Goodbye Current Event Class

This year I had the opportunity to take a current events class that inspired me to start blogging. I will really miss having this as an assignment so that I will actually do it instead of putting it off.
I really enjoy being informed and understanding the news. I think its important to know about your surrondinga and whaf is going on in the world so you know that you are as educated as possible. I think current events has trained me so that I will educate myself on current events in the future as well. Current events was a current class in my life that was very beneficial.

Mayhem in Missouri

    Recently in Missouri (as in last weekend) there were huge tornados. The death toll is at least 89. The death toll will most likely rise with devastating outcome. Approximately 2,000 buildings were damaged in the wreckage. The path of the tornado was about 6 miles long.

     I feel really bad right now for the people that have to go through this loss. I imagine it was like a living nightmare. I can't even begin to understand what those people were going through and what they are still going through:(

Currently Sad:)

Mattie:)

The Beatles Give Peace A Try

          One of my favorite songs of all time is Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon. It doesn't get better than this song.

Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

(C'mon)
Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters,
Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

(Let me tell you now)
Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
Revolution, Evolution, Masturbation, Flagellation, Regulation,
Integrations, mediations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna
Hare Hare Krishna
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

 This song has so many different values and cultures incorporated in the lyrics. This song is really good for whats going on right now in the news. I mean we have delusional Gaddafi, Dead Osama and all the other power struggles/revolutions that have happened in the past year. I think the lyrics to this song is very inspirational because we really should Give Peace A Chance.
Mattie:)

Interview with Ali:)

          When you first see Ali you notice his thick outgoing personality and his energetic laugh that makes you think he loves his life. Ali is a blast to get to know and I was fortunate enough to get this opportunity to ask him questions. Ali is from Ghana and is attending my school as a foreign exchange student. Everyone in my school has gotten to know Ali and has learned many things from his presence in our school. So lets get started with the Q&A interview!!!!


Q&A WITH ALI!


Q: Who inspires you?
A: My Dad. He's always ready to take responsibility for his actions. He's also a great leader. I look up to him a lot.


Q: What are your dreams for the future, after linworth?
A: I would like to be a medical doctor. I want to help kids that have malaria in Africa.


Q: How do you access most of your current events?
A: My host mom helps a lot with getting big news to me and explaining what happened.


Q: What are your passions and interests?.
A: I love soccer. I also like facebook because it helps me connect with my friends from home. I really enjoy reading. My favorite author is Charles Dickens.


Q: What are schools like in Ghanna?
A: In Ghanna the schools are boarding schools. So I am used to being away from my family but when I am with my friends it's like being with a huge family. We have a student council in my schoola dn i was vice president. Schools in Ghanna are based mostly on memorization and schools here are based more on discussion.


Q: What did you think of the weather?
A: The snow was cool. The weather on Ghanna is really different.


Q: What advice do you have for future linworth students?
A: I think you should be really open to making new friends.


Q: What is something most people do not know about you?
A: Most people do not know how to say my full name.


Q: What is your favorite class?
A: Chemistry, I like Mark a lot.


Q: What is your favorite ice cream?
A: Vanilla with Chocolate chips.


Q: What are some things you did for the first time here?
A: I went swimming, I went skiing.


    Ali experienced a lot of things here. In Ghana Ali did things we can't even imagine such as riding elephants. It was a pleasure to get to know Ali and hear his amazing stories. Ali has made lots of friends and likes his host family a lot. I hope to get to know Ali more over the course of the year and we will all miss him. It was great to meet Ali. I was very pleased with this interview.
Currently Answering,
Mattie:)

Favorite Movies!

         One of my favorite things to do on a rainy day is  snuggling up with a blanket and watching movies in the comfort of my own home. I deem the movies I watch on these days rainy day movies! Some silly uplifting movies can make your day fun and humorous. Some sad, tear-jerking movies leave you in a pondering mood and help you 'get in touch with your emotions'.
        Some movies I really enjoy are The Pursuit of Happyness, Roman Holiday and Funny Face. I like Dreamgirls, The Blind Side and Legally Blonde.  I love all the Harry Potter movies. Honestly just curling up with a good movie and hearing the rain drip outside is enough to put me in a great mood.  I think inspiring actors that tell a story with their role make movies so believable and i really enjoy watching them and getting into them. I guess i just really enjoy the art of a movie:)
Currently Watching,
Mattie:)

I ACT like such a DREAM

       The DREAM act is short for development, relief and education for alien minors. Basically the dream act is targeted towards illegal cizens that reside in the united states. This act provides permanent residency for deportable illegal students that graduate from a United States school. They also must be of good moral conduct and arrived in the USA legally or illegaly as a minor. They also must have been in the USA for at least five years prior. This is the half or the dream act i completely and totally agree with.
       I think the DREAM act is a really necessary thing. It helps those who came to the USA as minors see the beauty in this nation be being educated and getting an understanding of how this nation works. I also think that by saying education will help them to permanately obtain citizenship is a smart idea.The dream  act is really cool until it gets to the second half.
       If someone was to complete four yesrs in an institution of higher learning or two years in the military they would obtain temporary residency for about a six year period. During this period they are expected to have proof of your years in the military or your experience in higher learning.
       I agree with this to an extent. I feel that it's important to feel some sort of patriotism to your country or loyalty but I do not agree with the temporary residency.
       All in all I think that we should be pushing for the dream act but with a lot of reservations.
Currently Considering
Mattie:)

A fishy situation:)

                  I have many different fears. One is rather irrational and I honestly don't understand it. I hate fish. They are so frightening! From the beady eyes to the scaley skin they just petrify me. They wriggle around and flop in weird ways. I don't appreciate the way they look or feel. The only fish I like are on my plate at dinner time:)


Another fear of mine is expectations. I'm always frightened that I will not meet up to expectations. I'm afraid someone will think I'm not up to their caliber, get tired of me and leave. It's a pretty pathetic fear but it's rational.  I don't like getting this feeling and expectations just overwhelm me. I feel as though i never meet them even when I do. It's hard for me to trust myself as well as anyone else.

Currently Fishing (NOT)
Mattie:)

Goodbye Osama....I won't miss you

              Osama Bin Laden died on May 1st causing major celebration in the States. My question is why celebrate when someone dies no matter how horrible that someone is. I can't bear the thought of jumping for joy at someone's death even when that person is a major terrorist. For some the death of Osama marked the end. But for me I believe that this is just the beginning. By killing the leader of the major terrorist group, Al Quida (Osama), we have enraged his followers and made Al Quida unhappy. 
             Osama died and I'm glad but what price will we pay for his death? Should we be celebrating at the death of a human being, even if that person was more devil than human? I believe we need to watch what we say or do for a while and we need to make sure there are no holes in the safety of our country. It was important that this happened and I'm glad it did. Seeing where he lived and who he lived with just made me sad. He was an awful terrorist that caused our country to suffer many losses. I'm not condoning what he did. I'm not forgiving him. I'm rather angry, upset and sad at what he did and who he was. He was human.
Currently Not Very Forgiving,
Mattie

Snaps for Sophia!

             

              Sophia Bush is a person that I truly admire. She is not only a talented actress she is a big believer of charity work. She Has worked with severa; different organizations as well as creating some of her own.
              Sophia has recently done many different things involving several different charities. Such as urging people to help out with recent floods in Australia that had a devestating impact. She has asked people to help RSPCA in order to help animals in Australia as well as asking people to help those who evacuated their homes. Sophia created a benefit CD called Gasoline Rainbows (available for download on itunes) in order to help further with the oil spill. She pulled many bands and artists together for this CD and also made a PSA about the oil spill. 100% of the proceeds went directly to help for the oil spill. She felt especially passionate about this particular thing after visiting Louisianna and seeing first hand the damage that occured. She decided to help in whatever way she could. Not only has she done these things but she has also done so much more. She urges people to help in whatever way they can because she does the absolute same. She is amazing and she is a great role model. Sophia deserves snaps of admiration for all she does with her fame. She deserves snaps for being the kind of celebrity that I look up to.

Honey works better than Vinegar

                     I've learned recently, as in yesterday, that honey works a lot better that vinegar. This is metaphorical of course:)
                     I believe that when you act with kindness (no matter how much you don't like the person or what they're doing to you) you are the better person. Now i'm not saying that I always act with kindness or "honey" but i believe its something everybody should work towards. If you've ever heard the saying kill em with kindness then you definitely know what I am rambling on and on about. I just think that acting with honey will help you in the long run. I learned this through another person yesterday who made it clear she was acting with vinegar and it made me think about how to go about protecting ones feelings. Honey is the way to do that. You act with honey towards somebody you like/ respect and are close to.
                  Sometimes I wish that i could act with more vinegar towards people to their face instead of behind their back so that they know what I'm feeling and I don't have to beat around the bush. I think that you should act with kindness (honey) but sometimes it's just better when you are honest/ blunt and if that percived as vinegar then so be it. It depends of the situation and who you are talking to plus the amount of respect you have towards that person or the situation. I believe that you watch yourself and your reputation in public and such because thats what is expected.
                  A person deserves a certain amount on honey and vinegar to have the perfect concoction in their life. To reach the right amount you have to judge who you are and what the situation is.
Currently Philosophical,
Mattie:)

Interim :)

                  I spent a week outside of my lovely school learning about the future career I would enjoy doing. I would love, love, LOVE to be a teacher. It's exactly the sort of thing I'd be perfectly suited to do. I enjoy kids a lot. I think being a middle school teacher would be the right job because it is a time in a kids life where they need someone to rely on and someone to teach them things properly,
         On my interim I went to Phoenix Middle School and taught with the health teacher. Due to budget cuts the health teacher also took over some of the role of the guidance counselor. This amazing teacher and wonderful mentor taught me something very cool.
         The middle school age group is a time where kids try to define themselves. It's a time that can be very hard for some kids. A guidance counselor can be very important in this ime because they take on a lot  of emotional burdens and even support groups for those that need it.
         I did a lot. I taught some health. I helped the kids with a project that had to do with todays social issues and I helped kids tackle fears about high school. I learned how to deal with a kid that you may not get along with.
         I learned that every little job is important to keeping a school together. A kid should feel safe in their learning enviroment and I feel that sometimes a guidance counselor can be the one to provide that. I had a great time during this week and i feel that it was very beneficial to explore my options. I'm so glad i chose to do this sooner rather than later. I learned things outside of the textbook that week and i'm very blessed to have had the opportunity.
Currently (i'm) lovin it,
Mattie:)

Hillary Clinton: Time's Most Influential People of the Year

Link to Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People of the Year....Hillary Clinton

       Hillary Clinton is Secretary of State. She is very influential to me and I look up to her in many ways even though I may not agree with every thing she says or does.Hillary pledged a "smart power" policy when she became secretary of state.  This smart power policy involved working with the secretary of defense and reshaping the state department. She did this to emphasize development and people powered democracy.
   She spoke about human rights and freedom of expression on the internet. Hillary has been the key to a lot of things recently. She was helpful in the multilateral action from the military helping to protect citizens under the reign of Gaddafi. She has strengthened many alliances. She is amazingly very supportive of the administration at the moment.
   I really look up to her and think she is very influential for several different reasons. I believe that she was very brave and inspiring when she ran for president especially as a girl. I believe that she is smart and has good ideas for our nation. I think she is really a great asset to our government and i think that to young girls and adults she is very influential.
:)

Lisa Jackson: Time Magazines Top 100 Most Influential People of the Year

Link to the Article about Lisa...Time Magazine: Lisa Jackson
        Lisa Jackson is the EPA chief. Lisa has many goals tha she works towards. These goals make her a very influential person. To me being influential is someone that I can look up to. It is someone that I can respect. A good role model is influential.
        Lisa Jackson does something that I respect very much. Every day Lisa works towards clean air and water. She works for a prospererous, clean, energy economy. Lisa understands the risks we face in order to create and grow the economy and build a new generation of jobs. She wants to do this while protecting the health of the public and the enviroment.
        Lisa works towards something that I find admirable. She works for a sustainable energy future. She helps to find logical solutions to problems. during these problimatic times with our economy she is exactly what we need. She is looking ahead for what we may do in the future with sustainable energy. She is helping us keep a clean enviroment and she is protecting public health.
       I didn't know who or what Lisa does/is before reading this article in Time magazine. She has helped me to understand what plans are being done with energy in the future. She is influential not only to Time magazine but also to me.

Slammin Storms in the Midwest

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/26/levees-verge-breaking-rain-hammers-midwest/?cmpid=cmty_twitter_foxnews_levees-verge-breaking-rain-hammers-midwest
                      Lately storms in the midwest have been CRAZY. Recently there was one in Arkansas. This storm made Missouri residents pack up to find higher ground. Four people died on Monday in a central town in the state of Arkansas.
             Vilonia is a town in central Arkansas where a tornado ripped through. Four people died. In the states northwest three cars were ripped of of the road killing three people.
            In my opinion this is craziness. I really worry about the towns where this is happening because those towns are almost completely ruined. Its a devastating topic and I hope that the danger is almost over. 
Curently Fabulous,
Mattie:)

Trusting your Weakness

                     

                     My greatest weakness is my lack of trust in anyone other than those closest to me.
I have been through a lot so it's hard for me to truly let someone in. People may know whats going on in my life but that doesn't mean I truly trust them. I want people to know that i want to believe they will follow through with what they say they will but its hard for me to understand when they don't.
The problem I have is that those who have taken advantage of my trust have warped it in the way that it takes me a really long time to be able to actually trust anyone besides my close family and best friends.


                    My family and best friends friends are amazing and i trust them with my life. But there is a difference between them and people that don't have my trust. My friends earned my trust and my close family just had it.  This is a weakness because it really can't be fixed for a while. But Im okay with that. This is a weakness that protects me from hurt in the long run even if it has some bumps along the way. Trust is a hard thing to come by and I'm lucky to have those in my life in my life that i can trust but those that i can't it's okay. If their worth it i'll gain that trust in them eventually, right?


Haha
Currently CRAZY,
Mattie:)

Hmmm Music? I think yes!

           Lets see. I love MUSIC. I can't even think of a time where i wasnt totally in awe of musicians and writers for their amazing talents! I just thought I would share some of the artists i truly admire and aspire to be like them not only through their music but through their artistic expression.

 

The Beatles are truly inspirational. In my opinion no artist or band will ever match up to the talent of the Beatles. In 100 years these fabulous guys will be like Mozart or Bach to our generation. They are what I refer to as unbeatable.

I really admire Taylor in more than one way. I think she is a truly genuine person and she has a lot of talent. I don't like when celebrities hold themselves on pedastools and i do not believe that Taylor does that. I also think she is a talented artist because she writes all of her own songs and puts a lot of work into every album she makes even if some of her songs do sound the same.





I REALLY LOVE THIS ALBUM. Florance and the Machine is an amazing group and listening to their music makes me extraordinarily happy. I really think their music is inspiring and i love the accompaniment that is behind the singing. The lyrics in their songs really make me think. I really like this alternative genre of music as well.





Kate Voegele has my true dream voice and style. She amazes me and i have every album she has made. She has the ability to act sing and write. Her albums always describe exactly how i am feeling. I love her music and her songs.



These two lovely ladies make up the group called Everly.
 I really this hilarious duo makes the most soothing music on earth.Thier music makes me mellow and calms me down when i may not be in the best mood. I really enjoy the way they create their music and the way that it flows. The way they are still grounded when they are so talented makes me enjoy them as a whole even more.


All in all my love of music is mostly because of these people. All of them are good role models and i look up to them a lot. :)


Currently Listening,
Mattie:)

Plastic Surgery and Packed Lunches ;)

This week was quite shocking for me actually.
         A seven year old got plastic in order to prevent getting bullied. This was highly recommended by her mom and supported by the little baby face foundation. In my opinion it was an unnecessary procedure that was completely up to the child and her parents. The child at seven years old was not quite able to make her own complete decision so it is up to the parents to lead their child in the right direction. She was getting this because of her cup ears and she did not want to be bullied in the future.
       In Chicago a school made the news when they made a new rule. The rule is that the students in this school must eat the schools food. In other words no packed lunches. In the principles words she has seen enough of "flaming chips and soda" for lunch. She considers the schools lunches to be healthier and in the child's best interests. I understand where this principle is coming from but i do not understand some parts of this rule. What about vegetarians? What about vegans? From what i am hearing the only way to get around this rule is with a doctors note. Now i find this a little ridiculous because it is a family matter what food you choose to buy and pack in your lunch. Not the schools problem unless you are on the free lunch program.
I disagree with both of these current events that happened this week and I hope not to hear of more schools or seven year olds making these choices
Currently Pondering
Mattie

My Family

I'm going to start off by telling you that i have an endless amount of family no matter if they are blood related or not. But people that are especially impotant to me are my siblings. I have three. Three perfect people that im really lucky to have in my life. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. They are all perfect and im so blessed. They all have different attributes and things that make them who they are but i wouldnt change a thing.

 My brothers are both very different. The youngest of my two brothers is basically my role model. He is doing what makes him happy but is supporting his lovely family as well. My brother is very passionate, opinionated and stubborn.Whats so cool about him is that he tells me when i'm wrong. This sounds weird but I love it because it tells me he cares. I also know that whatever happens he will be there for me and help me. I hope he knows how much i look up to him and take his advice into account. I truly believe that part of the reason i am who i am is because of him and what he has taught me about life.  He takes responsibility for his actions. I hope that one day i can accomplish the impossible and have some of my brothers perspective on life because it never ceases to amaze me.

My sister is a gift in everyway. She teaches me so much and she doesnt even know it. The obsacles she has overcome are amazing. She is truly amazing in every single way possible. Her laugh is infectious and she is one of the prettiest most talented writers i know. Her intellect is outstanding and her presence in every situation is unforgettable. She makes a bad situation good. Her personality is strong and defined. She has an uncanny ability to show sympathy towards other that i thought not possible. Her love for music was echoed through me when i was in the womb and her talent through writing is a godsend i wish i had. All in all i couldn't have asked for a better sibling to look up to and learn lessons through.

My eldest brother is caring sweet and wonderful. He his funny, kind and flexible. You really can't go wrong with him. Not only is he a go with the flow kinda guy but he is also a nice, lovable, hardworking person. To have him around reminds me not to be self-centered and to remember all the good things in life. He is one of the strongest people i know. He isn't cocky or egotistical. He would never do anything to hurt anyone. He helps me to remember what I am lucky to have and to take advantage of everything i can. He doesn't teach me things by telling me what is right or giving me advice. He teaches me by showing me. He is a living breathing example of how actions speak louder than words.

I would be lucky to be even a fraction of the people my siblings are.

:)
Currently Missing Them,
Mattie

Room by Emma Donoghue

Spoiler Alert: If you are going to read this book i would steer clear from this blog post. It will contain my thought on the story not just a summary.

This is a virtual website of the room that Jack and his mother live in thanks to Old Nick. This link shares how room was laid out and helps you to understand the book if you so choose to read it.

Room isn't just his room for five year old Jack. Room is the only thing  Jack knows. It's his world and its the only thing he knows. His Mom, being taken by her captor and impregnated, had chosen not to tell Jack about all the things he is missing outside of room by telling Jack that the things he is seeing on t.v. is not in fact real but it is made up. She deludes him into thinking this for his own good. By doing this she protects his innocence because he is the only thing she has. She doesn't feel the slightest bit guilty for having Jack but she does have the slightest bit of guilt for all of the things he is missing out on in this 11 by 11 foot room.

One thing i find interesting is that jack uses singular words or "the" before he refers to a specific object in the room. For example he would say "the bed" or "lets go back to room". He would say this because he doesn't know that there is another bed that exists or another room. He is actually pretty frightened by the idea or concept of the world outside of room.

This book is mind-blowing to me because when they are finally outside of room (all thanks to jack the five year old hero of course) Jack misses room and wants to go back because its all he's ever known. To his mom it is a living hell and returning there would not only be her worst nightmare but it was out of the question. But to Jack not only was room safe it was his world. This story is amazing because it opens your mind up to things that not only will change your perspective about things in the book. It will change your ideas, opinions and perspectives in the world. This book will teach you to question the negative thanks to a perfect five year old narrator. I definitely recommend this book to anybody that has an open mind and appreciates the power of a good book.

Currently Crazy,
Mattie

Videos from class

                 I feel that the videos from class were major downers although i enjoyed them. I thought they were very truthful and realistic while most things sugarcoat the truth in order to uplift America. 
      The poverty rate in children is going up to 25%.  This to me shows that all of these kids are struggling but not by themselves so its not just them in the poverty situation. They have a family around them also struggling. 
      Some of these kids are feeling that the reason that their family is in poverty is because their parents have to support them. Children in the videos were crying because they believed it was actually their fault.
      Josiah's time with the baseball players is the cutest thing in the world. that was my favorite because it was uplifting.


CrAzY
                

First Post woo hoo!!!!!!!!

Hm well I'm not quite sure where to begin. This week was crazy all over in the news.


Okay so in Libya everyone is going crazy because they have a really bad dictator that has killed hundreds of people. Gaddafi is the dictator and he is absolutely refusing to step down. 


Facebook has decided that now is a good time to give out users personal information. In my opinion that is just wrong. who does that? Isn't that the point of adding friends and accepting friends? Adding friends is when you basically agree to share you personal information.


Teachers are getting punished because they are putting bad things on facebook that could influence their students. So they are getting angry because that is their "private" lives......my question is can your private life turn public when you post things on a public website for everyone to see.


I think all of these things are really big issues and i cannot wait to hear or see more about them and report back to you..........My new blog




Mattie