Undeserved Cruelty

I hate to end these blogs on a serious note, but I recently read an article that really upset me. It was about a 2 year old girl (the photo shown on the right was released by her grandmother) who was killed by her mother and stepfather. This little girl had done nothing in her short life to deserve any pain or suffering. I don't understand how anyone can harm a child. If the mother was that unhappy with having a child then she could have given her up for adoption. There are plenty of families waiting for and wanting a child. She would have found a good home with a loving family. I can't imagine how this woman will live with herself knowing what she has done to a human being she brought into the world. Also, once she decided to kill her child, why she would make the girl suffer so much. The killing described was brutal and not quick. The parents intended to end her life, so I don't understand why they couldn't take mercy on the daughter and at least not torture her. There are so many tragedies such as this that occur every day. The reasoning people have to justify their actions are incomprehensible to me. There are options for parents who don't want or can't take care of their children. I have relatives that have adopted children so I know that the screening process is extensive and people have to truly want a child in order to be given one. If parents who aren't prepared for their children only thought to let their child be given to a willing family, many lives would be happier. The article is at http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/national/2007/11/26/Child_s.Remains/?cvqh=itn_baby

Indian Food

Most of the time I know what my food is and what to do with it since it's usually all American/Italian food that I've grown up with. There were a lot of Indian kids in my high school. One time they wanted me to come with them to an Indian restaurant in Chicago to try some of their food with them. They were sure it would be way too spicy for me and it would be fun to watch me try all these new foods. I had wanted to try some of the foods they always mentioned so I went even though I was likely to make a fool of myself. The foods we order I couldn't quite pronounce let alone remember the names of. However, I do remember that we ate some kind of chicken and bread with a lot of different sauces. It was good, but definitely spicy. We had made sure to order food that was somewhat mild however, so I was able to eat it all. I felt a little lost when all the food was brought out though. My friends knew exactly what to do, but I didn't know what sauces went with what foods and how the foods were meant to be eaten. According to my friends though it wasn't spicy at all! Overall, it was a good experience. A little awkward at times, but it was fun to see a different culture and be the one who was learning knew things!

The Best Moments

I find that the best moments of my day are the unplanned, little moments that make me laugh. Even if I have had a long, rough day a stupid remark from a friend makes everything better. Most of these moments arise from someone saying something completely ridiculous. A good way to get people to make these comments is with the game Catchphrase. In trying to describe words people get very creative. In an effort to guess the words some very random ideas emerge as well. People just shout out what comes to mind before they think about it. One of my friends the other day gave the clue for avocado as what guacamole is made out of. My other friend actually shouted out guacamoles (he's one of the guys in the picture)! Right away he realized how ridiculous his suggestion was but it was already out there. It was the funniest moment of the night. Sometimes these moments consist of a nice thought. A friend calling me out of the blue just to see what's new or to say hi. One thing that always improves my day is an unexpected good grade on homework or an exam! Anyways, I have learned to appreciate these small moments more now that I'm away at school. My friends and I don't have much ability to get around and go out so we occasionally have to be creative with our entertainment. Those are the moments we remember and that really make a difference in our daily life.

Children from Brothels

Zana Briski's feel shows many details of the children's lives. In my opinion, the children are too young to understand what they are revealing about their lifestyles. Therefore, I would not consider them able to give consent, but the parents could okay their participation in the film. However, their life is not as uncommon in their mind so they might not have minded sharing the living conditions of the brothels. They have probably not seen people with much better lives than they have. With this narrow range of experience, the kids probably wouldn't realize how extreme their poverty is. In this case, it seems that her goal was worth displaying these kids lives. She can inspire help for children in their position, which enables them to go to school as well and find a way out of the brothels. Her portrayal of them shouldn't harm their future in any way or their families so its purpose can be fulfilled without bad side effects. People who feel sympathetic to them might even send them more help based on the film. The success of the film is determined by the amount of support it generates for the children from brothels. The organization she was able to found, and the money the children received for their photos for their education are all indicators that her film was a success.

My food for one day

This is probably not the best day to blog for my food consumption since it is a Sunday. This means I slept in late, so I had no breakfast at all. For lunch, I had pasta from the dining court with a cinnamon roll and coke. Then for dinner, I went to Harrison grill and ate popcorn chicken with buffalo sauce and a fuze. At some point I ate some pretzels as well and drank some water, but that was about it. What I ate was most likely genetically modified in some way. The chicken I ate probably ate corn at some point. The breading on the chicken would also probably be in some way genetically modified. The pop I drank had corn syrup in it too. Sadly, the only form of fruit I had today was in the fuze drink, which is only 5% juice. My food was most definitely fast food. The cafeterias wouldn't function very well if they cooked anything slow! None of the food I ate would need to come from very far away. The farthest I would think would be Florida for that 5% juice in my drink. It was probably not the healthiest way to eat, but at least I didn't eat a ton of junk food. On a normal day, I would probably have had a more rounded dinner from the dining hall. I try to eat somewhat healthy, especially since my exercise is down to a minimum here!

Distractions

While doing homework assignments or studying, I find it very easy to get distracted. When I'm working on the computer is the most difficult time. I have the internet, my e-mail, games, and good old-fashioned solitaire. I'll tell myself that I'm only going to play one game or for just five minutes, but that always turns into more. Without some slight background noise however I space out. Usually I need the TV on, but it needs to be something I've seen before or I'll end up focusing on the show. The best choice for me is probably to listen to music. I don't have to pay much attention to it, but it keeps me in the present. Assignments that aren't very difficult or are short get dragged out when I can't focus. I may have to start going to the library when I need to really get work done. Even in my lobby I run into people I know and get side-tracked in conversation. My final distraction would be my roommate. We fall into conversation at the times that are most inconvenient. I'm glad we get along well, but we may have difficulties if we ever try to study together. True it's usually me who starts the conversations, but it still keeps the work from getting done. The picture is us at the football game (we won this game)!

Food for thought

All the readings we have done have made me think twice about my eating habits. I don't think I will change what I eat, but I am definitely more aware. Unfortunately, I am very used to eating meat and will most likely continue to do so. Until I do my own grocery shopping I can't make sure to eat meat that wasn't created in the stockyards. Fruit and vegetables I can more easily switch from unknown heritage to organically grown. It is not hard to come by and usually not a lot more expensive. I can tell my mom when I go home to try and buy more organically grown fruits and vegetables as well as meat not from stock yards. She might not be too pleased about this since my sister somewhat recently became a vegetarian. As I'm eating meat it does make me a little worried about what I might be eating. The new knowledge from these readings definitely does not encourage me to eat more meat. I have also began to notice the corn in everything. When I glance at the ingredients on things I'm about to drink or eat I now notice some form of corn about to enter my body. The fact that it is hard to tell where many things come from anymore is slightly unnerving. However, the way I have always eaten and my food preferences will probably override the arguments that we have presented against eating certain foods. Old habits die hard.

Wedding Bells

This past weekend I was able to go home for a wedding Friday night. It was so nice to see all my extended family (the picture is just of my mom's side of the family). I haven't seen them in quite a while. We probably see each other more than most family considering I'm referring to my second cousins and their kids who I only see around five times a year. The reception was beautiful and the music was great. We danced for hours. It was just great to be around everyone, not worrying about what needed to be done the next day or next week. Everyone was just happy for my cousin and her new husband and the changes they were about to experience. I was able to learn about what was new in everyone's lives that I now miss out on. Unfortunately though, I did have to go through the "How's college? Are you enjoying being away?" conversation about 20 times. Once the night was over, it was great to collapse in my own bed. Sadly, the comforts of home were short-lived since I was back at Purdue for the game on Saturday afternoon. This time I was hanging out with some of my dad's family. All in all it was an exhausting, but good weekend!

Slight Differences

Throughout my stay at Purdue I have learned a variety of new words. Even though the majority of my friends are from the Midwest, we all have something that is unique to our own home. Some of the weirdest ones I've heard were slippy and creeper. If it rains it is not slippery outside, it is slippy according to my friend from Pennsylvania. I've described things as creepy before, but I've never used it as a noun in the form of creeper! This word was used a lot when we went to the Rocky Horror Show! I always argue with my roommate as well about pop. She calls everything coke. She told me that at a restaurant you order a coke and then the server will ask what kind you want. By me you can ask for pop and then specify which brand. If I asked for a coke in a restaurant that is what I would be given! My last favorite one is the clicker/ remote/ channel changer/ flipper. This one can vary from neighbor to neighbor. There seems to be no regional standard on that one whatsoever. In my opinion however, it is a clicker! These slight differences bring entertainment to the slow parts of the day!

There's a fine line. . .

As I was hanging out with my friends this weekend, one of them inevitably said something incredibly stupid. We all made fun of him for the rest of the night. We knew he wouldn't get offended or be hurt by our teasing so it was OK. I'm sure we owed him back for some time that he made of fun of us as well! When my friend and I were talking later, we realized that before you tease anyone you need to know their personality. I've seen people who have been made fun of more when they were embarrassed in the first place. It ruined their whole night. There are some people who become very embarrassed about making a stupid remark and would have been upset if we made fun of them very long. Without knowing how a person will react we won't know where they become uncomfortable with being teased. Some people can take teasing much better than others, but it takes an effort to find that line. Crossing that line can make people very self-conscience. Luckily, our group has hung out enough to know that we can all make fun of each other mercilessly, as long as it's all in good humor. It's all about learning how sensitive people are.

Advertisement

The image has a white, almost glowing center that fades to black near the edges. There is a noose hanging, but instead of a circle the rope is in the shape of a bottle of absolut vodka. It is hanging over a steel table and there is a line of text, similar to the absolut ads, that reads "ABSOLUTE HANGOVER." The ad is a spoof on absolut vodka. The way the text is formatted and the two word phrase are similar to the original ad. Also, the ads are always very simple with an easily spotted bottle somewhere, just as in the spoof. The ad is successful. It points out that alcohol can be dangerous and have serious consequences. It needs to be dealt with responsibly. There is no complex meaning to the ad, at least not one that people would notice at a glance. It seems to be trying to send send a simple message, be careful when drinking. However, the message might be a little overstated. Death is not a direct outcome from drinking. Normally, its from drinking and driving or committing a stupid act while under the influence. Therefore, the idea that the vodka will cause death might not be as effective as possibly having a smashed car in the ad would have been.

The Cost of Halloween

I always thought Halloween was a fun, easy holiday. Kids dressed up and went out in search of the house that gave the best candy. As I got older, it was fun to take my younger cousins trick or treating and possibly to dress up a little. My friends and I would make shirts of superheroes or we would usually be creative with what we had instead of going to look for costumes. This year was the first time in a while that I actually looked at costumes since I don't have the resources to make anything here and the first time ever that I bought candy for the holiday (we had kids come trick or treat in our hall). Why would people want to spend $50 on a costume that they are guaranteed to wear for one day then either toss or pass on to someone else if it doesn't fall apart? The prices are ridiculous! Not only that, but it is very possible to spend a fortune on candy. I didn't realize how quickly the candy disappears. My roommate and I went through a little over four bags of candy just on some little kids who came to the hall! We almost had to stop letting the kids come! I also read a quick fact that said people spend more on Halloween than any other holiday, except for Christmas. I guess its a fun, playful holiday for everyone but those who finance it!

MATLAB!!

MATLAB is beginning to drive me crazy! I just can't seem to get what I'm doing, but none of it seems that difficult when I realize what I'm supposed to be doing. It takes me forever to do simple equations. The worst part is when other people tell me it only took them an hour so it'll be quick, but then I'm sitting there for many hours, losing sleep. I guess its about time for me to be going in to ask for help continually, so that I don't miss any concepts. The only reason I avoid going now is probably because the office hours are at night. By the time I get back to the dorms at the end of all my classes, I don't want to have to walk back to campus at 7:00 and then have to walk home alone late. I can see that having the hours at night ensures that no one is incapable of making them due to their classes, but it would be nice if I could just go from my last class to get help and then come home for the rest of the night. The only other problem with my MATLAB is that it is due on Wednesday. I have the first lab, which means no one else is done or can help me. Of course, I get asked for help the next days by people who I am sure understand it better than I do!

Writer's Block

English homework was very difficult for me this weekend. For some reason, I just couldn't think of any ideas for the blogs or seem to make a good proposal. I tried everything. I was asking my roommate for ideas, watching news channels, and looking online. Nothing seemed to catch my interest enough that I wanted to write about it. Therefore, I ended up writing my third blog about how I couldn't think of any better topic at the moment. I'm sure I have some opinion that would have been more worthy of this spot, but I just can't think of it right now. Its the most frustrating thing to be sitting here staring at a blank page, when I know there are many things I could write about. Not only did I have trouble with the blogs though, but also with my research paper proposal. For that, I could think of many topics I found interesting and would be willing to spend some time on. However, I could not connect them to a reaction in history. The events seemed like they should have obvious effects, but I just could not figure anything out. Hopefully, this is only a temporary condition, since we still have seven weeks, 21 blogs, and two more papers to go!

Scary Movies

Seeing as Halloween is approaching, my friends and I decided to watch a scary movie the other day. We chose to watch the movie Amityville Horror on Saturday. While I was the only one to jump during the movie, none of us actually got scared. At some points we even laughed at the scenes that were over-dramatic and just too unrealistic. After the movie was over we talked about other scary movies we've seen. We realized that the old movies seem to be much better. They just have a certain suspense built from the lack of color and the musical build up inevitably found in each one. I remembered watching The Omen and they brought up movies like The Shining and all the Alfred Hitchcock films. They always scared you and lest you a little freaked out for a few days afterwards. Most of the movies nowadays provide a quick thrill, but don't leave me wanting to see more of the story or scared afterwards. Old movies have more dramatics and leave more to the imagination, but I find the newer movies to be a series of bloody scenes, many of which I could have done without. The blood is not what makes me scared. Maybe this is all just my opinion on what form of scary movie I enjoy, but it seems to be harder to find one people have fun watching anymore.

Footprint

Category
Acres Food 5.9
Mobility 0.5
Shelters 5.7
Goods/Services 5.7
Total Footprint 18

Worldwide there exists 4.5 biologically reproductive acres per person.

If everyone lived like you, we would need 4 planets.

I never realized that I used that many resources. Is the problem that we use too many resources or that there aren't enough resources for everyone to live a comfortable lifestyle? I do believe however that we should give back what we take. If Americans are consuming more than our share then we need to invest more in preserving resources than a country that barely has enough to survive. If we have the means to build up the environment and our resources so that there is more available to everyone, then we should, especially if we are the ones consuming the majority of it. It may not be fair that we consume so much as well, but I don't think most people will care enough to slow their consumption by much. People who have worked hard to afford a comfortable lifestyle won't want to give up what they feel they deserve as a reward for their hard work. Sure, three people could live in a little apartment pretty comfortably, but if they can afford a house where there is some extra room and space to have company over, they will most likely want the house. This tendency however bears the responsibility upon the US, and other countries in our position, to keep farmers on their land and protect the environment. Also to try to find better alternatives for fuel and other such resources that can harm the environment. We should do whatever we can.

My October Break

On Monday of my October break I went to visit a friend at school. She attends DePaul University in Chicago. After the search mission for a cheap place to park I finally met up with her. We visited her form which was, to my disappointment, almost twice the size of ours! We then took the metra to Millennium Park. There was great weather so we were able to walk around for hours looking around and enjoying each other's company. We saw the sculptures downtown and sat at a scenic spot, where we talked for over an hour. We also walked by the fountains in the Park. All we did was talk and find out everything we've missed while being away. It's not he same as wehen all of our friends are back together, but we got to make plans to all get together againAt the end of the day, we also went to Buffalo Wild Wings. I had never been there before and we actually ran into another friend of mine who goes to DePaul as well. It was a lot of fun. It may not seem like the most exciting or interesting day, but it was great to just be with my friends and enjoy the city on a great day!

Exams Round 2

The second round of exams is on the way. Once again, it is time to study each subject until e feel we know it inside and out. With my luck, once I get to the test I found out the professor favored the one section I didn't look over as much as the rest! At least my exams are spread out this time. I only have one exam a week for the next three weeks. I also have a test-out though to avoid COM 114. Some people are still worse off though. A friend of mine has three exams in a row on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Hopefully he'll get some type of a break on homework or I'm afraid he might have a breakdown! The exam schedule can be very hectic, especially when we still have to do MATLAB and chem labs and homework in general. On the bright side, after this we only have one round left this semester! The time will be gone before we know it and we'll be starting new classes with new professors, people, and exams. It'll be nice to have a change of pace, but now I've finally gotten used to what my professors expected and the people I see everyday.

The Replacements

I got to go home for a short time this weekend. During my stay I watched the movie The Replacements. I love this movie. Its fun and inspirational all at once. The story is easy o follow and at the end it makes you feel good. Whenever I'm tired or a little overworked these are the best kinds of movies to watch. I end up watching movies a lot at Purdue. The two dollar movies are a fun way to spend some time with my friends without costing me a lot of money! Whenever my roommate or I are doing homework in the dorm we'll turn on an old movie. This way we have something going on in the background. We can enjoy the story without being distracted since we already know what's coming. However, the movie selection at Earhart is slightly disappointing. The movies it has aren't bad, but it needs to get more movies. A bunch of them are even unavailable because the DVD was ruined at some point and never replaced! At least when I get bored with their selection there's always pool, ping pong, or foosball (not quite sure how to spell that!) in the lobby. Not that I only hang out in my dorm all the time, but these options are nice when my friends and I want to have fun but not have to put forth much effort!

Hidden truths.

What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one's heroic ancestors.
--James Baldwin

In describing our nation's history, many of the things people mention are the people and what they accomplished. This history and these people are the identity of our nation. The ideas and beliefs they supported and fought for define what our country is supposed to have believed. Therefore, all the hidden faults are the hidden identity of America. It is the other side of our people that we know is there, but refuse to display. It is similar to the way Loewen says we hide the more controversial part of people when we make them heroes. We don't want people knowing things that might be considered bad, lowering our opinion of them. We only want to display the things that we want others to learn from or to think that these are the only important acts of these people. Helen Keller being a socialist is not something we want to teach others, but we do want them to learn from her determination and perseverance to overcome her handicaps. Similarly, we hide the fact that Woodrow was racist since at this time, we had abolished slavery and decided our country a place of equal opportunity. It would contradict the ideals that America upheld. I agree with the epigraph, but I don't necessarily think that it is a bad thing. We shouldn't hide things, but we should emphasize our better side. This will show others what ideals we try to uphold. We don't have to deny our past, but we need to show we have learned from it. I only agree with Loewen to an extent however. Once people are capable of understanding the actions of our country's "heroes," we should be taught of the hidden life of these heroes. Before then, we should only teach that which we want people to believe themselves. Children are impressionable and might misunderstand what parts of a hero we want them to follow if they are presented with all the information.

Christmas time already!

Christmas has become a crazy holiday for my family, but I love it! Today I went with my grandpa, mom, and sister to help him pick out gifts for all 13 of his grandchildren! We had such a huge pile of clothes that the cashier even laughed at us! He isn't even finished, since my mom is pone of four that he will inevitably take out to dinner instead of getting gifts for. This way they all get to spend a night out together. Unfortunately for my parents, they have to buy gifts for all those kids, as well as their parents and my grandpa. This wouldn't be as bad, except that our family continues growing! We have one new addition and one soon to be added to my mom's side. Not to mention that my dad has 4 siblings with a total of 15 more kids! This holiday cost my family a fortune! My dad's side is willing to cut back on the older kids, but for some reason, my mom's family has no intention of reducing the cost anytime soon. Its a crazy couple of days since we celebrate on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but its so much fun and exhausting! We have to spread it out with so many people! Anyways, I thought it was pretty remarkable that we could buy for that many people in about an hour and a half!

Prison or care-free world?

Sometimes I wonder if the zoo is just a place that keeps animals in captivity when they don't belong there, just for our enjoyment. They are removed from their natural homes, and after a while many would not be able to survive if returned. While they are meant to have wide open lands to roam, they are put in a fairly small enclosure, compared to what they would have had, t o spend their life, never hunting or roaming again. This can be true, but it isn't like they have a bad life. I went to Brookfield Zoo while I was home, and saw many new additions. They even have wolves there now, and they even have so much room to be free that I could only find one out of five! These animals are given all that they need and taken care of very well. They don't have to worry about starvation, predators, or bad weather. The exhibits have so many things to make the habitat as comfortable and fun as possible for them. Some of the animals are even capable of coming by the people. Some of the birds are allowed to fly freely so the doors have to be kept shut. The peacocks roam the fields. Also, one of the monkey habitats have branches that go over the walkways so the monkeys could actually come right over you! There is no barrier between them and the visitors. They are not even forced to move around. It was very hot when I went, so many of the animals were just lying in the shade. So, prison or care-free world? I guess it just depends on which life you prefer.

My Mother

My mom makes me laugh all the time. I spent a good part of the day with her today, because she missed me enough to want to drive up here for the day with my sister. Even though I will be home next weekend, after the game of course. She said that two weeks was long enough to not see me. The things she says she misses about me are what amuse me most. She insisted on taking my laundry home with her, because she misses doing my laundry and having to figure out what is mine and what is my sister's! Also, my room is apparently not the same now that I don't mess it up and then she has to clean it. Whenever she comes here, she begins to clean my dorm room and even pulls outdated flyers off the walls in the hall! Even though she misses having me around, I love that she is very supportive of me being here, as long as she can talk to me about everyday! My mom even sends me a card about once a week. She must see me every couple of weeks, but she would never want me to miss out on this opportunity and stay home. I ust make sure to spend all the time I can with her when we get the chance!

Time Change

Unfortunately, in choosing to come to Purdue I jumped an hour ahead of almost all my friends from home. It is not a very difficult change to get used to, just slightly annoying when I come back and can't sleep because I'm used to being an hour earlier. The most painful part is that my friends don't remember I'm on a different time frame. Occasionally they'll call or text me at 12:30 or even 1:00 at home, because they are used to me being up that late at home when we don't have school really early in the morning. They fail to realize that it is already 1:30 or 2:00 here. Hopefully, they are starting to adjust, but until then I just answer and tell them they will have to wait until tomorrow unless it is incredibly important. Another side effect of the change, which my roommate finds very amusing, is that I always try to watch shows at the wrong time. It never occurs to me that now all the shows come on at the first time mentioned when they 9:00/8:00 central. I always tell her that we have to remember to watch the show at eight and then she has to remind me that I am no longer on central time!

Pictures of the Past

I prefer Neidich's photographs to those of Curtis. Curtis took the pictures portraying Native Americans in an unrealistic way. All the pictures enforce the stereotypes of Indians at the time. This is probably because of the sponsorship behind his photos. JP Morgan payed for his expedition and most likely expected a certain return on his investment. The fact that all his photos were posed and he dressed the characters makes them unreliable. All his photos show the Indians as warriors and dressed very traditionally (at least what we thought was traditional). Neidich had the purpose of wanting to show what we know to be true of the Indian lifestyle, purposefully contradicting Curtis' work. His work towards an honest representation makes his work appeal more to me. I know their is no attempt to alter the past and I can make observations about what has happened to the Indians from his photos with more security. He shows the Native Americans in more settings, not only as warriors but with family and in village life. Neidich wanted to make a wider social impact. He didn't take his photos for investors, but to portray the real way of life to all people. Without the financial tie, his photos are free of any obligation to show support any old views of Native Americans.

Were we justified?

The end does not always justify the means. Sometimes, the goal we are trying to achieve is not worth the cost of achieving it. In the war, all of those cities should not have been fire-bombed. Damaging 2/3 of the country was over-kill. The atomic bombs were too much as well. We were supposed to fight the armed forces. Through all the damage we did in the major cities, we destroyed and ended so many innocent lives. Some of the effects (from radiation) are still hurting people today. I'm sure the U.S. could have woand n the war without doing as much damage. It took so long Japan to build itself back up. To get Japan to surrender quicker was not worth burning 100,000 people and entirely destroying cities. Sure they launched a major attack on Pearl Harbor, but they still attacked a military base. They didn't target areas where many civilians were known to be. There should be some civility in war. We are supposed to be fighting to stop pain suffering, not cause it ourselves. Like McNamara said, these acts were not considered war crimes since they were used to end the war, but if they hadn't worked would people be more angry? If we had lost they would have probably been seen as cruel acts that were unnecessary. Our point of view on the situation seems to justify the means.

Physical Limit

I am exhausted right now. Not because its late, but because my weekend was so packed that I have barely slept but done more physical activity in one weekend than I ever have before. Finally, I've decided to become a certified diver. I love diving on vacations, but occasionally I am not allowed on certain dives because I wasn't certified. The class usually lasts for about a month and then there are open water and confined dives. Since it is getting colder however, we wanted to get the open water dives in within October. The Purdue Scuba Class then set up the class to be condensed to two days to do all the class work and confined dives. For the past two days I have spent probably 12 hours in a class room and 8 hours in a pool. Everything was great, but I probably would have learned more if I had time to absorb the class work and didn't have to perform so many tasks in a freezing pool for four hours a day. At least its done with, I don't think I could take another 10 hour day! Diving is a lot of fun though and you can see some amazing things, but I would recommend taking a class a little more spread out to anyone interested!

Technical Difficulties

I have never been very good with technology. I know enough to work what I use and usually, if its not to complicated, I can figure out how to work something new. This doesn't seem to help me anymore though. Everything electronic seems to be backfiring on me here at Purdue however. The day before I came my computer charger broke. Then, my phone charger stopped working and my service has been less than reliable. Also, I can not get wireless on my computer, use MATLAB remote, or get my DVD player to work on my TV. Needless to say, this has been very frustrating. It makes me wonder, am I just unlucky or am I completely clueless on how to handle my electronics? All I can say is that I miss my brother being able to fix any of these problems and having the security that I could rely on short wait time. Now, I have to find someone form iTap to take a look at my computer and at least get that problem out of the way. After that, I will make a commitment to not changing a thing unless I am absolutely positive it will not affect the setup of my system!

The Tales of Kate Bernheimer

This presentation was about an hour long. During this time, the author was introduced as well as her literature. Kate Bernheimer is a fiction writer who mixes fairy tales and folklore with reality in her books. She is currently working on the third installment of her trilogy. She read excerpts from the first two books The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold and The Complete Tales of Merry Gold. The Complete Tales of Lucy Gold will be the third book, as she is the third sister. Kate Bernheimer has other fictional works and is the founder of The Fairy Tale Review, a journal.
To be honest, this presentation was a little weird to me. The samples of her books showed stories of a young girl suffering at the hand of her sister. The older one, Merry, seems cruel and slightly twisted in her thinking. Some of the stories seemed random in the sense that without knowing the fairytale they came from, I didn't understand why certain things were said or done. For example, I don't understand the meaning of the story where all the girls were flowers but only one was allowed inside. Without any references to reality, I don't know what purpose this story was meant to have. Maybe it is just one of the books that is difficult to understand without having the entire story.

Britney's Comeback??

I never thought it would happen- but I feel bad for Britney Spears after her VMA performance. With everything that has happened to her in the past year, someone close to her should have stopped her from performing. She was not ready to be back on stage and to live up to what she used to be. While I have some doubt on her singing ability, she always put on a great act dancing and entertaining. At the VMAs her lip singing was, at times, very off and her dancing was not as sharp or skilled as it used to be. When the camera viewed the audience I could see in their face the discomfort they were feeling at the unexpected show. The sad thing is that the VMAs probably knew making her a performer would get them a lot of publicity, but they didn't care if it would be an embarrassment for her. I'm sure there were plenty of rehearsals at which they could have prepared her show to make sure she looked like she was prepared for spot light and the music business once again. At this point, I think people need to leave her alone to try and improve her state of life for her and her children. For all those who missed the show I have found a video- hope it woks!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkzhVHTXgS4

Life is changing so go with the flow!

Change can be good. I was really worried when I left home that I would lose my friends and miss out on so much. I moved and had to change high schools between my sophomore and junior years. I ended up losing touch with people that I had been very close to as we changed and got involved in different things. I have realized that I still find the time to talk to my friends. I still know all the things that they are doing and help them solve their day to day troubles. Granted I have to wait until its night to call so I don't use way too many minutes, but we make the time. When I do go home, seeing my family and friends is a little bit better since I know I have to make the most of it. My whole family is willing to get together to give me that time. Next summer I know we'll all be back together again anyways and then I'll be missing my friends from here. With my parents came the news of a new dog that has been added to the family. Apparently she is a little crazy but sweet. My family is all coming up for a football game too! One game for each side so they can see where I am living. Its strange for them to have to plan a weekend to see me, but it is good. I will get some amazing experiences here and then when I go home there is always some type of surprise waiting for me!

The Road Back. . .

Ishmael Beah's memoir and speech mentions many issues. He addresses child soldiering, war, lack of resources, lack of aid, use of illegal weapons, etc... What I found most inspiring were the rehabilitation centers. As he mentioned in the speech, it is not easy to help a child find themselves again once they have become a soldier. There is no quick fix. In the book, the volunteers had so much perseverance. They didn't even know these boys, but they would not leave them behind. Even when they were attacked and threatened, they would not give up. The people would just come back and try to give the kids all the attention and help they required. They made such a difference in the lives of these kids. Many probably owe their life to these establishments and the people who were willing to foster these boys. As Ishmael said, sometimes even after they were rehabilitated, they weren't welcomed back into towns and homes. People were still afraid and angry at what had happened to them. It was unfortunate that they didn't have places for young girls to receive help as well. Ishmael mentioned in his speech that many girls still won't come for aid. I'm sure there are many who could have used the help that Ishmael and the other young men received while they were still young enough to be saved.

The One Hour Break

I have heard plenty of people complain that about only having an hour between classes. There isn't really enough time to walk back to most of the dorms or time to sit at a dining hall very long by the time you get through lines and meet a friend. If you don't have a lunch break besides that hour I can see where that might be annoying. Personally however, I love these breaks. I get more work done during this hour when I have no distraction than in my dorm where my computer, TV, and roommate are all available. It doesn't even bother me to get a to-go meal and eat outside in the shade. Theres always those extra sides that I get to put in my dorm for breakfast or when I just need a snack. In the winter they might get worse since it probably won't be pleasant at all to sit outside, but right now I enjoy the time out in the sun instead of the classroom or my little dorm room since once I get there I usually find too many things to do and don't get to leave again. The only unfortunate thing is that the more one hour breaks I have, the longer my days are. The upside to this is that when I have too many classes in a row, I'm never paying attention by the end of the day. This break enable me to restart and will probably help me to learn better in class so I don't have to spend as much time out of class.

The Child of Today

Is the youth spoiled today? I hate to say but I think we they really are. Kids are obvious, especially when I see them walking down the street with a latte, cell phone, and Coach purse leaving the middle school! It just made me laugh the other day hearing about how my cousin gets her nails done once a month and shes 13 and my friends niece just got a cell phone for her 7th birthday. Its ridiculous the kinds of things kids get and even more so what they expect to get. Young teens only want designer clothes and accessories nowadays. The saddest part is that those who can't have that or don't care if they get designer because they are more realistic-its just clothes- are the ones who are made to feel bad about it. The ones who can't seem to live without such materialistic things are the ones who need to take a better look at reality. Part of it is shows like "Super Sweet Sixteen" and "Laguna Beach." Their lives are not the norm. Parents aren't really helping either. They give the kids everything without a second thought. I knew a girl who had an iPod and when the battery wasn't working well her dad bought her another instead of sending it in to be repaired since she didn't want to wait three weeks to get it back! When people have money they seem to show it. Adults can buy things for their children, but they need to communicate the value of money and the work that went into buying that item. Much of the youth will get a huge shock when they eventually have to start paying for their own things and realize spending $35 on a shirt could mean four hours of work. It makes me wonder, will this trend continue and eventually we'll be giving kids coffee to wake them up for elementary school or at some point will people realize how pointless it is to get a designer purse for a 7th grader?

Living in a Material World

All the commercials on TV make diamonds look beautiful and meaningful. Women are always happily receiving one. When I was younger and saw these and saw my mom's rings and what they meant from her it made me want one some day. I didn't know there could be any bad that came from them or that people were hurt and killed to get them. As I learned that girls get a diamond engagement ring, that became the situation in which I would get a diamond like my mother's and it was supposed to make me as happy as the girls who get them on sitcoms and movies. With more attention being pushed on the diamond industry and conflict diamonds my outlook has changed, as I hope many others did as well. We are now aware of conflict diamonds and it makes me very happy to know that most diamonds (we strongly believe) are conflict free. If I so choose to get a diamond one day I can be sure to find one that no one has been killed, tortured, or lost their family for. If this almost guarantee was not there, I don't think I would ever want a diamond. Knowing the methods of mining used for conflict diamonds, I could never wear a stone and think that it was worth the all it cost someone else. There are many other stones that are just as pretty, they just don't fit the story-book wedding or the other traditional romantic gestures (Valentine's Day or anniversary gifts). The songs about diamonds and the movie Blood Diamond are only somewhat good at informing of the facts about the industry. They mostly create an emotional bond to the issue of conflict diamonds. In the movie, we can see the pain and suffering of those people for a shiny rock and the song demonstrates the conflict of denying diamonds that we already have and have become symbolic to us as love, fortune, or power. However, this motivates people to look further into the issue and learn the facts. They get people to become interested enough to find out about conflict diamonds and they probably learn much more this way than they would have been able to from the actors or rap artists. I still might enjoy receiving or giving some form of diamonds eventually, but I would have to be sure of the origin of the diamond. For peace of mind and knowing that I did not lend any support, however small, to the practices of collecting conflict diamonds. From the readings, it does not seem difficult to find a conflict-free diamond and all it takes is a few questions to be sure the diamond is clean. At this point, I think I could be just as happy with another stone anyway. There are lots of beautiful colors out there that are less expensive in more ways than just cost, but the same meaning behind them.

Things happen

I'm getting a little tired with all the people who sue for stupid reasons and demanding more compensation than is due for any accident that occurs. For example, people should not be allowed to sue fast food chains because they are obese. No one makes them eat fattening foods; they choose their own diet and are therefore responsible for the consequences. Also, the lawsuits for things like the coffee was hot so it burnt a woman's tongue. She won this lawsuit and now McDonald's has to inform people that their hot coffee is in fact hot! There should be some type of common sense law that protects companies. My favorite story I found was about a guy who left the seat of his Winnebago while driving to make coffee. When the car crashed he sued the maker saying they never told him he couldn't leave the seat while driving and won! People like this don't deserve anything! Companies aren't the only ones being hurt however. A bus driver is being sent to jail on the charges of neglect and is being sued by a family for their little girl being left on the bus for 5-6 hours. Apparently the little girl fell asleep on the bus and the driver didn't notice that she was still on. Now, this driver's life is changed forever. Her criminal record will keep her from getting a job as a bus driver again and probably from a few other professions as well. It was an accident! She did not intentionally leave the child nor did anything bad happen to the her. The woman was already going to lose her job, but now she has a ton of trouble. I can understand that the family is upset but maybe they should see what they are really doing to this woman. I'm sure she is regretful but that doesn't change the fact that she won't be forgiven. Things happen but thats not an acceptable excuse for her mistake.

A few faults . . .

1) Use of mind tactics in military
2) No communication, just the physical approach to conflict
3) Military not united/organized
4) Use of children soldiers
5) Use of drugs by fighters to enhance their ability to kill
6) Loss of potential future for children (family, career, happiness)
7) Forced labor to get valuable resources
8) Permanent damage done to fighters of both sides
9) No safe place for people to go
10) Weapons are available to anyone
11) No moral code taught to either sides soldiers in training
12) Loss of self-identity when given identity of soldier (for either side)
13) Families torn apart
14) Innocent people brutally murdered/tortured
15) No aid from the outside to bring peace
16) Country stuck in poverty
17) Country living with constant threat of death and pain
18) Ignorance of the situation by others (UNICEF)
19) Lack of trust between citizens
20) Disease


In my opinion, the use of mind tactics in the war is the number one problem. In a way, it is what causes the war to continue. Ishmael is brought to the UNICEF camp, when he runs into the rebel children they begin to attack and kill each other. It did not matter that they were not on the battlefield nor did they have any reason besides some boys were rebels and some were military. It was forced into the minds of these children that anyone calling them self a member of the opposite side is responsible for their suffering and must be killed. The idea is reinforced many times over and I doubt it can ever fully be removed from these children's minds. The need to shed blood may become more under control, but they can never forget the feelings of hatred and anger that they once solely focused on. Soldiers also seem to follow a blind loyalty to their superiors. After the lieutenant pulled Ishmael through his first fight, Ishmael seemed willing to walk into any fight behind him. He never again questioned an order or fight and was actually hurt when the lieutenant wanted to save him from more fighting. It hasn't crossed his mind that he is being protected, only that he can no longer fight with his unit and carry his gun. Ishmael has lost his sense of self as to what he wants and needs. He only thinks of himself in terms of his place in his unit and even when he gets to the UNICEF camp he tries to create a new unit. He can't think outside of the war anymore.

To sleep or not to sleep?

My biggest concern at about midnight is my time management abilities. I have never been that organized, but I can usually get things done in a timely fashion. Lately I find myself keeping up with regular homework, but every time I get a lab or anything that I know will require more work than the average assignment I feel nervous. I'm worried that I won't have the time to get everything done well or the motivation to start work when I have free time versus relaxing or being with friends. There is a balance I'm sure, I just have to find it. Unfortunately, I'm still losing sleep. I find myself thinking about all the things I have to do the next day or week. I know that I will probably fall into a regular work schedule as I did in high school, but in the meantime is stressful to know that I always have math, English, and a chem lab every week guaranteed. There are also the papers, additional MATLAB assignments (most of which I have to meet with a team for), and the exams haven't even started!
Now that I have released some of my concerns I think I can get some rest. For anyone else feeling similar to me, just take it one day at a time! I'm sure we'll all get used to the Purdue process and find the tricks to balancing life and school!

All about me . . .

My name is Mary. I have a pretty large family. We know pretty much everything that happens in each others' lives since we are together so often, but I wouldn't want it any other way. My mom and I are close. One of the things I miss most are the walks we would go on at night and we could talk about anything. My dad was always there for whatever I needed and to encourage me. I have an older brother and a younger sister. My brother and I can talk about pretty much anything even though we fight every so often. I used to dance with my sister so I was always around for her.
My daily life was usually pretty busy. During the school year I had dance for an average of 15 hours a week. I was on my school dance team so I had to be at all the games and competitions. Before that I danced at a studio for a couple years in a hip-hop class. This past summer I waitressed to save money so I wouldn't have to work my first semester of college. When I did have spare time I liked to go out with my friends. My town wasn't all that exciting so we usually ended up watching movies, eating, or playing mini-golf. For exercise and relaxation I try to roller blade about an hour every day. I also enjoy reading and listening to music, and while I am somewhat shy to share my opinions on such things, I love listening to those of others.