Happiness

Simplicity

(One syllable poem)

When rain hits the black floor
Or wets the green grass;
When the wind breathes in
Me the fresh air.
When I hear the laugh
Of those I love most,
And feel the warmth of the sun
As I sleep on the beach,
It is not hard to feel
Why
We live.

1984 prediction

From looking at the Party and how deeply rooted it has become in society, I don't believe Julia and Winston have any chance at making a positive change. I agree with O' Brien, in that, it will take many years for the fall of the Party to occur. What I predict will happen in 1984, is Julia and Winston will continue their work for the Brotherhood and eventually get caught. I predict it will happen just as O' Brien said; the Brotherhood will not rescue Julia or Winston. If Julia and Winston give up any names, I believe they will be O' Brien and Martin, however, I think there is also a large posibility that the Brotherhood will find a way to sneak in a razor and Winston will then kill himself before the Party is able to interrigate him and get any other names.

Response to genetic engineering

Genetic engineering is defined as the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population; and has been the subject of much debate for years. There is no question that genetic engineering has it's positive aspects. It gives scientists knowlegde of genetic mechinism, which leads to their ability to correct inherited genetic defects causing diseases, produce vaccines against diseases and other pharmaceuticals. While genetic engineering has proved to be useful, there are still concerns of the morality of genetic engineering as well as risks.

Meddling with nature, is the primary concern in the debate against genetic engineering. Genes can normally be exchanged between different species, but the frequency of these natural transfers is limited by their immune systems, because the immune system serves to prevent invasion by harmful foreign genes, viruses, and other substances. Genetic engineering, therefore, may weaken the immune system not to mention cause new resistance to antibiotics, in the end disrupting the evolutionary process of natural selection.

And then lies the issue of test tube babies. Many will argue, "who are we to interfere with a childless couple and their chance at having a child." Yet controversy remains. Questions rise: is the embryo considered a human being, or property, how many embryos should be allowed to a woman, what should be done with the remaining? No one has the right to tell a woman she may not have a child, however advances in the feild of genetic engineering will soon lead to couples deciding their child's eye color, gender, even the child's orientation. Allowing this could ultimately lead to a society resembling that of GATTACA, where genetic discrimitation is the norm.

Than comes the example of Brave New World, where genetic engineering is taken one step further than GATTACA. True that Brave New World, is an exaggeration of would come evolve from genetic engineering gone wrong, but society is known for looking for convenience. People may not be using genetic engineering to build a perfect human being, but if allowed genetic engineering will be used less for science and medicine and more for a parent picking what color hair they would like their child to have.

This I Believe Video

This I Believe

I believe in making the best of what life gives you. I believe we’ve all had “trying times”, traumatic stories, and periods of depression. Some may have suffered more than others, but I believe, no matter the degree of these pivotal moments in our lives, we can overcome any obstacle just by being optimistic.

I was born and raised in Paterson, NJ until the age of five. This was the beginning of a series of moves throughout my life. It began with Paterson , then to Lodi , and Hardyston, ultimately leading me to West Virginia. I was 11 when my parents took me away from the only home I’d ever known. Sure the cities and towns had changed but the one constant in my life was about to change, and this devastated me.

I remember the day my parents sat my sisters and me down in the dining room and told us we were moving to West Virginia . All three of us burst into tears at once while our parents sat there. “We thought you’d be happy!” my father had yelled, not said. All I could think was “WHY! What on Earth would ever make you think we'd be happy about this! Why would you do this to us!!!” I couldn’t understand, I didn’t want to understand.

We moved the following August to be there in time for the new school year, and lived in a hotel for about two months while our house being finished. Two months of six people in a small hotel room only fueled my resentment. All I wanted was to go home, more than anything in the world. I wanted to be alone and miserable, as if this would make my parents give up and move back to New Jersey.

Deep down I knew that plan would never work. After a while, I got pretty sick of feeling lonely and started talking to more people. I got into a new rhythm, made new friends, new routines, I made a new life. I wouldn’t admit it then, but I loved West Virginia; I still love West Virginia. I loved the people I met and the wonderful life I had created once I let go of my self pity. By the time I was 15 I had fully assimilated into my new world and then it was time to move, again.

My mother had told me there was a possibility of us moving back to New Jersey early my freshmen year and by December it was set in stone that we'd be going back. I had never been so angry in my life. For weeks I stayed locked in my room with my music blaring to annoy my mother, and to make sure she knew how angry I was at her. I cried all the time; I didn't even want to hear the WORD New Jersey or anything relating to it.

If I could erase one year from my life it'd be my sophomore year of high school, my first year back in New Jersey. It was a repetition of my first year in West Virginia only much more advanced. I felt like it had been a lifetime since I was in NJ, everything I once knew had changed, and everything else I didn't know at all. I found myself alone and depressed again, I slept all the time, everyone annoyed me, I didn’t want to talk to people; I felt there was no point in trying because just when I got comfortable, I’d have to leave again.

Than, towards the end of the year I realized something: West Virginia was supposed to be the worst thing that could happen to me, instead it turned out being one of the best. It was the best because I made it that way, and I wasn’t going to let another move bring me down. Since then, I’ve joined clubs at school, I go to school events, I talk to classmates, I’m trying to make things better.

I can’t say that I feel at home here, but over time, West Virginia has become less of a home to me too. Regardless of where I end up in the future, though, I know I’ll be okay. I know this because I believe life is what we make it, so if I make it good, it will be good. I could have easily chosen to continue with my depression instead of trying to work with what I have. I believe in never losing your optimism in life, especially when that seems the easiest thing to do.

How to Be ColOmbian (note it is NOT ColUmbia)

How is one Colombian, you wonder? It's not an easy process I assure you, but one everyone is dying to know. (Or not?) Being Colombian is not as simple as it seems one must analyze all aspects of your life from food to clothing to the vapor rub your abuela (grandmother) makes you put on your chest every night.

Food
First step to being Colombian is of course: the food. There is nothing more important to a Colombian (or any hispanic, now that I think about it) than filling your tummy with the best of your country's cuisine, even when not in your own country.
Believe it or not, there are a number of Colombian restaurants and grocery stores called "bodegas" scattered around our very own New Jersey state. Not all places are equal in there taste, however, and finding the best fit is up to the seeker. We are all humans of differet shapes, sizes and taste buds.
A full course meal must, MUST, include the following at all times: rice and beans, or frijoles. No lunch or dinner, somtimes even breakfast, is complete without these two essential ingredients. The rice and beans are normally accompanied by some type of polstry. Steak, chicken, fish, or even eggs whatever your heart so desires. And don't you dare worry about carbs, you're Colombian now, what's life witout a little fat?
If you're looking for something lighter, the rice and beans are not required. I suggest a freshly made arepa or the famous empananda. If you're not familiar with such delicious names let me explain. The empanada, more commonly known in the U.S., is described as a meat pie. Shaped as a half moon, and stuffed with meat or cheese, nothing beats the taste of an empanada in the morning. Arepa is a little different, in that it's flat and plain, but fantastic with anything you'd like it with. Butter, steak, eggs, cheese the arepa is a flexible snack.
Do not eat sparingly.

Parties/Celebrations
Parties will be your favorite part about being Colombian. True they are typically with your family, but what teenager doesn't love a party beginning at 7 PM and ending whenever the last person leaves (normally 6 AM, the earliest). When attending parties it is imperative that you dance to no less than every song they play not including slow dances. If you are caught sitting at any point of the night I guarantee you will be dragged back out to the dance floor if necessary. It's a sad day when the adults are bigger partiers than that children, but this is what normally happens at a Colombian party.
The most common celebration you will attend is the annual Colombian festivals in the month of July. If you miss the Colombian festival, don't panic there will most likely be another the next weekend. Suprisingly there is no requirement of being Colombian when you attend these festivals, really you just need to be wear you're favorite Colombian colors: gold, blue and red and POOF, you're invited to the Colombian festival. Dancing is also not a requirement, although you will be eating about a hundred pounds of the best food you've ever encountered. You will also get the opportunity to buy various Colombian flags, shirts, bracelets, necklaces, CDs, ponchos, underwear, bathing suits, EVERYTHING. You will also enjoy the performances of small children dancing traditional Colombain dances. Awww...

Family
Language is said to be the cornerstone of culture, but family is the cornerstone of Colombian culture. Thousands of miles away, but your cousins are still your siblings, your siblings are still your bestfriend, your aunts and uncles have the right to smack you upside the head and your parents have sole control of your life. And still you wouldn't have it any other way.
When visiting your family, which you will be seeing your family frequently (as I said before, family= LIFE) there is one rule to keep in mind: there is no such thing as over eating. In fact, if you DON'T eat, you're prone to hearing the endless nag of your mother, aunts, and grandmothers of how skinny or how unhealthy you are. I suggest you arrive with a three-day empty stomach, because as soon as your abuela knows your coming she will be cooking for hours prier to your arrival. It's time to embrace the lovehandles.

Pride
Ah, national pride. Once you are a Colombain, your new favorite color IS gold,blue, and red. Never blue, never red, heaven FORBID your favorite color is green! (akk) This will be the color scheme of your life. From now on your clothes will be gold, blue and red to match your purse (or wallet, boys), to match your earrings, to match your necklace. The walls in your room? Gold, blue and red, your jewelry, your birthday cake, your car, your whole life!
The Colombian flag should be everwhere, have at least three or one really big one in your room (or for special occasions like a cousins's graduation or a festival). For your car there are various little trinkets available at your local Bergen line. Some examples are: a gold, blue, and red CD, a small bag, a mini flag or even a bandana. As mentioned before your clothing must show some sort of Colombian pride. This can be expressed with buttons, patches, T-shirts, necklaces, but most popular are bracelets as these can be used by both women AND men.

There so much to consider when bieng Colombian, keeping up can be a difficult task. But don't you worry, with time, it'll be as simple as riding a bike. Good luck with your journey fellow Colombian.

Response to "The Importance of the Work"

I have to say that I've been opposed to banning of books for quite some time. To ban a book like The Catcher in the Rye based on cursing and morality is ridiculous. I didn't learn curse words from The Catcher in the Rye and I, certainly, didn't build my morals according to Holdens. I agree with the author of this article, on page 12 they state "Talk about novels belongs in all sort of places- classrooms, living rooms, dormitories, coffeehouses, neighborhood taverns, community centers, even in the pages of studies such as this one- but not in courts of law..." I also agree with the author in later saying that J.D. Salinger is not accountable for misreadings of his novel. I understand we all have different minds and interpret things in different ways, but that is no reason for banning a book.

I think my favorite part of the this article was the first full paragraph on page thirteen, where the author discribes Holden's character as a real person and as a mirror image of our faces. I think that idea is what makes The Catcher in the Rye such a success, how many of us go through the day thinking like Holden? We don't always say it out loud, but we think like him, all of us.

Over all, I rather enjoyed reading this article. Happy holidays everyone =-)