Rye. He finds J.D. Stalinger as a big inspiration and read his books growing up.

My favorite poem is from this book.
once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
and he called it "chops"
because that was the name of his dog
and that's what it was all about
and his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
and his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
that was the year father tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
and let them sing on the bus
and his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
and his mother and father kissed a lot
and the girl around the corner sent him a
valentine signed with a row of x's
and he had to ask his father what the x's meant
and his father always tucked him into bed at night
and was always there to do it

once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
and he called it "autumn"
because that was the name of the season
and that's what it was all about
and his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
and his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint
and the kids told him
that father tracy smoked cigars
and left butts on the pews
and sometimes they would burn holes
that was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
and the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
and the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
and his father never tucked him in bed at night
and his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it

once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
and he called it "innocence: a question"
because that was the question about his girl
and that's what it was all about
and his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
and his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
that was the year father tracy died
and he forgot how the end
of the apostle's creed went
and he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
and his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
and the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
that made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
and at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

that's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
and he called it "absolutely nothing"
because that's what it was really all about
and he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
and he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen

This is a great book and everyone should read it.

antiapathy

2008-10-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Is Apathy really okay?
Dictionary.com defines it as:
lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

When something is hard and chalenging why would you think it was a good idea to just give up?

If you do it anyways you will be a stronger person in the end. You might even be proud of yourself. It is horrible to look at everything as a daunting task. Look at is as a chance to learn somehting new or to become a better person.

If i ever hear "don't sweat the little stuff" one more time.....

It does matter and maybe don't be psycho about it just get it done and look at things positively not negatively.

"A ship inside a bottle"

2008-10-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

This is a story about a man who builds a car in his basement knowing one day he will have to get it out. I find it entertaining but also very interesting. It seems to make a point about the new found trend of doing for yourself. People, with their overly consumerist lifestyles, are getting fed up with the fauly quality and expensive prices of products. So they are deciding to make things themselves. Why not? It's way more fun.

This website tells you how to make almost whatever you want.
Makefair.com

The Black keys

2008-10-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Black Keys have been producing music since 2001, but their latest album, Attack and Release, seems to be headed in a whole new direction. The producer, Danger mouse, has helped this rock duo find the soul they needed to produce an album better then any they ever have. They seem to have broken free of any restraints allowing them to open up and experiment with new ideas. The product is a psychedelic bluesy rock album with great harmony and catchy lyrics to match.

The Black keys were asked by Brian Burton, better known as Danger Mouse, to write songs for an album by Ike Turner. The passing of Turner in December put an end to the project. However, Danger Mouse decided to help The Black Keys make their fifth album. This was a change in luck for The Keys because he helped them produce an amazing new sound. It is much different then their normal rythem and blues album.

Attack and Release has a whole new element that opens the album up to a greater variety of fans. They have included new instruments, instead of the same old guitar and drums, they now have a bango, synthesizer, organ, clarinet, new vocal harmonies and much more. Danger Mouse has really helped these guys to up their game and there is no backing down from here.

Religulous

2008-10-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Religulous is a documentary written by and starring Bill Maher. The title is a mix of religious and ridiculous because that is what the documentary emphasizes, the irrational thinking related with religion. Bill, a political comedian, goes around the United States and interviews people about their religious beliefs. In the documentary he is trying to find out how people can be so critical and rational about their everyday lives but still believe in these religions that are not rational, that are negotiable about their factuality. Most people won't believe something unless you can proof it is 100% true. In a court trial the jury has to be sure beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict the defendant. This definitely doesn't apply to the juries religious beliefs. They believe in talking snakes and dead people coming back to life.

When i was watching this movie i was in amazement. Everything that i had ever thought about religion i could not put into words that made sense and that expressed what i really thought. Bill Maher did this perfectly. He took all of my thoughts and beliefs and backed them up with intelligent information and arguments that made sense. I loved this movie and i think it was put together perfectly. He definitely makes his point, i would recommend everyone to go see it.

College

2008-10-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

College.....just thinking about that word makes me want to run to my closet and hide. That dreaded question i seem to get asked everyday, "Where are you going to college?" It makes me want to scream....

I DON'T KNOW

I am a senior in Highschool and have yet to go on a college visit or even think about applying for a college. The main issue is trying to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life, what am i going to major in? In Psychology we are learning about Erickson's stages of development and Darwin simplified it best, happiness in adulthood depends on two major things: Relationships and Work. If you are not happy in your job, if you don't feel like you are accomplishing your goals, if you're not interested in what you do then you won't be happy. No matter how good your life is. You could have an amazing house and beautiful children, but Erickson argues if you do not get passed that step of having work that you enjoy and that meets your interests, you will not be happy. This makes my decision even more streeful.
But wait there is another variable added to the mix....my boyfriend. We want to go to the same college, and yes I know it's not a good idea to base your choice off this, but it's what i want. I don't think that my boyfriend will be able to get into a college that i could get into though. We are thinking that maybe he can go to a community college that is by the university that i attend. I can't deal with all of this. There is too much to think about and to take into account. I think that we are going to a college planner very soon to get somethings straightened out. I will update you on how the visit goes. Also here is a link to a very good college planning site that i have spent many hours on.