It's a very special time of year for the Best Buddies association. Prom is just around the corner. This is a different kind of prom than you would probably imagine. This is a prom for all the kids who don't tend to get the chance to go to a regular prom. It yanks at my heart strings, that's for sure. I can definitely say that I am one proud individual for being able to be a part of it.
There are plenty of high schools around the country who have an autism support program called Best Buddies. The range of severity definitely depends on those who actually are allowed to attend the group. However, when they are together, no matter the severity, they always have fun!
I know a thursday is an odd day to have a dance on, especially if you have school the next day, but none if them really cared. For someone like me, it's hard to think about the fact that a lot of these kids don't get to go to prom, or some even a school dance in general. It breaks my heart. So when I found out that there was a dance being held for them, I wanted to go all out. I puton my prom dress, pinned my hair back nicely, slipped shoes on and went to pick up my buddy. I wanted her to experience the actual feeling of going to a dance like we have at school. Therefore, I took her out to dinner before the dance. She was all dressed up and so excited to be wearing her fancy shoes without her braces (she wears a leg and arm brace). The smile on her face lit up the entire restaurant.
After dinner we met up with the rest of the group that was taking the limo. She thought it was the coolest thing to ride in and couldnt believe she would be able to sit next to her boyfriens who was also attending the dance. When we got there, it was like any other dance I'd been to, yet better. In all honesty they got it good going to this dance. There were tables, a photo booth and refreshments! I was stunned at how well it was put together. After we got there my buddy barely paid any attention to me. But boy was it worth it to see her having fun with kids from other schools.
That there is why I find this dance so special. Even though it's only for a few hours, during those hours there is nothing seperating them from the rest of the world. They are free from anything holding them down or back and they just get to have fun. Yes it is only a dance, but to them, that dance means the world and is so special. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to imagine myself anywhere else in the world.
Thank you Best Buddies Iowa. You guys rock!
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Banquets and Leaving
It's bitter sweet. The moment where you are excited to leave, yet sad to go. It doesn't even necessarily have to be you that is leaving to make you sad. Other people can leave and you can feel these same emotions. At my school we have banquets for the activities you are in. Whether it be a sport or a club or activity, there is a banquet at the end of the season/ year.
At these banquets there tends to be senior recognition. This is the point where most people start to tear up. It's the moment when they finally start to realize that the people they have become so close to and have held so dear to their hearts are off to college. It is definitely a moment when your feelings contradict themselves. You are happy and excited that this person or even yourself has accomplished so much and is moving on to bigger and better things. Yet at the same time, you want to cry because that same person is leaving and you won't see them like you do now. I can tell you that nearly everyone experiences this contradiction.
Which emotion takes over? Well, I'd like to think that they both come out just as equally, they are just expressed in a different way than you thought they would. And then there are the banquets that are for performing activities. Boy oh boy do these ones get emotional. Normally you have a large amount of teen girls that do something they have done for as long as they can remember, and then they realize, it's their last time doing it. It's crazy to think about really. You go along and talk about your future as if there will be a next time or a next year, and then you are hit with the hard reality that it is all over. You no longer get to see these people while doing something you love so much.
I can speak from personal experiences that it definitely hits home. Even if you think that you are stronger than that, it suddenly overwhelms you. It takes over no matter how hard you try and talk yourself out of it. You can't help it. You don't even have to be a senior. It can just be that your close friend is graduating, or it is your last year doing something that you have let take over your life. And believe it or not, it's scary. When you think about the aftermath, you really don't know where you are going to go from there. There is no telling what your life will be like after this activity is gone from your life.
I'd like to take a moment and dedicate this to all the seniors as well as the people I was lucky enough to work with in all my years of show choir. I am so lucky to have got the chance to experience this lovely thing with you. You all have become very dear to my heart and I couldn't imagine spending my entire high school career with you. I will miss you very much next year. And to those of you who have another year, you can expect me up front leading all the cheers before you go on. I love you.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
At these banquets there tends to be senior recognition. This is the point where most people start to tear up. It's the moment when they finally start to realize that the people they have become so close to and have held so dear to their hearts are off to college. It is definitely a moment when your feelings contradict themselves. You are happy and excited that this person or even yourself has accomplished so much and is moving on to bigger and better things. Yet at the same time, you want to cry because that same person is leaving and you won't see them like you do now. I can tell you that nearly everyone experiences this contradiction.
Which emotion takes over? Well, I'd like to think that they both come out just as equally, they are just expressed in a different way than you thought they would. And then there are the banquets that are for performing activities. Boy oh boy do these ones get emotional. Normally you have a large amount of teen girls that do something they have done for as long as they can remember, and then they realize, it's their last time doing it. It's crazy to think about really. You go along and talk about your future as if there will be a next time or a next year, and then you are hit with the hard reality that it is all over. You no longer get to see these people while doing something you love so much.
I can speak from personal experiences that it definitely hits home. Even if you think that you are stronger than that, it suddenly overwhelms you. It takes over no matter how hard you try and talk yourself out of it. You can't help it. You don't even have to be a senior. It can just be that your close friend is graduating, or it is your last year doing something that you have let take over your life. And believe it or not, it's scary. When you think about the aftermath, you really don't know where you are going to go from there. There is no telling what your life will be like after this activity is gone from your life.
I'd like to take a moment and dedicate this to all the seniors as well as the people I was lucky enough to work with in all my years of show choir. I am so lucky to have got the chance to experience this lovely thing with you. You all have become very dear to my heart and I couldn't imagine spending my entire high school career with you. I will miss you very much next year. And to those of you who have another year, you can expect me up front leading all the cheers before you go on. I love you.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Movie Ratings
Over the past few decades or so, the ratings on movies has changed. I'm pretty sure we have all noticed. If you think back to the eighties, something was rated Pg and it had things such as crude language, drug use, and even some nudity (to an extent). If you look at pg ratings now, we are being more sensitive as to what we are allowing in the movies. If you go to see a Pg movie now, it is most likely a cartoon. If it isn't it is definitely known as a children's movie due to content. These movies tend to have a more innocent plot line and have little to no profanity or other "inappropriate" material in it.
Then you go to Pg-13. Consider the same time periods. Back then you are looking at definite profanity, drug or alcohol use, and nudity/ sex scenes. If you look at one now, there is probably profanity and drug or alcohol use with a slight chance of nudity. Anything more and it is considered rated R or even NR.
I'd like to take a second to think about this. Has society become more protective of what they will let their children see? If so, has it effected the way society is looked at now? Yes. We have made it so that our future generations are not aloud to see movies they could have a few decades ago merely because someone was offended.
This seems to be how it all starts. Someone gets offended and then we have this big movement that ends up screwing the majority of us over. It happened with dodge ball and gymnastics in physical education classes, and it's happening with movie ratings now. In my opinion, if something bothers you or you are personally effected in a negative way by it, then you should personally avoid it. Don't make others avoid it as well. If you don't want your children hearing profanity, don't let them watch the movie. However, you shouldn't make a huge deal of it and end up changing everything for everyone else. If someone else thinks that the movie is acceptable for their children to see, they should be able to let their children go and see it. If you have doubts, there are plenty of ways to get around it.
If you think it would be alright but want to make sure first, you can always see the movie by yourself and then decide whether you want to allow your children to see it or not. You also have the ability to watch the movie with them, keep in mind. If there is a part that you see inappropriate for your child, you can cover their eyes or ears.
"Well, they're just parents that don't care about their children and want our society to be messed up". I have heard something along these lines so many times. And I have a perfect argument with it. Some people use these things as a teaching tool. Believe it or not when children watch a movie with a crude word or scene in it, they will be likely to ask about it. Who do you think they go to so they won't look dumb? Their parents! Their parents can then explain to them if something is not okay to say or do. They can also provide background knowledge about a subject so their children also know the why behind the rule. Many people find a way to have their children be ahead the rest of the children their age by watching these films some may consider inappropriate.
Therefore, before you sit there and criticize people for letting their children watch something, thinking that they don't care, think a little harder. Not everyone lives like you do. Not everyone has the same beliefs as you. I ask you to respect that before you make a big deal and change things so that they revolve around your lifestyle.
That is all
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Then you go to Pg-13. Consider the same time periods. Back then you are looking at definite profanity, drug or alcohol use, and nudity/ sex scenes. If you look at one now, there is probably profanity and drug or alcohol use with a slight chance of nudity. Anything more and it is considered rated R or even NR.
I'd like to take a second to think about this. Has society become more protective of what they will let their children see? If so, has it effected the way society is looked at now? Yes. We have made it so that our future generations are not aloud to see movies they could have a few decades ago merely because someone was offended.
This seems to be how it all starts. Someone gets offended and then we have this big movement that ends up screwing the majority of us over. It happened with dodge ball and gymnastics in physical education classes, and it's happening with movie ratings now. In my opinion, if something bothers you or you are personally effected in a negative way by it, then you should personally avoid it. Don't make others avoid it as well. If you don't want your children hearing profanity, don't let them watch the movie. However, you shouldn't make a huge deal of it and end up changing everything for everyone else. If someone else thinks that the movie is acceptable for their children to see, they should be able to let their children go and see it. If you have doubts, there are plenty of ways to get around it.
If you think it would be alright but want to make sure first, you can always see the movie by yourself and then decide whether you want to allow your children to see it or not. You also have the ability to watch the movie with them, keep in mind. If there is a part that you see inappropriate for your child, you can cover their eyes or ears.
"Well, they're just parents that don't care about their children and want our society to be messed up". I have heard something along these lines so many times. And I have a perfect argument with it. Some people use these things as a teaching tool. Believe it or not when children watch a movie with a crude word or scene in it, they will be likely to ask about it. Who do you think they go to so they won't look dumb? Their parents! Their parents can then explain to them if something is not okay to say or do. They can also provide background knowledge about a subject so their children also know the why behind the rule. Many people find a way to have their children be ahead the rest of the children their age by watching these films some may consider inappropriate.
Therefore, before you sit there and criticize people for letting their children watch something, thinking that they don't care, think a little harder. Not everyone lives like you do. Not everyone has the same beliefs as you. I ask you to respect that before you make a big deal and change things so that they revolve around your lifestyle.
That is all
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Face to Face
Do you have a cell phone? How about social media? What do you do with these things? Do you sit in a room by yourself, yet still think that you are not alone? This is what our generation is coming to. Suddenly we do not need the touch of a significant other, yet need to constantly keep a charge on our battery in case they call. Today we are happier with the applications we have on our phones than we are seeing someone we love face to face. Am I the only one to see this fault in our society? I'd like to think not.
There are plenty of people who don't own a cell phone, Facebook, or anything of that matter. I am impressed by them and root them on in the hopes that someday, someone who is more focused on books than how many likes they can get on a status, will come to want to lead our country. Then, there are the other people of society whose whole life revolves around being able to post something that will get people to like them.
While I have social media, I do have limits. I will not let my phone and accounts run my life. In fact, today I left my phone at home while I ran errands with my mom simply because I wanted to spend quality time with her and not have any distractions. Not many people my age are willing to do that. I am proud to say that I can, and willingly at that!
The one goal I have for our society is that we can step back from all of the lit up screens and still be able to come up with conversation, and have it be a valuable conversation at that! I want to be able to say that we don't need new updates to Snapchat that enable us to make video calls to each other. I want to be able to say that kids now focus on becoming better in school and focusing on their future rather than partying and posting pictures about it the next day so that people can like it and become more popular.
If we can do that, I honestly think that we could go somewhere in life. America as a whole. However, it all starts with you. I hope that this post could make you realize that there are faults in what we do today, sitting on our couches, not talking to a soul. Being alone when we think we are around all the people we could ever need. There's so much we could do to further our chances in life. So start leaving your phone at home. turn it off for a few hours. Just try unplugging yourself from the online world and try connecting to people face to face. I promise it's worth it. You don't know what you are truly missing.
Unplugged
~Hangin' from a clotheslinee
There are plenty of people who don't own a cell phone, Facebook, or anything of that matter. I am impressed by them and root them on in the hopes that someday, someone who is more focused on books than how many likes they can get on a status, will come to want to lead our country. Then, there are the other people of society whose whole life revolves around being able to post something that will get people to like them.
While I have social media, I do have limits. I will not let my phone and accounts run my life. In fact, today I left my phone at home while I ran errands with my mom simply because I wanted to spend quality time with her and not have any distractions. Not many people my age are willing to do that. I am proud to say that I can, and willingly at that!
The one goal I have for our society is that we can step back from all of the lit up screens and still be able to come up with conversation, and have it be a valuable conversation at that! I want to be able to say that we don't need new updates to Snapchat that enable us to make video calls to each other. I want to be able to say that kids now focus on becoming better in school and focusing on their future rather than partying and posting pictures about it the next day so that people can like it and become more popular.
If we can do that, I honestly think that we could go somewhere in life. America as a whole. However, it all starts with you. I hope that this post could make you realize that there are faults in what we do today, sitting on our couches, not talking to a soul. Being alone when we think we are around all the people we could ever need. There's so much we could do to further our chances in life. So start leaving your phone at home. turn it off for a few hours. Just try unplugging yourself from the online world and try connecting to people face to face. I promise it's worth it. You don't know what you are truly missing.
Unplugged
~Hangin' from a clotheslinee
AP Exams
It's the time of year when high school students start to take their AP tests. After a full year of taking a college level class as a high schooler, they test you on what you have learned. If you get a good grade on the test, then you get the credits towards your college education. If you take all these classes in high school you end up saving a ton of money! The exams cost a little bit of money, but it is certainly cheaper than taking a college course and paying for the credits.
But what toll does it take on the students? Stress is the main thing. While you are still in high school, the tests still determine a lot. Getting a good grade on the exam really makes or breaks how much you end up having to spend in college, and as we all know, college is expensive so you should save as much as you can.
Then you get to the question, will you actually be able to pass the exam? That is a question I had to ask myself. I ended up not taking any of my AP exams this year. While I feel like I have learned a lot this year, I did not think that I would be able to score well. I am not a good test taker in general. During normal classes I can participate in class while using my knowledge. Yet during the tests that we take it is almost like I never even took the class. I end up forgetting everything I have ever learned and sound like a complete and total idiot.
I'm not the only person to think this or take tests like that. There are plenty of cases. In those cases they end up getting even more stressed about the test and start studying to the point when they don't get any sleep. As you may know, sleep deprivation only makes things worse. You can end up falling asleep during the test, over sleeping and missing the test, or you can just forget even more than you already do when you take a test. The best case scenario is to study, get good rest, and study even more while you eat breakfast due to the fact that breakfast is VERY important! I never thought that breakfast could make a difference, but boy was I wrong! I really encourage you to eat at least a piece of toast. Believe it or not, it can make your whole day a little bit clearer.
There are a few other things that you can give a shot if you'd like, but no promises that it will work. I have heard that tea can really calm you down if you end up having anxiety issues. If you stay up too late studying, I suggest coffee. However, I would not recommend drinking a lot of it. If you have issues with remembering things, it is rumored that you can study chewing a certain flavor of gum, and take the test chewing the same flavor, which will make you remember things.
Before you start thinking about tactics for during the test, you really should think about whether you could score well on the test. If you do, congrats! I hope some of my tips help. If not, then don't sweat it! I'm sure you will do just as well in college as you do in the class you are currently enrolled in, if not better! Either way, good luck!
~Hangin' from a clothesline
But what toll does it take on the students? Stress is the main thing. While you are still in high school, the tests still determine a lot. Getting a good grade on the exam really makes or breaks how much you end up having to spend in college, and as we all know, college is expensive so you should save as much as you can.
Then you get to the question, will you actually be able to pass the exam? That is a question I had to ask myself. I ended up not taking any of my AP exams this year. While I feel like I have learned a lot this year, I did not think that I would be able to score well. I am not a good test taker in general. During normal classes I can participate in class while using my knowledge. Yet during the tests that we take it is almost like I never even took the class. I end up forgetting everything I have ever learned and sound like a complete and total idiot.
I'm not the only person to think this or take tests like that. There are plenty of cases. In those cases they end up getting even more stressed about the test and start studying to the point when they don't get any sleep. As you may know, sleep deprivation only makes things worse. You can end up falling asleep during the test, over sleeping and missing the test, or you can just forget even more than you already do when you take a test. The best case scenario is to study, get good rest, and study even more while you eat breakfast due to the fact that breakfast is VERY important! I never thought that breakfast could make a difference, but boy was I wrong! I really encourage you to eat at least a piece of toast. Believe it or not, it can make your whole day a little bit clearer.
There are a few other things that you can give a shot if you'd like, but no promises that it will work. I have heard that tea can really calm you down if you end up having anxiety issues. If you stay up too late studying, I suggest coffee. However, I would not recommend drinking a lot of it. If you have issues with remembering things, it is rumored that you can study chewing a certain flavor of gum, and take the test chewing the same flavor, which will make you remember things.
Before you start thinking about tactics for during the test, you really should think about whether you could score well on the test. If you do, congrats! I hope some of my tips help. If not, then don't sweat it! I'm sure you will do just as well in college as you do in the class you are currently enrolled in, if not better! Either way, good luck!
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Jelly Beans
This is why I have trust issues. Yes, I promise this relates to my post title. Recently, my friend was tending to her online shopping needs. I guess that meant it was time to buy some jelly beans. Little did I know that she would use them to go behind my back and make our friendship disintegrate in a matter of seconds. I had trust issues before, but this really pushed me further. These jelly beans weren't ordinary. They were the trick jelly beans that are in Harry Potter.
If you haven't seen this movie, which I would be surprised that you haven't, then I'll tell you what these jelly beans are about. There are a few different colors that all have two flavors to them. There is what is considered a "good" flavor and a bad flavor. In my opinion, sometimes they are both absolutely disgusting.
It is very rare to find someone who will try one of these so you have to call into your darker side and trick them. The most popular way of doing this is to have an actual bag of good jelly beans that they can see you eating. Then you can have the trick beans in your hand and offer them one. It is absolutely hilarious to see their face! You know exactly which one they get right away because of their reaction. Nine times out of ten I end up crying from laughing so hard.
What happens when you don't have a bag of jelly beans? Well, my way of doing things is to bribe them. What I tend to do is tell them that if they eat one jelly bean I will make them a dessert or something of the sort. If they have any guts or really like desserts then they will do it and chances are they get the bad bean. It is totally worth it!
Okay, my friend and I are still really good friends and no, the jelly beans did not tear our friendship apart. I still love her to death. But man oh man will I be cautious of what I eat from others from now on!
TRUST ISSUES!
~Hangin' from a clothesline
If you haven't seen this movie, which I would be surprised that you haven't, then I'll tell you what these jelly beans are about. There are a few different colors that all have two flavors to them. There is what is considered a "good" flavor and a bad flavor. In my opinion, sometimes they are both absolutely disgusting.
It is very rare to find someone who will try one of these so you have to call into your darker side and trick them. The most popular way of doing this is to have an actual bag of good jelly beans that they can see you eating. Then you can have the trick beans in your hand and offer them one. It is absolutely hilarious to see their face! You know exactly which one they get right away because of their reaction. Nine times out of ten I end up crying from laughing so hard.
What happens when you don't have a bag of jelly beans? Well, my way of doing things is to bribe them. What I tend to do is tell them that if they eat one jelly bean I will make them a dessert or something of the sort. If they have any guts or really like desserts then they will do it and chances are they get the bad bean. It is totally worth it!
Okay, my friend and I are still really good friends and no, the jelly beans did not tear our friendship apart. I still love her to death. But man oh man will I be cautious of what I eat from others from now on!
TRUST ISSUES!
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Prom 2K14
Goodness do I love the smell of hairspray and makeup. However, I did not go to a prom this year. I still loved seeing all the pictures of everyone dressed up, looking their best, with huge smiles across their face! You can just tell how happy all of them are and I love it! I had a few friends that went to prom so I got to see the process of getting ready as well. They all looked absolutely gorgeous!
Generally, there is a drill everyone follows when it comes to school dances. Prom being one of them with a special drill. It tends to start with pictures as someone's house so the parents can capture the moment of their daughters and sons getting flowers put on their wrist or tux. Then the kids finally get a chance at freedom! They get to venture off to dinner before the dance. That's when things start to unwind. Then there is the big part. The actual dance. This is where formal and nasty combine. After that, they get to go to post prom if they so desire. This tends to be where the fun and games begin. But what kind?
Well, recently it seems that more and more kids are trying to get someone of the legal age to buy them alcohol. Apparently it just makes everything so much more fun. That's just the start. Some kids also get into drugs. With all the entertaining things there, you wouldn't think that kids would need the extra stuff to get them to have fun. Yet it still happens. Keep in mind that this isn't all kids. Some are perfectly happy with what they are provided with.
When you are in a younger grade and you get asked to prom, there is another thing you have to worry about. What is the other person expecting? I know this sounds cliche and judgmental, but prom night tends to be known for one key thing in high school boys' minds. Sex. You need to keep this in mind when you think about going. It is not something you can just blow off. Yet again, this is just another possibility, it could never happen to you.
Forever envious
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Generally, there is a drill everyone follows when it comes to school dances. Prom being one of them with a special drill. It tends to start with pictures as someone's house so the parents can capture the moment of their daughters and sons getting flowers put on their wrist or tux. Then the kids finally get a chance at freedom! They get to venture off to dinner before the dance. That's when things start to unwind. Then there is the big part. The actual dance. This is where formal and nasty combine. After that, they get to go to post prom if they so desire. This tends to be where the fun and games begin. But what kind?
Well, recently it seems that more and more kids are trying to get someone of the legal age to buy them alcohol. Apparently it just makes everything so much more fun. That's just the start. Some kids also get into drugs. With all the entertaining things there, you wouldn't think that kids would need the extra stuff to get them to have fun. Yet it still happens. Keep in mind that this isn't all kids. Some are perfectly happy with what they are provided with.
When you are in a younger grade and you get asked to prom, there is another thing you have to worry about. What is the other person expecting? I know this sounds cliche and judgmental, but prom night tends to be known for one key thing in high school boys' minds. Sex. You need to keep this in mind when you think about going. It is not something you can just blow off. Yet again, this is just another possibility, it could never happen to you.
Forever envious
~Hangin' from a clothesline
The Real Difference
In my AP Language and Composition class, we recently read, "My Mother's Tongue". Just so you know the jist of the passage, it is mainly about the things immigrants have to face and the unjust actions people take against them. I would like to expand on this topic. I have encountered many foreign people within my lifetime. With a little bit of knowledge in more than one language, it makes it a little bit easier for me to communicate with others. However, I have seen the way others act towards and around those who do not necessarily speak perfect English.
I like to consider myself very accepting of others. Therefore, when I see people being treated differently for things they cannot help, it tends to aggravate me. I then get defensive and end up trying my best to help their experience in any way that I can. Whether it is a lot of help or not, I will never know, yet I'd like to think it betters their experiences.
My family originates from Lebanon. In fact there is still a large portion of my family that currently resides there, my grandfather being one of them. Most of my family members are very fluent in English. However, my great grandfather, who recently came down with a very serious case of Alzheimers, tends not to speak. On the rare occasion that he does, it tends to be in Arabic. He calls a lot of us Ala. Being the Muslim god. Afterwards, he tends to speak very broken English. Or at least tries to. Not many people in my family understand him, or even try to. Some of my family members are very stuck up and look at his disease as a burden. It breaks my adopted grandfather's heart, as well as mine. Therefore, we sit there and try to talk to him as much as he allows before he falls back asleep.
While other experiences aren't as dear to my heart as that one is, it still pains me to see other people treated as a burden in society because they cannot speak perfect English. There are many instances where teen girls, such as myself, treat the Vietnamese people who tend to do nails with much disrespect. It disgusts me. Yes, they speak broken English, but that does not give you the right to treat them with any less respect. It is not something that is earned like trust. It should always be given regardless of who the person is. Their argument is that they came to our country, so they should speak our language and completely adjust to our way of living. I ask these same people to think of it the other way around. I ask of all of them to put themselves in Spain or another vacation destination. Then I ask them to think of how they would feel if they were treated the same way by those who live in that country. If they had to completely understand and use a different language just to go to a place where they are supposed to be relaxed.
Not everyone gets a choice to come to America. We are supposed to be this great country where it is considered the land of the free. Well, do you honestly think a person is truly free if they are constantly taunted by those around them for not being able to speak English fluently? Are they free when they are treated with prejudice for where they come from or how they act? Are they free if you will not let them live freely? Just a thought.
This is America. We are American. So is everyone else that comes here. I ask everyone to start treating others that way.
From a family of different languages,
~Hangin' from a clothesline
I like to consider myself very accepting of others. Therefore, when I see people being treated differently for things they cannot help, it tends to aggravate me. I then get defensive and end up trying my best to help their experience in any way that I can. Whether it is a lot of help or not, I will never know, yet I'd like to think it betters their experiences.
My family originates from Lebanon. In fact there is still a large portion of my family that currently resides there, my grandfather being one of them. Most of my family members are very fluent in English. However, my great grandfather, who recently came down with a very serious case of Alzheimers, tends not to speak. On the rare occasion that he does, it tends to be in Arabic. He calls a lot of us Ala. Being the Muslim god. Afterwards, he tends to speak very broken English. Or at least tries to. Not many people in my family understand him, or even try to. Some of my family members are very stuck up and look at his disease as a burden. It breaks my adopted grandfather's heart, as well as mine. Therefore, we sit there and try to talk to him as much as he allows before he falls back asleep.
While other experiences aren't as dear to my heart as that one is, it still pains me to see other people treated as a burden in society because they cannot speak perfect English. There are many instances where teen girls, such as myself, treat the Vietnamese people who tend to do nails with much disrespect. It disgusts me. Yes, they speak broken English, but that does not give you the right to treat them with any less respect. It is not something that is earned like trust. It should always be given regardless of who the person is. Their argument is that they came to our country, so they should speak our language and completely adjust to our way of living. I ask these same people to think of it the other way around. I ask of all of them to put themselves in Spain or another vacation destination. Then I ask them to think of how they would feel if they were treated the same way by those who live in that country. If they had to completely understand and use a different language just to go to a place where they are supposed to be relaxed.
Not everyone gets a choice to come to America. We are supposed to be this great country where it is considered the land of the free. Well, do you honestly think a person is truly free if they are constantly taunted by those around them for not being able to speak English fluently? Are they free when they are treated with prejudice for where they come from or how they act? Are they free if you will not let them live freely? Just a thought.
This is America. We are American. So is everyone else that comes here. I ask everyone to start treating others that way.
From a family of different languages,
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Sun's out!
Coming back from Chicago you can only imaging the amount of joy I experienced when there were a few days of nice weather. While yes, it is a nice place to go, it is called the windy city for a reason. After the winter we experienced here in Iowa, I'm sure everyone is just as excited as I to have a little heat wave. In fact, I've even heard people come to the point of saying they are going to slap the first person who complains about it being too warm outside. Believe me, I was tempted to think the same. However, I decided to refrain from saying so.
While I don't think I'll slap someone for thinking it's too hot, I do believe I will get rather annoyed. Next week there is going to be a day that hits the eighties! I for one am excited! I can not wait to feel the rays of the sun on my skin again! However, this brings me to a point where I feel I should say something responsible. Make sure you protect yourself!
That's right, it's not summer yet, but you can still get burnt!! I urge everyone to wear sun block! Even if you think it's impossible! There are a lot of consequences if you decide not to! Skin cancer being a big one! Yes, you can get it from being outside and not just "fake baking". Even if you don't go as far as skin cancer, there are still negative effects of being in the sun with no protection for your skin. Believe it or not, you can actually get wrinkles prematurely from exposing your skin to the damaging uv rays. Who wants to look older than they actually are!? Not me, that's for sure! I'd like to have nice skin until I'm at least sixty!
Even if you think something as bad as skin cancer or as little as wrinkles won't happen to you, act as if you are guaranteed that it will. Step up and protect your skin while you can, it's only nice for a little while. But most of all, have fun in the sun!
Sunbathing
~Hangin' from a clothesline
While I don't think I'll slap someone for thinking it's too hot, I do believe I will get rather annoyed. Next week there is going to be a day that hits the eighties! I for one am excited! I can not wait to feel the rays of the sun on my skin again! However, this brings me to a point where I feel I should say something responsible. Make sure you protect yourself!
That's right, it's not summer yet, but you can still get burnt!! I urge everyone to wear sun block! Even if you think it's impossible! There are a lot of consequences if you decide not to! Skin cancer being a big one! Yes, you can get it from being outside and not just "fake baking". Even if you don't go as far as skin cancer, there are still negative effects of being in the sun with no protection for your skin. Believe it or not, you can actually get wrinkles prematurely from exposing your skin to the damaging uv rays. Who wants to look older than they actually are!? Not me, that's for sure! I'd like to have nice skin until I'm at least sixty!
Even if you think something as bad as skin cancer or as little as wrinkles won't happen to you, act as if you are guaranteed that it will. Step up and protect your skin while you can, it's only nice for a little while. But most of all, have fun in the sun!
Sunbathing
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Trains
Over the next few days I will be in and around Chicago. I'm hoping that I will be able to get some sort of educational benefit from it. Now there are many different modes of transportation. My family went by the way of a car as well as train. I thought it was going to be the coolest thing in the world, in the hopes it would be somewhat like Harry Potter. Well, I was wrong. There were no platforms. There were no cute little rooms for you and your family to sit in. No magical chocolate frogs or super cool jelly beans. Just about the only similarity is that you are on a train.
To put it into simpler terms, I was a bit disappointed. The train was supposed to depart at 10 and didn't even end up arriving until 1:25. And it didn't even alert us that it was going to be even later than it originally intended. Not only was this annoying, but it was a rather large burden for my handicapped grandmother. When your specifically reserve a seat in something that effects your entire trip, I believe that it is only necessary for them to update you about any and every change there is in the trip just as a common courtesy so that you are not sitting on the pavement for over half of an hour thinking you might miss the train if you are anywhere else. Trust me, it isn't pleasant.
Even with the set backs, there is something that makes it all worth it. The view. Boy was it amazing. Not only do you get to ride over the Mississippi river, which is impressive itself, but you also get to drive through all of these little towns no one had ever heard of. There are plenty of beautiful houses. Ones that you can't see in cities even as big as Cedar Rapids. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to go over little creeks or even under bridges that you might question. You get to see animals, fields of lord knows what, and most importantly, the joy on your younger sibling's face when they hear that they have just crossed state borders.
There are also all sorts of people you can meet who come from all over the country or even world! I study Chinese and was lucky enough to meet a lady from China! I was able to practice my Chinese at the train stop and learn about their culture from someone other than the teacher I see every week. It was a great experience!
So while yes, the beginning was a bit annoying, and it wasn't exactly what I had hoped, it was still a great experience and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else!
In a different state
~Hangin' from a clothesline
To put it into simpler terms, I was a bit disappointed. The train was supposed to depart at 10 and didn't even end up arriving until 1:25. And it didn't even alert us that it was going to be even later than it originally intended. Not only was this annoying, but it was a rather large burden for my handicapped grandmother. When your specifically reserve a seat in something that effects your entire trip, I believe that it is only necessary for them to update you about any and every change there is in the trip just as a common courtesy so that you are not sitting on the pavement for over half of an hour thinking you might miss the train if you are anywhere else. Trust me, it isn't pleasant.
Even with the set backs, there is something that makes it all worth it. The view. Boy was it amazing. Not only do you get to ride over the Mississippi river, which is impressive itself, but you also get to drive through all of these little towns no one had ever heard of. There are plenty of beautiful houses. Ones that you can't see in cities even as big as Cedar Rapids. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to go over little creeks or even under bridges that you might question. You get to see animals, fields of lord knows what, and most importantly, the joy on your younger sibling's face when they hear that they have just crossed state borders.
There are also all sorts of people you can meet who come from all over the country or even world! I study Chinese and was lucky enough to meet a lady from China! I was able to practice my Chinese at the train stop and learn about their culture from someone other than the teacher I see every week. It was a great experience!
So while yes, the beginning was a bit annoying, and it wasn't exactly what I had hoped, it was still a great experience and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else!
In a different state
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Site Seeing
The opportunities I had in Chicago were unbelievable! I mever thought I would be lucky enough to do as much as I did. I got to go shopping a lot which is nice for a teenage girl. The most impressive place to shop was probably the water tower. There were seven total floors purely of stores. And they were often expensive!! Then again, when you aren't in a small town, when are things inexpensive?
There are plenty of other things to do than shopping. My family is personally big into animals. Therefore, we decided to go to the Shed Aquarium. It was amazing how many different things there were to see in there! For me, the most impressive was the anaconda. It was over twice my size in width. With that giant snake being rather impressive, there were a lot of other very cool animals to see. If I had to choose an exhibit, my favorite probably would have been the ocean exhibit due to the fact that there were beluga whales as well as otters and sea lions that did tricks. Something that I found cool was the penguin exhibit because it is currently mating season. I was able to see a mother and father penguin guarding their egg as well as two penguins choosing their mate by singing. It had me in awe.
One other place I find worth mentioning is the Navy Pier. All my grandma did was talk about how cool it was and how there were so many cute little shops. Well, this time it wasnt necessarily the case. Not only was it raining, but there was a butt load of construction going on. It made the trip there go not very swimmingly. My sister got very excited to go on the ferris wheel as well as the flying swings, but due to the rain, the rides were nit running. This especially sucked because we had already bought our tickets for the rides online and there were no refunds. I believe that there should be refunds for those type of things because no one can truly predict what the weather is going to be like and a lot of people end up wasting their money that they might need for something else.
I may sound like a debby downer but it's true. Prices in Chicago are extremely expensive. The only reason they are that way is because the retail sales people take advantage of the tourists. It's rather upsetting, but I guess that's the way the cookie has to crumble. The point being is that sometimes you have to be willing to spend a little more to have key moments in your life. In the end, it is all worth it.
Spending quality time
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are plenty of other things to do than shopping. My family is personally big into animals. Therefore, we decided to go to the Shed Aquarium. It was amazing how many different things there were to see in there! For me, the most impressive was the anaconda. It was over twice my size in width. With that giant snake being rather impressive, there were a lot of other very cool animals to see. If I had to choose an exhibit, my favorite probably would have been the ocean exhibit due to the fact that there were beluga whales as well as otters and sea lions that did tricks. Something that I found cool was the penguin exhibit because it is currently mating season. I was able to see a mother and father penguin guarding their egg as well as two penguins choosing their mate by singing. It had me in awe.
One other place I find worth mentioning is the Navy Pier. All my grandma did was talk about how cool it was and how there were so many cute little shops. Well, this time it wasnt necessarily the case. Not only was it raining, but there was a butt load of construction going on. It made the trip there go not very swimmingly. My sister got very excited to go on the ferris wheel as well as the flying swings, but due to the rain, the rides were nit running. This especially sucked because we had already bought our tickets for the rides online and there were no refunds. I believe that there should be refunds for those type of things because no one can truly predict what the weather is going to be like and a lot of people end up wasting their money that they might need for something else.
I may sound like a debby downer but it's true. Prices in Chicago are extremely expensive. The only reason they are that way is because the retail sales people take advantage of the tourists. It's rather upsetting, but I guess that's the way the cookie has to crumble. The point being is that sometimes you have to be willing to spend a little more to have key moments in your life. In the end, it is all worth it.
Spending quality time
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Taxis
Oh the joys of nearly having a heart attack! I am talking about riding in a taxi. Sometimes I wonder how people get their license. Keep in mind, I am in Chicago. The experience may be completely different in another city. But here, boy does it keep you on edge! One second you can go from slowly moving forward, to popping u-turns illegally and almost hitting another car. I'm not sure which is scarier, the way they drive or the fact that they never say a word. They are completely silent until they honk their horn and yell at the next person. It can come to the point where they literally make you jump because you are not expecting it!
There are multiple businesses for taxi services. I rode in each of them at least once and they are both equally scary. However, there is a new service called uber. This is a taxi service that is a bit cheaper than the regular service. There is also the upside that you get to ride in nicer black cars. I got the chance to ride in a Nisan as well as a Lexus. When you are going out somewhere nice, I would recommend using this service.
Now the question is, how is the service? Well, to be one hundred percent honest, it's not much different. Just about the only thing they do differently is stand outside of their car and tell you a set price before you get in. That and the way of payment. You do everything over your smart phone. You can order a car, track where they are at, get an ETA, and you pay with your card over it! Everything is taken care of in those few moments! Even the tip! It's actually quite nice! You have nothing to worry about while in the car except for your life! While that sounds sketchy, it's still better than a regular taxi.
Once you're in the taxi you then start to worry about the roads. Chicago has a ton of drivers and barely any of them drive well. Normally there are lanes that people drive in and turn signals are used. Not here. The lanes are almost non existent. The drivers basically just go wherever they want so they can get to your destination as fast as they can and move on to the next customer. It's not exactly focused on customer service. But oh well! You're in Chicago!
Hanging on for my life
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are multiple businesses for taxi services. I rode in each of them at least once and they are both equally scary. However, there is a new service called uber. This is a taxi service that is a bit cheaper than the regular service. There is also the upside that you get to ride in nicer black cars. I got the chance to ride in a Nisan as well as a Lexus. When you are going out somewhere nice, I would recommend using this service.
Now the question is, how is the service? Well, to be one hundred percent honest, it's not much different. Just about the only thing they do differently is stand outside of their car and tell you a set price before you get in. That and the way of payment. You do everything over your smart phone. You can order a car, track where they are at, get an ETA, and you pay with your card over it! Everything is taken care of in those few moments! Even the tip! It's actually quite nice! You have nothing to worry about while in the car except for your life! While that sounds sketchy, it's still better than a regular taxi.
Once you're in the taxi you then start to worry about the roads. Chicago has a ton of drivers and barely any of them drive well. Normally there are lanes that people drive in and turn signals are used. Not here. The lanes are almost non existent. The drivers basically just go wherever they want so they can get to your destination as fast as they can and move on to the next customer. It's not exactly focused on customer service. But oh well! You're in Chicago!
Hanging on for my life
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 20, 2014
2048
Recently I have became addicted to a new game. It is called twenty forty eight. If you don't like numbers, puzzles, or simple math, I do not recommend playing it. That is literally all the game is. However, I am addocted to these kinds of things and I have definitely met others who are just the same. Believe it or not, there are people more addicted than I am.
All you have to do is slide tiles with like numbers together to make the number on the tile larger. You do this over and over again. Yet it never gets old. You learn these new skills and new levels to beat. The hole is infinitely dug.
There are people who stop functioning socially just to get a little further along. Thank God I am not to that stage yet! However, I am guilty of procrastinating during class or before I get out of bed, just so I can play. It is amazing that something as simple as sliding your finger across a screen can become an addiction.
Now I'm not talking the kind of addiction where it completely controls your life or your health is at risk, I'm talking about the kind where you get mad enough to throw your phone accross the room to hit it against the wall. Yes, we all have been there. You get so close and then at the very last minute you make a wrong move and you lose. It sucks and leaves you thinking about why someone would go something so cruel and make such a thing. Well, they make bookoo bucks from making it and "ruining" all your lives. The more you play, the more they get paid! So there is obviously some kind of strategy behind it. The only question is, will their strategy make it farther than Flappy Bird?
We will never know
~Hangin' from a clothesline
All you have to do is slide tiles with like numbers together to make the number on the tile larger. You do this over and over again. Yet it never gets old. You learn these new skills and new levels to beat. The hole is infinitely dug.
There are people who stop functioning socially just to get a little further along. Thank God I am not to that stage yet! However, I am guilty of procrastinating during class or before I get out of bed, just so I can play. It is amazing that something as simple as sliding your finger across a screen can become an addiction.
Now I'm not talking the kind of addiction where it completely controls your life or your health is at risk, I'm talking about the kind where you get mad enough to throw your phone accross the room to hit it against the wall. Yes, we all have been there. You get so close and then at the very last minute you make a wrong move and you lose. It sucks and leaves you thinking about why someone would go something so cruel and make such a thing. Well, they make bookoo bucks from making it and "ruining" all your lives. The more you play, the more they get paid! So there is obviously some kind of strategy behind it. The only question is, will their strategy make it farther than Flappy Bird?
We will never know
~Hangin' from a clothesline
"Hoppy" Holidays
Today was a very special day to many families. It was a day to celebrate Jesus Christ. Many families come together and spend this day watching movies, saying prayers, hunting for easter eggs, and most of all, spending time with each other. However, this year went a little differently for some families. Why? Well, there was another holiday being celebrated. Don't know of it? Be proud of yourself! I'm talking about 420.
This "holiday" is celebrated on April twentieth every year due to the fact that the reason for celebrating was made at this exact time. What is this mystery product getting in the way of the Easter bunny's trip? Marijuana.
That's right. People all over the world are celebrating together due to the making of weed. It is not a religious holiday, therefore there is a larger variety of those who participate. If you do it have not, you might be wondering how one would celebrate this day. Well, you smoke. A lot. With friends, by yourself, on the way to the store, or maybe even in a deserted parking lot. Pick your poison. But with us living here in Iowa, we have to keep in mind that it is still illegal to have, smoke, or sell. Yet people still participate.
With those few who participate, there come some nicknames and sayings. For the holiday, that is. One of the most popular sayings this year with 420 falling on Easter is, "Blaze it and Praise it". If you don't know that this means, I'll break it down. Basically itus stating that you use the day to get extremely high and then go celebrate other Eater festivities throughout the day. Pretty simple. Yet it gets annoying.
If you are one to smoke and celebrate this holiday, phrase don't go posting it ask over social media. Chances are there are plenty of people who could care less as to if you are stoned or not. Also, there are people simply trying to celebrate their religion. Leave them be without the constant interruptance of your pictures and statuses regarding how high you are or even of pictures of you in the act.
I have nothing against it or anyone who does it, that's not my place. But I would rather keep it private. Just a thought.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
This "holiday" is celebrated on April twentieth every year due to the fact that the reason for celebrating was made at this exact time. What is this mystery product getting in the way of the Easter bunny's trip? Marijuana.
That's right. People all over the world are celebrating together due to the making of weed. It is not a religious holiday, therefore there is a larger variety of those who participate. If you do it have not, you might be wondering how one would celebrate this day. Well, you smoke. A lot. With friends, by yourself, on the way to the store, or maybe even in a deserted parking lot. Pick your poison. But with us living here in Iowa, we have to keep in mind that it is still illegal to have, smoke, or sell. Yet people still participate.
With those few who participate, there come some nicknames and sayings. For the holiday, that is. One of the most popular sayings this year with 420 falling on Easter is, "Blaze it and Praise it". If you don't know that this means, I'll break it down. Basically itus stating that you use the day to get extremely high and then go celebrate other Eater festivities throughout the day. Pretty simple. Yet it gets annoying.
If you are one to smoke and celebrate this holiday, phrase don't go posting it ask over social media. Chances are there are plenty of people who could care less as to if you are stoned or not. Also, there are people simply trying to celebrate their religion. Leave them be without the constant interruptance of your pictures and statuses regarding how high you are or even of pictures of you in the act.
I have nothing against it or anyone who does it, that's not my place. But I would rather keep it private. Just a thought.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, April 17, 2014
It's Hip
Apparently fashion adapted uniqueness as a trend. Yet a year ago we would have made fun of these people for wearing what they do. Now, it has become cool to wear your mom's jeans or your grandma's old sweaters. I guess the 80's never die in more than one way.
Why is fashion taking this turn and is it for the better? Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and pretty much any model in teen vogue. All of these celebrities have their style in common. They wear bizarre things to stand out. However, it works for them. Then all of a sudden their fans start adapting to it and end up adopting it. Who is to say if this is good or if it isn't?
Well, I take it upon myself to say that when the majority of the general population is uncomfortable with it, it probably shouldn't be worn. So high waist pants, grandma sweaters, combat boots, they are all fine. But when it comes to girls wearing belly shirts, shirts that are see through, or anyone wearing pants that allow their butt to hang out, I believe that is where we can draw the line.
I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not prude or extremely conservative when it comes to my choice in clothing. However, I do consider the position I put others in while in a public setting. Also, I was raised to have respect for myself, therefore I do not believe that leaving over half of my body out there for all to see lies under that respect. If you think otherwise, that's great. Just try to make sure you won't make the people around you uncomfortable with what they are seeing.
There has also been a kick in what some would consider the "hippy" style. Acid wash pants, flower print shirts, beach wave hair, so on and so forth. There is not a downside I can think of coming from this trend other than if they end up going with all natural detergent or hygiene routines that don't end up working. If you keep up with the good smell, that;s fine by me!
If the trend is harmless, I see no reason to have a problem with it. When bodies are not respected, reputations are ruined, and the future generations of our country are raised to think that having half of their body hanging out is what they need to be considered cool or attractive, that is when we need to take a step back and reconsider what we value. Are clothes really that important to you?
Clothes are not the only thing that have changed recently, but hairstyles too! Especially when talking about girls. With boys it is simple, you have the typical kindergarten cut, the long swoopy hair, or you have something I would like to call the Macklemore. This is when it is short on the sides and longer on top where the boys style it. And man can I tell you how happy I am they adopted this haircut!
With girls things are constantly changing. There is color, length and style. Girls pride themselves on what their hair looks like, whether it is long, or colored, or if they can curl it or not. It makes them feel like brand new, and I can speak from experience! Whenever I get my hair done, it is one of the happiest days of my life, mainly because I like change, and I mean frequent change. There are so many colors and ways to color your hair that the opportunities are almost endless. You can go with highlights, lowlights, ombre, or a tint. It never gets old! I have gone through it all! Nowadays, it seems like less and less girls have plain and/or simple hair. There is always something done to it. Who says that's bad? Well, your hair. Due to how much you color or style it, it can die and you can get nasty little split ends everywhere. It's not pleasant.
So what do you do? You chop it all off! Yes, bobs are becoming a big hit in the celebrity world with stars anywhere from Jennifer Lawrence to Shailene Woodley. There are the major extremes, if you don't have super short hair, chances are you have this long flowing hair that every girl seems to want but can never keep. There is another new style that has recently popped out of nowhere for girls. You shave literally one third of your hair off! I am not joking here, it's a thing. And while I would never be able to pull it off or even get the guts to try it, people like Alizabeth VonPresley and Demi Levato pull it off quite nicely! It's amazing what people can do and still rock it.
Then you get to the point where you wake up with this mess of hair on the top of your hair. Ah bed head. What on earth can you do to fix this and not be embarrassed in public? You can do this lovely thing called styling. There are many different varieties and some work better with certain hair types than others. But boy is it fun to try them all out! There is curling, teasing, straightening, crimping, blowing out, braiding, or simply putting it up in something as simple as a pony tail or bun. Didn't think there was that much? Well you are in for a surprise! There are so many products and tools that you can use on your hair to get it to look just how you want. I, myself am a big fan of curls or straightening it with a little poof in the back. However, I never go without my products. I always have something in my hair. Chances are, nine times out of ten, that it is my argan Moroccan oil. I LOVE IT! It does wonders. If you don't know what to do or how to use something for your hair, ask around. I'm sure someone close to you will know. And if you just need some new ideas, you can always look to the red carpet or any award show. The celebrities have this department in the bag!(You can trust it more than their choice in clothing as well!)
Changin' it up
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Why is fashion taking this turn and is it for the better? Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and pretty much any model in teen vogue. All of these celebrities have their style in common. They wear bizarre things to stand out. However, it works for them. Then all of a sudden their fans start adapting to it and end up adopting it. Who is to say if this is good or if it isn't?
Well, I take it upon myself to say that when the majority of the general population is uncomfortable with it, it probably shouldn't be worn. So high waist pants, grandma sweaters, combat boots, they are all fine. But when it comes to girls wearing belly shirts, shirts that are see through, or anyone wearing pants that allow their butt to hang out, I believe that is where we can draw the line.
I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not prude or extremely conservative when it comes to my choice in clothing. However, I do consider the position I put others in while in a public setting. Also, I was raised to have respect for myself, therefore I do not believe that leaving over half of my body out there for all to see lies under that respect. If you think otherwise, that's great. Just try to make sure you won't make the people around you uncomfortable with what they are seeing.
There has also been a kick in what some would consider the "hippy" style. Acid wash pants, flower print shirts, beach wave hair, so on and so forth. There is not a downside I can think of coming from this trend other than if they end up going with all natural detergent or hygiene routines that don't end up working. If you keep up with the good smell, that;s fine by me!
If the trend is harmless, I see no reason to have a problem with it. When bodies are not respected, reputations are ruined, and the future generations of our country are raised to think that having half of their body hanging out is what they need to be considered cool or attractive, that is when we need to take a step back and reconsider what we value. Are clothes really that important to you?
Clothes are not the only thing that have changed recently, but hairstyles too! Especially when talking about girls. With boys it is simple, you have the typical kindergarten cut, the long swoopy hair, or you have something I would like to call the Macklemore. This is when it is short on the sides and longer on top where the boys style it. And man can I tell you how happy I am they adopted this haircut!
With girls things are constantly changing. There is color, length and style. Girls pride themselves on what their hair looks like, whether it is long, or colored, or if they can curl it or not. It makes them feel like brand new, and I can speak from experience! Whenever I get my hair done, it is one of the happiest days of my life, mainly because I like change, and I mean frequent change. There are so many colors and ways to color your hair that the opportunities are almost endless. You can go with highlights, lowlights, ombre, or a tint. It never gets old! I have gone through it all! Nowadays, it seems like less and less girls have plain and/or simple hair. There is always something done to it. Who says that's bad? Well, your hair. Due to how much you color or style it, it can die and you can get nasty little split ends everywhere. It's not pleasant.
So what do you do? You chop it all off! Yes, bobs are becoming a big hit in the celebrity world with stars anywhere from Jennifer Lawrence to Shailene Woodley. There are the major extremes, if you don't have super short hair, chances are you have this long flowing hair that every girl seems to want but can never keep. There is another new style that has recently popped out of nowhere for girls. You shave literally one third of your hair off! I am not joking here, it's a thing. And while I would never be able to pull it off or even get the guts to try it, people like Alizabeth VonPresley and Demi Levato pull it off quite nicely! It's amazing what people can do and still rock it.
Then you get to the point where you wake up with this mess of hair on the top of your hair. Ah bed head. What on earth can you do to fix this and not be embarrassed in public? You can do this lovely thing called styling. There are many different varieties and some work better with certain hair types than others. But boy is it fun to try them all out! There is curling, teasing, straightening, crimping, blowing out, braiding, or simply putting it up in something as simple as a pony tail or bun. Didn't think there was that much? Well you are in for a surprise! There are so many products and tools that you can use on your hair to get it to look just how you want. I, myself am a big fan of curls or straightening it with a little poof in the back. However, I never go without my products. I always have something in my hair. Chances are, nine times out of ten, that it is my argan Moroccan oil. I LOVE IT! It does wonders. If you don't know what to do or how to use something for your hair, ask around. I'm sure someone close to you will know. And if you just need some new ideas, you can always look to the red carpet or any award show. The celebrities have this department in the bag!(You can trust it more than their choice in clothing as well!)
Changin' it up
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 13, 2014
MTV Movie Awards
Boy oh boy are these bad boys a hit! Not only are these awards on half the televisions in my house, but I am almost guaranteed to go to school tomorrow to hear over fifty percent of the student body talking about it. But why?
Well, teenagers just might not have anything better to do on a Sunday night cause they got their homework done a head of time unlike me (whoops). Other than that, there a ton of super talented people featured as well as amazing performances! If you don't care about the awards, the performances alone are enough reason to watch. There is some great music being performed raw so there aren't any chances for them to auto tune their voices or lip sync. Everything is very fresh and real. Personally, I think it's cool to see some of my favorite artists perform when there isn't a set with a ton of background dancers.
Not a big fan of music? Well, there are plenty of other things to watch or focus on! I find it interesting to see what society thinks of the movies out, especially since I tend to critique movies while I watch them. There are a lot of outcomes that may surprise you. It could be fun!
Then there are the celebrity award announcers. Goodness are they interesting. There are some people who watch specifically because there is a certain celebrity as a host. I personally will tend to want to watch more if I know that the host is funny. If they are then I obviously want to see what they have to say. This year it was Conan O'Brien. I knew that it was going to be hilarious right after that. Therefore, I watched. I am guilty as charged. And let me tell you, I cracked up.
There was something this time that I did not expect that I really enjoyed. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am a teenage girl, and the other because it was new. There was a skit where two very attractive actors and a very funny actor had to kiss the girl who had a golden ticket with that actors' name on it. Boy did I freak out. Other than extremely attractive people, the actors tended to give funny thank you speeches. Matt Damon was my favorite speech giver.
On the softer side, they had a tribute to Paul Walker who died very unexpectedly this year. It brought tears to my eyes having one of his coworkers give the speech about it as well as having his best friend talk about him in a clip. It gave the award show a whole new side, and I enjoyed it very much.
I cannot wait for next year's awards.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Well, teenagers just might not have anything better to do on a Sunday night cause they got their homework done a head of time unlike me (whoops). Other than that, there a ton of super talented people featured as well as amazing performances! If you don't care about the awards, the performances alone are enough reason to watch. There is some great music being performed raw so there aren't any chances for them to auto tune their voices or lip sync. Everything is very fresh and real. Personally, I think it's cool to see some of my favorite artists perform when there isn't a set with a ton of background dancers.
Not a big fan of music? Well, there are plenty of other things to watch or focus on! I find it interesting to see what society thinks of the movies out, especially since I tend to critique movies while I watch them. There are a lot of outcomes that may surprise you. It could be fun!
Then there are the celebrity award announcers. Goodness are they interesting. There are some people who watch specifically because there is a certain celebrity as a host. I personally will tend to want to watch more if I know that the host is funny. If they are then I obviously want to see what they have to say. This year it was Conan O'Brien. I knew that it was going to be hilarious right after that. Therefore, I watched. I am guilty as charged. And let me tell you, I cracked up.
There was something this time that I did not expect that I really enjoyed. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am a teenage girl, and the other because it was new. There was a skit where two very attractive actors and a very funny actor had to kiss the girl who had a golden ticket with that actors' name on it. Boy did I freak out. Other than extremely attractive people, the actors tended to give funny thank you speeches. Matt Damon was my favorite speech giver.
On the softer side, they had a tribute to Paul Walker who died very unexpectedly this year. It brought tears to my eyes having one of his coworkers give the speech about it as well as having his best friend talk about him in a clip. It gave the award show a whole new side, and I enjoyed it very much.
I cannot wait for next year's awards.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Project Nat
As you can imagine, being a typical teenager, I am constantly on my phone. What am I doing? I am on social media sites. I happened to scroll along a news feed to find constant posts about something called Project Nat. I continued to wonder what in the world this was and why was everyone talking about it?
I went ahead and did some of my own research. I came to discover that it is this plan for a ton of teenagers. The plan is to get a ton of people together and do a spin off of the movie "Project X". Don't know what that is? No problem! I would love to explain it to you. More or less, it is a huge party with a ton of illegal drugs and underage drinking. There are a lot of events that are very unfortunate. That's to say the least.
Now the question is, is this a good idea or not? In my opinion, as a teen that would rather eat pizza than party, I think that it is a very bad idea. I think that all that will come out of this is a lot of horrible accidents. Drugs are risky in a private setting let alone in a public one. Especially one where you probably don't even know half of the people there. The problem with this is that when you don't know people very well, they could have a lot wrong with them. Diseases being one of those things.
It is not a joking matter. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. No matter what drug you are doing and/or using, there is always a downside. There is almost no way to get around it, especially if you are with a ton of people. And if it is a large get together where you cannot stay at the location and you are drinking or under the influence of a drug, what happens when you have to drive home? There are so many possibilities I cannot even begin to imagine because I have known so many people who have seen the dark side of the instance.
There are enough parties where things go wrong and lives get ruined. While it seems like a great idea at the time, it can be very hard to say no. However, I can guarantee that you have all the time in your life to make mistakes. But try and save that for when your brain is fully developed and please do it in a safe area with people you trust. It will mean the world to you later in your life when you are successful and didn't lose your life or great friends due to one "fun" night
Stayin' in
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Rumors or Worries?
There are many instances where people go to a dark place in their life. Depending on how they deal with it can make things get out of hand. If you go to any news site and look up school threats, chances are you will find a hand full of stories. While this is unfortunate, it is not something to blow off. Whether it be a threat, or an actual action, it should be taken seriously. With this day and age, you never really know what to expect out of people. There are plenty of medication, drugs and alcohol that can change someone's way of thinking or their actions.
If it comes to the point where you feel like someone is making a serious threat, there are plenty of actions and precautions to take. First off, assess the situation. If you know the person is in a dark place, or wouldn't joke about it, you need to tell an adult. Whether this be a parent or a teacher or even someone you are close to. They can then take further steps that will be taken more serious than if it were coming from someone in school years. If you are the adult that is being told, then you should think about what you just heard and act upon whether you find it serious, or even plausible. If you do, then it is time to take it to a higher authority.
These authorities can be an administrator at your school, your boss, or even the police. In the end, chances are that the police will be contacted anyways. The next step for you would be to step back, stay calm, and let the big shots handle the situation properly.
Well, what happens if it is too late and the person acts before the police are involved? Depending on the place you are in, there are multiple things you can do. If you are in a school, you should have safety procedures that you went through at the beginning of the year. Act upon those as long as it is still a safe option. If you are in a public place, then your best bet is to run to a place you know you will be safe and use your cellphone if you have one on you. If not, run to a room with little windows and lock the door as well as block it. This will make it harder for the offender to get any closer to harming you. If the room has a phone in it, call the police and tell them your location and situation. They should be there within an matter of minutes with help and backup. Stay there until you are alerted by the police that it is safe to come out.
With that said, make sure that you are not listening for just anyone's voice to tell you that it is safe. Make sure it is communicated by trusted ways. If you are in your safe spot for more than a couple of hours, chances are it is safe and you should be able to hear any more commotion. If all sounds clear, then you can silently make your way to a public place and make sure the situation is for sure over with.
As someone who tends to put others before myself, I would be sitting there thinking, well what about the other people around me? How can I help my friends? It is the same as if you were on an airplane and the oxygen masks came flying down. Assure yourself that you can help yourself and be safe before you worry about others. If you are in a situation where you can keep safe while protecting others, then please, go right ahead. The only exception I can think of is when you are already liable for other lives than your own. This goes for teachers, school officials, and parents. If you have children with you, I encourage you to protect them first. It is a heroic action and will end up making the lives of many people.
The thought of any kind of threat is scary, whether it is carried through or not. However, you have to stay calm and assess the situation appropriately. There is a definite difference between a rumor and a threat you should be worried about. But keep in mind, rumor or not, you should always take it seriously and not take it as a joke.
Under serious consideration
~Hangin' from a clothesline
If it comes to the point where you feel like someone is making a serious threat, there are plenty of actions and precautions to take. First off, assess the situation. If you know the person is in a dark place, or wouldn't joke about it, you need to tell an adult. Whether this be a parent or a teacher or even someone you are close to. They can then take further steps that will be taken more serious than if it were coming from someone in school years. If you are the adult that is being told, then you should think about what you just heard and act upon whether you find it serious, or even plausible. If you do, then it is time to take it to a higher authority.
These authorities can be an administrator at your school, your boss, or even the police. In the end, chances are that the police will be contacted anyways. The next step for you would be to step back, stay calm, and let the big shots handle the situation properly.
Well, what happens if it is too late and the person acts before the police are involved? Depending on the place you are in, there are multiple things you can do. If you are in a school, you should have safety procedures that you went through at the beginning of the year. Act upon those as long as it is still a safe option. If you are in a public place, then your best bet is to run to a place you know you will be safe and use your cellphone if you have one on you. If not, run to a room with little windows and lock the door as well as block it. This will make it harder for the offender to get any closer to harming you. If the room has a phone in it, call the police and tell them your location and situation. They should be there within an matter of minutes with help and backup. Stay there until you are alerted by the police that it is safe to come out.
With that said, make sure that you are not listening for just anyone's voice to tell you that it is safe. Make sure it is communicated by trusted ways. If you are in your safe spot for more than a couple of hours, chances are it is safe and you should be able to hear any more commotion. If all sounds clear, then you can silently make your way to a public place and make sure the situation is for sure over with.
As someone who tends to put others before myself, I would be sitting there thinking, well what about the other people around me? How can I help my friends? It is the same as if you were on an airplane and the oxygen masks came flying down. Assure yourself that you can help yourself and be safe before you worry about others. If you are in a situation where you can keep safe while protecting others, then please, go right ahead. The only exception I can think of is when you are already liable for other lives than your own. This goes for teachers, school officials, and parents. If you have children with you, I encourage you to protect them first. It is a heroic action and will end up making the lives of many people.
The thought of any kind of threat is scary, whether it is carried through or not. However, you have to stay calm and assess the situation appropriately. There is a definite difference between a rumor and a threat you should be worried about. But keep in mind, rumor or not, you should always take it seriously and not take it as a joke.
Under serious consideration
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Bangin' Summer Bod
With spring break just passed us and the warm weather kicking in, there are a lot of people trying to get a bikini body back. Or maybe even get one they have never had ;). There are many ways to go about this. However, you need to think about whether you will be able to stay healthy while doing so.
Starving yourself is never a good idea. It is actually very bad for your body. It is also not good for you to over eat. The ideal eating style is to have up to seven small meals a day including servings from all the food groups, especially protein. By doing this, it gives your body time to digest while you go about doing your activities through the day as well keeping you full throughout the day. You will also feel less miserable from eating large proportions for supper. This will allow the food to process through your body faster so that you do not obtain that weight and get a food baby.
While you do this, it is recommended that you exercise every day. Just a jog every morning is enough. By getting in exercise, you burn calories that you intake through the day and you can lose weight. However, sometimes losing weight isn't enough. There are some people who prefer to be tone for the bikini season. That can be a blessing or a curse for you. If you have a hard time eating right and don't have the time in your schedule to work out, it can be harder for you to accomplish. If you are someone who eats very healthy and exercise on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to do since you already incorporate it into your life. To get tone for a bikini some areas you would want to focus on are legs and the abdominal area. If you do workouts such as squats, planks, leg presses, logs, and sit ups or crunches, it will tone those areas making that muffin top and cottage cheese on your legs fade away.
There are other ways to go about losing weight. There are vegetarian diets, as well as organic. These are thought of to be good and work well for some, and then there is the complete opposite opinion on the other hand. There are diets that involve shakes and vitamins that supposedly help you lose water weight as well as keeping you healthy and encouraging your body to produce what it needs without eating all the calories. I have known a few people where this method works, however it is sometimes harder then dieting and working out due to the fact that you are only allowed to eat certain things and proportions at certain times. It is very sudden as well.
I have also heard about a wrap that you can wear for a certain amount of time. Supposedly it burns the fat away, yet I find a hard time believing that. I also haven't found very many cases where it has worked. There are other things advertised on television that are supposed to help such as salts, pills, shakes, and meals. I do not think that these things work as well or as fast as dieting and working out do, but whatever floats you boat will work just fine for you.
The major thing I would like you to keep in mind is that whatever method you do end up choosing, put your health first. It is not worth loosing your health and getting sick just to look a bit thinner.
Curvy and proud
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Starving yourself is never a good idea. It is actually very bad for your body. It is also not good for you to over eat. The ideal eating style is to have up to seven small meals a day including servings from all the food groups, especially protein. By doing this, it gives your body time to digest while you go about doing your activities through the day as well keeping you full throughout the day. You will also feel less miserable from eating large proportions for supper. This will allow the food to process through your body faster so that you do not obtain that weight and get a food baby.
While you do this, it is recommended that you exercise every day. Just a jog every morning is enough. By getting in exercise, you burn calories that you intake through the day and you can lose weight. However, sometimes losing weight isn't enough. There are some people who prefer to be tone for the bikini season. That can be a blessing or a curse for you. If you have a hard time eating right and don't have the time in your schedule to work out, it can be harder for you to accomplish. If you are someone who eats very healthy and exercise on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to do since you already incorporate it into your life. To get tone for a bikini some areas you would want to focus on are legs and the abdominal area. If you do workouts such as squats, planks, leg presses, logs, and sit ups or crunches, it will tone those areas making that muffin top and cottage cheese on your legs fade away.
There are other ways to go about losing weight. There are vegetarian diets, as well as organic. These are thought of to be good and work well for some, and then there is the complete opposite opinion on the other hand. There are diets that involve shakes and vitamins that supposedly help you lose water weight as well as keeping you healthy and encouraging your body to produce what it needs without eating all the calories. I have known a few people where this method works, however it is sometimes harder then dieting and working out due to the fact that you are only allowed to eat certain things and proportions at certain times. It is very sudden as well.
I have also heard about a wrap that you can wear for a certain amount of time. Supposedly it burns the fat away, yet I find a hard time believing that. I also haven't found very many cases where it has worked. There are other things advertised on television that are supposed to help such as salts, pills, shakes, and meals. I do not think that these things work as well or as fast as dieting and working out do, but whatever floats you boat will work just fine for you.
The major thing I would like you to keep in mind is that whatever method you do end up choosing, put your health first. It is not worth loosing your health and getting sick just to look a bit thinner.
Curvy and proud
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Baby Bumps: When to Show it Off
I am like every other teen in America. I look and read into what's going on on the red carpet. I look at how the famous people look and obviously have my opinions. However, lately I have been looking at baby bump pictures. For some odd reason, it seems as if there is another minor baby boom. Every corner you turn you see another pregnant person. Just recently, I was on a social media website and scrolled through my news feed to see four posts talking about or showing a picture having to do with pregnancy.
It seems that every pregnant person that has a social media site posts pictures of their baby bump, but when is it acceptable to start? While documenting your pregnancy by taking pictures of your stomach is perfectly fine as soon as you find out, posting pictures of it is a different story.
Recently it was released that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were not only engaged, but expecting a baby. I personally found this exciting since I used to watch them act together on "That 70's Show". Then I thought about how tiny she was and ended up wondering what she would look like. I then looked up how far along she is. When I found the picture "revealing" her baby bump, I was not impressed.
Normally when you see the revealing of the baby bump picture, there is a bit of a bump to show. However, this time you could barely tell that she was pregnant. While anyone can post pictures of themselves at any time, calling it a baby bump reveal photo when you are barely even showing is a bit of a let down.
Therefore, I have come up with the conclusion that there is a time and a bump size to post your "baby bump reveal" photo. There should be an obvious bump there that you can see without squinting your eyes. If you are on the red carpet, it is easier to see the bump in an outfit that accents it. A big poofy dress or a dark sleek dress does not help you.
There is another option if you are planning on doing home photos or the big reveal in the end to document your happy pregnancy. I saw something cool recently where the couple took a photo of their bare stomach from a side view every month and creatively put it into a collage. There were multiple ideas and themes and they were all extremely cute. By posting about your baby bump this way, it not only keeps your pregnancy more private, but you don't keep people wondering if it is just the poparazzi talking or if you are really pregnant.
Baby fever
~Hangin' from a clothesline
It seems that every pregnant person that has a social media site posts pictures of their baby bump, but when is it acceptable to start? While documenting your pregnancy by taking pictures of your stomach is perfectly fine as soon as you find out, posting pictures of it is a different story.
Recently it was released that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were not only engaged, but expecting a baby. I personally found this exciting since I used to watch them act together on "That 70's Show". Then I thought about how tiny she was and ended up wondering what she would look like. I then looked up how far along she is. When I found the picture "revealing" her baby bump, I was not impressed.
Normally when you see the revealing of the baby bump picture, there is a bit of a bump to show. However, this time you could barely tell that she was pregnant. While anyone can post pictures of themselves at any time, calling it a baby bump reveal photo when you are barely even showing is a bit of a let down.
Therefore, I have come up with the conclusion that there is a time and a bump size to post your "baby bump reveal" photo. There should be an obvious bump there that you can see without squinting your eyes. If you are on the red carpet, it is easier to see the bump in an outfit that accents it. A big poofy dress or a dark sleek dress does not help you.
There is another option if you are planning on doing home photos or the big reveal in the end to document your happy pregnancy. I saw something cool recently where the couple took a photo of their bare stomach from a side view every month and creatively put it into a collage. There were multiple ideas and themes and they were all extremely cute. By posting about your baby bump this way, it not only keeps your pregnancy more private, but you don't keep people wondering if it is just the poparazzi talking or if you are really pregnant.
Baby fever
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Celebrity "do-gooders"
I was looking for a little inspiration on what to blog about this week. I went to the good ole internet due to the fact that I don't get the newspaper or any magazines. I was looking for something on celebrities and I got the usual search answers. There were relationship scandals, baby announcements, etc. However, I wanted to focus on something with more of an upside. I decided to ponder on celebrities that somehow "do good".
There are many celebrities that indeed do good. They take their talents and what those talents have given them to give back to the community. The majority of the stories you hear about are ones where these very famous beautiful celebrities go to countries with bad water supply or little to no food. While this is amazing, and we should definitely appreciate what they do, we also need to think about the celebrities that do things other than pose for a picture.
There are countless celebrities that constantly donate to good causes. However, you don't see pictures of them posing with a check every time they donate. Just because they aren't advertising it all over the place does not mean that it should not be acknowledged. These charities as well as other administrations and corporations can use help just like the third world countries that newspapers and magazines publish.
If you go onto Google and type in "celebrity do-gooders" then click on images, there is far more than just pictures of popular celebrities posing with children from Africa. You can even read through some stories about these celebrities. There are many accounts where they fund organizations for the less fortunate. They participate in food drives as well as working/volunteering at homeless shelters. They can help by doing anything from stating their opinion in a debate over horse usage in the streets of New York City to adopting kids that have never had anything. There are many more things that us Americans should recognize our celebrities doing. We should stop focusing on the good looking popular celebrities that go to third world countries and pose for a picture then leave. We need to start recognizing and acknowledging that there are many celebrities that give back locally, even if it means welcoming home soldiers or reading to children.
If you can, when you get a chance, look into some of the good deeds that celebrities do, yet aren't publicized all over. You will be surprised the things people do and never get credit for.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are many celebrities that indeed do good. They take their talents and what those talents have given them to give back to the community. The majority of the stories you hear about are ones where these very famous beautiful celebrities go to countries with bad water supply or little to no food. While this is amazing, and we should definitely appreciate what they do, we also need to think about the celebrities that do things other than pose for a picture.
There are countless celebrities that constantly donate to good causes. However, you don't see pictures of them posing with a check every time they donate. Just because they aren't advertising it all over the place does not mean that it should not be acknowledged. These charities as well as other administrations and corporations can use help just like the third world countries that newspapers and magazines publish.
If you go onto Google and type in "celebrity do-gooders" then click on images, there is far more than just pictures of popular celebrities posing with children from Africa. You can even read through some stories about these celebrities. There are many accounts where they fund organizations for the less fortunate. They participate in food drives as well as working/volunteering at homeless shelters. They can help by doing anything from stating their opinion in a debate over horse usage in the streets of New York City to adopting kids that have never had anything. There are many more things that us Americans should recognize our celebrities doing. We should stop focusing on the good looking popular celebrities that go to third world countries and pose for a picture then leave. We need to start recognizing and acknowledging that there are many celebrities that give back locally, even if it means welcoming home soldiers or reading to children.
If you can, when you get a chance, look into some of the good deeds that celebrities do, yet aren't publicized all over. You will be surprised the things people do and never get credit for.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Hot Car, Little Kids
On March twentieth there was an incident where a woman had left her two young children, one two year old and one six month old, in a car while she went to a job interview.
Unfortunately this in not uncommon nowadays. There are multiple sightings of this every day in the summer. Whether they were intentional or not is besides the point. But why is this story making the news and being discussed more than other cases? Well, this woman and her children were homeless.
As some of you may know, leaving your children in a vehicle with the engine off and no ventilation is considered to be child abuse. This is due to the fact that it can cause organ damage or failure as well as death. So this is obviously not taken in a light manner. It was reported by bystanders that the children were left in the car with the engine off, windows cracked ever so slightly, and in the sun for about thirty minutes. Given the conditions, you could see why someone would make a call to the local police.
In any instance like this one, the driver or caretaker of the children would be charged with child abuse and sentenced to years in jail. This mother was. Yet people are still getting worked up over it. Some are arguing that it wasn't all that hot. The kids suffered no damage, the baby was just crying. Others may argue that they were homeless and left in a car, but now they have no mother. Some say that the cops took the situation out of hand.
Well, it is the law. However, I do think it is an unfortunate situation for the mother as well as the kids. The officer even said that it was an unfortunate situation himself. Many people ask to themselves, if the officer felt bad and the kids weren't hurt, then why arrest the mother. No one really knows. The only answer I could think to come up with was that it is the law, the incident was reported and it is his job to act upon the law. Another possible answer would be that since they were homeless, at least all three of them would be housed and fed. It is just unfortunate that the family could not get the chance to have that job they were being interviewed for and given a chance to get on their feet in a stable living condition.
Hoping for a better world
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Unfortunately this in not uncommon nowadays. There are multiple sightings of this every day in the summer. Whether they were intentional or not is besides the point. But why is this story making the news and being discussed more than other cases? Well, this woman and her children were homeless.
As some of you may know, leaving your children in a vehicle with the engine off and no ventilation is considered to be child abuse. This is due to the fact that it can cause organ damage or failure as well as death. So this is obviously not taken in a light manner. It was reported by bystanders that the children were left in the car with the engine off, windows cracked ever so slightly, and in the sun for about thirty minutes. Given the conditions, you could see why someone would make a call to the local police.
In any instance like this one, the driver or caretaker of the children would be charged with child abuse and sentenced to years in jail. This mother was. Yet people are still getting worked up over it. Some are arguing that it wasn't all that hot. The kids suffered no damage, the baby was just crying. Others may argue that they were homeless and left in a car, but now they have no mother. Some say that the cops took the situation out of hand.
Well, it is the law. However, I do think it is an unfortunate situation for the mother as well as the kids. The officer even said that it was an unfortunate situation himself. Many people ask to themselves, if the officer felt bad and the kids weren't hurt, then why arrest the mother. No one really knows. The only answer I could think to come up with was that it is the law, the incident was reported and it is his job to act upon the law. Another possible answer would be that since they were homeless, at least all three of them would be housed and fed. It is just unfortunate that the family could not get the chance to have that job they were being interviewed for and given a chance to get on their feet in a stable living condition.
Hoping for a better world
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Friday, March 21, 2014
Studying Abroad: Really worth it?
What's all the craze with studying abroad nowadays? Honestly, I would do it if I were taking a language where I could go to a more sought after location instead of China where there is the lovely smog. When you can go to a place like Germany or Spain, I'm sure it is very desirable.
More people are trying to do it because there can be cheaper rates as well as being able to go to a foreign land with some of your friends as opposed to going with your family. You also get the benefit of going somewhere that you can exercise your language with fluent speakers. This can help you a lot in class, especially if you are going to take the AP version of that language at any point.
Are there perks of going other than studying your language? Definitely! You can see the sites of an unfamiliar land as well as go places that are unavailable to you in your own town, or even country. You can see the different styles, note different laws, you can enjoy being on vacation with people you enjoy being around, you can also have fun meeting and living with new people to see the different kinds of lifestyles there are. There aren't many downsides!
Note how I said there aren't many. That does not mean that they are non existent. There is always that little annoying thing called being home sick. No one really enjoys it, but I suppose it has to happen eventually. There is also the fact that yes, you do still have school work you have to do. There is a chaperon, so it is not like you just get to do what you please. There are obviously rules based upon who your teacher is that is there with you. Another downside some parents may see: laws are different in different countries! If the teacher that is with your child is lenient, there may be laws there that are different from ours that you may not want your child to participate in. The legal drinking age being one of them.
All in all studying abroad is rather beneficial and certainly has more upsides than down. You can do so much with a language after you have been somewhere that it is practiced fluently. Your strength will become bigger and your weaknesses will become less. As long as you can trust yourself, or your student, and you can deal with the minor side affects, it is most certainly worth a shot!
再见！
~Hangin' from a clothesline
More people are trying to do it because there can be cheaper rates as well as being able to go to a foreign land with some of your friends as opposed to going with your family. You also get the benefit of going somewhere that you can exercise your language with fluent speakers. This can help you a lot in class, especially if you are going to take the AP version of that language at any point.
Are there perks of going other than studying your language? Definitely! You can see the sites of an unfamiliar land as well as go places that are unavailable to you in your own town, or even country. You can see the different styles, note different laws, you can enjoy being on vacation with people you enjoy being around, you can also have fun meeting and living with new people to see the different kinds of lifestyles there are. There aren't many downsides!
Note how I said there aren't many. That does not mean that they are non existent. There is always that little annoying thing called being home sick. No one really enjoys it, but I suppose it has to happen eventually. There is also the fact that yes, you do still have school work you have to do. There is a chaperon, so it is not like you just get to do what you please. There are obviously rules based upon who your teacher is that is there with you. Another downside some parents may see: laws are different in different countries! If the teacher that is with your child is lenient, there may be laws there that are different from ours that you may not want your child to participate in. The legal drinking age being one of them.
All in all studying abroad is rather beneficial and certainly has more upsides than down. You can do so much with a language after you have been somewhere that it is practiced fluently. Your strength will become bigger and your weaknesses will become less. As long as you can trust yourself, or your student, and you can deal with the minor side affects, it is most certainly worth a shot!
再见！
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Historical African American Movies
Recently it seems like there are more and more movies being released about the history of African Americans. They have been a hit. But why?
I believe it is due to the fact that America is becoming more and more diverse. We are becoming more accepting of each other and we have started to come to terms with the fact that what we did in our past was not necessarily right. How do we deal with this? Well, we make movies about the events. Now how does this help? When we show the events, we have hope that the viewers will collect the facts and evidence of what happened and come to the conclusion that it really was as bad as the history books make it seem. Those opinions then hopefully make us want to make sure that there are no more incidents or prejudices like that.
Would these opinions be had if we did not make movies like this? Certainly. School still teach about these incidents in history classes and some people may even go further into investigating and study about the events on their own. So what is the upside of making the movies like that then? Well, it is proven that most people take information in better when it is a visual. Sure, words and names out of a textbook are all fine and dandy, but humans have emotion as well . We don't feel the sympathy from reading facts as we do with characters and a back story.
Recently, I have discovered the different types of appeals we use today. It has sparked in my head that we tend to react more to emotional appeal than we do the others. By putting these incidents into a two hour long movie where you learn more about the characters as well as seeing the harsh treatment, your emotional appeal will make you feel sympathetic for them and therefore, leave with a bigger impression, especially if the movie was extremely rough on the senses.
So who do these movies effect? Well, obviously people with racial prejudices as well as people who aren't interested in historical movies won't tend to want to go to these movies. However, people with open minds, African Americans, history teachers as well as fans, and people who just want to know more about their life would be extremely interested in it.
Well they go, but do they leave with anything? Depends on the person. If you are a highly sympathetic person, then you may leave with more than someone else. But they are definitely worth it.
Thinking about the past
~Hangin' from a clothesline
I believe it is due to the fact that America is becoming more and more diverse. We are becoming more accepting of each other and we have started to come to terms with the fact that what we did in our past was not necessarily right. How do we deal with this? Well, we make movies about the events. Now how does this help? When we show the events, we have hope that the viewers will collect the facts and evidence of what happened and come to the conclusion that it really was as bad as the history books make it seem. Those opinions then hopefully make us want to make sure that there are no more incidents or prejudices like that.
Would these opinions be had if we did not make movies like this? Certainly. School still teach about these incidents in history classes and some people may even go further into investigating and study about the events on their own. So what is the upside of making the movies like that then? Well, it is proven that most people take information in better when it is a visual. Sure, words and names out of a textbook are all fine and dandy, but humans have emotion as well . We don't feel the sympathy from reading facts as we do with characters and a back story.
Recently, I have discovered the different types of appeals we use today. It has sparked in my head that we tend to react more to emotional appeal than we do the others. By putting these incidents into a two hour long movie where you learn more about the characters as well as seeing the harsh treatment, your emotional appeal will make you feel sympathetic for them and therefore, leave with a bigger impression, especially if the movie was extremely rough on the senses.
So who do these movies effect? Well, obviously people with racial prejudices as well as people who aren't interested in historical movies won't tend to want to go to these movies. However, people with open minds, African Americans, history teachers as well as fans, and people who just want to know more about their life would be extremely interested in it.
Well they go, but do they leave with anything? Depends on the person. If you are a highly sympathetic person, then you may leave with more than someone else. But they are definitely worth it.
Thinking about the past
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Teen Stars Growing up Right
The latest craze in popular magazines is teen idols that have grown up to do something right with their lives. The most recent example that many people would know is Kevin Jonas.
Kevin grew up being in a boy band with his two brothers Joe and Nick. They were even featured in some television shows, including their own. Growing up in all this fame you have to wonder if he is going to grow up like some of the other teen idols.
When you think of teen idol used to be's, most of the time you think of the kids that went off the deep end or completely changed their image. Well, Kevin didn't. He stayed out of the wishy washy waters and he moved forward with his life. He married his girlfriend he met in two thousand and seven and kept his good guy image. He proceeded to make music and take his girlfriend on tour with him. Eventually another show was produced called "Married to Jonas" after they wed in two thousand and nine. They said they were waiting for the right time to have a baby so that they could actually spend time with their child, which is rare to find in such young stars.
The Jonas brothers were a big hit while I was growing up, there were a lot of young boys who wanted to grow up to be like them and a lot of young girls that wanted to grow up to marry them. With them setting this example, it shows a higher standard for the kids of America to live up to, which in my opinion is what we need.
If Kevin weren't to grow up like this, it probably wouldn't have made that big of an impact. However, adding one more to the book of examples, such as Hillary Duff, makes it so much more tempting for the kids of the future to follow suit.
Following suit
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Kevin grew up being in a boy band with his two brothers Joe and Nick. They were even featured in some television shows, including their own. Growing up in all this fame you have to wonder if he is going to grow up like some of the other teen idols.
When you think of teen idol used to be's, most of the time you think of the kids that went off the deep end or completely changed their image. Well, Kevin didn't. He stayed out of the wishy washy waters and he moved forward with his life. He married his girlfriend he met in two thousand and seven and kept his good guy image. He proceeded to make music and take his girlfriend on tour with him. Eventually another show was produced called "Married to Jonas" after they wed in two thousand and nine. They said they were waiting for the right time to have a baby so that they could actually spend time with their child, which is rare to find in such young stars.
The Jonas brothers were a big hit while I was growing up, there were a lot of young boys who wanted to grow up to be like them and a lot of young girls that wanted to grow up to marry them. With them setting this example, it shows a higher standard for the kids of America to live up to, which in my opinion is what we need.
If Kevin weren't to grow up like this, it probably wouldn't have made that big of an impact. However, adding one more to the book of examples, such as Hillary Duff, makes it so much more tempting for the kids of the future to follow suit.
Following suit
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Friday, March 14, 2014
Frozen: New Style for Disney?
As many of you know, there is a new Disney movie out. The name is Frozen. I have seen this movie and I think that it has opened up a whole new idea for young girls. But what if it hadn't?
The question I would like to ponder on is if Disney were to have kept it's typical princess theme, would they still be getting all this praise from viewers? Ideally, I would like to think not. The praise they are getting for producing this movie is that it isn't like any of their previous movies. It enters a whole new style of princess. It teaches young girls that they really don't need a prince or a man in general, but that they can do good and be happy without one.
With today's society this is a good thing considering that there are more single moms as well as rights for women as compared to previous release dates of Disney movies. I'm not sure what exactly changed in Disney to get them to produce a movie with women of such power, but it worked.
The movie was a hit! Little girls all over are lined up to see Anna and Elsa (the main characters) at Disney or movie sites. Girls are dressing up as them on a regular basis. Birthday parties are themed around frozen. The soundtrack boomed even before the movie was released for a week! Hairstyles were seen all over modeled after them! Disney knocked it right out of the park with this one!
What if they made the same thing happen to these princesses though? What if Elsa didn't tell Anna she couldn't marry a boy she just met? What if Elsa had to be married before she became the queen? Would it still be all the craze? I think not. Sure there would still be the usual fan base that there usually is with regular princess movies. However, this time there are mothers and fathers everywhere trying to get their daughters to think and act like these princesses with a caring heart and a mind set on bettering themselves. Parents pushed to have their children see this movie so that they could get the idea that a girl doesn't need a boy to be happy.
So is it a good movie? Yes. Does it give girls a good lesson? Of course! But would it have had the same effect as it did without the lesson? Probably not. Now the question is... Do we want them to continue with this theme?
Letting it go
~Hangin' from a clothesline
The question I would like to ponder on is if Disney were to have kept it's typical princess theme, would they still be getting all this praise from viewers? Ideally, I would like to think not. The praise they are getting for producing this movie is that it isn't like any of their previous movies. It enters a whole new style of princess. It teaches young girls that they really don't need a prince or a man in general, but that they can do good and be happy without one.
With today's society this is a good thing considering that there are more single moms as well as rights for women as compared to previous release dates of Disney movies. I'm not sure what exactly changed in Disney to get them to produce a movie with women of such power, but it worked.
The movie was a hit! Little girls all over are lined up to see Anna and Elsa (the main characters) at Disney or movie sites. Girls are dressing up as them on a regular basis. Birthday parties are themed around frozen. The soundtrack boomed even before the movie was released for a week! Hairstyles were seen all over modeled after them! Disney knocked it right out of the park with this one!
What if they made the same thing happen to these princesses though? What if Elsa didn't tell Anna she couldn't marry a boy she just met? What if Elsa had to be married before she became the queen? Would it still be all the craze? I think not. Sure there would still be the usual fan base that there usually is with regular princess movies. However, this time there are mothers and fathers everywhere trying to get their daughters to think and act like these princesses with a caring heart and a mind set on bettering themselves. Parents pushed to have their children see this movie so that they could get the idea that a girl doesn't need a boy to be happy.
So is it a good movie? Yes. Does it give girls a good lesson? Of course! But would it have had the same effect as it did without the lesson? Probably not. Now the question is... Do we want them to continue with this theme?
Letting it go
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Companies Apologizing for What?
What are these companies apologizing for? Would they be apologizing if they didn't get caught?
Recently there are more and more companies that are having to take things off of their websites, advertising platforms, as well as their promotions throughout the store. Some have also had to publicly apologize for what has been seen or said. Two companies come to mind.
One is Target. Recently Target put out a photo to advertise their new swim suit collection. Normally, you can assume that there is some editing done to an advertisement, especially if it is advertising a swim suit. They do this to make the swim suit look more flattering on the body. They also aim to make their models look like what everyone woman in society is supposed to want to look like. Before it was barely noticeable. Target also had no shame until one advertisement edit went wrong.
There is new thing for the body of a woman that they are supposed to strive to get. That thing is called a thigh gap. Originally it was a natural thing to have. However, now it has been taken to a sickening degree. Whomever edited the photo for the Target advertisement obviously did not pay close enough attention to what they actually sent to be published. This copy that was sent had the edited chunk of the models body dis-proportioned. The area the editor meant to make skinnier went in the wrong place. Instead of trimming some width from the legs, it ended up going up a few centimeters and leaving a white rectangular shape cut out of this model's butt. The way that this was shaped makes it obvious that it is not anatomically possible.
Once people started catching on there were many complaints to the board of Target. People were very upset with the fact that they tried to make this model appear smaller than she was in the first place. Once there were enough complaints and large controversy over it, Target came out with a public apology.
Now why did they feel the need to apologize? Well, if they had owned up to making an unhealthy standard for women and young girls, they would have been hated and their production as well as sales would decrease dramatically. The question is, would they have apologized if their business was not effected?
A similar incident also happened with Barbie. They started creating skinnier, more defined dolls. The standard became more and more impossible for young girls to reach. It ended up that many girls became upset with their bodies to the point of anorexia or bulimia. This obviously sparked something in the parents of these young ladies and you can only imagine their reaction.
Many parents went to the head of the company and threatened to sue for their daughters actions and health based on their want to meet the standard their company (Barbie) had set for them. There were also strikes as well as threats to make sure their business was effected.
While Barbie still makes these impossible standards for girls to meet, they admit that it is not okay for young ladies to want to be as skinny as Barbie. They also admit that it is wrong for them to set the bar this high, however they have made larger dolls before and can't change them back now.
Would Barbie have admitted that they were in the wrong if they didn't get caught making the sizes more and more impossible? It's the same answer for any business. No they would not.
Why does this question effect us as a society? Our wants and habits are based upon what these businesses promote. They get skinnier models, we want to be skinnier. These models fit into a size 00? Let me lose a few pounds! It is never ending and if they aren't caught, then it will keep happening with little to no remorse and that is not okay. Our health and habits depend on this.
In the end when you think about it, companies are apologizing for getting caught. They are not apologizing for the fact that they do it.
Happy with my size
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Recently there are more and more companies that are having to take things off of their websites, advertising platforms, as well as their promotions throughout the store. Some have also had to publicly apologize for what has been seen or said. Two companies come to mind.
One is Target. Recently Target put out a photo to advertise their new swim suit collection. Normally, you can assume that there is some editing done to an advertisement, especially if it is advertising a swim suit. They do this to make the swim suit look more flattering on the body. They also aim to make their models look like what everyone woman in society is supposed to want to look like. Before it was barely noticeable. Target also had no shame until one advertisement edit went wrong.
There is new thing for the body of a woman that they are supposed to strive to get. That thing is called a thigh gap. Originally it was a natural thing to have. However, now it has been taken to a sickening degree. Whomever edited the photo for the Target advertisement obviously did not pay close enough attention to what they actually sent to be published. This copy that was sent had the edited chunk of the models body dis-proportioned. The area the editor meant to make skinnier went in the wrong place. Instead of trimming some width from the legs, it ended up going up a few centimeters and leaving a white rectangular shape cut out of this model's butt. The way that this was shaped makes it obvious that it is not anatomically possible.
Once people started catching on there were many complaints to the board of Target. People were very upset with the fact that they tried to make this model appear smaller than she was in the first place. Once there were enough complaints and large controversy over it, Target came out with a public apology.
Now why did they feel the need to apologize? Well, if they had owned up to making an unhealthy standard for women and young girls, they would have been hated and their production as well as sales would decrease dramatically. The question is, would they have apologized if their business was not effected?
A similar incident also happened with Barbie. They started creating skinnier, more defined dolls. The standard became more and more impossible for young girls to reach. It ended up that many girls became upset with their bodies to the point of anorexia or bulimia. This obviously sparked something in the parents of these young ladies and you can only imagine their reaction.
Many parents went to the head of the company and threatened to sue for their daughters actions and health based on their want to meet the standard their company (Barbie) had set for them. There were also strikes as well as threats to make sure their business was effected.
While Barbie still makes these impossible standards for girls to meet, they admit that it is not okay for young ladies to want to be as skinny as Barbie. They also admit that it is wrong for them to set the bar this high, however they have made larger dolls before and can't change them back now.
Would Barbie have admitted that they were in the wrong if they didn't get caught making the sizes more and more impossible? It's the same answer for any business. No they would not.
Why does this question effect us as a society? Our wants and habits are based upon what these businesses promote. They get skinnier models, we want to be skinnier. These models fit into a size 00? Let me lose a few pounds! It is never ending and if they aren't caught, then it will keep happening with little to no remorse and that is not okay. Our health and habits depend on this.
In the end when you think about it, companies are apologizing for getting caught. They are not apologizing for the fact that they do it.
Happy with my size
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Winter Olympics
Winter Olympics. What a hot topic! If you have recently read anything on social media or even the news for that matter, you have probably seen something about the Olympics whether it be about some awkward mistakes or even the placings, it seems there is always something being said.
One of the big things people are talking about is how there are the Olympic stars and one of them ended up not bursting to full expansion. Not only is a show a big part of the Olympics, but it is seen across the world! Therefore, if something goes wrong, there is a lot of blame put on one countries shoulders. This year it just so happened to be Russia. So there was an initial blame put on Russia in the very beginning.
There then was the fact that the skiers were so hot that they ended up having to put the snow they could have used from the slope to put down their coats and other gear so that they didn't over heat and get dehydration. This is obviously a major problem for a place where the WINTER OLYMPICS are supposed to be happening. There are a ton of events that need to happen in the snow and making Olympians over heat isn't exactly something you want your country to be known for. Ninety eight total winter events! That's a big responsibility!
Although things may have gone wrong, I do not believe that we should judge Russia for a few things they could not have seen coming their way. Just a simple thought, if we were in their shoes we wouldn't want to be known for the Olympics that went wrong.
-Hangin' from a clothesline
One of the big things people are talking about is how there are the Olympic stars and one of them ended up not bursting to full expansion. Not only is a show a big part of the Olympics, but it is seen across the world! Therefore, if something goes wrong, there is a lot of blame put on one countries shoulders. This year it just so happened to be Russia. So there was an initial blame put on Russia in the very beginning.
There then was the fact that the skiers were so hot that they ended up having to put the snow they could have used from the slope to put down their coats and other gear so that they didn't over heat and get dehydration. This is obviously a major problem for a place where the WINTER OLYMPICS are supposed to be happening. There are a ton of events that need to happen in the snow and making Olympians over heat isn't exactly something you want your country to be known for. Ninety eight total winter events! That's a big responsibility!
Although things may have gone wrong, I do not believe that we should judge Russia for a few things they could not have seen coming their way. Just a simple thought, if we were in their shoes we wouldn't want to be known for the Olympics that went wrong.
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Becoming a Carnivore
Recently my friend has decided to stop being a vegetarian and start eating meat again. It honestly wasn't a decision that she could make spot. She had thought about it for a long time and has consulted with many people about whether they think it would be a good idea. She had to think a lot about her health. She had gone so many years without eating meat and eating protein substitutes. While yes, the substitutes get the job done, it is still not as beneficial or satisfying as meat. When your entire family still eats meat and you are the only one who has to make back up plans for dinner on taco night or for baking classes when they use a meat, you can start missing those days when you were able to eat whatever you want, which is totally understandable.
So what do you need to do to become a carnivore again? Well, consider what made you a vegetarian in the first place. Do you still believe in the reason you stopped eating meat in the first place? Does a certain fact still bother you? If you still believe in what made you start being a vegetarian then I encourage you to not give up just due to the fact that you miss eating meat with your friends. There is a huge statement you can make by sticking to your guns even with all the pressure of your surroundings. Don't give up on yourself. However, if you aren't bothered by the reason you turned vegetarian or don't even remember for that matter, then hey, why not get the full nutrients from some nice meat?
First thing is first. Go talk to your doctor about whether or not they think it is a good idea or not. If they think that it is a good thing for you to do, you can go ahead and ask them about techniques to start eating meat again. They will normally base this on your body and how it works. They will also incorporate how long you have been a vegetarian into the math as well. The longer you have been a vegetarian and the smaller you are, the slower they will recommend you to consume meat. This is because the fact that you have not ate this item in such a long time, your body can build an intolerance to it. This means that if you go head on and eat a lot of meat at once after years of not eating it, your body can reject it and you can end up getting sick. Obviously no one wants that.
Going back to my friend, she has been a vegetarian for years. She talked to her doctor and was able to get back to eating meat with little to no problems. She and her family likes to cook, therefore you can only imagine her excitement to try all these new meals with real meat instead of meat substitutes. I wish you the best of luck!
-Hangin' from a clothesline
So what do you need to do to become a carnivore again? Well, consider what made you a vegetarian in the first place. Do you still believe in the reason you stopped eating meat in the first place? Does a certain fact still bother you? If you still believe in what made you start being a vegetarian then I encourage you to not give up just due to the fact that you miss eating meat with your friends. There is a huge statement you can make by sticking to your guns even with all the pressure of your surroundings. Don't give up on yourself. However, if you aren't bothered by the reason you turned vegetarian or don't even remember for that matter, then hey, why not get the full nutrients from some nice meat?
First thing is first. Go talk to your doctor about whether or not they think it is a good idea or not. If they think that it is a good thing for you to do, you can go ahead and ask them about techniques to start eating meat again. They will normally base this on your body and how it works. They will also incorporate how long you have been a vegetarian into the math as well. The longer you have been a vegetarian and the smaller you are, the slower they will recommend you to consume meat. This is because the fact that you have not ate this item in such a long time, your body can build an intolerance to it. This means that if you go head on and eat a lot of meat at once after years of not eating it, your body can reject it and you can end up getting sick. Obviously no one wants that.
Going back to my friend, she has been a vegetarian for years. She talked to her doctor and was able to get back to eating meat with little to no problems. She and her family likes to cook, therefore you can only imagine her excitement to try all these new meals with real meat instead of meat substitutes. I wish you the best of luck!
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Military
It seems that recently more and more people are signing up
to be in the military. There are also more people that are enlisting at a
younger age. Technically you have to wait until you are eighteen years old to
be in the military. There is an exception that you can get your parent’s
consent and enlist at seventeen. The age limit is forty-one.
Why are these people signing up so young? Not only do they
have pride in their country and want to defend it, but for some, it is the only
way to get a college education. Some argue about whether this is the right
thing to do. Some people can argue that this is taking advantage of the system
and that they should be in the military just to defend and fight for their
country. There is also the side that with the amount of Americans living in
poverty nowadays, people should do whatever they can to get a college education
so they can better themselves as well as America.
Now which one is the better side? Well, when you really
think about it, if more people enlisted into the military and pursued an
education through the military, surviving keep in mind, our nation could better
itself as a whole. According to brillig.com their debt clock says that the
United States national debt is at $17,284,793,011,987.71. That is an extremely
large number. Imagine if more of our citizens were educated and could come out
of poverty to have a job that allows them to live comfortably as well as give
back to the economy.
Our debt could constantly be going down instead of growing
larger every minute with more and more people going into poverty every day. If
everyone that dropped out of high school to get a job could enlist as soon as
legally possible, they could not only defend their country, but also supply for
their loved ones at home while gaining an education that will take them farther
in life all at the same time. They could end up supplying their family with
what they need and stop struggling every day just to put a meal on the table.
There are an estimated seven thousand teenagers that dropout
of high school every day according to choices.org. If half of those teens
joined the military then not only would our nation have a better defense, but
our entire nation could become more intelligent as a whole. Going to the
military to better your life experience is not only good for you and your
family, but it is also good for the country you live in.
Next time you think that people joining the military for
financial help with college is taking advantage of the system, think again.
There are so many benefits to this strategy. It could even benefit you,
personally. Recently more and more people are enlisting into the military. So
if you, yourself are sitting there reading this, wondering if you should
enlist, go for it. Be that one out of seven thousand kids to better our
country. Everyone makes a difference. God Bless.
-Hangin’ from a clothesline
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Bowls
Football is big in North America as you can imagine why. There are plenty of teams in the National Football Association that play against each other to see who is the best in the nation. They enter the playoffs and it comes down to two teams who go into the super bowl.
People all over the nation get together to watch this game. Some of these people watch it purely for the love of football, some people watch it for the halftime show, and some people watch it for the commercials. This year it was against the Broncos and the Sea Hawks. While I was not interested in the teams, I was interested to see what kind of commercials there would be this year due to how awesome they have been in the past. There was also the fact that Bruno Mars was performing during halftime. I was intrigued to see what kind of performance he gave because of how interested I am in him as a performer.
If you watch it purely for the love of football, chances are that you are going to like to watch this game because it is supposed to be between the two best teams of the season, therefore it should be a good game. With stress to the word SHOULD!
The Super bowl is not the only bowl that went on today. There was also a puppy bowl. The puppy bowl is like a large dog tournament where they compete for beauty and behavior, but since it was with puppies, it ended up being a little more on beauty. There were dogs that participated that were from animal shelters. Which is because this bowl was held to raise money and awareness for the animal shelters all over the area. There is a gathering where people can bring their dogs to hang out and have fun while telling stories about their pets as well as their rescue.
As you can imagine there is a lot of howling from the dogs as well as joy form the owners. It is a great gathering for an even greater cause! They really wanted to make a difference in the situations for sheltered animals and they achieved that beyond what anyone could believe they would have done. Not only was awareness raised while having a good day of fun out with their pets socializing, but they also raised up to thirty two hundred dollars! This awareness and money will help so many animals in need. It is nice to think that people can not only get together for something such as football, but a good cause as well!
-Hangin' from a clothesline
People all over the nation get together to watch this game. Some of these people watch it purely for the love of football, some people watch it for the halftime show, and some people watch it for the commercials. This year it was against the Broncos and the Sea Hawks. While I was not interested in the teams, I was interested to see what kind of commercials there would be this year due to how awesome they have been in the past. There was also the fact that Bruno Mars was performing during halftime. I was intrigued to see what kind of performance he gave because of how interested I am in him as a performer.
If you watch it purely for the love of football, chances are that you are going to like to watch this game because it is supposed to be between the two best teams of the season, therefore it should be a good game. With stress to the word SHOULD!
The Super bowl is not the only bowl that went on today. There was also a puppy bowl. The puppy bowl is like a large dog tournament where they compete for beauty and behavior, but since it was with puppies, it ended up being a little more on beauty. There were dogs that participated that were from animal shelters. Which is because this bowl was held to raise money and awareness for the animal shelters all over the area. There is a gathering where people can bring their dogs to hang out and have fun while telling stories about their pets as well as their rescue.
As you can imagine there is a lot of howling from the dogs as well as joy form the owners. It is a great gathering for an even greater cause! They really wanted to make a difference in the situations for sheltered animals and they achieved that beyond what anyone could believe they would have done. Not only was awareness raised while having a good day of fun out with their pets socializing, but they also raised up to thirty two hundred dollars! This awareness and money will help so many animals in need. It is nice to think that people can not only get together for something such as football, but a good cause as well!
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Senior Night
Everyone nation wide knows about this. Everyone in a sport has had
one. I'm talking about a senior night. What is a senior night for? Well,
seniors are a big part of a sports whole. This is their last year in the sport
and so they deserve some recognition. It is a big night of endless turns in
emotion, and for a good reason.
While the seniors are happy that their
grade school years are finally at end, they also have to say good bye to a lot
of their good friends as well as their coaches that they have worked with for
so many years. Generally, there is a dinner before a big game or meet that the
entire team or squad gets together for. This can include anywhere from just the
team, to the team, coach and the teams families! As you can imagine, this can
get rather large.
Generally, the actual event then takes
place with the announcement for the recognition of the seniors participating.
Sometimes there is a small narration over what that senior has accomplished
over the years. The parents in the audience can then shout with joy over the
amount of pride they have in their child.
There are also times where the seniors
have to make boards with collages of pictures and knick knacks of things they
have accumulated over the years from being in whatever sport they have
participated in. Not only do friends and family of the athlete them self get to
see their friend or family member and how they have transformed over the year,
but the other families of other athletes get to see and learn more about the
athletes their child has participated in sports with over the years.
Another famous tradition that has happened
over the years is the senior gifts and passing down of traditions. It is up to
the underclassmen on the varsity team to get a gift for a certain senior on the
team. After everyone is assigned they all open them around the time the board
activity ends. These gifts can be anywhere from gag gifts to gifts that
represent their personalities, to gifts that can get them farther in whatever
they are going into after they leave this year.
It is amazing what this night can bring out in people. They can
completely change perspectives on the people you have spent so long with. You
can have these emotions come out that you never thought could be brought out
about your friends. It also gives the athlete them self to have one last time
to shine as a senior in front of all those important people.
Tears in my eyes,
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Miley Cyrus Unplugged
From dancing on a pole to cutting her hair and changing her entire style in her career, MTV has covered it all. That's right, the lovely Miley Cyrus. As I come to find out, a lot of things went down during the unplugged episode.
MTV has done unplugged episodes for years. They have covered everyone from Katy Perry to Thirty Seconds to Mars. They have even done a European one with Phil Collins. This year they decided to cover Miley Cyrus.
"Smilers" were extremely excited as you could imagine. Smilers are fans, so you can understand why they would be excited. Other people may have thought, "oh my lord, what could she possibly do now?" Well, I thought both. There was the question if she would use this as an opportunity to show she still has her old sensitive side through with her old songs. There was also the question of if she would use this to go even more extravagant and do something people would be talking about for ever and only judge her more for.
Well, guess which one she did. She used this opportunity to have a country theme and perform all sorts of her music. Including the very famous wrecking ball. There was also a duet with Madonna! She could have used this to do so much more to better and further her career. Miley said herself that she is expected to go on stage and stick her tongue out then twerk. She said she would not be doing that again. Well, surprise again! She went on stage in her cowgirl get up with a blonde wig, yelled yee haw, then proceeded to not only twerk on a horse but grind on Madonna.
While her performance was thought of as still amazing as she always does, it was a little obscure. The main things you hear about are not the ones that she did well, but the ones that were a little out there and that people will remember and gossip about for weeks later. The horse was definitely a big part of this. Miley used this horse as a dancing partner, twerking on it multiple times. She also sang to it about how it is sexy and she would do things to it. After that, she got on the horse and started sexually dancing on it.
This is not the only thing people found offensive! Miley often performs with a woman with severe dwarfism. Normally there is a line drawn for what she will do while she performs, but she smacked this woman's butt. Apparently unplugged also meant unmannerly as well. There were a few more shockers such as giving herself a minor mammogram and genital grabbing in front of the entire LIVE audience!
While yes, these things are odd, well, she is still an amazing performer and people will love her no matter what she does.
Shocked but still loving,
-Hangin' from a clothesline
MTV has done unplugged episodes for years. They have covered everyone from Katy Perry to Thirty Seconds to Mars. They have even done a European one with Phil Collins. This year they decided to cover Miley Cyrus.
"Smilers" were extremely excited as you could imagine. Smilers are fans, so you can understand why they would be excited. Other people may have thought, "oh my lord, what could she possibly do now?" Well, I thought both. There was the question if she would use this as an opportunity to show she still has her old sensitive side through with her old songs. There was also the question of if she would use this to go even more extravagant and do something people would be talking about for ever and only judge her more for.
Well, guess which one she did. She used this opportunity to have a country theme and perform all sorts of her music. Including the very famous wrecking ball. There was also a duet with Madonna! She could have used this to do so much more to better and further her career. Miley said herself that she is expected to go on stage and stick her tongue out then twerk. She said she would not be doing that again. Well, surprise again! She went on stage in her cowgirl get up with a blonde wig, yelled yee haw, then proceeded to not only twerk on a horse but grind on Madonna.
While her performance was thought of as still amazing as she always does, it was a little obscure. The main things you hear about are not the ones that she did well, but the ones that were a little out there and that people will remember and gossip about for weeks later. The horse was definitely a big part of this. Miley used this horse as a dancing partner, twerking on it multiple times. She also sang to it about how it is sexy and she would do things to it. After that, she got on the horse and started sexually dancing on it.
This is not the only thing people found offensive! Miley often performs with a woman with severe dwarfism. Normally there is a line drawn for what she will do while she performs, but she smacked this woman's butt. Apparently unplugged also meant unmannerly as well. There were a few more shockers such as giving herself a minor mammogram and genital grabbing in front of the entire LIVE audience!
While yes, these things are odd, well, she is still an amazing performer and people will love her no matter what she does.
Shocked but still loving,
-Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Wrestling
It is the time of year when winter activities really start to heat up. This includes wrestling. Around this time there are multiple meets and tournaments a week. That means a lot of time consumption. But for what?
At a typical meet you are facing one or two schools. You have a junior varsity as well as a varsity team. The way they decide who will compete in each match is by their weight. The wrestlers have to either cut or gain to make weight. This can be harder than you think. Hours of dieting and running to sweat just to get to a weight to even be eligible for wrestling is extremely tolling on your body. If you fail to do so then you can not compete and the opposing team will receive a forfeit which is worth points.
Believe it or not, forfeits really add up and can make or break the way a meet can go. If you do not receive a forfeit, then you get to wrestle. People may think that this sport is gay or not hard, but let me tell you, they are wrong. The amount of knowledge, strategy, and strength this sport takes is unbelievable! These wrestlers are constantly in the weight room and reviewing pressure points, weakness areas, even previous matches on video so they can see where they went wrong. As I said before, it is extremely time consuming.
Once you wrestle there are a few things you can do. There are reversals, take downs, and pins. However there are different kinds of these, all worth different points. If you get out of a hold, you can get one point. If you take down an opponent, you get two points. There is a one shoulder pin that makes you receive three points, and a full on pin that makes you win the match. You generally have about two to three two minute periods that give you enough time to determine a winner.
If you do not get a pin, then you determine the winner by the amount of points they have at the end of the match. This can either be extremely close, or a wrestler can win by a landslide. If you lose, you lose. However, if you win you receive the amount of points you earned in your match for your team, and that total is how the winner of the meet is determined.
There is then a tournament which tends to include four or more teams and they tend to be all day events. You never know how these can go because it all depends on the number of wins your wrestler gets. A loss can be extremely devastating or angering to a team mate. They can try their hardest and still lose which is angering due to how much time and work they put into this sport.
Even though you still may think that your sport is better, you should give credit to these wrestlers for the amount of dedication they have for this sport. It takes a lot out of you.
-Sittin' on the mat, Hangin' from a clothesline
At a typical meet you are facing one or two schools. You have a junior varsity as well as a varsity team. The way they decide who will compete in each match is by their weight. The wrestlers have to either cut or gain to make weight. This can be harder than you think. Hours of dieting and running to sweat just to get to a weight to even be eligible for wrestling is extremely tolling on your body. If you fail to do so then you can not compete and the opposing team will receive a forfeit which is worth points.
Believe it or not, forfeits really add up and can make or break the way a meet can go. If you do not receive a forfeit, then you get to wrestle. People may think that this sport is gay or not hard, but let me tell you, they are wrong. The amount of knowledge, strategy, and strength this sport takes is unbelievable! These wrestlers are constantly in the weight room and reviewing pressure points, weakness areas, even previous matches on video so they can see where they went wrong. As I said before, it is extremely time consuming.
Once you wrestle there are a few things you can do. There are reversals, take downs, and pins. However there are different kinds of these, all worth different points. If you get out of a hold, you can get one point. If you take down an opponent, you get two points. There is a one shoulder pin that makes you receive three points, and a full on pin that makes you win the match. You generally have about two to three two minute periods that give you enough time to determine a winner.
If you do not get a pin, then you determine the winner by the amount of points they have at the end of the match. This can either be extremely close, or a wrestler can win by a landslide. If you lose, you lose. However, if you win you receive the amount of points you earned in your match for your team, and that total is how the winner of the meet is determined.
There is then a tournament which tends to include four or more teams and they tend to be all day events. You never know how these can go because it all depends on the number of wins your wrestler gets. A loss can be extremely devastating or angering to a team mate. They can try their hardest and still lose which is angering due to how much time and work they put into this sport.
Even though you still may think that your sport is better, you should give credit to these wrestlers for the amount of dedication they have for this sport. It takes a lot out of you.
-Sittin' on the mat, Hangin' from a clothesline
Flappy Bird
Tap tap tap, fall. Tap tap, die. Yes, I'm going to reach my high score, run into a tube. You play and play again and again hoping you will get a little bit farther than you did the last time with endless disappointment. I am talking about Flappy Bird.
Flappy Bird is a game that people can download on their smart phones or any other electronic hand held device that runs through the Google play store. The game is basically the simplest of things. All it is is a bird that flies through the sky and you have to control how high it goes by tapping on the screen. If you do not time your taps right or tap enough, you either run into the tubes that the bird can not hit, or you fall and hit the ground. Both of those actions make you die.
There is also an option to play "online" with other people around the world. All you need is internet connection. While I have not tried this, I'm sure it only adds to the amount of times you play since now not only are you trying to beat your last high score, but you are also trying to beat some of the best players from all over.
Every time you die you feel like you have to play again to prove to yourself that you can do better. From what you planned on being just five minutes turns into an hour of playing this game that doesn't make you better at any aspect of life. The only thing this game does it make you sit on your butt for longer, and get mad for no apparent reason.
While this game can be fun, it really only ends up being a distraction and helps you procrastinate. I, myself have found that playing just one more time turns into playing twelve more times and then you realize you said you would start your homework assignment thirty minutes ago and now you are going to be late for work. I'm sure that if people spent half the amount of time that they do playing this endless game, that people could accomplish more. Instead of sitting at home they could be participating in the bettering of the economy, or maybe even be able to better themselves in the work or school place.
There is also the social aspect of playing. While you may bond with someone over the mutual addiction to this game, are you really bonding? In all reality, you sit there while you are with your peers and you play this game not socializing in the least bit until you yell over dying or rejoice over a victory.
Where will it end? Will we ever know? Flappy Bird will end up being like every other hot thing in society and will eventually fade away to the point where only a few people even know what it is.
-Playing from a blue sky, Hangin' on a clothesline
Flappy Bird is a game that people can download on their smart phones or any other electronic hand held device that runs through the Google play store. The game is basically the simplest of things. All it is is a bird that flies through the sky and you have to control how high it goes by tapping on the screen. If you do not time your taps right or tap enough, you either run into the tubes that the bird can not hit, or you fall and hit the ground. Both of those actions make you die.
There is also an option to play "online" with other people around the world. All you need is internet connection. While I have not tried this, I'm sure it only adds to the amount of times you play since now not only are you trying to beat your last high score, but you are also trying to beat some of the best players from all over.
Every time you die you feel like you have to play again to prove to yourself that you can do better. From what you planned on being just five minutes turns into an hour of playing this game that doesn't make you better at any aspect of life. The only thing this game does it make you sit on your butt for longer, and get mad for no apparent reason.
While this game can be fun, it really only ends up being a distraction and helps you procrastinate. I, myself have found that playing just one more time turns into playing twelve more times and then you realize you said you would start your homework assignment thirty minutes ago and now you are going to be late for work. I'm sure that if people spent half the amount of time that they do playing this endless game, that people could accomplish more. Instead of sitting at home they could be participating in the bettering of the economy, or maybe even be able to better themselves in the work or school place.
There is also the social aspect of playing. While you may bond with someone over the mutual addiction to this game, are you really bonding? In all reality, you sit there while you are with your peers and you play this game not socializing in the least bit until you yell over dying or rejoice over a victory.
Where will it end? Will we ever know? Flappy Bird will end up being like every other hot thing in society and will eventually fade away to the point where only a few people even know what it is.
-Playing from a blue sky, Hangin' on a clothesline
Beliebers Going Too Far?
There is a new scandal out about a favorite celebrity of many young teenage girls. Justin Bieber, everyone. He is being charged with a DUI, property damage, a felony from egging a mansion, and drag racing. IN HIS LAMBO with his friend Kahil. I mean, I knew that some weird things were going on with his life at this point, but I honestly didn't think that I would see that in the headline of the latest news update.
What I would really like to talk about here is whether his fans are taking their support too far or not. According to thinkprogress.org , he has done things in his past that are worth regretting. With his stupidity, he has wrangled up $20,400 worth of fines and damage charges just for one offense. With these offenses and a federal felony of egging someone's house, Justin runs the risk of being DEPORTED due to being from Canada. If these Beliebers love their celebrity so much then why would they think it is okay for him to run the risk of deportation?
There is the other side of the argument. Everyone makes mistakes and that we should not judge people that are going through things many people have gone through at some point in their life. His blood alcohol level was not that high above the accepted rate, and he was just trying to have fun with one of his friends doing young adult activities. There's not that much damage that could possibly be caused by eggs hitting a mansion of all buildings! There's no way some of these fines are necessary! There is no cause for deportation over a harmless act.
Well, I can see both sides. However, never really being a Justin fan, I can lean more towards the harsh point of view. While yes, people do make mistakes, those mistakes don't tend to be so severe. I'm not so sure that deportation would be necessary, however I do believe that he should have to face the consequences just like anyone else would have to if they did the same thing. His actions weren't severe, yet they could have been a danger to people surrounding him. Not only do I believe that but I also believe that most of these things were completely avoidable. He did not have to get in his car after being under the influence, he did not have to drive irresponsibly, and he definitely did not have to egg his neighbor's mansion.
If it were anyone else not famous doing these things, I believe that people around the world would consider this situation differently. Not only would these crimes not be as famous, but the people would not be defending him as much as they are. Yes, people do make mistakes. No, I do not think it is serious enough of a crime to have Justin deported back to Canada. However, he should have to face what he did just like any other citizen of the United States has to.
-Hangin' from a clothesline
What I would really like to talk about here is whether his fans are taking their support too far or not. According to thinkprogress.org , he has done things in his past that are worth regretting. With his stupidity, he has wrangled up $20,400 worth of fines and damage charges just for one offense. With these offenses and a federal felony of egging someone's house, Justin runs the risk of being DEPORTED due to being from Canada. If these Beliebers love their celebrity so much then why would they think it is okay for him to run the risk of deportation?
There is the other side of the argument. Everyone makes mistakes and that we should not judge people that are going through things many people have gone through at some point in their life. His blood alcohol level was not that high above the accepted rate, and he was just trying to have fun with one of his friends doing young adult activities. There's not that much damage that could possibly be caused by eggs hitting a mansion of all buildings! There's no way some of these fines are necessary! There is no cause for deportation over a harmless act.
Well, I can see both sides. However, never really being a Justin fan, I can lean more towards the harsh point of view. While yes, people do make mistakes, those mistakes don't tend to be so severe. I'm not so sure that deportation would be necessary, however I do believe that he should have to face the consequences just like anyone else would have to if they did the same thing. His actions weren't severe, yet they could have been a danger to people surrounding him. Not only do I believe that but I also believe that most of these things were completely avoidable. He did not have to get in his car after being under the influence, he did not have to drive irresponsibly, and he definitely did not have to egg his neighbor's mansion.
If it were anyone else not famous doing these things, I believe that people around the world would consider this situation differently. Not only would these crimes not be as famous, but the people would not be defending him as much as they are. Yes, people do make mistakes. No, I do not think it is serious enough of a crime to have Justin deported back to Canada. However, he should have to face what he did just like any other citizen of the United States has to.
-Hangin' from a clothesline
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