11/11/11

Love is patient, it is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.-Corinthians 13: 4-8

The gift of marriage is indeed a special thing. A commitment to love and to hold, from this day forward, as long as two people shall live. On 11/11/11 I was able to witness two very important people to me, make a vow to each other. A vow that would express their undying love for each other and hopes and dreams for their future.

These two people were my mother and her husband, Charlie.

Friday, November 11, 2011 was the day of my mother and her Husband Chralie's wedding! The wedding was held in the comfort of their own home, and many friends and family came to witness. What started out as only close family, turned into over a handful of people surrounding my mother and Charlie. The ceremony was short and sweet which included traditional wedding vows and a kiss to seal the deal. Within 20 minutes my mother was a married woman and I was  extreemly happy for her. After the ceremony many friends and family gathered at the local pub and grub to eat dinner and celebrate the uniting of the newlyweds. The night was full of love and laughter as two family's merged into one. I don't think things could have went any better for this was exactly how the we all hoped it would be. 

11/11/11 was chosen for the wedding date simply because of it's uniqueness. What other way to spend their wedding, than on a date that everyone would remember, but also that had something so special about it. Never again will the date 11/11/11 exist in history. Not only was it special and worked out so right, but it also served a significant purpose to my mother and Charlie.  11/11/11 represented a day of love that was their's that noone else could share. A day of happiness that would mark their life of eternity together. 

Beyonce "Countdown" Controversy

After being accused twice of stealing the ideas of others, Beyonce has indeed released another music video that has people all over the world talking. On October 6, 2011 Beyonce released, "Countdown," a fun, playful music video that included choreography and the ideas of others which she failed to acknowlege or give credit for. These ideas came from artists such as choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and living legend Audrey Hepburn. According to Beyonce, "Clearly, the ballet 'Rosas danst Rosas' was one of many references for my video "Countdown." It was one of the insperations used to bring the feel and look of the song to life." She continues by stating, “I was also paying tribute to the film, ‘Funny Face’ with the legendary Audrey Hepburn. My biggest inspirations were the ’60s, the ’70s, Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, Twiggy and Diana Ross. I’ve always been fascinated by the way contemporary art uses different elements and references to produce something unique.” Although Beyonce concluded she was simply "paying tribute," this issue hit world wide news, making people really question Beyonce and her motives.

I personally don't think what Beyonce did was wrong I just think she went about it in a wrong way. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by the ideas/works of other and wanting to produce something from it, but on the other hand all Beyonce had to do was acknoledge those artists that she reflected from. Knowing the situations she has placed herself in before, makes me wonder how could she ever forget such a thing? We all know that she isn't trying to steal these ideas to call them her own, but this is the reaction she will recieve when things arn't done properly. All we can do is reflect on something of this nature and learn from the mistakes of others. I do think that Beyonce did indeed make a honest mistake by not crediting those is which she inspired from but what is done, is done. All she can do is aknowledge her error and therefore give those artists the credit that they deserve.

Peace Week

If we devoted a small portion of our lives to spreading the word on peace, we could ultimately change the way in which our world works. According to peaceweek.info, "We have the power to shift our world from a culture of violence to a culture of peace." Although this statement might seem very unrealistic it can indeed happen. But the main question that we have to ask ourselves is what will it really take to put this vision in action? Peaceweek.info states, "The "technologies" for creating peace at all levels of society are well-established. We simply need to share them on a grand scale and accelerate the evolution that will have us live, collaborate and create in the most harmonious ways. Doing so is necessary to address our global crises and birth a new, co-creative era of human evolution." In 2010 The Shift Network launched their first annual Peace Week, which did exceedingly well. According to peaceweek.info, "Peace Week 2011 was a huge success." People from all over the world came to be involved with his historical day. "The feedback was extraordinary as people from Nigeria to India all said "Yes, it is time!" and offered their gratitude for the wisdom and practices shared."- peaceweek.info

On Tuesday, September 20th, my classmates and I went to the Peace Fair held at Avila University. I was very excited to be involved in this inspiring event, but when we got their I was very disappointed with the outcome. There were only three tables promoting Peace Week and about 20 students including my class, there. Although it wasn't everything I had hoped and wanted it to be, I talked to a lady by the name of, Ann Suellentrop who was with physicians for Social Responsibility, that informed us spectators on a very important issue. This issue was the building of the new nuclear plant in Kansas City. Currently Kansas City has a nuclear plant that was founded in 1949. Now 62 years later they want to build a new facility that is half the size, lead certified, and more advanced. This may be the case but the underlying issue of the plant still remains the same. The current plant is known for making about 85% of nuclear bomb parts not only for Kansas City but for the majority of our nation. This idea of a new plant raises lots of issues because of the fact that our city funds will certainly be going to the making it.

As the other listeners and I became educated on this issue, Ann presented us with two petitions she and her organization were conducting. The first petition introduced to us was the idea to withdraw city funds from the making of the new plant. Ann and her organization argue that we are spending millions of dollars on something that isn't going to bring peace on earth. We are basically spending money for people to kill each other. Ann and her organization said that it would be more beneficial to put our hard earned money to things such as, schools, health care, funding, etc. The second petition introduced to us was the idea of converting the old and new plant together and making it into something good for our community. Ann and her organization claim that if we combine the two plants together we could use them for things such as, wind energy, solar panels, IT, medical IT, etc. Why not turn these plants into something valuable, by making the environment good for us as well.

The Early Show - Which living legend should be first on U.S. stamp?

The Future of Stamps

According to Northland’s News Center, the U.S. Postal Service just release that at the beginning of next year, Americans will see acclaimed musicians, sports stars, writers, artists and other nationally-known figures on U.S. postage stamps, while they are still alive. Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General of the United States of America says, "This change will enable us to pay tribute to individuals for their achievements while they are still alive to enjoy the honor." While the original rule was that an individual had to be deceased for at least five years before their face could be seen on a stamp, the new guidelines of this matter have indeed changed the way in which they originally planned.

Putting public figures and well know celebrities on postage stamps; I think will expand the way in which Americans use mail. It will influence people to want to use the mailing system and help post offices financially. Not only will in advance in these areas but it will give those “faces” the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and accomplishments. And honestly why not, it’s fun!

A good candidate for a postage stamp I think would be Justin Bieber. He has become a well-known celebrity/artist that has influenced the lives of many with his inspirational story and love. He has worked extremely hard for the things in his life and has donated his time and heart to many parts of the world. There is no doubt in my mind that he wouldn’t be the next face on a postage stamp.  I mean seriously, who could resist that baby face, cute hair and great talent?? Children, teens, parents and even grandparents love him! Having Justin Bieber on a postage stamp would influence the youth to use the mailing system, recognized Justin for the great things he has done and altogether make it a fun experience.

The Mystery Behind the Man

Every morning when I take the exit for school, there never fails to be the same guy standing  on the corner, holding a cardboard sign. I’ve never really paid attention to what his sign entailed, but I expected it to say he was homeless, or something along those lines. It has now been about five weeks of this guy marking that territory, and I’m beginning to think maybe he’s up to something. If this guy was indeed homeless, he would have moved locations by now. No homeless person is going to stay in one place for that long in hopes that maybe one day someone will give in. No, they’re going to move to the next place in search of a better outcome. But the thing is this guy is certainly not homeless. Every day he has nice clothes on and looks as if he has freshly showered and shaved. There is never an obvious indication that he is in desperate need of a helping hand and there’s certainly been a time or two that I’ve seen him with a cell phone. Now, if he was homeless, that wouldn’t be the case. There is not ONE homeless person I know walking around the streets with a new Blackberry, wearing a nice pair of cargo khaki shorts and Sperry’s, who has just shaved and showered! Give me a break. It's one thing to actually be homless, but another to act homeless.

So my question is why is this guy doing this and what are his intentions?

The Meaning Behind the Words

I've never really listened to Tupac. Not because I didn't like him or didn't want to, just because I never did. I mean there are a couple of songs of his that I liked or knew because they were popular at the time, but after doing some reading on him, I became interested. His lyrics are nothing short of the harsh world we live in. For me, they hit me hard, as if I didn't already know. Most of the time people are so caught up in the new releases of music, the "cool" beats and sounds or how fast they can memorize the song and rap it the best, but never really stop to hear what that artist is saying. On the other had there ARE people who hear the artist and do actually relate what they are saying to society and their own lives.

"Changes" has always been one of my favorite songs of his. After being told the true definition of "listening" and "hearing" someone, it's apparent I was just listening. I went back and looked up the lyrics and was surprised at what I had been listening to for so long was actually very sad.

“It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes. Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live and let's change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do what we gotta do, to survive.” Tupac Shakur

It’s true, what the world needs is change but that change has to start with us. We can’t just go around wanting or expecting it to happen, we have to take matters in our own hands and do it! Yes, there are some things that will possibly never change like, poverty, racism, fights, gangs, deaths drugs, but I do believe that there are the little things we can change that will indeed reflect back on those others. Tupac’s lyrics are ultimately influential and I do think we could all learn a thing or two behind the true meaning of his words.

“I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” Tupac Shakur

"The Children of 9-11"

While shopping at Wal-Mart the other week I came across People Magazine that featured a special article on 9-11 titled, “The Children of 9-11”. Within this article it discussed a group of mothers and children who had lost their husbands/fathers on that tragic day. Now ten years later, this article talks about what it has been like for them and the struggles they’ve had to overcome through that process. Each page of this article displayed a different family and gives the readers a short bio of that loved one they lost. It also includes their thoughts on the event now and their feelings of the heartbreaking events anniversary. On the last page it showed the mothers and their children all photographed together, along with quotes of how they wished to remember what they lost.

I personally enjoyed reading through this article. It gave me a bigger perspective on 9-11. It amazes me that after all these years these mothers have stood strong for their children as they’ve had to watch them grow up without their fathers. Knowing and seeing what this unforgettable day did to all of America, I think that these mothers have to be one of the strongest groups of people. I couldn’t imagine being pregnant and having my husband killed. So many things left unsaid, so many more memories to make, the birth, graduation, and marriage of the unborn child missed, and the ultimate thought of, how will I do this? 

Although I am not a mother, or a person that lost someone in 9-11, I fell very deeply for those mothers and their children along with all the families who have lost their loved ones. Waking up one day going about my business like normal and then in an instant my world crumbling to the ground, seems too unreal. I don’t know what it is like to lose a father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter, uncle/aunt, and I couldn’t ever begin to speak for those who indeed did lose someone important to them. I don’t even know how I would react, what I would say, how I would think, which is what makes these families so unique and amazing. Although they didn’t have the answer either, they managed to stick together and make it through. If the families and the victims of 9-11 aren’t an inspiration to all of America, than I don’t know what is.

 We will never forget 9-11. God Bless.

What I missed at the AU Kick-Off

Because I live about 45 minutes away from campus, last Thursday when class was dismissed for the AU Kick-Off and Mass, I decided to save my gas and stay home.  After talking to a friend about the event and all that was included, apparently I missed out on some interesting things.

Kara began by telling me about the moon walk her and her boyfriend raced in. Because the moon walk was plastic, the hot weather made it a bit painful to touch with the bare skin. She later discovered while racing her boyfriend she had developed burns on her feet. Ouchhhh!!! She continued by telling me about the free license plates they were handing out. These licenses plates were indeed exciting to receive and fun little gifts but ironically they had every state besides Kansas. Although Avila is located in Missouri, it seemed a little silly for them not to have Kansas since it’s nothing but a stone throw away. You cross State Line about a mile away, and you’re in Kansas. I bet a few people were disappointed when they heard the news. Apparently the food didn’t make up for the bad news either. Kara described the food as “crapy”, that’s no good.

Attending the AU Kick-Off would have been really fun and a great chance to visit with friends and meet new students and faculty, but after talking to Kara I think it would be safe to say that I didn’t mind missing out. The fact that the moon walk was burning hot would have made the experience most likely uncomfortable. Also the point that I live in Kansas and they didn’t have a license plate for my state would have been disappointing.  And to top it off, the food not being too good would have been a damper for the main reason, I LOVE to eat.

What does Jimi's interview say about our current world? Do you listen to Jimi or hear Jimi?

Jimi's interview addresses the issue that people get caught up in the compliments and money of fame, which can distracts them from their work. This ties into our current world because people are so caught up in the reaction and outcome of their music that they forget the true meaning behind the work itself.

When addressing this question Kara Koehler, a fellow classmate said, "We should all focus a little less on doing what will recieve praise from one another and a little more on what is right for us." I couldn't agree with her more. We forget that it's not always what we can do to get recongnized but what we can do that is right, which will make us better people!