It should have been easy when they told me.
I’d known it would happen all along,
It should have been easy,
But I was so wrong,
I shouldn’t have felt it,
The way I felt
I didn’t want to feel it,
accept it,
to know, that yes ,
you can feel your heart could break in two.
I shouldn’t have done it,
the way I cried,
but I didn’t care,
the world needed to share,
for how I so needed it to bear my pain.
My heart was broken,
and how did I know?
Well, wouldn’t you know if you had lost your soul?
Though life moved on I just sat and stared,
started at the face that was supposedly mine.
It was swollen and sunken,
red and blotchy,
in the mirror.
I could hear them talk to me,
feel them touch me,
but what did I care,
I just stared in the mirror,
why should I care,
for it was not me in that mirror.
Part of me left that day,
the scar on my heart remains.
And sometimes I just stand,
staring in the distance,
knowing that it’s gone.
She took it with her when she left me;
she left me, my dearest friend.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Steve Wozniak
If you use an Apple Computer, or any other form of personal computer, then you definitely can thank Steve Wozniak or the “Wonderful Wizard of Woz” for that privilege. Steve Wozniak was the cofounder of Apple in the 1970s with Steve Jobs. He has won many awards, and has created many patents and inventions, even now when he is not a full time employee of Apple.
Steve Wozniak met Steve Jobs when they worked together at the same summer job. Jobs told Wozniak that the mainframe computer he was working on should be sold as a Printed Circuit Board, finally convincing him when he said how fun it would be to say that they had owned a business, and it probably is. He decided to drop out of college and together the two worked on their design, first in Steve’s bedroom, but then in his garage. On April 1, 1976 the two founded Apple Computers, with Steve Jobs as the president and Steve Wozniak as the Vice President.
Since then Steve Wozniak has won several awards for his technological advancements. Some of them include the National Medal of Technology along with Steve Jobs, which was award to them by U.S. President Reagan, and the Heinz award for Technology. He was then entered into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2001. More impressively he went back to college and in 1989 he received his Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Colorado, and has also received Honorary Degrees from other colleges.
In 1981 Wozniak was in an aircraft crash which gave him some forms of amnesia, which made it very difficult for him to work and even though he soon regained his full memory he retired from his full-time job in 1987, but still remains an employee at Apple Computers. Steve Wozniak has been the inventor of many things other than Apple 1. He is also credited with making many video games, and has now founded many organizations that will have a hand in the roll of technology in our future. One of them is the Wheels of Zeus program created in 2001 to make a wireless GPS system (This is where he gets another nickname of WoZ). He has patented many things from a Microcomputer with a visual display to a digitally controlled with color signal generation.
In all, Steve Wozniak is a brilliant man who has made life easier for all of us by making many new and useful inventions in the world of modern science and that of future science as well. Steve Wozniak is truly one of the most important men who have influenced the technological world.
"Steve Wozniak." Wikopedia. Wikipedia, 7 Febuary 2011. Web. 6 Feb 2011..
Steve Wozniak met Steve Jobs when they worked together at the same summer job. Jobs told Wozniak that the mainframe computer he was working on should be sold as a Printed Circuit Board, finally convincing him when he said how fun it would be to say that they had owned a business, and it probably is. He decided to drop out of college and together the two worked on their design, first in Steve’s bedroom, but then in his garage. On April 1, 1976 the two founded Apple Computers, with Steve Jobs as the president and Steve Wozniak as the Vice President.
Since then Steve Wozniak has won several awards for his technological advancements. Some of them include the National Medal of Technology along with Steve Jobs, which was award to them by U.S. President Reagan, and the Heinz award for Technology. He was then entered into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2001. More impressively he went back to college and in 1989 he received his Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Colorado, and has also received Honorary Degrees from other colleges.
In 1981 Wozniak was in an aircraft crash which gave him some forms of amnesia, which made it very difficult for him to work and even though he soon regained his full memory he retired from his full-time job in 1987, but still remains an employee at Apple Computers. Steve Wozniak has been the inventor of many things other than Apple 1. He is also credited with making many video games, and has now founded many organizations that will have a hand in the roll of technology in our future. One of them is the Wheels of Zeus program created in 2001 to make a wireless GPS system (This is where he gets another nickname of WoZ). He has patented many things from a Microcomputer with a visual display to a digitally controlled with color signal generation.
In all, Steve Wozniak is a brilliant man who has made life easier for all of us by making many new and useful inventions in the world of modern science and that of future science as well. Steve Wozniak is truly one of the most important men who have influenced the technological world.
"Steve Wozniak." Wikopedia. Wikipedia, 7 Febuary 2011. Web. 6 Feb 2011.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Story...
With a jolt Addy flew awake. Gasping for breath, she pulled her long legs out from the covers and hugged her arms around her knees, rocking her body gently back and forth. Slowly, she reached out a shaky hand and pushed her slightly damp milk chocolaty hair out of her face. With a deep breath she composed herself and turned her bed side lamp on. There was no use trying to go back to sleep, she already knew that. Quietly she slipped out of bed and placed her wiry feet onto the cool hardwood floor. Numbly she slipped out of her fleece pajamas and put on an old faded tee-shirt from her closet and a pair of black gym shorts and knee length polka-dotted socks from her chest of drawers. She walked over towards her door and leaned over her night stand to turn her lamp off. With one hand placed against the white door frame and the other on the silver door knob she opened her door without a sound, closed it, and slid through the hall into the kitchen. Opening a drawer next to the table she pulled out a pad of lime green sticky notes and took the top one off before replacing the item. With yet another delicate movement she pulled out a pen and drew a circle with two dots in the middle. She placed the note on the counter, put the pen in the drawer, and then lifted the drawer up while pushing it in to hide the noise. She headed to the railing, which adjoined the staircase with the kitchen, and pulled her big baggy lime green sweater off, and slid into it. She headed to the kitchen door and pulled a dark blue Aggie baseball hat off of the black metal coat rack. Taking the pony that she always put on the brim of her hat she pulled her rich shoulder-blade length hair into a pony, and threaded it though the back of her hat. Her final task was to grab her shoes, which were already tied, shove them on and unlatch the kitchen door, where she plunged into the uninviting dark morning.
Addy had already been running for two hours before looking over her shoulder and seeing the familiar silhouette entering the cemetery. Quickly she adjusted her pace to a jog before continuing further.
Within a few seconds he spotted her. Even in the early light he could recognize her with her bouncing pony tail, green sweater and polka-dotted socks. Tiredly he made his way to catch up with her. Deciding to sneak up on her, he got up behind her, reached out and gently tugged her ponytail. With a jump she turned around while still jogging, an accusing and angry expression marking her face and highlighting her brown eyes. With a sheepish grin he simply shrugged and met her pace. She turned her face and rolled her dark blue eyes with a smile.
“How long have you been going?”
“Oh, not that long, maybe 20 minutes,” She shrugged.
“Good, let’s see how much longer it takes to turn a dancer into a cross country runner.” He grinned.
“I hate it when you smile like that.”
Addy had already been running for two hours before looking over her shoulder and seeing the familiar silhouette entering the cemetery. Quickly she adjusted her pace to a jog before continuing further.
Within a few seconds he spotted her. Even in the early light he could recognize her with her bouncing pony tail, green sweater and polka-dotted socks. Tiredly he made his way to catch up with her. Deciding to sneak up on her, he got up behind her, reached out and gently tugged her ponytail. With a jump she turned around while still jogging, an accusing and angry expression marking her face and highlighting her brown eyes. With a sheepish grin he simply shrugged and met her pace. She turned her face and rolled her dark blue eyes with a smile.
“How long have you been going?”
“Oh, not that long, maybe 20 minutes,” She shrugged.
“Good, let’s see how much longer it takes to turn a dancer into a cross country runner.” He grinned.
“I hate it when you smile like that.”
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Is There a Fair Solution to the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict?
Is there a fair solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict? It is definitely not probable. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict has stretched out for centuries, and is currently between the Arabs (Palestinians) and the Jews (Israelis), and while there has been many attempts by governments to straighten out the problems, they all seem to be in vain, and as if the people themselves do not want a change.
The Palestinian- Israeli conflict has stretched on for centuries. It is all based off of a major land dispute. The land of Palestine has been invaded from anyone from Alexander the Great to the Romans, who gave the land the name of Palestine. It was later invaded by the Arabs, who are still part of the land dispute today. Then, the League of Nations declared that Britain needed to find a land to relocate the Jews and so naturally their homeland was chosen. Jews started to immigrate during the 20th century back into Israel, until World War 11, during which an approximate 5-6,000 Jews were killed. The UN then separated Palestine in Jewish and Arabs states. The Arabs refused this agreement and started to become violent. Their leader at this time was Husseini. So why so much dispute about the land? Each group wants the rights to Jerusalem, and the limited water supplies. The Jews believe (especially the Zionists) that they have the rightful claim to their homeland, where as the Arabs believe that they should be given the land seems as how they conquered it long ago.
There have however, been several attempts by the governments of each State, to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. For many years the UN and “the quartet” (this actually consists of Russia, the U.S, the United Nations, and the European Union) had/ have tried to talk the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and the Israeli government to talk, but all negotiations that were held in Washington D.C., eventually fell through. Eventually, PLO leader and Israeli Government leader, Yitzak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, got together without any hope or want of agreeing, and actually made an article that has caused huge progression in the history of progression of the war. They made the article the Oslo Declaration of Principles. This document said that the other party had to finally recognize each other as their own government (this caused a reduction in border disputes). The Israelis (more specifically their army) were also to pull out of some areas in Jericho, the Ghaza Strip and the West Bank allowing the Palestinians an opportunity to form a government. Later (1994) they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Shimon Pears, “for their effort to create piece in the Middle East”. Sadly enough, this document started to fail as an “almost” peace treaty by 2000, when multiple attacks from either side started to become more frequent.
In some ways I find it amazing that the people of these two states are the same ones who do not desire a peace treaty. They believe that each party would have to give up far to much to make the other side happy, such was the case with the Israelis pulling out of some areas for the Palestinians, as declared in the Oslo Declaration of Principles. Now the violence called the “Intifadeh” has risen, with even government forces, such as the police, getting involved with the strikes. Groups such as the Palestinian Hamas have been formed who teach things such as,
"Jews are a people who cannot be trusted. They have been traitors to all agreements. Go back to history. Their fate is their vanishing,” "We will not rest until we destroy the Zionist entity", and even "suffering by fire is the Jews' destiny in this world and the next."
Israelis have killed Palestinians in so called “self defense”. Border lines are becoming increasing dangerous as soldiers sometimes call fire because a vehicle looks large or dangerous, and end up killing innocent civilians.
So the final question. Is there a fair solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict? No. As far as I am concerned, there never has, nor will there ever be. The people must learn to sacrifice, and must have a greater to desire to end this man-slaughter then to keep their pride. There will always be extremists, and there will always be passer-bys. It is my opinion, that until the Passer-bys become interested, and the extremists learn to listen, there will never even be a solution to this centuries long war.
“Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
Golda Meir
The Palestinian- Israeli conflict has stretched on for centuries. It is all based off of a major land dispute. The land of Palestine has been invaded from anyone from Alexander the Great to the Romans, who gave the land the name of Palestine. It was later invaded by the Arabs, who are still part of the land dispute today. Then, the League of Nations declared that Britain needed to find a land to relocate the Jews and so naturally their homeland was chosen. Jews started to immigrate during the 20th century back into Israel, until World War 11, during which an approximate 5-6,000 Jews were killed. The UN then separated Palestine in Jewish and Arabs states. The Arabs refused this agreement and started to become violent. Their leader at this time was Husseini. So why so much dispute about the land? Each group wants the rights to Jerusalem, and the limited water supplies. The Jews believe (especially the Zionists) that they have the rightful claim to their homeland, where as the Arabs believe that they should be given the land seems as how they conquered it long ago.
There have however, been several attempts by the governments of each State, to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. For many years the UN and “the quartet” (this actually consists of Russia, the U.S, the United Nations, and the European Union) had/ have tried to talk the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and the Israeli government to talk, but all negotiations that were held in Washington D.C., eventually fell through. Eventually, PLO leader and Israeli Government leader, Yitzak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, got together without any hope or want of agreeing, and actually made an article that has caused huge progression in the history of progression of the war. They made the article the Oslo Declaration of Principles. This document said that the other party had to finally recognize each other as their own government (this caused a reduction in border disputes). The Israelis (more specifically their army) were also to pull out of some areas in Jericho, the Ghaza Strip and the West Bank allowing the Palestinians an opportunity to form a government. Later (1994) they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Shimon Pears, “for their effort to create piece in the Middle East”. Sadly enough, this document started to fail as an “almost” peace treaty by 2000, when multiple attacks from either side started to become more frequent.
In some ways I find it amazing that the people of these two states are the same ones who do not desire a peace treaty. They believe that each party would have to give up far to much to make the other side happy, such was the case with the Israelis pulling out of some areas for the Palestinians, as declared in the Oslo Declaration of Principles. Now the violence called the “Intifadeh” has risen, with even government forces, such as the police, getting involved with the strikes. Groups such as the Palestinian Hamas have been formed who teach things such as,
"Jews are a people who cannot be trusted. They have been traitors to all agreements. Go back to history. Their fate is their vanishing,” "We will not rest until we destroy the Zionist entity", and even "suffering by fire is the Jews' destiny in this world and the next."
Israelis have killed Palestinians in so called “self defense”. Border lines are becoming increasing dangerous as soldiers sometimes call fire because a vehicle looks large or dangerous, and end up killing innocent civilians.
So the final question. Is there a fair solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict? No. As far as I am concerned, there never has, nor will there ever be. The people must learn to sacrifice, and must have a greater to desire to end this man-slaughter then to keep their pride. There will always be extremists, and there will always be passer-bys. It is my opinion, that until the Passer-bys become interested, and the extremists learn to listen, there will never even be a solution to this centuries long war.
“Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”
Golda Meir
Thursday, January 13, 2011
More Foreign Languages Should be taught in Schools
?مرحبا. كيف حالك?Your face suddenly falls into a state of depression, confusion and anger as you walk into the foreign airport. This is your first time in the country of your dreams. You walk in with your head up, back straight, carry on bag over your shoulder and an Arabic- English book in your hand. It may just be the airport but already you smell the new smells, and are curiously looking out the windows to see an array of amazing landscapes, and wonders of ancient and unique architecture. People swarm around you, who seem so fascinatingly different with the way they dress and express themselves. Blindly walking you absorb the splendor to make your way to the baggage claim to retrieve your luggage and start your adventure, only to find that to your distress, you cannot read any of the signs. You turn trying to find someone to ask, but even as you do it seems that those free online courses definitely did not prepare you enough for the fast rapid-fire pronouncing of their dialect, and you stumble off in the direction your guide first pointed you to. The fact is simply that not nearly enough foreign languages are offered in schools. If we were to offer more foreign languages we could reduce the frustration and embarrassment when it comes to traveling to foreign countries when you are perhaps older or on study abroad, improve foreign relations, and give students more exciting options for foreign languages requirements and to get them more excited about visiting foreign countries.
Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a student on their first study abroad trip to a foreign country, you have probably had to deal with what it feels like to not be able to communicate as freely as you had wished in a different country. Schools tend to teach only Spanish, French, Chinese, and if you’re lucky, German. However, I know that personally I would love to go to countries that did not speak these languages. One professional states that, “Being able to speak another person’s language is a critical skill, especially as increased travel opportunities, satellite programming, and international use of the internet have begun to create a truly global community.”
Learning a foreign language is impressive, and it shows that you are willing to take the time and effort to be able to communicate with the people who live in that country. Foreign relations would definitely improve in countries such as the Middle East if people/students were given the opportunity to start learning the languages in Junior High so they could have been learning the language for six years. Research has proven that students who are immersed in foreign languages have “outstanding communication skills, both written and oral.” Students can also learn the cultural side of the countries who speak that language, reducing some of the tension that is created when you do something that is not against their culture. The problem with introducing these languages into schools may simply be that it is too expensive and hard to find teachers who have the capability to speak these languages. Also, in the Chinese/ American teacher exchange program you may have a new teacher every year. As a student who has had to undergo that change I will say that it is very stressful. You have a new teacher who doesn’t know what you have already been taught, making taking that class seem totally pointless. My solution to the problem would simply be to hire one permanent foreign language teacher in that subject, and have a set course. It would still be expensive to hire that many teachers, but if less of the education money were to go into the administrative portion of education, sports, or clubs with few students and excessive money, we could have the money to get more foreign languages, which all in all would help students. Some steps have already been taken. In 2006 President Bush helped to form the National Security Language Initiative agency which is helping the United States to increase the number of Americans learning foreign languages.
Let’s face it, the requirements to get into a decent college have heightened and for scholarships you almost have to have taken a foreign language class. Not to mention a study was taken of 17,000 college students. It was proven that the students who were enrolled in foreign languages had higher scores on the ACT, and SAT college entrance exams. If students were given more options for foreign languages, more students might actually take them, where an estimated 58.4 percent of high school students are not currently enrolled. It would also give students a better chance of getting higher paying jobs and a better probability of being promoted. While it may be said that not enough students take the already offered languages, they may if they are actually given the option of languages that truly interest them. More research shows that 50 percent of students drop out of their language class on the way to their next level. More interest in a language could prevent this major dropout rate. Also, smaller class sizes, that could be created by students taking different languages, generally are created by students who actually want to excel in that specific language, making it easier for individuals and groups to excel.
Foreign languages in school will help more students be able to get better scholarships, educations and careers. It would improve foreign relations by showing that you care about that country enough to have teenagers and even adults trying to learn how to communicate better with you, and it might encourage other countries to do the same. They can then also understand the cultural side of that country, which would reduce the amount of conflicts. It would also be less embarrassing for travelers and make your trips more enjoyable and not focused on the stress of trying to communicate in a seemingly unknown language.
Works Cited:
"Benefits of Foreign Language Education." Public School Review. Public School Review . 2003-2011. Web. 1 Jan. ..
"Why Study a Foreign Language?." Washington State University. Web. 1 Jan. 2011..
Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a student on their first study abroad trip to a foreign country, you have probably had to deal with what it feels like to not be able to communicate as freely as you had wished in a different country. Schools tend to teach only Spanish, French, Chinese, and if you’re lucky, German. However, I know that personally I would love to go to countries that did not speak these languages. One professional states that, “Being able to speak another person’s language is a critical skill, especially as increased travel opportunities, satellite programming, and international use of the internet have begun to create a truly global community.”
Learning a foreign language is impressive, and it shows that you are willing to take the time and effort to be able to communicate with the people who live in that country. Foreign relations would definitely improve in countries such as the Middle East if people/students were given the opportunity to start learning the languages in Junior High so they could have been learning the language for six years. Research has proven that students who are immersed in foreign languages have “outstanding communication skills, both written and oral.” Students can also learn the cultural side of the countries who speak that language, reducing some of the tension that is created when you do something that is not against their culture. The problem with introducing these languages into schools may simply be that it is too expensive and hard to find teachers who have the capability to speak these languages. Also, in the Chinese/ American teacher exchange program you may have a new teacher every year. As a student who has had to undergo that change I will say that it is very stressful. You have a new teacher who doesn’t know what you have already been taught, making taking that class seem totally pointless. My solution to the problem would simply be to hire one permanent foreign language teacher in that subject, and have a set course. It would still be expensive to hire that many teachers, but if less of the education money were to go into the administrative portion of education, sports, or clubs with few students and excessive money, we could have the money to get more foreign languages, which all in all would help students. Some steps have already been taken. In 2006 President Bush helped to form the National Security Language Initiative agency which is helping the United States to increase the number of Americans learning foreign languages.
Let’s face it, the requirements to get into a decent college have heightened and for scholarships you almost have to have taken a foreign language class. Not to mention a study was taken of 17,000 college students. It was proven that the students who were enrolled in foreign languages had higher scores on the ACT, and SAT college entrance exams. If students were given more options for foreign languages, more students might actually take them, where an estimated 58.4 percent of high school students are not currently enrolled. It would also give students a better chance of getting higher paying jobs and a better probability of being promoted. While it may be said that not enough students take the already offered languages, they may if they are actually given the option of languages that truly interest them. More research shows that 50 percent of students drop out of their language class on the way to their next level. More interest in a language could prevent this major dropout rate. Also, smaller class sizes, that could be created by students taking different languages, generally are created by students who actually want to excel in that specific language, making it easier for individuals and groups to excel.
Foreign languages in school will help more students be able to get better scholarships, educations and careers. It would improve foreign relations by showing that you care about that country enough to have teenagers and even adults trying to learn how to communicate better with you, and it might encourage other countries to do the same. They can then also understand the cultural side of that country, which would reduce the amount of conflicts. It would also be less embarrassing for travelers and make your trips more enjoyable and not focused on the stress of trying to communicate in a seemingly unknown language.
Works Cited:
"Benefits of Foreign Language Education." Public School Review. Public School Review . 2003-2011. Web. 1 Jan. .
"Why Study a Foreign Language?." Washington State University. Web. 1 Jan. 2011.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Some book reports...
Cold as Ice:
Blackness surrounds me as I sit on the couch in the lighted living room. Malicious and dangerous words creating a swirling vortex tying me in place until the book is finally closed. As I sit there shocked, it slowly releases me back into the world that I suddenly realize is as Cold as Ice. When Abigail Wyatt falls and nearly kills herself on too icy stairs, she realizes that the plot to frame her younger brother, Derek, has suddenly turned to a plot to kill her. Abigail, being the older of the two, and the mediator of her shambles of her family, she immediately is the first to protect her brother when he is convicted of a murder, and was sent to the site of the murder. Her life turns into mad chaos as she tries to protect her run- away brother, get her parents to talk to him, manage her book and candy store, and manage her feelings towards her best friends ex- boyfriend Kyle. Convinced that, even after he has run, that Derek is not the killer, she finds herself interviewing the people who may have set him up, and not to mention, want to shut her up just like they did to Karen Brodie, Derek's mysterious and stalking land lady. Torn between her intuition and the world she'll struggle to prove to everyone and even to herself of Derek's innocence. Written by two time Whitney award winner Stephanie Black, join Abby as she struggles to keep her family alive and safe in Cold as Ice.
Poison Study:
Walking through the blindingly bright corridors after a year in the blackest of cells, I sought only my death by hanging, for I had murdered one, one higher in rank than I. Little did I know that I was going to be lead only to my second death, a different one. One that would include Butterfly's Death, a man, an assassin, whom I found to love, and the intoxicating prison of political controversy. I became, what others only fear to be, and fear to love, I changed from a murderer to one who was to be murdered, the Commanders Food Taster. Each day may be my last in the former kingdom of Ixia, commanded now by Captains, and seemingly soon to be controlled by the devilish man whose wicked, torturous so I was forced to kill.
I opened the book, suspense tensely threaded in the air. The simple name seemed to entreaty a mysterious and hidden secret. Poison Study is a trilogy written by Mario V. Snyder. I admit myself despite my great hopes to be disappointed with this book. It was Really good, and yet when the author had the chance to improve the plot bit by bit, it got more shallow and cheep. I will admit that there were some parts of the book that were really good, and that I didn't want to stop reading, but as I said it got shallow. Especially the characters. Yelena has the potential to be an intriguing young woman, with a shadowy and horrendous background, yet she seemed to be portrayed as a shallow protagonist. I guess that my biggest let down was Valek. He had the potential to be dark, mysterious, and hidden, and yet he is also portrayed far to shallow for one with the frame she had built for him. He is too childlike and immature in some ways, and brought in to the book as a way too repel not knowing what else to do, which then created a really cheesy romance. He could have been darker, and deeper (in a good way), and the book also, instead of turning shallow (I know I keep using that word).
Blackness surrounds me as I sit on the couch in the lighted living room. Malicious and dangerous words creating a swirling vortex tying me in place until the book is finally closed. As I sit there shocked, it slowly releases me back into the world that I suddenly realize is as Cold as Ice. When Abigail Wyatt falls and nearly kills herself on too icy stairs, she realizes that the plot to frame her younger brother, Derek, has suddenly turned to a plot to kill her. Abigail, being the older of the two, and the mediator of her shambles of her family, she immediately is the first to protect her brother when he is convicted of a murder, and was sent to the site of the murder. Her life turns into mad chaos as she tries to protect her run- away brother, get her parents to talk to him, manage her book and candy store, and manage her feelings towards her best friends ex- boyfriend Kyle. Convinced that, even after he has run, that Derek is not the killer, she finds herself interviewing the people who may have set him up, and not to mention, want to shut her up just like they did to Karen Brodie, Derek's mysterious and stalking land lady. Torn between her intuition and the world she'll struggle to prove to everyone and even to herself of Derek's innocence. Written by two time Whitney award winner Stephanie Black, join Abby as she struggles to keep her family alive and safe in Cold as Ice.
Poison Study:
Walking through the blindingly bright corridors after a year in the blackest of cells, I sought only my death by hanging, for I had murdered one, one higher in rank than I. Little did I know that I was going to be lead only to my second death, a different one. One that would include Butterfly's Death, a man, an assassin, whom I found to love, and the intoxicating prison of political controversy. I became, what others only fear to be, and fear to love, I changed from a murderer to one who was to be murdered, the Commanders Food Taster. Each day may be my last in the former kingdom of Ixia, commanded now by Captains, and seemingly soon to be controlled by the devilish man whose wicked, torturous so I was forced to kill.
I opened the book, suspense tensely threaded in the air. The simple name seemed to entreaty a mysterious and hidden secret. Poison Study is a trilogy written by Mario V. Snyder. I admit myself despite my great hopes to be disappointed with this book. It was Really good, and yet when the author had the chance to improve the plot bit by bit, it got more shallow and cheep. I will admit that there were some parts of the book that were really good, and that I didn't want to stop reading, but as I said it got shallow. Especially the characters. Yelena has the potential to be an intriguing young woman, with a shadowy and horrendous background, yet she seemed to be portrayed as a shallow protagonist. I guess that my biggest let down was Valek. He had the potential to be dark, mysterious, and hidden, and yet he is also portrayed far to shallow for one with the frame she had built for him. He is too childlike and immature in some ways, and brought in to the book as a way too repel not knowing what else to do, which then created a really cheesy romance. He could have been darker, and deeper (in a good way), and the book also, instead of turning shallow (I know I keep using that word).
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Girls and the Media... Please Comment!
Hey! I just wanted to get some opinions on this. Not only on the subject, though that would be great too, but on the writing and such. Thanks! Sorry for being late on my words last week!
There she lies on the couch. Her raven black hair is perfectly layered, tapered, and straightened with the top layer immaculately curled. With a gentle hand she pushes her dark side sweeps off of her forehead and behind her ear. Her forest green eyes are highlighted with light copper tones and tactfully applied grey eyeliner, with a final touch of lightly painted eyelashes. Her skin is smooth as cream with a light spread of blush adding just a touch of color to her cheeks. As she gently smiles her lip-gloss coated lips unmask a set of gorgeous pearly white teeth. She gently clicks a manicured fingernail on the black remote that lies next to her designer jeans and snug white tee-shirt. Suddenly her smile vanishes and her doe-eyes sink as she sees the model appear on the screen. Flouncing a strapless and slightly revealing dress, completed with unrealistically attractive hair, a tiny waist and a gorgeous frame. Quickly she gets up and runs to the bathroom. She looks in the mirror. Not pretty enough, she sighs. She turns and twists her 20 in. waist, just isn’t small enough. Her shoulders slump and she goes back to her couch.
The effects of the media on girls are becoming a serious issue. They are seemingly trying to prove to females that unless they’re thin, tall, have gorgeous legs and wear heavy makeup and other forms of cosmetic supplies, that they’re worthless. Not only are they targeting the physical side of females, but the mental side also. Making girls feel that they cannot be intelligent, but instead must be known as fun-loving and let others solve their problems for them.
In 1992 a poll was taken at Stanford University among the female students there. 70 percent said after looking at magazines they felt worse about their bodies. Recent surveys say 90 percent of women do not like their bodies. Probably the biggest effect on women through the media is that they need to be minuscule. The media tries to flaunt the fact that unless you have an eighteen inch waist your social life will be non-existent. Magazines barrage girls with underweight models. Toy industries sell toys such as the Barbie Doll, that when tested to be a live girl, would actual die due to the inaccurate proportions of its body. This makes girls who are the appropriate body size believe they are truly overweight. A teen magazine actually reported that 35 percent of 6-12 year old girls had actually already been on a diet. That, however, is not the only scary percentage.
Forty-three percent of girls who are from six to nine years old are already using lip gloss or lip stick. Another thing sold to girls through the media, is the need to wear layers of makeup. Cover-up, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, lip stick, lip gloss, you name it they try to sell it. How do they sell it so well? They try to undermine girls to make them feel they aren’t pretty and that certain product is the only chance they’ll ever have, leading up to the point where girls almost look like they have plastic faces. They also make girls believe that if they want boys to notice them, especially teens, that they need to wear makeup, and yet online polls have proven that men are okay with moderate make-up, but truly prefer little or none.
Books, movies, and other forms of media make girls feel that they need to sit in the back and act pretty and faint and such while a male protagonist solves their problems for them. Add to that commercials and movies showing girls having good time and partying, other girls acting stupid and obsessed with vanity who are without a care in the world. Social networking cites make girls try to glam themselves up and smart themselves down to try to impress males. They disvalue education and make girls feel they need to hide their intelligence from others because it seems “unattractive” and that it will scare others away from them.
I think that this is ridiculous. Every girl is amazing in some way or another. Each one is beautiful in their own way. We don’t need makeup or tiny waists, so why does the media continually try to make girls feel they must be like this? Couldn’t we have a media that projects their products in a way that makes them seem like a little perk, or just for fun, not so serious and life threatening? I also want to encourage girls to take a look at their selves and realize they don’t need to hide behind makeup and flimsy clothing to be attractive. Be yourselves, that’s the most attractive version of yourself you can ever project.
There she lies on the couch. Her raven black hair is perfectly layered, tapered, and straightened with the top layer immaculately curled. With a gentle hand she pushes her dark side sweeps off of her forehead and behind her ear. Her forest green eyes are highlighted with light copper tones and tactfully applied grey eyeliner, with a final touch of lightly painted eyelashes. Her skin is smooth as cream with a light spread of blush adding just a touch of color to her cheeks. As she gently smiles her lip-gloss coated lips unmask a set of gorgeous pearly white teeth. She gently clicks a manicured fingernail on the black remote that lies next to her designer jeans and snug white tee-shirt. Suddenly her smile vanishes and her doe-eyes sink as she sees the model appear on the screen. Flouncing a strapless and slightly revealing dress, completed with unrealistically attractive hair, a tiny waist and a gorgeous frame. Quickly she gets up and runs to the bathroom. She looks in the mirror. Not pretty enough, she sighs. She turns and twists her 20 in. waist, just isn’t small enough. Her shoulders slump and she goes back to her couch.
The effects of the media on girls are becoming a serious issue. They are seemingly trying to prove to females that unless they’re thin, tall, have gorgeous legs and wear heavy makeup and other forms of cosmetic supplies, that they’re worthless. Not only are they targeting the physical side of females, but the mental side also. Making girls feel that they cannot be intelligent, but instead must be known as fun-loving and let others solve their problems for them.
In 1992 a poll was taken at Stanford University among the female students there. 70 percent said after looking at magazines they felt worse about their bodies. Recent surveys say 90 percent of women do not like their bodies. Probably the biggest effect on women through the media is that they need to be minuscule. The media tries to flaunt the fact that unless you have an eighteen inch waist your social life will be non-existent. Magazines barrage girls with underweight models. Toy industries sell toys such as the Barbie Doll, that when tested to be a live girl, would actual die due to the inaccurate proportions of its body. This makes girls who are the appropriate body size believe they are truly overweight. A teen magazine actually reported that 35 percent of 6-12 year old girls had actually already been on a diet. That, however, is not the only scary percentage.
Forty-three percent of girls who are from six to nine years old are already using lip gloss or lip stick. Another thing sold to girls through the media, is the need to wear layers of makeup. Cover-up, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, lip stick, lip gloss, you name it they try to sell it. How do they sell it so well? They try to undermine girls to make them feel they aren’t pretty and that certain product is the only chance they’ll ever have, leading up to the point where girls almost look like they have plastic faces. They also make girls believe that if they want boys to notice them, especially teens, that they need to wear makeup, and yet online polls have proven that men are okay with moderate make-up, but truly prefer little or none.
Books, movies, and other forms of media make girls feel that they need to sit in the back and act pretty and faint and such while a male protagonist solves their problems for them. Add to that commercials and movies showing girls having good time and partying, other girls acting stupid and obsessed with vanity who are without a care in the world. Social networking cites make girls try to glam themselves up and smart themselves down to try to impress males. They disvalue education and make girls feel they need to hide their intelligence from others because it seems “unattractive” and that it will scare others away from them.
I think that this is ridiculous. Every girl is amazing in some way or another. Each one is beautiful in their own way. We don’t need makeup or tiny waists, so why does the media continually try to make girls feel they must be like this? Couldn’t we have a media that projects their products in a way that makes them seem like a little perk, or just for fun, not so serious and life threatening? I also want to encourage girls to take a look at their selves and realize they don’t need to hide behind makeup and flimsy clothing to be attractive. Be yourselves, that’s the most attractive version of yourself you can ever project.
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