Literacy in the United States

Days ago I decided to look up statistics about the literacy rate in the United States. I wrote a post about literacy earlier this year. That book was written in the 80s, but literacy has not improved. If anything, it has worsened. That is really worrying. I want to relearn Excel, since I feel like I've forgotten how to use it. And I have some weak areas. So I find stats from 2003 and even 1994. Can I find anything more recent? No. And that really got me thinking. Has there been a record of literacy since No Child Left Behind was enacted? I'm looking and looking, but I haven't found anything. Ok so today, I find something in CIA Factbook. It's not as specific as I want. I was looking at literacy by state, as well as estimated population. But in CIA Factbook, it averages literacy in the United States. But get this, there's a note that says that literacy was recorded from individuals 15 and upwards. The percentage was 99%. Umm...really? How many people took the survey? What walks of life did they come from? It doesn't say. That's a great percentage, but I can't believe that. I want to believe it, but I know that a lot of people 15 and younger or even in their 20s, are hooked on Nintendo Wii, Grand Theft Auto, or some other video stuff that has them hooked. With all those distractions, who wants to pick up a book and read? I like to read, but some would call me odd. I didn't grow up playing nintendo or always watching TV. I watched some TV, but mostly I liked to play outside or run around the house (sometimes getting into trouble lol). I was a very active kid, until the 5th grade when I started getting more serious about studying.

Where are the statistics? Can I find some from 2005 or 2008? Or did Bush disallow that? I don't really know. And I'll keep looking. I might have to give up. Or since it's just Excel practice, I'll make up percentages. We'll see. I'm usually good at finding information online. It has me perplexed. By the way, I'm reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. It's my second time and I am nearing the end of the tome. It's a heavy, dark book but it really gets you thinking. Even if you kill for a good cause and the person you kill is like an ogre, is it justified? The protagonist thinks so, but later...I think he changes his mind. It's guilt that really torments his mind and soul. Actually, Rodion reminds me of a person I know. They're anti-social, they think a lot, very nervous type, but they're intelligent and can be charming. I'm mildly anti-social, but when I need to be, I can mingle. But I can't say I love mingling. Lol, and I digress. Must be an artsy fartsy thing.

In other news, the drama is over. Whew! It's scary. I want to stay above it as much as I can. I want to have fun and learn. I don't want a messy, complicated relationship. I'm not into dating either. If I find him, I find him. If not, I can "try it on my own", as Whitney Houston sings.

There's a lot of weird stuff going on in SL. Like last night until this afternoon, I was ghosting. I found a fix, but it ain't easy. I'll try it next time. Apparently, there is no fix for ghosting...no way to prevent it. If you go into a parcel and you check about land and it doesn't look right, you must get out quick. Or if you can't move, but you can turn and stuff, you have to log out right away and log back in. That should work. Those are if you catch it in time. If not...clear cache, log in from a different location (Bonifacio works for me, near Morris), or you just try to keep pressing enter and slip in when the server is busy letting other users in, so she sneak past, so to speak. It makes sense. So much to learn.

Here's the Whitney Houston video. It is one of my latest favorites, besides Free Loop which I posted in an earlier post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA9mmz508Ro&ob=av2e

Weekend and some thoughts

As you know, today is September 11th. Very sad day for America. I was and still am so devastated by what happened that morning nine years ago. Oh, how the mighty can fall.

Last night I watched Michael Moore's Sicko. It was a very emotional movie for me. I know what it's like to not have health insurance. My parents have gotten laid off a few times. One time I was even home schooled.You never forget. In Sicko, Moore visits 3 workers who helped out during the cleaning of Ground Zero. All had major health problems, but because they were volunteers the city would not pay for their health costs. So, they had to suffer and try to get what little care they could...so tragic. And yet in Gitmo, detainees get proper treatment and everything they need...isn't that just loverly? :P What Moore does is take these workers along with others to Cuba to get proper treatment (tries to get them into Gitmo, doesn't work of course, ya have to be a horrid terrorist to get in.) Cuba, the most evil country in the world! Right? WRONG. The workers got the right treatment and really felt better and the Cuban firemen gave them a hero's welcome and invited them over to the fire station. It was really touching and I couldn't help crying.

What is wrong with this world we live in? Even Cuba has better health care than us and they're not nearly as wealthy as we are. Imagine that! In Britain, Canada, and France...they just help the people who need help.

In SL, there's some drama. It's so sad when people take things so seriously and get hurt. It really hurts me to see it. It's supposed to be fun. I have to remember that and concentrate on doing what I like...writing, exploring, and learning to build. I'll tackle scripting later, but I can take classes from time to time. And of course, there's wiki.

Later!

Vic

Farewell to the Lead of Lyte Funkie Ones (LFO)

Yesterday, teen idol Rich Cronin of LFO died from Leukemia. He was only 35. He lost his struggle with cancer. I was heartbroken and still am. One of my favorite songs was "summer girls" even if he said "chinese food makes me sick" (I love Chinese food). It's just a funny, cute song. Even though much of it is Rap, it doesn't make me feel annoyed or like there's any hostility in it. I've heard a lot of Rap and it always seems to get on my nerves...it's mostly the lyrics that get to me...even more than the loud beat. I like a good beat, but people turn it up so high that it sounds like oppressive drumming like a powerful war drum. And war isn't something pleasant to hear about or think about. Incidentally, my family supports DAV..Disabled American Veterans. It's a good organization. I also hope that Veteran Affairs is treating the Vets better than they were years ago.

Besides "Summer girls", I remember "West side story" and "Every other time." Those songs just represent a happy time for me and the heyday of Pop music, as I've heard it being called. Life seemed more cheerful and the economy wasn't such a big disaster like it is today. But enough about that.

I encourage you to listen to songs from happier times. Today I listened to a few songs by Daniel Powter: "Free loop" and "bad day." They start out sad but then they build up and their underlying message is that you can take something sad or bad and make it into something positive. I've noticed that some comedians do that in their comedy routines. You should watch the music videos. I enjoyed watching them. The links are down below.

Summer girls:



Every other time:



West Side Story:


Free loop:
http://youtu.be/vEY_mg2y-rg


Bad day:http:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH476CxJxfg&feature=player_detailpage

Second Life to This Newbie

Hello! I'm back. I've decided to incorporate some of my Second Life experiences here. I joined SL on the night of July 4, 2010. It was around 11pm. I had heard about SL before, but I didn't really know what it was. I heard it was a cool place where people could host events without having to leave their house or whatever. And so I've been a member ever since. My avatar is over 2 months old. I've met some great people and have had some fun times. However, I have also had some hard times too.

The thing that really saddens me is that Emerald Viewer is gone. That was the best viewerI ever used. My friend, brinda, suggested that I use it so I installed it and used it for most of my life on SL. I learned building, saving outfits, taking pictures, and more with that viewer and with brinda and other good friends. Before that, I was using SL version 2.0. Sadly, that viewer is lacking. There is now a 2.1, but the improvements in it have been small...so I've heard from some of its users. So now I use Emergence or Phoenix. A few things though. Emergence has random crashes due to memory leaks. The fix is in the latest drivers. I heard that NVIDIA has new drivers that just came out. NVIDIA is good, so if I can get the money, I will consider buying NVIDIA drivers.Regarding Phoenix, I sometimes use the debut version. There is now an update since yesterday or the day before, but I've heard some complaints about it. People complain that you have to reset the settings because they're not saved. Well yes, it's a new version and what you download from the site, is just the default version without any of your changes, no surprises there. Another complaint is the camera problems. One user I talked to last night said that she couldn't get the camera to angle the way it used to. The camera view was above her head. I tried to help her by going into the preferences dialog box, but nothing seemed to help. From what I hear, Phoenix devs haven't ironed out that problem yet. Until they fix that issue, I won't be updating Phoenix. I also want to be sure that Phoenix is stable. It's still new, as is Emergence, but Emergence is working fine for me.

I like to build things in SL. My skills are still basic, but that's why I'm taking classes. I also want to learn scripting.

Well, I must go for now. I will write more later.

Literacy issues in the USA

Earlier I was listening to a WMA version of a book from the 1980s, Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch Jr about the low levels of literacy in the US among the young and what we as citizens need to know and what we should do about it. By now, those high schoolers and college kids alluded to are in their late 40s to early 50s. It is no surprise to me. The same could be said of this generation, my generation. I was born in the late 80s, but the characterization is still relevant for me. And it is even worse for the kids born after me until 1995, so up to the kids who are about 15 years old right now.

I have only just started listening to it, but I have already heard how bad it was then. When a teacher asked a kid what Homer wrote one kid said: "the Alamo." That made me laugh. But it's not funny if you think about the bigger picture. What is the bigger picture? It's that Americans are not literate enough to communicate on a level comparable to the rest of the world. In the book, the author mentioned how in interviews with business managers, the managers felt that their middle men (young people working for them) were not communicating well enough to be adequately understood by others. And that is a major problem.

It is also a problem if most people can't pick up a newspaper, and be able to relate what the paper says to things they already know about the subject. Further, they probably won't be able to consider what the news will mean for the future. They won't be that easily able to "connect the dots" and realize how it will affect the world and them.

For awhile, I have thought about how my education is lacking. I was born and raised in the USA. I am taking small steps to remedy the problem. It won't happen fast. It is a gradual process.

Currently, I am trying to read about the Vietnam War. I also want to start memorizing the dates of when all the US Presidents were in office. I have a plastic ruler with all their faces and dates in office. Learning about the Vietnam War is a start. Five presidents were in office during the duration of the US involvement in Vietnam. The Vietnam War for dummies book said that maybe even seven presidents were involved in the war, and it started with FDR.

Why FDR? He had the belief that the practice of colonization should be done away with. Truman was of the same mind, but his hand was forced into it. At that time, the French claimed that if we didn't help them, Russia and Communism would spread to Vietnam. France was our ally. The fear of communism was very real back then.

But the real fighting started with LBJ's predecessor, President Eisenhower. He was a former military man.

And so I end this entry. I will be back soon. I need to write and reflect about what I learn for it to sink in. It's not about how much we accumulate, but the content that we have learned. Learning should enrich our minds, increase our culture literacy, and enrich our lives.

New Start here

I want to start over. I have hardly written here. I really want to change that. I want to write better and I want to write more interesting stuff than just about myself. It does seem a bit egotistic and boring. And that's not why I started this blog. I want to write about what interests me.

College has drained me and distanced me from required education and mandatory stuff for awhile. I want to go towards free-thinking and creative writing. I want to use my imagination again and regain a sense of wonder about life. I will keep what I learned about crime, human nature, and punishment, but I will learn to feel excited again about the things I love. It's not all depressing and dark. There is always light. There is always hope and faith.

I am now on a spiritual journey to rejuvenate my spirit and find some part of myself that I haven't known since starting college. Only then can I feel more fulfilled. I don't feel more fulfilled just because I now have a Bachelor's degree. Just because I am done, it doesn't make me feel extraordinary. I did complete what I set out to do.

I want more. I want to learn more, more than what I learned in college. The journey starts here. Let's see where it takes me. The journey is everything. The destination is nothing.

Thanksgiving and more...

Before I write about Thanksgiving weekend, I want to write about how I have been doing. In my last entry I wrote about Shaun T's Insanity! workout. Well about 2 weeks ago, I completed the 60 days! It is amazing! I did not lose much, but I feel lighter and my muscles have more definition. Even though I am done with the 60 days, I still want to continue using the program. There are so many moves that are challenging and ones that I can do, but they really get me sweating. I especially want to work on building up my upper body strength. I have always been weak in that area. I want to be able to do a lot of pushups. I want to firm up my triceps.

I have started to write a children's story. I have a few characters to develop and the settings to finalize. I also need to do a lot of research. I hope to finish it in a year or two. The hard part is writing everyday and actually finishing it. It is so easy to start projects and then just drop them, without even finishing. It is like starting to read a book, but only reading the first few chapters before abandoning the book. That has been happening a lot to me lately. But I hope to work on that and overcome that character flaw. I need to be diligent and persistent and steadfast in whatever I choose to take on. Abandoning anything...that is what makes a person a flake, as people say.

And now on to how Thanksgiving!

It was a nice weekend, actually. It was all 4 of us at home. We ate some turkey, cranberry sauce, yams, and drank egg nog. Later we watched a movie, during which my mom and dad drifted off to sleep. I stayed wide awake. Last night, I finally got to watch Angels and Demons. I enjoyed watching it. I would not mind watching it again. Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. He always brings a dignified manner to his roles, when he is not yelling or complaining like in his earlier roles. I liked seeing him in Turner and Hooch though. Hahaha. I also got to try mochi, a Japanese dessert with red bean paste in the middle. Each one is bite-sized and soft and gummy. I really like it.

Well, until next time. Chau!

New beginnings and old memories...

Yesterday, I started the 60-day Insanity! challenge. It is so different from any workout I have ever done. It mixes interval training with resistance exercises. It is truly a challenge. I feel sore and stiff, but motivated. I decided to keep a log. So this is day 2 of Insanity!

I also started talking to two friends who I have not spoken to in awhile. It feels good. To new beginnings!

As to old memories, I visited my old junior high school. I was there for four years...5-8th grade. That was the first time since I left in June 2001. I really missed it. I saw a few teachers and one girl who I sort of knew. Just walking around the school brought back so many memories. The front doors were different. The secretary was different. Mrs. Lewis was still there. The pastor is still there and he was teaching a class in the library. I had wanted to go up on the balcony, but I did not want to disturb his class. The principal is the same, but he was at another satellite school. There are 2 other satellites...wow! The school has really expanded and grown. There was only the one school when I was there. The area near the Afica lake was fenced and off limits. I had wanted to go down there. I would go there whenever I could, when I was younger. I would read and talk to God and sit on a square rock. I really miss it. And the playground was still there, except for some new toys. The old slide and swings and see-saw were still there. Wow. I thought of my best friend. The auditorium had the same chairs, except that there were less of them. It seemed like the room had shrunk. The podiums looked much the same. I saw the jr high school room, and the room I had science in...it was so different. Now, the school has kindergarten to 6th graders. I did not see any high schoolers. The parking lot when we arrived was so empty. I walked into the room where I remember my crush used to go in to get his stuff...it was just a locker room...no desks, just a few chairs. I felt empty, but I had the memories to keep the smile in my eyes and in my heart.

I learned that most of my teachers had left...science teacher, computer teacher, latin teacher, English teacher, music teacher, and maybe even my catholic history teacher is gone. I was glad to see some familiar faces. The school nurse is still the same, but she was not at school today. Her little son is now 11 and loves basketball. Wow. Time flies. I saw him when he was 3 and was just starting to walk. Hehe. He was so cute.

Before mom and I left, I turned in an application form for substitute teaching. I am interested in teaching. It will be just a temporary thing, if they call me back. I am not certified. However, I have some tutoring/teaching experience. I have a good feeling that I will get called back. I did not get to talk to Mrs. Lewis, but I know that she remembers me. I know the principal remembers me. He once told my mom that she did a great job raising me. He taught me history and alegebra I one year, that was fun.

I was telling my mom yesterday how I wanted to visit my old school. I was surprised that she wanted to take me there today. It was a really pleasant surprise. And I am glad that we went. I hope to come back soon. There are more people that I need to see and talk to.

Until next time.

Long weekend

The day after my last post I heard that grouchy guy would be heading to California for grad school, Berkley on Sunday (yesterday). I guess I will miss him.

Lately it has been sunny and hot. I love it. I am getting so tan too. I feel happier though. Some of it is because of the hot weather. The rest is because I am glad to be done college and I am set on living each day one at a time. I will not think too much ahead. And I will not think of the past. Also, it helps me not to read too much depressing news. I need to be optimistic. I want to be done with depression for a little while.

This weekend is long because I am helping my parents paint the exterior of the house. My dad took 3 days off to finish the job. The front is done. And soon the back will be done. It looks good. The color is sky blue. I like it. I intend to take pictures when it is done.

Unexpected event

Today I saw an old crush, grouchy guy. I was with my parents and we were entering the pool area. He was sitting at the front desk. When I saw him, I kept on walking. But I was shocked, that I kept on staring as I walked forward. I did not stop until I bumped into my mom's bag. I had not been watching where I was going. She had realized that my dad was talking to him and she needed to let him swipe her swim pass. As I was staring at him, his eyes were looking right back at me. Our eyes were locked and I could not look away. I cannot remember anything like that happening to me before. And when we left the pool, he was the only one who said "bye" and he said it in such a cheerful tone. I had never heard him sound so happy before. Before that, he leaned back in his chair and let out a low "argh!"

My mom said that his eyes looked puffy and smaller, but I did not notice. All I saw were his eyes and his hair. He has cut it short. It used to be curly and longer. He does look meaner, even meaner than the last time I saw him after my college graduation ceremony. So apparently, he has gone back to work at the pool over the summer. I have no idea if he will be back tomorrow or next weekend. I do not know when he will leave or if he will be working at the pool next summer. I am just happy to have seen him again. I like looking into his eyes and looking at him. He is like a dream...an unattainable dream to me. But when he looks at me, I feel like I am an unattainable dream to him as well. I feel beautiful and it is quite a heady feeling. So I think I am almost over him.

Who am I not over? That English/Philosophy major boy. I shall call him Italian boy. I think of him or I see his name and I still feel hurt. With his eyes and his body language, he tells me that he likes me and yet he is afraid to admit it. He tries to avoid me, as if he can escape his feelings...as if he can forget his feelings for me and the moments we spent together in college. I will be over him, but I need time. I wonder how long will it take. Half a year? A year? Two years? It seems like it takes a long time for me to heal. And each time I heal, I find someone else to become infatuated with. I wish I could prevent that from happening. I wish I could be numb and not feel tenderness or fondness for any man who is nice or attractive. Maybe I should think that all guys are bad. But then I will be a man-hater, no? I do not want that either. So what can I do? Is the answer right in front of me?

The month of August.

It has been a hot and muggy August in my area. I have been busy with GRE prep and tutoring two women from Nepal. They want to get their driver's licenses by the end of this month. I just quiz them on things they should know like traffic rules, traffic signs, and right-of-way. This is also a chance for me to refresh my knowledge about driving regulations and such. I look forward to seeing them every week.

Besides that, soon there will be a court case. My sister was assaulted by some caretaker. First will be the criminal trial. Then we will start the civil trial. Later today we will meet with a lawyer for our civil suit. Yesterday we meet with a criminal lawyer in probate court. Our case is looking good. We got DNA from the perpetrator and it may be enough to send him to prison for a few years. The maximum is 10 years, but that is okay. As long as he gets punishment and is not let free, then we will feel a little better. He should not be allowed to hurt any other innocent girls. I do believe in justice. Someday, everyone gets what they deserve.

In fitness news, I am about 15 to 16 lighter than before. I have lost all my college weight. I hope to eventually lose the weight I gained in high school. I feel great. I am seeing definition in my arms, legs, stomach, waist, face, neck, and feet. I always had flat feet, but lately I have been seeing more of an arch. I now know that I had fat feet, not flat feet. Anyway, I think I need to lose another 20 pounds and then I will be around 120 pounds. That will be ideal. I have made much progress and I am very proud of my accomplishment.

Where have I been?

I'm still around. I've just been so busy. I graduated in May with a BA in Philosophy and Justice Studies. I realized I was still in love with a guy and even more than I thought. But most of all, I realized how much I love language. I want to study Linguistics in graduate school. It has always been a major interest and love of my life.

I've been thinking about letting go and fear and love. That guy I referenced, he likes me but he won't admit it. Instead, he is with another guy. I wonder if it will work. But a few weeks ago, I decided to let go. It's not meant to be. He is convinced that she's the one. I can't and won't argue about that. I hope we can keep in touch, but I'm not sure if that's what he wants. I haven't noted him, out of fear...fear that he won't respond. I think it's best that I wait. But if he never talks to me again, then that's that. I'm not putting too much hope in him. I hope that maybe in grad school or when I travel, that I'll meet some good people and even one good guy who wants to get to know me and who isn't afraid to tell me so.

I have a week or two until my diploma comes in the mail. I can't wait!

Yesterday, I met with 2 Nepalese women to help them prepare for the written driver's license test. My coordinator told me about it on Tuesday. It feels so good to be helping out again. I was hit hard when I found out that I wouldn't see the two Punjabi Indian women again. But that's life. Sometimes you're up and it seems like it's all good, and then at other times, it's like nothing is going right. That's over now. I just need to move forward.

In other news, I've started watching 24. I love it. I think it's interesting that the California Senator in there, who is blac, becomes president. It's like 24 predicted the future. Wow! Did the writers see that or what? Haha, who knows?
I hope our president has a good man working for him like David Palmer does. Jack Bauer is great.

Spanish fluency? I wish.

Today in one of my classes, my professor mentioned that the courts are looking for Spanish interpreters. They need some people who are fluent in Spanish. I would like to apply, but I don't think I'm fluent. So I've had 4 years of Spanish...but I feel like there's still so much that I don't know. I could survive on what I know, but I just don't feel confident. If I listen to the Spanish channel, I just can't keep up. They talk fast and I need time to first identify the Spanish word and then translate it into English. And believe me, that takes time. I'm sure anyone who speaks two or more languages understands this to be true.

So what am I going to do next? Tomorrow, I plan to go to her office to ask her about it. Then I might contact the administrator at the court and see if maybe I could take a fluency test. If I don't pass it, it'll be okay. I just want to see how I'd do. I've never taken a Spanish fluency test or any national Spanish test. So I have no idea how I compare to other Spanish students worldwide. However, I do know that I learn easily. I just love learning.

My plan to improve my Spanish is to see if I can look up some stuff about Spanish, just a little bit a day. It could be about the culture, some sentences in Spanish, a news article, poetry, a story, or even something about the grammar. It's been awhile since I've studied Spanish. I really miss it. But I know that it's still with me. Every time I see a Spanish word or name, I remember how to pronounce it and I might even remember what it means.

It would be even better if I had friends who spoke Spanish or if I could go to Spain or some Spanish-speaking country for a bit. Oh wait...I have a neighbor who is Spanish. Of course! I'm a bit shy, but I'm sure she'd love to talk with me sometime. But first, I need to do some independent learning. First things first.

In other news, things are going well with the tutoring thing. I see my student tomorrow. Yay! I look forward to it. It's fun!

Also, I have to go to a job fair. Well, I don't have to go but I should. I want to see what companies show up and what they have to offer. And I like to see what kinds of stuff they're giving out. Sometimes the gadgets are cool. Lol.

Farewell to Natasha Richardson

I was saddened to read about it on yahoo. I happened to see the headline and then I clicked to read about it. And just yesterday I watched her in the movie "Evening." "Evening" is a good movie, by the way. In the movie, she plays the oldest daughter of a dying old woman who is remembering the past of regret and sadness. And before she dies, she is finally able to forgive herself and let go.

Richardson had hit her head during a beginner skiing lesson. She felt fine, but then hours later she didn't feel well so she was sent to the hospital. She wasn't even 60.

I remember watching her in "A Handmaid's Tale." She was quite young and lively back then. Before the accident, I imagine she was in good health. It is sad to see people go before their time. I pray that Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, and the rest of her family can get through their grief and be stronger for it.

Here's a song that I'll dedicate to them:

A new beginning...

Last Thursday, I met with a Thai woman at my town's adult learning center. I will be her new tutor. She is already taking English classes at the center. Now, I will be giving her one-on-one help with her basic reading skills. I will meet with her twice a week. I'm nervous and excited about it. I will meet with her again tomorrow. I have come up with an itinerary. But it's too early for me to know how to teach her. She seems to be doing well in terms of her understanding. It's just the beginning though. I hope to continue helping her for up to a year. It'll be rewarding to see her progress over a matter of months. I have already started a log as of last night. I just write down how I think she did and what we went over.

I am enjoying my first day of Spring break. It feels great. I feel more relaxed and I feel happier. I still have assignments and I want to get started on a research paper (due in May), but now I can sort of take my time and not feel very rushed. I am going to borrow a couple library books, read a little, and then decide how to go from there...what topic I want to learn and write about. I went to the mall with my mother and I got a cute, dark green, teal dress. I like how the hem stops a little above my knees and how the dress is tight under my chest but then it hangs loose and flowy. I wonder when I'll get a chance to wear it.

I hope to be back here soon.

Thinking, as always...

When am I not thinking about something? Haha. Sometimes it's frustrating. A person could go nuts from thinking all the time, right? I've been busy and preoccupied with stuff. I worry about what I'll do after I graduate, what I'll do with my life, and so on. Well, at least I know that I'll take a year off from school to prep for the GREs. Though, I'm not sure about the program, Linguistics, Justice Studies, or Political Science? For now, my primary concern is financial aid. So, I need to score high and try to add a little experience to my resume. I have a little time, just got to make the most of it.

I'm also thinking of how I don't like oral presentations. I'm taking a Justice Studies seminar and every so often, we have to present. Last time, I was so nervous and I felt like I was out of it. Next week, I will meet with the professor about it. We should come up with a solution. He seems willing to help, we'll see. The course traces American law back to its founding. My next presentation is based on the words of Paine and Jefferson. I have to read several excerpts from key documents they wrote. I just need to take out quotations and then explain them. I'm not sure how many quotations to take out, maybe 5 is enough. And then, I have to present and write 5 pages on the Articles of Confederation and compare it to the government we have now. Everyone else is just writing evaluations of the Federalist papers or the Anti-federalist papers. Maybe he's giving me more work so I can redeem myself for the not-so-good presentation last week. I'll try not to complain. I'm hoping that I can bring up my grade.

My other class this semester in Canadian Politics and Government. I like it. I like that the texts are written by Canadian professors and that we get to watch documentaries on Canada. I never realized till now how much Canada is European in nature, British to be more specific. Most Americans think that Canada is becoming more Americanized or they just hate Canada. I always wondered about why Americans hate Canada and make fun of Canadians. I think that by the end of this course, I'll understand and I may even like Canada. Though I'm not sure I'd want to live there. I can't stand the cold...and I live in New England. Hahaha.

Well, that's my update. I hope to stop by again soon.

New Year, new president, new attitude on life

Hey again. It's been a long time since I've been here. I've been busy with life. My New Year's Day was good. I had a quiet, relaxing vacation. The highlight of this year so far is the inauguration of the first black president in the U.S., Barack Obama. I was so thrilled when he won the 2008 Presidential Election. Big smile and a Yes! to that. And since the inauguration, I've been feeling better and I have resolved to change my attitude on life. I will be happy and content like I once was. Say good-bye to depression. I've started reading Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns this evening. He says that depression is not a mental disorder. He says that people feel sad because of their distorted, negative thoughts. He has a point, but this point doesn't address the chemical imbalance aspect of depression, but I digress. Anyway, so through cognitive therapy, which his book is about, people can and do feel happier. He wrote that within 12 weeks, there was a noted difference in people's mental state. How does he measure mental state? With a test called the Beck Depression Inventory. It has 21 questions and for each question, there are 4 options. Each option has a value ranging from 0-3. My score was a 20, which put me in the category of Borderline Clinical Depression. It is serious, but not as bad as moderate, severe, or extreme depression, the categories above the category I fit in right now. Ideally, my score should be a 10 or below 5. But if I keep reading and learn the therapy, I should be able to see improvement. I got to stick with it, just like how an athlete should keep training so that they will perform well during competition. My competition will be how I hold up through life's many situations.

Last year of college

I'm now in my last year of college. I'm finishing up with my requirements and I hope that things will go smoothly. I have been so busy and stressed out lately. I just got to keep thinking that whatever comes my way, I can deal with it.

I'm trying to remember how I felt before I started college. I'm trying to go back to reading the novels I love and I started watching old movies. College has kept me so busy and it has exhausted me. I find my classes interesting, but a lot of times I feel like I'm not learning as much as I expected...like it's not enough. It is true that the more you know, the less optimistic you become. But, if you try hard not to let it bother you, you can be the better for it. You can still be optimistic. Dreams are dreamed up and some will crumble, but others can be made to replace the old ones. We're always dreaming and coming up with new ways to describe our lives and ourselves. Such is life.

Another year has gone by

A lot can happen in a one year's time. I am now in my third year of college, and it is now a year since I set up this account. I realize this as I have thought about this lifeguard who I have seen at the pool for a few years. Recently, I have noticed that he looks so different from when I first met him. Before, he looked mellow, calm, easygoing. But now, he looks more serious, focused, and a little mean. Despite these changes in appearance, he is still attractive. I am sure I have changed, but I do not feel it. At times, I feel like I am torn between my past and my future. There is some safety and comfort in the past, but I need to break free of some of those bonds. That is one of my priorities right now, besides studying, and preparing for the future.

Is not it disheartening to watch the news everyday? Most news is about bad news. So why do I bother? Curiosity. As years pass, I find that my curiosity about the world increases, as does my ambition. I think that I can expect to calm down, by the time I am old. (How old is old? I have no idea. It could be 25, 30, 40, etc.) Of course, nobody wants to be accused of being ill informed. I have been reading this book for awhile, "Running Alone" by James MacGregor Burns. It is quite interesting. (I am rather surprised that it caught my interest, since fiction has been a longtime fascination for me.) He discusses the presidents and how they split from their party to make unpopular decisions, starting from JFK to Bush II. I have not quite finished it, but almost. He brought up an interesting point. People are not as interested in Politics as they were before. It is because they feel that the government does not care. Congress debates and debates some more, but not much gets accomplished. And is not it irritating to hear that they passed NON-BINDING resolutions? If they are not binding, then what is the point? "Yeah, here is a recommendation. But we do not expect you to follow it." Also, the candidates do not have clear platforms. None have taken a firm, decisive stand on what they want to achieve. People want to hear something definitive, not a bunch of wishy-washy rhetoric. It is not an asset to Politics, all the corruption and lobbying that goes on.

A true representative democracy will be one where it does not matter if you own property or if you can raise a whole lot of money. It will be one where the most intelligent and most qualified people get the chance to serve the public. This may be a pipe dream, but this country was made by dreamers. They dreamed and struggled, so that we could live in this land. Richard Rorty said that he saw the decay of liberalism. He was criticized for being too harsh about America. But he said that he loved America as much as Whitman. I believe that. This is a great country. But it is the people in control, who are making it look like a mess. It is like a beautiful Ferrari, but driven by an erratic driver. Will we learn? Here is to hoping.

Cheers.

Back in Action

I'm back on campus after a restful break. I was a few minutes late to my first class, but not that late. I nearly slipped and fell on the ice on the sidewalk, but I was able to stabilize myself with my right foot. I got an awkward front stretch in my left thigh, but it's not too bad. I need a deep stretch and then it'll be fine. It's good that I work out. I got to be aware of myself and be able to react quickly. Since working out for a few years, I'm always amazed at how fast I'm able to react. I didn't have breakfast at the time, but I was still fairly alert and able to keep myself from falling. A guy was going in the opposite direction and he looked down, but I saw a big grin on his face. I wasn't mad just relieved and amused that he found it funny. Some chunks of ice cracked and went rolling towards him and stopped short a few inches in front of him. What a way to start the day, eh? Haha. I feel grateful that I didn't fall.

Luz