It's the end of 2010, a decade of great television has come and gone. I am a TV freak (if you didn't already know) and have watched a million TV shows in my short 20-year lifetime. Heck, I even hope to get a job dealing with television somehow someway because I love it soooooo much. Many TV shows have come and gone in my life and here are the top 5 shows that I miss the most, starting with number 5.
5. Friends (1994-2004)
Ten seasons, 6 friends, one unforgettable show. Watching back on this show, I sometimes wonder why my mother let me watch this show because it was highly inappropriate, but it was fine television. Is it realistic- 6 gorgeous people living in amazing apartments in New York City even with somewhat normal jobs? Pretty much not, but we still related to the characters. Everyone had the Rachel or the Joey in their group of friends and we came back every week to watch them. Still one of my favorite series finales of all time (Ross and Rachel!) and I still pray for the day the reunion happens. It's already been 6 years and it's still killing me!
4. Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
For seven seasons, we watched Corey Matthews and his friends grow from lowly 6th graders to college graduates. Was the show really out there? You betcha it was. Was Corey and Topanga too perfect for words? Of course, but we loved them. Did the universe really hate Corey? Probably. And that's why we loved them. The show hit some of the most taboo subjects for adolescents, like child abuse, sex, and death of a loved one. And sure, it seemed like Corey didn't really get in trouble with any of these per se, but that's why it was great. Sometimes there are stand-up kids in this world who face these problems time and time again and in the end, go the right way. It wasn't "Disney Channeled" in any way- it was faced and worked perfectly. And of course, who could forget Feeeeeeeeny?
3. The O.C. (2003-2007)
The lives of the rich and fabulous right? Not so much. From the moment Luke yelled to the good kid from the wrong side of the tracks "Welcome to the O.C. bitch," we were hooked. It introduced us to the geeky and adorable Seth Cohen, a new wave of music that had the California good-life feel, awesome one-liners, and an incessant amount of drama that we needed to watch again and again. It started to fall flat after Mischa Barton left the show, although I feel that the fourth season was one of the best. It probably ended too soon, but it's a great show we can watch again and again.
2. Lost (2004-2010)
Like I wouldn't put this on the list, but I bet you're shocked it's not number one. My favorite show of all-time and I'm still in crazy withdrawl. What was this island? Who were these people stuck on it? And what was that weird noise coming from the jungle? Once that plane crashed and that monster roared, viewers needed to know exactly what Charlie asked at the end of the pilot episode- "Guys... where are we?" and for six seasons, the show drove a tangled web of storylines until finally tying almost all the loose ends earlier this year in something so tragically beautiful it left every single person speechless, knowing they just witnessed the greatest and most skeptical ending ever (nearly ruined by ABC's choice of credits, and no, they were not dead all along). Of course, I'm still wondering exactly what happened to Christian Shephard's body. Does anyone know?
1. Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
This show ended way too soon and the small number of fans are still dying for that movie. Veronica Mars was our modern-day badass Nancy Drew. Basically, put The O.C. and Alias together and you've got Veronica Mars. She used to be one of the cool girls until the murder of her best friend Lily Kane, living with her former-sheriff father (now working as a detective), Keith Mars, and become a bitter but loveable bitch. She solves small crimes while investigating the big ones, and always has a snappy one-liner that you might not get right away. And, she's a broken soul that needs to be saved. The show ended sadly, with Veronica's father taking the fall for his daughter as she walks away in the pouring rain possibly being the only person voting for her dad to be sheriff. The show was cancelled and since then, rumors of a movie have been circulating. The fans are dying for it and the cast has said they would be on board for it. Hear that Warner Bros? It's the sound of a taser waiting to make you give the go on this film! Love and miss you VMars.
And that's my list. I'll be making more lists to come...
Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The problem with football
It's easy to say I'm a huge fan of football. I'm the girl in the stands of Beaver Stadium screaming her head off at the defense when they miss a tackle or the wide receiver if he comes short off an easy catch.
Recently, the big news regarding football deals with illegal hits. James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers has already paid over $100,000 in fines since the NFL has decided to crack down on illegal hits. Originally, I was a big supporter of the change because after seeing the scary hit that Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson placed on DeSean Jackson during the October 17th Eagles/Falcons game in which both Jackson and Robinson suffered concussions.
But... there may be a slight problem with this new rule that I'm seeing. Here's the good portion- sending the signal that there are certain things players shouldn't do when making a hit. For example, the Sunday Night Eagles/Giants game two weeks ago showed why the rule is good. Asante Samuel was flagged and fined for a ridiculous and unnecessary hit on one of the Giants players. Even an Eagles fan can admit that was unnecessary. But... are fines helping?
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that a frequent NFL commentator said. He was a former NFL player known for big hits on players and he said something interesting. "You didn't get my attention by giving me fines- it was pocket change for me. You got my attention when you suspended me."
Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers is blasting this new rule, saying it's hypocritical and ruining the game of football, known for being a contact sport. He took examples of telling players that they couldn't drink but there are millions of commercials during games for beer. He also added that this is because the NFL wants to make the season even longer. He believes they don't care for the safety of the players but rather themselves, and added that the Steelers will not change how they play football.
So... does that mean suspension should happen? Maybe. But, that leads to my question... is James Harrison really deserving of these fines? He has been known for being an aggressive player. In my opinion, Harrison is getting these fines for his, let's say "misguided" quote on why he hits hard. Harrison said, "I try to hurt people, not injure them, but hurt them." That's great, but the only thing is people only heard the first part of the sentence. The headlines across the net all said the same thing, "Steelers LB Harrison: I try to hurt players."
Tisk, tisk. There are times when I think this new rule is a good idea, because some players give their opponents ridiculous hits. But fines won't teach them anything. A suspension might. Though, I feel the league is picking and choosing who they give these fines to. Harrison has been fined every week since the new rule. Asante Samuel has been fined a few times as well. But not everyone has been fined for hits.
And let's talk about Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan. The Texans and Titans' stars, respectively, didn't just hit each other during Sunday's game. They fought like it was a boxing match in the middle of the field. Want to know their punishment? Each fined $25,000; no suspension; oh I forgot, Andre Johnson was given the game ball for the win.
HUH?
I rewatched the video of the incident on YouTube. It was clearly Johnson who instigated the fight. He threw off Finnegan's helmet and threw two punches at him. But don't count Finnegan out necessarily- he fought too. But, why wasn't either one suspended? I can understand Finnegan, but Johnson not suspended and just given a fine? The Texan's elite receiver?
Give me a break NFL. You want to make sure your players are safe? Fines won't send messages- suspensions will. Johnson will play tomorrow night in a big showdown with the Eagles like nothing happened and will have forgotten he has $25,000 in his bank account when he makes over $5.5 million.
And of course, there was the Richard Seymour punching Ben Rothlisberger in the face. He was also fined only $25,000, but I see that being okay. After all, it was Ben, I would want to hit him too. But, I could see a suspension being justified in that instance. I feel that if the NFL wants credibility, you can't pick and choose who you fine and suspend. Rules are rules.
Although, I only see this as a more recent problem. We never saw too many concussions or helmet problems "back in the day," and I'm only 20. I asked my parents and they agreed. So is the helmets to blame? Maybe players aren't using their helmets correctly or putting them on properly? Maybe they aren't made like they used to be made. Maybe they aren't being taught how to hit? Maybe they don't understand what's illegal versus legal hit-wise.
Something's gotta give. These dirty hits are wrong, but if you want to hold these players accountable, fine them first and THEN suspend them. Maybe they will learn their lesson. Of course, in Johnson's case, he should have skipped the fine. But still, the NFL wants the game to be about the game, hold every player accountable, not just certain ones.
Recently, the big news regarding football deals with illegal hits. James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers has already paid over $100,000 in fines since the NFL has decided to crack down on illegal hits. Originally, I was a big supporter of the change because after seeing the scary hit that Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson placed on DeSean Jackson during the October 17th Eagles/Falcons game in which both Jackson and Robinson suffered concussions.
But... there may be a slight problem with this new rule that I'm seeing. Here's the good portion- sending the signal that there are certain things players shouldn't do when making a hit. For example, the Sunday Night Eagles/Giants game two weeks ago showed why the rule is good. Asante Samuel was flagged and fined for a ridiculous and unnecessary hit on one of the Giants players. Even an Eagles fan can admit that was unnecessary. But... are fines helping?
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that a frequent NFL commentator said. He was a former NFL player known for big hits on players and he said something interesting. "You didn't get my attention by giving me fines- it was pocket change for me. You got my attention when you suspended me."
Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers is blasting this new rule, saying it's hypocritical and ruining the game of football, known for being a contact sport. He took examples of telling players that they couldn't drink but there are millions of commercials during games for beer. He also added that this is because the NFL wants to make the season even longer. He believes they don't care for the safety of the players but rather themselves, and added that the Steelers will not change how they play football.
So... does that mean suspension should happen? Maybe. But, that leads to my question... is James Harrison really deserving of these fines? He has been known for being an aggressive player. In my opinion, Harrison is getting these fines for his, let's say "misguided" quote on why he hits hard. Harrison said, "I try to hurt people, not injure them, but hurt them." That's great, but the only thing is people only heard the first part of the sentence. The headlines across the net all said the same thing, "Steelers LB Harrison: I try to hurt players."
Tisk, tisk. There are times when I think this new rule is a good idea, because some players give their opponents ridiculous hits. But fines won't teach them anything. A suspension might. Though, I feel the league is picking and choosing who they give these fines to. Harrison has been fined every week since the new rule. Asante Samuel has been fined a few times as well. But not everyone has been fined for hits.
And let's talk about Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan. The Texans and Titans' stars, respectively, didn't just hit each other during Sunday's game. They fought like it was a boxing match in the middle of the field. Want to know their punishment? Each fined $25,000; no suspension; oh I forgot, Andre Johnson was given the game ball for the win.
HUH?
I rewatched the video of the incident on YouTube. It was clearly Johnson who instigated the fight. He threw off Finnegan's helmet and threw two punches at him. But don't count Finnegan out necessarily- he fought too. But, why wasn't either one suspended? I can understand Finnegan, but Johnson not suspended and just given a fine? The Texan's elite receiver?
Give me a break NFL. You want to make sure your players are safe? Fines won't send messages- suspensions will. Johnson will play tomorrow night in a big showdown with the Eagles like nothing happened and will have forgotten he has $25,000 in his bank account when he makes over $5.5 million.
And of course, there was the Richard Seymour punching Ben Rothlisberger in the face. He was also fined only $25,000, but I see that being okay. After all, it was Ben, I would want to hit him too. But, I could see a suspension being justified in that instance. I feel that if the NFL wants credibility, you can't pick and choose who you fine and suspend. Rules are rules.
Although, I only see this as a more recent problem. We never saw too many concussions or helmet problems "back in the day," and I'm only 20. I asked my parents and they agreed. So is the helmets to blame? Maybe players aren't using their helmets correctly or putting them on properly? Maybe they aren't made like they used to be made. Maybe they aren't being taught how to hit? Maybe they don't understand what's illegal versus legal hit-wise.
Something's gotta give. These dirty hits are wrong, but if you want to hold these players accountable, fine them first and THEN suspend them. Maybe they will learn their lesson. Of course, in Johnson's case, he should have skipped the fine. But still, the NFL wants the game to be about the game, hold every player accountable, not just certain ones.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Save me from being confused; Show me what I'm looking for
Maybe you recognize the title of this blog entry. It's from one of my favorite songs called "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar.
That song has gotten me through some rough times, and I think now is no different. The truth is, I just don't understand what's going on in this world right now.
I remember it like yesterday. It was October 5th, 2009, very early in the morning. I got ready to go to class like I normally do- nothing had changed. It was 8:30 in the morning and as I was getting onto the elevator to walk to class, my phone vibrated. I was shocked- who was texting me this early in the morning? It was my best friend Abby, and the text read simply: "Jimmy Krasley died?!?"
My heart stopped. No, he couldn't be dead. There was no way. I went onto my Facebook and there were 5 status updates that read something along the lines of RIP Jimmy and a group invitation to RIP Jim Krasley. My entire class I didn't pay attention- I was on my phone trying to figure out how this could happen, how this could be true... more importantly, why?
Everyone dies. It's a fact. But lately, it just seems overwhelming. Way too many people are dying lately. There was Jimmy, there was Tabby's mom, whom I adored, there was a grad from Freedom who I met once, there was Mrs. Dean, my Aunt Barb's mom whom I loved, and now just yesterday, a student at my high school passed away at such a young age. Why are all these people dying? Many of these people were way too young to die.
It scares me seeing so many of my friends experience heartbreak continuously because yet someone else has died. I just don't understand why all these young people in my life are going away forever. I wasn't super close to Jimmy, he wasn't like my best friend, but I had some kind of relationship to him- we hung out in Puerto Rico a lot and had so much fun. He seemed to be connected to almost everyone in my graduating class and beyond- hey, we elected him class speaker!
I think there are questions in life that will always be left unanswered. We'll never know why all these people in our lives went when they did, and for what reason. I mean, I do believe in fate- everything happens for a reason. But, I can't figure out the reason for all these sudden and tragic deaths as of late. What is the reason? Is there a reason? It sure doesn't seem like there is, unless it's just for us to live life to the fullest.
I don't want to walk away from my life without saying I truly lived it. A bunch of us after Jimmy said that although we were upset he left us so soon, we all agreed he lived his life to the fullest. It's a shame that they're all gone now. I may have not personally known some of the people I mentioned, but I know people who did. I hope that everyone just continues to live their life right now and enjoy it. Unfortunately, we only have one life to live and it's a short one. We need to live it now.
Maybe that's the reason. Maybe not. I think I'll always remain confused- you can never know all the answers. As for what I'm looking for, I honestly don't know. Right now, I'm just living my life. I have an amazing family, amazing friends- I love everyone of them, even if I get mad at them from time to time. I love Penn State and my family here. I love my sorority sisters. And honestly, I am enjoying my life. This isn't the last time I'll see someone I am/was close to pass away- it'll happen again, that's a fact. But, I think if I have one request, I'd say give it a break for a while. Just a little while please.
I think the best way to end this little note is by quoting Jimmy Krasley in his graduation speech.
"We adjust. We adapt to our surroundings or make our surroundings available for us. Either way, we have produced change... We are the sum of our experiences. We are nothing more and nothing less than the product of the changes that we have made."
My high school graduation's theme was "Be the change that you want to see in the world." Let's live our lives to that decree. I love you all very much- please don't leave me just yet. I'm not ready to say goodbye again for a long time.
That song has gotten me through some rough times, and I think now is no different. The truth is, I just don't understand what's going on in this world right now.
I remember it like yesterday. It was October 5th, 2009, very early in the morning. I got ready to go to class like I normally do- nothing had changed. It was 8:30 in the morning and as I was getting onto the elevator to walk to class, my phone vibrated. I was shocked- who was texting me this early in the morning? It was my best friend Abby, and the text read simply: "Jimmy Krasley died?!?"
My heart stopped. No, he couldn't be dead. There was no way. I went onto my Facebook and there were 5 status updates that read something along the lines of RIP Jimmy and a group invitation to RIP Jim Krasley. My entire class I didn't pay attention- I was on my phone trying to figure out how this could happen, how this could be true... more importantly, why?
Everyone dies. It's a fact. But lately, it just seems overwhelming. Way too many people are dying lately. There was Jimmy, there was Tabby's mom, whom I adored, there was a grad from Freedom who I met once, there was Mrs. Dean, my Aunt Barb's mom whom I loved, and now just yesterday, a student at my high school passed away at such a young age. Why are all these people dying? Many of these people were way too young to die.
It scares me seeing so many of my friends experience heartbreak continuously because yet someone else has died. I just don't understand why all these young people in my life are going away forever. I wasn't super close to Jimmy, he wasn't like my best friend, but I had some kind of relationship to him- we hung out in Puerto Rico a lot and had so much fun. He seemed to be connected to almost everyone in my graduating class and beyond- hey, we elected him class speaker!
I think there are questions in life that will always be left unanswered. We'll never know why all these people in our lives went when they did, and for what reason. I mean, I do believe in fate- everything happens for a reason. But, I can't figure out the reason for all these sudden and tragic deaths as of late. What is the reason? Is there a reason? It sure doesn't seem like there is, unless it's just for us to live life to the fullest.
I don't want to walk away from my life without saying I truly lived it. A bunch of us after Jimmy said that although we were upset he left us so soon, we all agreed he lived his life to the fullest. It's a shame that they're all gone now. I may have not personally known some of the people I mentioned, but I know people who did. I hope that everyone just continues to live their life right now and enjoy it. Unfortunately, we only have one life to live and it's a short one. We need to live it now.
Maybe that's the reason. Maybe not. I think I'll always remain confused- you can never know all the answers. As for what I'm looking for, I honestly don't know. Right now, I'm just living my life. I have an amazing family, amazing friends- I love everyone of them, even if I get mad at them from time to time. I love Penn State and my family here. I love my sorority sisters. And honestly, I am enjoying my life. This isn't the last time I'll see someone I am/was close to pass away- it'll happen again, that's a fact. But, I think if I have one request, I'd say give it a break for a while. Just a little while please.
I think the best way to end this little note is by quoting Jimmy Krasley in his graduation speech.
"We adjust. We adapt to our surroundings or make our surroundings available for us. Either way, we have produced change... We are the sum of our experiences. We are nothing more and nothing less than the product of the changes that we have made."
My high school graduation's theme was "Be the change that you want to see in the world." Let's live our lives to that decree. I love you all very much- please don't leave me just yet. I'm not ready to say goodbye again for a long time.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Politics of it all
So, I am a registered Democrat. That does not mean I'm leftist liberal.
I've taken tests on my stances on certain things, and honestly, I think of myself as a moderate liberal. Believe me, I can be quite conservative on some policies. I can be impatient with illegal immigrants sometimes. I think everyone does deserve a fair chance in our country, but let's not do it the wrong way.
But, besides that, I am proud to say I support President Obama. If the election were today for President, I would not change my vote. America needed change and I'm very happy with his job, especially his recent announcement of the restructuring of NCLB (No Child Left Behind). It's the reason I voted for him and I am not changing that stance. The health care debate has definitely swayed people. Personally, I want public option. I think it would benefit a lot of people; I think my family would greatly benefit from public option. The Democrats seemed frightened by the Republicans' opinion on public option and took it out of the bill. I don't know, it seemed like they have the votes for this to pass so I didn't see the point of taking it out. But, overall, I think that this health care bill is an excellent idea.
Don't get me wrong, I hate all the politics associated with it and it turned me off from being a Democrat and made me want to go Independent. I won't become Independent because I want to vote in primaries. But, health care is ridiculously expensive and I personally know quite a few people going without insurance because they simply cannot afford it. I'm lucky, I have a dad who worked very hard to ensure my family got health coverage. But, in this economy, it's been tough. Is the bill expensive? Yes, very expensive and it kind of scares me a bit how much it will cost. But, insurance coverage will be expanded, millions of people without insurance will be able to easily get it, and I think this will make our health care even better. People are worried that health care will be worst off and become "socialized." I don't think that's true. Some places with government-run health care have some of the best health care in the world, like Hawaii (true story). And this overhaul won't have government-run health care. Are we ready for public option? Maybe not right now. I think this Health Care bill will be the beginning of better times in our country and is necessary. I'm hoping Sunday the House will pass it, leading the Senate to get it passed and we can start anew.
Now, let me turn over to NCLB. Some teacher unions are not happy with some of the changes Obama and Secretary Arne Duncan are making with it. Let's look at the logistics. Our K-12 schoolers are learning things just to pass a stupid standardized test. And if those kids can't do that, their school is considered failing. My high school was considered failing. So was the other high school in my town. Actually... I think in my entire area only one school was not considered failing. It's a fact that one in three schools in America is considered failing. And so, my high school made sure we learned what we needed to so we could pass these tests. My class was the closest to passing (apparently most of us actually tried) and we still failed but barely. Many schools in this country are going to be considered failing, it's just not possible with what NCLB wants to pass. And, guess what? NCLB is a failure in the long run. I'm at college now, and I know I was really struggling to transition, as were many students from my high school, Liberty, and even ones that went to Freedom, the other school. We said we didn't really learn much. We didn't and it's because our principals, although sweet people, changed the ciriculum so we could pass the "PSSAs." Of course, both Liberty and Freedom had 3 different principals within the four years I and my classmates attended. I think I learned more in high school band than I did in high school in general. I think the Honors/AP students were the only ones that truly benefited, and that was if they had a good teacher, because I know a certain someone was struggling in their Spanish class because of bad teaching even on an Honors level. So, I think these teacher unions that are saying NCLB is unfair to them need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, there will be teacher evaluations but the whole "a school will be considered passing or failing based on a student taking a test" will be gone. And you know what? The teachers do deserve partial blame. I mean, I know that the PSSAs screwed us, but I think we didn't have to learn certain things. Certain teachers failed in preparing us for college. Yes, part of it was the PSSAs, but come on. You can do better. And now that standardized tests measuring schools is going away, teachers should be able to do their job. We go to school to learn and prepare for the next level up. Unfortunately, Liberty failed on certain aspects with that. When I came up to Penn State, I literally had to learn how to study. Seriously, there was no real need for me to study at Liberty, it came naturally for some reason. But, it was a huge wake-up call. I'm still struggling with it a little. Sure, I have to share some of the blame but I think that NCLB really screwed me. Teachers, you need to do better. The government is not trying to pick on you, they just want to make sure these kids are making progress. That's what NCLB should be about: progress. Hopefully these new changes will do that. The idea behind NCLB is wonderful, but it shouldn't be putting each child at the same level. That's impossible. It should make sure a student is making applicable process year by year.
That was the sole reason I voted for Obama. I thought McCain's ideas on education were lackluster and not modernized enough. I'm very liberal with education, especially being a college student and I think Obama is really trying to make life easier for us and better.
So, I guess I'm saying with this, Obama has been slightly slow in his reforms, but it looks like it's catching up. I decided to write this after seeing reports of an Obama effigy on a college campus being lynched. It led to an argument about whether this is a hate crime or freedom of speech. I think this is easy for me: hate crime. Guys, you can't kid about stuff like this, and yes, this is mainly because Obama is half African-American. I mean, I think a bunch of my friends remember senior year the "noose" incident at our school that happened during band. Many African-Americans were lynched in the late 1800s, accused of random crimes they didn't commit but mainly, their only crime was the color of their skin. So, I feel if you want to express your dislike for the country's first African-American president, you cannot do so by hanging an Obama effigy. We do have to be careful about how we express ourselves in this country and we cannot try and use "Freedom of Speech" for instances like this. We are allowed to express our opinion, but when it is met with trying to harm someone in a brutal way (such as President Obama), then you've crossed a line. You can say "Impeach Obama" like many people have said (because for some reason, people think he wasn't an American citizen?); many did when Bush was President. But doing stuff with the intent of harming anyone, like the President, is wrong. Someone I remember did that near me to Former President Bush and they got in big trouble. This is not just because "It's Obama." This happens with every President, every person. That's considered a threat and you can't kid about something like that- it's not freedom of speech people.
The Constitution is a wonderful piece of legislation. We have many freedoms that other countries envy. We can't try and override it! Some of it is a little vague, but let the courts decide that (it's what they're here for).
America is an amazing country. So many people outside our country seem to not like us, but that's because they wish they could be us! So many of people give up everything to bring their families to this country. My father's parents worked hard to bring their family to this country and my father has been an American citizen for over 30 years, and he considers himself one, even if he didn't live here his entire life. I think politics are getting in the way of important things we have in our country.
You know, this reminds me of something President Obama said in one of his speeches. He said "This isn't the Republican States of America or the Democratic States of America, this is the UNITED States of America." And as the United States of America, let's do what's best for our country, not what's best for our respective parties. In my opinion (and I think we can agree on this): We need better and more affordable health care. We need a better education system. We need to stop over-analyzing everything. We need to become the United States again.
I've taken tests on my stances on certain things, and honestly, I think of myself as a moderate liberal. Believe me, I can be quite conservative on some policies. I can be impatient with illegal immigrants sometimes. I think everyone does deserve a fair chance in our country, but let's not do it the wrong way.
But, besides that, I am proud to say I support President Obama. If the election were today for President, I would not change my vote. America needed change and I'm very happy with his job, especially his recent announcement of the restructuring of NCLB (No Child Left Behind). It's the reason I voted for him and I am not changing that stance. The health care debate has definitely swayed people. Personally, I want public option. I think it would benefit a lot of people; I think my family would greatly benefit from public option. The Democrats seemed frightened by the Republicans' opinion on public option and took it out of the bill. I don't know, it seemed like they have the votes for this to pass so I didn't see the point of taking it out. But, overall, I think that this health care bill is an excellent idea.
Don't get me wrong, I hate all the politics associated with it and it turned me off from being a Democrat and made me want to go Independent. I won't become Independent because I want to vote in primaries. But, health care is ridiculously expensive and I personally know quite a few people going without insurance because they simply cannot afford it. I'm lucky, I have a dad who worked very hard to ensure my family got health coverage. But, in this economy, it's been tough. Is the bill expensive? Yes, very expensive and it kind of scares me a bit how much it will cost. But, insurance coverage will be expanded, millions of people without insurance will be able to easily get it, and I think this will make our health care even better. People are worried that health care will be worst off and become "socialized." I don't think that's true. Some places with government-run health care have some of the best health care in the world, like Hawaii (true story). And this overhaul won't have government-run health care. Are we ready for public option? Maybe not right now. I think this Health Care bill will be the beginning of better times in our country and is necessary. I'm hoping Sunday the House will pass it, leading the Senate to get it passed and we can start anew.
Now, let me turn over to NCLB. Some teacher unions are not happy with some of the changes Obama and Secretary Arne Duncan are making with it. Let's look at the logistics. Our K-12 schoolers are learning things just to pass a stupid standardized test. And if those kids can't do that, their school is considered failing. My high school was considered failing. So was the other high school in my town. Actually... I think in my entire area only one school was not considered failing. It's a fact that one in three schools in America is considered failing. And so, my high school made sure we learned what we needed to so we could pass these tests. My class was the closest to passing (apparently most of us actually tried) and we still failed but barely. Many schools in this country are going to be considered failing, it's just not possible with what NCLB wants to pass. And, guess what? NCLB is a failure in the long run. I'm at college now, and I know I was really struggling to transition, as were many students from my high school, Liberty, and even ones that went to Freedom, the other school. We said we didn't really learn much. We didn't and it's because our principals, although sweet people, changed the ciriculum so we could pass the "PSSAs." Of course, both Liberty and Freedom had 3 different principals within the four years I and my classmates attended. I think I learned more in high school band than I did in high school in general. I think the Honors/AP students were the only ones that truly benefited, and that was if they had a good teacher, because I know a certain someone was struggling in their Spanish class because of bad teaching even on an Honors level. So, I think these teacher unions that are saying NCLB is unfair to them need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, there will be teacher evaluations but the whole "a school will be considered passing or failing based on a student taking a test" will be gone. And you know what? The teachers do deserve partial blame. I mean, I know that the PSSAs screwed us, but I think we didn't have to learn certain things. Certain teachers failed in preparing us for college. Yes, part of it was the PSSAs, but come on. You can do better. And now that standardized tests measuring schools is going away, teachers should be able to do their job. We go to school to learn and prepare for the next level up. Unfortunately, Liberty failed on certain aspects with that. When I came up to Penn State, I literally had to learn how to study. Seriously, there was no real need for me to study at Liberty, it came naturally for some reason. But, it was a huge wake-up call. I'm still struggling with it a little. Sure, I have to share some of the blame but I think that NCLB really screwed me. Teachers, you need to do better. The government is not trying to pick on you, they just want to make sure these kids are making progress. That's what NCLB should be about: progress. Hopefully these new changes will do that. The idea behind NCLB is wonderful, but it shouldn't be putting each child at the same level. That's impossible. It should make sure a student is making applicable process year by year.
That was the sole reason I voted for Obama. I thought McCain's ideas on education were lackluster and not modernized enough. I'm very liberal with education, especially being a college student and I think Obama is really trying to make life easier for us and better.
So, I guess I'm saying with this, Obama has been slightly slow in his reforms, but it looks like it's catching up. I decided to write this after seeing reports of an Obama effigy on a college campus being lynched. It led to an argument about whether this is a hate crime or freedom of speech. I think this is easy for me: hate crime. Guys, you can't kid about stuff like this, and yes, this is mainly because Obama is half African-American. I mean, I think a bunch of my friends remember senior year the "noose" incident at our school that happened during band. Many African-Americans were lynched in the late 1800s, accused of random crimes they didn't commit but mainly, their only crime was the color of their skin. So, I feel if you want to express your dislike for the country's first African-American president, you cannot do so by hanging an Obama effigy. We do have to be careful about how we express ourselves in this country and we cannot try and use "Freedom of Speech" for instances like this. We are allowed to express our opinion, but when it is met with trying to harm someone in a brutal way (such as President Obama), then you've crossed a line. You can say "Impeach Obama" like many people have said (because for some reason, people think he wasn't an American citizen?); many did when Bush was President. But doing stuff with the intent of harming anyone, like the President, is wrong. Someone I remember did that near me to Former President Bush and they got in big trouble. This is not just because "It's Obama." This happens with every President, every person. That's considered a threat and you can't kid about something like that- it's not freedom of speech people.
The Constitution is a wonderful piece of legislation. We have many freedoms that other countries envy. We can't try and override it! Some of it is a little vague, but let the courts decide that (it's what they're here for).
America is an amazing country. So many people outside our country seem to not like us, but that's because they wish they could be us! So many of people give up everything to bring their families to this country. My father's parents worked hard to bring their family to this country and my father has been an American citizen for over 30 years, and he considers himself one, even if he didn't live here his entire life. I think politics are getting in the way of important things we have in our country.
You know, this reminds me of something President Obama said in one of his speeches. He said "This isn't the Republican States of America or the Democratic States of America, this is the UNITED States of America." And as the United States of America, let's do what's best for our country, not what's best for our respective parties. In my opinion (and I think we can agree on this): We need better and more affordable health care. We need a better education system. We need to stop over-analyzing everything. We need to become the United States again.
Monday, September 28, 2009
You can't always get what you want
I must have been through this lesson a thousand times in my life. But, Saturday was reassurance that the universe is always against you and, truthfully, you cannot always get what you want.
Last week was probably the worst week EVER at Penn State. The beginning of the week was met by the untimely passing of freshman Joe Dado. I didn't know him, nor did most of the students that attend Penn State. But everyone was affected by it. One of our own died on his way home from a good time Saturday night on campus, and he was alone, and alcohol was definitely a factor. Everyone's statuses on facebook were spreading the word to find him on Monday, and then I got a text from a friend saying he was found dead. And sadly, it was true.
The shining factor of this week was supposed to be the Whiteout game against Iowa. We were all excited, and I was even planning on attending College Gameday. When I woke up that morning at 7:15, I saw rain. Lots of it. And so I went back to bed. No use getting wet and cold before the game. So, the rest of the day was chill. But the rain never let up. We got into the stadium during the alma mater (yes, that late) and we were in the junior/senior section for the first time ever! I was already soaked and freezing, but I didn't care. And the Whiteout failed because of the rain sadly. But, that first play in the first quarter! Wow, I was sure by then we were going to win.
For I outlined KEYS for Penn State to beat Iowa. Unfortunately, Penn State would ultimately lose to Iowa 21-10, those 10 points being scored only in the first quarter. Here it goes:
1. Daryll Clark needs to be sharp. Throws perfect, recievers open, and NO INTERCEPTIONS. This was all made for the most part in the first half, and by that I mean first quarter. But, second half, the throws sucked, the recievers weren't there, and he threw not one, and not two, but THREE interceptions.
2. Evan Royster needs room to run. This was again, made in the first quarter. It failed after that, and the running game was a lost cause.
3. The Defense must shut down the running game and the passing game. Again, met in the first quarter. But, the running game on Iowa was pretty good, and unfortunately, they made the passes they needed to. So fail there.
4. Special teams needs to do their thing. They didn't. Missed field goal (even though it was really close) and Iowa got decent yardage on returns. Plus, that blocked punt set the tone for the entire game.
THE ONLY KEY TO PENN STATE WINNING THAT WAS MET:
5. The fans need to be as loud as they can be. And seriously, the fans were the 12th man on the field many a times.
Yes, there were bad calls. Even one my mother pointed out that the analysts were questioning the merit. But, I think even possibly if those bad calls did not happen, we still wouldn't have win. We sucked.
Now, getting back to the theme: you can't always get what you want. I wanted Joe Dado to be found. He was, but he wasn't found alive. I wanted a successful whiteout and us to win, and to just have lots of fun. I did have fun, but we didn't win. The Eagles did win the next day, so I was happy with that. I think I need to come to realize I can' t be asking for too much these days. We are in a recession after all. So we definitely can't get what we want like we used to. I doubt I'll ever truly learn this lesson. It's near impossible. I go through it every year.
I remember senior year when Liberty's football team got pounded by Becahi yet again. My brother was so so upset by the loss. So, I put in my High School Musical 2 soundtrack and sang to him "We're gonna work, work, work this out. We'll make things right, the sun will shine. We got to work, work, work things out. If we all come together, we can work this out." I think we just all need to work these things out. Like this weekend I'm going home and I want to do a million things. I think I need to put a limit on what I can/can't do. Because after all, you can't always get what you want.
But if I COULD ask for one thing, maybe let the Eagles WIN the Super Bowl this year? That would be very nice, and I'd be a pretty happy girl. Thanks world. But knowing you, it won't happen. Because, I can't always get what I want.
Last week was probably the worst week EVER at Penn State. The beginning of the week was met by the untimely passing of freshman Joe Dado. I didn't know him, nor did most of the students that attend Penn State. But everyone was affected by it. One of our own died on his way home from a good time Saturday night on campus, and he was alone, and alcohol was definitely a factor. Everyone's statuses on facebook were spreading the word to find him on Monday, and then I got a text from a friend saying he was found dead. And sadly, it was true.
The shining factor of this week was supposed to be the Whiteout game against Iowa. We were all excited, and I was even planning on attending College Gameday. When I woke up that morning at 7:15, I saw rain. Lots of it. And so I went back to bed. No use getting wet and cold before the game. So, the rest of the day was chill. But the rain never let up. We got into the stadium during the alma mater (yes, that late) and we were in the junior/senior section for the first time ever! I was already soaked and freezing, but I didn't care. And the Whiteout failed because of the rain sadly. But, that first play in the first quarter! Wow, I was sure by then we were going to win.
For I outlined KEYS for Penn State to beat Iowa. Unfortunately, Penn State would ultimately lose to Iowa 21-10, those 10 points being scored only in the first quarter. Here it goes:
1. Daryll Clark needs to be sharp. Throws perfect, recievers open, and NO INTERCEPTIONS. This was all made for the most part in the first half, and by that I mean first quarter. But, second half, the throws sucked, the recievers weren't there, and he threw not one, and not two, but THREE interceptions.
2. Evan Royster needs room to run. This was again, made in the first quarter. It failed after that, and the running game was a lost cause.
3. The Defense must shut down the running game and the passing game. Again, met in the first quarter. But, the running game on Iowa was pretty good, and unfortunately, they made the passes they needed to. So fail there.
4. Special teams needs to do their thing. They didn't. Missed field goal (even though it was really close) and Iowa got decent yardage on returns. Plus, that blocked punt set the tone for the entire game.
THE ONLY KEY TO PENN STATE WINNING THAT WAS MET:
5. The fans need to be as loud as they can be. And seriously, the fans were the 12th man on the field many a times.
Yes, there were bad calls. Even one my mother pointed out that the analysts were questioning the merit. But, I think even possibly if those bad calls did not happen, we still wouldn't have win. We sucked.
Now, getting back to the theme: you can't always get what you want. I wanted Joe Dado to be found. He was, but he wasn't found alive. I wanted a successful whiteout and us to win, and to just have lots of fun. I did have fun, but we didn't win. The Eagles did win the next day, so I was happy with that. I think I need to come to realize I can' t be asking for too much these days. We are in a recession after all. So we definitely can't get what we want like we used to. I doubt I'll ever truly learn this lesson. It's near impossible. I go through it every year.
I remember senior year when Liberty's football team got pounded by Becahi yet again. My brother was so so upset by the loss. So, I put in my High School Musical 2 soundtrack and sang to him "We're gonna work, work, work this out. We'll make things right, the sun will shine. We got to work, work, work things out. If we all come together, we can work this out." I think we just all need to work these things out. Like this weekend I'm going home and I want to do a million things. I think I need to put a limit on what I can/can't do. Because after all, you can't always get what you want.
But if I COULD ask for one thing, maybe let the Eagles WIN the Super Bowl this year? That would be very nice, and I'd be a pretty happy girl. Thanks world. But knowing you, it won't happen. Because, I can't always get what I want.
Monday, September 21, 2009
SIGMA!
So, I've been talking about sorority recruitment and how it was crazy tiring. Well, now that's done and I got a bid into...
SIGMA SIGMA SIGMA! (Tri-Sigma, or just plain Sigma for short)
And, let me tell you, I LOVE MY NEW SISTERS! They basically rock. My pledge, er, new member class, is wonderful in more ways than one and I'm having a blast hanging out with my sorority. I've met like 50 million people these past few days it feels like, but I'm in heaven. It's been a blast and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
It's been a pretty crazy week, obviously, I got a bid into Sigma and that was fun. I've been hanging out with the sisters everyday since that day, whether it's going out, playing osm flag football, or watching an Eagles game. It's been fun and I can't wait to do more. I'm actually going to participate in Greek Sing, which should be fun.
And, also, THE BIG GAME is this week! Yes, the Whiteout game is finally here- the moment every Penn State has been waiting for since last November... Penn State vs. Iowa. Yes, revenge is a sweet thing Hawkeyes. We may have had some lackluster wins the past 3 games, but you better watch out for Saturday because I predict we'll see some of that ol' nasty Penn State Defense, a very healthy Royster, and an angry Daryll Clark. It should be a great game, not to mention COLLEGE GAME DAY is in town!! I might actually not sleep in on Saturday so I can go, I mean seriously, it's College Game day!!! ESPN people!!! I know someone out there will be willing to wake up with me to head on out there and white-out College game day. Who's with me????
So, I've got the big game to look forward to. I am quite excited for the whiteout game, it should be tons and tons of fun!
I think that's all to say for now. To close on an unfortunate note, for those who don't know, a Penn State freshman went missing early Sunday morning after leaving the FIJI fraternity. So keep an eye out for him. I hear there is a walk tonight to find him, so if anyone can go (I unfortuantely can't) it's at 8pm in the HUB Auditorium (if I'm not mistaken).
SIGMA SIGMA SIGMA! (Tri-Sigma, or just plain Sigma for short)
And, let me tell you, I LOVE MY NEW SISTERS! They basically rock. My pledge, er, new member class, is wonderful in more ways than one and I'm having a blast hanging out with my sorority. I've met like 50 million people these past few days it feels like, but I'm in heaven. It's been a blast and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
It's been a pretty crazy week, obviously, I got a bid into Sigma and that was fun. I've been hanging out with the sisters everyday since that day, whether it's going out, playing osm flag football, or watching an Eagles game. It's been fun and I can't wait to do more. I'm actually going to participate in Greek Sing, which should be fun.
And, also, THE BIG GAME is this week! Yes, the Whiteout game is finally here- the moment every Penn State has been waiting for since last November... Penn State vs. Iowa. Yes, revenge is a sweet thing Hawkeyes. We may have had some lackluster wins the past 3 games, but you better watch out for Saturday because I predict we'll see some of that ol' nasty Penn State Defense, a very healthy Royster, and an angry Daryll Clark. It should be a great game, not to mention COLLEGE GAME DAY is in town!! I might actually not sleep in on Saturday so I can go, I mean seriously, it's College Game day!!! ESPN people!!! I know someone out there will be willing to wake up with me to head on out there and white-out College game day. Who's with me????
So, I've got the big game to look forward to. I am quite excited for the whiteout game, it should be tons and tons of fun!
I think that's all to say for now. To close on an unfortunate note, for those who don't know, a Penn State freshman went missing early Sunday morning after leaving the FIJI fraternity. So keep an eye out for him. I hear there is a walk tonight to find him, so if anyone can go (I unfortuantely can't) it's at 8pm in the HUB Auditorium (if I'm not mistaken).
Saturday, September 5, 2009
So this past week, I...
So, this past week, I...
... had no life.
That's the basic gist of it.
See, I decided to go through sorority recruitment. Man has it been crazy. But I love it. I just worry that in the end I won't be "a chosen one." Which is possible in the end. But, I'm holding on and going through with it. We'll see what happens.
But yes, the Greeks at Penn State have been my life this entire week for the most part. Not that I really mind. Sure, it's a lot of time, but it's been a very fun and educational experience. Yes, that does seem like a generic answer, but it's the truth. I've enjoyed meeting the girls and seeing what the "grass is like on the other side." Hopefully all works out and on September 17th, I'll be officially greek.
Of course, in between all this, I've had school too. I had my first exam this week! It was nerve-wracking because my study time was limited to the night before. But, I pulled it off and did a good job. And, I also had a bad run-in with a cold this week that was NOT swine flu. But, I sucked it up.
Now, we had bad weather these past few days in Happy Valley. So, I was worried about football game weather. But, the rain held up during the game. However, I overslept slightly. I woke up at 10:30. Game starts at 12. Ran out of my room all ready by 11 somehow and we were in our seats by 11:58. Yes, we barely made it to kickoff. But it was all good.
Penn State won... again. 28-7 against Syracuse. They didn't look awesome. They looked okay. Defense was pretty good I guess. We were kind of bummed there was no playing of Sweet Caroline. I think these back to back to back noon games are tough. Yep, next week's game here against Temple is another early one (ugh) but the following week is primetime against Iowa!
Today, I had to do a bunch of work. But, it was tough while watching the Eagles KILL the Panthers today. It was nice to see the ol' Jim Johnson D living out his legacy, causing the Panthers to commit SEVEN turnovers. So yes, good day for us Eagles fans. Although it looks like McNabb is out for a bit with some cracked ribs, which sucks. But, I've got faith. We're Philadelphia fans- we run on faith.
So, as you can see, this past week, I... HAD NO LIFE. Nothing interesting in my opinion. Maybe I'll have better luck this week. Some excitement perhaps?
... had no life.
That's the basic gist of it.
See, I decided to go through sorority recruitment. Man has it been crazy. But I love it. I just worry that in the end I won't be "a chosen one." Which is possible in the end. But, I'm holding on and going through with it. We'll see what happens.
But yes, the Greeks at Penn State have been my life this entire week for the most part. Not that I really mind. Sure, it's a lot of time, but it's been a very fun and educational experience. Yes, that does seem like a generic answer, but it's the truth. I've enjoyed meeting the girls and seeing what the "grass is like on the other side." Hopefully all works out and on September 17th, I'll be officially greek.
Of course, in between all this, I've had school too. I had my first exam this week! It was nerve-wracking because my study time was limited to the night before. But, I pulled it off and did a good job. And, I also had a bad run-in with a cold this week that was NOT swine flu. But, I sucked it up.
Now, we had bad weather these past few days in Happy Valley. So, I was worried about football game weather. But, the rain held up during the game. However, I overslept slightly. I woke up at 10:30. Game starts at 12. Ran out of my room all ready by 11 somehow and we were in our seats by 11:58. Yes, we barely made it to kickoff. But it was all good.
Penn State won... again. 28-7 against Syracuse. They didn't look awesome. They looked okay. Defense was pretty good I guess. We were kind of bummed there was no playing of Sweet Caroline. I think these back to back to back noon games are tough. Yep, next week's game here against Temple is another early one (ugh) but the following week is primetime against Iowa!
Today, I had to do a bunch of work. But, it was tough while watching the Eagles KILL the Panthers today. It was nice to see the ol' Jim Johnson D living out his legacy, causing the Panthers to commit SEVEN turnovers. So yes, good day for us Eagles fans. Although it looks like McNabb is out for a bit with some cracked ribs, which sucks. But, I've got faith. We're Philadelphia fans- we run on faith.
So, as you can see, this past week, I... HAD NO LIFE. Nothing interesting in my opinion. Maybe I'll have better luck this week. Some excitement perhaps?
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