The air is thick and weighs heavy on my chest. The sky is pitch black with silvery grey clouds. I can smell rain in the breeze, the same way it smells after a rain shower on a hot day in Texas. We haven’t had rain in almost a month. The moon is full filling up the night sky and I sit starring at it thinking about the day I just had. Everyone in my house is sound asleep, but I can’t sleep. Lately, I find myself awake when everyone is sleeping and this time alone has become a comfort for me. To see me it would seem odd that I am in the middle of my yard in the grass. This is because we have a deck full of furniture and swings but tonight I choose the grass. The grass is green and crisp tickling the underside of my legs. The world around me seems to have a steady hum that plays in the back of my head. I watch a butterfly glide through the air heading straight for our butterfly garden. I glance at the garden; it is not much to look at unless you know the beauty that takes place there. I can see a caterpillar hanging from the arbor preparing to make its chrysalis. I pay no attention to the faded stain on the deck or the unwound hose. I never hear the possum that visits our trash area nightly. Tonight we are going to have a massive storm. I watch the first signs of lightning dance across the sky. Lightning is beautiful. Time stands still as I watch the sky light up. The breeze picks up and I feel the first raindrops falling on my skin. Should I go in or should I stay? I stay. I have always loved the rain. I sit there starring at the sky. The rain picks up and I feel refreshed with every single drop. Oblivious to anything I lie back and close my eyes. I never hear the soft voice until he is right by my side, “Baby, what are you doing? Come inside.” I invite him to sit and share this moment. He does and we lay in silence. Then he reaches over and holds my hand just to have that connection. I could stay here forever. The rain cleanses the stress and reality from the day. As hard as I try I can’t get my sister out of my head. She is sound asleep in bed with my daughter and they both look so innocent and beautiful. Our daughter Isabella is three, beautiful in every possible way and for the most part innocent with a raw truth in everything she does. My sister Lindsey has always had the beauty, but tonight I go to bed wondering how innocent she really is.
“I had such a bad dream about you,” I point my finger accusingly at Lindsey. We are at my mom’s house, a few weeks earlier, sitting on her back porch. I don’t know why they all sit outside to talk but it has been this way my entire life. August heat in Texas is deadly and the thought of moving to Greenland is running through my head again. Their house seems empty these days because there are only three kids left and Lindsey is the oldest. I am the oldest out of seven and for some reason been pegged the smartest. We all have our titles or roles. Lindsey is our mom’s “golden” child. The girl she molded exactly the way she imagined, perfect, beautiful, popular, a dancer, outgoing, not too smart but smart enough. She has become my and my husband’s favorite, although we don’t vocalize it, except to her. She knows she is special. “What was it about? Why are you mad at me?” she looks at me with this I never do anything wrong face. My husband and I are both a victim to her. To know her is the love her unconditionally and you just can’t help forgiving any mistakes she might make. “You know how real my dreams are. You called me because you didn’t know where you were, and I can’t understand you very well. You are supposed to be in school. You tell me you are at school and in some room with friends. I come and find you and you are all lying on the floor obviously on drugs. I take you before anyone notices and bring you home. You tell me that you are addicted to drugs and can’t tell mom.” They are all looking at me like I am crazy. “She wouldn’t do anything like that,” my mom chimes immediately. “Jessica, I can’t believe you would dream that about me! I would never, ever touch any kind of drug. All I have ever done is drink with my friends.” Drinking with friends has always been accepted in my family as long as it was at home or a controlled environment; so growing up we have always had the “cool” parents. “Well don’t ever let me catch you.” I tell her; because I know some of her friends do drugs. I have had to fire several of them that worked for our restaurant, for drug reasons. Everyone seems so shocked, but for me, I know this is a warning.
Over a month goes by and life carries on like usual. Isabella and I are on our deck on a caterpillar hunt and I am trying to get some homework done. “I know they are around baby, keep looking!” We have a dozen or so that are seeking out a good spot to make a chrysalis and she is way excited. I often describe Isabella as a princess in love with a dinosaur; she loves everything with such a passion and is not afraid to do anything. I love her spirit and I know that her Aunt Nanners helped shape that. Aunt Nanners is Lindsey but that is what she calls her. She is coming over today after school to baby-sit and Bella has already planned out everything they are going to do. “Isabella I have to get the phone baby it keeps ringing.” So we put a holt to the hunt and march inside. “Hello!” “Hey, I need you guys to get dressed, your mom is about to call you but she called me first, so I want to warn you…” My heart drops in my chest and I immediately think about my grandma in Wisconsin, she is my best friend and my greatest fear is her death. “Lindsey has been arrested at the high school for drug use and your mom needs us to go with her to get her.” My heart starts to pound harder and I feel faint. My phone beeps and my mom is calling in. “Did Matt call you? Did he tell you? “ She asks me in a shaky voice and I can tell she has already started crying. "Just that we are going to the high school because Lindsey has been arrested.” “Oh, Jessica she doesn’t do drugs, they told your dad that she is expelled and in possession of a drug referred to as “bars.” They told your dad that she failed her drug test and is not allowed back to the high school. “ “Calm down mom, we will be right there to get you and we will work this out.” This is a family crisis that we have never been through before and everyone immediately goes into defense mode. However, I ride in silence because I feel like willed this to happen. I can’t seem to gather my thoughts in my head. We arrived at the high school and she is locked in a room crying. I can hear her through the door and a deep sadness rushes through me. Only two people can go in so I stay out with Isabella. The secretary tells me besides the crying Lindsey seems perfectly fine and I find this so odd because she is on the opposite team here. About 20 minutes pass and they all come out. She latches on to me so tight it puts me in tears. Isabella says, “we rescued you Nanners, now are you coming over?” The full reality of the situation is still a developing haze in the back of our minds. We get in the car and no one wants to say it. “I didn’t do it, they gave me an eye test and said I failed. I was so scared because I thought I was in trouble for being tardy. I know I failed the test because I am so tired. This isn’t my fault; we were all up until 4 in the morning fighting about Alicia. I had to go to school on 2 hours of sleep. They searched my stuff and found nothing. Why is this happening to me?” She talked so fast that none of us could respond. Matt says, “ I called my attorney, we are trying to find one that has experience with the school district, don’t worry, we will get this all straightened out.” I am stunned, speechless and can’t figure out how we went from drug using back to innocent. So I ask, “ Did you take bars?” Everyone in the car seems shocked that I even asked. “They said you admitted it, “ I point out. “What they have is her text messages on her cell phone, her friend talks about taking bars last night and she talks about the fight we all had and they are using the messaging as proof along with the drug test,” mom states. My mom is obviously on the same path as my husband. But, I know my sister and I know the hug meant please forgive me. I am probably the one person that she would admit to, and the one person she would never want to admit to. We have always had an unspoken understanding and awareness of each other. We are all on the porch at my mom’s house and they read the cell phone, I don’t. I don’t need to know. “Lindsey, I just made you a doctor’s appointment for Monday to prove you don’t have drugs in your system, we will fight this battle,” Matt tells her while giving her a big hug. “The story is that two concerned friends went to the office and said that she was messed up. Turns out that one of the ‘concerned friends’ is the new girlfriend of Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend,” mom is explaining to my dad. We decide to leave and give mom and dad time to talk to her and pick her up in a couple hours. I pull my mom aside, “ You need to talk to her, just the two of you and ask her for the truth. Not as a mother, but we need to know before we start this fight. She can’t take a drug test on Monday and fail because she won't tell us the truth." Not even an hour later mom calls us and she says the drug test is a no go, but this I already knew. It is not that I think she is a bad kid or expect it from her; I just know her and can read her well. We decide to go ahead with the test to prove that it was a one-time use and she is a “good girl,” that made a one-time mistake.
Lindsey spends the weekend at our house. None of us really talk about it. The things I won’t say keep me awake at night and I feel suffocated in my house with all of them asleep. It tears me up that this will always haunt her, this mistake will always be there and I want with all my heart to erase it. Sunday night we take her home and plan on picking her up Monday morning for the drug test, while my mom and dad meet with the principle to appeal. About 10 minutes before we are supposed to get her, my mom calls us, “Jess, she can’t take that drug test. She told us, that was not the first time.” This is the big shock for me and the heart-pounding, faint feeling comes back. She tells me in an almost ashamed voice that Lindsey and her friends take bars every Friday night, they call it “High Friday,” and I am speechless. Matt pulls over. “Lindsey doesn’t want you to know,” she says, ”she just wants to serve her time in the alternative school and forget this all happened. “ We sat in silence on the side of the road.
Later that night I found myself outside again while my house slept. I cried, I cried for her, I cried because I needed to. Here comes the rain.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
My Final Paper - First Draft
The air is thick and weighs heavy on my chest. The sky is pitch black with silvery grey clouds. I can smell rain in the breeze, the same way it smells after a rain shower on a hot day in Texas. We haven’t had rain in almost a month. The moon is full filling up the night sky and I sit starring at it thinking about the day I just had. Everyone in my house is sound asleep, but I can’t sleep. Lately, I find myself awake when everyone is sleeping and this time alone has become a comfort for me. To see me it would seem odd that I am in the middle of my yard in the grass. This is because we have a deck full of furniture and swings but tonight I choose the grass. The grass is green and crisp tickling the underside of my legs. The world around me seems to have a steady hum that plays in the back of my head. I watch a butterfly glide through the air heading straight for our butterfly garden. I glance at the garden; it is not much to look at unless you know the beauty that takes place there. I can see a caterpillar hanging from the arbor preparing to make its chrysalis. I pay no attention to the faded stain on the deck or the unwound hose. I never hear the possum that visits our trash area nightly. Tonight we are going to have a massive storm. I watch the first signs of lightning dance across the sky. Lightning is beautiful. Time stands still as I watch the sky light up. The breeze picks up and I feel the first raindrops falling on my skin. Should I go in or should I stay? I stay. I have always loved the rain. I sit there starring at the sky. I am surrounded by a yard full of toys, yet I feel it is just the grass, the rain and myself. The rain picks up and I feel refreshed with every single drop. Oblivious to anything I lie back and close my eyes. I never hear the soft voice until he is right by my side, “Baby, what are you doing? Come inside.” I invite him to sit and share this moment. He does and we lay in silence. He reaches over and holds my hand just to have that connection. I could stay here forever. The rain cleanses the stress and reality from the day. As hard as I try I can’t get my sister out of my head. She is sound asleep in bed with my daughter and they both look so innocent and beautiful. Our daughter Isabella is three, beautiful in every possible way and for the most part innocent with a raw truth in everything she does. My sister Lindsey has always had the beauty, but tonight I go to bed wondering how innocent she really is.
“I had such a bad dream about you,” I point my finger accusingly at Lindsey. We are at my mom’s house sitting on her back porch. I don’t know why they all sit outside to talk but it has been this way my entire life. August heat in Texas is deadly and the thought of moving to Greenland is running through my head again. There house seems empty these days because there are only three kids left and Lindsey is the oldest. I am the oldest out of all of us and for some reason been pegged the smartest. We all have our titles or roles. Lindsey is our moms “golden” child. The girl she molded exactly the way she imagined, perfect, beautiful, popular, a dancer, outgoing, not to smart but smart enough. She has become a favorite in our family, although we don’t vocalize it, except to her. She knows she is special. “What was it about? Why are you mad at me?” she looks at me with this I never do anything wrong face. My husband and I are both a victim to her. To know her is the love her unconditionally and you just can’t help forgiving any mistakes she might make. “You know how real my dreams are. You called me because you didn’t know where you were, and I can’t understand you very well. You are supposed to be in school. You tell me you are at school and in some room with friends. I come and find you and you are all lying on the floor obviously on drugs. I take you before anyone notices and take you home. You tell me that you are addicted to drugs and can’t tell mom.” They are all looking at me like I am crazy. “She wouldn’t do anything like that!” “Jessica, I can’t believe you would dream that about me! I would never, ever touch any kind of drug. All I have ever done is drink with my friends.” Drinking with friends has always been accepted in my family as long as it was at home or a controlled environment; so growing up we have always had the “cool” parents. “Well don’t ever let me catch you.” I tell her; because I know some of her friends do drugs. I have had to fire several of them that worked for our restaurant, for drug reasons. Everyone seems so shocked but for me, I know this is a warning.
Over a month goes by and life carries on like usual. Isabella and I are on our deck on a caterpillar hunt and I am trying to get some homework done. We have a dozen or so that are seeking out a good spot to make a chrysalis and she is way excited. I often describe Isabella as a princess in love with a dinosaur; she loves everything with such a passion and is not afraid to do anything. I love her spirit and I know that her Aunt Nanners helped shape that. Aunt Nanners is Lindsey but that is what she calls her. She is coming over today after school to baby-sit and Bella has already planned out everything they are going to do. “Isabella I have to get the phone baby it keeps ringing.” So we put a holt to the hunt and march inside. “Hello!” “Hey, I need you guys to get dressed, your mom is about to call you but she called me first, so I want to warn you…” My heart drops in my chest and I immediately think about my grandma in Wisconsin, she is my best friend and my greatest fear is her death. “Lindsey has been arrested at the high school for drug use and your mom needs us to go with her to get her.” My phone beeps and my mom is calling in. “Did Matt call you? Did he tell you? “ She asks me in a shaky voice and I can tell she has already started crying. "Just that we are going to the high school because Lindsey has been arrested.” “Oh Jessica she doesn’t do drugs, they told your dad that she is expelled and in possession of a drug referred to as “bars.” They told your dad that she failed her drug test and is not allowed back to the high school. “ “Calm down mom, we will be right there to get you and we will work this out.” This is a family crisis that we have never been through before and I immediately go into defense mode. We arrived at the high school and she is locked in a room crying. Only two people can go in so I stay out with Isabella. The secretary tells me besides the crying Lindsey seems perfectly fine and I find this so odd because she is on the opposite team here. About 20 minutes pass and they all come out. She latches on to me so tight it puts me in tears. Isabella says, “we rescued you Nanners, now are you coming over?” The full reality of the situation is still a developing haze in the back of our minds. We get in the car and no one wants to say it. “I didn’t do it, they gave me an eye test and said I failed. I was so scared because I thought I was in trouble for being tardy. I know I failed the test because I am so tired. This isn’t my fault we were all up until 4 in the morning fighting about Alicia. I had to go to school on 2 hours of sleep.” She talked so fast that none of us could respond. Matt says, “ I called my attorney we are trying to find one that has experience with the school district, don’t worry, we will get this all straightened out.” I am stunned, speechless and can’t figure out how we went from drug using back to innocent. So I ask, “ Did you take bars?” Everyone in the car seems shocked that I even asked. “They said you admitted it. “ “What they have is her text messages on her cell phone, her friend talks about taking bars last night and she talks about the fight we all had and they are using the messaging as proof along with the drug test.” Mom is obviously on the same path as my husband. But, I know my sister and I know the hug meant please forgive me. I am probably the one person that she would admit to, and the one person she would never want to admit to. We are all on the porch at my mom’s house and they read the cell phone, I don’t. I don’t need to know. “Lindsey, I just made you a doctor’s appointment for Monday to prove you don’t have drugs in your system, we will fight this battle.” Matt tells her while giving her a big hug. The story is that two concerned friends went to the office and said that she was messed up. Turns out that one of the concerned friends is the new girlfriend of Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend. We decide to leave and give mom and dad time to talk to her and pick her up in a couple hours. I pull my mom aside, “ You need to talk to her, just the two of you and ask her for the truth. Not as a mother, but we need to know before we start this fight. She can’t take a drug test on Monday and fail because she won't tell us the truth." Not even an hour later mom calls us and she says the drug test is a no go, but this I already knew. It is not that I think she is a bad kid or expect it from her, I just know her and can read well. We decide to go ahead with the test to prove that it was a one-time use and she is a “good girl.” So Lindsey spends the weekend at our house. None of us really talk about it. The things I won’t say keep me awake at night and I feel suffocated in my house with all of them asleep. It breaks my heart that this will always haunt her, this mistake will always be there and I want with all my heart to erase it.
Sunday night we take her home and plan on picking her up Monday morning for the drug test, while my mom and dad meet with the principle to appeal. About 10 minutes before we are suppose to get her my mom calls us and says the drug test is a no go. This is the big shock for me. She tells me in an almost ashamed voice that Lindsey and her friends take bars every Friday night, they call it “High Friday,” and I am speechless. Matt pulls over. “Lindsey doesn’t want you to know,” she says, ”she just wants to serve her time in the alternative school and forget this all happened. “ We sat in silence on the side of the road.
Later that might I found myself outside again while my house slept. I cried, I cried for her, I cried because I needed to. Here comes the rain.
“I had such a bad dream about you,” I point my finger accusingly at Lindsey. We are at my mom’s house sitting on her back porch. I don’t know why they all sit outside to talk but it has been this way my entire life. August heat in Texas is deadly and the thought of moving to Greenland is running through my head again. There house seems empty these days because there are only three kids left and Lindsey is the oldest. I am the oldest out of all of us and for some reason been pegged the smartest. We all have our titles or roles. Lindsey is our moms “golden” child. The girl she molded exactly the way she imagined, perfect, beautiful, popular, a dancer, outgoing, not to smart but smart enough. She has become a favorite in our family, although we don’t vocalize it, except to her. She knows she is special. “What was it about? Why are you mad at me?” she looks at me with this I never do anything wrong face. My husband and I are both a victim to her. To know her is the love her unconditionally and you just can’t help forgiving any mistakes she might make. “You know how real my dreams are. You called me because you didn’t know where you were, and I can’t understand you very well. You are supposed to be in school. You tell me you are at school and in some room with friends. I come and find you and you are all lying on the floor obviously on drugs. I take you before anyone notices and take you home. You tell me that you are addicted to drugs and can’t tell mom.” They are all looking at me like I am crazy. “She wouldn’t do anything like that!” “Jessica, I can’t believe you would dream that about me! I would never, ever touch any kind of drug. All I have ever done is drink with my friends.” Drinking with friends has always been accepted in my family as long as it was at home or a controlled environment; so growing up we have always had the “cool” parents. “Well don’t ever let me catch you.” I tell her; because I know some of her friends do drugs. I have had to fire several of them that worked for our restaurant, for drug reasons. Everyone seems so shocked but for me, I know this is a warning.
Over a month goes by and life carries on like usual. Isabella and I are on our deck on a caterpillar hunt and I am trying to get some homework done. We have a dozen or so that are seeking out a good spot to make a chrysalis and she is way excited. I often describe Isabella as a princess in love with a dinosaur; she loves everything with such a passion and is not afraid to do anything. I love her spirit and I know that her Aunt Nanners helped shape that. Aunt Nanners is Lindsey but that is what she calls her. She is coming over today after school to baby-sit and Bella has already planned out everything they are going to do. “Isabella I have to get the phone baby it keeps ringing.” So we put a holt to the hunt and march inside. “Hello!” “Hey, I need you guys to get dressed, your mom is about to call you but she called me first, so I want to warn you…” My heart drops in my chest and I immediately think about my grandma in Wisconsin, she is my best friend and my greatest fear is her death. “Lindsey has been arrested at the high school for drug use and your mom needs us to go with her to get her.” My phone beeps and my mom is calling in. “Did Matt call you? Did he tell you? “ She asks me in a shaky voice and I can tell she has already started crying. "Just that we are going to the high school because Lindsey has been arrested.” “Oh Jessica she doesn’t do drugs, they told your dad that she is expelled and in possession of a drug referred to as “bars.” They told your dad that she failed her drug test and is not allowed back to the high school. “ “Calm down mom, we will be right there to get you and we will work this out.” This is a family crisis that we have never been through before and I immediately go into defense mode. We arrived at the high school and she is locked in a room crying. Only two people can go in so I stay out with Isabella. The secretary tells me besides the crying Lindsey seems perfectly fine and I find this so odd because she is on the opposite team here. About 20 minutes pass and they all come out. She latches on to me so tight it puts me in tears. Isabella says, “we rescued you Nanners, now are you coming over?” The full reality of the situation is still a developing haze in the back of our minds. We get in the car and no one wants to say it. “I didn’t do it, they gave me an eye test and said I failed. I was so scared because I thought I was in trouble for being tardy. I know I failed the test because I am so tired. This isn’t my fault we were all up until 4 in the morning fighting about Alicia. I had to go to school on 2 hours of sleep.” She talked so fast that none of us could respond. Matt says, “ I called my attorney we are trying to find one that has experience with the school district, don’t worry, we will get this all straightened out.” I am stunned, speechless and can’t figure out how we went from drug using back to innocent. So I ask, “ Did you take bars?” Everyone in the car seems shocked that I even asked. “They said you admitted it. “ “What they have is her text messages on her cell phone, her friend talks about taking bars last night and she talks about the fight we all had and they are using the messaging as proof along with the drug test.” Mom is obviously on the same path as my husband. But, I know my sister and I know the hug meant please forgive me. I am probably the one person that she would admit to, and the one person she would never want to admit to. We are all on the porch at my mom’s house and they read the cell phone, I don’t. I don’t need to know. “Lindsey, I just made you a doctor’s appointment for Monday to prove you don’t have drugs in your system, we will fight this battle.” Matt tells her while giving her a big hug. The story is that two concerned friends went to the office and said that she was messed up. Turns out that one of the concerned friends is the new girlfriend of Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend. We decide to leave and give mom and dad time to talk to her and pick her up in a couple hours. I pull my mom aside, “ You need to talk to her, just the two of you and ask her for the truth. Not as a mother, but we need to know before we start this fight. She can’t take a drug test on Monday and fail because she won't tell us the truth." Not even an hour later mom calls us and she says the drug test is a no go, but this I already knew. It is not that I think she is a bad kid or expect it from her, I just know her and can read well. We decide to go ahead with the test to prove that it was a one-time use and she is a “good girl.” So Lindsey spends the weekend at our house. None of us really talk about it. The things I won’t say keep me awake at night and I feel suffocated in my house with all of them asleep. It breaks my heart that this will always haunt her, this mistake will always be there and I want with all my heart to erase it.
Sunday night we take her home and plan on picking her up Monday morning for the drug test, while my mom and dad meet with the principle to appeal. About 10 minutes before we are suppose to get her my mom calls us and says the drug test is a no go. This is the big shock for me. She tells me in an almost ashamed voice that Lindsey and her friends take bars every Friday night, they call it “High Friday,” and I am speechless. Matt pulls over. “Lindsey doesn’t want you to know,” she says, ”she just wants to serve her time in the alternative school and forget this all happened. “ We sat in silence on the side of the road.
Later that might I found myself outside again while my house slept. I cried, I cried for her, I cried because I needed to. Here comes the rain.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Plot
The Plot
The plot for my narrative is pretty simple. My husband and I get separate calls on a Friday morning from my mom. She called him first so I know immediately that something is wrong. Not only that but if it scares her she turns to my husband. He can “fix” anything. He calls me before she does to prep me for what she about to say. Right as the words come out I feel sick to my stomach because a few weeks back I dreamt almost this exact scenario, and he knows it. My sister has been arrested at the high school for drugs. My perfect sister has been arrested for drugs. I stop my homework, get my daughter dressed and he comes and gets us. We pick my mom up and take her to the school. My dad is still about an hour away and has been the liaison between the school and my mom. For years my dad worked out of town for extensive periods of time so my mom grew to rely on us more than him in times of crisis. We get there and besides having been crying for two hours she seems fine to me. Even the secretary for the vice-principle says to me that Lindsey seems fine, no signs of anything. They only let two people in so I wait with my daughter. I watch people go in and out. After 20 –30 minutes they all come out. She gives me the biggest hug and picks up Isabella. She swears to us she didn’t do anything. The school says they had two concerned students that are best friends with her come down and say they were worried about her. One of the “best” friends happens to be the new girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend… They also told my mom and my husband that they read her text messages on her phone and it talks about taking “bars.” They only did an eye test on her and she failed it, but you can fail that test for other reasons as well. The night before, my mom, dad, sister Alicia who is in college, and Lindsey got in a big fight and were all awake until 4 and Lindsey got back up at 6 to get ready. At this point I know little about the fight but do find out that my dad found about 20 little white pills all over her front porch. So, we go to my mom’s house and start to talk. Well Matt calls our family doctor and talks about drug testing and schedules for her to come in the next Monday. He calls his business attorney to help him find an attorney to fight this because Lindsey swears on her life she didn’t do anything. He has already begun the battle and talked to the Superintendent’s assistant. We read her text messages and she talks about the fight, she talks about dad finding bars on the porch, she talks about something called high Fridays, and my mom defends this saying they all eat at someone’s house and drink red bulls then go out. So we leave. Matt calls my mom and tells her she needs to sit Lindsey down and have a serious talk and make sure she is telling the truth. She is expelled from school for 3 days and then has to go to the alternative school for 30 – 60 days depending on her court hearing. Mom calls the principle on Monday to appeal, (There is a story here, and I tell it in my paper) and he basically tells her after several conversations that her daughter has a drug problem and he is sticking with his punishment. So, about 2 hours before the drug test my mom calls us and says it is a no go. They had that long talk. Lindsey tells her that her and her best friend decided to try bars and they did it at her friend’s house because they stayed there and did not go anywhere, so they were safe. They did this Thursday after they went out to eat at Outback where my other sister works. But she swears that is it. So we call the doctor and he tells us to still bring her in because they do a test where it will show she is not a user and we can use this to show she is a good girl and just tried it once. So then about 10 minutes before they are suppose to show up we get another call and mom tells us Lindsey admits that they have done it several times before. We are all shocked. At this point we stop the battle and Lindsey starts going to the alternative school. In such a short period of time I saw a completely different side of my almost perfect sister. The one who has helped me with my daughter since the day she was born. This is the same little girl we would do anything for. I think I was the most shocked and affected besides my sister but for completely different reasons. Five days later one of the girls that turned her in could not handle all the negative attention she was getting in school by all Lindsey’s friend, went to the counselor for advice and the counselor noticed she seems different. They gave her a drug test and she failed, the girl was also in possession of a drug. She is now serving out the rest of her high school career in the same school with my sister, because this was the girl’s second offense. Lindsey will be out mid January. This has affected our whole family and I get into details in my actual paper.
The plot for my narrative is pretty simple. My husband and I get separate calls on a Friday morning from my mom. She called him first so I know immediately that something is wrong. Not only that but if it scares her she turns to my husband. He can “fix” anything. He calls me before she does to prep me for what she about to say. Right as the words come out I feel sick to my stomach because a few weeks back I dreamt almost this exact scenario, and he knows it. My sister has been arrested at the high school for drugs. My perfect sister has been arrested for drugs. I stop my homework, get my daughter dressed and he comes and gets us. We pick my mom up and take her to the school. My dad is still about an hour away and has been the liaison between the school and my mom. For years my dad worked out of town for extensive periods of time so my mom grew to rely on us more than him in times of crisis. We get there and besides having been crying for two hours she seems fine to me. Even the secretary for the vice-principle says to me that Lindsey seems fine, no signs of anything. They only let two people in so I wait with my daughter. I watch people go in and out. After 20 –30 minutes they all come out. She gives me the biggest hug and picks up Isabella. She swears to us she didn’t do anything. The school says they had two concerned students that are best friends with her come down and say they were worried about her. One of the “best” friends happens to be the new girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend… They also told my mom and my husband that they read her text messages on her phone and it talks about taking “bars.” They only did an eye test on her and she failed it, but you can fail that test for other reasons as well. The night before, my mom, dad, sister Alicia who is in college, and Lindsey got in a big fight and were all awake until 4 and Lindsey got back up at 6 to get ready. At this point I know little about the fight but do find out that my dad found about 20 little white pills all over her front porch. So, we go to my mom’s house and start to talk. Well Matt calls our family doctor and talks about drug testing and schedules for her to come in the next Monday. He calls his business attorney to help him find an attorney to fight this because Lindsey swears on her life she didn’t do anything. He has already begun the battle and talked to the Superintendent’s assistant. We read her text messages and she talks about the fight, she talks about dad finding bars on the porch, she talks about something called high Fridays, and my mom defends this saying they all eat at someone’s house and drink red bulls then go out. So we leave. Matt calls my mom and tells her she needs to sit Lindsey down and have a serious talk and make sure she is telling the truth. She is expelled from school for 3 days and then has to go to the alternative school for 30 – 60 days depending on her court hearing. Mom calls the principle on Monday to appeal, (There is a story here, and I tell it in my paper) and he basically tells her after several conversations that her daughter has a drug problem and he is sticking with his punishment. So, about 2 hours before the drug test my mom calls us and says it is a no go. They had that long talk. Lindsey tells her that her and her best friend decided to try bars and they did it at her friend’s house because they stayed there and did not go anywhere, so they were safe. They did this Thursday after they went out to eat at Outback where my other sister works. But she swears that is it. So we call the doctor and he tells us to still bring her in because they do a test where it will show she is not a user and we can use this to show she is a good girl and just tried it once. So then about 10 minutes before they are suppose to show up we get another call and mom tells us Lindsey admits that they have done it several times before. We are all shocked. At this point we stop the battle and Lindsey starts going to the alternative school. In such a short period of time I saw a completely different side of my almost perfect sister. The one who has helped me with my daughter since the day she was born. This is the same little girl we would do anything for. I think I was the most shocked and affected besides my sister but for completely different reasons. Five days later one of the girls that turned her in could not handle all the negative attention she was getting in school by all Lindsey’s friend, went to the counselor for advice and the counselor noticed she seems different. They gave her a drug test and she failed, the girl was also in possession of a drug. She is now serving out the rest of her high school career in the same school with my sister, because this was the girl’s second offense. Lindsey will be out mid January. This has affected our whole family and I get into details in my actual paper.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Characters
Characters
Matthew: He is my husband and my soul mate. He is a 31-year-old man who is brilliant in his own right. He has had many lives in his three decades. Coming from a family of abuse and conflict. As a small child he and his sister and brother went to live with his father and stepmother. Here started a life of turmoil and harsh dealings. He has earned everything he has and never regrets anything he does or fails at. The qualities I have always admired about him is he is a dreamer and completely fearless. He has always taken his dreams, big or small, and acted on them without fear. He is also an accomplished musician. He had a band for 7 years, and written 100’s of songs. I have watched him play for crowds of 50 or 5,000 and he put the same effort into every show. When he retired from music, he developed a new concept in the restaurant business and is in the middle of a 300+ unit franchising negotiation. I have always admired how he never looks back; he always keeps going forward. He sees no boundaries, only obstacles to overcome. The man I met 9 years ago is a shadow of the man I know now. The usual things brought on this change, marriage, a child, more responsibilities, but he will be a dreamer until he’s gone.
Isabella: She is my beautiful, smart, and forever silly, three year old daughter. She is the smile on my face when I wake up. She is my biggest achievement in life and will always be my true love. Love with a child is completely different than the love you feel for your spouse. It has to be. It is unconditional, through the naughty times, and the sad times and everything in between. She is brilliant. She has talked a mile a minute since before she turned one as well as signed from about six months old. She is a reader and a storyteller. Her imagination is as big as her daddy’s dreams. She is completely sassy with more attitude than an entire junior high of girls. She is extremely emotional and feels everything 1000%. Everything from her gratitude to her sadness is at its most extreme level. She is a painter and would paint the world if I let her. I often describe her as a princess who fell in love with a dinosaur. She would live at the Museum of Natural Science if we let her. The dinosaurs are her friends and the atrium her garden. She memorizes everything and sings to anyone or anything that will listen. She is our child.
My Mom: She is tall, petite in size, blonde hair and long legs. She can put on a happy face to get though any situation and at the right time is fun loving and full of laughter. She lives with deep sorrow for the death of her dad and will never get to a point where she can speak of him and not cry. She was the eternal pessimist until my dad got in a life changing accident last spring. She is still borderline crazy, but is more manageable as the years go by. As a child we did everything together and I can’t remember her ever being in a bad mood. She is a different person than the one I grew up with. When she met my dad (step dad) he brought two children with him and my mom changed. She became bitter and mean after she gave birth to my sister. We also moved to Texas and that made her worse. We grew up with verbal abuse, it was directed at my stepsister and brother most of the time but we all got our fair share. I think my mom lives with regrets and hard feeling every moment of her life. Since my daughter was born I have seen a change in her, I see the mom I grew up with when it was just the two of us.
My Dad: He is actually my step dad but really is the only dad I have ever known. He is a bit shorter than my mom with black hair mixed with grey at the temples. He is of stocky build with muscular arms. He has piercing blues eyes and a charming smile. He is a hustler, doing anything he can to keep his family afloat. He is a giver and will give until there is nothing left of him. He is completely selfless and unappreciated. He is a New Yorker and will always get a laugh out of me when he calls my name. My daughter even corrects him. He is a dreamer as well, but can’t seem to make his dreams work out, partly because of my mom and partly he gives up too soon. My mom wears the pants in our family so he has that follower complex, “Whatever your mother says.” To truly know him you feel sorry for him. Almost like he is a prisoner in our family. He is a good man and will leave this world never knowing just what that means.
Lindsey, my sister: She is one of three sister that I have. She is 16 years old. We tend to favor her, but it has not always been this way. She and my youngest brother are my moms "golden" children, basically her favorites. Lindsey and I have gotten extremely close in the past 5 years. She and my daughter are best friends. My husband would do anything in the world for her. She is more like our daughter than anything else. She is a good girl but likes to drink with her friends. She is outgoing and embraces life. She has always done dance or cheer. She is just a fun and happy person to be around.
My Grandma: This lady helped raise me my first couple year and every summer and Christmas until I was 17. She will forever be stamped in my heart. She is my wisdom, my guidance and my best friend. She has always been optimistic and taught me to see life as miracle and a challenge. She never gives up on anyone or anything. She has advice for everything! Her faith is unwavering. She is a social butterfly and loves life. She is involved with many groups and tends to sit on the board of most of them. She is tall like my mom but bigger built, not over weight but bigger than average. She has good health, for being 86. She is a patient and solid woman. She is someone who has left a mark on hundreds of peoples lives, and doesn’t know it.
Matthew: He is my husband and my soul mate. He is a 31-year-old man who is brilliant in his own right. He has had many lives in his three decades. Coming from a family of abuse and conflict. As a small child he and his sister and brother went to live with his father and stepmother. Here started a life of turmoil and harsh dealings. He has earned everything he has and never regrets anything he does or fails at. The qualities I have always admired about him is he is a dreamer and completely fearless. He has always taken his dreams, big or small, and acted on them without fear. He is also an accomplished musician. He had a band for 7 years, and written 100’s of songs. I have watched him play for crowds of 50 or 5,000 and he put the same effort into every show. When he retired from music, he developed a new concept in the restaurant business and is in the middle of a 300+ unit franchising negotiation. I have always admired how he never looks back; he always keeps going forward. He sees no boundaries, only obstacles to overcome. The man I met 9 years ago is a shadow of the man I know now. The usual things brought on this change, marriage, a child, more responsibilities, but he will be a dreamer until he’s gone.
Isabella: She is my beautiful, smart, and forever silly, three year old daughter. She is the smile on my face when I wake up. She is my biggest achievement in life and will always be my true love. Love with a child is completely different than the love you feel for your spouse. It has to be. It is unconditional, through the naughty times, and the sad times and everything in between. She is brilliant. She has talked a mile a minute since before she turned one as well as signed from about six months old. She is a reader and a storyteller. Her imagination is as big as her daddy’s dreams. She is completely sassy with more attitude than an entire junior high of girls. She is extremely emotional and feels everything 1000%. Everything from her gratitude to her sadness is at its most extreme level. She is a painter and would paint the world if I let her. I often describe her as a princess who fell in love with a dinosaur. She would live at the Museum of Natural Science if we let her. The dinosaurs are her friends and the atrium her garden. She memorizes everything and sings to anyone or anything that will listen. She is our child.
My Mom: She is tall, petite in size, blonde hair and long legs. She can put on a happy face to get though any situation and at the right time is fun loving and full of laughter. She lives with deep sorrow for the death of her dad and will never get to a point where she can speak of him and not cry. She was the eternal pessimist until my dad got in a life changing accident last spring. She is still borderline crazy, but is more manageable as the years go by. As a child we did everything together and I can’t remember her ever being in a bad mood. She is a different person than the one I grew up with. When she met my dad (step dad) he brought two children with him and my mom changed. She became bitter and mean after she gave birth to my sister. We also moved to Texas and that made her worse. We grew up with verbal abuse, it was directed at my stepsister and brother most of the time but we all got our fair share. I think my mom lives with regrets and hard feeling every moment of her life. Since my daughter was born I have seen a change in her, I see the mom I grew up with when it was just the two of us.
My Dad: He is actually my step dad but really is the only dad I have ever known. He is a bit shorter than my mom with black hair mixed with grey at the temples. He is of stocky build with muscular arms. He has piercing blues eyes and a charming smile. He is a hustler, doing anything he can to keep his family afloat. He is a giver and will give until there is nothing left of him. He is completely selfless and unappreciated. He is a New Yorker and will always get a laugh out of me when he calls my name. My daughter even corrects him. He is a dreamer as well, but can’t seem to make his dreams work out, partly because of my mom and partly he gives up too soon. My mom wears the pants in our family so he has that follower complex, “Whatever your mother says.” To truly know him you feel sorry for him. Almost like he is a prisoner in our family. He is a good man and will leave this world never knowing just what that means.
Lindsey, my sister: She is one of three sister that I have. She is 16 years old. We tend to favor her, but it has not always been this way. She and my youngest brother are my moms "golden" children, basically her favorites. Lindsey and I have gotten extremely close in the past 5 years. She and my daughter are best friends. My husband would do anything in the world for her. She is more like our daughter than anything else. She is a good girl but likes to drink with her friends. She is outgoing and embraces life. She has always done dance or cheer. She is just a fun and happy person to be around.
My Grandma: This lady helped raise me my first couple year and every summer and Christmas until I was 17. She will forever be stamped in my heart. She is my wisdom, my guidance and my best friend. She has always been optimistic and taught me to see life as miracle and a challenge. She never gives up on anyone or anything. She has advice for everything! Her faith is unwavering. She is a social butterfly and loves life. She is involved with many groups and tends to sit on the board of most of them. She is tall like my mom but bigger built, not over weight but bigger than average. She has good health, for being 86. She is a patient and solid woman. She is someone who has left a mark on hundreds of peoples lives, and doesn’t know it.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Autobiographical Narrative - Setting
The air is thick and weighs heavy on my chest. The sky is pitch black with silvery grey clouds. I can smell rain in the breeze, the same way it smells after a rain shower on a hot day in Texas. We haven’t had rain in almost a month. The moon is full filling up the night sky and I sit starring at it thinking about the day I just had. Everyone in my house is sound asleep, but I can’t sleep. Lately, I find myself awake when everyone is sleeping and this time alone has become a comfort for me. To see me it would seem odd that I am in the middle of my yard in the grass. This is because we have a deck full of furniture and swings but tonight I choose the grass. The grass is green and crisp tickling the underside of my legs. The world around me seems to have a steady hum that plays in the back of my head. I watch a butterfly glide through the air heading straight for our butterfly garden. I glance at the garden; it is not much to look at unless you know the beauty that takes place there. I can see a caterpillar hanging from the arbor preparing to make its chrysalis. I pay no attention to the faded stain on the deck or the unwound hose. I never hear the possum that visits our trash area nightly. Tonight we are going to have a massive storm. I watch the first signs of lightning dance across the sky. Lightning is beautiful. Time stands still as I watch the sky light up. The breeze picks up and I feel the first raindrops falling on my skin. Should I go in or should I stay? I stay. I have always loved the rain. I sit there starring at the sky. I am surrounded by a yard full of toys, yet I feel it is just the grass, the rain and myself. The rain picks up and I feel refreshed with every single drop. Oblivious to anything I lie back and close my eyes. I never hear the soft voice until he is right by my side, “Baby, what are you doing? Come inside.” I invite him to sit and share this moment. He does and we lay in silence. He reaches over and holds my hand just to have that connection. I could stay here forever.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
New Paper on An Inconvenient Truth
The Inconvenient Truth is a moving and compelling insight into the serious problem we face with global warming. This documentary is meant for the entire world to see, absorb and react to. Director David Guggenheim did an exemplary job putting this documentary together. Al Gore’s dedication and in-depth breakdown of the issue is remarkable. Global warming is a sure thing and we all have a responsibility to repair planet earth for the future of our children, for the future of humankind. For most people global warming is a back of the mind, think about every once in a while topic. The average person turns to the news as their main source for information, if global warming in constantly being discredited why would we think any different. This documentary challenges each and every human being on earth from children to the elderly to make changes, speak out and know exactly what is happening to our home. With simple clarity Al Gore walks us through the harsh reality of global warming. Telling us the story of his life gives this documentary a more personal feel, allowing us to develop a connection. He uses no big effects, just the truth, his voice and a clear passion. Gore takes us through an educational and inspiring journey around the world as he delivers his slideshow to thousands of people.
Al Gore starts of with a basic description of global warming and why the carbon dioxide increase is so harmful to our planet. Rodger Pevelle was the first person to propose measuring the carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere, in 1958. Since then scientist have been measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and recording the startling increases shown year after year. Scientists have developed a way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the ice with core drills allowing them to have accurate measurements from 650,000 years ago. For decades this startling information has been collected and analyzed and I cannot fathom why we are not taking this more seriously.
Most of this documentaries focus is on the affects global warming is having on Antarctica, Greenland, and natural disasters. He emphasizes over and over again the direct link between hotter temperatures and the increase in stronger storms. The ten hottest years recorded in our history have all occurred in the last fourteen years. Ocean temperatures are warmer causing the wind velocity and moisture to increase, causing stronger storms. Gore uses Hurricane Katrina as a prime example, it was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed over Florida, once it hit the warm waters in the gulf it had increased to a category 5 hurricane by the time it reached New Orleans. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane against all beliefs. In 2006 Typhoon Saomai hit China as a category 5, the strongest in 50 years. We as humans can control almost every aspect of our lives, we cannot control Mother Nature, we can however treat her kindly.
Gore, stresses the direct relationship between temperature and global warming. All over the world thousands of people are dieing from the extreme temperatures we are experiencing. The 12 months between July 2005 and June 2006 were the hottest on record in the U.S. In 2003, Europe had a heat wave that killed 35,000 people; these numbers seem so unreal. Not only does global warming cause temperatures to rise, it increases precipitation as well, resulting in flooding. We are also seeing extreme drought. Lake Chad one of the largest lakes in the world is now completely dried up. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” Sir Winston Churchill, 1936. We are seeing the consequences every single day and it is only getting worse.
All off the majestic glaciers and snow capped mountains are diminishing rapidly, some non-existent. The Arctic Ice Cap has diminished by 40% in the last 40 years; within the next 50 to 70 years it will be completely gone. One of Al Gore’s main concerns is the melting glaciers of Greenland and the Antarctic. 50 cubic miles of ice has melted off of Greenland in the last year. Once the West Arctic Ice Sheet melts it will raise the sea level by 20 feet causing billions of people to be relocated. Tony Blair states “Because of what’s happened with Greenland right now, the maps of the world will have to be redrawn.” Global warming is affecting our seasons as well causing natural cycles to be off. Al Gore says, “We are witnessing a collision between civilization and the earth. “All of this data should speak volumes, the Earth is being loud and clear, it is time to take action before it’s too late.
There is 730 trillion tons of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. So what are the main contributors to global warming? The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, emissions from vehicles, waste of non-perishable items, burning, the list goes on and on. Forrest burning contributes 30% of the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere each year. Right now the U.S. is the largest contributor to global warming. That just seems so shameful. Why is this such a political issue, when it is not a political issue at all, but a moral issue. There are so many ways our country alone can make a massive decrease in global warming. Gore encourages us to speak out, write letters, and educate anyone who will listen.
After watching this video, I had several questions. Why, are we not discussing with our children the importance of recycling, turning the lights off when we leave a room, using less water to take a bath. If we don’t start at home where do we start? Why as communities do we not plan and discuss what we can do collectively as a community? Why do teachers have curriculums to follow that do not include educating and encouraging the children to save the very thing that gives them the ability to live and learn? I wish they had focused more attention at the end to explaining everything we can do to help. Sending viewers to a website rather than providing detailed information breaks the viewers attention weakening the message. As parents, citizens, students, human beings in general we have a moral responsibility to our environment and to ourselves to do everything we can to slow down the effects of global warming. This documentary has had a profound affect on our family, it extends beyond the recycle box we put out every Monday. It’s a shame that there are going to be people out there that will never see this because of there political standings or personal feeling towards Al Gore. If they could just get passed that I feel they would be surprised to find a man with a clear dedication who is fighting for the survival of all of us, despite ourselves. “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope,” Winston Churchill. We have the freedom to change the way we think. We have the justice and the voice to change it. We have the honor to know, now is the time to ensure our children’s future and the future of every living thing. We have the duty to our planet and ourselves. We have the hope that we can come together and make a change.
Al Gore starts of with a basic description of global warming and why the carbon dioxide increase is so harmful to our planet. Rodger Pevelle was the first person to propose measuring the carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere, in 1958. Since then scientist have been measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and recording the startling increases shown year after year. Scientists have developed a way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the ice with core drills allowing them to have accurate measurements from 650,000 years ago. For decades this startling information has been collected and analyzed and I cannot fathom why we are not taking this more seriously.
Most of this documentaries focus is on the affects global warming is having on Antarctica, Greenland, and natural disasters. He emphasizes over and over again the direct link between hotter temperatures and the increase in stronger storms. The ten hottest years recorded in our history have all occurred in the last fourteen years. Ocean temperatures are warmer causing the wind velocity and moisture to increase, causing stronger storms. Gore uses Hurricane Katrina as a prime example, it was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed over Florida, once it hit the warm waters in the gulf it had increased to a category 5 hurricane by the time it reached New Orleans. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane against all beliefs. In 2006 Typhoon Saomai hit China as a category 5, the strongest in 50 years. We as humans can control almost every aspect of our lives, we cannot control Mother Nature, we can however treat her kindly.
Gore, stresses the direct relationship between temperature and global warming. All over the world thousands of people are dieing from the extreme temperatures we are experiencing. The 12 months between July 2005 and June 2006 were the hottest on record in the U.S. In 2003, Europe had a heat wave that killed 35,000 people; these numbers seem so unreal. Not only does global warming cause temperatures to rise, it increases precipitation as well, resulting in flooding. We are also seeing extreme drought. Lake Chad one of the largest lakes in the world is now completely dried up. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” Sir Winston Churchill, 1936. We are seeing the consequences every single day and it is only getting worse.
All off the majestic glaciers and snow capped mountains are diminishing rapidly, some non-existent. The Arctic Ice Cap has diminished by 40% in the last 40 years; within the next 50 to 70 years it will be completely gone. One of Al Gore’s main concerns is the melting glaciers of Greenland and the Antarctic. 50 cubic miles of ice has melted off of Greenland in the last year. Once the West Arctic Ice Sheet melts it will raise the sea level by 20 feet causing billions of people to be relocated. Tony Blair states “Because of what’s happened with Greenland right now, the maps of the world will have to be redrawn.” Global warming is affecting our seasons as well causing natural cycles to be off. Al Gore says, “We are witnessing a collision between civilization and the earth. “All of this data should speak volumes, the Earth is being loud and clear, it is time to take action before it’s too late.
There is 730 trillion tons of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. So what are the main contributors to global warming? The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, emissions from vehicles, waste of non-perishable items, burning, the list goes on and on. Forrest burning contributes 30% of the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere each year. Right now the U.S. is the largest contributor to global warming. That just seems so shameful. Why is this such a political issue, when it is not a political issue at all, but a moral issue. There are so many ways our country alone can make a massive decrease in global warming. Gore encourages us to speak out, write letters, and educate anyone who will listen.
After watching this video, I had several questions. Why, are we not discussing with our children the importance of recycling, turning the lights off when we leave a room, using less water to take a bath. If we don’t start at home where do we start? Why as communities do we not plan and discuss what we can do collectively as a community? Why do teachers have curriculums to follow that do not include educating and encouraging the children to save the very thing that gives them the ability to live and learn? I wish they had focused more attention at the end to explaining everything we can do to help. Sending viewers to a website rather than providing detailed information breaks the viewers attention weakening the message. As parents, citizens, students, human beings in general we have a moral responsibility to our environment and to ourselves to do everything we can to slow down the effects of global warming. This documentary has had a profound affect on our family, it extends beyond the recycle box we put out every Monday. It’s a shame that there are going to be people out there that will never see this because of there political standings or personal feeling towards Al Gore. If they could just get passed that I feel they would be surprised to find a man with a clear dedication who is fighting for the survival of all of us, despite ourselves. “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope,” Winston Churchill. We have the freedom to change the way we think. We have the justice and the voice to change it. We have the honor to know, now is the time to ensure our children’s future and the future of every living thing. We have the duty to our planet and ourselves. We have the hope that we can come together and make a change.
Friday, October 19, 2007
An Inconvenient Truth Summary & Response
The Inconvenient Truth is a moving and compelling insight into the serious problem we face with global warming. This documentary is meant for the entire world to see, absorb and react to. Al Gore’s dedication and in-depth breakdown of the issue is remarkable. Global warming is a sure thing and we all have a responsibility to repair planet earth for the future of our children, for the future of humankind. For most people global warming is a back of the mind, think about every once in a while topic. The average person turns to the news as their main source for information, if global warming in constantly being discredited why would we think any different. This documentary challenges each and every human being on earth from children to the elderly to make changes, speak out and know exactly what is happening to our home. With simple clarity Al Gore walks us through the harsh reality of global warming. Telling us the story of his life gives this documentary a more personal feel, allowing us to develop a connection. He uses no big effects, just the truth, his voice and a clear passion. Gore takes us through an educational and inspiring journey around the world as he delivers his slideshow to thousands of people.
Al Gore starts of with a basic description of global warming and why the carbon dioxide increase is so harmful to our planet. Rodger Pevelle was the first person to propose measuring the carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere, in 1958. Since then scientist have been measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and recording the startling increases shown year after year. Scientists have developed a way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the ice with core drills allowing them to have accurate measurements from 650,000 years ago. Most of this documentary focuses on the affects global warming is having on Antarctica, Greenland, and natural disasters. He emphasizes over and over again the direct link between hotter temperatures and the increase in stronger storms. The ten hottest years recorded in our history have all occurred in the last fourteen years. Two hundred cities set all time records in 2005. Ocean temperatures are warmer causing the wind velocity and moisture to increase, causing stronger storms. Gore uses Hurricane Katrina as a prime example, it was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed over Florida, once it hit the warm waters in the gulf it had increased to a category 5 hurricane by the time it reached New Orleans. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane against all beliefs. In 2004, Japan had an all time record with 10 typhoons. In 2006 Typhoon Saomai hit China as a category 5, the strongest in 50 years. All over the world thousands of people are dieing from the extreme temperatures we are experiencing. The 12 months between July 2005 and June 2006 were the hottest on record in the U.S. In 2003, Europe had a heat wave that killed 35,000 people. Not only does global warming cause temperatures to rise, it increases precipitation as well, resulting in flooding. We are also seeing extreme drought, in areas right next to the very places flooding. Lake Chad one of the largest lakes in the world is now completely dried up. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” Sir Winston Churchill, 1936. We are seeing the consequences every single day and it is only getting worse. All off the majestic glaciers and snow capped mountains are diminishing rapidly, some non-existent. The Arctic Ice Cap has diminished by 40% in the last 40 years; within the next 50 to 70 years it will be completely gone. One of Al Gore’s main concerns is the melting glaciers of Greenland and the Antarctic. 50 cubic miles of ice has melted off of Greenland in the last year. The Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica melted within 35 days. Once the West Arctic Ice Sheet melts it will raise the sea level by 20 feet causing billions of people to be relocated. Tony Blair states “Because of what’s happened with Greenland right now, the maps of the world will have to be redrawn.” Not only has the weather changed, but also diseases such as avian flu and west Nile virus are coming back and spreading. We are seeing more rodents, insects and pine beetles. Global warming is affecting our seasons as well. With the increase in ocean temperatures and 25 million tons of carbon dioxide put into the ocean every day, the coral reefs are being bleached, putting the fish in jeopardy. Ocean species lose is now 1000 times greater than natural background rate. We are witnessing affects from permafrost, most dramatically in Alaska and Siberia. Al Gore says, “We are witnessing a collision between civilization and the earth. “All of this data should speak volumes, the Earth is being loud and clear, it is time to take action before it’s too late.
There is 730 trillion tons of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. So what are the main contributors to global warming? The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, emissions from vehicles, waste of non-perishable items, burning, the list goes on and on. Forrest burning contributes 30% of the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere each year. Right now the U.S. is the largest contributor to global warming. That just seems so shameful. Why is this such a political issue, when it is not a political issue at all, but a moral issue. America’s two main automobile manufacturers are still way behind others on making vehicles that are better for our environment. Every country is Kyoto ratified except U.S. and Australia. There are so many ways our country alone can make a massive decrease in global warming. Gore encourages us to speak out, write letters, educate anyone who will listen.
After watching this video, I had several questions. Why, are we not discussing with our children the importance of recycling, turning the lights off when we leave a room, using less water to take a bath. If we don’t start at home where do we start? Why as communities do we not plan and discuss what we can do collectively as a community? Why do teachers have curriculums to follow that do not include educating and encouraging the children to save the very thing that gives them the ability to live and learn? As parents, citizens, students, human beings in general we have a moral responsibility to ourselves and our environment to do everything we can to slow down the effects of global warming. This documentary has had a profound affect on our family, it extends beyond the recycle box we put out every Monday. It’s a shame that there are going to be people out there that will never see this because of there political standings or personal feeling towards Al Gore. If they could just get passed that I feel they would be surprised to find a man with a clear dedication who is fighting for the survival of all of us, despite ourselves. “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.” Winston Churchill. We have the freedom to change the way we think. We have the justice and the voice to change it. We have the honor to know, now is the time to ensure our children’s future and the future of every living thing. We have the duty to our planet and ourselves. We have the hope that we can come together and make a change.
Al Gore starts of with a basic description of global warming and why the carbon dioxide increase is so harmful to our planet. Rodger Pevelle was the first person to propose measuring the carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere, in 1958. Since then scientist have been measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and recording the startling increases shown year after year. Scientists have developed a way to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the ice with core drills allowing them to have accurate measurements from 650,000 years ago. Most of this documentary focuses on the affects global warming is having on Antarctica, Greenland, and natural disasters. He emphasizes over and over again the direct link between hotter temperatures and the increase in stronger storms. The ten hottest years recorded in our history have all occurred in the last fourteen years. Two hundred cities set all time records in 2005. Ocean temperatures are warmer causing the wind velocity and moisture to increase, causing stronger storms. Gore uses Hurricane Katrina as a prime example, it was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed over Florida, once it hit the warm waters in the gulf it had increased to a category 5 hurricane by the time it reached New Orleans. Last year South America experienced its first hurricane against all beliefs. In 2004, Japan had an all time record with 10 typhoons. In 2006 Typhoon Saomai hit China as a category 5, the strongest in 50 years. All over the world thousands of people are dieing from the extreme temperatures we are experiencing. The 12 months between July 2005 and June 2006 were the hottest on record in the U.S. In 2003, Europe had a heat wave that killed 35,000 people. Not only does global warming cause temperatures to rise, it increases precipitation as well, resulting in flooding. We are also seeing extreme drought, in areas right next to the very places flooding. Lake Chad one of the largest lakes in the world is now completely dried up. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” Sir Winston Churchill, 1936. We are seeing the consequences every single day and it is only getting worse. All off the majestic glaciers and snow capped mountains are diminishing rapidly, some non-existent. The Arctic Ice Cap has diminished by 40% in the last 40 years; within the next 50 to 70 years it will be completely gone. One of Al Gore’s main concerns is the melting glaciers of Greenland and the Antarctic. 50 cubic miles of ice has melted off of Greenland in the last year. The Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica melted within 35 days. Once the West Arctic Ice Sheet melts it will raise the sea level by 20 feet causing billions of people to be relocated. Tony Blair states “Because of what’s happened with Greenland right now, the maps of the world will have to be redrawn.” Not only has the weather changed, but also diseases such as avian flu and west Nile virus are coming back and spreading. We are seeing more rodents, insects and pine beetles. Global warming is affecting our seasons as well. With the increase in ocean temperatures and 25 million tons of carbon dioxide put into the ocean every day, the coral reefs are being bleached, putting the fish in jeopardy. Ocean species lose is now 1000 times greater than natural background rate. We are witnessing affects from permafrost, most dramatically in Alaska and Siberia. Al Gore says, “We are witnessing a collision between civilization and the earth. “All of this data should speak volumes, the Earth is being loud and clear, it is time to take action before it’s too late.
There is 730 trillion tons of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. So what are the main contributors to global warming? The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, emissions from vehicles, waste of non-perishable items, burning, the list goes on and on. Forrest burning contributes 30% of the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere each year. Right now the U.S. is the largest contributor to global warming. That just seems so shameful. Why is this such a political issue, when it is not a political issue at all, but a moral issue. America’s two main automobile manufacturers are still way behind others on making vehicles that are better for our environment. Every country is Kyoto ratified except U.S. and Australia. There are so many ways our country alone can make a massive decrease in global warming. Gore encourages us to speak out, write letters, educate anyone who will listen.
After watching this video, I had several questions. Why, are we not discussing with our children the importance of recycling, turning the lights off when we leave a room, using less water to take a bath. If we don’t start at home where do we start? Why as communities do we not plan and discuss what we can do collectively as a community? Why do teachers have curriculums to follow that do not include educating and encouraging the children to save the very thing that gives them the ability to live and learn? As parents, citizens, students, human beings in general we have a moral responsibility to ourselves and our environment to do everything we can to slow down the effects of global warming. This documentary has had a profound affect on our family, it extends beyond the recycle box we put out every Monday. It’s a shame that there are going to be people out there that will never see this because of there political standings or personal feeling towards Al Gore. If they could just get passed that I feel they would be surprised to find a man with a clear dedication who is fighting for the survival of all of us, despite ourselves. “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.” Winston Churchill. We have the freedom to change the way we think. We have the justice and the voice to change it. We have the honor to know, now is the time to ensure our children’s future and the future of every living thing. We have the duty to our planet and ourselves. We have the hope that we can come together and make a change.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Heartbreak Kid Review
To call The Heartbreak Kid a raunchy, laugh out loud comedy is an understatement. This film takes you to the extreme, with racy hostile sexipades, and outrageous humor. The Farrelly Brothers enjoyment of gross bodily functions is at a whole new level.
The Heartbreak Kid is a bawdy comedy about a middle aged single man Eddie (Ben Stiller) who is primed and ready for romance. He meets the beautiful Malin Akerman (Lila) outside a Laundromat after an attempt to get her purse back from a thief. After a brief dating period they hastily marry to avoid Lila relocating for her job. The road trip to their honeymoon in Mexico is where the movie really starts. Eddie discovers his wife is a singing, recovered drug user with a deviated septum and has the mouth of a trucker. He quickly realizes his rose is covered in thorns. After getting a massive sunburn Lila is forced to stay in the room. At this point it is clear Lila is a bit far from center with a hedonistic sexual appetite. A bit freaked out and unclear what to do Eddie finds himself at the bar and meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan). They have an instant connection. Now he has to break it to his wife she is not the one. Lets just say he fails and both women head home leaving him alone in Mexico. Eddie makes his way across the border after several months of attempts and finds himself at the door of Miranda’s home in Mississippi, only to find her married. Finally, getting a grasp on his life he packs up and moves to Mexico. Miranda shows up in Mexico with her family for the yearly trip and the drama starts all over again. The ending is a bit predictable, but funny non the less.
This comedy has Farrelly written all over it, with the crude humor and outrageous storyline. Eddie (Ben Stiller) has no real personality; in fact most of the characters ride the border on this, leaving you neither feeling sorry for them nor wanting more. The pace of the movie is more of a drama with breathing room to fully inhale the story, throwing you a bit off as a viewer. All the funny parts involve the weird idiosyncrasies of Lila. I walked away from this film feeling unsatisfied, yet not really knowing why. I have to say though; this is a good addition to the list of spit-take comedies for the Farrelly Brothers. There is enough imaginative material to keep it interesting and dodgy jokes to make my husband laugh. I think for most people it is a see it once, or wait for the dvd kind of flick. I would rate this movie a 3 out of 5.
The Heartbreak Kid is a bawdy comedy about a middle aged single man Eddie (Ben Stiller) who is primed and ready for romance. He meets the beautiful Malin Akerman (Lila) outside a Laundromat after an attempt to get her purse back from a thief. After a brief dating period they hastily marry to avoid Lila relocating for her job. The road trip to their honeymoon in Mexico is where the movie really starts. Eddie discovers his wife is a singing, recovered drug user with a deviated septum and has the mouth of a trucker. He quickly realizes his rose is covered in thorns. After getting a massive sunburn Lila is forced to stay in the room. At this point it is clear Lila is a bit far from center with a hedonistic sexual appetite. A bit freaked out and unclear what to do Eddie finds himself at the bar and meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan). They have an instant connection. Now he has to break it to his wife she is not the one. Lets just say he fails and both women head home leaving him alone in Mexico. Eddie makes his way across the border after several months of attempts and finds himself at the door of Miranda’s home in Mississippi, only to find her married. Finally, getting a grasp on his life he packs up and moves to Mexico. Miranda shows up in Mexico with her family for the yearly trip and the drama starts all over again. The ending is a bit predictable, but funny non the less.
This comedy has Farrelly written all over it, with the crude humor and outrageous storyline. Eddie (Ben Stiller) has no real personality; in fact most of the characters ride the border on this, leaving you neither feeling sorry for them nor wanting more. The pace of the movie is more of a drama with breathing room to fully inhale the story, throwing you a bit off as a viewer. All the funny parts involve the weird idiosyncrasies of Lila. I walked away from this film feeling unsatisfied, yet not really knowing why. I have to say though; this is a good addition to the list of spit-take comedies for the Farrelly Brothers. There is enough imaginative material to keep it interesting and dodgy jokes to make my husband laugh. I think for most people it is a see it once, or wait for the dvd kind of flick. I would rate this movie a 3 out of 5.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Strong Response Letter
Federal Laws Governing Judges
There are so many rules and laws governing every aspect of our lives; from what our children can talk about in school, to legal drinking age, taxes due according to where we live, speed limit changes for every road you travel on. The list goes on and on, most of these laws are for a good reason, striving to keep our society in a prosperous and civilized manor. Some however are inferior and antiquated. The federal laws governing judges are a prime example.
Rick Casey’s article, “Feds to shred evidence against judge,” in The Houston Chronicle makes an excellent case stating just how inferior the federals laws governing judges are. Casey gives a brief review of the case of a Galveston judge accused of sexual harassment and the lack of public information. According to federal law, all case information regarding any judge remains secret and ultimately destroyed at the conclusion of the investigation. Casey states, “The information should also be made public in order to ensure public confidence in the judiciary.” (B4) It later goes on to say the judge was put on leave, but the 5th Circuit Council didn’t even have the power to garnish his salary for the time. Only Congress can remove a judge in order to keep judicial independence. The Congress is suppose to be the branch of our government most responsive to the people, so why then shouldn’t the people be apprised to the evidence in cases against judges. What kind of message does this give our citizens? We get ticketed and fined up to several hundred dollars for going 5 miles over the speed limit and a district judge gets a paid vacation for sexual harassment. Something seems wrong here. If our government that we live, eat, and breathe by everyday of our lives, can take out the pledge of allegiance, ban smoking all over the city, restrict travel, raise our taxes, why can’t they revise the rules governing judges. Honestly, what kind of faith do you have that next time you stand before a judge, he didn’t walk away from the same crime you are being prosecuted for?
Casey’s article is quite informative and sparked an interest to look into our federal laws governing judges further. As students we all take Government as a class and get a basic working knowledge of how our system is ran. Until, you see the flaws in it you feel it’s just and reliable. Casey points out a valid flaw in our system that merits a revision. It seems like everything these days have a version 2. something maybe it’s time some of our old laws get an upgrade.
Casey, Rick. “Feds to shred evidence against judge.” The Houston Chronicle 30 September 2007, Sunday Ed. B1-B4
There are so many rules and laws governing every aspect of our lives; from what our children can talk about in school, to legal drinking age, taxes due according to where we live, speed limit changes for every road you travel on. The list goes on and on, most of these laws are for a good reason, striving to keep our society in a prosperous and civilized manor. Some however are inferior and antiquated. The federal laws governing judges are a prime example.
Rick Casey’s article, “Feds to shred evidence against judge,” in The Houston Chronicle makes an excellent case stating just how inferior the federals laws governing judges are. Casey gives a brief review of the case of a Galveston judge accused of sexual harassment and the lack of public information. According to federal law, all case information regarding any judge remains secret and ultimately destroyed at the conclusion of the investigation. Casey states, “The information should also be made public in order to ensure public confidence in the judiciary.” (B4) It later goes on to say the judge was put on leave, but the 5th Circuit Council didn’t even have the power to garnish his salary for the time. Only Congress can remove a judge in order to keep judicial independence. The Congress is suppose to be the branch of our government most responsive to the people, so why then shouldn’t the people be apprised to the evidence in cases against judges. What kind of message does this give our citizens? We get ticketed and fined up to several hundred dollars for going 5 miles over the speed limit and a district judge gets a paid vacation for sexual harassment. Something seems wrong here. If our government that we live, eat, and breathe by everyday of our lives, can take out the pledge of allegiance, ban smoking all over the city, restrict travel, raise our taxes, why can’t they revise the rules governing judges. Honestly, what kind of faith do you have that next time you stand before a judge, he didn’t walk away from the same crime you are being prosecuted for?
Casey’s article is quite informative and sparked an interest to look into our federal laws governing judges further. As students we all take Government as a class and get a basic working knowledge of how our system is ran. Until, you see the flaws in it you feel it’s just and reliable. Casey points out a valid flaw in our system that merits a revision. It seems like everything these days have a version 2. something maybe it’s time some of our old laws get an upgrade.
Casey, Rick. “Feds to shred evidence against judge.” The Houston Chronicle 30 September 2007, Sunday Ed. B1-B4
Saturday, September 29, 2007
With or Against the Grain
With the Grain
In “On Teenagers and Tattoos,” published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Andrés Martin brilliantly explores the realm of reasons behind teenage tattooing. He opens our eyes to the possibility that tattoos among teenagers are more than a fad or form of rebellion, but more so a bold statement about whom they are as individuals. Dr Martin’s publication gives several solid reasons why teenagers get tattoos, making it hard to refute him. His first reason is tattoos give teenagers a sense of uniqueness; making them stand apart from their peers and helping them stand out as individuals in a society that can be authoritarian and unfavorable. Boldly stating this is my unique self and I am like no other. Martin’s second acknowledgement is that teenager often get tattoos to remember and solidify a specific person, time, event or place that has an importance in their life. I was a witness to this very act a few months ago, when my sister and her two best friends graduated high school. They each got a tattoo that link the other two, to remember their special bond, knowing that they are all off to separate colleges. His final reason behind teens getting tattoos is for a sense of belonging. “Tattoos can be a readily available source of grounding,”[120] acting as a steady ground in a world of constant change and turmoil. “Adolescents’ bodily decoration, at times radical and dramatic in their presentation, can be seen in terms of figuration rather than disfigurement,” is an excellent way to look at tattoos among teenagers and a great way to sum up this article.
Against the Grain
In “On Teenagers and Tattoos,” published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Andrés Martin explores the realm of reasons behind teenage tattooing without thinking about the future of these teenagers. Martin gives us several reasons why teenagers get tattoos, basically saying that we as adults should okay them and almost encourage them. His first reason is tattoos give teenagers a sense of uniqueness; making them stand apart from their peers and helping them stand out as individuals in a society that can be unfavorable and authoritarian. So does, joining a sports team, getting involved in student government or finding something they are good at and doesn’t permanently mark their bodies making it hard to get decent jobs at adults. Martin’s second acknowledgement is that teenagers often get tattoos to remember and solidify a specific person, event, time, or place that has an importance in their life. Realistically this is true for all ages that get tattoos, and is probably one of the main reasons behind most of them. His final reason behind teens getting tattoos is for a sense of belonging. There are a thousand reasons why teenagers get tattoos, but should we really be telling their parents to embrace it, without making their children fully aware of the future consequences outside their adolescent lives?
Works Cited
Martin, Andrés. “On Teenagers and Tattoos.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Rpt. in The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing. John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2006. 118-121.
In “On Teenagers and Tattoos,” published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Andrés Martin brilliantly explores the realm of reasons behind teenage tattooing. He opens our eyes to the possibility that tattoos among teenagers are more than a fad or form of rebellion, but more so a bold statement about whom they are as individuals. Dr Martin’s publication gives several solid reasons why teenagers get tattoos, making it hard to refute him. His first reason is tattoos give teenagers a sense of uniqueness; making them stand apart from their peers and helping them stand out as individuals in a society that can be authoritarian and unfavorable. Boldly stating this is my unique self and I am like no other. Martin’s second acknowledgement is that teenager often get tattoos to remember and solidify a specific person, time, event or place that has an importance in their life. I was a witness to this very act a few months ago, when my sister and her two best friends graduated high school. They each got a tattoo that link the other two, to remember their special bond, knowing that they are all off to separate colleges. His final reason behind teens getting tattoos is for a sense of belonging. “Tattoos can be a readily available source of grounding,”[120] acting as a steady ground in a world of constant change and turmoil. “Adolescents’ bodily decoration, at times radical and dramatic in their presentation, can be seen in terms of figuration rather than disfigurement,” is an excellent way to look at tattoos among teenagers and a great way to sum up this article.
Against the Grain
In “On Teenagers and Tattoos,” published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Andrés Martin explores the realm of reasons behind teenage tattooing without thinking about the future of these teenagers. Martin gives us several reasons why teenagers get tattoos, basically saying that we as adults should okay them and almost encourage them. His first reason is tattoos give teenagers a sense of uniqueness; making them stand apart from their peers and helping them stand out as individuals in a society that can be unfavorable and authoritarian. So does, joining a sports team, getting involved in student government or finding something they are good at and doesn’t permanently mark their bodies making it hard to get decent jobs at adults. Martin’s second acknowledgement is that teenagers often get tattoos to remember and solidify a specific person, event, time, or place that has an importance in their life. Realistically this is true for all ages that get tattoos, and is probably one of the main reasons behind most of them. His final reason behind teens getting tattoos is for a sense of belonging. There are a thousand reasons why teenagers get tattoos, but should we really be telling their parents to embrace it, without making their children fully aware of the future consequences outside their adolescent lives?
Works Cited
Martin, Andrés. “On Teenagers and Tattoos.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Rpt. in The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing. John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2006. 118-121.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Revised Secret Ad
Any female can tell you that Secret has a cornerstone on the deodorant market, with their strong ad campaigns and nationally recognized slogan, "Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman." Secret has an aggressive marketing strategy, appearing in all different media markets, from fashion to parenting magazines, television, strong web presence, and the list goes on. They empower women from all different walks of life. If you analyze the plethora of Secret ads out there, you will find, that they don't just promote a way to cover up and prevent body odor, they empower, encourage, and motivate women to bring out their inner strength and beauty. Never knew a deodorant could go all that did you? I never really paid attention to the strong ionic power these ads had on consumers.
The ad for Secret Platinum in Cosmopolitan magazine is the epitome of empowerment. The female in this advertisement represents all independent, career oriented, driven, in-control, sexy, beautiful women. They display a female who works in a male dominant career and somehow portray all these qualities. She is actually a racecar driver in the Indy 500®. The focus of the ad is the female, who is dressed in a beautiful gold couture gown, with long flowing brunette hair, with high heals on. Her left hand is on her hip, saying I am in charge here, with the other hand rested on her thigh where she has pulled up her dress to display her foot on her helmet. This is a full body shot, and she is starring straight into the camera. She has a confident smile on her face, more of a half smile, not too big to lessen her force of the message. The catch phrase displayed directly to the left her in a darker shade of blue than the background, says, "MY SECRET," with "Deep down, I'm a girly girl." underneath it. And, that is exactly what the ad portrays. The text to the right of her is simple, with a bit of information about her. It also drives you to the website, by enticing you to find out more of her secrets. They use several different fonts, in several different colors. They used all muted, earthy colors in this ad, except for the helmet. The background is very simple, just a wash of light blue color, making her the main focus. And, of course, the deodorant bottle is displayed in the bottom right hand corner. Whoever created this ad did a superb job, making a bold statement that all women can do what ever they dream! I personally had bought this particular version of Secret deodorant after seeing this ad.
The ad for Secret Clinical Strength in Parent Magazine screams I am a beautiful pregnant mom with it all under control. The female in this advertisement represents all pregnant women. She is shot from the belly up, with her hand rested on her stomach to emphasize her pregnancy. She is starring straight into the camera with her head tilted slightly to the left, showing she is importance of the shot. She is saying I am relaxed, modern, in-control, domestic, beautiful and can take on the world. She is dressed in a modern dress with a puffed sleeve jean jacket over it. The portion of the dress that covers her belly has a bold colorful pattern, emphasizing her pregnancy as well. She is well accessorized, showing she is hip and still takes time for herself. She looks like the everyday average mom, with freckles, minimal makeup, unpainted but well-groomed nails, short stylish haircut, giving her a real down- to- earth look. She has a simple half smile, making her seem calm and peaceful. She takes up almost the entire ad, leaving only a little bit of gray, brick and concrete wall in the background. The catch phrase on this ad is, “ONE hot MAMA,” (hot is double the size of the other two words) again emphasizing the pregnancy and her control. The additional text is simple and geared toward pregnant women. There is also a website promoted next to her head, that is different from their normal website. This ad has a girly and fun feel to it as well because, there are scrolly doodles surrounding the text. All the text is white making a bolder statement and they use several different fonts. And, of course, the deodorant bottle is displayed in the bottom right hand corner. The creators of this ad did an excellent job appealing to pregnant women. Having been pregnant, this ad appeals to me and clearly gets the message across.
Both of these advertisements make a clear definitive statement. They share many same characteristics, and are definitely empowering for women in general. The marketing company that creates these advertisements have a clear precise knowledge of the audience they are targeting. Secret, in my opinion, does an excellent job marketing their products.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Secret Ad
Any female can tell you that Secret has a cornerstone on the deodorant market, with their strong ad campaigns and nationally recognized slogan, "Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman." Secret has an aggressive marketing strategy, appearing in all different media markets, from fashion to parenting magazines, television, strong web presence, and the list goes on. They empower women from all different walks of life. If you analyze the plethora of Secret ads out there, you will find, that they don't just promote a way to cover up and prevent body odor, they empower, encourage, and motivate women to bring out their inner strength and beauty. Never knew a deodorant could go all that did you? I never really paid attention to the strong ionic power these ads had on consumers.
The ad for Secret Platinum in Cosmopolitan magazine is the epitome of empowerment. The female in this advertisement represents all independent, career oriented, driven, in-control, sexy, beautiful women. They display a female who works in a male dominant career and somehow portray all these qualities. She is actually a racecar driver in the Indy 500®. The focus of the ad is the female, who is dressed in a beautiful gold couture gown, with long flowing brunette hair, with high heals on. Her left hand is on her hip, saying I am in charge here, with the other hand rested on her thigh where she has pulled up her dress to display her foot on her helmet. This is a full body shot, and she is starring straight into the camera. She has a confident smile on her face, more of a half smile, not too big to lessen her force of the message. The catch phrase displayed directly to the left her in a darker shade of blue than the background, says, "MY SECRET," with "Deep down, I'm a girly girl." underneath it. And, that is exactly what the ad portrays. The text to the right of her is simple, with a bit of information about her. It also drives you to the website, by enticing you to find out more of her secrets. They use several different fonts, in several different colors. They used all muted, earthy colors in this ad, except for the helmet. The background is very simple, just a wash of light blue color, making her the main focus. And, of course, the deodorant bottle is displayed in the bottom right hand corner. Whoever created this ad did a superb job, making a bold statement that all women can do what ever they dream! I personally had bought this particular version of Secret deodorant after seeing this ad.
The ad for Secret Clinical Strength in Parent Magazine screams I am a beautiful pregnant mom with it all under control. The female in this advertisement represents all pregnant women. She is shot from the belly up, with her hand rested on her stomach to emphasize her pregnancy. She is starring straight into the camera with her head tilted slightly to the left, showing she is importance of the shot. She is saying I am relaxed, modern, in-control, domestic, beautiful and can take on the world. She is dressed in a modern dress with a puffed sleeve jean jacket over it. The portion of the dress that covers her belly has a bold colorful pattern, emphasizing her pregnancy as well. She is well accessorized, showing she is hip and still takes time for herself. She looks like the everyday average mom, with freckles, minimal makeup, unpainted but well-groomed nails, short stylish haircut, giving her a real down- to- earth look. She has a simple half smile, making her seem calm and peaceful. She takes up almost the entire ad, leaving only a little bit of gray, brick and concrete wall in the background. The catch phrase on this ad is, “ONE hot MAMA,” (hot is double the size of the other two words) again emphasizing the pregnancy and her control. The additional text is simple and geared toward pregnant women. There is also a website promoted next to her head, that is different from their normal website. This ad has a girly and fun feel to it as well because, there are scrolly doodles surrounding the text. All the text is white making a bolder statement and they use several different fonts. And, of course, the deodorant bottle is displayed in the bottom right hand corner. The creators of this ad did an excellent job appealing to pregnant women. Having been pregnant, this ad appeals to me and clearly gets the message across.
Both of these advertisements make a clear definitive statement. They share many same characteristics, and are definitely empowering for women in general. Secret, in my opinion, does an excellent job marketing their products.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
What do my clothes say?
At first glance my clothes don't have much to say about me, but then I look closer. Like many females we have different sets of clothes. The ones we wear for comfort, to hang out with friends, dates with our boyfriends/husbands, and playing with our children. Being married I realize that guys have their owns sets too. Before, I thought males had it so easy; they just threw on some clothes and go. In order to describe what my clothes say about me, I started thinking about how I have felt on different shopping trips. Right now shopping for me is non-existent with a 3 year old. When she was younger, I would stroll in and out of stores with a sleeping baby tucked in her buggy. What I am trying to say is, in the past I picked items with thought and because I was attracted to them. Now, it’s whatever I know works to clothe my body. Today, my clothes say, I am a sleep-deprived mom, who gave it her best effort by putting on some mascara. Which is not what I intended but well, that's life. When, I work with my husband, my clothes say I am a cutsie, relaxed young lady. On family days, I dress for comfort, because, it's a safe guess that we are either going to the Museum of Natural Science or the Zoo. The overall consensus of my clothes would say that I am not fussy, lacking accessories besides the watch, relaxed, flexible, and down to earth. I had a thing for handbags, so that would be my only flare to my ensemble. I believe this is basically how the world sees me, simple and average. This varies only in the eyes of few people. My sisters, who are all younger than me, think I don't care enough about fashion, except my handbags. This is true, except in the case of my daughter, which is a whole other issue. My friends without children always look like they stepped out of a magazine to go grocery shopping, and expect me to look the same. My friends with children always tell me I look cute, but really this is code for, at least she didn’t show up in a tee shirt and jeans, again. But, for the average person, I must seem pretty average. Just like most other moms, I dress according to what I will be doing and where I am going. My wardrobe consist of 85% all cotton items that can be machine-washed, even the dresses. 10% are clothes I just can’t let go of, because a miracle will happen one day and I will fit in them again. The other 5% is the formal dresses that I buy for parties and formal events. This section in my closest is what my daughter likes to call, “mommies dress up clothes.” My wardrobe doesn’t say as much about me, as a conversation would. I am no longer worried if I look stylish or have the latest designer jeans. I invest my time and money in my family. And, of course, Disney gets its fair share, too!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Reality T.V.
Believing and Doubting, reality television is an important part of American culture.
Believe
Reality television has been around for over 60 years, having a huge impact on our culture. It has inspired people to try things outside their comfort zones and laugh at the mundane of everyday life. Candid Camera was one of the pioneer reality television shows. This reality show was a huge hit with Americans at a time in our society when all they wanted was some fun, uncomplicated television at the end of the day. Candid Camera was good-natured humor, because as Funt said, “[it] caught people in the act of being themselves.”(Allen Funt, creator/producer) To date we still have shows that aim for the same goal, in fact, Candid Camera is still going. Hundreds of reality shows have popped up since, changing as our society changes, therefore keeping a constant, captivated audience. What draws viewers in is these shows give people, who otherwise would not have the means or outlet, a chance to express themselves and their special talents. All viewers, from aspiring chefs, to singers, even beat boxers, feel like, they to can have the American dream of riches and fame. What does this say about us? What happened to good old-fashioned hard work and inner drive? I have to admit that I enjoy watching American Idol and On the Lot, both on the Fox network. What gets me involved is the connection you develop with the contestants as the weeks go on. You start to route for the ones you feel most worthy of the "prize." I also believe that some reality shows inspire people in both a good and bad way. A show that creates laughter is a positive thing, right? At what expense? Shows like Survivor and the ever popular, Jackass, are prime examples of negative realty t.v. These kinds of shows have inspired people to do things that are physically and emotionally tortuous for the "prize" at the end, or just a laugh. No matter, positive or negative, competitiveness and materialism drive our society and reality television displays this nightly for millions of Americans.
Doubt
Although, I believe reality television plays a part in American culture, it is not so much as television in general. Many avid t.v. watchers are starting to feel the producers of these shows are going too far, and have become generally appalled. However, that does not mean that television in general is not a major part of American culture. Varying polls show that an estimate of 85% of Americans have cable or satellite television. Millions of Americans tune in daily for all aspects of their lives; news, entertainment, travel, exercise, even buying houses. "Those of use who are parents understand that raising a child in today's modern media marketplace is a daunting task at times." (Adam D. Thierer, the Director of Telecommunications studies at the Cato Institute) This said, I would like to bring up an even bigger influence in our lives, video games. The gaming industry has skyrocketed and is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Millions of people of all ages spend countless hours playing video games every day. So many parents opt for the cool video game, or DVD, to teach basic things to their children, such as the alphabet and counting. Long gone are the days of going to the library or making flash cards. Honestly, in my opinion the most important part of American culture, is the technology and communication. These two major players go hand in hand and have made us a society based on faster, better, and convenience. After all, how would we function without, cell phones, laptops, and most important, the Internet!
Believe
Reality television has been around for over 60 years, having a huge impact on our culture. It has inspired people to try things outside their comfort zones and laugh at the mundane of everyday life. Candid Camera was one of the pioneer reality television shows. This reality show was a huge hit with Americans at a time in our society when all they wanted was some fun, uncomplicated television at the end of the day. Candid Camera was good-natured humor, because as Funt said, “[it] caught people in the act of being themselves.”(Allen Funt, creator/producer) To date we still have shows that aim for the same goal, in fact, Candid Camera is still going. Hundreds of reality shows have popped up since, changing as our society changes, therefore keeping a constant, captivated audience. What draws viewers in is these shows give people, who otherwise would not have the means or outlet, a chance to express themselves and their special talents. All viewers, from aspiring chefs, to singers, even beat boxers, feel like, they to can have the American dream of riches and fame. What does this say about us? What happened to good old-fashioned hard work and inner drive? I have to admit that I enjoy watching American Idol and On the Lot, both on the Fox network. What gets me involved is the connection you develop with the contestants as the weeks go on. You start to route for the ones you feel most worthy of the "prize." I also believe that some reality shows inspire people in both a good and bad way. A show that creates laughter is a positive thing, right? At what expense? Shows like Survivor and the ever popular, Jackass, are prime examples of negative realty t.v. These kinds of shows have inspired people to do things that are physically and emotionally tortuous for the "prize" at the end, or just a laugh. No matter, positive or negative, competitiveness and materialism drive our society and reality television displays this nightly for millions of Americans.
Doubt
Although, I believe reality television plays a part in American culture, it is not so much as television in general. Many avid t.v. watchers are starting to feel the producers of these shows are going too far, and have become generally appalled. However, that does not mean that television in general is not a major part of American culture. Varying polls show that an estimate of 85% of Americans have cable or satellite television. Millions of Americans tune in daily for all aspects of their lives; news, entertainment, travel, exercise, even buying houses. "Those of use who are parents understand that raising a child in today's modern media marketplace is a daunting task at times." (Adam D. Thierer, the Director of Telecommunications studies at the Cato Institute) This said, I would like to bring up an even bigger influence in our lives, video games. The gaming industry has skyrocketed and is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Millions of people of all ages spend countless hours playing video games every day. So many parents opt for the cool video game, or DVD, to teach basic things to their children, such as the alphabet and counting. Long gone are the days of going to the library or making flash cards. Honestly, in my opinion the most important part of American culture, is the technology and communication. These two major players go hand in hand and have made us a society based on faster, better, and convenience. After all, how would we function without, cell phones, laptops, and most important, the Internet!
Introduction
I'm Jessica. I am a 27 year old, first year, college student. I actually registered and started classes at UH 8 years ago. I withdrew from my classes after getting very sick and not knowing why. Turns out I have severe Cronic Renal Disease (Kidney Disease). I've survived alot of life since then and accomplished great things. I have a 3 year old daughter and have been married 6 years. Both my husband and my daughter are my greatest accomplishments, for several reasons. My husband, because, he has always been my strenght and encouragement. My daughter, because, the odds were against me and she came out perfect and I survived. Several months after leaving school I found out why I was so sick and started treatment. Kidney Disease is something I will always have and we have learned to live with.
I have written about many things, from life experience to wine pairing with meals. I have always been able to sit and write out my thoughts and feelings about anything. I have written several articles in a magazine my husband and I use to publish. I am my worst critic, feeling constantly like my work is lacking. I have always been eager to research topics. I like to be well versed on a subject before writing about it. After, my daughter was born, I started a new business that is now popping up all over. It was an indoor playground for children 0-6yrs. old. We did tons of birthdays on the weekends and I was always writing fun little puppet shows and sing alongs for the kids. (Does that count?) I have always been one to write long letter and start discussions about anything that interests me. I also have experience in creative writing for marketing products, concepts, things of that nature. I would not say that I am a good writer, just willing to try, and improve.
Besides, the me with the bad kidneys, I have many interests and loves in life. The main one is travel! We have been to several countries, on amazing adventures into different cultures. I love to document our experiences through photographs. I have thousands of pictures! I am a big lover of music, of all genres. I acquired this passion from my husband, who had a band for several years. But, my true and lifelong love is reading. It takes me to a calm and relaxed place, where my mind can imagine and dive in. Right now I am really into the Allyn & Bacon, Guide to Writing. A bit of humor!
Here's my cynical side. If I have not answered any of the questions completely, just let me know. I can go on for hours. My friends always joke and say, "Don't get her started!"
Jessica
I have written about many things, from life experience to wine pairing with meals. I have always been able to sit and write out my thoughts and feelings about anything. I have written several articles in a magazine my husband and I use to publish. I am my worst critic, feeling constantly like my work is lacking. I have always been eager to research topics. I like to be well versed on a subject before writing about it. After, my daughter was born, I started a new business that is now popping up all over. It was an indoor playground for children 0-6yrs. old. We did tons of birthdays on the weekends and I was always writing fun little puppet shows and sing alongs for the kids. (Does that count?) I have always been one to write long letter and start discussions about anything that interests me. I also have experience in creative writing for marketing products, concepts, things of that nature. I would not say that I am a good writer, just willing to try, and improve.
Besides, the me with the bad kidneys, I have many interests and loves in life. The main one is travel! We have been to several countries, on amazing adventures into different cultures. I love to document our experiences through photographs. I have thousands of pictures! I am a big lover of music, of all genres. I acquired this passion from my husband, who had a band for several years. But, my true and lifelong love is reading. It takes me to a calm and relaxed place, where my mind can imagine and dive in. Right now I am really into the Allyn & Bacon, Guide to Writing. A bit of humor!
Here's my cynical side. If I have not answered any of the questions completely, just let me know. I can go on for hours. My friends always joke and say, "Don't get her started!"
Jessica
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