More impressions about Punk:Attitude ~ November 16,2009

The second day of watching Punk: Attitude was better than the first. Even though the music did not get any better, in fact it got worse, the attitudes and explanations of what went on got better and more clear. I believe that the foundations behind punk music and the life style are a great way to show emotion and showing what you believe in however you have to decide what is actual music and what is just noise. The basic foundation of punk rock music was a generation of people wanting to stand up and say what was on their mind whether or not other people wanted to hear it. With that mind set, the generation set to work on making noise, not music, and creating “fashion” so that they could stand out in a crowd. And boy did they stand out in a crowd! Safety pins extending from their mouths, spikes shooting out of their shoulders, and spiky hair definitely set them apart from what others wore around them. Being so different from every one else is just what they wanted. Making a statement so that others could stand up for what they believed in too was their goals, with these kind of motives, they could only know that they would get all sorts of criticism for what they were doing. However I don’t think that they cared very much.

That's All for now!

~Ali

Anything ~ November 18, 2009

Turning towards my date, I was so embarrassed to ask to be taken home, however I knew that it had to be done. With pain like this, I could not really enjoy the date either. When I looked over and squeezed his hand, he instantly looked back. When he did he could see that I was in a lot of pain so I did not even have to say anything to him. He jumped up and got out coats and we were out of there. As soon as we got out of ear shot of other people, he asked what was hurting me. But before I could answer, another shot of pain flew up my colon and into my stomach. I could barely stand up. As soon as he saw this, he swept me up in his arms and took off running to his car. I never knew that he could run so fast especially with me in his arms! When he finally stopped we were at his car and he was fumbling around to get his keys without having to put me down. He got the car door open, gently shoved me in, ran around to the other side and sped off towards my house. We got there in record time; usually it takes about 10 minutes to get from the theater to my house but it only took him about 3. On the way home he called my parents and so when we pulled into the driveway my parents were there waiting for me. I told him that I was sorry that this had to happen on our first date but he told me not to worry about a thing. I went inside and took a lot of pain pills and fell asleep. The next day I woke up to a vase full of the prettiest yellow daisies I had ever seen with a card from the guy asking me out on another date!

That's all for now!

~Ali

Punck: Attitude ~ November 13, 2009

My impressions of Punk: Attitude is that that was a very opinionated group of people. Also, they were not very clear of all the facts surrounding where things originated from and they all thought they did. For example, in the first five minutes of the documentary, one of the people they interviewed informed the viewer that the Rolling Stones started the use of the word “punk”. However about twenty minutes later, another interview informed the reader that Caroline Coon came up with the word punk and made it famous. These two interviews contradict each other and therefore confuse the viewers as to who really came up with the expression punk. Also, another contradiction was when one person claimed that the hippies were the first punk rockers because of their use of LSD, their determination to end the war, and the Woodstock concert, then ten minutes later, a person claimed that the hippies had nothing to do with the start of punk and that they despised the hippies. I think that the director needed to review the interviews and cut out all the contradiction so that this could be a correct and informational documentary.
On the note of language, I do not see the point of using the f word as much as the people in this documentary seem to see the necessity of it. If the f word added meaning to what the person who was being interviewed was saying, I think it would have been more appropriate. However they just threw around the word just in spite because society told them that they couldn’t so just to piss them off they decided to do the exact opposite of what was asked of them.

That's all for now!

~Ali

Rupert Merdoch ~ November 11,2009

Apparently this author does not like Rupert Murdoch! According to him, Murdoch just wants power and control over everything, and he will lie, cheat, and steal in order to get there. Nearly owning half of the television shows Americans watch every day, Rupert puts his ideas and top “priority” agendas into the front of the American minds hoping for a movement for action. He has been accused of hiding his money in Tax pockets so that no one can reach into his pockets and take out money, this shows the people of America that he thinks that he is above all the others because he doesn’t need to pay and finds loop holes so that he does not pay. He tends to use the people who can give him something in return or someone who is well known, either liked or un-liked by the American people. This can either make people like him or despise him. I think that for this reason, and others surrounding his opinions and actions, he is so debated on and in so much controversy constantly. With only threats and no action on his part, no one in the big world can or will take him seriously. Empty promises have been made also in relation to his infamous news papers too. So through these accusations and confirmed foul plays of Rupert Murdoch, people can not trust his words to be true therefore there is an ever growing decrease of American’s support or approval in what he continues to do.

That's All for Now!

~Ali

Positive or Negative ~ November 9, 2009

I think that this review of the movie “The Box” by Richard Kelly is a mixed review. At first the critic seems hesitant to trust that Kelly had actually made a successful film. Giving him a shadow of a doubt, the critic describes the plot and the controversial ethical dilemma Kelly created for his characters. This part of the review, in my opinion, paints the review as a successful, thought-provoking film, quite able to succeed in the box office. However as soon as the reviewing of the plot of the movie is finished, the critic then goes back to bashing the director. He suggests that this movie is like cramming “Lost”, the TV show, all into a two hour film. Thinking that if he had a thirteen week series of this movie, the critic suggests that the director, Kelly, would be more successful.
The ethical dilemma the main characters were faced with in the movie “The Box” was that they would receive one million dollars if they would push a button and kill a perfect stranger. With the growing fear of no money, the Lewis’ decide that there is no other choice but to push the enticing button. If I were given the same ethical dilemma as the characters in this movie, I could not tell you that I would have chosen the same path as the Lewis’ did. Knowing that I would be paid essentially for killing someone, even though it’s a stranger, would be so much of a burden that I don’t think I could bare. I do not believe that anyone else should have the choice to kill someone, because that person could have done more good for the world in the future as you will ever do in your life. There is no knowing of what people will achieve in the future, so why shut them off now?

That's all for now!

~Ali

Anything ~November 6, 2009

A phone call. That is how it all started. A few words were spoken and then the butterflies started to creep into my stomach and move into my mouth. After agreeing to a date later on that day, the hours of preparation, I realized, had just started. After doing my hair, make-up, and trying on every outfit I had in my closet, I was finally ready. Trying to calm my nerves, I paced around down stairs and anxiously watched the clock. The doorbell gave my stomach another lurch and caught me completely off guard. I tried to walk slowly so the boy couldn’t tell that I was just sitting here waiting for the door bell to ring. As I opened the door, the smell and feel of the summer night hit me and I could feel the butterflies start back up. He escorted me to the passenger side of his car and opened the door for me. Around to the other side he went and then we were on our way. Our first part of the date was having dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Bugaboo. We sat and enjoyed the casual talk that followed the waitresses’ questions. As soon as dinner ended, we were off again to see a movie. Five minutes into the movie, I could feel my colon starting to sere with pain. I tried to act as if nothing was wrong and popped my pills as if they were mints. However after 2 minutes of sitting there in pain, I knew that this was going to have to be the end of the date.

That's all for now!

~Ali

Anything ~November 4,2009

Feeling the car starting to come to a stop I awoke suddenly. Opening my eyes that quickly however sent my head into a sudden violent head ach because of all the medication I had pumping through my veins. My best friend from high school happens to go to GA State University and only lives a building away from me, so when I told her I would be coming back to my apartment after I got discharged, she made me promise to call her the second I got back to the building. When the car stopped, Jenn was there. Patiently waiting until I fully got out of the car, she helped in any way she could. As soon as my slippered feet hit the ground, she grabbed me up into the biggest hug she could give. Knowing that I was in good hands, my parents were reassured by Jenn that they could leave. I never knew that going up seven floors could ever take so long. We started our trek to my room but I found out that I was in pain with every slow step I took. Finally surrendering to the fact that I was in pain, Jenn found the closest guy around and asked if he could possibly carry my bags to my room while she helped me walk. The guy quickly agreed and we started once more our journey to my room. As soon as the key turned in the lock, all three of my roommates were at the door wanting to help in any way they could. I could not talk above a whisper so I left the orders up to Jenn. According to Jenn’s orders, my roommates should just come and check up on me every couple hours. She then dug through my purse and handed Alyx my bag of pill bottles and went on instructing her on when and how she should give me my meds.

That's all for now!

~Ali

A Modern Poem~ November 2, 2009

I chose the modern poem After Apple- Picking by Robert Frost. This poem has stuck with me because not only does the poet describe this event so that the reader feels like they are right there as it is happening but it also reminds me of familiar memories my family and I have made throughout the years. Robert Frost starts out this poem by describing how apple picking is coming to an end. The way he states certain things makes the reader really think about what each smell, or look actually looks and smells like. When he says “The scent of apples; I am drowsing off”, he makes the reader really smell the scent of apples even though we are probably no where near apples. This poem also makes me remember all the times my family goes up to the mountains every fall to collect the biggest, reddest, apples we can find. Ever since my oldest sister left for college, my mom decided that we needed to have a time in the year that we can always get together and have family time. She decided to pick apples. This was her decision because then she always begs us girls to come back to the house with her so we can make apple pie, then that can turn into a movie night and before we know it a day trip can turn into a full weekend trip. So because she can somehow squeeze all the family time she can into this event, she chose apple-picking for our annual family event.

Thats all for now!

~Ali

Halloween~ October 30, 2009

Halloween! When asked what Halloween exactly is, most Americans start off by telling of the consumer-ized point of view. The candy, pumpkin carving, dressing up, and of course the evil of it all come spilling out of greedy American’s mind. However Halloween is celebrated because about 2,000 years ago, the Celtics from Ireland celebrated the new years on November the first. So they believed that on October 31, or Samhain, ghosts of the dead could return to earth and ruin the crops. In order to keep their crops safe, they created huge bon-fires and sacrifices animals, meanwhile wearing costumes. Halloween came to America because when the Europeans came to America, they brought their customs too. In America, Halloween just started out as what they called “play parties”. At these parties people told each other’s fortunes, sang, danced, and told stories. Eventually it evolved to the Halloween that we have today.
I did not do anything for Halloween this year. I had a family crisis and was trying to deal with that. However if I was not dealing with that I would have gone to a charity party with my room-mate. My costume was going to be Bendi Erwin (Steve Erwin’s – the crocodile hunter- daughter). I had a beige dress and crocodile skin high heels that I would have worn along with a safari hat. The charity event was to collect blankets for the homeless so the cover charge to get into the party was either a blanket or 5 dollars so that the host could go buy a blanket with that money.

That's all for now!

~Ali

Whatever ~ October 28,2009

After a very long and tiring twenty one hours in hospital I was finally discharged. As policy by the hospital, I was wheeled out to my parent’s car where they were waiting in anticipation just to get me home. As soon as the doors started to open to the outside, the cold wind found every way to touch every inch of skin it could, even if it meant crawling under all my clothing. I felt like a little girl as I was lifted by my daddy with his super power strength into the car. Fastening the seat belt securely around me, my dad asked in a worried voice if I was sure I wanted to go back to school right then. Because I had an endoscopy, I was limited to a little whisper due to the doctor’s accidently nicking my throat while pulling out the tube they inserted. Leaning close, he heard through my soft whispers that I was set on going back to school that night. Knowing that I was just as stubborn as he is, he settled into the driver’s seat for the hour’s drive ahead of us. I tried to fight the tiredness as it became apparent through the lulling sounds of the car as it made its way towards Atlanta. However 10 minutes into the drive, I surrendered to its forceful persuasiveness and was asleep the rest of the way. Though I was soundly asleep, I could still hear the low murmurs of my parents and their concerns over whether or not I should be allowed to return to school or if they were going to fight me on this one.

That's all for now!

~Ali