Richard Rodriguez October 24, 2006

This story is about a Spanish boy named Richard Rodriguez and how he grew up in an American society.  His parents knew little English and did not have good jobs, so Richard was determined to be successful.  He loved learning since the first day he went to school.  All he did was read, read, and read some more until his parents would make fun of him or question him about what he likes about reading.  As he got older he got more and more stuck in his own schoolwork that he forgot what it was like to spend time or talk with his family members.

“The scholarship boy must move between environments, his home and the classroom, which are at cultural extremes, opposed.”  I like this quote because it shows that he enjoyed both worlds of education and family but how it was so hard on him because he could not mix the two together.  When he was younger he wanted desperately for his parents to help him with his homework or read to him, but they couldn’t because they were not education in English.  Richard repeatedly states how he likes his teachers so much, sometimes even more than his own parents.  I think this is because he could look up to the nuns for help or guidance about his education because that is what he cared most about in his life.  Eventually he became a very successful man with a Ph.D in English Renaissance literature.  His parents were indeed proud of him.

Blogged with Flock

Love Letters October 19, 2006

This story was about a girl named Megan/Mickey.  Mickey was her name during her “white trash” stage in life.  Her boyfriend Darryl was sent to jail and Mickey would write letters to him, but she would never actually send them.  The loving words that she wrote in the letters were more than she had ever said to him in person over the years of being with him.  She wrote the letters just to be able to write out her feelings that were bottled up inside, not to actually send to Darryl.

Eventually she was in jail, and while she was there she actually sent some letters to Darryl at his sister’s house but he claimed that he never received them.  In jail her favorite class was English because she loved to write.  Being in jail made her realize that when she got out, she needed to be able to function with the normal soceity, not the poverty stricken soceity.  And this she did by becoming a teacher and teaching her story of how “people are judged by their use of language”.  Even though she is educated now, she still writes like the way she used to as white trash because that is who she is and how she likes to write.  She has proven that just because you are white trash it doesn’t mean you aren’t intelligent because Megan was an intelligent person locked up in a bad world.

I think this story has a good meaning behind it that could inspire other people that are in Mickey’s situation to become more like Megan.  Just because you are poor doesn’t mean you have to fit the stereotype of being white trash.  Do something about it and make your life more worthwhile and purposeful.

Blogged with Flock

Life of Frederick Douglass October 19, 2006

The basic idea of this story is to show how unhumane the lives slaves went through.  Frederick Douglass was the son of a black woman and his white master.  Even though he was milatto he was still treated as a slave.  He never knew his mother because they were sepatated when he was an infant.  When he was 7 or 8 he was sent by his old master anthony to go to Baltimore.  Here his new master was Mr. Covey and he became a field hand.  During the first six months he was whipped horribly, more than he was ever whipped before.

The turning point of this story is when Frederick fought back out of self defense when Mr. Covey was trying to tie his feet together.  The other slaves would not help Mr. Covey because “that’s not what their job was” and it was “their fight”.  I thought this was very nice of them to not help Mr. Covey, and they were probably happy to see Frederick fighting him.  It was a good fight, and in the end Mr. Covey learned that Frederick was now a man, and that he should be treated like one.  From that point on he was treated with a decent amount of respect.I liked reading this story because I learned many aspects of slaves’ lives that I did not know about before.  It is very interesting to see how by fighting back he was able to gain respect from his master and gain self-confidence for himself.

Blogged with Flock

Parasite in Cats October 16, 2006

Cat parasite leads to more boy babiesA common cat parasite that can easily infect humans causes women to give birth to more boys than girls.

Boing Boing: Cat parasite leads to more boy babies

This article is about how a parasite found in cats can cause women to give birth to boys more often than girls.  The parasite is called toxoplasma, and scientists figured out that the amount of antibodies for the toxoplasma correlated with the gender of the child.  Humans can get infected with this parasite from cat feces and some uncooked pork and beef.  The parasite has not yet been proven to actually harm a human being.

I think that this is so cool how scientists can figure this kind of stuff out.  But it is also kind of creepy how your child’s gender can be influenced by a parasite in your body that came from a cat.  I hope I never get this parasite because I would like to have a baby girl someday :0)

Blogged with Flock

The Most Shocking Piece of News I’ve Heard Recently October 12, 2006

    Recently my boyfriend told me something very interesting that if you believe is true would shock you.  He told me how people are starting to think about 9/11 more and more… and that they think our OWN government had everything to do with it.  Just last night I watched a 30 minute clip online that a journalist put together showing the evidence of how our government planned for this horrible day to occur. 

    First off I don’ know how credible this clip was but it sure got me thinking.  The first thing they showed was a slow motion clip of a plane going into the first tower.  On the belly side of the plane was an unknown piece of equipment that is not found on the kind of commercial airplane that supposively was used.  They said it was something that held a missle, and that they actually shot the missile at the tower a second before impact.  Second, which really blew my mind, they clearly showed how a commercial airplane could not have crashed into the Pentagon.  Absolutely no way.  The size and structure of the plane did not match the results of the crash.  The movie also stated how the government went to the local convenient store to confiscate their surveillance cameras because it would have a clear view of the crash.  The government did not want the public to know that it was actually a military plane that shot a missile to the Pentagon, to the exact point in the building that was suitable to withstand the crash to a certain point.

    I am starting to believe that our government planned this attack out to gain better control of the American society.  I can see why they would want to gain control of the people but I just don’t know if they would actually come to do something THAT cruel.  If the evidence I saw was true, then I am convinced.

Blogged with Flock

Fashionably Fertile October 10, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Women dress to impress when they are at their most fertile, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a study they say shows that signs of human ovulation may not be as mysterious as some scientists believe.

CNN.com – Which came first — the fashion or the egg? – Oct 10, 2006

In this article, scientists have stated that when women are at their most fertile state they wear more fashionable clothes.  Past wisdom stated that young women were unique among animals in concealing their fertility, even from themselves.  The recent studies of fashion have disproved this thought of human ovulation being concealed.  Humans are similar to animals in expressing their fertility by showing more skin and wearing skirts instead of pants while animals release powerful scents.

I think this article was interesting to read because I got to learn about something new.  It also made me wonder, “Do I dress different when I’m most fertile?”  That would be so bizarre if this was true for every woman!  Now that I’ve learned this information I am probably going to think about it everytime I get dressed now.

Blogged with Flock

What’s worse: too skinny or too fat? October 10, 2006

Gaultier swaps Size O models for ‘Size 20′

Gaultier swaps Size O models for ‘Size 20′ | the Daily Mail

This article is about how a designer named Jean Paul Gaultier used a size 20 model to show off his clothes rather than a typical model size 0.  He was trying to prove the point that skinny models are just too skinny. 

Personally, I think the size 20 model is too far.  Quite disgusting actually.  I think the idea to use a bigger model was great because models these days ARE too skinny, but the designer went a little overboard with the weight.

Blogged with Flock

Just let the police handle it October 4, 2006

WILMINGTON, Delaware (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminally negligent homicide for beating to death a 77-year-old man he believed had molested his young daughter.

CNN.com – Dad pleads guilty in beating death of suspected molester – Oct 4, 2006

This article is about Robert Fontanez, Jr., a 27 year old man that took justice into his own hands.  His 5 year old daughter told him that a 77 year old man named Bismark Vasquez had “touched her inappropriately”.  Of course he was angered that this man had molested his young daughter so he went to the man’s house.  The article states that Robert “punched him so hard that the older man went through the back door”.  He continued to beat on him while the old man was bleeding on the concrete floor.  Vasquez died in the hospital three days later.

I believe that even though something can make you that mad you shouldn’t take matter into your own hands.  First of all, there is no evidence of the molestation besides the little girl’s word, which the story she told her father was the same as the one she told her mother.  Also, what if the old guy had a weapon?  The father could have been dead.  Instead, the parents of the molested daughter should have called the police and let them take care of it.

Blogged with Flock

I’m Watching You September 20, 2006

Seven cameras in Middlesbrough town centre have a facility, which allows operators to bark orders at those involved in anti-social behaviour.Officials hope the additions to the town’s 160 cameras will help to further reduce street crime.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Tees | Town trials talking CCTV cameras

This article is about how Middlesbrough, Great Britain are putting up surveillance cameras around the town.  They say it is to help prevent street crime.  Not only can they see what is going on, but also talk BACK to the people on the streets, telling them to pick up their litter or tell them how to overcome a situation.

Personally, I think that’s a little creepy.  It’s good that they are thinking of ways to make the community better, but now people have to walk around knowing that they are being watched.  Nobody likes that feeling.  I think the cameras are just taking away the people’s freedoms.

Blogged with Flock

Life on Death Row September 18, 2006

I believe that the purpose of this story was to reveal the true life that inmates live while they are in prison. They are beaten harshly by the guards until blood spills from their wounds. As much as they deserve a good beating for whatever they had done to get into prison, being put in jail to rot on a death sentence is punishment enough. I think that they have to go through enough emotional suffering while they are there. Inmates are in their cell for 22 hours of the day, and are let outside into another caged in area for 2 hours – but thats only if the weather is nice. Also, inmates are not even allowed to see their visitors.. and even though they dont even come into contact with them they still have to have their whole bodies checked for “security reasons”. I do not agree with this at all. They should at least be able to see their visitors through a window or something. This brings me to another point in the story that I am disgusted with. The prison puts them into these kind of emotional states of not being able to see their loved ones not for security reasons but to weaken family ties. They hope that eventually the inmate will be “dead” to them and not even care when it is time for them to be put to death. The inmates are living with no humanity whatsoever.