Dance Afrika

In the Chicago Tribute there was an article of dance Afrika. Dance Afrika came to Chicago last weekend and performed Friday and Saturday. In the article the Williams, who started Dance Afrika in the early 1990's talked about the form of stepping. He explained how stepping has been around for a long time. It started in colleges when blacks decided to make their won fraternities and sororities. It starts as back as the 1950's. Was kind of whatever. People didn't really get into the stepping until movies came out showcasing this art form. But it had already been around. The author in the article wanted was the readers to understand stepping didn't come out of no where but is deeply rooted in the African heritage and culture. Comparing how steeping is looked at in a new way than before. Now stepping is a mainstream thing when before it was just for fraternities and sororities performing this sometimes complicated foot movement. I also think the author wanted us the reader to understand that stepping like any other dance form has history and was performed by others before, and later the movement was borrowed ad changed and was given a new meaning and name.

jim

jim hall a musician who in his years has played with many artists in his time. He is old and decrepit but still doing it what he loves. The author of the story makes a comparison between pat methane and Jim not so nice but as to give the reader a since of how good he is. In the story the author seems to have a sort of soft spot for Jim explaining how Jim spent most of his time fidgeting in the positions of his chair because he had just gotten back surgery. Throughout the article the author seems to have a soft spot for jim because of his age and gives him praise for doing so. Also the author stress on the music even though I did not start out on top it ended up great

Ashes of American Flags

I ended up finding a review on one of my favorite Bands (Wilco). The review is for their Documentary Ashes of American Flags, where numerous shows were recorded in Washington D.C, New Orleans and Nashville. The reviewer admits that he never thought much of Wilco, but once he saw the documentary his whole perception changed on the band. He says,” The consistently solid performances, which feel easygoing no matter how high the energy level, are all shot through with a wild improvisational streak that runs way hotter onstage than in the studio. In concert the songs become sprawling, massive things—the six main members are frequently assisted by a horn section—and wander far from their familiar arrangements.” I notice that throughout the review his usage of words are so creative the way they are combined and used in every sentence when he talks about the band and his thoughts on them. In all honesty I think it is awesome how he describes the documentary, because it is not in your normal manner. Here are some more thoughts by the reviewer,” The movie doesn't seem to be trying to enshrine Wilco, but rather to portray them as modest rock heroes, unburdened by mythology. The bulk of the footage shows the band onstage, and the DV camera work is appropriately unfussy: Green and Canty don't rely on quick cuts, swooping crane shots, or dramatic pans across an ecstatic crowd, and as it turns out Wilco doesn't need that kind of flash. The film can linger for a remarkably long time on Cline taking an insane solo, because even if all he's doing is playing he's such a physical performer that all by himself he's completely transfixing.” If I were to describe how this reviewer wrote this, I would have to say he had to go in it with an open mind, because he admits at the beginning he never thought much of Wilco and also his usage of words to describe the band are so out there and strong with vibrant feeling and emotion in them. Towards the end he compares this film to another documentary Wilco has done in past, “Everybody in the current incarnation seems to be getting along—unlike in the 2002 Wilco doc I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, which was captivating like a train wreck,” Just in those few words you can see how different reviews are for artistic things and it truly is amazing how words can be combined like that to form your thoughts in such a strong manner.

"American Idiot" The MUSICAL!!!!!

Ok so I hope I am doing this response correctly....here we go!

I read a bunch of articles in the arts section of the L.A. Times and out of everything I saw, there was one article that really caught my attention and actually made me quite happy. I read that coming to Broadway this winter is a musical called "American Idiot." Which is going to be based of of the works of the band Green Day. My initial reaction was "OMG they are making a Green Day musical!?" I really used to like Green Day a lot. They actually were one of my first favorite bands. However in my opinion when they came out with "American Idiot", they for me became a sell out band. The article talks about the plans for the new musical. They compared it to the musical "Spring Awakening" and told how some of the same producers that produced "Spring Awakening" are gonna to be producing "American Idiot." Needless to say, it sounds like it has potential to be an absolutley amazing Broadway musical.

This article appeals to readers such as me who are very much interested in the art of musical theater. In this article the only camparison that I see is that they compare this musical to "Spring Awakening." Actually they have a picture posted of their set and when I saw it, I immediatly thought of "Spring Awakening." So to answer the question, I think that this compares to older work because "Spring Awakening" was an older musical. It seems to have that same look and feel to it. It was great to be able to see and hear about this new up and coming show. It looks to be a great piece of musical theater.

I hope that this is what you were looking for in this post. I think that musical theater is a huge part of my life when it comes to art. It is the art that makes me the most happy.

Art Review Review

Here are some newspapers and links to their Art sections. I want you to find a review of a gallery or piece of art in one of these papers. Then I would like for you to analyze the article looking once for clues to voice and audience. I would also like for you to look at methods the author uses in analyzing the work. Do they compare the work with older work by the artist or work by his or her peers? How much detail do they give of the work, of the venue? What kind of research did they need to do? 250 words.

NY Times
Chicago Tribune
Seattle Times
Slate.com
Times Online

Trip to the Art Insititue

What will help me in writing this essay is taking an actually trip to the museum and viewing the art. When I'm there up close and personal I can get better detail. Being able to see it personally is better than viewing from the Internet. It's something about seeing for yourself. I think seeing personally i can really get alot of detail and feel connected to the painting. I also get a brief description of the painting. Viewing it personally I can look at it from different angles and analyze it. I look at from far and near. I can point out small details that aren't obvious unless you look close or look at for several minutes. Going to the museum with this in mind really helped me analyze the painting with good notes and being able to write about what I observed.

my source from the library website.

I found an article that gives me some info on the artist that painted american gothic. I found this article from the columbia library website. If you go online to the website. On the top row of all the links. on the right should be in the library link. if you click on it they have a search engine on all of the libraries articles. But you have to have your oasis id and pasword. I found a couple of articles on the artist Grant Wood. The articles are mostly about the authors life and I feel like its going to bring some light into writing this essay. I feel like if i get to know the author better maybe I might be able to figure out why he painted that picture. why his style is so unique from other artists. to me it just makes sense. I i have been finding out different sorts of facts about this painting like the the farmer in and the lady are actually father and daughter. I think it's amazing to find that out. I thought they were husband and wife. so by being able to research i found out some interesting facts about the painting.

Picasso vs. The Performing Arts

In my essay, I am comparing the works of Pablo Picasso, whose work I saw in the Art Institute to the art that I am most passionate about, theater. When I was at the Art Institute I saw many pieces of work by Picasso. The one which caught my attention the most was called dancer. I have looked throughout the internet and I have not been able to find anything that relates to that piece of work. So then I thought that I would keep looking and I was actually able to find some information that was able to help me in showing Picasso's passion for the arts. I was able to find out some of the things that were inspirations on his work and what he was possibly thinking about when he was creating the pieces of art. I think that I will probably use what I found there to help me in writing my paper. I also plan on comparing the performing arts to work that could have been done by Picasso. There are many websites out there that can help me into finding out possibly some more about this man and see what his possible inspirations could have been. I will then be able to tie the information that I already have into what I will find and hopefully produce a great essay!

Research! Blog Post #8

For this post I want you to find one resource that you believe will help you in writing essay #3. Then write at least 250 words on what it is and how it will help. Be specific!

Dangerously In Love

My most favorite song is Dangerously In Love by Beyonce. I love this song especially when she performed it live on her tour which was called The Beyonce Experience. Watching her perform it love made me cry because there was a lot of emotion tied to it. You could tell she put a lot of thought into the way that she wanted to project this song to people. She wanted to tell a story with the dancers, and with the dancers in the background while she was singing. I could tell she was thinking of someone when she was singing, and I felt her emotions coming from her heart through her song and to my heart. Every time I hear that song it always makes me cry and it makes me think about my own relationship. It makes me think of how much I love my boyfriend, and how much he makes me happy. It makes me think about certain images and certain things that he does that maybe I take for granted. It also makes me think about the way he has helped through everything and about how things can make you feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bs92H86piE (This is the link)

Poetry

Poetry is an art form that sticks out to me. poetry expresses emotions. A poet can become very descriptive with their words. Poetry can be written anyway and expressed in many ways. poerty can rhyme, iambic permeter verse, metaphoric or just free verse. When I read poerty I create mental images of what the poet is expressing. sometimes its easy to create the images and sometimes its hard. Poetry can be simple or very complex. I think complex poetry makes you have to sit and reread again until it is understood. Complex poetry can have more than one meaning. One poet I find very complex is Robert Frost. I remember reading some of his poerty in high school, and having to read it more than once to understand it or get an idea. I think poerty is a great way to express creativity and emotions. Poerty is so beautiful because none if it is the same. poerty can take the mind and the emotions on a wonderful journey.

Sidewalk chalk art.

I love coloring and i love making crazy big wall sized creations. so when i was online one day bored as hell with a friend and came across the most amazing thing i had ever seen. The biggest Badest sidewalk chalk art ever. it was amasin the depth and personality that would be needed to creat something so wonderfull. and not not create but let get destroyd by weather. I believe that chalk painters are the most groundede artists and that is why i am inlove with there work. its so beautiful and clean and presice and later in the week a rain storm could wash it away and it will only be documnetd in photograps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKJ0KYnB5R8
thats a video of the pavement art thats amazing and defies everything. reality gravity EVERYTHING!

SYTYCD

I have religiously watched "So You Think You Can Dance," for the past 6 seasons. I have fell in love with dances and then I think some dances fell short. I have picked guy and girl favorites from every season. Season 3 was probably my favorite. Sabra Johnson was the winner, but my favorite guy and my favorite girl were Danny Tidwell and Lauren Gottlieb. For the dance routine that blew me away Danny and Lauren were partners and dance a comtemporary piece to "Then You Look At Me," by Celine Dion. This is probably one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life. I have no idea, but i cry everytime I watch it. The chemistry these two have, the choreography. Everything is perfect.

I would have to would have to say a piece of art that stands out to me the most is Donny Hathaway's A Song for You. To be honest its my depression pick me up cause of his effort and emphasis in his voice is warming and forward. Now this may not be the greatest thing I have discovered but one of the top I must say. I would just have to recommend Donny to most anybody because of the simple fact that his music has the power to change moods and things of that nature. Since he passed away sometime ago its sucks that he can no longer create amazing music to keep a good portion of us going. Another piece of his that stands out astoundingly is Giving Up, I mean the man is just singing my prayers. The steady slow rhythm with certain outbursts of soul express the simple fact that he is done with trying. His music is what I feel like a different take on what everyone else sees in life. The calming affect this song has on its listeners is inspiring to watch as you take in the mellow yet strong tone of voice. Over time you get out of the slump that your in or not depending on who you

 are.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdhzBFbmLU&feature=related

Chris Botti - Emmanuel

One Saturday night I decided to stay in and I believe I made one of the best decisions in my life, because I discovered one of the most moving and beautiful songs my ears have ever heard. The song is by Chris Botti (Emmanuel) and was performed live in Boston. Pbs was doing a special on it and I had no idea who he was, but I have always been open minded to music, so I decided to tune in. I heard a few songs and was quite impressed and decided to go buy the cd the next day. Like any cd I buy, I always put it in the cd player immediately to see if I made a good choice. Well, I went through the first few songs and I was amazed at what I was hearing. I have heard many different types of music, but this was completely new to my ears. Once I got to track 4 (Emmanuel) and listened closely as I drove everything slowed down and I was in complete awe. One note after another changed my complete state. I was in probably one of the most peaceful states I have ever been in and it was all controlled by this one song. It amazes me how different notes can immediately affect how you feel. This song moved me and changed my thoughts about music. I believe if there was a song to describe heaven, this would be of them. Music is a remarkable gift and I am always intrigued when I find out something new or hear a song that captures my ears forever. Music Like this will live on, because it has so much depth to it. Why? Well just listen closely, sometimes words cannot describe the feelings you get.

Burning Monk

I first saw this picture in my AP English Literature class, it immediately caught my attention. I've always loved photography and the beauty of capturing a lasting image of everyday life, but I find it even more amazing to see a photograph of a still moment amongst chaos; which is what I see when I look at the picture of the burning monk. When I first saw the picture of the Monk, I couldn’t help but be shocked by what I initially saw, a man on fire! But, after actually taking a good look at the picture, I noticed the peacefulness of a man burning himself to death in the midst of people running around in their own worlds. Looking at the serenity of a man killing himself, seated, praying, because he’d rather die than to deal with what was to come of his world and the irony of such a man engulfing himself in one of the most violent of natures wonders. This picture will stand the test of time because it captures a moment when time stand still for a moment while a man makes a great statement to the world around him. The picture will also stand the test of time because as long as there is war, something people don’t agree with or something that people feel they need to take a stand against, the picture of the monk will always serve as a reminder of how far someone will go for what they believe in.

You Can't Stop The Beat!

To me, art can be many forms of things such as musical theater, my major here at Columbia. There are many different musicals that I love and there are some I just can't stand. However there is one musical that I feel has been a huge part of my life for many years, the musical Hairspray. This piece of musical theater art has touched my soul in so many ways. The message that it delivers through out the show is that you should embrace who you are and don't let anyone think of you differently because you may be overweight or have a different color skin. The music and dancing keeps me on the edge of my seat and the beautiful colorful costumes just make me feel so warm inside. I have had a lot of friends come up to me and tell me how they think that this musical is just horrible because its just to campy and its a fat girl singing and dancing. This always just makes me so upset because they obviously did not listen to the message that this show tells. That is one thing that I absolutely can't stand, when people find it necessary to critique a musical and don't listen to the message that it gives the audience. I feel that Hairspray really relates to the life that I have lived. Growing up gay and being segregated for it (however the main character Tracy is segregated for being fat not gay.) It really changed my life and I think it has for many others who have dealt with the same sort of issues. You Can't Stop The Beat!

Oversoul

For this blog post, I chose an original piece of art by Alex Grey. Every time I look at artwork by this man, I always see something different. The piece is titled “Oversoul” and it makes me feel almost every emotion and sense I have experienced. Just through this one painting, I can see so many different things going on. Some of the things I believe are happening within the picture are a person who represents all of mankind and he is transcending from our world.This is allowing his soul to break free and leave his body. Now that his soul is beyond the real that we know, he is looking almost as if he is seeing the world around him for the first time. It almost seems as if not only the whole world, but the entire painting is merging from several different aspects to one single light in the middle of the man’s forehead. His soul is becoming one with the world beyond ours.This painting just reminds me of how all of mankind is connected to each other. Even though there is only one person in the painting, I see him spreading out and completely covering the whole canvas. The world, the man, the beyond world are all one and the same. I feel this way about humans. We all live on the same earth, breath the same air, and interact with one another. I don’t understand why then there is so little respect for our fellow man. Racism still exists today and in more than one way. I hear people on the street using raciest slurs and it’s totally unacceptable. Words that demean an entire race of humans are horrible. I feel like if we are ever going to get along with each other, we need to accept people who are different because they are of a different race. This painting reminds me of unity, a unity that does not yet exist.

Peace

We are ODST

Well I never imagined that the greatest piece of art would be a trailer to a Video game. I discovered this trailer on YouTube one day while looking for games t get for the xbox360. The name of the Trailer was "We are ODST". This trailer was for the new video game Halo 3 ODST. When I clicked on it and watched the trailer I felt something that I never thought an advertisement would make me feel. In this trailer I saw what the future could be like form a couple of years from now. We would be at war with aliens and our race would fight to prevent the extinction of humanity. The way the trailer opens up is so moving. Everyone is standing for a funeral of a solider. A boy is handed a flag as if he was some how related to that solider. Then it shows the boy being trained as an ODST solider. As the training gets difficult he continues to move on in his career. There is one shot where he jumps of a ledge and it cuts to him being in a pod of some sort while he is being dropped into a war zone. I thought that was a cool shot because it shows how far he has come and he was ready to jump into the action. The boy eventually battles on and then he get hit by an alien and he res his last rounds as if h is about to die. but he does not instead the alien dies and the boy is left with scars on his face. and then the boy turns into a man with the same scars on his face as a reminder of his near death experience. and as he stands their making a grave for his fellow comrades the men around him our like the younger versions of him self. and they put on their helmets and continue to fight.

I felt like this piece is portraying the future of war how much war will evolve in the future. This kind of viral video marketing is really effective when it comes to selling games. I think this is probably one of the best and most artistic commercials i have ever seen.

Blog Post #7

For this post I want you to argue for a piece of art. Tell us why a certain painting, movie, play, song, tight rope walk, etc... is the greatest piece of art you've ever discovered. Be specific, what about this piece of art works? Don't just say it's amazing; it blows my socks off; it makes me want to create. Tell us what specifically is different about this piece than other pieces of the same genre. What makes it innovative? Why do you think it will stand the test of time?

Do this in 250 words or more. Also post a picture, you tube video, etc... of that piece.

Plus, I want you to make at least one comment on one of your classmate's posts. You must do this to receive full credit!

The Lonely Girl

Marissa, is a woman who rides the bus every Tuesday to go see her family who lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Other than that, she doesn't go anywhere else but home. She works at the local grocery store, and only provides for herself. She once was full of such life and such beauty untill....... She got that phone call stating that her fiance was pronounced dead fighting for America in the war. She went to the funeral and sat in the front row but didn't stay for the whole ceremony. Everyday she reminisces and flashback the memories they had together, and how much they truly loved each other. It's been hard trying to piece back together her life after that tragic accident. So now every weekday that she doesn't work she climbs on the highest rock and just looks out into the sky, to talk to him and to feel his warmth against her cold and depressed body. She won't let anyone else replace him in her life, which is why she is all alone.......

The boy on his phone

Shane, as we'll call him, spends every Thursday at 11 o'clock in the park behind Bar Louie. Shane is maybe 20 years old and has a pretty good life. He loves hanging out with friends, but loves the solitude he gets in this tiny park. He comes there just to walk around or sit on a bench just to experience the outdoors in the middle of a land full of skyscrapers and businessmen. He watches the squirrels scatter about, instead of the men and women running to their stuffy cubicles. He listens to the soft wind whisper through the leaves instead of the jumbled, mixed voices of people in a crowded restaurant. He listens to birds chirping and sees the little girl laughing with either her babysitter or older sister, he can't tell. He sees another young adult female, in black puts over blue jeans, with a black north face jacket and bug-eye shades walking a giant black lab whose coat matches her clothing and shoes. He hears the pathetic yip of a tiny long-haired chihuahua connected to an older male by a long, red leash. He looks over to the center of the park and sees us, film and acting students, setting up a camera and a scene. He watches as the taller guy picks up the old fashioned camera and climbs up into the tree behind the bench on which the actress sits. Shane watches as they repeat the same steps three or four times. A boy in a black leather jacket struts over to the girl sitting primly on a bench, checking herself out in the reflection of her phone. He watches as they pretend to flirt, as the boy checks his pockets for a lighter for his cigarette, as the girl hastily hands him a lighter, and keeps watching as the scene plays on. After a while, the crew and actors slowly part from each other, and Shane stays on his bench in the corner under a large, full tree. The park is almost empty, except for Shane, the older man with the little dog, and a couple of the film students. Shane looks around, squinting in the sun. Then his phone rings. He takes it out of the right pocket of his brown, zip-up jacket. "Hello?"

trendy girl in Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge, IL

Trendy girl had on the tightest skinny jeans and the most beautiful leather boots i have ever seen. They had a big silver buckle at the top holding criss crossing leather bands that intertwind down the boot tell you got to the ancle where they melded seamlessly into the foot of the boot. She walked like she was holding something between her knees. Waddeling in her perfect boots the trendy girl walked across the cort to an older man around his 50s and gave him a kiss. at this point i was confused because she looked to be in ther 20's blond with the two toned brown underneth her blond bombshel doo. She was tall and tick and used her body as a way to show off her cloths reather than the other way around. She seemd confident that her cloths really acentuated her body and her confidence was radiating. She had an " im the shit" air about her. walking tall RAinbowed up (sticking out your but and boobs and arching your back to make them look bigger all at the same time). She had the funniest facial expressions when she was talking and a voice that didnt fit her body. She was anamatedly talkin with who i asumed was her boyfriend and started walking towards us and i knowdessed that instead of the bubblegum highpitched voice she had a really low gravely voice that was strangly fitting. She seemed to expolde with personality when you heard her voice. she was her own individual person because of the assumed contridiction that was her voice. It fit.

Man Unfulfilled

Every once in a while ill board the bus and see a certain man. Well dressed shinny shoes suit case pressed tie the kinda guy you know that works at a corporate office. although he looked like he had his life together and all planed out, it seemed as if something was unfulfilled in his life almost as if he had to give up something just to make money. He goes by Chris or so I over hear when he will see one of his friends that happen to stumble by him ever so often. The people that engage him in conversation seem to be high school or college friends. They will say things like “I cant believe that you work in an office now” or “ gee I didn't see you doing this in the future”. After these comments he would just lower his head and answer softly “I know”. Chris looked to be about in his early 30s, he slouched and did not look anyone in the eye when he spoke to them. Whenever I would be on the bus and just happen to stumble upon Chris, he would sit in his same spot suit case over his lap tie pressed head lowered as to not cause attention to himself. One Friday morning Chris seemed to be in a hurry like he was late for work or he had forgotten something somewhere. As soon as the bus came to his stop he popped up and of the bus he went dashing away. He left his wallet... what kind of man would I be if I did not pick it up. As I had his wallet in hand and walked towards the bus driver a picture feel out of his wallet. The picture had him and 3 of his friends with longs blond wavy hair corduroy pants and a tie die shirt and those small circular shades almost as if right straight out of Wood Stock generation. On the back of the picture there was a short sentence it read “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality” John Lennon. It all came together after that, maybe in his own mind he had “sold out” or broke promises with the 3 friends in the picture whatever the reason may be I know why he seemed to be the man unfulfilled . 

Number 29 Bus

It was a cool October afternoon, and classes were done for the day. I waited for the number 29 bus State to Navy Pier. An evening at Navy Pier would clear my mind from the stressful day. I meet the 29 Bus right at the stop on Balbo and boarded. The bus was pretty crowded for being an afternoon. I stood next to the doors in the back. I quickly scanned the bus, and my eyes feel on a particular character. The figure was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with their head held down. The person didn't seem to be napping but in deep thought. I found this person interesting because surrounding noise did not seem to bother them. I tried not stare, but I couldn't help but to look. Every so often I could feel this person was looking at me.

Every Friday when I took the 29 bus ride to Navy Pier there was the same person, sitting in the exact seat. The noise never seemed to bother them. Again we would play eye tag.

This one particular day a seat was clear and it was across from the girl. As I sat my eyes couldn't help but wonder. I now had a closer look at this person it was a girl. She had to be no older than me. She looked new to the city.I figured maybe she was a student at Columbia who had a weekly ritual at Navy Pier or somewhere near. I thought if I got a good look maybe I would be able to recognize her.

This time when I looked at her she stared me back in the face. The look she gave could have stopped my heart. Yet I was hypnotised and couldn't stop staring. There was something mysterious about this girl. She wanted me to find out. Her eyes were stone gray but there was sadness to them. Her eyes were telling me her story. Her story was dark and very haunting. she had experienced many tragedies in her short eighteen years. Those eyes told me she witnessed abuse, assault, and substance abuse. Those eyes also told me about her fear, the fear she had so many years. I could see she had suffered enough. She had told me her story without words.

After my trip to Navy Pier I couldnt stop thinking about those eyes. How chilling they were,but yet gentle and child like. I needed to see this girl again and look in her eyes once again. Friday had come along and I boarded the 29 bus to Navy Pier. I scanned the bus again and looked for her, but she was not on the bus. I found it strange because she was always on the bus. I asked the bus driver if a girl who always wore a blue sweatshirt rode the bus today. The bus driver looked at me like I was crazy. As if he knew who boarded his bus expectly one that was always so crowded.

We passed every bus stop but she never boarded. My day was occupied with her where abouts. I grew concerned about this girl who's name I didn't know, but I felt I had known from the time on the bus. Just as I was getting to understand her, and learning her story she disappered.

A new Friday had come around, but he weather felt strange. I boarded the 29bus to Navy pier and this day the bus was not crowded. I sat in a seat and looked up , and siting across from me was the girl. She had her usual attire the dark sweatshirt with her head held down. This time she had not acknowledge me by looking at me, but she continued to stare blankly at the floor. I was hoping she would give me one glance, but she refused. Her mind didn't seem occupied,but completely blank. Even the little bit of her face I could see looked very blank.

A seat became available next to her. I took the liberty to move next to her. As I sat next to her , her body language did not change. I felt it was time for me to speak to this girl I grown to know, but didn't know a name. As I was getting ready to introduce myself I happened to look down in her direction what I noticed made my heart stop beating. The girls sweater was bleeding from the sleeves. I became hysterical, but she just sat calm and no one around us seemed concerned. This poor girl was possibly bleeding to death. I ran to the bus driver and tried to get his attention, but the bus driver was in his own world just like everyone else on the bus. I sat back next to her conforting her. She never spoke, cried or looked me in the face. She just continued to bleed. I spent the rest of bus ride 29 with the girl who had no name, but knew me and I knew her.

Simply Wonderful

Being in the city, you are lucky to see the same person more than once just walking the streets or on the subway or anything. But ironically going on the subway every once in a while I see this lady. She has 3 kids. And she is pregnant with a fourth.
I call her Cynthia.. And I have named her kids Lilian, Gabriella, and Melissa. Cynthia is about 27 years old, and her kids are a decent age apart. The oldest is 10. Cynthia wasn't able to go to college, but if she did she wanted to be a teacher, K-12. She would have loved to teach art. But right now, she as a 9-5 job working at Pizanos Italian Restaurant as a waitress, and hostess. While she is a single parent, and does her best, she had her nights where she wants someone to be with her at night..
But she is an independent woman doing things on her own..
I think she is going to go back to school

Old Man Time

Day after day, I see the same old man on the train. No matter what the weather is, he always seems to be in the best mood every day as he stares out the window and gazes into the sky with a smile on his face. Many years have passed for him, but that is where his wisdom lies. Old man time knows how the world works, knows how to read people, and give insight to any situation; but his knowledge took years and years to obtain.

He has seen many devastating events that have shaped him to be the person he is today and he shares that knowledge with only a select few, not because other people do not deserve it, but he sees something in only a select few. In all honesty, his whole background is a mystery to me because when he talks about stuff he never goes into detail. For example, we will be talking and all the sudden he will be like “oh yeah I remember when….” and he stops and just smiles. It was frustrating at times because I had no idea what he was talking about, but luckily I was one of the select few he shared his wisdom with.

We have spoken many times while riding the train, but one particular day will always be etched in my mind. I was on my way back from an audition for this school I wanted to attend, but things did not work out very well for me. He knew I was down about something so he approached me and asked, “What’s wrong? Why do you let events control the way you feel? “I looked back at him confused. Somehow he knew what had happened. I am not sure how, but he knew. I asked him, “What are you talking about?” and he said “You know what I am talking about.” There was silence for a few seconds and he began to talk again. He said, “You know you did a great job because not trying at all is true failure.” I said,” If I did so well, why didn’t I get in?” He came back again without hesitation. “Everything happens for a reason and we may not know what that reason is right then and there, but there is one for everything if we search for it and value it.” “We have to learn to be flexible in our approach to things and cannot give up if one thing does not work. We must learn from it, and figure out what else we can do to accomplish our dreams.” His stop was coming up and I wanted him to keep talking, but there was no time and his last words to me were, “Really think about that and don’t settle for less than you deserve.” He left, and there I was on the train staring out into the dark sky with curiosity.

The next day I got up, but it was weird, something drew me to the morning paper. I sat down and on the front cover there he was. Mitch Harrison, the famous guitar player, dies at 85. Stunned by the headline I could not believe that was him. He was one of the best guitar players to ever grip a guitar and I met him so many times and had no idea who he was. I will never forget the wisdom he shared with me and I will cherish that particular time on the train forever.

A Train Ride Through Life

While on the way to a friends house this weekend, I saw someone who looked like they had a story or two. His name was Allen and he was in pain. From the first moment he stepped onto the train it was clear he had fallen onto hard times. His clothes were ripped, dirty, and old. He had long dark hair which he hid under a snow cap. From the look of things I'd say he had not eaten a good meal in days. Allen was once a trustee of a multimillion dollar company. He had a summer house in Beverly Hills, and a college degree. All these things meant nothing when it was discovered that his company had been stealing money from employee retirement plans for years. Although Allen did not was not a part of the conspiracy, this did not make him inocent. He He lost all of his money, his title, his house, everything. Soon after everything was discovered his wife left him and his so called friends stopped talking to him. What I saw was a man how had everything taken from him. As we rode together I noticed one thing, he never asked for money. He did have a cup with some change in it but he kept it on the floor and when people came by him, he stayed quiet. The reason why Allen asks nobody for money is because he isn't a beggar. Although he now lives on the street and not a penthouse he never asks for charity. This is because he can still work and wants to prove to everyone that he's not a beaten man. He is just looking for his second chance.

Peace

A Guy Named John

Our brains like to make up stories. I guess it helps to make the unfamiliar a little more familiar, and it is always cool to just wonder. Well you have a picture of a guy on the bus, getting the dirt of his nails, what's his story? He has funky two color glasses, a seemingly happy disposition, but I think there is a little more to his story.

John (since I don't know his name I call him John, short for John Doe) is a guy on his was to his first job. John is a part-time teacher of guitar at Columbia College. John is loved by all of his students. Everyone thinks he is a cool, teacher, with the best life and the coolest glasses. But many people don't know of all that John goes through.

John, besides working at Columbia, also works part-time for a law firm specializing in health business law. John's part-time job may seem completely different from what you'd think a music teacher at columbia would do, but it's more dear and close to him than many know. A few years ago John had to deal with his mom getting really sick. When John's mom got sick, they ran into a lot of problems with the insurance company. The insurance company wanted to increase John's mother's insurance plan and tried not to accept some of her medical bills, sending John to court to fight for his mothers rights. After winning in court for his mom, John still had bills to pay from court, so he decided to take the job at the law firm to help with bills and help with others dealing with similar cases as his moms.

An "L" of a ride!

Last night I took a journey on the red line to Wrigleyville to my friends rehearsal. I stayed for a while but I had to come back a bit early. I walked to the Fullerton station and hoped on the red line for home. It was a bit late so you never know what you could possibly see on your journey. As I walked onto the train I saw what looked like a homeless man laying in both seats sleeping. As I studied him and listened to my ipod. Here was the story I came up with for him.

He was a man who grew up in Chicago and has lived here for his entire life. He went to high school and started to attend college but soon found out that college wasn't for him. He dropped out and began to try to search for work. He couldn't find much work except as part time at McDonald's. While at McDonald's he began getting into problems with drugs and alcohol. That is all he wanted to do was drugs and alcohol. He ended up coming to work either high or drunk almost everyday and dealing drugs out of work that he was fired. He tried to find a different job but he could never get one because of the problems that he had at McDonald's. He ended up not having any money at all and living on the streets of Chicago begging for money. This money he would use to buy alcohol and drugs. When it gets to cold he would find many different places that he would go to sleep where it was warm. One of these places was the CTA trains. He doesnt know were his siblings are. He had two sisters but they both abandoned him once he started having these problems and his parents had both died.

This man will never be the same. He has devoted his entire life to doing drugs and drinking. It is very sad. He is a very unhappy person and will probably never live an ideal life.

Julie Orville or "The Black Widow"

There she stood in all her glory. Julie Orville. Her shining black hair and her deep blue eyes, and that black velvet dress can seduce any man anywhere. But don't let her radiant beauty fool you. I know her dark secret that can make a man sitting on the same plane as her, jump out just to get away from her. What I am about to tell you may very well in fact disturb you. People may call her Julie Orville but I see underneath that mask. I see her for what she is: A Black Widow.

Julie first received that name after the death of her first husband. But before I tell you what she became we must understand what she was. Julie was the third child to be born in the Orville family. She grew up in a very wealthy family. Sadly her family did not last. At the age of eight, Julie's mother committed suicide. Julie's father was caught having an affair with her dance instructor. Julie's mother discovered them when she arrived home early one day. The first thing Julie's mother hears when she walks in is laughter. As she climbs the stairs the sound of betrayal grew louder and louder. When she opened the door to her room she screamed in anger. Julie's father just told her these words " Oh stop screaming my sad excuse for a wife. I don't know why I married you. All you are is a complete waste of space in this house. You and my children. I am telling you right now I am ready for a divorce. All you do is use my money and my success. Now get out of my sight you filthy whore". It was these words that immediately made Julie's mother to go down to the kitchen commit the following action. Julie's mother grabbed a knife and ran up the stair's. She repeatedly stabbed Julie's dance teacher. then proceeded to stab her Husband. as she stabbed her husband deep in his chest, Julie walked in. Her mother was covered in blood. Julie's mother got off her husband and walked towards Julie, she knelt down and said these last words to Julie " This is what happens when you marry a man who disrespects you. Remember Julie don't ever marry a man for love there is no such thing."

Then she walked away and locked herself in the bathroom only to be found in the bathtub lifeless as her body drifted in the water.

By some miracle Julie's father survived and never married again. Julie's father sent all three of his children to boarding school. Julie would eventually leave boarding school an attend Harvard university with a masters. Julie met her first husband, Steven Black. Steven Black was a wealthy business man from Chicago. They eventually fell in love and got married. Or so she thought. In her third month of marriage, one night she had a nightmare. She dreamed she was her mother and she had experienced her tragedy. She remembered the last words her mother told her as child. As the words played over and over in her head, it triggered her dark ego. She woke up and discovered this feeling of anger and Vengeance.

The next morning Steven was found dead with a pistol in his hand. on the nightstand next to him was a note. "I am no good for you Julie. So I leave this world and leave you with all my money." The police called it suicide. Julie devastated she ended up taking everything that her husband left her. She cried every time someone brought up poor Steven. But I know her tears were nothing but empty. Every night when she is away from society she laughs at how pathetic the letter is. Then she sleeps knowing that all his money belonged to her.

She has been married eight times. Each Husband wealthy. Each husband has died, all different "accidents". Each husband left their money to her.She currently resides in a wealthy apartment complex in the Lake View area of Chicago. The only time she rides the red line is to get a few groceries, wine, fruits, vegetables, and the occasional poison used to kill her helpless husbands. All I know is she is going home to Lucky husband number nine. Only how much longer will his luck last?

Blog Post #6

For this post I want you to create a life! Observe someone on the train or bus and create a back story for the person. Describe them to us in detail and then tell us about them! What do they do for a living? Are they married? Single? Do they have kids? What are their hobbies? Did they go to college? What was their major? Describe them fully. Make us feel like we know this person better than their best friend. Go wild.

Adjectives vs Adverbs

The difference between adjectives and adverbs are, adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. An adjective may come before or after a word it is describing. Adverbs describe everything but nouns and pronouns. Adverbs act as modifiers for adjectives, verbs and other adverbs. Adverbs answer how, when and where. What is good tool to remembering adverbs is, adverbs can have -ly at the ending to answer how. For example The turtle was moving slowly. Slowly answers how slow the turtle was moving. Adjectives on the other hand do not have -ly ending. When that, these or those are followed by a noun an they become adjectives. For example This doll is on sale. This is the adjective it happens to be in the beginning and the noun is the doll. Often confusion comes along when deciding waht is an adjective what is adverb. sometimes it is easy to spot and other times very difficult. An example of using adverb incorrectly would be, She spoke quick. To make the sentence correct, she spoke quickly. An example of using an adjective incorrectly is Sally did a well on the job. This answers how making it an adverb. To use this correctly in an adjective form it be, Sally did good on the job, describes the job. Always be aware of using adjectives and adverbs.

A and An

One of the simplest grammar rules had been one of my biggest downfalls for a long time. “A” is supposed to be used before words that begin with a consonant sound and the word “an” is supposed to be used before words that begin with a vowel sound. In order to overcome this ridiculous issue I simply had to focus on the sound coming from the word immediately following the “a” or “an” word. Here are two examples of how the words are used incorrectly: 1. My favorite instrument is an guitar. 2. Wilco is a awesome band. In order to turn these into proper sentences you must look at and pronounce the word immediately following the “an” or “a”. In Sentence number one, the word guitar begins with a consonant so the word prior to that should be “a.” In Sentence two, the word awesome begins with a vowel sound so the word “an” should be used in front of it. So, the correct way to write these particular sentences would be; 1. My favorite instrument is a guitar, and 2. Wilco is an awesome band. Once you get the hang of it, it is fairly simple.

Tense (o fun)

I have to say my biggest problem in grammar is besides spelling is tense believe it or not (Ha Ha). All throughout my elementary and high school/college carrier tense just brings me down (O well :’(... ). For example were or was It does not seem hard when you are typing or writing but I just mess them up because I am cool like that. So now that i have been given this assignment I am so posed to help you with what I need help with? (because that makes all the sense in the world).  

So will just do one and thats going to be past tense. past tense is the verb of a sentence that happened prior to or in the past hence past tense. So here is our example: All the young students were doing a bogus project to help the other students for a good reason. The verb is were explaining that the students were doing something, not are or is going because that would make it present or future tense. The best way to help with this problem is to ask for help... (no brainer). If you do not take this path and decide your better on your own try saying the sentence out loud to your self. If its not right you will probably hear it even though I do not pay much attention to it: For example the group from the other day was coming back from their trip to wherever they was going. now if you read this out loud it should just irk you instead the sentence should be: The group from the other day is coming back from their trip to wherever they were going. If this method does not help I tried.   

      

The Grammar Issue

Even though I am a journalism major I HATE grammar! I have a grammar class right now, and I think it's my hardest class of them all. But to me, ever since I had started doing papers I always had a hard time. My papers would be good, but when it came to my spelling and grammar I would be so bad!

But one of my biggest grammar problems would be subordinating conjunctions! I mean I just can't never get them.They are conjunctions used to join clauses of unequal weight (one clause clearly takes precedence and can stand by itself if necessary as a complete sentence) according to "When Words Collide." My main problem is remembering the most common subordinating conjunctions when I need to.

The most common subordinating conjunctions are: after, although, as, as if, before, how, if, since, so, through, unless, while.

Two incorrect examples would include paying careful attention to using as if. A common error is to use the preposition like.

It looks like it will snow today.
It looks like it will be a beautiful day.

I had to remember that prepositions cannot link a clause-only a phrase or a single word.

It looks as if it will snow today.
It looks like snow today.

I before E except after C

God!!! Everytime I want to spell View I always spell VEIW!!! I know it's in correct because of that speacial rule I before E except after C. It really does help out alot! Just remember everytime you have to write a sentance and you want to use a word were the I and the E belong together, Just Say I before E except after C and you will be great. Another mistake a lot of people make with this is Except after C. people always forget the exception. For example the word Anceint. I have noticed that some people spell it Ancient. It is suppossed to be Anceint. It really does help to rememebr I before E except after C!

HMMMM Is that supposed to be CAPITALIZED?

I've had many problems with grammar over the years, from spelling errors to knowing exactly where to put that comma in the sentence. Many of my problems I was able to figure out, but I still sometimes get confused on what should be capitalized when.

What deserves to be in caps? Well most people know the basics, names of people, the months of the year, the first letter in a sentence; but what about the conjunctions and pronouns in the middle of all the stuff you know should definitely be capitalized? Well this is what I've learned. I now, know that capitalization should be used only for names of people, races, cities, counties, regions, states, nations, languages and other proper names. I also learned that you should only capitalize an acronym when you spell out it's proper name right before hand.

Hope you know have a reference point to help with all you capitalization needs!

My Grammer Probs...

Before I start, I just want to say that the cat is super cute! And I hope that what I write is what you are looking for because I was a bit confused...Ok here it goes.


I have always loved to write. For me it is just a way that I can free myself and discuss things that may be on my mind. However when it comes to grammar, I am not always the best. For me my biggest problem that I have with grammar is knowing where to put punctuation marks. Especially commas. I remember back to sophomore year of high school in my English class we did a whole section on where to put commas and to this day I still struggle with it. There are so many different places that you can put a comma but I never seem to know were. For example in the sentence "I went to the store to buy cookies but found out they were out." You would put the comma after the word cookies. According to my research you would use that comma because it sets off the introductory elements. There are many different reasons for using commas which are all very confusing to me.

I remember one of my biggest problems when I was growing up was my horrible spelling and sentence structure. To this day I still feel that my sentence structure is not the best. I remember writing in class and my spelling was absolutely horrible and my sentences just didn't make any sense. I was put into the special writing and reading classes at school were I would go one on one with another teacher and we would do spelling and writing exercises. They were quite boring and I felt quite stupid but I got through them. I know feel a lot more confident with my writing and my grammar and am ready to take on the world of writing!

What is your grammar problem?

For this post I want each of you to teach us how to deal with a grammar problem. Think of a problem that you have had in the past and do a little research online or in The Writer's Resource, then describe the problem you have and how to fix it. Be comprehensive in your explanation.

I then want you to show two incorrect examples and two correct examples. Make sure everything you write comes from you! Do not copy and paste from the internet!

There is no set word requirement other than writing enough words to truly teach us how to find and correct the problem.

I believe family dinners are the most intertaining time in ones natural life.

Have you ever sat in on a friends dinner conversation with their family?? that is the time with ecverything from the day comes out. My family is comprised of some very interesting people. I always have my parents freekishly interesting to the point where its just plain scary friends over and my brothers o so obnoxious 12 year old football buddies, or my sisters self aclaimed "nerd" friends or my overly loud crazy super hungry fast talking slang spitting best friends come and add to the festivitys that is dinner. i have never had the " hey honey hows your day" conversation... its more of a " so how are you able to skype, do homework, eat,text and sing all at the same time?" or " dude pass the damn potatoes im freekin hungry" or " Ok so i was making anemay cos-play costumes with Isabelle and then they say we needs sabers... who uses sabers any more..." Haha this is just the beginning. With out family dinners i wouldn't know half of the things happening in the house. family dinner is when i learned that my sister was havin minor surgery and that my brother broke his shoulder... my mom and step mom were renewing there " vows" and my worst nightmares were about to come true.. the dog was ours for good. I love the way we say grace because were not super christian or anything else... were " interesting religious people" to say the least... we used to not say grace but when my mom decided we were all old enough to appreciated our food. we brought out the football team that we are and decided "just as football players say "BREAK" when there done with a meeting or a huddle. we are going to say "GRACE" its short and non denominational for the 3 different religions semi practiced. it is what we do. so by the power invested in me I say "GRACE" and digg in.

I Believe in Learning from the Past to Help the Future

I believe that people should look to the past to help them in their future. I doesn't matter if it is the person’s own past they look at, or someone else’s, they can learn. Many people don’t like to go back and look at history because it’s the past; something that has already happened that you can’t go back and change. I think history is something that should be looked at to prevent mistakes from happening in the future. For example, parents often tell their kids about all the crazy and/or stupid things they did in the past, in hopes their child won’t repeat the same thing they did.

Sometimes looking back into the past can be scary. A reminder of bad times, pain, and hurt. The past can also be happy and joyous, filled with wonderful memories. Both aspects of the past can offer knowledge to help with the present and future. A sad past can help one stay clear of what ever situation that someone may run into that is like their past. A happy past can help one know what to look for or what to expect when they come upon a situation on their present or future.

The picture I included in this blog post is a picture of a Sankofa. The Sankofa is a symbol from West Africa meaning learn from the past. The Sankofa is a popular tattoo

that many get to give them a reminder to look to their past for every situation they come upon, as well as day to day life.

Laughter is the best medicine

I believe laughter cures. Laughter brings joy and happiness, and what better way to feel better than to laugh. Laughter rids negativity, anger, and sadness to name a few. laughter releases serton in the body, "the feel good stuff". Just like a smile, laughter uses less muscles.

Have you ever seen a terminally -ill patient? It sadness our hearts to see them suffer, but think, does this person want to see you moppy around them. Of course not. The patient would want to see you smile and laugh with them. Laughter helps a person to live longer, even if they are dying of a terminal illness. The feeling of high spirits and good company makes them hold on a little longer to life. laughter definitely rids the pain of ill person because they are not thinking of their illness, but of the good time they are having.

Sometimes we don't need a reason to laugh. Its just good to laugh. We can laugh at ourselves or look at an object that creates laughter. When having a bad day laughter makes you forget about the day. Once your done laughing you have forgotten what has made you upset. Your entire day could have been horrrible, but one thing could have made you laugh and you forgot waht had you upset.

I believe laughter makes us stronger in so many ways. Doctors don't need to prescribe medicine, but the only one that should be prescribed is laughter. That medicine is not hard to find, nor is it expensive, but it comes from within. The next time your feeling blue. Just laugh. I guarentee you'll feel better

There Are Reasons for Everything

I believe everything happens for a reason and a purpose, and it serves me. I all have the ability to focus on what is possible and what positive results can stem from a negative situation. No matter what others think of the situation, I think in terms of possibilities. If we believe in limits then we will create limited beliefs. Life is about taking chances and learning from each situation, even if it does not always go the way we expect it to. There is meaning to every event that happens in my life and I look for the meaning behind every single one even if it was a terrible situation. I don’t want to sound like I never let an event control me, because I have many times, but I decided a long time ago instead of focusing on the negative what can I learn from this? Was the meaning? If I let every environment control the way I feel, it would cause many problems and I do not want to live like that. For example, I remember reading this story about this man who was in a serious accident and the outcome of it was not delightful. He was paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life, but did he let that determine how he felt for the rest of his life. No he actually knows more success and joy than most people experience in a life time, because he communicated with himself in a positive way. “The mind is its own place, and in it self can make Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.”- John Molton

Aliens, Ghosts, Pluto, ROYGBIV, and Me.

I believe in believing in what others put down. People say aliens don't exist, I try to find flying saucers in the night sky. People say dead souls cannot come back to haunt you, I know a spirit is living in my dorm. People say Pluto isn't a planet, I still list it after Uranus. People say indigo and violet look the same as purple, but I still say ROYGBIV. People say I'll never make it, but I believe I will.

Aliens are out there. We cannot possibly be the only lifeforms in the infinite universe. We are aliens to someone else, I'm sure. Who are we to say we're the only ones? There are other lifeforms out there, doing what we're doing; battling each other, discovering new technologies, creating, and living.

The supernatural world exists. Why not believe that people with unfinished business her on earth after their death come back to visit the living? Ghosts and spirits are real. We have one living in our dorm. He/she likes to tap on the wall in mine and Samantha's room, turn the disposal on and off in our kitchen sink, and knock over Rachel's desk shelf in front of 12 people. We have tried to find logical reasonings behind these occurences, but cannot find any reasonable explanations.

Pluto is a planet, you stupid scientist losers trying to ruin my childhood! I don't care what you say about it's size, Pluto has always been considered a planet, and will always be in the minds of everyone who attended elementary school before like, 2007.

INDIGO AND VIOLET ARE DIFFERENT COLORS. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS PURPLE. They are shades of purple and they are in the rainbow. There are seven colors in the rainbow, not six. Why can't you just live and let be, people? People are always trying to improve or change things, why can't we just leave things as they are? There's no need to mend things that aren't broken.

I believe in me. I can be anything I want to be if I put my mind to it. People told me I should never sing again and I took voice lessons. People told me acting won't get me anywhere, and I'm networking at school and through my other performance opportunities (Haunted House). I already received a hotline to call for movie extras to build my resume. People told me to find a different career and I'm going to prove them all wrong by making something of myself.

I believe in believing in what others put down. Just because one person says something can't be, doesn't mean they're always right. I'm gonna prove people wrong by believing in myself and showing the world what I can do with my talents and my determination. As Elphaba says in the Broadway musical "Wicked", "No one's gonna bring me down."

I Believe in Ghosts nd the Supernatural

I believe in ghosts and the supernatural. From many personal experiences is the reason why I believe. When I was younger in my house back in Waukegan I saw this little girl. She was probably around six or seven. The girl, I named her Elizabeth because she never talked to me. She was just there. She wore a pink night gown and wears her hair in pigtails. My biological father saw her too when he lived with me. He thought Elizabeth was me. There was also an old man, I called him George. He walks up and down my stairs at home. I am not really bother by the fact they are there, its just the fact I have no idea who they are.

The one person I see and know is my Uncle Billy. He was my moms brother. I never met him when he was alive though. He died when he was twenty years old in 1979 from carbon monoxide poisoning. But the first day I met him, I was on my computer in my living room. My mom was asleep on the couch, in a dead cold sleep. I couldn't get her up. I was weird and really nerve wracking. I smelled something so nasty. Oh my god, what it nasty. There was a chair behind me, and it was facing me like someone was sitting in it. I smelled this strong stench right in front of my face. I actually thought it was me. But all of a sudden my mom woke up out of her dead sleep and said "Billy get your feet out of Sammi's face." Then she fell back asleep. That was the creepiest day ever. I have had more experiences with the supernatural and ghosts but thats the story that started it all...

I Believe In Friends Becoming Family!

All my life, I have always been an only child. Some people think that being an only child is all good because you don't have to worry about siblings and you become spoiled. But in my perspective, I think that people who do have siblings are actually blessed. Even though I do get everything I want, I still miss having a older or younger sister or brother. I'm only the second child my mom had another child before me whose name was Gabrielle, but unfortunately she died when she came out of my mother's womb due to lung cancer. So for a while I was very lonely, and I felt like there was no one to talk to. It wasn't until I got older that I realized that I should talk and get to know people so that I can have and make friends. In middle school, I had started to do just that. In the end, we would start to act just like family. We would spend the night over each others houses, and hang out with each others families. Once I got to high school, some of the same people that were classified as my "family" were already there. But the hard part was trying to make new friends. It was easy in middle school, but it seemed like high school was so much different. But I got through it, even though it was hard. So now, that I'm in college it's been even HARDER to make new friends, but I met a friend of mine called Rachel and we just clicked and now we call each other "sister". So case-in-point friends can always become your family because if you and your friend develop a deep enough relationship then you will then consider that friend as a part of your family.

This I believe

I believe that the music of Jimi Hendrix and prince have a certain level of inspiration both erotically and emotionally. They use their power of sex and their in depth interpretation of they way they see the world to express their intense emotion. I believe that if Hendrix where still alive that he could change a lot of music today. Since prince is still here and going strong you can just see he is still cutting up. People say that the only reason Hendrix got as big as he did is because of his death I say thats BS. they way Hendrix put his heart and soul into every note almost like he was selling it to the guitar higher being his/her self there is undoubtedly no question that he might be even bigger than he is now. Prince well that man goes with ought saying, he is a living legend and needs no introduction. In most of these to artist songs you can paint a picture of what they are talking about a very illustrated picture maybe even graphic. with lyrics like “My red is so confident he flashes trophies of war and ribbons of euphoria” Jimi Hendrix bold as love or “Its silly, no? when the rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants to fly” prince Sign O’ The Times. With timeless lyrics as so previously stated how could greatness no be achieved even live onstage both of these artists give all they had every performance to give the crowd what they wanted. I believe that music as a hole has the power to change lives.                    

I believe in equality 4 all!

It is the one things that all should experience. The equal rights and freedom for all. This I believe is a right that we are all entitled to as human and being part of society. When we are not treated with equality, we are forced to become people who we are not and we are stuck in a puddle of mud.

People in our world are discriminated in so many different ways and it is horrible. Why should people be looked at differently for who they are? It doesn't matter if you are black, white, Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic, gay or straight. You are still a member of the human race. You still get up out of bed every morning, brush your teeth, shower and go to school or work. So why should someone be made fun of or told different just because they are not your average human? They still are.

I experienced this in my everyday life during middle school all the way up to my sophomore year of high school and even a bit after. Me living and growing up in New Hampshire, most people there are very conservative republican farmers were guys are expected to be the macho guy who does work on the farm or could also be a hug druggie. That was what it was like for me at my high school. I was the only person there who was openly gay and many people didn't take that well. I was told that I was pretty much shit. I was looked at differently and harassed. I can't tell you the amount of times I was called a "faggot". Some days in middle school I remember that I stayed at home from school because I was to afraid to have to deal with it some days. I can also distinctly remember a day were me and my friends were sitting at the lunch table and at the table next to us there was a black girl (the only one in our school, there are not many african-americans in NH) and across from her at another tables were a bunch of these redneck kids who were chucking ketchup packets at her and calling her a nigger. I remember that I just had to get up and leave because it was making me just sick.

For me growing up gay and with gay parents, I have been raised to except everyone and I owe a lot of that to my moms for teaching me that. I am also an active member of the "Human Rights Campaign" which focuses of the equality of the GLBTQ (gay) Community. Equality is something that I will always believe in. It is the way I live my and I refuse to accosiate myself with people who cannot except others and treat people equalily. This I believe.

I Believe in Good Friends and Good Times

I Believe in the healing power of good friends and good times. It seems that everyday, life gets a little harder. Between school, work, money, love lives, and every other burden that life throws at us the one that every person deserves to have is at least one friend who can help us to relax and forget about the worries and stress of everyday life. Even if the pain is only lifted for a day or a hour. Having a good group of friends I believe can save a person's life. At least I believe it did for me.
While enjoying me sophomore year of high school I thought i had it all; group of friends that I felt I belonged to, a great girl who I felt very strongly for, and I was finally starting to be taken seriously by the drama club at my school. All of that changed suddenly in the summer between sophomore and junior year. I found out that not one, but three of my best friends were leaving Chicago. My sister was leaving for collage, my best friend was going off to military school, and my girlfriend went to school in a different state to pursue a dance opportunity. I started my junior year alone and miserable. I became very withdrawn, speaking only with my fellow actors from drama class and truly hating myself and my life. Towards the end of my junior year I chose to go on a retreat through my school call Kairos. It changed my life to say the least. I felt loved by the other brothers on the retreat with me and for the first time in almost a year, I felt happy.
The friends I made on Kairos helped me to take everything life threw at me, good and bad. With them, I was able to love life again and have fun. Although we have all gone our separate ways, we still manage to call each other or talk through facebook. The good times we've shared I will remember for the rest of my life and is why I believe friends can save lives. We all need a break from the everyday and with good friends at your side, nothing can bring you down

Peace

I believe in Travel

I belive in Airports. I beleive in Trains. I beleive in lengthy Road trips. I believe in travel period! Ever scince I was a kid, I have been used to travel. My Father was employed in the airforce so I was always on the move. I remember how much I used to hate moving. I did not like leaving my friends and replacing them with new ones. Then came the day, as I remember it, my parents told me that we were moving to england. The first thing that I always associated England with was Castles, Kings, Queens, Knights and Wizards. I thought that we were going to live in a Castle. To my dissapointment we did not live in a castle but we did get to explore more of england. I had four and a half years to experience it. Over that period of time I enjoyed taking road trips to London, Flying to Scotland, and I enjoyed traveling to Wales. It was from that experience that I loved travel.

I love the thrill of discovery when it comes to travel. I love being able to discover new places. I beleive that travel gives you a sense of calm therapy. If you think about it when your on an airplane they seat you in the most comfortable seats. You can hear the hum of the engine as if it is a calming sound. You look out the window to see that you are 15,000ft above everything. Everything looks so wonderful from above.

I like Road trips. They are the best time to get out your ipod and listen to music as you stare out the window. It is something about the scenery that does it for me. The music is so realaxing when your watching the secnery move. I think it helps make the trip seem like an adventure.

Traveling is a very strong beleif. I hope that I can continue traveling to new places and exploring new cultures. With out travel, I would never have a sense of adventure. It is just a huge part of my life I have learned to accept.

Blog Post #4

For our next blog post I want you to write a This I Believe essay. Here are some examples. Here are some tips for writing. 250 words due before class Wednesday.

Please comment on at least one post. And remember to add a recognizable photo to your profile.

And here is my take on the assignment.


I believe in coyote.

I was raised outside of Wichita, Kansas. Coyotes were just another part of the landscape in my childhood. At dawn, from my front porch, I could hear the yips and yaps of coyotes calling to each other. Throughout my life coyotes have been there and I believe have helped guide me.

When I got to high school I started withdrawing to the small elm and cottonwood lot behind our house. School was a social animal that I would never tame, but the animals outside my door were much easier to understand. I spent hours learning the birds and lizards and snakes I encountered. I would see coyotes off in the milo stubble often, but they were weary unlike the birds I could get close to with my binoculars. One morning a storm had brought a large amount of migrating birds into our back lot. I had gotten up for school and heard the chips and zeets of warblers outside my window. I ran out to the trees to see what I could find. It was still raining lightly, but there were birds everywhere. I found a place to sit and watch. I was completely still with my binoculars at my eyes. They were coming so close I didn’t want to move. I had sat for so long my leg had started cramping. I started to shift when I noticed, not 10 feet away, a coyote. We looked directly into each others eyes. My heart was off the charts. What to do? I just sat there completely confused, but in awe.

When I’m driving and see a coyote, I pull over, get out, and belt out a few yips and yaps. I’m not sure why I do this. They usually take off in that lazy loping way, but sometimes they just stare, probably thinking, “what is that crazy fleshy pink thing up to?” I suppose that morning I encountered the coyote I bewildered him as well. I think about that morning often.

Now that I’m in Chicago I still see coyotes. Once along the lakefront while I was out birding I saw one on the ice. I also have a friend who ran into a family, pups and all, in a cemetery on the north side. I saw one cross the road late at night.

Coyotes still have bounties on them in some western states. They’ve been persecuted by the government and livestock men as long as there have been those kinds of things. And still they persist.

I believe that their survival means our survival, that trying to learn what that mystery between us is, will help us live and I believe that I am following in coyote’s footsteps, that we are brethren, and will continue to learn and live together. And that if I could I would follow them completely, but I can’t and that is sad to me, that they are “the other” and I am “the other.” But that morning, when I was cold and wet and immersed in birds, I felt something that can’t be quantified, that can’t be caught, and that is what I believe in.

All Grown Up: The Internet

The article and video on "growing up online" said the same things I've talked about in classes before. Adults are freaking out because kids spend too much time on the internet and it's not safe, and kids think it's safe and parents are overreacting. This isn't anything new. See, here's the thing: yeah, the internet is a very open place for creepers and pedophiles, but if kids just don't do stupid things, like post their addresses and numbers on facebook and myspace, they should be okay. Just be smart when on the internet. Kids that post videos and crude pictures of themselves are just asking for creepers to come and get them. Although I think parental blocks are unnecessary, because they just make kids want to go to blocked sites more when they have their own computers, parents should monitor a bit of what their kids are doing IF they suspect their kids of doing something inapropriate. If a parent has no reason to believe that his/her child is being a freak online, no parental controls should be set. A lot of kids really aren't idiots online, everyone just thinks there are because every time a kid does something ridiculous, it seems to show up on the evening news. If adults would stop freaking out making kids want to rebel, and if kids could use the internet in better ways (like networking and studying) the internet wouldn't seem like such a bad thing.

Black Money

When I first saw the topic of the video entitled "Black Money", I thought it was going to be about money and race relations. I was wrong, "Black Money" is about international bribery, specifically international bribery in business. Did you ever think that your favorite company was doing dirty business? Hopefully no one would just think this about a company, but it’s unfortunately happening as we speak, but the government is starting to crackdown on this “Black Money”.

With a story that seems like it could be set in the days of the mafia, black mail, princes, prime ministers and many people of power are involved in a serious money case again involving “Black Money”. In this international money scandal the people who are involved are upset because they are now being reported on, but one must remember that “ black money” is money that any can lay claim on or steal because it is of underground origin.

My interest in this case goes beyond the case it’s self; I’m more concerned about the need to have “black money”. Underground money only increases the problems of the world. What is to make of the world when those who are supposed to be wealthy start dealing under the table for cash?