My interesting day

Yesterday was probably one of the funnest day I have had in a while. It started out with my friends and I going to the Brooks museum of art. It was pretty fun looking at th art but I just hate it how cold it is in there. Well anyways before we started to leave one of my friends decide to walk into the members lounge and steal the cookies then ran. It was pretty funny and she gave each of us a piece, which I have to say one of the best cookies I have ever had! I don't even know what kind of cookie it was cause it was that good!!! Well then after the museum they gave me a tour of midtown because everything they talked a bout I had no idea what it was, but know I do. Then we went to taco bell and they took me to this really nice park. I think it was chickasaw park maybe but it was really nice!! Trees all around, a beautiful lake calm like nothing touched it, and there were ducks everywhere, which had the prettiest color feathers. Well instead of feeding the ducks bread like normal people would do, my friends decided to feed them a taco they didn't eat.... man that was a site to see! The ducks loved it and fought over it... it was hilarious but one duck waqs seriously trying to kill the other, so I tried to do something and I started hitting them with a small stick to break them up. Didn't work very well but I tried. Also, I'll have to say I don't think it was very good for them anyways. Then we climbed this big tree and sat there just talking about everything that I thought of. It was just relaxing and it was so much fun! I know some things we did doesn't seem like fun but it was. Maybe because it was random and we did what ever came up in our heads next. So next time we get together we'll do whatever again!

River City writers

As I was walking up to this beautiful mansion, thinking I have never seen a house so beautiful. Everything in this house was carefully designed and well built. It was so nice I was terrified to touch anything! Well finally the reading began and christiana kenneally was the first up. The part she read from her book was rather interesting taking about language and how it evolved. One of her example was dolphins making different noises for different reasons. Also with monkeys and how they make different noises for different predictors. They react differently to each noise. The next reader was Josh Pregar with his book a bout the remember able baseball game that was first broad casted all over the world. How Bobby Thompson was a hero for that one game and people looked up to him. But to find out years down the road the truth finally comes out. They cheated by watching the other teams, which is def. frowned upon. I wonder how the people feel who remember that game found out the truth. I know my grandpa remembers it and he is a big baseball fan. I wonder how he feels about that? Well the last reader Stacey Sullivan read from her book and it was so interested how much she knew about the kosovo war and how that guy sent weapons and supplies over seas helping them. I didn't think you could do that without getting in trouble. Also, I loved that she shared her opinion about the lawsuit against her and how she was okay talking about it to everyone. Thinking it's ridiculous and it seemed like it didn't really phase her, which I thought was hilarious.

cherry picking

When someone hears words cherry picking, one might think that it is just going to a field picking the fruit but in this case it's a phrase used quit often. Cherry picking is used metaphorically to indicate the act of pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position. For an example, health insurances cheery pikes the most profitable customers. The ones who are healthy compared to the ones and refuse to insure those who are unhealthy or unlikely to become healthy. Also, Auto insurances cherry pick as well. They chose to insure those who are better drivers and less risk of a wreck compared to those who have a record of bad driving. Cherry picking is also used by lawyers to support their cases. Even though the truth might be twisted, it's not lying. They only pick out the evidence that is toward their case, which is done a lot. For instance, smoker commercials chose to show the positive reason to smoke or what would attract more people to smoke. Even though it's bad for everyone and can cause multiple illnesses and cancers; but smoker company's won't show that. So cheery picking is used quit often in many different w

can not believe this happened!!

Well this story did not really happen to me but it happened to my brother and his girlfriend. This def. does not happen every day, well maybe in Memphis.
It all started around six o'clock when I was on the coach taking a nap and usually when people call me I do not answer the phone during nap time. I finally woke up and watched TV, then the phone ran again. I decided to answer it and it was my brother again. Well supposedly while they were at the Oakcourt mall shopping someone decided to drop a dead body next to his girlfriends car. So when they were trying to leave they found out it was now a crime scene and instead of driving home they were being questioned by the Memphis police. I was shocked! They came home not to long after that and told me everything... in details.. They said blood was everywhere and the guy was shot three times but the guy was not dead. Everyone thought he was because the amount of blood he lost. Then as I glanced at the TV, I saw that it was the breaking news and it was all over the TV. The crime actually took place at a McDonalds on gitwell a few miles away from there. So after he got shot, he got dropped off to die. But why the mall? If they shot him wouldn't they put him somewhere else? I just can not believe that it happened right next to my brother's car. Anything can def. happen in Memphis!

Easter

The day started out pretty good. I got up and got ready for church, which my friend was getting her new born baby baptisms. I was so excited and I got to hold the little four week old baby. He was so cute. After that I went home and like every year we have to find our easter baskets that my mom hid the night before, Even though she hides them in the exact same spot each year but we give her credit. Then while waiting for the dinner to be finished me and my dad washed my car, which really needed it, and I surprisingly helped my dad cut up the tree in the backyard for fire wood. I even used an ax and everything! It was a sight to see and I even helped carry the big old tree. Well not long after that dinner was finished and ready to eat! It was delicious and this year was different because my brother and his girlfriend cooked for everyone. Also my little nephew was over and he is def. one of the cutest kids ever! Even though during the family photo he decided to take my hand and shove it in his month. It was hilarious and thank god he does not have teeth yet or it would not have been that funny. Well after the family photo it calmed down and everyone sat down to watch a movie while falling asleep in the first ten minutes because of all the food. So once again another Easter gone by and now I have to wait a few months for another holiday...

What's St. Patrick's day?

Today at work while we had nothing to do, we always come up with a conversation that passes the time. Today I asked about St Patrick's day and who we celebrated it! No one knew... not even customer's who came into shop. Seriously why do we celebrate a holiday that no one even knows why.. Well I decided to look it up and it was def. nothing I imagined.

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship. Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God. He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the to pagans Christianity. His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

That def. surprised me... so why does everyone drink and get drunk on this holiday? ha ha

Good Friday..

Well today is a holiday and all my years of going to school I have always been off this day... except this year. I honestly thought we were going to be out today because most of the other schools are but not Memphis. It really bummed me out, plus I have to work today and that doesn't make today any better! I get off at nine and then I'm suppose to go color eggs with my family, which makes today a little bit better :) I have never missed a Good Friday not coloring eggs. Some people thinks it is boring but not me! I think it is a blast. Gives me the feeling of being a kid again and time with my family. Now a days everyone is so busy, especially my family. There is not one day in the weekday that everyone is in the household at one time. Mom works nights, my dad works during the day, and all the kids but one go to college while juggling a part or full time job. So every holiday ( the popular ones like thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) the whole family gets today and I am not going to lie, I have one of the weirdest families in the world. Which everyone usually says that. So everyday we get together, it is hilarious! Every kind of personality under one roof and coloring eggs, there is not one time you don't laugh! So hopefully after going to school and work on this fine holiday I can come home and do my usual every year tradition, color eggs with my weird family!

weird dreams...

Well ever since my boyfriend, josh, left for the marines, I have had the weirdest dreams. They are war dreams and I have them over and over. Sometimes it's the same dream but then a new one will just pot up. The setting is always here in Bartlett and I'll have random friends, that I haven't really talked to a whole lot, be in there. Every know and then there will be different friends in there but the same dream. The dream I keep having is I am in a house, in a quiet but nice neighborhood with a few of my friends. We are just watching TV and I think playing games but I can't be for sure ( that part is kind of blurry) Anyways then all of a sudden the sky becomes dark and the air turns to cold. I walk outside and see air planes flying over head shooting at the enemy, which I assume is around the area. Then I get yanked in the house and shoved in the basement. Everyone is panicking and all I can think of is Josh. So without any thought, I rush out of the basement with all my friends yelling and then out the door. I'm running to my car while trying to dough the bullets. I get in the car and start driving but I have no idea where I am going but all I know is I have to get to Josh. While planes flying above me and fear going throughout my body. I see a explosion in front of me and I swerve to miss it but then run into a pile of something ( that is also blurry) under a bridge. I get out and start limping over to where I can see the sky and a light shines on top of me..... then I wake up. I've had that exact dream more times then I can count and it always ends the same way, never finishes... I wonder what that means?

Text Message

Today while I was sitting in my living room watching tv. Then all of a sudden I got this random text. It was one of those forward messages that you're suppose to read and send to so many people. Well I usually just read it and delete but this one was different; I actaully agreed with it. It said "Isn't it ironic? We ignore who adore us. Adore who ignores us. Love who hurts us and hurt who love us!" I know to some of you this might sound stupid but when you think about it, that's so true. I can honestly say the guy I'm completely in love with has hurt me more than anyone. How can someone who says they love you more than anything go and hurt you. It doesn't make any sense! I know some of you are thinking if he hurt you so bad then why are you with him. Well I thought the same thing but after months not being together he proved to me how sorry he was and still haven't done anything since. So that's good. But back to the message.. I know so many people that likes someone who is completely not interested and still tries. Then doesn't even pay attention to the person who actually cares for them. Why is that? there are so many couples that cheat on one another and come back saying how sorry they are! It's so stupid! If you seriously love someone then just stick with that one person who makes you happy! It's retarded to ruin something that special. Ever heard of the 80- 20 rule? Say the person you love is your 80 and the person you supposedly cheat one with is your 20. You never pick a 20 over your 80.

River City Writers

Floyd Skloot, a excellent poet and a very interesting person. After listening to everyone in the class room talk about him, I couldn't believe he forgets a question after twenty seconds and got a virus of some kind that whips out your memory. It's amazing that he's come so far and is still a excellent writer and a successful one too. Even thought his writings aren't exactly the same anymore. He use to write fiction and poems but now it's non-fiction and poems. I'll have to say one thing he talked about I can relate to is how he would write a poem real quick just to get it published and not be completely finished with it. He never allowed himself enough time to finish it and published it to early. I loved how honest he was and how he had a pen and a pad everywhere. If he had five different jackets, then that meant he had five different pens and pads. They are everywhere in his house and even in his car; so he can write whenever and where ever. He writes about anything and he said sometimes he'll re-write something he already said. Skloot was also funny and I loved listening to him. It was like he had so much to talk about but always forgot what question he was answering. He seemed so down to earth and I can honestly say I was actually interested.

HIstory of health care

Health care started in Europe in 1687 and didn't come to the United States until 1850. It was discovered by the firm Franklin Health Assurance company of Massachusetts. It offered injuries from the railroad and steamboat accidents. By the first part of the 20th century, Hospitals and mental expenses policies were offered which lead to development of Blue Cross Organization, that is well-known today. Then by the beginning of 1929 and through the 1930's and on through the world war 2 insurance increased and new policies where developed. If it was not for World War 2, the United States would of had had Universal insurance like Germany and the United Kingdom. Wonder if our country would be better off if that did happen? Then as years roll by companies start offering medical coverage to employees and paid about fifty percent of it. Then some companies, like for instance GM, started offering to pay 100 percent, which is GREAT. Wonder why companies do not offer that today. Oh yeah they discovered the less they pay for health care, the more money they save and become greedy! Well by the 1960s Medicare was offered and helped out a lot of families out. Something they could finally afford and could count on. Health Care has changed a bunch from the time it was discovered. The price keeps increasing and more and more Americans live with out any coverage. Over 47 million, which is ridiculous!

Free Health Care or No?

While researching all the information about Health Insurance thinking it should be free, like some other countries have and it seems like it works good for them. Then I came across something that kinda change my mind and made sense. Maybe our country is not right for Universal Insurance, U.S. maybe just needs to lower the price....

Reasons why we should have Universal Insurance is because:

1. The number of uninsured citizens has grown to over 40 million.
2. Health care has become increasingly unaffordable for businesses and individuals.
3. We can eliminate wasteful inefficiencies such as duplicate paper work, claim approval, insurance submission, etc.
4. We can develop a centralized national database which makes diagnosis and treatment easier for doctors.
5. Medical professionals can concentrate on healing the patient rather than on insurance procedures, malpractice liability, etc.
6. Free medical services would encourage patients to practice preventive medicine and inquire about problems early when treatment will be light; currently, patients often avoid physicals and other preventive measures because of the costs.

Reasons for not having a Universal Insurance because:

1. here isn't a single government agency or division that runs efficiently; do we really want an organization that developed the U.S. Tax Code handling something as complex as health care?
2. "Free" health care isn't really free since we must pay for it with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense, education, etc.
3. Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity have always led to greater cost control and effectiveness.
4. Government-controlled health care would lead to a decrease in patient flexibility.
5. Patients aren't likely to curb their drug costs and doctor visits if health care is free; thus, total costs will be several times what they are now.
6. Just because Americans are uninsured doesn't mean they can't receive health care; nonprofits and government-run hospitals provide services to those who don't have insurance, and it is illegal to refuse emergency medical service because of a lack of insurance.
7. Government-mandated procedures will likely reduce doctor flexibility and lead to poor patient care.
8. Healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.
9. A long, painful transition will have to take place involving lost insurance industry jobs, business closures, and new patient record creation.
10. Loss of private practice options and possible reduced pay may dissuade many would-be doctors from pursuing the profession.
11. Malpractice lawsuit costs, which are already sky-high, could further explode since universal care may expose the government to legal liability, and the possibility to sue someone with deep pockets usually invites more lawsuits.
12. Like social security, any government benefit eventually is taken as a "right" by the public, meaning that it's politically near impossible to remove or curtail it later on when costs get out of control.

Website: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/universal_health_care.htm

Memphis sucks! (the city)

I can honestly say I hate living here! I can not wait to get out of this city! I plan on moving far away, probably by the beach, and where it's save to live. If everything works out, I plan on moving with my boyfriend when he gets stationed, where ever that is. Memphis is like the worst place to live. There are killings every week here! Last week was horrible. The Lester murders, were horrifying and was hard to watch. Just because the guys brother wanted to cover up what he did, so he killed the little kids! Plus the guy just got out of jail for killing someone before. Why the heck was he out! Wouldn't he be in there for life? Who ever let him out is STUPID! There would be six people alive today if he was still in jail and the three kids who are still alive would still have there family. Then after that a girl about 13 years old gets shoot in a cross fire and it wasn't even meant for her. Thats ridiculous! The people around those neighborhoods are use to guns being fired, it's a daily thing for them. Also this mother accidentally shoot her 2 year old baby in the foot. How can that happen? Why the heck does she have a gun around the baby anyways... I would just like one day I could put on the news and nothing bad would happen! that would be wonderful!! But in Memphis that would never happen! He keeps going down hill and probably will never change! So I decided I'm probably just going to move :) seems like the only option. Plus when I start having kids I don't want them growing up around this or go to school with a history of shootings or violence.

Finally Snow!

So other than being sick on Spring break and thought nothing good would happen the rest of the week, Friday came and it started snowing. I was at work and didn't even know it was suppose to! Well about an hour went by and it stopped, so i thought it was over and I was a little bummed. I was hoping it would, so I could make a snowman; something I haven't done in a long time! Well a few minutes later, it started coming down hard! I was so excited! Even though I was at work, I didn't do anything but look out the window like a little kid watching for Santa clause at Christmas time. It snowed hard until I got off work and as i was walking outside to my car I realized my car was covered in about 3 inches of snow, not joking! I had no idea how I was going to get all of it off. So i I turned on my car and put on the defrost and walked back inside, as i realized I LOCKED my keys in my car! I freaked out! The first time I locked my keys in my car is the day it snows and the roads are bad... my luck.. Well then I saw my brother next door and maybe he could help me. Well he didn't have a spear but he did figure out that mt other door was unlocked. Sp as I felt stupid, I felt so re leaved. He also cleaned the snow off my car so it was safe to go home. The snow fell until late in the night and it was so pretty! I made my funny looking snowman and drank hot chocolate by the fire. It was a wonderful day and it saved my spring break. Something good happened before it ended and that's all I wanted! :)

spring break

Well last week was spring break and it pretty much sucked! while everyone was having so much fun out of town, I was at home sick the whole time! I was planning on going to Orlando to work for Varsity and UCA. I would help with the National competition and help sell the clothes. It was perfect! They paid for every expenses. The plane ticket, the hotel, food and i was going to get paid! I could not wait to go, but one day at my work this lady came in with a awful cold. About an hour later it hit me and I could not breathe out of my nose, head hurt, and had a bad cough... It sucked! Each day it got worst and the day I was suppose to leave for Orlando, I could not keep anything down. I had to cancel the trip and stay at home! It was the worst thing! Something you look forward to for so long and can't go because of something stupid. Make matters worst I went to the doctor and the stupid doctor thought it was the flu and would not believe me that I have this disorder called acute vomiting syndrome ( very rare but it exist , it's were if you start throwing up, you can not stop until you get an IV to pass by the stomach) So after the stupid doctor didn't help me, I had to go to the Hospital. So thats my wonderful spring break. It was probably the worst spring break yet :(