library memory

So I know it’s the most obvious metaphor but I really love Will’s Library memory. It’s funny and clever; I can picture the author having these images of his own library memory. I can relate to this though.. in a way at least. My sophomore year in high school I was in band, and I had rekindled a relationship with a girl who was my best friend in first grade, but when we didn’t have the same teacher in second we lost touch, we were acquaintances and didn’t have anything against each other, but in a school the size of ours if you didn’t have classes or time with people you lost touch with them. Well we had band together and we played first part together most of the time. Anyway we started talking about we viewed things in our head, like the shape. For instance we viewed our weeks similarly. IF I could pull out the image of how I viewed my week it would kind of look like a spiral, and each ring on the spiral was Monday through Sunday (although I think the week starts on Sunday I picture it this way because I kind of clump my weekends into one). The way I picture my year is really funny, even to me. My Year is kind of the shape of a horse shoe, and depending on the time of my year is where I’m standing, the gap is between December and January. Right now It is April, and since I always look toward the middle of the horse shoe, if you were to look at me standing in my year from the ends of the horse show I would look like I’m standing on the right side of the shoe facing the left side. I’m not a visual person at all as you can tell, this is why I’m doing so well with Chemistry, because it’s not about visual things at all. – I’ll figure out away to make it visual if I have to take it again at Raymond Walters, blah even if it drives me nuts! Sorry I didn’t say much about the Library memory, it’s pretty self-explanatory and we’ve talked about it quite a bit.

this post is whiny so if you odn't like whining I don't suggest you read it.

So far I’m not really enjoying this book. I’m finding it much more difficult to read than Northern Lights. I’ve fallen asleep while reading it, and the print is much smaller. Oh well, this is why I’m kind of not going to write about it, I’m going to write about whatever I feel like.

I’m tired. School and life in general are exhausting me. I’m awake now, even though I don’t have class for another two hours because I’m too cheap to pay for a parking pass at Miami and too cheap to pay for driving gas to get there, so I ride the bus that takes twice as long.
I don’t fit in at Oxford. I don’t own any name brand clothes I hadn’t even heard of j-crew before coming here, and you know what—j-crew looks exactly like Forever 21 which is like1/21st of the price. I find myself not envious but frustrated at other students who seem to be handed everything. Since I was 15 and I wanted to go on a trip with Young Life that was $600 I started working. My parents couldn’t afford for me to go, but I knew I wanted to so I worked. It taught me to save and it taught me to be proud of what I’ve worked for, and it just drives me nuts when I hear people talk about trips to paris and florida for valentine’s day. What a waste. And Money doesn’t mean anything to them. I really really appreciate the money I have. I hate spending it. When I do save up for something I questions once I have enough if it’s really worth it; for example: I’ve wanted an ipod since before this school year even started, I have wanted a tattoo (cross tattoo don’t hate if you’re not into that sort of thing and you happen to read that post) and I would like to go to Gatlinburg with my boyfriends family (I’m saving even though they’ll want to pay everything for me) and I’d like to go to 4 other concerts this summer that I haven’t paid for already. Now in my spending account I have enough to do all of this, and I look at ipods any time I’m at walmart meijers or best buy—or target, and still no ipod because I just don’t know if I think its worth yet . Spring break, when everyone gets a tattoo, could have got one. Hmmm too bad not me. I still haven’t bought those concert tickets, though I’m sure those will be the for sure thing I do spend , and probably the trip too. Things that have to do with other people, I find easier to just let go of the money lol. Oh well I think this is over my one page double space so I’m going to stop writing now. Have a good one Joe, Oh and btw. I do enjoy coming to your class as well as my other classes in Oxford. I’m just tired and poor.

didn't like the book, so i vented, if you don't like whining I don't suggest you read this. :)

So far I’m not really enjoying this book. I’m finding it much more difficult to read than Northern Lights. I’ve fallen asleep while reading it, and the print is much smaller. Oh well, this is why I’m kind of not going to write about it, I’m going to write about whatever I feel like.

I’m tired. School and life in general are exhausting me. I’m awake now, even though I don’t have class for another two hours because I’m too cheap to pay for a parking pass at Miami and too cheap to pay for driving gas to get there, so I ride the bus that takes twice as long.
I don’t fit in at Oxford. I don’t own any name brand clothes I hadn’t even heard of j-crew before coming here, and you know what—j-crew looks exactly like Forever 21 which is like1/21st of the price. I find myself not envious but frustrated at other students who seem to be handed everything. Since I was 15 and I wanted to go on a trip with Young Life that was $600 I started working. My parents couldn’t afford for me to go, but I knew I wanted to so I worked. It taught me to save and it taught me to be proud of what I’ve worked for, and it just drives me nuts when I hear people talk about trips to paris and florida for valentine’s day. What a waste. And Money doesn’t mean anything to them. I really really appreciate the money I have. I hate spending it. When I do save up for something I questions once I have enough if it’s really worth it; for example: I’ve wanted an ipod since before this school year even started, I have wanted a tattoo (cross tattoo don’t hate if you’re not into that sort of thing and you happen to read that post) and I would like to go to Gatlinburg with my boyfriends family (I’m saving even though they’ll want to pay everything for me) and I’d like to go to 4 other concerts this summer that I haven’t paid for already. Now in my spending account I have enough to do all of this, and I look at ipods any time I’m at walmart meijers or best buy—or target, and still no ipod because I just don’t know if I think its worth yet . Spring break, when everyone gets a tattoo, could have got one. Hmmm too bad not me. I still haven’t bought those concert tickets, though I’m sure those will be the for sure thing I do spend , and probably the trip too. Things that have to do with other people, I find easier to just let go of the money lol. Oh well I think this is over my one page double space so I’m going to stop writing now. Have a good one Joe, Oh and btw. I do enjoy coming to your class as well as my other classes in Oxford. I’m just tired and poor.

didn't like the book, so i vented, if you don't like whining I don't suggest you read this. :)

So far I’m not really enjoying this book. I’m finding it much more difficult to read than Northern Lights. I’ve fallen asleep while reading it, and the print is much smaller. Oh well, this is why I’m kind of not going to write about it, I’m going to write about whatever I feel like.

I’m tired. School and life in general are exhausting me. I’m awake now, even though I don’t have class for another two hours because I’m too cheap to pay for a parking pass at Miami and too cheap to pay for driving gas to get there, so I ride the bus that takes twice as long.
I don’t fit in at Oxford. I don’t own any name brand clothes I hadn’t even heard of j-crew before coming here, and you know what—j-crew looks exactly like Forever 21 which is like1/21st of the price. I find myself not envious but frustrated at other students who seem to be handed everything. Since I was 15 and I wanted to go on a trip with Young Life that was $600 I started working. My parents couldn’t afford for me to go, but I knew I wanted to so I worked. It taught me to save and it taught me to be proud of what I’ve worked for, and it just drives me nuts when I hear people talk about trips to paris and florida for valentine’s day. What a waste. And Money doesn’t mean anything to them. I really really appreciate the money I have. I hate spending it. When I do save up for something I questions once I have enough if it’s really worth it; for example: I’ve wanted an ipod since before this school year even started, I have wanted a tattoo (cross tattoo don’t hate if you’re not into that sort of thing and you happen to read that post) and I would like to go to Gatlinburg with my boyfriends family (I’m saving even though they’ll want to pay everything for me) and I’d like to go to 4 other concerts this summer that I haven’t paid for already. Now in my spending account I have enough to do all of this, and I look at ipods any time I’m at walmart meijers or best buy—or target, and still no ipod because I just don’t know if I think its worth yet . Spring break, when everyone gets a tattoo, could have got one. Hmmm too bad not me. I still haven’t bought those concert tickets, though I’m sure those will be the for sure thing I do spend , and probably the trip too. Things that have to do with other people, I find easier to just let go of the money lol. Oh well I think this is over my one page double space so I’m going to stop writing now. Have a good one Joe, Oh and btw. I do enjoy coming to your class as well as my other classes in Oxford. I’m just tired and poor.

Product of Rape
Clarissa was the “product” of rape. Rape in every way is tragic. In some cases of rape the woman can become pregnant; now the woman is left with an extremely difficult decision. Whatever decisions the woman makes her emotions and memories will always be with her.
According to Crime in the United States 2006 there were 92,455 rapes in America, at least that is the number of reported rapes. The SA Department of Health reports that 5% of rapes result in pregnancy; that means that 4,623 of the women raped became pregnant. What did they do?
I believe Clarissa’s mother wanted to do the right thing. I believe her past haunted her everywhere she went. She had to leave Ero because she would always be his victim wife. No one wants to be portrayed as weak or as a victim. So she left. I believe she wanted to raise Clarissa, Clarissa would love her unconditionally they would have each other. However, every time she looked Clarissa she probably saw the man who raped her, her own daughter brought back those horrible painful memories. Have you ever gotten away from a problem, but it still haunts you? Her mother probably felt this way; she very well possibly felt that she had this unknown story, that no one spoke of but secretly they knew, and that they judged her as the victim. So she had to run again, and had to be secluded which explains why she worked far away from the rest of the world.
This book should have a sequel, Clarissa’s Mother’s side. I wonder if she thought of abortion but couldn’t do it and knew it wouldn’t erase the memories or burden of rape. There are approximately 42,000,000 abortions a year (worldwide); of those abortions 1% is result from rape meaning 420,000 women were raped and aborted their unborn child (abortion). Aborting the child may take away the child, the physical effects of the rape, but it cannot take away the psychological affects.
According to (secasa) many women after having a child that was a product of rape the emotional and psychological impact of rape creates Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and symptoms are often exacerbated when the victim/survivor gives birth. Pregnancy following rape is more likely to lead to inner conflicts for women about deciding whether to keep the child or not. Long term effects may include depression, as many women may blame themselves, and experience feelings of shame and guilt that can then project onto their growing child.
Although we all hated Clarissa’s mother for being so cold and seeming inhumane emotionally detached towards Clarissa, maybe she was protecting her? She could have known she couldn’t have ever looked at Clarissa without seeing the man that raped her and knew that wouldn’t be good for her daughter either. As a mother she knew Clarissa would grow attached to her. Clarissa was 14 when her mother left. Fourteen was about the age when I became closer to my mother emotionally, more as a friend, less of a provider I began to learn more about life from my mother at this age. Knowing this connection would begin to happen with Clarissa her mother could have left to protect them both from further pain.
Rape causes pain, emotional chaos, and scarring memories. How can we really decide what is best to do afterwards without experiencing it ourselves? She is a very dislikeable character, but she could also be very misunderstood, and its just impossible to understand her reasoning given her position in pregnancy as a product of rape.


http://www.health.sa.gov.au/PREGNANCY/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54
http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
http://www.secasa.com.au/index.php/survivors/4/151

Oh how this story upset me—I mean, really? Is that really how it ends? So I’m a huge fan of happy endings. Like the latest Batman movie, I hated it. Sure it was a great thriller and makes you cringe throughout the entire thing with anticipation, but there’s no feelgood at the end at all. And yes it seems like this story had a happy ending, but it really didn’t have anything to do with the story. Clarissa essentially became her mother, except she chose to be honest about who her daughter’s biological father was.
Her mom as a character pissed me off too. I don’t know I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I really do look forward to getting married and having children one day and actually being a mom. Why couldn’t she just talk to Clarissa? Why couldn’t she just say she was sorry? I mean rape is awful, there’s no argument there, but it wasn’t Clarissa’s fault she didn’t ask the man to do it. I just wanted her mom to be say something about why she left. She doesn’t give her anything of closure except for her to said “goodbye Clarissa”.
I did love the fact that Clarissa gave her mom the letter she was writing to her unborn baby. That was a really gutsy move. I liked Clarissa as a character. I really did I liked being inside her head and fallowing her, obvious she had serious problems but I liked her, we always kinda like the main character though don’t we for the most part? I’m glad she found her happy ending but hate how it was written “ I didn’t know.. I didn’t know”—and it’s all summed up in about 3 paragraphs. No ones happy ending is that short. Oh well.
I think I want to write my paper about rape victims who become pregnant. I’m taking Psychology 111 and I absolutely love it. And I would kinda like to see if I can research any other similar cases and see if there are any resemblances to the story. See if most mothers keep the baby, leave the baby, raise the baby, and just see if this book was a good story or if it has some believable factors. I can’t say, since I haven’t experienced similar things, nor had kids, that I would do things differently. I’d like to say I would. One of my biggest questions is why so late? Clarissa was fourteen when she left, she obviously had a pretty strong connection to her mother why make it more painful why not leave when she was younger? That just aggravated me.
But like I said in my paper last terms about relationships, and its what I’m learning in psychology, we’re affected so much by our past. That is why I believe Clarissa leaves P. and randomly starts who own life. I don’t like how she hides her true past from her husband. It shaped her and if her ex fiancé was as great of a man as shes going to tell her daughter why did she leave him?. I definitely think the ending has a few pot holes like the author decided she was too tired to finsish. “ She lived happilt ever after, the end”.

I can’t necessarily relate to this book myself. I don’t think If I were abandoned I would want to go looking for the ones who abandoned me, especially if it wasn’t like a young mother who knew I would have a better life in the care of other, but instead because I was unwanted, or at least seeming unwanted. If I had a good relationship with a man who I believed was my birth father and he raised me as his own I would leave it at that. I can understand the curiosity but I wouldn’t ever be able to call either of them her mother or father (her birth parents) mom or dad. They did not treat her as a daughter why should she treat them as her family. The commitment thing is very relatable and understandable though. If all you’ve ever known is run when it gets complicated or connected, then when its more than just a surface relationship you’re going to run. OR in her case she didn’t allow herself to get close enough to her friends , which is why it didn’t hurt her to run, she’d taught herself to look out for her, that’s what mom did right? Also I don’t think her mom is so much a psychopath as much as a sociopath. It doesn’t seem like her mom understands what she’s doing or what she’s done, psychopaths try to hide their crimes and are ashamed, they know what is right and wrong.
A boarder for me is definitely the running from friends.. running from her fiancé I can understand, if you can’t get close you can’t get hurt, but friends are different than significant other relationships, relationships are more about compromise and not that friendships aren’t, but their more about being there. She’s just not a really good friend…but doesn’t know how to be one anyway.

My reading History.

So, my reading habits are similar but different from my writing. I don’t hate reading, but I don’t do it on my own. I have to be required to read. Once I read something though I almost always love it. I especially enjoy sci-fi. I looooved Dracula, and Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451, I enjoy most western novels, but I have to be in a mood for them. One thing I’ve noticed about myself and reading is that I can’t read something when I’m annoyed by a main character and their decisions, or if something is just too wordy too many times. I hate over explaining. Pride and Prejudice..favorite movie, can’t stand the book I’ve tried to read it 4 times.. can get past 50 or so. I love the Harry Potter movies. I read the first book in a week. Sadly I’ve attempted to read the second honestly 7 times. Its that Dobby character that always messes with Harry, he drives me nuts and I just close the book.
I do read my bible though. I try to everyday. Its probably the book I’m most faithful to. No one tells me to or requires me to. I do it for myself and the big man up there.
I also love reading articles on psychology, why we do what we do. I’s say I google about 3-5 articles about people behaviors a week.
When I was younger I loved reading because I knew when we read we were going to have to do a book report and I always made like 3D reports. I loved The Adventures of the Bailey School kids and in one of them they snow board out of trouble or something so I made a mountain and little characters and tied them to a string and they slid down the mountain on their snowboards. It was really cool and I was really proud because it was exactly like I pictured in the book.
I can read music. I played the clarinet for 4 years and piano for 3, so when You have to guess which tube it is by looking at the notes in the game Cranium I’m pretty good. I hate reading directions, for like cooking or making something.. drives me crazy, the font is so small and I just want to do it all at once I’ve screw up quite a few carrot cakes because of that.
But whats weird is I really enjoy reading cosmetic bottles. I’ve read all of my shampoos and face washes.. Their descriptions just make them sounds so great, its fun. Herbal essences even puts riddles on the backs of their bottles.. but you have to buy the matching condition for the shampoo to find the answer.. other wise you’d have no clue that more than 50% of women admit to throwing a show at their significant other. I’m guilty.

I’m going to make a symbolic collage about relationships. I know the probably sounds really “high school”, but I’m not just talking about couple relationships. And it seems like that is what my friends and I talk the most about. How were affected by family, friends, and boyfriends/ girlfriends (whether they have one or not).
A lot of it comes down to trust. Friends have had bad relationships with their fathers and it in turn leads to them not trusting any guy, and not being able to have a real relationship with a guy.
Other friends have been hurt so badly by their “ex’s” they’re too afraid to let anyone in again. Or if they do let someone in, they freeze or shut down as soon as they get to a point to where they feel vulnerable or care what they believe is “too much” because they are afraid they’ll be hurt.
Everyone is constantly being affected by relationships, and I think they are interesting, and therefore will make a good topic for my paper
I don’t think with my paper I’ll really need a collage but I enjoy doing artsy things.. so that will be my relief when I’m sick of writing.
I don’t know if this is a great proposal but I think it’ll work.. it’s the actual project that’s important anyway. right?

In Just walk on by racism and idenity seems to be a big issue. Racism is something I didn't even understnad until I was probably in the thrid grade when we leanred about the underground railroad and slavery. I was raised to believe all men (and women) were created equal and my parents never did or said anything to make me believe them to be lieing. I remember feeling really quilty though that my certain black friends family had probably gone thru much more pain than mine. If we bring the issue here to Miami today.. I do think this school is not diverse. Whether that is because of the students attracted to go here or because if the schools addmitting of students I am not sure, but I do know that Miami seems to be culture wise very limited. Which also makes me sad.

Our world is full of judgement and pre-conceived views though. The writer in Just walk on by experiecnes this in the beginning when the woman runs from him. He had done nothing wrong or given her the feeling that he would hurt her and yet because of the color of his skin she felt like he could harm her, and he in turn felt judged. I think we can all sympathise with this feeling, maybe not to the extent but I know we have all had moments where someone has judged or been awkward or something of the sort simply because they didn't know you and believed you to be different from your true self. My very best friend and my boyfriend both if they would have listened to preconceived views of me would have lost me in relationships. Apparently my sarcasm tends to make people believe I feel superior than others. HA!... They both know me and my heart now though and know I'm not like that, I'm glad they did give me a chance too. I enjoy them in my life. :). I believe judging and preconcieved views are always going to be a factor in life, someone is always going to remind you of another person you've already met. its whether or not you choose to let that view control you and your actions towards that person that really matter.

The End.

I lied I'm doing Gore's Testimony on Global Warming :)

I'm going to rhetorically analyze The Wicked Witch of the West: 'What a world; what a world' speech.
I'm choosing this specific speech because not only did I watch The Wizard of Oz every day when I was a young child, and was extrememly terrified of the witch.
I feel like thats a movie almost everyone has seen or defintiely at least heard of.
The speech is humorous and entertainging ang I think it will be interesting to listen to in a different way.

AXE

Of course the Axe commercials are almsot all fallacies of false cause or false analagy. Just because a guy sprays axe cologne on does not mean girls will instantly flock to him. Although with the right amount he probably will smell good. Axe can totally be overwhelming though and have the opposite effect if not used properly.

Anyway the specific Axe commercial I've chosen is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VDsLcl72Ss where apparently two people just had sex. Through out the commercial they are constantly picking up articles of clothing all over the city until they are completely dressed in the super market where they met. The end of the commercial says "because you never know". Like you never know when I "chance" could arrise so you better keep your axe on you at all times. Oh well it was funny and was definitely a fallacy.

dorm life?

McCormick was definitely way too bias, and obviously had a bad experience with dorm life. Although I don’t find the dorms a vacation resort I find my dorm on western campus quite content. The food does make my stomach hurt, and it does take a while to walk to come of my classes, but I’m also not on the main part of campus so that is expected. She talks a lot about the brochure but doesn’t go into great detail about anything and complains about the vagueness of the brochure it’s self. (how ironic lol) Her argument was that dorm life wasn’t all it was perked up to be into a brochure but she totally doesn’t explain anything about living in a dorm besides matching bed spreads and personalizing your room. If she would have described actual living in the dorm such as showering, and eating , not in the cafeterias, and sleeping with roommates her argument would have been much more valid, but she didn’t go into any detail on any of those topics other than food, but the cafeterias don’t have a whole lot to do with living on campus, at least not a whole lot.
Why did she choose to argue about the brochure? She could have made a better argument by stating her experience as a freshman and that she didn’t like it. I did enjoy that she pointed out that the brochure was aimed more towards incoming freshmen because its true once and upper classman has lived outside the dorm and compare the two experiences living in a house or an apartment probably does seem worlds better but as for me I am not despising the life in a dorm. It’s not as cushy as home but I don’t hate it. She simply just didn’t give enough detail to support her case and the body of her writing didn’t fit with her chosen topic well enough.

Journal #2 THICK description

Havighurst Hall

Havighurst Hall is my home for my freshman year of college. It is detached from most of campus, secluded but close enough to still get to class in a timely matter. On the outside it looks like most halls here in Oxford, almost like a miniature white house or mansion. The sidewalks are less crowded than main campus like spring street, but still occupied with traffic going both ways during most times of the school day. Alexander the closest dining hall is said to be one of the best on campus giving the students living in the boonies of Miami an advantage for being so far from everyone else. On the inside of the building almost every dormitory door has a white board. Some boards have many messages some few, many from friends with updates of events or random hellos, and several from random strangers leaving inappropriate but none the less funny images. Almost every third door is open where friends or those looking for friends are welcome. The girls halls smell rather perfumes or of girly air fresheners. The male halls do not smell bad, but are definitely not has flowery as the girls, as expected. The doors are thin enough to hear when your neighbor and their roommate has come home late after an eventful night, but quiet enough that you can't hear the homesick freshman a little more than upset being away from the normal friends and family. New friends and acquaintances are constantly being made because so many people are new to each other. The bathrooms are crowded but not congested in the mornings, at least in the girls’ halls. The kitchenette on the third floor is often used during lunch and early afternoon hours. Mainly only the microwave is used, and there are splatters of different soups and/or pastas on the counter, it’s not disgusting but if made a habit without attention there could be a smelly situation in that room.

Not only is Havighurst Hall now my home, but home to many new freshman here at Miami. Now we all have to live together, although not closely, we still use the same doors, and we’re all in a very different environment from homes back home.

journal 1

I am not a writer. I express myself much better verbally. I tell stories much better than writing stories. Although I enjoy word grammar like their, there, and they’re , to, two and too ect. I am terrible with punctuation and I spell awful. I can outline and come up with ideas to write about, but I just can’t add all of the flowery verbiage that makes writing good.
In the past most of my teachers have followed thru the writing process as steps of outline ideas, rough draft, “re-draft” (I forgot the name of that one), and final draft. Those steps I’ve been following probably since 3rd grade when I learned cursive. Whether I was writing a letter, telling a story, or writing an essay it was always the same steps; which is probably why I dislike writing. I’ve never had a teacher tell me my writing was terrible, but never great, I’ve had great outline ideas to start off my writing but the fished product never gets the same wow effect.
I don’t read on my own, except for my bible, even that’s often a struggle though. I do, however, enjoy reading in class. My senior year in high school I took two English classes in the same term Western and War Literature, because I liked the teacher, and Futuristic Literature, because I like the sci-fi kind of stuff: Fahrenheit 451, Dracula, The Time Machine. I didn’t enjoy the Western books as much as the futuristic, but War literature was pretty cool. I can’t really read outside of class though, I wish I could I love the movie Pride and Prejudice, tried reading the book 5 times, its sits on my shelf at home collecting dust bunnies. I also read the first Harry Potter book when I was 14 in about ten days over Christmas break while I was at my Grandma’s “extremely exciting” house. I started the second book when I got home and have started it at least 7 times since then. I just can’t stand that Dobby character he’s annoying.
So I don’t believe English is wasteful but, I personally find reading sci-fi books more “less wasteful”. I really wish I enjoyed writing or reading; I feel like because I don’t I’m proving the stereotype of my generation that we need everything instantaneously. My page is almost over now and I think I’ve done pretty well, minus the grammar. Have a nice day.