For a New choice book that i have started to read about a week ago i chose the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Tho book is about the author Jeanette Walls and her struggles growing up as a child and how she had to cope with her 2 unstable alcoholic parents. They constantly bounced between homelessness and dumpy apartments. THe book opens up with Jeannette sitting in a taxi and she suddenly sees her homeless mother digging through a garbage can which sets up the reader for the depressing life she lived as a child with her parents Rex and Rosemary Walls. There are lots of examples in the begining of the novel that display her parents terrible parenting and their neglect towards their children. Jeanette also foreshadows her dads bad temper caused by his alcoholism which caused her much stress as a child. A text to self relationship that i have made while reading is between a family member of mine who is an alcoholic, and rex the alcoholic father of Rosemary. My uncle was at onetime an abusive alcoholic towards his family and it got so bad to the point his family was going to leave him unless he found treatment. This relates back to the novel and how Rex's alcoholism causes many family problems and destruction which is impacting the lives of Jeanette her mother and her siblings.

Currently where i'm at in the novel of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time Christopher reveals his surprising memory skills and how is memory is so great that it is like a video player. He shares how he can roll his memory back to any point in the past time which he relates to a dvd in the sense that he can remember any exact time in the past just like how a DvD can rewind back to any past time in the movie. Among this special ability of Christopher's there are also many special needs that christopher has as well. One of Christopher's special problems is his complete disgust for the colors yellow and brown. The reason for Christopher's disgust of the color yellow is because there are many food items of the color yellow that make him feel sick and catch a fever such as custard, bananas, sweet corn, and also yellow flowers. The reason Christopher doesn't like the color brown is because its the color of dirt, poo, and gravy which are all things that he hates as well. The following events that i have shared with you from the novel display many weird and strange characteristics that autistic people posses that are some times hard to understand for people who do not have the disorder. Autistic people just have a little different way of living their life compared to an average person because they are socially inept of many social skills an average person posses that they do not which makes it very hard for them.

Christopher has now stated that this is a murder mystery novel. HEhas been instructed to do something like this by his counselor Siobhan at school who helps him work through every day social problems and dissorders that he faces that every day people wouldnt even have thought to exist because they are so unique and obserd. I also learned that christopher usually only likes reading books about math and science which are his two major strengths in school, and that he doesnt like other novels simply for the fact that he doesnt undderstand many of the things the characters day because of his in ability to understand peoples emotions and feelings. After reading on through the novel I soon hit chapter 19 which was a very aside chapter that aparently has nothing to do with the plot. Christopher tells us that book chapters are labeled with cardinal numbers, so he is going to use prime numbers in his murder mystery novel solely for the fact that he likes prime numbers much better than cardinal numbers. He then showed us a chart displayed in the book for determining prime numbers and states that no one had yet to figure out a simple formula for identifying very large prime numbers. Christopher then tells us that prime numbers are considered military material in the U.S because they are used in codes and you have to notify the CIA if you find one. If you find a prime number more than 100 digits long the CIA will buy it from you for $10000. In these last few chapters i have learned much more about autism and the way autisctic people work and see the world. It has made more aware of how hard it is for people to live with autism and new methods on ways to work with people who ahve autism.

after reading the first portion of The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time i have already made many text to self connections between the main charactar and my cousin.Christopher Boone is a 15 year old boy with autism, and my cousin christopher norman was a 16 year old boy with autism who past a way a few years ago. Some of the connections i have made between Christophor Boone and my cousin is they both had problems with comprehending the emotions of other people which made it very difficult and caused many problems for the both of them. At the begining of the novel when christopher discoveries Wellington, a poodle who has been mysteriosly murdered he notices a a fork gouged into the side of the dog. He then aproaches the dead poodle and pulls the fork out of the dead poodle and before you know it blood was spewing out of the dog and next thing you know Mr. Shears comes out yelling after he saw all this happening and accuses Christopher of Murdering his dog. Christopher doesn't even know how to react so he runs away, rolls up into a ball and closes his eys scared as can be. This is an example of how christophers autism and not knowing how to read other poeples emotions effected him in the novel.

For todays blog post i read about gender roles. Gender roles impose a variety of different life styles upon the men and the woman who live in that culture. The U.S has experienced great changes and revising of its traditional gender roles in the last generation. The changes in gender roles that have taken past in the last generation have affected are homes, style of living, workplace, school and all Americans to some extent. One of the causes in the changes in are gender roles is from the increased number of woman in are workplaces. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics men make up 45 percent of the nations work force while woman make up 47 percent.  With the increased population of working woman old attitudes and behaviors have had to change.  Men and woman are more aware of sexual harassment. Companies are also now experimenting with policy's that are family friendly such as flex time, job sharing, and on site child care. All policies that will now benefit both men and woman. Although woman will still sometimes get paid far less than a man for doing the exact same work, gender roles have still greatly changed in the past 20 years and will continue on changing today. Gender roles relates to the text we read a few weak ago " Nectar and a Sieve". Gender roles plays a part in the novel Nectar and a Sieve through out the whole book for example most woman in the novel stayed at home and attended the house and children while the men made most of the income. Boys are also much more wanted and important to give birth to as apossed to girls who u have to maintain and take care of and pay for their dowry which is very expensive when it is time to marry. These are some ways gender roles played a part in the novel we read " Nectar And A Sieve".

http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/8/Gender-roles.html

Branson, Jeannie. "Gender Roles". Net Industries . 3/22/09

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A text about religion that i read tonight was on Christianity. " Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship, it moved to Greece to become a philosophy, It moved to Italy and became an institution, It moved to Europe and became a culture, It came to America and became an enterprise", This is a quote by Sam Pascoe. This quote shows that you can really make what you want out of religion as long as it means something to you. Many Christians believe that a christian is a follower of Jesus, but truly there is no wrong or right way to define a christian. There are about 1500 types of Christian faith groups in North America that promote many conflicting and different beliefs. But that doesn't mean there aren't very many similarities between them all. All Christians fallow the teachings of and about Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They also further believe in god who is the second person in the trinity. The trinity within Christianity consists of the father the son and the holy spirit. They are three separate persons who all eternal, who all from a single unified deity. Most Christians believe that Jesus coexisted with god before the creation of earth. Many progressive Christians believe that the the miracles of Jesus such as walking on water, Resurrection, and ascension to heaven are religious myths but i personally think otherwise.

http://www.theschoolsunited.com/community/christiansch/files/50/19/lg_Christianity101.jpg



http://www.religioustolerance.org/aboutus.htm

People of the Religious Tolerance Organization, "Religious Tolerance". The Religious Tolerance organization. 3/22/09 .

A text about a national holiday i read was on St Patrick's day. St Patrick's day is the feast day which annually celebrates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick's day is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and increasingly by many poeple that aren't even Irish. The celebrations for St. Patrick's day is generally themed around all things green and Irish. It is a National holiday in the Country of Ireland. People celebrate the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades and parties. The largest St. Patrick's day parade is held in New York city and is attended by over 2 million people. As well as being a celebration of Irish Culture it is a christian festival celebrated in the catholic church. The say always falls in the season of lent. Irish American immigrants brought the holiday to the U.S. The New York St. Patrick's day parade has become the largest St. Patrick's day parade in the world. Over 150,000 people participate in the parade which includes bands, firefighters, police officers, military groups, immigrant societies and other cultural clubs.

 

St. Patrick's Day LLC, "History Of St. Patrick's Day". St. Patrick's Day Endeavors. 3/22/09 .

http://stpatricksday.com/about.shtml

A Text on a global Issue that i read about was poverty. Almost half of the world which over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day. Nearly 1 billion people entered the 20th century not  knowing how to read and spell their own. A majority of the worlds people and nations live in poverty. The reason for this is not because they are stupid or have made poor decisions, they were born into it. When you are born into poverty you automatically lose the privilleges of having acces to health, education and many other services. Problems of hunger and malnutrition and disease effect the poorest in society and have little representation or voice in public or political debates making it even more hard to escape poverty. On the other hand the wealthier you are the more say you will have in economic and political parties. The issue of poverty relates to the novel we read " Nectar and a Sieve". Poverty in Nectar and a Sieve was a very big issue for Rukamani and Nathan through out the whole novel.  Nathan's farming always failed so they never had enough food to eat or an income. This also lead Ira to prostitution just so she could put food on the table for the family. This is a perfect example of what poverty can do to a person and a family.

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty

Shah, Anup. "Causes Of Poverty". Global Issues. 3/22/09 .

For Today Post about Colonization i read about the colonization of the Americas. The start of the European colonization started all the way back in 1492. The first europeans to reach america were the vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies but there main colony was in Greenland. In 1492 the spanish explorer Christopher Columbus stepped foot on american land while European colonization was at the peak of expanding and colonizing, first through much of the caribbean sea region, and early in the 16th century parts of the mainlands of North and South America. Eventually the entire western Hemisphere was colonized by European Nations. This lead to Great changes in the landscape, population and animal life. In the 19th century alone over 50 million Europeans left Europe for the Americas. This period was known as the Colombian exchange. The Colombian exchange was one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture and culture. The Colombian exchange was a widespread exchange of plants, animals, food, human populations, diseases and ideas spread between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The Colombian exchange greatly affected almost every society on earth, bringing destructive diseases that depopulated many cultures, and also circulated a wide spread variety of new crops and livestock. The colonization of the Americas relates to the book we read in English "Things Fall Apart" . An example is when the Europeans are coming into Okonkwos villages and trying to change their culture and religion. Most of the tribes people convert to the new religion and ways and that just shows evolution and urbanization is a part of life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_colonization_of_the_Americas

Deroo, Peter. "European Colonization of the Americas". 3/22/09 .

For todays post about love i read an article about how to love. Love in my opinion is one of the stangest things in the world. It can be one of the greatest things in life and it can also be one of the worst and be very hurtful. There are many different ways a person can define love and many different ways to love someone. Here are some of the general guide lines i read about how to love someone. The first step is you need to say it. When you say the words i love you should carry them with desire to show the person that you truely love them. The second thing you need to do is to love unconditionally. If you cannot love a person without attatching agreement then it is not love at all. The third thing that contributes to how to love someone is to except nothing in return. This means that giving love does not guarantee that you will receive love in return. The last step is to understand that you can easily lose the one you love, and to have a a greater appreciation for what you have. You need to think how lucky you are to have someone that you love and to never make an idol of the person that you love. This will most likely place them under pressure and make them feel uncomfortable and will most likely result in you losing them. These are the general guide lines on how to love someone in a healthy way. There are many types of love. There's a mother son love, a best friend's love, and a romantic love. One last thing you need to consider when it comes to love is you need to learn to accept yourself before you can accept another. If you cannot love your self, how can you love another?

http://www.wikihow.com/Love

Taylor, Keith. "How To Love". WikiHow. 3/22/09 .

For todays post about overcoming odds i read an article about Rap artist Kanye West who overcame the odds of a tragic car accident he got into in 2002. One late night after a late studio recording Kanye was driving home and fell asleep at the wheel and crashed head on into an SUV.  His face was crushed by the steering wheel and broke his jaw in 3 places and was in serious condition. After recovering using music as his medicine he started writing songs that were inspired by his ordeal and other songs about his struggles and his close encounters with death. He recorded his first smash hit Through The Wire while his jaw was still wired shut.  He later quoted " When i had my accident i found out at that moment nothing in life is promised except death, ". " If you have the oppurtunity to play the game of life, you need to appreciate every moment". All these things that kanye is saying relate to Things Fall Apart in a way. For example when Okonkwo faces death many times and learnes from the mistakes and also at the end of the novel when he ends up killing himself because it was the only option he really had left which shows your promised nothing in life but death. Two years after Kanye's car accident he won a Grammy for best rap album and best rap song. Kanye says the car accident caused him to slow down and just really focus on making really good music.

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20050909

Winfrey, Oprah. "Overcoming The Odds". The Oprah Winfrey Show. 3/22/09 .

For todays i post i read an article about The war in Iraq. The war  is also known as the second gulf war and  has been an ongoing military campaign since march 20th, 2003 which started with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force that is now led by and composed entirely of troops from the United States and United Kingdom. Before the war, the government of the U.S , U.K and Spain claimed that Iraq alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction posed an immediate threat to the security and of their coalition allies. The United Nations weapons inspectors found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, which gave support to earlier criticism of poor intelligence on the whole subject. The invasion ended up leading to quick defeat of the Iraqi military, and the eventual capture and execution of Saddam Hussein. The U.S led army then occupied iraq and attempted to establish a new democratic government. How ever violence agaisnt coalition forces soon let to asymmetric warfare with the Iraqi insurgency, strife between many Sunni and Shia Iraqi groups and Al Qaeda operations in Iraq. The estimated casualties of the Iraqis is estimated of about 4.7 million people which is about 16 percent of their population. In 2008 the U.S and Iraqi governments approved a status of forces agreement which will be effective through 2012. This aimed at ensuring international cooperation in constitutional rights, threat deterrence, education, energy development and many other areas.

http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm

Deborah , White. "Iraq War Results and Statistics." http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm 3(February 18, 2009 ):

Tonight i read an article about Freida Pinto an oscar award winning actress for playing a role in "Slumdog Millionaire" who has done and accomplished what very few indian actresses have and ever will. She is a young model turned actress from Mumbai India who has already walked the Hollywood's red carpet and is set to sizzle on top magazine covers. Freida was a fresh face that was exposed in an international project. She is a fresh girl who can speak very good English who can carry herself and that is why she is liked by so many american film critics. Most Indian actresses first concentrate on Bollywood films and then are picked up by hollywood film directors, but Frieda is one of the luckiest Indian actresses for have been to the academy awards at only age 24. Thanks to British film maker Danny Boyles film, Frieda has been exposed to instant international acclaim that any actress would die for.  No other Indian actress has set the box office on fire like Freida. Freida has bagged the screen actors award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture and then latter took home the best actress award at the Elle Style awards aswell.  All these accomplishments made by a 24 year old Indian girl is pretty impressive.

Unknown, "The Freida Pinto Way". News Desk. february 28th .

 

  

Unknown, "The Freida Pinto Way". News Desk. february 28th .

Possttinn Bloggss all day babyy

A culture that i learned and read about was the culture of the Maori people. The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. They arrived and first settled in South Western Polynesia in the 1300s. By the end of the 14th century settlement was established throughout the country, most being in warmer climates. They clothed themselves with cloaks constructed of woven flax and adorned with dog fur or feathers. The northern part of new zealand was more favorable for the Maori because most of their tropical food plants reside in that region. The maori also had an abundant food suply coming from the native birds and the sea. As the Maori population increased the lifestyle of opportunism gradually adjusted to a more conservative garden agricultural instinct. Communities grew up around fertile land.

http://www.maoriphoto.com/data/media/152/newzealand_CRW_9433.jpg


Heck, Danny. "New Zealands Information Network". New Zealands Information Network. Feb 24th

Economy and Change investing in an educated future

For the past few years the American economy has experienced changes at an excessive rate and discussing the main problem of this cahgne makes many valuable points. The effects of all these changes has strongly felt by all, especially the leaders of higher education today. In theoretical terms what do these cahnges teach us about the way we learn and how has technology changed the ability to understand the natural and social world? Decade by decade scholars have recorded their insights building knowledge from one generation to the next and have learned to use the knowledge to alter are physical environment for the better of mankind. This process has been becoming increasingly harder and becoming more of a dream and ever less relient on physical materials. This is all showing how the U.S is hitting a big decline in economy and education which is and will start to lead to even bigger problems in the future.

http://www.studyoverseas.com/business/greenspna.htm

Every day im hustilin.

Every day im hustilin

Overcoming Struggles

Every day isn't just an ordinary day growing up in San Jose California for Arminda Santos, she is a woman who grew up and has been dealing with cerebral polsy her whole life. Her disability effects her speech and causes a pronounced stutter that often holds her back from everyday things. " at times i would feel frustrated due to my stuttering" say Arminda. " Its difficult to fit in and have confidence to do things". All of this changed for Arminda in 1992 when she learned about the Silicon Valley independent living center. Now (SVILC) has helped Arminda with her computer skills, speech therapy, and hands on training to learn how to do daily life activities. After years of training the (SVILC) offered  Arminda a job working for them as a peer acounting specialist. "Through the SVILC i was given skills and training, and then a job" say's Santos. The SVILC was founded by a group of disabled people in 1976. Today, more then 75% of SVILHC's staff members and board member are disabled.  This diverse group has firsthand knowledge and understanding of what it means to people with disabilities and is the best service provider around for people with disabilities.

Silicon Valley independent living center, "Overcoming Obstacles". SVILC. January 3rd .

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sanjosemagazine.com/main/wp-content/2008/07/overcoming1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sanjosemagazine.com/main/%3Fp%3D898&usg=__Mw-c9tY3S_7fApb2ovWgQrDJS5A=&h=329&w=592&sz=93&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=Uy4GlMls6ap0fM:&tbnh=75&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dovercoming%2Bstruggle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG>.

A natural disaster that i read and learned about was earthquakes. An earth quake is the shaking of the ground caused by the sudden dislocation within the earths outer layer or crust. This is caused by forces under ground pushing rock and overcoming the friction holding the rock in place. Some earth quakes occur when no one is around so no one may even notice them and other times they will occur in large populated areas and will cause complete destruction and chaos and will leave very extensive damage. If an earthquake is to ever occur in your area you are supposed to drop to the floor immmediatly where ever you are and take complete cover which means try to go under something. The rumbling produced by Earthquakes can produce varieties of damage such as damage and even destruction of buildings, bridges, roads, dams and will even trigger landslides. These are all facts and tips on what to do if an earthquake is to ever occur in your area and i hope some of these common facts and guidelines on earthquakes may save your life someday.

Work Cited:Unknown, "Natural Disasters." Think Quest 02022009 5 Feb 2009 .
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