Coming to a Close

I can not believe that it is finally here. The end of my freshman year at SMU. It seems like only last month, I was saying good bye to my parents out front of Moody Coliseum and heading off to corral. Now here I am getting ready to pack up and head back home. 

This year has been very life changing. I've lived on my own; no parents telling me when and where to be, what to do, etc. I have had to learn to organize my time between work and play. I am glad I took this experience leaving the comfort of my parent's nest and flying on my own, but I am ready to go home though. Not having to worry about what is due the next day and if I want to go out with friends with no academic repercussions.  It will be hard the first few days, getting back under my parents roof, going by their rules, doing things when they want.  It will become routine again and before I know it, I will be back in Dallas, getting ready to go off to corral. This time though I will be the leader, not the scared freshman. 

Kate and 8 minus Jon?

I love Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC. I have seen and can probably quote every episode ever shown. Of course I was shocked to see this article on my Yahoo home page when I logged onto the Internet last Tuesday. 

I was horrified! How could he even think about cheating? What about all of his kids? This lead of course to me googling divorce rates. I found that the media projects that 50% of marriages will end in divorce and there is a 61% chance that the couple has children under the age of 18. For these kids of divorced parents there is a 33% chance that they will drop out of high school.

 I know that seems pretty drastic. I have many friends who have divorced parents and they graduated at the top of the class. I think that divorce can be a tough time for anyone in the family just because everyone feels like it is their fault, that they didn't do something right. I hope for the Gosselins that they will work through their problems and that everything will be fine. I mean who could fight when you have such adorable children? 

Commenting on Twittering and Weight Loss

I just read Dvyrsity's blog about Twittering and Weight Loss. I think it is basically fad. How could you possibly loss weight when you are just sitting on your computer and watching what everyone is doing? I think that this is just a way to get people to join Twitter. 

Commenting on 15 year old Overdose

I just commented on Brittany Spears' post about drug overdose. It is hard to believe that some one so young in life has died because of something stupid like drugs. I hope that people will learn what things like Heroin does to you and how messed up it can/will make you. 

The Classics Vs. Twilight

Reading popular fiction like Twilight gives us the same amount of knowledge and benefits as reading the classics like Pride and Prejudice.

            Reading popular fiction like Harry Potter or Twilight helps increase the desire to read. As seen in Dr. Ruth Cox Clark’s piece “Older Teens Are Serious About Their Series: Forensic Mysteries, Graphic Novels, Horror, Supernatural, and Chick Lit Series” we see that book series, such as manga, are bring teens back into the literary world.  Manga is “a Japanese genre of cartoons, comic books, and animated films, typically having a science fiction or fantasy theme and sometimes including violent or sexually explicit material” (New Oxford American Dictionary).  Clark, associate professor at East Carolina University, finds that “the ready availability of graphically formatted, serial reading materials, such as the multitude of manga series now being published, has brought many teenage boys – and girls- back to reading, some of them resistant readers for years.” Even something as basic as comics can bring teens who haven’t been reading back into the good graces of reading. This is wonderful because it is helping these students do better in school.  

Commenting on Who Cares if Johnny Can't Read?

I commented on CEC's blog about MacFarquhar's piece. I believe that yes even though Americans are not reading the "classics," we should still be proud that we are reading even if it is popular culture books like Twilight and Harry Potter. Also I believe that books do help you visualize better than movies do just because it is part of you that one puts into their characters when they imagine the characters in a book, thus the reader can relate and enjoy the book more. 

Twittering to a Different Tune

As I was looking through the Yahoo Entertainment section, I found an interesting article that caught my eye. "Keira Knightley 'Hates' Twitter and Facebook." The article basically quotes her as saying she "hates the Internet." The article goes on to talk about what she is obsessed with, her new movie, etc. I was intrigued because of what we have been studying in class and because she is one of the first stars to speak out against sites like Twitter and Facebook. But Knightley makes a good point, why do we need to be connected all the time?

I know that when I go to South Carolina to visit family, it is very unlikely that I am able to check my email or look at my Facebook, or even when I go home, I barely look at my computer, let alone get on it. Why though at school do I need to be continually checking everything? I guess it is because it is the way I keep up with friends at different schools and my family and classes. 

Maybe we are becoming "dehumanized" as Knightley so sweetly put it. Maybe we do spend too much time on the Internet when we should be outside enjoying the sun on days like today. Does anyone else have any ideas?

Commenting on CEC's Blog

I commented on CEC's blog about Bauerlein's discussion of "Bibliophilia." I believe that high school and college have both contributed to the decrease in reading. Both institutions have made reading into a chore with having students close/critical reading. This transfers over everyday life and takes the fun out of reading. People still want to read but they want to do it and not think about what they are reading. They just want the pure enjoyment.  

Commenting on Kelci's Blog

I commented on Kelci's blog about Spring Break in Mexico. I feel that is it very dangerous right now in Mexico and even going to the border can be a big risk. It is scary to think that all of this is happening right below us and that is could possibly escalate into the US. If someone is planning on going to Mexico, they need to be extremely careful and not leave the compound that they are in. As I said in my comment on the blog, I do not believe that Mexico will be safe for a very long time just because people like the police are getting killed.

Dirty Little Secret

Hello my name is greek girl and I have a problem....I watched this season of ABC's The Bachelor. I usually hate that show, encouraging 25 women fight and back stab each other to win the love of a guy you have never met before. For some reason though, this season I thought it would be better, the bachelor, Jason, seemed like a really good almost perfect guy, single dad trying to raise his son and still have a fantastic career as an account executive. I was so happy when he also picked the perfect girl, Melissa. 

Then like the rest of America I was shocked when he told Melissa on the Final Rose special that he wanted to see other people and he still had feelings for the runner up who had ripped him to shreds on the season finale. I mean WHO DOES THAT?! Especially on National TV. He later said in interviews that he had to do it that way because ABC was making him and that Melissa knew before hand. Still couldn't he have waited like the other God knows how many Bachelor/Bachelorette couples and done it in private. I felt like he really let Melissa down, no girl would ever want to be broken up with on TV, but breaking off an engagement? He humiliated her in front of everyone in the United States, let alone her parents, friends, exes.

 I may be over reacting, but what does any one else think? Did he make the right decision by breaking it off on TV?

The Silent Treatment

I have always loved animals and my family has had 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 turtles, 4 birds and 2 hamsters. Not all at the same time of course, but we are animal people. That is why I have never understood why people abuse their animals. What have they done to them? I believe that the government should start protecting these innocent victims.

Studies have shown to relate animal abuse to criminal behavior. According to the website Through Their Eyes: The National Animal Abuse Registry, quoted Boston's Northeastern University study that found 30% of convicted child molesters and 48% of convicted rapists abused animals when they were children. Animal abuse and cruelty was also practiced by 46% of murders. If the government is so persistent on increasing the punishment of rapists and child molesters, they should first tackle the issue of animal cruelty. This would take away a lot of the predators that are out there. 

How Much Is That Puppy In The Window?

We have all seen the puppies at the pet store; they are adorable, but something just doesn't seem right. It is because a majority of the puppies come from places called "Puppy Mills" a disgusting place where dogs are forced to breed in deplorable conditions. I firmly believe that the places should be shut down for good. 

The puppies that are born in these places are usually prone to deadly diseases and have physical deformities because of the filth that they are kept in. Such as rotten jaws and eye ulcers or even the loss of legs and paws. According to the website Prisoner's of Greed, 500,000 puppies are sold every year from pet stores to unsuspecting families who either end up losing the puppy or spend money to help make the puppy better. 

Commenting on College Girl's Blog

I commented on College Girl's blog about Rush. I believe that Rush can teach you things even though it is a tough experience. 

Comment on Paris Hilton's Blog

I commented on Paris Hilton's blog about living on or off campus. I believe that it is better to live on campus just because it is more convenient than having to drive to school and pay for everything. 

Jon Benet Revisited?

Growing up I always wanted to do pageants; I guess it was because I loved getting dressed up and being in the spotlight. Moral of the story is I never was allowed to, so when Toddlers and Tiaras came on TLC, I had to watch. I am not going to lie, I was both enthralled and disgusted. These little 3 and 4 years are getting complexes and that is just wrong. They should be enjoying playing Barbies or playing dress up. Not getting spray tans, and putting on layers of makeup. This of course made me think of little Jon Benet Ramsey.

It is my personal view is pageant such as these should be tamed down, as in no more bathing suit competitions or not requesting so much make up, etc. These little girls learn that they need to look and be perfect, what they should be learning is that they are beautiful no matter how they look. They walk out on stage looking like 20 some-things. Also when watching the show, there are the creepy looking guys in the audience. How is this affecting things like pedophilia? It can’t be helping. I don’t think that pageants will change though. They have been around forever and I feel that they won’t be going away anytime soon. What does anyone else think?

If 8 is enough, what about 14?

While flipping through TV Channels recently, I came across the Larry King Live show. Not being one of his biggest fans, I was about to change again when the topic of the show caught my eye: Octuplet Mom’s Agent Threatened.  I immediately became enthralled in the show.  As I came to find out, this woman had received multiple death threats for just helping the Suleman family. I also found out that Nadya wasn’t getting them because all of her mail goes through her PR agent’s office.

Why such a big deal you might ask yourself, but the truth is it is a big deal. Nadya Suleman, who was living with her mom, already had six kids before having the octuplets. She also is currently unemployed. How can she possibly care for 14 kids? Without a job? Currently, they are living on food stamps, and are potently being thrown out of their house for debt. I believe that our taxes dollars should not be support a woman and her herd of children. If she wanted that many kids in the first place, she should have planned better and not get divorced and have her mom take care of that many kids. I know I may seem harsh, but can one mom really adequately give 14 kids all the love and attention they really need? What does anyone else think?