Blog # 7

There's a part in the book where Craig is talking to Noelle and says something that startles me. He compares his problems to the rest of the world and to his friends, and people everywhere. This surprised me because he usually is so focused on himself I never would have thought he would compare the world to him. Then he starts talking about his problems in the past tense talking about what he USED to do and how it was the wrong decision for him. This is a big step because usually he talks like he is still depressed and has such a long way to recovery but now he talks so much different and positively that he's going to be fine and like a regular kid. Another important event was when Craig went into see Monica on his last day. He started sweating and getting nervous because he has to go back to school and makeup everything that he's missed. Then she asks if he found an Anchor. And he did. He realized that drawing maps helps him relieve a lot of that stress and enables to keep living his everyday life. He realized this when he was in art class and remembered drawing maps as a kid, and started right up again. This will probably help him once he's out of the hospital because then when he gets stressed he can resort to drawing maps to get out his anger and frustration. Even though i haven't finished the book yet i have a feeling that Craig will end up being just find and will find a balance in his everyday life.

Blog #6

In the pages that I have read this past week a lot of events have occurred. Craig is starting to realize that he needs time to cope and figure out his problems before befriending others. For once in his life Craig has to put himself first. A part I thought was ironic was when his principal called the psychiatric hospital. One of the patients answered, and told Craig who it was. Craig immediately freaked out and didn't want to answer the call. Craig later that day when to his psychologist and told her about what happened earlier. He admitted that he was afraid he would be expelled. The psychologist called the school and forced Craig to talk to his principle. I think she did this because she wanted him to face his problems instead of run away from them. What I thought was ironic was that when the principle got on the line instead of him telling Craig that he was expelled, he told Craig that the school completely understands his situation and will be there whenever Craig decides to go back. Craig was so surprised because the impression of his principle was not the nice man that was telling him that, it was a man who had high standards for students. The principle informed him that this isn't the first time something like this has happened. The school has high expectations to live up to and the staff understands what's going on. Craig immediately felt relieved. I think that most of the time the pressure of school and everything is in Craig's mind. Not that he's imagining it, just that he's thinking too much about it and exaggerating it a bit in his brain. The last chapter that I read up to was a scheduled card game in the hospital. It seemed like innocent fun at the time that Craig decided to attend. It turned out to be a bit more chaotic. First off instead of betting money, the patients bet buttons. It all started going downhill when some random comments that were said offended one of the players and then after the comment was said, the person that said it (Humble) wouldn't apologize. Even though it seems like a juvenile thing, it was a big deal to everyone present. Humble ended up getting towed off by the security guards and the game ended. I thought that that part in the book was significant because while Craig just sat back and watched he felt normal. He felt normal compared to the other patients. When usually in his everyday life he feels like the odd one out in practically everything he does. My prediction for the next part in the book is that he continues his relationship with the other girl patient and realizes he should have listened to his doctor beforehand.

Blog # 5

Craig has chanced a lot in the last few chapters I’ve read. Craig seems so normal compared to everyone else in the hospital. There’s even a guy who is afraid of gravity. Such a wide variety of cases where I feel that he shouldn’t be categorized in. Craig met a girl, Noelle and told the doctor he thinks he’s going to be involved with her in the near future. Doctor Minerva told him he shouldn’t have any one person as an Anchor, (things that are consistent) in his life. Especially because Noelle is a girl and is going through problems too. Craigh thought he could handle it. Maybe that’s where he goes wrong, thinking he can handle something and overworks it until he needs a break. By then he can’t function anymore and ends up in a hospital. One quote I thought was important to the chapters I’ve been reading is when one of the nurses says this, “Yes. Now, you might not want to become so friendly with your fellow patients on the floor.” “Why not?” “That can distract people from the healing process. This is a hospital. It’s not a place to have friends. Friends are wonderful, but this place is about you and making you feel better” (272, Vizzini). I feel that this is an important quote because Craig really isn’t focusing on himself and getting better. He’s so interested in all these people that he forgot why he’s there. Everyone in the hospital sort of relies on him to keep their lives in check. Another weird thing I thought was how Noelle and Craig got along so well. They both seem so normal I don’t understand why they are there. I’m still questioning if Craig really does have a chemical imbalance, or is just confused with himself and his life. My prediction for the next part of the book is that he realizes where it all went wrong and where all this depression stemmed from. Also that he learns to balance and manage his life better.

Blog #4

Recently I read more about Craig and his life.I'm really proud of something that he did. Instead of choosing to kill himself by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge; he called suicide hotline and they told him to go to the hospital. What really surprised me was that he was so close to killing himself but decided to stick through it and go to the hospital. I obviously didn't think that he would actually kill himself because I was in the middle of the book, but I thought that he would try and someone would catch him before he got the chance. When his mom asked what happened she was proud of him too because he made the right choice by trying to get help. Although he could have prevented this whole thing by not partying and doing drugs in the first place at Aaron's that night he got accepted into school. He did try. I get confused when people ask him if he hears voices, and he says no but really does. His reasonings is he doesn't want to be labeled crazy, but it just might be one of his symptoms. I still do feel that if Craig tried to get better he could. He's surrounded by a family that loves him and a healthy school environment, he could so easily be happy again. My prediction for the next part of the book is that he makes more progress in the hospital and discovers things about himself he never knew before.

Outside Reading #3

Recently, in the last few chapters that I have been reading Craig has sort of appealed to me. Just the fact that he has been trying so hard to "get better" and fit in with everyone else is just making me think of him as someone totally different that what I thought of before. In a way I can relate myself to Craig. When he tries at something, he has to give his 100% and work really hard, and then he gets far. But if he takes a break for example drinking and drugs for him, he gets off track. That’s not the case for me but if I am doing really well for a while I tend to slack off and it’s harder to get into that rhythm of doing well and balancing everything. Craig also reminds me of myself with some of the weird things he does. Things such as noticing small details, or having weird quirks about food. Like Craig, I have a very sensitive stomach. I don’t throw up like he does, but I experience pain from acid dyspepsia. It’s not as serious as what Craig has and it’s definitely not an eating disorder but I do have pain in my stomach often as Craig does. Surprisingly Craig isn’t the depressed kid that rebels against his parents, he embraces them and they support him an unbelievable amount. You would think that Craig is just a regular teenager that doesn’t get along with his family, but that’s so not the story. He gets along with them so well, he even sleeps in the same bed as his mom the nights that he doesn’t feel well. I didn’t fully understand what triggered his depression at first, because even he doesn’t know, but as the story went on I began to realize. I realized that once he did start studying harder for the important test he wanted to take the more and more uptight and anal he got towards people. Instead of hanging out with his friends on Fridays he would sit home and study flash cards repetitively. What I believe started his downfall is after he took the test he felt no need to study and work hard anymore. He took one break at a party and everything seemed to go down in flames after that for Craig. He suddenly wanted to party every weekend, do drugs, drink, etc. Craig wasn’t able to find a balance between work and play. Therefore he ended up at the hospital the night he was thinking about committing suicide. A prediction I have for him in the next coming chapters of the book is replacing his old friends who are bad influences, with new friends that are healthy for him. I predict that there will be tension between him and his choices. Hopefully in the end Craig realizes he needs to find a balance in his life.

Outside Reading #2

The more I read the more I pick out things about Craig that are so different from other people, and that confuse me. His personality is so different and he knows exactly what he wants and what he wants to do all the time. Craig has friends and he does these experiments to see if he's getting better or worse in the means of depression. One week he'll smoke a ton of pot, one week he won't. And the effect is the same, he's still as depressed as before. There's something he calls, "The Shift" throughout the book and to him it means his brain is being able to slide into the spot it's supposed to be in. To me it means for him to be completely okay and normal.At times I feel like Craig is choosing not to get better, he won't, but sometimes I feel like he can't. Like there is a chemical imbalance in his brain that is keeping him from acting the way he is supposed to act. That's hard to believe though because of all the opportunities he's been throwing away. Another term he uses are Tentacles-evil invasions that invade his life. Then Anchors-things that occupy his mind and make him feel good temporarily. I think the auther capitalizes these words in the book because they want the reader to see how Craig's thinking, categories for regular, everyday things. He also always wastes a ton of time each day being unproductive and doing things that don't do any good. For example, lying in his bed for hours on end instead of doing his homework (which he doesn't do by the way) It may sound like he's just being lazy, but it may be something deeper than that.

Outside Reading #1

I picked It's Kind of A funny Story by Ned Vizzini for my ouside reading book. So far the main charactor Craig is sort of getting to me. Craig is suffereing from depression and in the first couple of chapters I began to see through his eyes and start to comprehend how his brain works. What bothers me is how much money and effort his family is putting into him when they have so little to spare. Craig is so caught-up in the past and because of that can't think about the present. I understand depression is a difficult thing to overcome but Craig is just so weird. It started off when he was about four and had a breakdown because he couldn't trace the map of Manhattan and it continues now to things like, physically not being able to eat or he'll throw up. Or havin his favorite place in the world be the bathroom with all the lights off. Or even little things like knowing the answer to a question in class but when called on, he physically can't speak or get the words out without stuttering. I feel as if he could be normal if he just tried. That's what makes me so frustrated. I don't know how his family can withstand him and watch Craig throw away everything he's worked for. His sister Annie learns from it. She sees his failing as motivation for her to do better and be better in all aspects of her life. Craig has gone and tried so many things to help him, I am itching to find out if he ever gets better and looks forward instead of back in his everyday life.

Liberia-notes

-was founded by free African-Americans and freed slaves from the United States in 1820

-similar government as United States

-member of United Nations

-major exporter of iron ore on the world market

-16 different ethnic groups make up Liberia 

"Background Notes: Liberia." SIRS Government Reporter (2009) 16 Mar 2009 .

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-996&artno=0000087865&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=liberia&title=Background%20Notes%3A%20Liberia&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

-Monrovia is Liberia's capital

-estimated 1 million refugee's and displaced people out of  less than 2.5 million

-many people died from violence, malnutrition and disease

-late 19th century, 1000's of ex-slaves from the American South settled along Liberia's coast

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-996&artno=0000007066&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=liberia&title=Still%20Searching%20for%20Liberty&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

Bole, William. "Still Searching For Liberty." SIRS. 1991. SIRS Researcher . 16 Mar 2009

Blog # 15

I recently read an article called, “Pony gives birth to twins, overcoming odds of 10,000-to-1” on a British website, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-457179/Pony-gives-birth-twins-overcoming-odds-10-000-1.html. This article is explaining that a pony in the UK gave birth to twins. The 22 year old New Forest Pony surprised experts when she gave birth to the twins because the chance of them surviving are so small. Twin ponies usually don’t survive because the mother’s body simply, cannot handle it. Even the statistics are low according to experts, the chance of a mare giving birth to healthy twins are around 1 in 10,000. The best part is that the twins are one hundred percent healthy and running around like normal ponies. The ponies and it’s mother definitely defeated some odds in this case. 

Blog #14

This short clip on Foxnews.com was about the Love Story hoax that was to appear on Oprah. Oprah claimed that she had witnessed one of the best love stories of all time. Turns out, it was

fictitious. What happened was that a man wrote a memoir about him being in a concentration camp and having a little girl throw an apple over the fence in the camp, and them falling in love. Then he wrote that later on they met up and got married on an island. In the end his friends in the concentration camp said that there’s no way anyone could have gotten near that fence because it was so heavily guarded. He then admitted it was a hoax and agreed to pay back the money for the book. There was even going to be a movie coming out from the book! He just might have to pay back the money for that too. Things people do for money and fame just don’t always end up in a good place.

http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/21716732/fake_love_story.htm

Blog # 13

Today I read an article about what’s happening in Iraq. What’s happening is, while people are killing each other because of the war, dogs were multiplying. Now there is a bunch of stray dogs wandering around. People are now killing the dogs because there are so many of them and they are a pain to look after. I think this article shows that when people aren’t paying attention to certain things, they can spiral and get out of control. In this instance just that happened. I think that the war and other wars are so vile and morbid and cause so many other things to get out of control. It’s not only that the war is bad itself, but because of it, people don’t know how to control anything and everything is focused on the war and how bad that is when in reality there are so many other things people should be worrying and thinking about. I really think that people should focus more on their personal problems rather than war and violence.

Blog #12

I recently read about colonization on, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-coloniza.html. There are many causes of colonization. Some being, overpopulation, economic distress, social unrest, and relgious persecution in their home country are all factors that cause colonization. But before colonization can take it’s course, the indigenous people that already lived there must be demolished or converted to the culture of the colonists. Otherwise there must be a treaty or alliance arranged between the people. Colonization has a great effect on the indigenous people, or the people already living there. They are forced to overtake a culture and society and language that they are not familiar with because the colonists believe that their way is better. Just like in Things Fall Apart, the British firmly believe that being Christian is a much better way to live their life and insist on converting the Africans because they think that they are savage. When really, they have their own culture they developed and grew into.

"colonization." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 15 Mar. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Blog # 11

 

A recurring, frequently talked about issue is global warming. I recently read an article about it at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/09/15/10-ways-global-warming-could-hurt-your-health.html. I still think that the issue is still talked about today as much as it is, because it’s not resolved. It’s still a threat to our world and our environment. So as soon as I saw this article, it made me think more about it. First off I had no idea that global warming could have health risks, and that’s exactly what this article is about. The ten risks are, more sniffling and allergies, increased amount of algae, painful kidney stones, exotic infections, bad cases of poison ivy, more bee and insect stings, less fruit available, more coughing and wheezing in the summer, more heat-wave related deaths, and bigger coastal storms. When I thought we were just going to have an increase of temperature, there are actually a lot more situations that could affect a lot of people. I think global warming is an issue that needs to be addressed and taken action against, or else something that we all don’t want to happen, just might happen.

 

Blog #10

There was always one holiday I was confused about, April Fool’s day. What is it? And who invented this holiday for what reason? I learned all this by visiting the website, http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm. While it says the purpose of the holiday is unclear, maybe having to do with spring, it gives a date it started on, 1582 in France. What happened was in France the New Year was changed from April 1^st, to January 1^st. Those who refused to switch were the butt of practical jokes. In Scotland the holiday is celebrated for 2 days. The usual is doing simple jokes such as telling a funny joke, or to the elaborate as the British did. In England there was a detailed documentary that came out on spaghetti farmers and their spaghetti trees. Although it may be a nuisance to some, April Fool’s day is just a fun-loving holiday.

Blog #9

I recently read an article titled, "Is Bollywood coming to Hollywood?" By Elham Khatami. Slumdog Millionaire, an Indian movie that was awarded with 8 Oscars was a film with no well known actors, that showed the poor aspirations of India. However, it is not an authentic Indian movie, it is widely loved by all. It’s about a boy who pays homage to Bollywood by using technology. There’s lots of colors, a happy musical dance ending and it’s just the typical fairy tell happily ever after story. Because it’s not a Bollywood movie, but has the same characteristics some are saying that more Hollywood movies will start mimicking the flick. Those who watched the film claimed to of learning a lot more a bout the culture. It is quite possible that more foreign films could be made more popular just because of this movie. Who knows! Maybe we’ll be seeing more musical Indian films that we expected.

--->http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/23/bollywood.hollywood/

Blog #8

Since we just finished reading Nectar and a Sieve, and we are now going to  be learning a bit more about Bollywood, I thought it would be fitting to learn a little bit more about Indian culture than what I already know. I always wondered what the red dot on the forehead meant in Indian culture. Turns out, it is called a bindi and it is often worn by young girls and women. They wear them because it symbolizes Goddess Paravati, and it means female energy. It's also supposed to protect women and their husbands. It is also decorative. It's made out of vermillion powder, and typically worn on a woman's forehead between her eyebrows. I also learned that bindi's can range from different colors, shapes, sizes, and materials. 

--->http://www.indiatravelite.com/feature/indiancustoms.htm

Blot #7

 

In an article I just read it wasn't about as much as about change, it was about an event that changed someone's life. While reading People magazine I saw an article about change. It was titled, “ The Face of Courage”. While Allena Hansen was outside in her own yard, a bear jumped out of the bushes and started attacking her. She eventually stopped fighting back and just when Hansen thought she was going to die, her two dogs jumped in and started to defend her. She escaped the bear but she was in extremely bad shape. When she drove herself to the hospital, workers there said she was ‘extremely calm for having half her skin hanging off’. Although her dogs got off with only minor injuries, Hansen’s injuries were seen as ‘ the worst the plastic surgery team had ever seen’. The bear had torn away her jaw, lips ears, and half of her forehead was torn apart. After surgery, about 10 hours, she had about 1,000 stitches. Even though the bear changed her appearance, Allena Hansen is still the same person on the inside. She decided she’s going to write a book about her experience to let people know that,  “When things look bleakest they can turn out all right. Given how much misfortune and terror there is”. 

picture----> http://www.healthline.com/blogs/outdoor_health/uploaded_images/Bear-Grandfather-Mtn-Tim-Floyd-779608.jpg

Blog #6

I recently read an article in People magazine, the article is titled “The Right Stuff” and is written by Bill Hewitt and Nicole Weisensee Egan. Just by looking at the cover I instantly knew this was the article I was going to write about for my blog. Captain Sullenberger is the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549. “Sully” managed to land the plane, holding 155 people plus the crew on the Hudson River. What happened was after take off the plane flew through a flock of geese that pounded the windshield and knocked out both engines. Sullenberger stayed calm and continued to proceed with a practical fashion. Instead of freaking out, and possibly causing 155+ people to die, he did what he had to do in order for the plane to make the landing. Sullenberger would have been unable to land the plane without hope. After clearing the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet, he guided the 80-ton plane along the river. In order to land the plane safely, Sullenberger had to be able to keep calm and not put any one at risk. Because he did so he is now named as one of Peoples “Heroes Among Us” and he also got to meet the president! 

Blog #5

I recently read an article on CNN.COM titled "Israel Expects Pope to Visit In May" It was about the Pope Benedict XVI choosing not to visit Israel in May when expected. "A papal visit to the Holy Land is always an exceptionally significant event, and we hope that it will be this time as well,"Israeli President Shimon Peres said. Peres escorts the Pope around places in the country. The last Pope that visited was in March 2000. A good 9 years since the last Pope came. It was announced that the Benedict would come after the controversy with the Holocaust denial with the Roman Catholic Church is put to a halt.

--->http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/15/israel.pope.visit/index.html

Blog #4

My gender roles blog is about an article called,"Gender and racial stereotypes in daily newspaper comics: a time-honored tradition?"Not only are men perceived as the greater common sex on television, but also comic books. When a local newspaper tried to switch it up and use different non racist and sexist comics, the public complained. However the more women appear as editors or on the set of television shows, the more respect the characters portray towards women. This article demonstrates that women are less valued than men when it comes to jobs and everyday life. I posted a picture  on a comic strip I found about sexist politics. It just goes to show how men perceive women. 

http://www.classicalvalues.com/Sexist_PA_Men.JPG

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_51/ai_n8694424/pg_2?tag=content;col1

Blog #3

I recently read an article about Madagascar. I never really realized how different,  people live in different places of the world. This article was titled, "26 Dead In Madagascar Violence". Right away, before I even read the article I was thinking, wow if something like that happened in America, it would be such a big deal. Then I read it, and it's a short article about a shooting that killed 26 people during an anti-government rally. Just when I thought that was the worst part. I read why they were actually rallying. It was because the mayor, Andry Rajoelina, declared himself the Indian Ocean island nation's leader and killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300. That is a huge amount of people hurt.It just goes to show how different their culture is from ours. How huge of  deal this would of been if it happened here, but for Madagascar. It's just another headline. Just another day.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/08/madagascar.violence/index.html?iref=newssearch

Blog #2

I was flipping through the pages of People magazine and I came across an article titled, "His Battle Gets Tougher". This article is about Patrick Swayze, the actor from the movie Dirty Dancing, and his battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. It all started when he flew from his New Mexico ranch to California to talk about a new TV show. While he was in NM he had a persistent cough that would not go away. Right when he got home he called the doctor right away, and went to the hospital for treatment. They diagnosed him with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Swayze says the hardest thing about being in the hospital is being away from his animals, but he really enjoys having everyone offering to do everything for him. Even though so much is going down the drain for Swayze he keeps his head up high and says he's most happy to be alive, and he plans to stay that way.

Natural Disaster

I read an article called, "Kentucky National Guard goes door-to-door to deliver aid". This article was about, obviously, a natural disaster that occurred and how people were affected by it. There was an ice storm in Kentucky causing 91 of the 120 counties to declare emergencies. The effects of this ice storm was that, hundreds of thousands of people from Kentucky are left without electricity and fresh water. It's supposed to get warmer there, which should help emergency management crews clean up the state, but it also means the "risk of wet roads and falling chunks of ice", CNN said. There were also 7 related deaths from the storm. 64 water systems are down, and 93 are having problems. Although all these problems have hit, people are working together to find shelter because they're houses are too cold. Most people will be able to go back to their houses in around 7 days hopefully.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/01/31/winter.weather/index.html?iref=newssearch