Monday, April 26, 2010

Last Chance ~ April 26,2010

Going to college has never really been a choice for me to make. When I was younger, my mom always told me that I have to go to college and that I had no choice in the matter, just like going to high school or middle school, it was required. I was also forewarned that my parents would not be paying for my college so I had to find a way to finance my own education. My parents came to this conclusion because with all of their friends’ parents paying for their education, they did not take it seriously. If it was someone else’s money, they didn’t care what they were doing. However my grandparents made my dad pay for his own college and he took it a lot more seriously because of that. My mom did not pay for her college but then again, she only went to college for 2 years. My first real job was when I turned 14. I worked at a hair salon, sweeping up hair, shampooing hair, and even sometimes even coloring and perming it. I worked there for a year until my boss retired. After that, when I was 15, I was hired to work at Chick-Fil-A, where my sister’s also worked. That job was fun, however, the manager and owner were really greedy and after working there for a year and a half at minimum wage, I quit. Then I got the best job in the world, I worked at Bead Bungalow. This place was awesome because I learned how to make jewelry and I got to use my creativity. I worked there for 2 years but after then, I had to get a teaching internship in order to get college credit towards my major. From then on, I worked at Royal learners as a teacher. All of this work experience gave me the skills to succeed on not only on a monitorial basis but also on an academic one because it taught me how to balance both at the same time.

Thats All!
~Ali

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Living in Greece ~ April 14,2010

If I could live anywhere on this earth it would have to be the shoreline in the country of Greece. In Greece there are many beautiful buildings anywhere you look and the people are so accommodating. The beautiful buildings would be any of the wide variety of museums that many different cities in Greece have. Also in 2008, the Olympics were hosted in Greece so there are many newer attractions to see that were built just for the people who attended the Olympics could enjoy as they stayed in Greece. However the buildings are not the only beautiful thing in the cities scattered throughout Greece. If you even start walking through the city towards the coastline, you can see the gorgeous clear blue water and the white sandy beach area. The water looks even more beautiful in contrast to the white adobe houses that tend to always line the shore. Also the people that live there are so welcoming and inviting that you will want to live there too. Many people who live in Greece have had family there for many centuries. This is different for Americans to experience because of the many immigrants that come to live in America. The people of Greece give visitors a sense of welcoming by treating them as if they were their own family. Through this feeling, the natives of Greece make the tourist want to come back and experience more of their country. Walking down the narrow cobble stone of the streets, the visitor will tend to receive at least 10 smiles and maybe even a hug or two. Also the food is very fattening but very good! Incorporating olive oil into most everything that they make, Greek food is very rich in taste. It is for these reasons and more that I would want to live in Greece.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Outside for 15 ~ April 12, 2010

In my time out side, I got to really sit and think about where my life was headed and how I am able to get there. I sat at Centennial Olympic Park and watched little children run in and out of the fountains in little ruffles of bathing suits. Shrieking and running away from the unexpected spouts of water, the children always find refuge in their parents. The children are never too far from their parent’s watchful eye because if the terrible event in which their little one should fall, their protective guardian will be just seconds away to come and scoop them up into loving arms. Also near- by is the big grassy area in which fake bleach blonde girls sit and fry their skin till they are as dark as a burnt marshmallow over a blazing fire. These kinds of girls will never be satisfied with the way that they look until they give the false image that they are actually sporty girls who happen to get tan from all of the out door activities that they participate in. They think that if they look as though they do sports that it will attract the right type of boy. Of course, I can not forget to mention the super gorgeous boys running around with out shirts and in long board shorts. Throwing the football around as though it takes no effort, they only drop the ball twice. As the sun sets the constant buzz of people goes to a minimum and the beauty of the stars seem to outshine any human or even a beauty queen. The lights in the park switch on and then all of the sudden the busy park that was filled with families seem to trade places with sweet romantic couples.

That's all for now

~Ali

The end of the moonshine ~ April 7, 2010

In the article “Legendary Tennessee Moonshiner Plied His Trade to the End” by Stephen Miller, the author writes about a man who, according to tradition, has been making moonshine for generations now. This was his way of life and he was proud of what he did. With Cocke Country Tennessee being in the top four moonshine capitals of the world, Mr. Sutton had great business and was able to keep a family tradition alive through yet another era. During his life, Mr. Popcorn was able to take part in a documentary and was able to write an auto biography entitled “Me and My Likker”. This made him quite popular though out the rural towns from Tennessee to North Carolina. Not only did people start to recognize his name, but they also sold memorabilia to those who wanted Mr. Sutton to be a part of their fine dining experience with plates adorning his slim bearded face. The making of this special kid of hard liquor goes back to when the Scottish- Irish came over to the New World in order to make a better lives for themselves. Although it was not illegal until after the Civil war, today it is still very much illegal to sell and make moonshine. This will continue to be the case until the federal government can somehow regulate the selling of moonshine and also get a cut in the profits. Trying to regulate each urn in which the moonshiners make their liquid gold can be a hard task to do also. Each farmer has a different machine in which they make different kinds of liquor so there is not just one specific way to completely regulate the machines. After having several close calls with the law, Mr. Popcorn finally got busted. The police caught him with over 186 gallons of moonshine stashed away in an abandoned school bus on his property. The day before he was to report to jail, his wife found him dead in his truck.
That's all for now!

~Ali

Summer Job ~ April 5, 2010

With this summer approaching so much faster, it forces me to think about what I will be doing this summer. I have decided to work at a preparatory school called Royal Learners where I will be teaching students who have been held back because if grades. My job description for this particular place is to ensure the safety for all the students I am in charge of, helping students understand crucial concepts for certain areas of study, and making sure that each student excels not only academically but also socially. I have worked at Royal Learners for about 2 years now, starting when I was a senior in High school. As a senior, I was in a program that allowed me to go to school part time and have a part time internship. I learned a lot my first year of working there because I got to shadow a great teacher and mentor to me Mrs. Karen. She not only knew how to make sure that all the kids were taken care of but she made all the kids feel like someone loves them and really cares about what they do. Karen also helped me with my personal life sometimes too. For instance, when my grandmother got diagnosed with breast cancer Karen, herself being a breast cancer patient, told me what to expect and how to help my grandmother. She was a great influence in my decision to pursue a teacher career in the special education area of education. Karen recently passed away just a week before my spring break. She battled breast cancer long and hard and she finally defeated it when she passed away. I will never forget the great lessons that I have learned from her in the past and I will continue to live with her passion towards other children I work with.

That's all for now!

~Ali

the shortage in fruit flies ~ April 2, 2010

The article that I chose to write on this week is one in The New York Times. Olivia Judson wrote an article in the opinion section entitled “Laboratory Life” in which she describes how evolution never stops. She starts off by giving the scenario of a fruit fly being swept up by a scientist and put into a bottle. Then she goes on to describe how the life of this fly is significantly changed. The first way that their life is change is the life expectancy of the fruit fly. In the wild, a fly’s average life consists of around 80 days; however after being swept up into a bottle for research, the fly is only expected to live five or six days. Also they are expected to mate with a particular female or male fly instead of choosing their own partner. With those factors and the fact that the food is different, the species will most likely be traumatizing to the animal. The difference of a true wild fly and ones that have grown up in a lab are that they can only live up to a couple days after being released back into the wild after testing. This particular strand of fruit flies will eventually not be able to survive on its own if the scientists keep taking the flies at a rate that they are right now. However, I think this world can live with a few less flies bugging us all.
If it weren’t flies however, more people would get involved in trying to save these animals from the horrid scientists. In reality though, these scientists could be saving us and we don’t even know it. I think that if a scientist has probable cause to test on animals that it should be ok to do so.


Thats all for now
~Ali

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Bail Bonding ~ March 31,2010

I think that Bail Bonding is necessary. Having large amounts of money on the line if you don’t show up for a court date sometimes is the only incentive to getting people to return. When a judge sets bail, he or she takes into consideration how much an individual makes and what they can use as bail. People use their house titles and car titles even to make that kind of insurment to return. What other actions can our country take to ensure that these criminals come to their court date? A man who steals a blanket from a store because he is cold is just as much a criminal as someone who has committed murder. Each citizen knew that what they were doing was wrong and they still chose to do it; thus they are in the wrong. One is much more preventable than the other however. With him being cold, there are several homeless shelters that give out blankets to those who do not have any. The man could have simply gone to the shelter and requested a blanket. The other option that this man had instead of stealing, which is clearly wrong according to the law, is to start his car. During the interview, he says that he relies on his car on a daily basis so there must be gas in it so he can get places; therefore he should have just started the car, gotten warmed up while he was on his way to the homeless shelter to get a blanket.

Thats all for now!
~Ali

Fat food ~ March 29, 2010

I believe that this article can be true. Given the right amount of proof through medical testing and a publicized journal on how effective this research is, I think that this could have some truth to it. Americans really do not fully understand how much fat they in take on a daily basis. Americans are all about how fast they can get something and this has even overlapped into our food choices. Growing up in America often teaches people that they should get anything they want or need fast, and if they do not get it fast enough, they either complain or find another way to get it faster. In order to make food fast and to make it last longer, scientist made up a chemical in which mostly all fast food restaurants use called preservatives. This chemical harms our bodies and makes the food dangerous as we digest it. The effect of eating this food that contains this special chemical is not immediate, however over time it slowly makes the metabolism slow down and makes our bodies addicted to the food in which we consume. Other countries have caught on to America’s recklessness and have out -lawed the use of preservatives. With just this, America should have the brains and guts to make the same lawful decision to help out our over- weight country and hopefully extend the life span of those who accept the help. I loved the tips on why you should not watch your frozen dinner slowly rotate in the microwave in hopes of getting the entire meal heat to the correct temperature. People have actually adapted to getting their food in a quick way that is still satisfying to them so they do not need to go out and shop for more healthy snacks and other food items.

Thats all for now!
~Ali

School Standards ~ March 26, 2010

I chose to write on the opinion editorial entitled “Enforcing School Standards, at Last”. This article was published in the New York Times on March 2010. In this article, the reporter states that the age of schools actually reforming their education for their students in exchange for money. This idea came from and was enforced by Obama’s administration who just granted Delaware and Tennessee financial aid. In this government aid, Obama promises to distribute 4.3 million dollars across the entire nation. The amount of money each state receives is based upon how well the state is educating the children living in their state. To get as much money as they need, each state can maximize the number of points their state earns to get more funding. Ways to build these points include: building a clear understanding between teacher unions and school districts for programs that would build the training of teachers, turn around failing schools, encourage the creation of high-performing charter schools, creating data- driven instructional systems, and finally promoting quality science instruction. The plan also states that it will favor states that made the proposition that they should be taking student achievement into account when evaluating the overall success in teaching evaluations. Delaware, the first state to receive funding, promised to enforce a way for teachers and principals to show the growth of student’s achievements to prevent the state from receiving an unfavorable rating. Also they promised to use this information to remove these ineffective teachers from classrooms in their state. Tennessee already passed a strong law mandating that at least 50 percent of teachers or principal’s evaluations should be based on the achievement of the students in their classrooms. In implementing these new laws, these state proved to the leaders of this country that they intend to improve the education system as a whole in the United States.

That's all for now!
~Ali

The Best book ever~ March 24, 2010


The best book that I have read would have to be “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by the incredible John Irving. This book was the best book that I have read yet because not only does it keep the audience interested by suspense, but it also keeps the readers guessing what could possibly happen next. Also this book was interesting to me because it held a lot of religious symbols hidden in the story that if you picked up on them, then it would make the book that much more interesting. An example of this interesting hidden symbolism is when the main character, Owen Meany, and his best friend, John Wheelwright, are on the quest to find out who John’s true father is. It was rumored that John’s mother was a virgin when she had him so that was one symbolism referencing Jesus having a virgin for a mother. Another symbolic thing that happened in the complex story is that when the boys were very young, Owen predicted his death, when and how he was going to die. This was also referenced back to Jesus because on his last supper with his disciples, he told them that he was going to die. Owen also was compared to Jesus because he died saving other people. Owen died saving a bunch of men from exploding and dying from a bomb planted in a restroom. Jesus was said to have saved many people because he died and saved them from an eternity in hell by dying for their sins. Owen also saved John several times. One time that really stuck out in the story is when Owen wanted to save John from the war drafts. In order to do that something has to be physically wrong with you so Owen, being the best friend, cut off a third of Johns trigger finger on his right hand because he was right handed. This did save John from having to get drafted but he said that he will forever question if that is the reason why he is still alone and not married today.
books.google.com


Thats all for now~
~Ali

Phoenix ENT LLC. ~March 22,2010

I work for a company named Phoenix ENT LLC. In this company, I got to concerts and site out the good bands. If they are really good and I feel as if they could represent our company well, I approach the band afterwards and ask them if they are already signed with a group. After I made the initial remarks with the band and I still feel as if the band joining our company would further our progress, I get my boss to go to another concert in which that particular ban is playing. In that concert, I take notes of all that the band need to fix including stage presence, communication between band members, the image the band has together, or the musicians in the band. After the show, we approach them together. Usually I do all the talking, in which I find out if they are still interested in signing with us. If they are still interested, I present them with the things that they would have to change in order to be a part of the company and then we proceed to go over the contract and see if they have any questions. Usually, we let them go home and think about it for a week and get the contract looked at by a lawyer so they know what exactly they are getting into. If they still agree, we sign them and get a photo shoot lined up immediately for them. With the pictures we take at the photo shoot, we can get flyers and a logo up and going in order to get their name out and schedule gigs for them. Then if a concert hall or another band needs either an opening act or a main band, they contact me. In contacting me, I get the information to the members of the band and see if one, they want to do the gig, and two, if they are available to do the gig. At the concert, I make sure they have exactly what they need and make sure they are where they need to be when they need to be.

That's all for now!
~Ali

Proud Confederates ~ March 19,2010

I chose to write on a piece in Vanity Fairs magazine. The title of this article is “Yes, Southerners are Still Proud of the Confederacy” and it is by Vanity Fair. This particular article was written and published on the internet on April 7, 2010. In this article, the author was pointing out that people in the south are still looking for ways to celebrate the south and what it did not accomplish. It still never ceases to amaze me what people do to relive the olden days. Whether it be through their children or through the actions that they themselves make on a daily basis seem to only be in the interest of themselves. In one instance, a Virginia governor wants to remember what the confederates did by making a month to take time and learn about it. He proposed that they preserve the month of April to be the official Confederate History month in the state of Virginia. This month would make time to remember all of the good things the confederacy did in the past. When asked about slavery, the governor responded that slavery was not a significant issue for the people of Virginia back then. Also when a NY Times correspondent wrote in an article about a women’s basketball game that it might not be a women’s sport after the way the women played in the first half really blew the readers away. When the University of Connecticut’ women’s basketball team won the NCAA tournament, this sent this particular reporter into a tizzy saying that the opponents were not playing their best. After reporting that he thought that it was so badly played, he wrote that because of their bad mistakes in the game, it might have set back the ability for women to also play in a national basketball team for a few decades.