revised "4th of july"

“The Fourth of July” was my favorite essay out of the three. I felt I was able to relate to it better not only because I am an African American, but I also liked the way the author, Audre Lorde, related her topic in her writing. Her themes stood out clearly and expressed valuable points that were not only very relevant back then, but still have significance in today’s society. She associated many things to color in her essay, which I found to be very interesting. Even with her title, “Fourth of July“, she introduces the theme of color and independence.

In America, the Fourth of July represents freedom. It was the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The political philosophy enunciated in this document had a “continuing influence on political development for many years.” It declared our nations sovereignty and released us from British rule. We as a nation became free and independent. It also brings to mind the thought of celebrating with fireworks. It is a well established American tradition. People all over the nation fill the sky with many different colors to celebrate the country’s independence and freedom. In addition to this, fireworks were used to commemorate events before the Fourth of July was established as a national holiday. Fireworks were used to celebrate the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789. This alone demonstrates how long we Americans have expressed, through the use of color, our appreciation for our independence and equality. The title by itself appealed to me because it represents, in a very veiled way, two very important themes in her essay. The significance of color in the world we live in, and our strive for true liberty. We chose all the colors of the rainbow to celebrate our success as a nation, yet limit that success to the certain colors of people who live in the same nation.

Her childhood experience represents just this. It is simply because of her family’s color that she is not able experience something as normal as sitting down for ice cream. I believe that she is trying to bring to the readers attention the specific issues of color in a country that claims to be so free. True American freedom is for all, not just some. Yet she was denied this freedom. Even in today’s society, it seems to be a stress on color when in should not be. I feel that if we are able to celebrate with colorful fireworks, why are we not able to embrace the different colors of people in our country. Like the author, I am disgusted with the problems associated with color. Even in two thousand and seven, racial tensions still exist-- especially in the South. Events such as the Jena 6 in Louisiana prove this. Six African American teenagers were accused of beating a white teenager and charged with attempted murder. This is a ridiculous and extremely exaggerated charge for a school fight. Furthermore, in New Orleans “ The FBI is reviewing a white supremacist website that purports to list the addresses of five of the six black teenagers accused of beating a white student in Jena and “essentially called for lynching”.” It seems as if history is trying to repeat itself. It just so happens that the fiftieth anniversary of the Little Rock Nine is occurring simultaneously. In 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas five hundred and seventeen African American students were eligible to attend Central High School. Only nine students made it through the process for integration. Federal troops were brought in to escort the students into public school because of their race. A simple example of this type of injustice on a smaller scale was in the essay when Audre’s sister was not allowed to go on a class fieldtrip. Racial injustices in public schools have been occurring for decades and it seems like the closer we as a people get to progress, there are those who try to bring us all back. This type of history should not be repeating itself. In order for a nation to be successful in civil advancement, we all must be on one accord. Everyone must agree that the biases we hold against one another should be eliminated. People must come to the realization that we are all part of the human race and no one is superior to his or her brethren.

I have also realized how colors go beyond black skin versus white skin. In Lorde’s essay she related many things to color. I believe this was done to bring the readers focus to her theme. Growing up, I have noticed that among Caucasians, females tan to have darker skin. Also, attention is given to those with lighter, blonde hair. Among African Americans, males generally have a preference for females with lighter complexions than to those with darker skin tones. Also, both races use dye to color their hair and contacts to change the color of their eyes. I believe this is a huge example of conformity. It makes me question why people really do this. It seems as if Americans have gradually adapted to what we believe is “acceptable” and “non-acceptable” in our own culture. When in actuality, it should be we the people who define what the culture is, not the commonality that conforms the people. Why is there a preference of one color over another? It is as if it is no longer considered beautiful nor acceptable to look like the person God made one to be. Among African Americans, relaxers are used to straighten “nappy” hair in order to fit into a “straight-haired” society. Is it no longer attractive to express African heritage? Pride can be as harmful or helpful as one makes it. An extreme would be to be so proud of one’s own heritage and background that one can not recognize and appreciate another’s. Yet, one can have too little pride and not hold him or herself in high esteem, and therefore unconsciously hide and suppress who they are. It’s as if American people, who put so much emphasis on independence and celebrate with vibrant colors, place invisible restrictions on themselves. We unintentionally tell one another what we should wear, how pale or dark our skin should be, how we must feel about certain issues, and in a sense who we should be.
In the time period that the story took place, segregation was in effect. Blacks and whites were, by law, forced to be separated in public places. African Americans had to wait in separate waiting rooms, use separate public restrooms, and eat in separate restaurants. All of this has been legally abolished. Yet, in a country so free and independent, we willingly separate ourselves from one another. We chose to sit in separate places in school dining areas. We prefer to spend our time with people of our own color, as if our color reflects our ability to understand one another. It is not our color, but our backgrounds and ability to respect what is different, that build understanding among people. This mutual understanding should then develop and mature into a dynamic respect and admiration for one another as human beings. In the story, she stated that her mother had a bright complexion and her father a dark complexion, Different colors, yet same understanding. So who is to say that people of all races, colors, and creeds can not share this understanding? During the Civil Rights movement, there were blacks as well as whites all fighting for a common cause. The cause was equality amongst people. Perfect example of different colors of people sharing the same understanding.

I believe that the author was also trying to speak out against silence. By this, I mean she is recognizing how, in spite of injustice, people remain quiet. As Americans we tend to loudly celebrate the good and proper and silently ignore the bad and improper. In the essay, they took her to Washington D.C. to view monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial. Symbols which boldly and openly show America’s pride in itself. However, when it came to things such as the signs that said “colored” they refused to buy her sunglasses so she could not see them, nor let her know why they had to bring their own food. Her parents did not see anything wrong with their daughter not being able to take the class field trip, neither did they resist when they were refused service at the counter. They silently walked away as if nothing happened. The only one who protested was little Audre. I feel as if the author purposely brought this to her readers attention. Encouraging us to not sit back and accept what we know is wrong. We were given rights in this great and powerful nation, but sit back quietly and chose not to take advantage of them when necessary.

Something else I noticed in the essay was little Audre as an individual. Not only does the simple term “Fourth of July” represent independence, but she does as well. Growing up at home, her family tried to shelter her and hide the injustices present in the society she lived in. They knew they were present, but tried to prevent her from learning. At the lunch counter, she learned. At that moment, she became an individual; separate from her family. She was not fearful or ashamed to question what happened to her. She refused to remain silent. Unlike them, she did not want to accept what was obviously wrong. She openly declared, “But we hadn’t done anything!” She was independent in her protest, while the rest of her family remained silent. Alone she became angry, while her family passively accepted things as they were.
I hear the author calling out to those of us living in this so-called independent nation to become individuals and speak out against what we feel is wrong, even if we must stand alone. We must take advantage of our freedoms and insist on the things we know are right. We can not be afraid to protest and fight for what we believe. Loud expressions should not only be heard in times of celebration, but in times of unfairness and injustice as well. There is nothing wrong with exercising our rights. It is also our duty to, as Audre Lorde, discover the problems that exist in our society. It is nobody’s job but our own to inform ourselves of the problems that exist, for if we decide to depend on others to present them to us, we may be left uninformed. Thereby, squinting our eyes in a sense, on the things others prefer us not to see.

Fourth of July

“The Fourth of July” was my favorite essay out of the three. I felt I was able to relate to it better not only because I am an African American, but I also liked the way the author, Audre Lorde, related her topic in her writing. Her themes stood out clearly and expressed valuable points that are were not only very relevant back then, but still have significance in today’s society. She associated many things to color in her essay, which I found to be very interesting. Even with her title, “Fourth of July“, she introduces the theme of color and independence.
In America, the Fourth of July represents freedom. It was the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The political philosophy enunciated in this document had a “continuing influence on political development for many years.” It declared our nations sovereignty and released us from British rule. We as a nation became free and independent. It also brings to mind the thought of celebrating with fireworks. It is a well established American tradition. People all over the nation fill the sky with many different colors to celebrate the country’s independence and freedom. In addition to this, fireworks were used to commemorate events before the Fourth of July was established as a national holiday. Fireworks were used to celebrate the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789. This alone demonstrates how long we Americans have expressed, through the use of color, our appreciation for our independence and equality. The title by itself appealed to me because it represents, in a very veiled way, two very important themes in her essay. The significance of color in the world we live in, and our strive for true liberty. We chose all the colors of the rainbow to celebrate our success as a nation, yet limit that success to the certain colors of people who live in the same nation.
Her childhood experience represents just this. It is simply because of her family’s color that she is not able experience something as normal as sitting down for ice cream. I believe that she is trying to bring to the readers attention the specific issues of color in a country that claims to be so free. True American freedom is for all, not just some. Yet she was denied this freedom. Even in today’s society, it seems to be a stress on color when in should not be. I feel that if we are able to celebrate with colorful fireworks, why are we not able to embrace the different colors of people in our country. Like the author, I am disgusted with the problems associated with color. Even in two thousand and seven, racial tensions still exist-- especially in the South. Events such as the Jena 6 in Louisiana prove this. Six African American teenagers were accused of beating a white teenager and charged with attempted murder. This is a ridiculous and extremely exaggerated charge for a school fight. Furthermore, in New Orleans “ The FBI is reviewing a white supremacist website that purports to list the addresses of five of the six black teenagers accused of beating a white student in Jena and “essentially called for lynching”.” It seems as if history is trying to repeat itself. It just so happens that the fiftieth anniversary of the Little Rock Nine is occurring simultaneously. In 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas five hundred and seventeen African American students were eligible to attend Central High School. Only nine students made it through the process for integration. Federal troops were brought in to escort the students into public school because of their race. A simple example of this type of injustice on a smaller scale was in the essay when Audre’s sister was not allowed to go on a class fieldtrip. Racial injustices in public schools have been occurring for decades and it seems like the closer we as a people get to progress, there are those who try to bring us all back. This type of history should not be repeating itself. In order for a nation to be successful in civil advancement, we all must be on one accord. Everyone must agree that the biases we hold against one another should be eliminated. People must come to the realization that we are all part of the human race and no one is superior to his or her brethren.
I have also realized how colors go beyond black skin versus white skin. Growing up, I have noticed that among Caucasians, females tan to have darker skin. Also, attention is given to those with lighter, blonde hair. Among African Americans, males generally have a preference for females with lighter complexions than to those with darker skin tones. Also, both races use dye to color their hair and contacts to change the color of their eyes. I believe this is a huge example of conformity. It makes me question why people really do this. It seems as if Americans have gradually adapted to what we believe is “acceptable” and “non-acceptable” in our own culture. When in actuality, it should be we the people who define what the culture is, not the commonality that conforms the people. Why is there a preference of one color over another? It is as if it is no longer considered beautiful nor acceptable to look like the person God made one to be. Among African Americans, relaxers are used to straighten “nappy” hair in order to fit into a “straight-haired” society. Is it no longer attractive to express African heritage? Pride can be as harmful or helpful as one makes it. An extreme would be to be so proud of one’s own heritage and background that one can not recognize and appreciate another’s. Yet, one can have too little pride and not hold him or herself in high esteem, and therefore unconsciously hide and suppress who they are. It’s as if American people, who put so much emphasis on independence and celebrate with vibrant colors, place invisible restrictions on themselves. We unintentionally tell one another what we should wear, how pale or dark our skin should be, how we must feel about certain issues, and in a sense who we should be.
In the time period that the story took place, segregation was in effect. Blacks and whites were, by law, forced to be separated in public places. African Americans had to wait in separate waiting rooms, use separate public restrooms, and eat in separate restaurants. All of this has been legally abolished. Yet, in a country so free and independent, we willingly separate ourselves from one another. We chose to sit in separate places in school dining areas. We prefer to spend out time with people of our own color, as if our color reflects our ability to understand one another. It is not our color, but our backgrounds and ability to respect what is different, that build understanding among people. This mutual understanding should then develop and mature into a dynamic respect and admiration for one another as human beings. In the story, she stated that her mother had a bright complexion and her father a dark complexion, Different colors, yet same understanding. So who is to say that people of all races, colors, and creeds can not share this understanding? During the Civil Rights movement, there were blacks as well as whites all fighting for a common cause. The cause was equality amongst people. Perfect example of different colors of people sharing the same understanding.
I believe that the author was also trying to speak out against silence. By this, I mean she is recognizing how, in spite of injustice, people remain quiet. As Americans we tend to loudly celebrate the good and proper and silently ignore the bad and improper. In the essay, they took her to Washington D.C. to view monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial. Symbols which boldly and openly show America’s pride in itself. However, when it came to things such as the signs that said “colored” they refused to buy her sunglasses so she could not see them, nor let her know why they had to bring their own food. Her parents did not see anything wrong with their daughter not being able to take the class field trip, neither did they resist when they were refused service at the counter. I feel as if the author purposely brought this to her readers attention. Encouraging us to not sit back and accept what we know is wrong. We were given rights in this great and powerful nation, but sit back quietly and chose not to take advantage of them when necessary.
Something else I noticed in the essay was little Andre as an individual. Not only does the simple term “Fourth of July” represent independence, but she does as well. Growing up at home, her family tried to shelter her and hide the injustices present in the society she lived in. They knew they were present, but tried to prevent her from learning. At the lunch counter, she learned. At that moment, she became an individual; separate from her family. Unlike them, she did not want to accept what was obviously wrong. She openly declared, “But we hadn’t done anything!” She was independent in her protest, while the rest of her family remained silent. Alone she became angry, while her family passively accepted things as they were.
I hear the author calling out to those of us living in this so-called independent nation to become individuals and speak out against what we feel is wrong, even if we must stand alone. We must take advantage of our freedoms and insist on the things we know are right. We can not be afraid to protest and fight for what we believe. Loud expressions should not only be heard in times of celebration, but in times of unfairness and injustice as well. There is nothing wrong with exercising our rights. It is also our duty to, as Audre Lorde, discover the problems that exist in our society. It is nobody’s job but our own to inform ourselves of the problems that exist, for if we decide to depend on others to present them to us, we may be left uninformed. Thereby, squinting our eyes in a sense, on the things others prefer us not to see.

Going To Japan

I enjoyed reading the essay going to Japan. It really showed cultural differences and how Americans have a different state of mind that the Japanese. It make me realize we are more aggressive people and instead of embracing forgiveness, instead we push for confrontation. The things she did in Japan are everyday practices for us. The essay made me think of everyday things that i experience and how....mean we are! Driving, walking down the street, or basically being in a crowded place often leads to aggressive situations in America.

A major point that stuck out to me in the essay was the stress on respect. We as Americans need to learn how to respect differnces among people and to accept things we do not understand instead of rejecting them and automatically labeling them as wrong. When looking at the essay, not only was I reading, but comparing as well. A few lines stuck out to me." Sensitive topics i may not understand." In America, there are So many different people, cultures, races, ethnicities, rituals, habits, languages, lifestyles, and other expressions that people do not even attempt to understand. Instead, we reject the unfamiliar. We are harsh people who do not have compassion and respect for others. I agree with having American pride, but we should still understand that others are not inferior, just different. Its sad when we take a step back and realize how harsh we can be.

Another line that stuck out was "understanding imperfection". The only thing i have to day about this is that no one is perfect. Thats probably the only way that all cultures are the same.

Prime Directive

While reading the essay, I found it to be very interesting, yet I did not quite understand it. Initially I thought it was because i was not a viewer of Star Trek but after I finished reading the essay I did some research and looked up the things I did not understand on Wikipedia. After that, I found the essay to be extremely interesting! It also raises many questions and brings a lot to our attention.

The three things I looked up were Charles Grainer, Abu Ghraib, and the Prime Directive. I found out Charles Grainer is a former Army member charged by the Army in the Abu Ghraib scandal(a prison located in the city of Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. It was where Saddam Hussain tortured and killed people who opposed him. The prison was later renamed when "U.S. forces expelled the former Iraqi government". It was called the Baghdad Central Confinement Facility and changed to Camp redemption in 2004) . He and others of the U.S. army were "accussed of being a torturer, sadist, and war criminal." They " inflicted sexual, physical, and psycological" abuse of Iraqi prisoners of war(P.O.W.s) in Abu Ghraib. He was found guilty of all charges in january 2004 on conspiracy to "maltreat detainees, failing to protect detainees, failing to protect detainees from abuse, cruelty, and maltreatment", as well as assault, indecency, adultery, and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to ten years in military prison the next day.

After learning about the events in the story, i was left wondering what the title of the essay meant. Prime Directive. I looked it up and understood the essay immediately. The Prime Directive is the number one law in the Star Trek world. It says that there should be no interference with the internal affairs of other civilizations. Correlation SO obvious! Whoever wrote this was a genius. HELLO!!??!! Other civilizations= Iraq. Break it down, every civilization(country) should mind their own damn business( therefore, NOT Iraq's!). Loves it. And I totally agree. America has enough power as a country alone. Why should we tell another country how it should be organized. Is that really our job? NO! I mean yes "we should fight evil and stuff" but I liked how the situation was compared to the Prime Directive.
Something i found...puzzling... in the essay was the way the gut at the end dressed as Charles Garner for Halloween. this really made me think a lot( I would write EVERYTHING but Im tired as hell). First off, he dressed as an US army officer for HALLOWEEN. The holiday where people chose to be scary, threatening, frightening, monsters that people are afraid of. This should not be two things that can be related. I should not find ther people responsible to protect the country that I live in to be frightening and threatening. They should nit be looked upon as monsters, yet the events that took place justify such a costume in a way. he was found guilty of pathetic crimes. But honestly, as Americans do we REALLY look down upon the officers as if we would if it were Iraqi soldiers who did this to American a P.O.W.s??? I honestly dont think so. Im not afraid to admit that I am guilty of ethnocentrism myself. Nothing ever hurts as much as when it is close to home. Naturally we would have been furious and defensive if it were "THEM" torturing "US". And I would even go as far as to some some Americans may have felt an erie pride to find that "the enemy" has suffered under the hand of one of us. That sense of payback in some way. Human nature is a strange thing. We all know whats right. And we also all know we dont always do right. Nor do we feel the way we "should" feel. We SHOULD all be ashamed, disgusted, apalled, embarrassed, etc. of a soldier who would do such a thing. But are we really? The essay presents an interesting POV. How many of us would have actually posed in that picture? How many of us would have thought "its about time they suffer to" instead of feeling immediate compassion for those who are "the enemy". Pride AND compassion are both natural feelings. So is revenge. But when they all come together, its confusing as hell. And we somewhat feel guilty.

I Heart Football

Many people find it odd to find out that my favorite sport is football. For those that have known me for a while, it is not hard to figure out why. I have been around football forever. My brother played football and my mom and I went to EVERY SINGLE GAME he ever played. So not it is just ssomething that's...in me I guess. I understand the plays and everything, and love confusing my friends when they attempt to watch a football game. At the same time, I impress guys with what i know because they never expect a girl like me to know anything about sports! Since I've been here, I've gone to both games. The first was a disappointment, true, but they redeemed themselves in the Jacksonville State game(even though one of my friends got hurt and will be out for 5 weeks! ;-(...) . My family is also a family that throws the huge Super Bowl party that ends with half of us upset and the other half with so much pride as if we were the people actually running the ball out there! That leads to the screaming, yelling, and excitement that I LOVE. I even have the Monday Night football ringtone!

group paper

Pets can be a huge part of our lives, we wish for them, pick them out, train them, and care for them. At first, this idea of longing for and loving an animal seems completely normal, but when you really think about it, what makes us care so much about an animal? Of course, our pets are cute and cuddly, but there has got to be a better reason to devote so much of our lives to our pets.
We think that our pets are so important to us because they love us unconditionally. Its very appealing to know that your dog is never going to be mad at you or that you don¢t have to convince your puppy to like you. Another reason why an animal companion is so desirable is because they rely on us completely. There are so many things that we have no control over and its nice to think that we can at least control our pets or know that they see us as authority figures. Especially when you are young, the idea of a pet is enticing because you have someone to take care of and boss around while everyone else is telling you what to do all the time. In a world where so many things are changing and uncertain, our pets provide stability and something that we can dictate.
We each have specific memories of longing for and loving pets, specifically dogs. After thinking about why we feel this way, we realized that we craved the unconditional love and simplicity that dogs provide. Though we each recollect different instances that make us think about our love for our pets, we all felt the same way about why our dogs are so important to us. These stories show how much we care about our dogs, the different stages we go through in loving them, and how important they are to us.

I always dreamed of having my own dog ever since I was a little girl. I wanted a dog that would sleep in a beautiful dog house in the backyard. I imagined a small fluffy dog with long white hair that I could brush and braid and wash as often as I wanted to. My dog would be fun, hyper, and always excited to play. She would have a pink leash with a rhinestone handle and a fuzzy pink color that jingled when she walked. Most importantly, I wanted a dog that I could take care of all by myself. When I turned four and still no dog showed up I decided to take matters into my own hands. Even though I had asked for my own dog at Christmas and my birthday it didn¢t seem like my parents were ever going to do anything about it. I looked around the house and realized that I had a few things that were very similar to a dog. First of all I had lots of stuffed animals that certainly looked like the dog that I envisioned but I decided that those wouldn¢t really work because they couldn¢t walk or fetch things very well. Then I saw some squirrels in our backyard and thought that one of them might make a very good dog but after trying to catch one I decided that they wouldn¢t really work either. Finally I looked at my baby brother, Timothy, and knew that I had found my dog. Timothy crawled around like a dog and even held things like balls or sticks in his mouth just like a dog. He was a much better choice than my stuffed animals because they couldn¢t play with me and he was a lot easier to catch than the squirrels so I knew that he would work perfectly. After making my decision I knew that there was a lot of work to do. I have always been kind of crafty so I set right to work making all sorts of doggy supplies. I made a leash and collar for Timothy out of his bib and a piece of ribbon (don¢t worry I didn¢t choke him or anything, I just tied it onto his bib not his neck.) I collected some squeaky toys from around the house to play with and then got some sticks from the backyard so we could play fetch. My final project was a dog house that I made out of a cardboard box. I set the dog house out in the backyard and put a big pillow inside so that Timothy would be very comfy. All that was left to do was to tell Timothy about the new arrangements and pitch the idea to my parents. Timothy seemed to be very happy about being my new dog and played with the toys that I had collected for him, but, needless to say, my parents were not pleased with the situation. I tried to explain that this way we could all share Timothy and that if he slept out in the backyard then maybe he wouldn¢t wake us up when he cried in the middle of the night. I showed them the toys and sticks I had gathered and even the dog house I had made but they weren¢t very supportive. My parents explained to me that even though Timothy acted like a dog sometimes, he was a boy and wouldn¢t be able to sleep outside or crawl forever. They told me that soon I would have a walking little brother to play with instead of a dog. They were right, but I still fervently wished for a dog. I had to wait a while but, finally, when I was six I got my own dog.


I was so excited to find out I was getting a dog. I had been waiting for so long and was happy that the moment was finally there. My mom had found a breeder in Mississippi who had brand new Shih-Tsu pupppies. The kind she wanted. So that afternoon we got in the car and took a two hour drive. When we arrived at the breeder, we got to choose from a big selection of puppies. She had all kinds from white dogs with black spots to black with white to brown with white to black with brown...... get the piture?! So we started looking around and came across a pretty all black puppy with curly fur. We tried to play with her, but she just laid there. We came to the conclusion that that wasn't the dog for us. We wanted a fun, upbeat, friendly dog that we could have fun with. So we kept looking. the breeder let out a few dogs at a time and told us to try to get one to come to us. She did that and we began whistling, clapping and doing other things to get the dogs attention. Immediately we were rushed by a gorgeous tan dog with a black face and white stomach. She was so friendly and hyper we just immediately fell in love with her. She jumped all over us, nibbled on our fingers, and tried to lick our faces. She was perfect. We paid a grip for her (totally worth it!) and brought her to the car. She sat in my lab the whole way home and played with me. She was so small I was afraid I would smush her!
When we got home, we let her explore the house at her own pace. She went into of our rooms and explored everything, She decided my room was her favorite and started sleeping under my bed, even though she had a cute little dog house. We eventually decided to name her Pebbles (from the Flinstones) and said if we were to get another, we would name him BamBam. we never did. Pebbles is a handful!


My dog immediately took to us, and expressed a love that was truly unconditional. The human condition is so messed up in general; I think it's safe to say that a great deal of "love" is artificial. People often act nice only for personal gain, but dogs seem to express a very authentic love towards their owners. We fed her, played with her, picked up after her, and gave her a place she could call home, and that was it; what more does a simplistic animal need in life than the fulfillment of these very basic desires ? We tried to teach her tricks, but to no avail. She was too hyper and stubborn, or perhaps she realized somehow in her tiny dog brain that she was being degraded to some sort of object of amusement.We eventually quit trying , and no longer did we seek entertainment through the frivolous obediance of a pet. Besides, how would humans feel if they were forced to perform tricks for somebody? We let our dog do as she pleased, as long as it brought no harm to any of us. Her sweet and innocent face somehow managed to charm and delight even the most cold-hearted people. It is humorous to point out the fact that the single greatest thrill in her life was her daily stroll around the neighborhood. It shows how little it takes to satisfy a dog, and how spoiled humans are for requiring such large doses of mass media and extravagant forms of entertainment to keep themselves happy. She was an integral part of the family, and her passing away left a large hole in our hearts for many weeks. We eventually got over it though. We smiled and knew that we had given her the best life a dog could ever have.

As you can see, we each remember how important our dogs are to us because of different things, but the reason we care about them is the same. In every stage we go through with our pets, whether its wanting them, bringing them home, or simply living with them, we love them because they are always there loving and adoring us.

Calculus is dumb. Period.

Today I took my first test. I have to admit, I almost panicked. I made myself have a study session. After my group got together yesterday, i went straight to my room (after getting something to eat) and hit the books. The test was in Calculus so I decided to get all of the other ssubjects out of the way first. Then I started going over my Calculus notes and discovered something very important. Taking notes in a math class is pointless for me! I just got the book and started reading. And when my head started hurting about 3 hours later I stopped. I almost fell asleep so I grabbed a redbull and started again. Keep in mind I had had a cafe latte just hours earlier. I managed to finish my history paper thats due on Friday and finish studying. When my headache didnt go away I decided it was time to stop. The class started at 9 :10 the next morning so I set my alarm for 7. I got up at 7:30 and looked at my book more. I went to class...cool, calm, and collected. Well, not really. I took the test and actually think I did well. I don't think anyone HATES math as much as i do. Like....WHO in the hell discovered all that crap? And that leads to my next question. WHY?? Somebody had too much time on their hands to think of all that mess. Seriously. WHY would you do that!!!! Im really angry right now. Isn't addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division enough!?!

Corker+Ford= really dumb stuff on YouTube!

Politics kill me. The ads are completely ridiculous. Is it really necessary to attack your opponent to build yourself up? What ever happened to quality and respect? And to actually have a KKK clip?! Are they kidding me?!! That was very STUPID. No other word for it. It just shows how ignorant people are. Even greasy old men who want control of a whole damn population. That made me want to throw up. Why would you do that? It sucks how people make issues a "black or white" thing when they don't have to be. But what sucks even more is when things really ARE about black or white. Im not one to say the past is the past, so leave it there because racial tension STILL does exist. And I will argue my ass off with anyone who disagrees. But I feel that as Americans, this whole "all men are created equal and One nation under God thing"( all the stuff they MAKE us recite in school) should be something we should actually live up to. Competition is the American way! So don't make things so damn personal! It is actually possible to win an election without offending people you morons! Stuff like "pick the white person"...what the HELL is that suppose to mean? Im not even white, and that offended me! So Im sure it offended some white people! And having a girl pose as a porn star in an ad?! Come on now dude, YOU"RE A GROWN ASS MAN!! And that's the best you could come up with?( then they picked a girl who would never make it in the front lawn of Playboy so it wasn't even believable!......but thats beside the point. Sorry!)

Here, Doggie!

I was so excited to find out I was getting a dog. I had been waiting for so long and was happy that the moment was finally there. My mom had found a breeder in Mississippi who had brand new Shih-Tsu pupppies. The kind she wanted. So that afternoon we got in the car and took a two hour drive. When we arrived at the breeder, we got to choose from a big selection of puppies. She had all kinds from white dogs with black spots to black with white to brown with white to black with brown...... get the piture?! So we started looking around and came across a pretty all black puppy with curly fur. We tried to play with her, but she just laid there. We came to the conclusion that that wasn't the dog for us. We wanted a fun, upbeat, friendly dog that we could have fun with. So we kept looking. the breeder let out a few dogs at a time and told us to try to get one to come to us. She did that and we began whistling, clapping and doing other things to get the dogs attention. Immediately we were rushed by a gorgeous tan dog with a black face and white stomach. She was so friendly and hyper we just immediately fell in love with her. She jumped all over us, nibbled on our fingers, and tried to lick our faces. She was perfect. We paid a grip for her (totally worth it!) and brought her to the car. She sat in my lab the whole way home and played with me. She was so small I was afraid I would smush her!

When we got home, we let her explore the house at her own pace. She went into of our rooms and explored everything, She decided my room was her favorite and started sleeping under my bed, even though she had a cute little dog house. We eventually decided to name her Pebbles (from the Flinstones) and said if we were to get another, we would name him BamBam. we never did. Pebbles is a handful!

Abercrombie & Bitch.....I mean, Fitch

Ok, after reading a few people's blogs, I kind of picked up the feel for this thing. Write about however you feel!! got it! So I'm going to write about my work experience at the most corrupt, and most profitable if I may add, retail business in America.
I got hired at abercombie in October 2006. And believe me, it was NOT because I earned it. I walked in the store with one of my friends who worked there and they asked ME did I want a job. I said yes. This happened on a Friday. They told me to show up at orientation that Sunday. Orientatiion???? What happened to the application? Or even the interview? Basically, I was hired off of my looks. And I'm not saying that to be concieted or anything, so before the idea forms that Im a stuck up, self centered bitch, let me explain. At Abercrombie, there are two teams you can apply for. Model or Impact. A models job is to look cute, have the "abercrombie" style (tight ass pants if you're a guy with a small tee, or short micro mini skirts and thin spaghetti strap shirts that are cut low in the front if you're a girl), and assist customers in the most friendly way as possible. Models also run the register and keep the store neat and perfect. The EASIEST job in the WORLD! I was a model. Impact on the other hand, was hectic and crazy! They had to maintain the stockroom and a whole bunch of other shit that I never learned because i didn't go back there. But I know it was hard. And basically they stayed in the back, away from the customers all day. So this is what I noticed. Pretty people got hired on the spot. With no regard to the thousands of applications they get from qualified people who have excellent work experience and references. I had neither!!! All I had walking in there was a mini skirt, silky hair, and a girly pink sweater. Should that be enough to get a job? Hell no. but at the time I was broke, so I took what I could get. So basically, I learned the system. See someone with style walking aroungd the mall, hire them. When you get desperate and need people to maintain and clean up your stockroom, THEN you pull up your never ending list of online applications and hire someone who probably knew how to deal with customers a thousand times better than I did when I first started. Especially considering how I opened the the fitting room door on 3 people when I first started. They also pay the least amount of money EVER. But charge a arm and a leg for their clothes that get holes after a couple of washings. That's why its the richest business in retail. And they scam people because they try to make it seem as if they are in competition with stores like Hollister, but they are both owned by the same people! They just have slighty different styles so people will pick a favorite, but in the end, the money goes to the same person. So basically the business is corrupt and evil...So why do i like their clothes so much?!

Blogging

Ok, so I have to admit, it is going to take some getting used to to remember to blog everyday. I get sort of caught up in my day to day activities to remember to write down my thoughts on the computer. I guess when I get into the routine of it all, then it will become second nature. Since I've been doing it these past few days, I've realized that it isn't really all that bad like I thought it was going to be. It's also really easy to do. Just sign on and write! Kind of like I'm doing now. I'm sure I will begin of thinking of more interesting topics pretty soon. I just have to get used to it. Then I'm sure I'll have everyone just DYING to read my blogs and post comments! Ok, maybe not, but I'm sure they'll be more interesting than this! I'm almost positive. How could they possibly be any worse? Believe it or not, I am usually a pretty good writer, it's just that I'm not used to blogging or keeping a journal or diary. As I think about, I usually don't even express my thoughts at all. If I get mad at someone I usually say how I feel, but as far as writing my daily thoughts down, I felt it didnt work. I guess I was never the type of girl to hide her diary under her bed under lock and key and burst into tears when her brother stole it and told his friend she has a "major crush on him"! I'd rather say a few words and get it over with. Less time, less writing. However, I'm going to work on this blogging thing. I may discover something about myself!

Group topis list: Pets

• When we bought her from Mississippi
• Naming her
• When she was learning to jump on the couch
• When she learned how to jump in our beds
• She ate a balloon
• Chases big dogs
• Barks at birds
• Chases flies
• Chases her tail
• likes peanut butter
• hates Doritoes/ likes popcorn
• takes showers

Confused

Well, I have titled my blog confused for one simple reason. I'm so confused about what I am souppose to be writing about. I was really tring to figure it out in class, but obviously I did not get it. So I chose to write about my confusion. All I know is that we are suppose to blog everyday and I did not want to skip a day because I did not have a topic. So if anyone is reading this I urge you to feel free to help me out! It would be greatly appreciated! I just need to know what we are suppose to do exactly. I mean, do we just write about anything? If so, then its simple. It seems too simple to be correct. which is probably why I am so confused!

Articles and tools of writing

The topic of my article was somewhat interesting, but as I read it, it started to bore me. It was about Walt Disney, who is suppose to be the most facinating man in America, right?! But the author was writing a criticism of a book about him, and i didn't realize it until I got to the middle of it! The author kind of took a neutral standpoint, so he would not come scross as having an opinion about "Mr. Disney". He did, however give what I felt to be his opinion of the greatest Disney movies of all time. BAMBI?!! Is he serious??! So I guess The Little Mermaid and 101 Dalmations doesn't count?!! I know I'm sort of "old" but I mean, those are classics! Other than that, I couldn't really find much of his criticism very interesting at all. He was comparing Walt Disney's work before WWII and post-war. Who does that??? I've always felt Disney should be a...."happy experience". I've never felt the need to dissect his work.