The Happiness Project

I read "What Mac and Cheese, The Sopranos, and the Harry Potter Books Have in Common" by Gretchen Rubin. And really, what does Mac and Cheese, The Sopranos, and Harry Potter books have in common? Cause I don't really see that much of a theme. That is what I thought when I saw the title of the article. The article was very relaxed and I felt like I was reading something my best friend wrote or under those lines and overall it just made me think about what my "comfort food" as she calls it is, when really it doesn't have to be a food, it can be watching something or doing something. Something that makes you calm and de-stress and pick up a down mood. I think this article can connect with anyone during this hard economy time period or at even any period. It opens your mind to think of what makes you happy, and it doesn't have to be a person like a boyfriend-girlfriend-wife-husband-friend-ect. But a thing, a place, just anything. I thought about it after reading the article and while writing this, I asked myself "what is my 'comfort food'..what makes me happy?" And I thought of over a hand-full of things that cheer me up and comfort me. This article did its purpose, made me the reader think and really think about what my "comfort food" was. And I passed the link onto others who then found their comfort. 

E.M.O.

My full name is Emily Marie Owczarzak, yes I have the anishals "emo", but my parents didn't name because of the whole 'scene, trend' time of being 'emo'. Haha. My last name origins is Polish and means shepherd, I don't really now why it means shepherd though. But I gained this last name after my dads mother remarried for her third time and had my father, who gained the last name of her husband than. Emily as my first name was chosen from the popular french name Emilie, just changed it to be Emily. Yet my mother says she wanted to name me Aubrey, but her father said I looked more of an Emily than an Aubrey. I think my first and middle names, while popular in United States and French culture still fits me. And I think that my full name is what makes me who I am, with the alway questioned and missed said last night and jokes about my full name. 

Enter the Octagon

The article entitled “Enter the Octagon” is an informal article and it talks about the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is the biggest Mixed Martial Arts Organization in the world. The author is Troy Patterson. I choose to read this article based on the fact that I myself am indeed a huge fan of Ultimate Fighting. In fact the only sports I watch are Basketball, Boxing and of course MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), also known as Ultimate Fighting. I love it and I can’t get enough of it. I see it as any other sport, from Boxing to Football. MMA is not just two guys swinging for the fences trying to knock each other out; MMA is about skill, technique, strategy, much less like boxing. Some people seem to dislike it because they think it is just street fighting. These people are clueless and are closed minded while not even giving a chance to a sport because it is "new". The person writing this article does not know a lot about MMA. I believe that if he and many others were well educated on the sport that they would be huge fans of it much less like I am.

In the Article, the author tries to educate and inform individuals reading the article about MMA but he knows almost just as much as they do. He also states some things about the sport that are somewhat false. For instance, there is a point where he mentions that it is illegal to kick an opponent while they are on the ground; that’s wrong; the truth is that it is illegal to kick your opponent in the head while they are on the ground. I think this article is meant to be read by people who have no knowledge about the sport of MMA. The audience will probably read this article and maybe even decide that they like MMA even less after reading it. I also believe this article is meant for older audiences who are pretty old fashion and who would stand by boxing without question if a debate were to form between the two sports. The author of this article might still just see MMA as some sort of barbaric brutality in a cage, but they have not been introduced to the art which lies within Mixed Martial Arts.

when expected, they wont attack (KEVIN RILEY)

I took the time to read the article by Tim Noah titled "why hasn't america been attacked since 9/11?" I think that as long as we're expecting a terrorist attack, they wont attack us. September 11 was significant because we never saw it coming. when the attack occured, i barely knew what a terrorist was. the terrorist plotted an attack big enough to make up for all of the years they weren't able to carry out a successful attack on the US. Every since we were attacked, I have been dreading another attack, and so has most of this country. It has been 7 and a half years since 9/11, and every since then there has been a "severe terrorist threat". why was the threat so low before 9/11? the terrorist are a very intelligent group of people, and as long as they know the security is beefed up everywhere around this country, they are going to take their focus elsewhere. this is the reason why places like Mumbai and london had to suffer.

Strike A Pose

The article I chose to read about was Strike a Pose by Mia Fineman. This article show and discussed the strange art of fashion photography. This article defined it’s point of origin and those who explored and began fashion photography. The author had went into detail on the different mediums of fashion photography depending on the photographers aesthetic. One of my favorites is Juergen Teller that does the ads for the famous fashion designer Marc Jacobs. His master medium is the snapshot aesthetic. 

This article was at the same time informational as inspirational. This is the career path I am steering myself into. I found it very interesting on all the different mediums that can be presented for fashion design. There was one quote that really stood out to me, it is about the picture taken by Stephen Shore, Paraphernalia’s Opening ad Show, a picture that documented life in Andy Warhol’s factory. “Shore may not have conceived of this picture as a fashion photograph, but it accomplishes exactly what fashion photography sets out to do: It offers imaginary access to a world of style, privilege, and utter fabulousness and makes you feel as if you could almost be part of it—if only you could try on that cute striped minidress.”

I never thought of fashion photography in this manner, but it does in fact make sense to where I can relate to it. There have been times where me myself have flipped through ads, and thought if only I could try on that cute striped minidress. I really enjoyed this article, and I suggest anyone else who is interested in fashion photography or let alone advertisement to take a peak at it. Great examples in photographs are provided which the writer frequently refers back to. This definately is pointed towards an audience of artists and or those effected by these advertisements, common every day people. 

Google and Facebook Battle your Friends

This article from Slate.com is by Michael Agger and he writes about Facebook being so much part of our lives. He talks about how all these networks that we use to socialize may be so frustrating when we have to fill out all those registration forms and remember all those passwords. He discusses ways that Google and Facebook develop tools for friends to connect with each other. It seems like both networks are in war with each other.
The author's voice when I read this is that he sounds funny in a way such as poking fun at both networks as if it was a popularity contest. "This may seem like an arcane, technical struggle, but I believe that a year from now, you are actually going to care who owns your social network. A lot of Facebook is flirting, photo sharing, and inane status lines, but we are also telling it how much we value certain people. I want to hear less about this person. I'm married to this person. Please block this person from ever contacting me in any way ever again." However, he sounds serious too when he points out his opinions of what he would like to see more or less in facebook.
He is probably speaking out to the teenagers and/or adults who may have a Facebook account. It is mostly to teenagers because they may see more feuds between Facebook and Google later in the year.

Im not sure my wife should be an egg donor

By (it is a bunch of different people because it is a series of letters written to this woman named Prudence asking about donating eggs [female eggs if you get my drift])

even though this topic does have some humorous parts to it like, "we could use the money, and she's just 'flushing them down the toilet every month' anyway." i thought was kind of funny giving the circumstances, but it is a serious topic with only a bit of comic relief. the man's predicament was that he and his wife wanted to have children, but they have sadly fallen into a financial crisis and can not afford to have children at the moment. the wife wants to donate her eggs, acting as if it were as simple as going shopping, and the husband feels moral obligations toward the egg and whoever were to receive it. the person that the husband was writing to was an advice columnist, who i think, gave the right kind of advice for the situation. this column piece was definetly written to couples planning to have children, but were having a hard time financially and were looking to donating as a way to get money. i think any couple, and any gender, can read this woman's advice and give donating more thought than just, "flushing them down the toilet every month."

Daddy Eats Dead Cows

is the name of the article I chose off of slate.com. It was written my Mark Oppenheimer. The voice he uses in his writing is kind of in the middle, educated, but laid back enough to still be entertaining while also informative. In the beginning of the article, he sounded like someone in desperate need of advice; like someone with a question he couldn’t find an answer to. As the article continues he starts to find his answer by talking about his friends and family. For the most part, I think that he’s really just writing for himself. This article is just his thought process. Also the article is for anyone who has the same concerns, it’s for parents, or future parents, or people who have grown up as vegetarians perhaps. You can tell he’s writing in a laid back manner, using words like “freegans” and referring to steak houses and delis as temples of meat. One part of the article I found humorous was when he was discussing how he’d go about eating meat whilst his two daughters are being raised as vegetarians. He compares going out to T.G.I. Friday’s with a buddy and having a burger and some calamari, to sending his kids off to summer camp and getting high while their away. An interesting comparison, bit of a stretch; but it definitely explains how he sees hiding a habit, any kind of habit; from his children. Really, this article is for anyone on with any sort of interest in, or opinion about vegetarianism.

Chage We Can See

The Article that I read was entitled Barrack is Back by Karen Shih

The voice of the author is a little relaxed but it also has a very serious tone. She is talking about the speech that President Obama gave last night to congress. Her voice is much like the voice of most Americans I remember filling the same way as I was watching the last night. I said that if he could do one thing he could talk. There not really any words or phrases that stood out to me as I was reading the article. I think that most of the things she used were pretty necessary considering the topic. This article is written for the American people, the tone is serious because of the economy crisis it has to be people want to see change and I think that the author understands this and it reflects in the article. I think that article is in general for anyone who is interested in the issues of today. She dose not go in to detail what he talked about in the speech so I don’t believe that she is really writing to explain what happened, She is sort of telling the story with a question that is on everyone minds will we be able to repair the economy. She just say in that he did reach out to the American people and gain the trust of them and that of congress but it still is that question can he do it. In the article she refers to a meter which on one side is the nation as it is and on the other side is change we can believe in. She calls this the change o meter and she say that it is called the change o meter not the hope o meter. I think that gives you good sense of the kind serious tone that is present in the article.

Blog Post # 4: Slate.com

For this week's blog post you need to go to slate.com, a great news & lifestyle website, and choose an article. You can pick any article in any section. After you have chosen which article you want to focus on, I'd like you to read through it carefully while keeping both voice and audience in mind.

Finally, once you are done reading, come back to the discussion board and tell us a couple of things. Tell us which article you read and who the author is. Next, tell us about the voice. Did it seem casual? Scholarly? What were some words or phrases that really stood out to you as quirky? Out of place? What was the tone of the article? Sarcastic? Witty? Somber? Now, talk a little about audience. Who do you think was the intended reader? Was it for a younger audience? Older? Educated? Uninformed? What clues in the article let you know who the target audience was?

Write 250 words in response to the above questions.

Due next Friday.

Spell Check...

One problem that I have always had when writing, is my spelling. I am a good speller but not a great one. I usually focus on getting my point across when writing and although I keep in mind that the grammar and vocabulary should always be acceptable, I tend to coast through the paper not even paying attention to the spelling nor the vocabulary I am using to express myself. I also had a problem of mixing up "their" with "there". Not until about a month ago did I get that little problem straightened out with a little help from my girlfriend, after she actually pointed that problem out to me. I have good grammar and pretty good spelling but sometimes I forget to spell words that I should definitely know how to spell. I would misspell words such as "beginning", "February" or even "definitely". These are easy words that I should be able to spell without question, but I do not understand why sometimes my mind just seems to go blank in situations where I need to recall the spelling of a certain word.

I am truly grateful for "Spell check" in Microsoft Word, which is where I do most of my writing for school. When I am writing on paper in class or for homework, I have learned from numerous sources to "always go over your finished paper". I always review what I’ve wrote. Sometimes I will review the paragraph I just wrote, while still thinking of ideas to include in the next paragraph. I always catch mistakes, misspelling, some grammar, and even certain parts where the sentence just doesn’t even make sense to me. Aside from all that I have learned to deal with it and hopefully I could expand my vocabulary where my spelling would improve as well. Even writing this, I myself misspelled the word “misspelled”, spelling it with only one “S”. The following are a couple of other words I just misspelled while writing this blog post. Well what do you know?

Wrong: Trully, Greatful, Grammer, Straightend, Begginning, Febuary.
Right: Truly, Grateful, Grammar, Straightened, Beginning, February.

does that word even exist??? (Kevin Riley)

Sometimes when i am eager to finish a paper, i tend to create my own words instead of thinking about how the sentence should actually be written. for example:

INCORRECT: The boy realized that he was a betterly trained athlete than everyone else.
CORRECT: The boy realized that his training was better than everyone else's.

INCORRECT: if she spoke better english, our conversations would be confuseless.
CORRECT: If she spoke better english, our conversations would be less confusing.

This only happens when i try to rush a sentence. if you read it too fast, you wouldn't even notice the mistake!!!!!

Who or whom?

Who vs. Whom

When do we use them?

I've always had a problem figuring out how and when to use "who" and "whom" properly in a sentence. It always bugged me when I got them wrong. Something important I learned was to replace "who" with "he" and "whom" with "him."

Who= He
Whom= Him

When dealing with sentences such as a very common one that I was taught with, which I still use when and if I get confused or stuck.

"For who/whom should I vote?"

Now, that is a typical common sentence and they both sound reasonable to use. But try the "he" and "him" technique.

WRONG:
"For who(he) should I vote?" You can even change up the sentence a bit like, "Should I vote for he?"
Makes no sense

CORRECT:
"For whom(him) should I vote?" or... "Should I vote for him?"
Makes a lot of sense

Telling the difference

ever since i can remember i have always had a problem telling the difference between 'their' and 'there', 'than' and 'then'. i did not understand how people were trying to explain it to me so i just started randomly placing these words in to my sentences, hoping to God that i was using the right one for that particular sentence. sadly God nor luck were ever on my side, so i always got them wrong. Until a friend of mine explained to me in an extremely simple and easy way that even a monkey could understand. 'their' is for people and 'there' is for things that are not people. 'then' is for time and 'than' is for whatever the heck has nothing to do with time. simple, easy to understand, and is the only thing that i had finally grasped perfectly in the grammar world.

RIGHT WAY FOR 'THERE'

There is no way i am getting into that death trap you call a car

There are no eggs in this egg carton

RIGHT WAY FOR 'THEIR'

That house over there is not theirs

Even though they adopted him, they still love him as if her were one of their own

WRONG WAY FOR 'THEIR' AND 'THERE'

There house is no bigger than my dining room

Hey look over their!

RIGHT WAY FOR 'THEN'

And then the whole family went to the zoo

My mother used to say that "back then we never really knew that segregation was bad. we just thought it was normal"

RIGHT WAY FOR 'THAN'

I think that in today's society kids exercise a lot less than the previous generation

That kid over there is a lot thinner than i could ever be

WRONG WAY FOR 'THEN' AND 'THAN'

And than he told me that i was not cut out for the job because i was a woman and thought to be more sensitive then a man

the runnnnnnnnn on sentence!

I suppose my biggest grammatical failure is the run on sentence. I'm going to give a quick tip first! I did this in my American Studies class junior year. We would use three colors, whichever you choose. One you highlight all your short sentences, the other for medium length, and the last color for your longest/run on sentences. After you do this to your entire paper, you count how much of each. You try to eliminate which you have the most of, or basically make an equal balance. Equilibrium is always a good thing. Now for my examples: 

When I get paid on friday I always go to the bank and I deposit fifty percent of my check and then I use the rest for some new trendy clothes that are always super cheap because I love to bargain my way through everything! 

Whoa! first of all, way too many and's! I even through in a because in there! Re-read your sentences and see if there is anyway you can make the sentence into two or multiple of sentences! 

When I get paid on friday I always go to the bank. I deposit fifty percent of my check. I use the rest for some new trendy clothes. They are always suer cheap because I love to bargain my way through everything! 

Example number two: 

Earlier today I went to jewel down the street and bought so much food like potatoes, and cucumbers, and jellybeans, and pie! 

Once again, too many ands! When you want to list something use the colon aka this guy ":". 

correction:

Earlier today I went to jewel down the street and bought so much food like: potatoes, cucumbers, jellybeans and pie.

I could be wrong on my corrections, but I tried... so don't look too into them! But try my new tip, it might work really good for you.

Semicolons: The Grammatical Bane of my Existence.

I’ve got a confession; it’s been weighing heavy on my soul for years now:
I don’t know how to work a semicolon! Really. Despite the fact I just used one in the above sentence, I absolutely do not know how to use a semicolon. It’s a problem that’s been plaguing me since I was a junior in high school. My former English teacher, a complete hard-ass, was going over the proper uses of a semi-colon. It took the entire class, and since I was/am such a terrible student, I totally spaced out the entire time. Sorta sad, I know.
So, semicolons. We as students know that a semi-colon is properly used to join two related ideas when there are no conjunctions, specifically and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet. For example:

I like to eat pie; I am not a fan of cherry pie.
as opposed to
I like to eat pie, but I am not a fan of cherry pie.

That’s not the best example but I’ve got pie on the mind.

Also, a semicolon can be used conjoining two clauses when one begins with a proper noun, such as I, he, she, him, her, you, a name, or it. For example:

I like the blister that forms on my right thumb when I've been playing guitar a lot; it makes me feel cool.
as opposed to
I like the blister that forms on my right thumb when I’ve been playing guitar a lot, because it makes me feel cool.

How to use Semicolons

When it comes to writing, the use of the semicolon always confused me. Many people, myself included, have been under the impression that the semicolon serves the same purpose as a comma; we were wrong.

According to the Writing Resource book, a semicolon should be used to join two related ideas when a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet are not present. Semicolons are most effective when a reader can understand the relationship between both ideas without the help of a "coordinating conjunction".

To make the point a little more clear, consider the following:

Sentence without semicolon:
It rained heavily in the afternoon, but we managed to have our picnic anyway.

Here is the same sentence with the semicolon:
It rained heavily in the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway.

You can also use semicolons to join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb such as however, moreover, consequently, thus, nevertheless, and otherwise. Here is an example:

It rained heavily in the afternoon; nevertheless, we managed to have our picnic anyway.

Conjunctive adverbs simply shows the reader how two ideas or clauses are related and help to justify the use of the semicolon.

Blog Post #3 What's Your Grammar Problem?

For this post I want each of you to teach us how to deal with a grammar problem. Think of a problem that you have had in the past and do a little research online or in The Writer's Resource, then describe the problem you have and how to fix it. Be comprehensive in your explanation.

I then want you to show two incorrect examples and two correct examples. Make sure everything you write comes from you! Do not copy and paste from the internet!

There is no set word requirement other than writing enough words to truly teach us how to find and correct the problem.

Due Friday before class.

KEVIN RILEY: what the hell does that have to do with me????

Kevin
Irish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Caoimhín, originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic caomh comely, beloved. This was the name of a 7th-century saint who is one of the patrons of Dublin. Variant: Kevan (from Gaelic Caoimheán, with a different diminutive suffix)

Riley
Irish: variant spelling of Reilly.
English: habitational name from Ryley in Lancashire, so named from Old English ryge ‘rye’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’. There is a Riley with the same meaning in Devon, but it does not seem to have contributed to the surname, which is more common in northern England.

I have absolutely no idea of how this relates to me. IM NOT EVEN IRISH. the only thing the makes any sense in my name is that it means to be beloved by people. i am no where near a saint, even though i am named after one. This is quite a difficult task, having to explain the unexplainable. i guess if i could say anything about my name it would be about my last name. it is unique because not many african americans are named RILEY. I love that because it is not the ordinary black last name, like WILLAMS ROBERTSON OR DAVIS. i've also obtained a reputation with my name. it's not a bad reputation, so i guess that's good. all thats left for me to say is that i love the name KEVIN RILEY and wouldn't want to change it for anything.

In the name of the father....

I found this to be a very interesting blog to write seeing as I never gave much thought to the origin or meaning of my name. According to the technical origin, my first name, Victor, come from Latin meaning "conqueror". My last name Sandoval originates from Spanish, meaning 'newly cleared land' I don't really know what to make of that last one. To be honest, there's not much I can see in relation to the meaning and my family, other than I am of Hispanic descent.

I suppose that if I wanted to really examine my first name, I could tie it into my personality. I'm by no means a 'conqueror', but I have always been told that I do well with leadership roles and I know I have a defensive personality. In that respect, my name suits me well. I have never felt that my name really belonged to me though. I was named after my father after all. My mother did not want me named after him because she thought everyone would just refer to me as j.r. instead of by name.Naming me Victor was a sort of last minute thing. As I've grown older, I feel more and more like I am carrying my father's name rather than my own. I feel like because I was given his name that I have to live up to the person he is. This isn't a very easy thing as he is the hardest working person I know. So in a sense, you could say that I feel like I am some pretty big shoes to fill because of my name.

I can although appreciate the name. For example, I don't run into very many people named Victor in the world. I could actually count on one hand the number of people that I have met that share my name. An interesting thing about my name, I always have trouble saying it. I seem to always stumble over it when I try to say it,so instead I'll almost always introduce myself as Vic. It may be a nervous reaction I have in introducing myself.

An Old-Fashioned Name

Honestly, to me a name is just a name. I don’t see any real significance in it except that you’re stuck with it for your entire life. I was named Doris after my great grandmother, on my mother’s side of my family. My mother was very close to her grandmother, and after my parents got married she was and important person to both my parents. It was between my mother’s grandmother and my father’s, but his grandmother’s name was Euginea, and I think no parents are cruel enough to name their daughter that. However that’s where they came up with my middle name, Jeane. Doris is an English and German language name, that comes from Greek culture. It first started being used as an English name in the nineteenth century. In Greek mythology “Doris” was the daughter of Tethys and Oceanus; god and goddess of the sea. Doris also refers to a region in central Greece, and Asia minor that was inhabited by the Dorians. I don’t really bother to think about if I would have liked to be named something else, since it’s not like it’s going to happen any way. I like my name because people tend to remember it, and they don’t mix it up with a different one either. My name really doesn’t matter much to me, I’ve had it all my life so I guess I’m used to it.

Behind the name 'Jennifer'

The name Jennifer comes from the Welsh name Guinevere. Although that is what the “Behind The Name” website calls it, I know otherwise.

I was a couple seconds short from having the name Jennifer. Instead, I would be in this blog responding with why my name is Von Marie. Throughout my mother's pregnancy, discussions of what they shall call me, of course, aroused. When I was born, there was still no sign of agreement as to what my name should be. My mother, being appreciative to the French language, wanted to call me "Von Marie." What a name, huh? I checked up to see what Von Marie stood for, and am still in the research process of it. I do think, though, that my mom just came up with it because it sounded nice. My father, on the other side, had no idea I was to be born a girl, and wanted to call me Jeffrey (his name also.) Constant arguments continued, until finally, they came with an agreement. I was called Jennifer Marie, because it is the closest and decent sounding name from Jeffrey, and Marie, because of my mother.

I know my name is not original and not as special as most people are borne to be called; however, the meaning behind the name is something I treasure the most.

don't rest on ones laurels

Apparently lauren comes from laurel. which is a crown that is made up of a number of shrubs or plants. These are dipictedly shown in Roman and Greek culture from a time period before and after christ. The other commonly shown laurel is on top of jesus’ head on crucifixions. I suppose that makes sense on why my parents picked it. I was raised as a catholic, so I can see where Laurel and Catholicism connects. Honestly, I don’t understand the modification, Laurel sounds way more feminine then Lauren. I also learned that Lauren is a masculine and feminine name, one that is familiar is RALPH LAUREN, where many people will go by LAUREN rather than just plain RALPH. Lorena is even better than Lauren. Lauren is a popular name, I’m sure you’ve all knew someone named Lauren. I tend to go by Laurie unless it’s a job or school. Why Lauren at work? It matches my social security card and it lessens confusion. Why school? That’s what my roster says, and frankly I don’t care. Often I wonder how differently my life would have been if I never corrected a teacher or a co-worker to call me Laurie instead of Lauren. Since, I liked the idea that there are not many Lauries out there, and when there is, it’s often spelled Lori and I would just get myself even more annoyed as my name was commonly misspelled instead of actually corrected. I know there are some names I stray from due to connotations I have with previous people that I’ve known with that same name. So I often wonder who would I have met or not met if I went by Lauren more strongly rather than a casual Laurie. This may be the answer on why I let the person pick, I usually introduce myself as “Laurie.. or Lauren, which ever you prefer”. 

i dont really know

first off i do not really think your name makes you who you are because you can very well change it when you like. on that note this is the origin of my name.

when i asked my mother about my name (like where it came from, etc.) she said she wanted to pick a name that not very many people had, and something that sounded nice, hence the name Nicollette. its french and means "victory in battle". i am not french, but my mother loved the name so what you going to do. i never really knew, or cared for that matter, what my name meant. until a few years ago when my little sister brought a baby names book home and out of curiosity i looked up my name. i thought it was funny how it meant "victory in battle". i am not a violent person by nature. i have been doing kickboxing for 15years, but only because i wanted to be abelt to protect myself. i have never really gotten into a verbal arguement with someone, much less a physical fight. im more of an easy going pacifist who does not really enjoy hurting others. so when i told my parents what my name meant they laughed. they said even though im easy going, when i do get into a debate/arguement i do not rest until i win it. even when i fight in my matches i never back down. my dad said i am stubborn and determined in everything i do so even though they may not be as serious as an actual battle, i succeed in everything i strive to do. so i guess my name does fit my personality. it is an encouraging name, but i do not read too much into it.

My Name is Not Me.

My name is not suitable to my personality in the least. It’s a gripe I’ve had since I was young. When I was younger, my family had a baby book I would look at and name my dolls after. The book said that some names provide certain connotations. Apparently Lisa describes a person who is more delicate, fragile, and sensitive. When I was very young, I didn’t really think about it. I was always quiet. When I started developing an actual personality (some time around middle school or high school), it started to bug me how delicate my name was. I’m a loud, brash, crazy person. I’m not fragile, I’m quite strong.
Aileen, my middle name, is of Gaelic origin, which I’ve always thought is super-cool. It’s such a pretty name. I’m a little confused by it, though, because I’m not of Gaelic origin, so I wonder where and why my parents came up with that as a middle name. It’s also such a pretty name, a very feminine one, and I have to say, I’m not the most feminine girl around.
My first and middle names are so odd to me. I don’t think they give people the proper first impression at all. I feel like when people see my name, they’re expecting to see a skinny blonde girl who plays soccer and bakes cookies and even quilts or something odd like that.
As to my last name, well, it’s sort of a fluke. When my great-grandfather came to America from Hungary, he decided to change his last name from Perlmutter (German for “Mother of Pearl”) to Perlmuter, cutting out the extra T in hopes of making it easier to understand, pronounce and spell. Little did he know, that one small action did exactly the opposite of what he’d hoped. To this day, people pronounce my last name as “perl-MYOO-ter”, not “PERL-mutter” as the Germans had designed it to. It’s a curse.
My name doesn’t tell me who I am. I guess, then, it tells me who I’m not.

Blog Post # 2: What's in a name?

For this post I want you to do a little research on your name. Where does your name come from? Do you have a family history surrounding your name? What are the origins of your family name? How does your name inform who you are?

Try these resources: Oxford English Dictionary, Ancestor Search, Behind The Name, and also Google it!

Spend 250 or more words discussing the origin of your name and the significance those origins have for you in your present life.

Be sure to title your blogs well! Titles are an integral part of any written work. Make it work for you and your writing!

These are due before class on Friday.

My Best Friend

The person most influential to me has to b my best friend Alex. Like me, he is an extremely talented jazz vocalist and instrumentalist. I have been singing since I was fourteen years old and he is the first male jazz vocalist that I have met. His very presence and the fact that he is really talented has challenged me and forced me to work harder. Outside of music, Alex has helped to unleash my competitive spirit by introducing me to sports and video games (I was never really into them when I was younger). Over the last year, Alex has consistently been there for me, most notably since I was diagnosed with depression last September. He has always been there to talk when I need to or to tell me when I am being irrational. I am most touched by these things because Alex is a very private person. He doesn’t open up to people and certainly doesn’t befriend other singers, but for some reason we have a connection. I have always been wary of people that I meet and I keep them at arms length, (that’s another thing we have in common) but I trust Alex with my life. I would do just about anything for him. I have only known him for about two years, but I feel as if he is my brother. Alex has helped me to become a better person by showing me his emotional strength and his unwavering integrity, virtues that I can only hope to parallel someday. The best thing, though, is that he has taught me to believe in myself. It sounds really cheesy, I know, but for that I will always be grateful.

Personal Influence

I suppose that I could follow a theme here, or look into my own life for a personal influence, but none come to mind. Instead, I find myself looking to someone who influences me creatively and motivates me artistically. I am referring to independent rap star Tech N9ne.

For those not familiar with Tech N9ne, he is a very unique Midwest rapper from Kansas City,MO. He can be compared to the likes of Twista or Bone Thugs n Harmony, but frankly he's better. He is the first independent hip hop artist to reach 1 million album sales without a major label behind him. Needless to say, he has accomplished a lot in his long career. I first caught on to Tech's music my freshman year of high school. I was immediately hooked. The way he could deliver rapid fire rhymes and create party anthems was absolutely mesmerizing. At this point, I had just started recording music seriously and Tech's records had a major influence on my style. I found ideas and new outlets by studying his music. Tech is known for his amazing live performances complete with choreography. I would find myself studying his live performances for hours, looking for ways to improve my own.

His influence extended much further than music though. In 2006 and 2007, I was given the opportunity to open for Tech N9ne's Chicago tour stops. Both times I was able to meet with him, and both times he provided me with advice that I follow to this very day.

Influence

Since I was about the age of nine, music has been a major part of my life- by keeping me sane and being a inspiration. While local bands seem to be just that, local and they do not have a large impact besides creating more local bands sounding like them. While Rosaline from Naperville, Illinois did that, they were the leaders of the local scene and had followers who created bands who sounded just like them. But for myself they were more than just a local scene band, they were all my good friends. I met the band members during a concert, a friendship formed over the days-months-and years. I was invited to be there for band practices and to hear new songs. This was more than a normal friendship though, I see them as family now after four years of knowing them. They have given me some of the best advice for the future and getting me through the past. When I didn't know what to do with my life or didn't know what was around the neck turn they were there to tell me to believe in my dreams or goals and go with them. In all, Rosaline as a whole, each member by themselves and a whole as the band they have had the biggest impact on where I am today and where I will go, without them I am not sure where I would be now. And the tattoo piece on my neck is a dedication and reminder of everything they helped me with in the past and every day that they are my biggest supporters.

my mother and my aunt (BY KEVIN RILEY)

My mother and my aunt have been large influences in my life. I learned almost everything i know from them. They were the people who saw potential in me when i saw nothing. They always wanted me to stay on top of my business rather than be lazy about it. They also show me how stong a black woman can be at the weakest of times. the money would never stay around for them, but they always found a way to keep me, my siblings and cousins taken care of. Both of them raised their families without a father figure around for the children. Another thing about them is their professionalism. they can network and make friends with almost anbody. They are viewed by many of my family members as the backbone, the people that help to keep us focused on what's important in life. Everything that I do, I try to do my best at it because I know working hard at something that's positive or important to them would make them proud of me.

My Older Brah

There have been a few people who have influenced me throughout my life. The person that stands out the most would have to be my older brother, Jason. I looked up to my older brother as much as any other younger brother would. Back when I was in 4th grade and he was in 8th, I used to always want to hang out with both him and his friends. I thought he was so cool and so smart. I looked up to him and he looked out for me. I can recall a time when one of the older neighborhood kids, that I used to play with, shot me in the leg with a BB gun; I started crying and once my brother was aware of the incident, he gave that kid one of the worst atomic wedgies ever issued on a human being. Not only that, but he did so in front of the entire neighborhood. My brother got me into the music I listen to today, which is a lot of hip hop. He showed me some of the real artists that are in hip hop. I became obsessed with not only hip hop, but music in general. I grew up with a pair of headphones on my head and a pair of addidas on my feet. In High School I switched over to the rock scene, considering the friends I had at the time. Everything from dyed hair to painted nails, from System of a down and Nirvana to Incubus and even Blink 182. My brother thought I was crazy and reminded me of all the good that was in hip hop, along with another close friend at the time, who did the same. Now all I listen to is Metallica, System of a down, Limp Bizkit and a whole lot of hip hop. As I got older I began to influence my brother and his interests. I got him hooked on some rock as well as UFC (Mixed Martial Arts). I started making little hip hop beats on this music making program about two years ago, and after I finished every single beat, I couldn’t wait to show my brother and get his opinion. He would be as honest and truthful as can be. Everything he showed me didn’t always appeal to me but some things I just grasped on to more and more as I got older. I’m crazy about basketball and video games possibly because of him. My older brother has influenced me for better and for worse but the bottom line is that I am thankful and happy to have an older brother, especially one who showed me some pretty cool stuff growing up.

Life Influence

Influences basically surround all of us from all directions, so I'd like to think I am partly influenced by everyone and everything. However, the strongest impact that a person has put on me has most likely have to be my high school spanish teacher, Amber Bowgren. I had the privilege to have Amber as a spanish teacher for three years of my high school career. Not only did I do a great deal of learning spanish throughout those three years of high school, but I learned a lot about how to accept new cultural ideas and those that may not be very far from my own. As I’m sure for most teenagers, high school was a difficult time for me and having a down to earth teacher that understood life at that time made things a lot more manageable.  I wouldn’t only consider her just as  past teacher in my high school career, but even as friend or sister. 

Influences in My Life

I would have to say that the biggest influences in my life would have to be my mother and father for various reasons. Both my parents immigrated to America from Poland when they were only 18yrs old, with only about $5.00 in American money in their pockets. Neither of them spoke any English, and neither of them knew anyone in the United States. What they did have was a dream. My parents immigrated to America to escape the communist rule, and to give their children a life they could never afford. They slowly learned how to speak English by watching television and imitating people they saw talking in the streets. both of them worked night and day doing any odd job someone would give them. My mother says that even when she was pregnant with me she worked as a seamstress up to the point her water broke, and she had to go back to work the very next day after giving birth to me. Even though we were poor, and did not have the leisure of owning a home (only a crowded apartment we shared with two other families), a television, washing machine,etc... we still found ways to enjoy life and have fun. My parents never once complained about having to work hard or living in the conditions we had. One day though my father came home tired as heck. I was about 13yrs old at the time, and i will never forget the look he gave me. it was a look of sadness and disappoint. That is when my father decided that he was going to take the chance of starting his own business. neither him nor my mother were there when i was growing up. they were always working to give me and my siblings a comfortable life, but this took a tole on them. They never saw us growing up, and we never saw them growing old. My father started his own construction business, and by the time i was 14yrs the business was booming and we had enough money to not only buy a house, but also a television and even a computer. my parents taught me that nothing in life is impossible, and that everything in life is attainable if you are willing to work hard enough, and want it bad enough. My parents were terrified when they immigrated to America. They were young and alone, but they both had the same goal in mind. I hope that someday I am able to go as far as my parents did. I am proud of who I am, and I never feel ashamed of where my roots sprouted. i owe everything to my parents, and i hope someday I can show them just how proud I am not only to be their daughter, but to be a Polish-American.

The people that have influenced me.

Whenever I have to think of someone that has influenced me, my mind usually wanders to various musicians. Throughout middle school and high school music was my life, and the same went for a huge portion of kids I went to school with. My high school was a little music scene within itself. Everyone seemed to start their own band with their friends in someone’s basement or garage, probably because their was nothing else to do. What has had a huge influence on me isn’t just one person, but a group of people. When I was a junior in high school some of my friends had stumbled across an underground record label called Shaman Records. They and other people in the scene had shows at their houses, coffee shops, record stores, warehouses; anywhere they could. There was once a power violence show going on in the back room of a building while there was a quinceañera party going on in the front. We were a bunch of kids from a town with nothing to do, bored and misunderstood. Every weekend we’d find a way to wherever the show was at, hear awesome music and meet awesome people. Everyone pretty much knew who everyone else was, it was cheap and fun. By that time I’d gone to enough concerts where I payed too much for bands with too little talent, and too large of crowds. I was sick of seeing people fawn over celebrities and seeing girls freak out over some skinny nerd in eyeliner with a guitar. I was sick of songs about things that didn’t matter and didn’t apply to me. This underground scene was real, the people were real, what they wrote about was real, it wasn’t thought up by a marketing team. By that time I’d heard so many different versions of what “punk is” and it all seemed like hypocrite after hypocrite. When I started going to these shows it was like I’d found the real thing. No one cared what you looked like, dressed like, what brand of combat boots you owned, or anything stupid like that. I’m sure my parents would disagree, but all these shows, and all the bands and people at them have influenced me in a surprisingly positive way. Until then it was like I was always trying to fit in somewhere and there I learned it doesn’t matter. I’ve learned to think for myself, and have a voice. I’ve learned to know what I think is right and wrong, regardless of what anyone else says. I’ve learned to be myself, instead of aspiring to be like someone else.

The Legend Leigh Bowery: the man who has influenced me.

There are people who’ve influenced me in terms of my behavior, in terms of who I am, in terms of my style. The biggest person who has ever influenced me has covered all those bases and more.
Leigh Bowery: a fashion designer, a performance artist, a musician, a socialite and a club owner, a man who was simply famous for no reason. Leigh Bowery, hailing from down under originally and eventually coming to rule over the queer club scene, is my truest idol.
When I was younger, I always wanted to show the world how wild I could be but could never find a true way to express my psychotic psyche. I was quieter in school and moderate in dress. It was an awkward time, especially going out of middle school to high school. Then one day—I’m a musical theatre dork—my mother gave me the CD of a musical currently receiving a lot of press because it was sponsored by Rosie O’Donnell: Boy George’s “Taboo”. I listened to it over and over and became so intrigued by the characters, who apparently were real people, I felt I had to research them. The most colorful character (literally) was a gay club owner who served as a rival figure to the Boy George character. I started looking into his clothing designs and how they affected the Club Kids of the 80’s-90’s, I watched videos of his infamous “Birth” performed at Wigstock a little over a year before his all too soon death of AIDS. I started putting mismatched outfits together and painting my face with glitter in odd shapes in order to shock the world and get attention, which as an acting major is definitely what I want. Following his lead with my actions and outfits, I started to develop a personality and gained more friends, as well as confidence in myself. It was also through seeing him and his style that I started to dream of becoming a makeup artist, which is something I dabble in outside of school. His snobbishness-and-propriety-be-damned attitude and willingness to compromise nothing about himself is something I truly idolize and hope to truly be able to do one day.

Someone that has influenced me

I grew up with four brothers and one sister and the four of them helped my parents take care of me and my little brother. As I was growing up, I had a best friend. My brother Jose, was the one that was always by my side when I would cry because there would be monsters under my bed or he would be the one that would play hid and seek with me when I was bored. He and I grew up to love and care for each other.
When I first entered Roosevelt High School as a freshman, he was already a senior. He helped me get through my first year and at the same time, we were both enrolled in JROTC. I like military things so I thought that it would be interesting to enroll. I was at first scared because my instructors were all about being serious and I was just a silly kid. When we first wore our uniforms, I saw the medals, cords, and ribbons that Jose had, I was amazed and I wanted to have all those shiny medals. I told him about it and he told me that if I just work hard and do what I am told to do that I would earn it and also earn their respect.
I worked hard everyday. From reading the manual book about the JROTC history, marching in a perfect line, to facing movements I was then picked to take the Corproal exam which is the highest rank that a first year cadet can receive. I was scared of the exam, but Jose stood up with me all the nights to learn all the ranks, history, and marching. It was my goal to be one of the Corproals and I wanted to do my best.
The day came where I had to be at school at 6:30am and wait to be called to take the test. But before leaving the house, I looked at my uniform, and told myself that my uniform is not going to look plain as of today. As I went in for the test, I was nervous at first, but as soon as I reported in to my Commander, I felt a little bit ok. It was only a 10 minute thing and when it was done, I came out with tears to my brother because I was happy that I took this oppurtunity.
The day passed and they announced the winners. I was promoted to a PFC, a Private First Class, which is the second highest. It was ok, at least I got something out of it.
Jose was proud of me and I was too. He said that if there is anything that I want, that I should have confidence and believe in myself. And years passed and I got promoted, by my senior year, I was a MAJOR, which I was in second in command. When the Battalion Commander was out sick, I took over. So that meant that I had 230 cadets in control. It felt great and even though Jose is now a proud U.S. Marine, he will always be my best friend.