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!