Don't you ever think that you fall in love easily? Well, I do. It's like when you're feeling lonely for an extremely long time, you want to find someone to be with you, or something like that. But, it's kinda good and kinda bad to fall in love.
The reason why it's good to fall in love is because you can be with a new family. Maybe you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life if your parents died. So, yea a lot of people know about it. First, you fall in love. Next, you get a boyfriend or girlfriend. And then, you get married and might have kids....I'm kinda acting wierd now, I think. But anway, continuing.
The reason why it's kinda bad to fall in love is because once you fall in love with someone, then that person might break up the relationship, or you find out that the person you like loves someone else....This happens to me sometimes...once, I fell in love with a friend of mine...he's a really kind person...but, he told me that he has a crush on another girl and he wants some advice from me...Even though I didn't tell him that I have a crush on him, I became heart-broken (T.T)
So, there are good things and bad things about falling in love. It's kinda painful, isn't it? and for any of my friends that are reading this, I wrote this because I had nothing to type about for the computer homework so I just typed in something randomly...
It was when I really young. I was when my English was not as it was now. The way I talked was so thick with an accent that kids in my neighborhood never really understood what I was saying. The day was hot and I remember being covered in sweat especially my hand which was tightly gripping on my grandmother's. I remember laughter, I don't remember if it was from me or my grandmother.
People whizzed by us and even though some parts were blurry, I remember entering a pet store. I was happy to go into the pet store especially when I saw Fred (A bunny I named) who was still there that day I went. My grandmother must have been amused when I was engaging in a conversation with Fred. I remember feeling an empty feeling next to me when my grandmother left my side to somewhere towards the back of the store. The days before, I never went anywhere since I was told not to wander around for the fear of me getting lost, but that day I was very curious and quietly walked away from Fred towards the back.
I saw my grandmother arguing with the manager who was unfortunately bald, but looked so much younger then my grandmother. I didn't understand what they were talking about, but the manager looked frustrated. He quickly snatched a small red bag out of my grandmother's hand. The contents inside of the bag was a total mystery to me. The man grumbled as he walked past me and I ran back to Fred before I was spotted by my grandmother. I didn't want to get in trouble for wandering.
My grandmother appeared ten minutes after with the same bag in her hand. She smiled at me before dragging me out of the pet store. The next two weeks, I wondered what was in the bag. I told my younger brother and we both wondered about what was in that bag.
The day came on another hot day when my grandmother was in the bathroom. My brother and I saw the red bag on our kitchen table and we quickly jumped to the chance to see what was inside. I was the one who opened the bag and I was shocked. It was a fish, not any old fish though. It was Goku (a fish I named after Dragonball z) who was flapping around inside the bag. His eyes enlarged and mouth open wide from the lack of water inside the bag. Then I screamed and ran away, my brother close behind me. I bumped into my grandmother who was confused as to why we screamed and spotted the bag thrown carelessly on the floor. She sighed before picking it up and gestured us towards our shoes near the door way.
My brother and I was confused and scared, but we trusted our grandmother and obediently put on ours shoes. Our grandmother acted like nothing had happened as we were dragged outside. We were all silent until we got to the pet store. I refused to go inside, so my grandmother left me outside as she walked into the pet store with my brother. I was confused about what they were doing to do to Goku and wild possibilities flashed in my head. Were they Dissect him for his bones or something? Were they going to kill him and feed us his corpse? I remember not being able to eat fish for 2 years because I thought I was eating my watery friend. I never got an answer when my grandmother came out of the store.
I really don't remember how I figured out that my grandmother just exchanged the fish for a new one when they become fat or she felt like she wanted a new one. I just recently was haunted by the images of dilated eyeballs as I was looking at a scholarship about animal cruelty. I wonder if my grandmother still does something like that? I hope she doesn't cause in my eyes that is just cruel. It's like taking away oxygen and watching us squirm around. I hope she doesn't do that. Even though it might not be animal cruelty to her, I think it is. It's just wrong to do that and of course if she still does it, I plan to stop it.
How did I love the New York Football Giants?(Giants, Football, New York, Sports, Fun)
I became a Giants fan in 2007. It was one of the best days of my life. Well if you want to know how i like football in the first place. Then listen to me. One day I was going to best buy with my sister Mona , my cousin Sammy,and my dad. I was buying a new game for my game cube. I was going to buy a nickelodeon games. Then my cousin Sammy told me to buy a madden NFL game. So I did. Then I ran to my dad and told him " Buy me this game instead its much more fun". Then till this day I still play madden NFL 07.
At first I was an Indianapolis Colts fan. Then my sister started to be colts fan. So i decided that I will will be a giants fan because I did not want to be a fan of the same team of my sister. I also became a giants fan because I love Eli Manning. The New York Football Giants are the perfect team for me.
i am doing well in school. The subject that i am having problems with math. I am going to fix my outcomes in enrichment on mondays and wendays with yariv my math teacher. The school is great so far . it is the middle of the school year almost spring vaction. technogly we are making scripts for our topics. My topic is digital communication. My partner is khadija. We are using x-tra normal to prestent our work to the class. X-tra normal is this website that you could make movies. you should check it out it is awsome X-traNormal.com
heya! just wondering if you people here love anime, and if you do, which one? i personally love Naruto so much, then Death Note, Bleach, etc. and, do you have any o.c.'s for the anime?
i would love to draw them for you^^
by the ways, do you guys have a Dveiantart account?
From getting and giving marker "tattoos" to sitting next to my friend while she got 5 black stars inked in different places on her body, tattoos are something I've always been interested in. I definitely plan on getting one, though I have no idea where or what. However, I know a lot of people (including my mom) who are very disproving of this idea and question why anyone would want to get something permanent on themselves.To be honest, it's mostly just because I can.
I think that tatoos are fine as long as you are smart about what you get and where you put them (so employers can't see them and would still be willing to hire you). I knew a girl who got "BITE ME" on the inside of her lip, even though it's not something that I would get, it was in a place that no one could see, at least she didn't get it on her hand or something.
Tattoos can have a lot of emotional significance or can just be there because the design is cool. Travis Barker (the drummer of Blink-182) covered his body with tattoos to force himself to pursue music because he knew that his career outlook would be pretty limited if he was covered head to toe in ink.
"I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music." Link.
I admire him for pushing himself to do what he knew he was capable of, and each tattoo he got helped him get to where he is today. A lot of things people worry about with tattoos is the regret, say 20 years from now. I think as long as you don't get something stupid (such as a boyfriends name), there's nothing to regret. Anyways if you really start to hate your tattoo there is laser tattoo removal which is extremely effective and there is only a 5% chance of scarring.
Not all games are the same. Some are video games and some are computer games played for entertainment purposes. Others seem designed to give people another world outside of their own. Where they can be the heroes and the strong ones in life. While some are played simply for fun. Whatever game it is, the goals are always the same: To win. I do not enjoy playing all games because I think its a waste of time. I could be outside riding a bike instead of shooting someone in a game. I also think that with some games such as video games you don't really learn any skills that can help you in life like with Monopoly, for example the negotiating skills and financial skills you gain.
We have been learning about the game World of Warcraft which, although very complicated, is quite interesting. This game seems very complex. Like theres a lot of different things involved in just playing the game. Thats interesting that you can engage with other players and fight side by side. I guess its kind of bonding for people of common interest. Theres a whole other world besides the one we live in now created in this game. I can see how people like nerds would be drawn to a game like this in which they are powerful and they are the leaders. One of the perks of the games as said in a Wikipedia article is "These can be either where players are mainly focused on defeating monsters and completing quests (Player vs. environemnt), or where open combat between players is permitted (Player vs.Player)." I think that is really interesting because in most games its usually either or. Its not you can play with environment OR another player.
I am not the biggest fan of game playing but the concept does seem interesting. I do like that the concept of playing a game is not necessarily so black and white. Like playing a game can mean a video game or throwing some dice around. What really interests me is why people play games in general and what makes a video game so different and more appealing than playing the game clue for example.
I researched why people like playing games and a few reasons came up. One being that in the gaming world, you can live the life that you want. For example a 30 year old man who is now working at McDonalds can be the man he always wanted when in the shadow of a game. That dream of becoming a CEO of a company doesnt seem as out there or far-fetched when you live your life that way everyday through a gaming system. Another reason people like games so much is that you can connect with people you never thought possible. For example a 15 year old boy can now have something in common with a 30 something year old man. In some ways it creates a level of respect even just based off of how well each person can do in the game as well. I also found out that another reason people like games is because its a way to escape. Although it may sound similar to the first, the escapist reason actually is one of the most common. For example after a boy, after being bullied at school and being called a "nerd" or a "loser", now becomes a Wizard, for example in World of Warcraft, or a hero in Call of Duty; saving peoples llives on a daily basis.
Being that I love mystery books, the game Clue is one of my favorite games. I don't play video games at all because I find them a bit repetitive and boring. I also think that the interaction you have in a game is nothing compared to that of real life. Well anyways the game clue is very competitive and thought provoking. You have to try and figure out who killed who, with what object and in what room. Its always a race against time as well because you have to try and beat every other player in concerns to finding who got killed.
I think that World of Warcraft and Clue are not very similar at all. I mean in Clue you have to try and solve a murder and then the game is over. In World of Warcraft its a lot more complex, consists of more than one world and can be played with people all over the world. In the game of world of warcraft you get to travel to different world and go on quests. I think the whole concept sounds cool and I wouldnt mind participating in something as big as that. I just wouldnt want it to consume my life. Thats the thing with games once they hook you, they dont let you go.
My AP Calculus teacher recently passed out forms reminding us we needed to pay fees for our AP tests by March 19th. I glanced at the paper quickly, and the nice little fee caught my eye at the bottom of the page: almost $300 for three tests! That’s a bit ridiculous, I remember thinking. “So, who actually receives the money from these AP tests, which millions of high school students take at least one of every year?” I asked myself. The answer is College Board.
I realized then that College Board is in charge of several other profit-making things. They head the SAT’s, and advertise numerous books on how to beat their AP and SAT tests. They also have the PSAT under their belt. Not only that, but they’ve come up wih a new way to make profit. A student can send his or her scores to the four colleges of his or her choice for free when they register for ScoreChoice. Otherwise, it’s a sharp $9.50 a send.
College Board has some great and useful tools online that I’ve used to help navigate colleges and refine my college list, but I feel as though the corporation is taking advantage of millions of high school students every year. They must be making millions, and frankly, they have no competition. There’s the ACT, run by a non-profit organization, but many more students take the SAT than the ACT. It seems like College Board is one big ugly monopoly…and maybe it is.
Anne Widera of the Paly Voice says:
In any other industry, nearly 100 percent consumer dependence would be considered a monopoly. Yet, the College Board chugs happily along, never hearing a word from the Securities and Exchange Commission. This is contrary to capitalistic and American values, and must be controlled before it gets further out of hand.
I'm lucky enough that I have the resources to pay for these fees that are nearly essential to get into colleges. But how do low-income families deal with this? It's limiting their children's opportunities for a better life, and a higher education significantly to pay outrageous fees like College Boards. I'm not sure how these families would, but all I know is that one huge company taking advantage of people's need for higher education is wrong.
Here's the Paly Voice article:
Microsoft recently unveiled the Phone 7 Series, and as a Zune user I am greatly anticipating the actual release in the upcoming holiday season. I appreciate what Apple has done with the ipod and iphone, but in looking for a fuller experience that is not just functional, but entertaining to use as well, Microsoft has created a much more interactive and "fun" User-Interface (UI). Take a look! (more to follow, out of class time)
With technology improving every day and accomplishing all sorts of tasks, from the simple to the highly scientific and complex, it would seem possible to do almost anything to do. That includes starting up your own business. One technology that is making this even easier if you want to go into producing your own product is 3D printing. There are endless possibilities as to what can be designed and printed on one of these amazing new devices, and they can even be used to modify existing materials. I even saw a video on YouTube where a guy who owns a 3D printer made his own iPhone case.
Unfortunately, these printers cost tens of thousands of dollars, although the price is coming down. But this should not be too much of a cause of concern. With new software provided by a company called Shapeways, you can create your 3D design and send it off to their factory. They will then print this design in one of their 3D printers and send it off to you to package, sell, or use yourself. The video below shows this process in action.
With factories becoming increasingly expensive and start up businesses continually limited to small scales, it seems that this type of production outsourcing may be the future of businesses. In addition to this new business model, the type of remixing that we have seen in the music industry may take place in material markets, with modifications being made on all sorts of designs with 3D printers. This will probably bring a whole new slate of lawsuits, but the benefits of creativity and design advances will surely outweigh the trouble.
Dan Brown is a YouTuber (not the author) who has gained a lot of fame and a large following on YouTube. His viewers tend to be teens who relate to him and even look up to him, which is why it was controversial when he recently mentioned he had dropped out of college. People were upset, and many of his followers didn't understand why a person who so values the pursuit of knowledge could disregard his education.
He was forced to make a video explaining his decision to the youtube community, seen above. He explained that he dropped out of college because he felt it was obstructing his education. Information, he said, is rapidly becoming less valuable. Facts are becoming universally accessible because of the internet, and the educational system has yet to catch up to its students. It isn't enough anymore to know facts because they're rapidly becoming more easily accessible. Because of the internet, I can find the definition of mitosis in ten seconds. What education needs to provide, and Dan Brown argued hasn't yet begun to provide, is the understanding of mitosis and how it connects to other pieces of information- the ability to synthesize all of the facts and learn things in a meaningful way.
I think this video relates to the idea of remixing information. These two concepts are related in that remixing is also a result of information becoming monetarily worthless. We are entering an age in which information will inevitably be available to everyone. Music, art, literature, and facts alike, will all become available to anyone who wants to go online for it. So how do we adapt? Copyright laws are just going to continue to become more outdated in this sense, I believe. If the law or the educational system want to keep up with technology, I feel like our attitudes towards information is what ultimately needs to change. We must adapt to an age in which information has no tangible value, and the only thing of practical consequence is how we use it.
My family loves watching American Idol. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we always watch it while we have dinner together. We often have our own opinions about which performances were good and which were bad, but one thing we can all agree on is that American Idol is going downhill. What made the show so good at first is that the singers were so talented and the three judges: Randy, Simon, and Paula had such strong personalities. American Idol is losing these elements. Paula left the show, and Simon's contract with American Idol is ending after this season. There are now four judges. Simon and Randy are still there. Their comments are no longer interesting though. When I used to watch American Idol, Randy always offered a fresh perspective and Simon was always bitingly honest. Now I just make fun of Randy for always starting his critique with "Listen, yo, listen" and ending it with "I'm sending you to Hollywood 100 billion thousand hundred percent". Simon does give honest remarks, but he is no longer as harsh as he used to be. Or maybe we're all just used to him now. Ellen is a funny person, but I'm not sure what qualifies her to be a judge of music. Her background is as a talk show host. And Kara usually just says the same thing as Simon.
Another thing that makes me not like American Idol as much is that the contestants this season are not as talented and interesting as in years past. I loved watching Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. No one from this season holds a candle to them. There also aren't any people that you love to hate or have crazy personalities. Last season, I wanted Sanjaya to be eliminated because he was not a good singer but at the same time I wanted him to stay on the show so I could see what crazy hairstyles he would come up with next.
The only reason I'm still watching this season is Andrew Garcia and Siobhan Magnus. They are both young and very talented. They don't have the potential to become as famous as any of the winners from the first seasons, but I would probably listen to their music. The other contestants are rather bland and perform similar songs week after week. Andrew and Siobhan have very unique voices, but I still don't know if they have the personalities to back them up.
Andrew Garcia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f0_YyxpDYI
Siobhan Magnus
Last season the Oregon Ducks went on a winning rampage after the "punch heard around the world" took place in the Boise State game in which senior running back LeGarrette Blount threw a stiff right into Bryan Hout's (from Boise State) jaw subsequently knocking him out. That loss in Boise motivated the Ducks to a whole other level of competition. They didn't lose another game that season until their Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State on New Years Day. With this stellar season came a shroud of controversy centered around the many arrests and crimes the Ducks have been charged with off the field.
After the indefinite suspension of LaGarrette Blount, freshman running back LaMichael James was charged with menacing, strangulation, and assault of a female student at Oregon. James is also known for setting the Pac-10 record for most rushing by a freshman in a single season. Along with these two players another two are currently being charged with burglary of two computers and a guitar from a fraternity house at Oregon, one of which is the star quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, and the other is wide receiver Garrett Embry who has been kicked of the team for this particular incident and other disciplinary issues.
C'Mon Ducks, get it together.
The professional sports leagues all seem to revolve around many similar things: money, players, trades, and big hits. Many sports teams and leagues publicize everything that is happening about the players and when a rule changes. The problem with most national sports is rules are not changed until the off season. Hockey is different in this way. The league has the ability to change its rules after a questionable and serious call.
During the past week, during a Philidelphia-Florida hockey game there was a hit leaving a a Florida player helpless on the ice with a severe concussion. Booth the player who went down was hit on the head from behind. The Philedelphia player shoved his shoulder into Booths head clearly looking like it was going to cause a lot of damage to the player and it did. It caused many GMs to think twice about the rules of hockey. Usually when a players head is hit, its their own fault. Now there are more and more cases of the hitter causing damage to the players head.
"a new rule was passed earlier Wednesday morning by the NHL's general managers which is designed to curb head shots and future injuries." http://www.thescore.ca/home/articles/31992-cooke-won-t-be-suspended
The hit could possible end the season for Booth and most likely add a rule to the National Hockey League. It will allow players to still "target" each other for the big hits, but it will make it illegal for the player to go after another players head. A rule making players more responsible about their hits and will hopefully decrease the chances of players receiving serious brain injuries that shouldn't happen.
(http://www.everyjoe.com/hockeybeat/files/2009/10/davidbooth_thumb.jpg)
The NHL has a unique quality to it. More of the professional sports leagues around the world should follow their way. Players recieve many unneeded hits in all sports. By making them illegal quicker, the more responsive the players will be. They will know what they are doing is not allowed and chances are they will not do it again.
Link to video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4slAbjCL3c&feature=related
The game or program in urgentevoke.com is very boring. Someone should tell the people who created it to probably do some editing to it. The graphics are okay but the tasks are no fun. It's very dull and has negative thinking. I dont think they picked a good country to set as poor. Japan is not poor. 2020 seems so far away too. But its a good time period. I wonder if they even considered the 2012 thing. lol XD DO SOME MODIFICATION!!!
If anyone knows me at all then they know that I have a small obsession for the "Biggest Loser" on NBC. Every Tuesday (except for those two unfortunate weeks during the Olympics when it was off) i rush home, hurry and finish my dinner and settle in for a good two hours of my favorite show. I dont know what it is about the show that is so fascinating, could it be the pure competition of it all, or people striving to change their lives for the better. Well whatever it is im hooked and I dont see myself quitting anytime soon. However because of my love for the show it shocked and astoinded me when i was walking through my neighborhood grocery store and i glanced at the rows of glossy magazines and saw the biggest loser. Naturally i picked it up and began reading the article. The article was about how the contestants from the show eventually gained the weight back in real life and how they were using dangerous methods in order to lose weight, such as an excess of exercise and literally starving themselves. Online i was reading an article written by a fitness expert who explained some startling facts.
What many fans seem to ignore is that weight loss is not the same as fat loss. Body weight includes muscle, bones, internal organs, water, glycogen and don’t forget the contents of the digestive tract.
This is quite disturbing to me because one of the main reasons that i watch the show is because its so uplifting and shows how these people are changing their lives. A good majority of the program focuses on the contestants talking about how they will never go back to their old selves. I can only imagine how deflating that would be to go on the biggest loser and then gain every pound back. These people probably are worse off then when they started. And not only that the detriment to their health but to their mental well being as well. No matter what the cons are i still cant imagine giving up my favorite show. There are many cons but you cant deny the fact that the show is changing lives and while some might go back to their old habits thats the same with all diets. The biggest loser inspired people and helps people get up off the couch and change thier lives.
Heres a picture of a before and after of one of the contestants
http://www.starling-fitness.com/wp-content/uploads/alibiggestloser.jpg
Nobody should ever walk home alone. Yah, sure it might be cool that you get to walk home alone with all of your friends. But seriously is coolness really more important than your life??Ask yourself that ;
Vote and tell me what you would do:
Either walk home alone and be unsafe or...
be safe and ask if your friends mom can come with you(just to be safe)
With all of these things happening in the world you can never be to safe right??????;-)
Who doesn't like shopping? Okay, yeah I know SOMEONE who doesn't like shopping. Anyway, it's cool to shop because sometimes you HAVE to get something new or you just need the latest things, either way you have to plan to shop, someway or another.
Don't you get bored of your clothes, you might think nooooooo never! But how but when you wea it over an over again. Some people just have to get new things! Don't you like getting new things? I especially love it when things are in sale. In conclusion everyone should go shopping!
This is the first mission of the game on urgentevoke.com, it's Imagine which basically you describe where you'll be in 2020 and how you can help the Tokyo famine crisis... I wrote... In 2020, I am a successful journalist with a husband and 3 children, living in California. We live in a suburban area and both my husband and I have a really high salary. Since I'm a journalist, I write about interesting and unknown news to spread them to the world. When Alchemy calls me about the Tokyo food crisis. I'm helping spread the news of this issue to other parts of the world, so we can have more supporters to help this problem. Since Alchemy's evoke organization is private, I'll respect their secrecy. However, by explaining this crisis to everyone, I will gather intelligent people from all around the world, such as archeologists, who might have solutions. We'll get together with Alchemy Evoke organization and work to solve this problem. We'll also send people to Tokyo to experience the crisis and pinpoint all needs of the people in Tokyo. The role of the media in this modern world is essential for solving global issues.
The latest Disney princess movie is a spin off of the classic tale of Rapunzel. It is to be released in November of 2010 and it's going to be called "Tangled." This change in the title seems to have many people upset. However, the Disney reps claim that the title was changed to a more gender neutral name in order to bring in boys to see the movie. "Some people might assume it's a fairy tale for girls when it's not. We make movies to be appreciated and loved by everybody." (Ed Catmull, Pixar Studios) Not only has the title of the movie been changed but the plot has also been altered. Mixing Rapunzel's lack of experiences with a worldly prince. Adding the "bad boy" to the story is one of the many ways Disney hopes to bring in a male audience. Even the photo below demonstrates the different more grown up Rapunzel with an attitude. Many members of the Disney corporation and the general public are against the decision of a title change. They feel the movie is living a lie because it is still the classic tale of Rapunzel. Meanwhile others feel that this movie is no longer a classic version of Rapunzel but a completely made over version. At the end of the day the final view will not be put into the spotlight until November and the final decision will be left up to you.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9600000/First-photos-of-Disney-s-...
As an artist, I believe in finding and discovering ideas from perhaps masters, but generally other peoples artwork. I believe in building ideas from others and discovering my own artwork by looking at those before me. In AP art, we each have a concentration. Mine revolves around storms as a metaphor for grief. One of my pieces that I have recently done, was inspired by Edvard Munch's 1893 painting title "The Scream".
www.arikiart.com/Images/public-domain/Edvard-Munch-The-Scream.jpg
Although I did not copy the exact style, and when comparing the two pieces, you can easily tell that two different artists created each, I believe that I have captured the same feelings that I received when I viewed Munch's "The Scream." I don't have a title for my piece yet, but I might call it "The Girl's Scream."
This is my painting, and it belongs to me by the way.
Look at my flickr to see it
Drafts for new standardized guidelines for k-12 Math and English education were released today, and it is a step in the right direction toward improving the quality of our country's education. A set of simple guidelines that would apply nationwide would be beneficial for all students, but especially for those who move from state to state.
People involved in the effort endorsed by 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia said the new standards will raise expectations of student achievement in some states and be in line with the educational expectations of top-performing states and countries. U.S. News and World Report
Raising expectations (and of course giving extra help to students who have trouble meeting these expectations) of students is necessary if Americans are going to continue to be able to compete with other countries.
http://dagnygromer.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/phs_noenglish.jpg
1. Where did you get the idea for your story?
I was in a weird place when I began writing BEAUTIFUL LIES. My husband and I were seriously thinking about starting a family. And I was doing a lot of soul-searching about my own upbringing, wondering what I want to bring forward and what I wanted to leave behind. I was considering what it took to be a great parent and wondering if I could be that for a child. So, while I was in this head, I got a flier in the mail. One of those “Have you seen this child?” mailers. It featured an age-graduated photograph of a little girl. I had this thought: What if I looked at this flier and recognized myself? The plot spun out from there.
2. You make a point that family is not so much blood, as it is experiences….yet it is this very conflict that drives these characters to such extremes, begging the question, why is the need to know one's biological roots still so important to those who are missing this knowledge?
Because as much as I believe that it’s experience that shapes us and binds us, there’s a bit of mystery to each of us, as well. Those strands of DNA have quite a bit to say about who we are and how our experiences impact us. That’s part of the drive, I’m sure. It’s a need to understand ourselves, the nature and the nurture.
Maybe even more than that, most of us have a critical need to feel that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, that we belong somewhere. When we’re not sure who we came from, who our parents are, we’re deprived of something basic, the idea that we’re part of a family. Of course, sometimes we wish we weren’t a part of the family into which we were born. But there’s still a comfort in knowing where we’ve come from, even if only to know where we want to go from there.
I think both of these things are major drivers for Ridley, who like you say, jeopardized every pretty thing about her life to know the truth. She tells us that the universe doesn’t like secrets; that it conspires to reveal the truth. Ridley chooses to follow the path laid out before her somewhat reluctantly … it’s almost as if she gets pushed along by unseen forces. At certain points, she wants to turn back. She just can’t “go dark again,” which I think is understandable. If you knew that you might not be who you thought you were, if your parents might not be your parents, could you close your eyes and never ask the questions? I know I couldn’t.
4. Your love for New York feels like a character within itself, how much of this is real?
It’s totally real. I have had a love affair with New York City my entire life. And I lived there for thirteen years. During that time, I lived or worked in virtually every neighborhood in the city. When I left, I was burned out in the extreme on the city, feeling like it took everything I had to live there … all my energy, all my money. I was ready to go. It was years later that I started to feel the love again. When I write about the city now, I can hear it, smell it, feel the concrete beneath my feet. The old excitement I had about it as a kid returned as I wrote BEAUTIFUL LIES.
The apartment where Ridley lives is where I lived in the East Village. I smelled pastry and pizza all day. The floor sagged; my bed often rolled into the middle of the room while I slept. At one point, I lived up in Riverdale across from Van Cortland Park. I have had more funny, miserable, scary moments on the subways than I can count. All of these experiences found their way into BEAUTIFUL LIES.
These days New York City feels like an old flame. I think of it fondly, toy with the idea of returning someday, but every time I go back I remember why I left.
5. Ridley, one of the most heartbreakingly realistic characters put on paper, seems so 3-dimensionally honest and sincere, one has to ask, how much of she is you?
There’s a lot of me in Ridley. But she’s not me. She’s much more naïve, slightly more daring, perhaps a little more prone to denial. But many her observations about life, love, family and the things that bind us are close to my ideas on those subjects. When I first started hearing her voice, I thought, ‘Wow. I could be friends with this person.’ So I was very invested in how things turned out for her. I felt close to her, as though she were someone with whom I might talk on the phone or meet for drinks. She’s very real to me; maybe that’s why she’s real to readers.
6. At what age did you write your first story, and what was it about?
I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t write, so I’m not sure what my first story was. But I know my first endeavor as a writer was poetry. Truly awful, maudlin stuff. I wrote a lot of short stories in high school and won a partial scholarship for one of them. In college I wrote more short stories, plays, articles for the school paper. And at nineteen I started my first novel, which I finished ten short years later.
7. Most writers also have a love affair with reading in addition to writing, were there any authors in particular who inspired you to make that leap from reading to writing?
That is so true. I have always been a voracious reader with really eclectic tastes. As a kid I read anything I could get my hands on from the classics to popular fiction, from science fiction to mystery. It’s nearly impossible to list the authors who have inspired me or where I made the mental leap from being immersed in fictional worlds to understanding that I could create them.
8. What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
A. Write every day. Dig deeper every day. Be true to yourself. Think of publishing as an incidental element to the act of striving to be the best writer you can be, secondary to getting better every day for your experiences and dedication to the craft.
Quite frankly I've had enough of uniforms. "Take the sweater off.", "Button it up." Seriously? If it's 90 degrees in the classroom and your poor school can't afford air conditioning, don't tell us to put our uniforms on. If it's 60 degrees, and we are freezing, don't tell us to take the sweaters off.
I've noticed that all the "specialized" schools in NYC don't have uniforms, while some normal schools do. Maybe it's a conspiracy, but I see it as a stereotype. We are stupid, so we must wear uniforms. Is that right? We are not smart enough to wear our own clothes? We must follow your stupid school rules just so the school rating goes up?
"Health first?" Not. If looking organized to no one but yourselves is more important than a student's health, you might as well change it to, "We are adults. You are children." Then again, the school DOES contain some 18+ students, so that is out of the picture.
Why are uniforms still required? First, it causes more pressure on already poor families, and don't try to tell us, "It's only $20!" Everyone give me 10 dollars, if it's nothing. Secondly, individualization is destroyed. Self-identity is smeared, recognition is distorted, and self-esteem is shattered. FREEDOM is revoked and happiness seems illegal. Don't dig into my words, you know what I am conveying to you. Uniforms should be ABOLISHED from schools, it only causes more conflict between teachers and students, and why do students only wear uniforms? The only difference between a teacher and a student is the spelling.
Another thing is that "Uniforms may blind students to reality" (Richmond Review, October 21, 2009):
In life, people do judge you on how you dress or what you look like; as much as we’d like to deny it, it’s true. By erasing that aspect of life in high school, it can set teens back in the way that it may be harder to realize that stereotypes are unfair generalizations of people.
"It's to prepare you for real life." Not! It just makes it look like we are going to work in McDonald's. Notice that all the prestigious jobs have no uniforms, while low-end jobs, Walmart, McDonald's, are all FORCED to wear uniforms. Notice any correlation? Thank you for telling us we will be working in those low jobs and making 20,000 a year. Thanks for the incredibly motivational information. Thanks.
So, uniforms reduce the welfare of students, labels every student as "too stupid to get into good schools", and "future McDonald employee", causes anguish to students, causes conflict between teachers and students, constricts health, ruins self-image and wastes time. Why are uniforms still here? Answer me that, teachers! I want a real answer, not the "because it's school rules", or the "our school, our rules", excuse. I GUARANTEE not a single student likes the idea of uniforms.
If the school's image is more important than the definition of "school", then please rename it to...oh.. I don't think such a place exists yet. Maybe a concentration camp?
Of course, there will be limits if uniforms are not in effect, same clothes as if you were in a public area.
Now, the definition of school:
1. an institution where instruction is given, esp. to persons under college age: The children are at school.
Notice the definition does not include the word "uniform" anywhere. It clearly states that school is an "institution for learning." The only thing we learn from having uniforms is that we are dumb and we can't stand up for ourselves.
Now, teachers, your response? Is it that hard to give reasons for such an idiotic rule? Is it hard to give reasons to why something that does not work should be continued? Give a reason to why having us suffer is good. Give me a reason, and I will refute it. Other students are either too intimidated to stand up for this issue, or oblivious. Uniforms, why are they here? Don't pick on my wording either, I know some examples are extreme, but my point is clear.
Tell us, or if others are too scared, tell me your reason for uniforms. Tell me, I really want to hear it.
One more thing, for anyone who says, "That's life," that is YOUR life, not mine.
i've been here before, looked out at all these astonished faces,felt the anger boiling inside me. but even though I've been here before i cant move out of the way I'm going to fast to change direction and once the collision happens i have too mush pride to admit that I'm hurt. beaten , broken , slowly chipped away and the only words you will ever here me utter is "I'm fine"my life's constant lie that i fear it will be come my motto I'm fine don't worry i cant get hurt nothing can touch me ... everything touches me my body is a mural of fingerprints, everyone whose ever touched my life some finger prints are smudges and others crystal clear but almost all of them are dirty grimy , stains, stains, stains. and they don't come off , you could tell yourself that you left all of that at home, that , you're above that , but you just don't get it do you you are that and no matter how much you try you cant get away from your self. I've tried no amount of mediation or prayers going to help because you cant force an out of body experience....the point is I've been here before and trust me when your standing there and the trains headed for you and you know you should move, every bone in your body is telling you to move out the way you stand there anyways you want the train to hit you not because you're suicidal but because you've been hit by that train so many times you miss the feeling of its impact.
Only when the world is silent do I hear myself
For the silent screams for redemption flutter in my head
But when the world is silent
does my deafening voice become defined
Only when the world is silent
and the darkness is still
do my thoughts pierce through the surface
and become my mistakes
Only when the world is silent..only when the world is silent ....
do I speak.
does the world listen when the world is silent.?
-ask
My imaginary man why do you tease me so? bring me to cloud nine build me up up and up only to drop me just when I think I can fly and you're going take me to places I have never known My imaginary man My stranger You make my skin bubble make it itch from the sweat trailing down my side you make my skin breath a sigh of relief as the water trickles down my thigh and I can feel your hands wash away the guilt Ahhh Close your eyes and see him My imaginary man he dwells in my dreams.
-ask
The game Ayiti (Haiti) isn't my type of game I really don't play games at all. I just sit home and watch TV. The game was hard to play and I was confusing, Every time I would put one of the family members at work my. The only time I play games is when i have nothing to do.I like Need For Speed Pro Street and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Need for speed is a fun game to play is better then just sitting down playing a PC game. There more action, you can customize your own car and performance of your car. You can also take over your city to make your self known.
Everybody loves shooting games, Call Of Duty Modern warfare 2. That the most popular shooting game in the country. Who doesn't play that game. Honestly I was playing Call of Duty ever since the first one. I like to play it online for x box 360.
Tron Legacy
"The player must guide a blue Light Cycle in an arena, while avoiding the walls and trails (walls of light) created by his/her Light Cycle and that of his/her opponent. The player must maneuver quickly to force opponents to run into walls. The enemy cycles have a fixed behavior pattern for each level and the player can find a pattern which will defeat them every time on this level. The Light Cycle colors from the film are reversed in the game, where the player drives the blue cycle and the enemy the yellow cycle. In the film, the protagonists' cycles are yellow, orange, and red, and the enemies' are blue. Tron"
I think that everyone has atleast once played this game, for some reason for me it is very addicting but is so simple. Now they are comming out with a movie for it that could be a toss up for good and bad. I feel from watching the trayler below that it will be a very intersting movie.
It is very hard to make a movie out of a video game, look at Resident Evil, it was kinda corny. I mean there were good parts of the movie but it is very hard to make a movie out of a video game. So i have mix reactions towards this movie, hopefully it isn't to corny.
- get embed code for video
- click "source" in the body field; paste embed code into body field
- choose "full HTML" from Input Format menu
Disney's latest animation movie to come out in theaters is The Princess and the Frog. A classic story with a twist of a frog being kissed by a beautiful girl, in this case princess, and turning him into prince charming, only instead the girl turns into a frog herself. I'm not writing about this movie though to state the plot, I'm focusing more on the character. In the past, Disney has made most of their princesses white, however with their latest film, they seem to be attempting to break down the stereotypical princess and are branching out more to the general public. Pocahontas was another film that broke from the white image and centered more around Native Americans. Mulan took place in China and The Little Mermaid had red hair. There seems to be more emphasis now-a-days to appeal to all sides. The point is, by making their characters more varied and closer to other peoples traits or where they come from, they are getting access into their homes as they become more inviting and open. It will be interesting to see what other characters are created in years to come.
Pocahontas
Something I have become interested in learning more about is how to make a picture striking so that someone is taken back by the picture. I started to become interested in Steve McCurry because of the first photo that I saw. It was of a man in a boat going town a very green river and in his boat were flowers of multiple types and colors. The picture was taken from behind so that the flowers were the focal point which made the picture even more striking. So far I have learned how dedicated he is to his work. He has made fifteen trips to India and multiple trips to countries such as Afghanistan and Burma. There was one story about when he started taking pictures in the category of photojournalism. McCurry was covering the Soviet War in Afghanistan. He hid camera inside his clothes while he was wearing native dress. This shows how fearless and determined he was and it earned him countless awards including the "Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting Abroad"(1). Steve McCurry has as written several books and taken one of the most recognizable pictures in the world (left) found at a website.
The information about Steve McCurry is from Steve's Website This is the official site of Steve McCurry. The information that I've been reading is from Steve McCurry's personal web page that shows a multitude of different galleries that he has created. His style is extraordinarily shocking uses of color and his ability to capture the human soul on camera. This relates to me and my interests because I have been trying to create pictures that are intriguing due to my use of color. One thing that surprised me was how much I liked his portraits. He was able to use striking colors in his portraits (this picture is a great example). One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is how he gets people to pose in such a striking way and/or if they are candid photographs.
Steve McCurry is still taking pictures today all around the world. As a photojournalists, It was McCurry's job to travel to anyplace where there was news. This meant he would be in impoverished or war torn countries quite frequently. McCurry has spent a lot of time in the middle east covering Afghanistan's work. This particular picture was taken in Afghanistan in 1984 and inspired a 2002 documentary that searched for the girls identity.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Steve McCurry, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this additional interview. This article is titled "Interview of the Month: Steve McCurry. provided a lot of information and opinions on color showing emotions..
"Creatively, I imagine and visualize photo possibilities wherever I am. I" Steve McCurry. This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel inspired. I understand what he means, and I want to try and do this when I am out taking pictures. This might be the key to taking pictures that are more thought provoking because then they will be more planned out.
In the article, Interview with Steve McCurry, there was a statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: I find them (the underdeveloped regions of Asia) far more visually rich than western countries" Steve McCurry. This is true because I know that rural Asia has a lot more wildlife. I think that underdeveloped regions are more interesting to photograph because they have more colors and the people are more in touch with their cultures. In cities there is a mix of many different types of people so you cannot get a sense of any one culture or group of people it's more of a mesh of cultures. I have not been to Asia but I know that in North America and Africa, the underdeveloped places have been more interesting to photograph. Since most of the US is developed, it is harder to find areas that are very interesting.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work where I think it could be improved if there was more color.
All of this connects to this picture because I would like to improve this picture so that people will be drawn to it. Steve McCurry's pictures use color to make it look really interesting and I would like to do this in my picture. Overall the article helped me understand how Steve McCurry takes such great pictures.
Next, with my own work, I hope to explore color so that I can take pictures that evoke more emotion. My next step will be to find a place that I think would be a good setting for a picture and then create an image around that place. This will help me understand how to put more thought into my photographs. I want to learn how to make an image more intriguing. I hope to explore emotions through color in my next picture, which I hope will make my pictures more intriguing. I hope to accomplish the most interesting photographs possible, I think my work will become more advance.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is global photography. I started to become interested in Steve McCurry because he travels around the world taking fantastic photos. So far I have learned that anywhere you go, photos are waiting to be taken.
This information is from Steve McCurry's website. The source of this information is a gallery that shows Steve McCurry's work in certain categories.
This topic "going everywhere and anywhere" relates to me and my interests because I've gone around NYC to take photos and I even took photos in California.
One thing that surprised me was how he captured the emotion of the country in every photo. Something I wonder about this person's work and life is what specific country meant the most to him when he took these amazing photos.
Global photography was easily accessible during Steve McCurry's prime. He could take a plane to just about anywhere in the world, and in that country, take the emotional and detailed photos that his followers have become accustomed to.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on global photos, I chose to do some research on the topic. As I searched for another source of information about McCurry, I came across this interview/report on Steve McCurry. This article provided a lot of information and opinions on Steve McCurry's life and successes.
"If you wait," he realized, "people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view." This quote by McCurry didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel exactly how I did when I first saw his photos. The emotion he puts into his photos have easily translated into my own work. This quote epitomizes how he became a great photographer.
In another article about McCurry, there was this one statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: He disguised himself in the local garb and crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to capture the war-torn country on film. He had to sew his rolls of film into the hem of his clothes to get them out of the country but it was definitely worth the risk. This is so true because it proves how dedicated he was to his work. The world needed to know what was going on and McCurry was man for the job as proven by this quote. McCurry was willing to do anything to capture some great photos.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my photos. All of this makes me think that that if I become dedicated to photography and become able to show my emotion in my pictures then who knows where my photos will take me? The sky is the limit if you put in the neccessary work. Next, with my own work, I hope to go outdoors and let the moments happen just like Steve McCurry does. The amazing photographs will happen if you are willing to wait for them to drift into your view. Steve McCurry is an inspiring photographer whose work has made me want to become even better in this field. When one accepts anything put the best, they are failing themselves. Why not try your hardest to be the best you can be? Steve McCurry had that attitude when he put his life on the line to show the world what was going on. That is why is the person who inspired me.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is scenic pictures that pop. I started to become interested in Steve McCurry because his photographs of NYC are exactly the kinds of pictures I aspire to take. So far I have learned McCurry is most famous for his photograph of 'afghan girl' and takes many trips to foreign countries where most of his photography takes place.
This photograph is from Steve McCurry's website, link is below.
This information is from http://www.stevemccurry.com/main.php. The source of this information is Steve McCurry's website to promote his artwork.
This topic of capturing the feeling of the moment in one single photograph relates to me and my interests because in my photography I try to capture the essence of the city in one photograph. One thing that surprised me was that I had only been looking at McCurry's city photos and then I was surprised to find out that he is really famous for his pictures of foreign places. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is how McCurry has perfected the feeling of a moment in a photograph.
Steve McCurry was involved with over sea places within the last decade or so. He very often takes pictures there in places all over including India, Tibet and Afghanistan.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Steve McCurry, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this additional website: Steve McCurry's personal blog http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/ . This website provided a lot of information and opinions on his photography.
"If you look at the photographers whose work is widely admired you’ll see that they’ve found a particular place or a subject, dug deep into it, and carved out something that’s become special.". This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel intrigued. I began to wonder how a well renowned photographer even begins to think of what topic they should dig deep into, what topic will make their photographs stand out.
In the article, Don't Wait for the Phone to Ring, http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/ , there was a statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: "Leave home or leave your comfort zone. Being a good photographer doesn’t necessarily mean you travel to distant places, but you do need to get out of your comfort zone and explore, wander and observe." This is so true because if you don't leave what you know, you will never learn and just keep on continuing with the same and the old things. Great pieces of art come from unexpected places.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work "Snowy Boardwalk" 
. All of this makes me realize that to capture better photographs I must step out of the usual, easy photos to take and take pictures in new places. McCurry takes most of his photos in foreign countries, places that are most likely not comfort zones to him and he produces very great and provocative images.
Next, with my own work, I hope to take better pictures by exploring new places. I want to explore new neighborhoods for my photographs. I hope to accomplish a new and exciting vibe in my new few rounds of images.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is taking pictures of landscapes and children and the environment they are in. I started to become interested in Sally Mann because she seems to portray nature in most of her photos but with children in them as well. So far I have learned that the children shown in her photographs are her own children and she took these shots of them when they were little. She seems very into her profession and the job she has chosen for herself. People have many different opinions on her photograph, since she takes photos of children and they are often seen naked in them. Some people consider it beautiful and some do not see it as appealing. The area in which she lives in (Virginia) has a great aspect on the nature that she captures in her photographs.
This information is from PBS. The source of this information is to include some information on Sally Mann and the bodies of work she has created so far and some information oh her. The information that I've been reading is from the Robert Koch Gallery.
This topic of nature and children relates to me and my interests because I take pictures of nature as well, but in a different form. I take pictures of flowers. One thing that surprised me was that Sally Mann doesn't really take pictures relating to one set theme but instead takes pictures of many different aspects that revolve around her house in Virginia, most of her photos having to do with nature. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is what made her want to do the job that she does and what interests her about pictures of children.
Sally Mann still takes photographs today in her Virginia home using the nature around her as the setting in her photographs. She has been taking pictures as a hobby and an occupation for a while now.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Sally Mann, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this additional video from ART 21. This video provided a lot of information and opinions on Sally Mann and the way that she does her photograph and her own methods.
"But of course, its the flaws I like, so you pray. In your prayer, you pray 'please don't let me screw it up, but just screw it up a little bit just to make enough to make it interesting". This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel interested. This makes me think about the way that Sally Mann takes her pictures and that she doesn't only think about making it perfect. She likes the flaws she makes because it shows that she put effort into and that she tried her best in what she does. Plus, I think she is trying to say that your flaws show that you're unique and you are you since nobody else would make those same flaws.
In the article from Encyclopedia from Answer.com , there was a statement that made me nod in agreement with the writer. It was: "Mann's black-and-white photographs are made with a large-format view camera, and thoughtfully and skilfully printed." This is so true because Sally Mann really does think about the way she angles things and the way that she takes her photographs. The article says that her photographs are "thoughtfully and skillfully printed" which is true because she really thinks about what she does before she does it.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work.
All of this made this really think about getting pictures of landscapes and nature. The way Sally Mann takes pictures of nature is next to her house in Virginia but she also incorporates her children in these pictures. I usually take photos of flowers, and looking at the kinds of pictures Sally Mann takes took me by surprise.
Next, with my own work, I hope to take more photos of nature scenes instead of pictures of just direct flowers in macro. Since the winter is almost over, it would be a good idea to take pictures of nature scenes and how the weather is changing and how beautiful everything is! I hope to accomplish different kinds of photos of flowers and of nature!
Something I have become interested in learning more about is how to capture a wide range of colors in a photo to express a complicated mood. I started to become interested in Richard Misrach because his color is so extraordinary and his contrast is just amazing, and really captures me and keeps me staring into the photo and thinking about it. So far I have learned that Richard Misrach tries to express these complex ideas by being ambiguous and striking the audience in such a way that they might be perplexed by the color and content of a photo.
This information is from Art Info. The source of this information is an interview. The information that I've been reading is written by Robert Ayers on Art Info based on his interview with Richard Misrach.
This topic of odd and complex mood in his photos relates to me and my interests because I love being a confusing person and creating confusing work so people really have to take another look and think twice about it. A good photo is one that people look at many times and find something new everytime. One thing that surprised me was his influence for his "On The Beach" photos. During that shoot, he had three pictures of people falling from windows on 9/11, he felt the deep emotion and danger in these photos, and he wanted to apply that to his own beach work. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is what his main influence is for being so mysterious and creating perplexing, striking work.
Richard Misrach was involved with the development of color photography and large-scale presentation. His Desert Cantos was his most famous production and expressed his interest in creating odd and confusing color and contrast to represent the complex relationship between man and the landscape.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Richard Misrach, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this additional website: Richard Misrach catalogue. This website provided a lot of information and opinions on the complexity of his work.
"The human struggle, the successes and failures, the use and abuse, both noble and foolish, are readily apparent in the desert"- Richard Misrach. This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel confident that if I understand the emotions of man I can capture them in unique situations. He was obviously more than simply a photographer, but he was a philiosophical man who was interested in understanding the complex relationships in the world between men and nature. He looked for symbols and relationships in nature to represent these relationships.
In the article, Richard Misrach Catalogue, there was a statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: "We must maintain constant vigilance, to protect the world from ourselves, and to embrace the world as it exists." This is so true because in his work he exhibits a careful balance of nature through his complex colors. He is saying the world is a beautiful place, and we need to realize that and enjoy that. He chooses to enjoy it by capturing the beauty in striking photos.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work Such as when I tried to capture the sky reflecting on the water, It would have been nicer if my lighting was better.
All of this develops the idea that photography is simply not a nice picture. Photography is art, and it reflects what the artist feels. The artist's feeling can either be internal or cannot represent external situations in nature.
Next, with my own work, I hope to capture more photos that contain a larger idea than what might appear. Richard Misrach spent years trying to get perfect pictures. Patience is key to understanding ourselves. Understanding ourselves is key to creating complex photos. I hope to express my emotions and relationships with nature in my future photos.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is landscape pictures. I started to become interested in Steve McCurry because his pictures are really amazing and unique and show so much talent. So far I have learned that Steve travels all over the world to take pictures, he has galleries from all different parts of the world on his website.
This information is from http://www.stevemccurry.com/. The source of this information is to show off Steve McCurry's work. The information that I've been reading is from Steve McCurry.
This topic, Global Photojournalism - contemporary, relates to me and my interests because I really enjoy taking pictures of places that are all different that bring out the characteristics of the place they were taken in. One thing that surprised me was how similar and how different the pictures were from one another. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is how they decided they wanted to travel the world just for photography.
Steve McCurry was involved with the late 90's. Most of his pictures are from 1995-1997. He dates all of his pictures from the different parts of the world. Though, some of his pictures were from years like 1979, 1980, 1984, 2000, 1992, etc.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Steve McCurry, I chose to do some research on the topic. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this article: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/phot.... This article provided a lot of information and opinions on Steve McCurry.
"In the finest documentary tradition, McCurry captures the essence of human struggle and joy." This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel like the writer of the article was capturing my thoughts about Steve's work and putting it into a sentence. Whenever I would look at Steve McCurry's work, I would always notice a pattern throughout all of his pictures, but I couldn't quite put a title on what the pattern was. The writer of this article put a title to the pattern that I kept noticing in Steve's pictures.
In another article, "Hasselblad Captures the Big Picture", there was this one statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. This article is found at this link, http://www.hasselbladusa.com/user-showcase/steve-mccurry.aspx. The statement I agree with is: "Steve McCurry (www.stevemccurry.com) is a master image-maker renowned for capturing the human consequences of war and civil conflict in color-soaked portraits and photojournalistic scenes" This is so true because in his pictures he takes one picture of something that can give you a whole lot of ideas about the place it was taken in. For example, Steve has an album in his gallery section called "landscapes." In this album, every single picture gives off information about the place and the culture in the place.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my landscape and sunset pictures. All of this makes me think that the pictures I take of landscapes can really give someone an idea of what the place is like.
Next, with my own work, I hope to show as much about the places I take pictures in as Steve McCurry does with his pictures. I hope to accomplish this, so that my pictures can become more interesting and exciting for people to look at.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is photographing landscapes and using light to create contrast in my photos. I started to become interested in Michael Kenna because he took amazing photographs of landscapes. Michael Kenna was born in Britian in 1953. He takes contemporary landscape pictures in black and white. Sometimes he takes pictures at night with extremely long exposures. He has also worked for large companies, such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz. One of his photos, Snow Covered Pier, caught my attention.
This information is from the Weston Gallery website. The Weston Gallery is in California and displays some of Kenna's work. They have some of Kenna's work on exhibition.
This topic relates to me and my interests because I like taking pictures of landscapes using light to make things look nice. I would like to try it in black and white. One thing that surprised me was I had seen Michael Kenna's work before, in a calendar. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is how someone can take the perfect picture in nature? How do you get your environment to do what you want it to?
Michael Kenna was involved with incorporating the natural with the artificial, as we can see in Abandoned Oyster Dock and Highway One where he uses the man-made pier and road as a bridge into the world of Mother Nature.
Abandoned Oyster Dock and Highway One
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Michael Kenna, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about him, I came across Michael Kenna's website. This website provided a lot of information and opinions about Michael Kenna's photographs and personal life.
I saw that he did a lot of commercial work for large corporations. This didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel weird because I realized that I had seen his work in that aspect before as well.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work Double Sunset. I think of this piece because I also used a man-made object to merge the natural and unnatural (the dock).
All of this really makes me take a new look at the world of photography. I'm really thinking about starting a series of photographs about a single theme, taken from a single location. This is what Michael Kenna did, so I would like to try it as well.
Next, with my own work, I hope to start taking sets of pictures that revolve around a single theme. I would like to try taking some black and white photographs. I would like to try having the weather to revolve around my photographs, instead of my photographs revolving around the weather.
Something I have become interested in learning more about is nature. I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because it struck me how he was able to make nature stand out beautifully, even in black and white. So far I have learned that Ansel Adams primarily focuses on taking photos in black and white.
This information is from http://www.anseladams.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=199. The source of this information is from Ansel Adams's gallery website. The information that I've been reading is from Ansel Adams's photo gallery site.
This topic, nature, relates to me and my interests because my main focus was urban life and nature. I wanted to start to incorporate more nature in my photos since I found that I had been focusing more on urban life and less of nature. One thing that surprised me was that when Ansel Adams was very young, he and his family had been in an earthquake. Since he was relatively wealthy before, the quake took away much of his family's money leaving them in a very difficult position. One thing that I wonder about this person's work and life is how was he broke at one point of his life even when he had such success in photography?
Ansel Adams was involved with the earthquake in 1906 and terribly suffered from it. Due to the fire as well, Ansel and his family lost most of the fortune that they had saved up. Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on Ansel Adams, I chose to do some more research. As I searched for another source of information about this person, I came across this additional website: Ansel Adams and the Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/history/anseladams/ . This website provided a lot of information and opinions on his view of nature.
"Adams' images were first used for environmental purposes when the Sierra Club was seeking the creation of a national park in the Kings River region of the Sierra Nevada." This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel happy. I felt very happy for Adams when I read this line because I saw how his work was being recognized and appreciated. Even after such a life traumatizing event, Ansel was able to grow and move on as well as become successful.
In the article, Ansel Adams and the Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/history/anseladams/, there was a statement that made me <nod my head in agreement / shake my head in disagreement> with the writer. It was: "Adams was often criticized for not including humans in his photographs and for representing an idealized wilderness that no longer exists." This is so true because in our word today, technology and other things have gotten in the way of nature. With new buildings created every day, trees have to be cut down therefore less nature remains. I admire Ansel Adams that he was able to capture nature without the interference of people or the modern world, in his photographs.
Now that I have done this research, it makes me think more about my own work and my themes of urban life and nature.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4305186024_041631171a.jpg. All of this that I've learned about Ansel Adams has inspired me to try including just nature in my photos. Adams was able to make such strikingly beautiful photos with nature that I want to try it out for myself. In my next body of work I want to focus on nature in my photos because of Adams's work.
Next, with my own work, I hope to include mainly nature in my photos. I hope to accomplish being able to primarily have nature in my work. Then, later on I can see how I can include urban life while still having the main focus be nature.
Poetry to me is more than life. Its so important to me. Its been important to me since I first learned how to make correct sentences. First when I use to write, I like to make it rhyme, then after I realized thAT I didn't have to rhyme all the time and it would still make sense.
Writing poetry takes my mind off of bad things that happened in my life and allowed me to put it on paper and cope with it. I love to write. I also think that I am a great writer and it puts me at ease. A lot of people that read my poetry think that I am a good writer and that I write deeply.
I love to write deepn and in depth because it gives my poems multiple meanings. For example, anyone who read it can interpret it in any way they want. It doesn't matter how they interpret it because they will always be right.
One day I want to write a poetry book so that I can show the world another way to think and another way to view the world. We all live on one big earth that rotates our thoughts all day.
Do you like poetry ? Do you also want to write a poetry book? or even read my poems?
So my brother has the game system called Xbox right. He also has a game for it called Modern Warfare 2. He's so addicted to the game that when he comes straight home from school or work or hanging out, he goes straight to the living room, and turns on that specific game. He doesn't even take off his clothes or his coat or his shoes. He just plays.
He could even play for 6 hours straight with no water break or bathroom break. I think hes now crossed the line to addicted. I think its so sad. He always gets in trouble too because he doesn't do thingas that hes suppose to because hes so caught up. It's kind of pathedic to me.
I think he should stop before it ruins his life. Sometimes hes even late for school or work because of his game addiction. His favorite line is "im live, so don't bother me". Ib hate when he says that it pisses me off so much. Hes soi ridiculous.
Why are people so addicted to these games. These games to me are pointless and maybe just a tad bit exciting. Im going to try to play this game one day so I can see what the fuss is all about
Not all games are the same. Some are on box 360 played to have fun. Others seem to be designed to just fin sh the game without analyzing it. The response they want to get is " your game was amazing." while some games are only played for just to have fun. I enjoy playing games like Modern warfare 2 because i like to play bloodshed game and where we kill people.
I spend a lot of time playing modern war fare 2. I like to play those games where they use different kinds of arms to kill the enemies. I love to play left 4 dead, dark mirror and modern warfare 2. Everything that describes my choice of game is blood shed and killing.I love to make head shots. I enjoy knowing that I'm one step closer to to being the winner. If i happen to lose , i do what any player would do is just get kind of piss. I tell myself that it's just a game and I should just play it for fun.
Recently, I've been spending some time playing the game dark mirror. This a game in which you have to be a CIA agent and have to eliminate your enemies.The goal of the game is for people to have fun when they play it. when I play i love to use a sniper rifle and make head shots. One of my favorite mission to play is when i have to save the girl and it's crazy when you play it. In the end of the game, if your are lucky enough to make the end of Dark mirror at the end all agents have a meeting where they discuss about other mission. My personal favorite end was of the game Modern war fare 2. When my player kills the traitor by throw the knife. As you accomplished some mission in the game. You can unlock some achievements but you can only unlock the achievement only on xbox 360.
The first you will play, you should start with the easy difficulty. When the first time time you play you will be amazed because of the graphics are so real. After you finish the first and second mission you will get the hang off the game. You get better aim. Also you will understand the game better.
There are times when you are playing this game that you want to quit. You don't want to quit because it's the best game I have ever played. The hurdles that you will face is that some times you will be getting killed really fast because it's not a easy game. But keep going on because it's a great game and have a interesting story. So you keep playing, keep trying. Trying to complete the game. You want to get the hang of different weapons because when you play online you will not be a noob.
Playing Soccer in the Rain.
Usually begin and end suddenly. Relatively short-lived, but may last half an hour. Fall from cumulus clouds, often separated by blue sky. Rain
It is cold and gloomy; you’re sitting in class waiting for the bell to ring so that you can check out of school. You hear the soft hits of rain on the glass window right beside you. Bring Bring!! The bell rings everyone is quick to leave the classroom, picking up your stuff and scampering out. On the way to your car you realize how cold it is, your hands start to turn blue and you feel the cold sensation that to arouse in your fingertips, the visualization of playing soccer in the rain is strong.
The warm up is cold, doing lap by lap trying to warm up your cold body so no to pull anything while you play. Sitting on the wet ground trying to stretch you feel the water seep through your shorts and you quickly react by standing. Everyone is all bundled up and the few fans that are in the stands try to stay as bundled up as possible. The whistle blows to have everyone on the field ready to play.
For a second everything is quite but the rain prancing around you. The sweat from warming up drips down your face with quickness because of the rain. The game begins, the field turns to mud and everything becomes a little sloppier.
The sensation of rain while playing soccer brings a different element to the game. A soccer game in the rain always has something special about it. From scoring a goal because of how fast the ball skips across the wet ground to a perfect sliding tackle and standing up looking like a warrior because you’re covered with mud.
Soccer in the Rain is a whole different element.
Kashif Spence
Something that I have been interested in learning more about has been the plans that different manufactures have for cars of the future. I remember my cousin working on his car during the summer, but I never knew that much about cars of the future. I always focused on the present not the cars that would com out years from now. Lately, the issue has caught my eye again. I know that many people feel that you can't really pay attention to cars of the future, because they often change there designs for cars to something else so you really don't. From what I have heard, is that the designs you see are mostly the same just minor details are changed. For example, I heard that there was a new BMW that was coming out with a car that has adaptive skin. Now that's just what I've heard, it may or may not be true.
One thing that I know for sure about cars of the future is that it most likely come out within a decade. Now I've studied my share of history based on cars and it is very interesting. What do you believe? Personally, it's funny to me how cars have became such a important part of people lives today.
Cars was important to me because it is a commonly used of transportation, and a very unique machinery. Cars use engines which have combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber which then applies force to recreate mechanical energy.Which result in the car moving.
Being that I didn't have a lot of background information on cars , I chose to do some research on the topic. As I searched for blogs and news articles on Google, I came across this one article: "BMW GINA Light Visionary Model: The BMW of the future?".This article provided a lot of information and opinions on cars of the future. Some people felt that cars of the future were in pre-production but it is not it is just a exercise in technology and design. It may come out but it based on the future.BMW says shouldn't be thought of as "just another concept car," but rather "a whole new approach to automotive design."This statement didn't really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel surprised . BMW is trying to be a unique company that makes cars that eye turners, and very exotic. Basically they are trying to seperate themselves from other manufactures.
"BMW Concept ActiveE" there was this one statement that made me nod my head in agreement with the writer. It was: "BMW's next chapter in its EfficientDynamics program calls for a new all-electric vehicle to complement its current fleet of leased Mini E electric subcompacts".This is so true , because other manufactures such as toyota,honda, and nissan have made designs for a all electric cars. BMW should have had one in pre-production already to keep in competition with those other company's.
In one podcast, Car Tech Live there was this one statement that made me node my head in agreement with the writer. It was: "cars are constantly changing just when you think you have a updated car a next one comes out better than your one "This is so true, manufactures need to keep on coming with cars frequently. To have there buyers coming so just when you think you have the latest car out there a couple months later you are outdated.
All of this makes me think that technology, and everything that we are surrounded by keeps changing. Technology, man made things are always gonna be become more advance by time goes by.
From the information I have got it is noted "A ghost is a human being who has passed out of the physical body, usually in a traumatic state and is not aware usually of his true condition due to trauma, is stuck in our physical world and needs to be released to go on." An intelligent haunting means that a ghost, or disembodied voice, will try to communicate with you directly. They would speak to you, or stop and seem to look directly at you, or even touch you. In some cases, they would respond to your questions, and actually do what you ask them to do. At times, these can be as real to you as if you were with someone in real life. In this type of haunting, ghosts will absolutely try to get you to notice them if they feel the need. Most ghosts have something to say, and want to speak to those willing to listen. Random voices to us mean that we haven't taken the time to investigate properly. If ghosts speak at all, they are serious about communicating, and we must give them the proper time to do that. Some people can actually see ghosts while others can't. Usually the people who can't see the ghosts say they don't believe in them but others have their opinions and believe in them because of movies, book, people etc...
In my opinion I don't believe in ghosts because I just believe in what I see. So since I don't see ghosts in real life, I don't believe in them. I've seen movies or t.v. shows on ghosts and they freak me out but thats only in movies, I don't really know if ghosts are scary since I never seen them. From pictures I had seen, the ghosts are like almost invisible, but you can see curvy lines making up a hazy person. Do you believe in ghosts?
This is a question that most people wonder about and most never get to answer. Usually, people are able to predict this if they are held at gunpoint or if they have a disease and a professional was able to tell them when they will die because of the disease. Death is an interesting topic because it is something that is irreversible and what most people are curious about. When people think about death, they wonder if they get to go to hell or heaven, at what age they will die, and obviously how. For myself, I always hope that I will die old enough to have had children, seen them grow into adulthood, educated them, and lived to see my grandchildren. I always wonder what the outcome of my death would be and how it might affect others. But, if you think about it, your own death doesn't affect you because right after it, you are gone. Nothing more will be left for you and you won't be able to miss anyone, unless of course, there is an after life.
Game Space:
- They layout of my game will be like a board, avatar taking up 1 space on the board. The first levels will have bigger boards because they will be easier. However, after a lot of game play and higher levels, board gets smaller, and the population of villans increase. I am not sure of what the dimensions for the board will be yet.
Components:
- Ninjat Turtles (Avatars). The player is one of the Four Ninja Turtles from the famous Television Show
- Many Levels, each having different difficulties that must be solved. It is basically a board game with challenges that have a goal in the end.
- Defeating evil villans will get you points, being killed by evil villans will take a life from your life count
- Starting and Finishing point. Starting point is where you begin the game. While the Ending point is where one goes to get to the next level of Ninja Turtle Fun.
- Different Obsticales in different levels. Including mysterious holes, dissapearing ninjas, and the SHREDDER.
Rules:
- Players have to stick to one avatar. You are not allowed to change avatars
- Players have to start the entire game over if they lose all their lives
- Players cannot move out of the board, or they will lose a life
- Players have a certain time limit to complete the level, if not completed by this time, they lose a life, and have to start the level over again.
- Players are restricted to only playing 20 minutes of the game everyday.
- Players must save their data, in order to returen to the game in the same place, if not they will return from last time saved.
Goals:
- Complete every level, until final level where you have to destroy the MASTER SHREDDER.
- Collect weapons a long the way for extra points.
- Defeat the master shredder at the end of the game for complete SUCCESS.
Core Mechanics:
- Playes must not fall into hidden holes and must reach every obsticale in order to compeletly pass a level.
- Players must avoid being killed by evil villans that work for the SHREDDER.
- Players must have passed each level by the certain time
Choice:
The only choice the player gets is to choose which Ninja Turtle he wants to use in his persuit to destroy the Shredder. The rest the player leaves in the hands of the creator of the game.
As I casually strolled about facebook (my normal hiatus from Sunday night procrastination...I mean homework), I found myself itching to press the 'like' button under Collin Murphy's status: "Senoritis". What is senioritis? Unlike any other illness that ends in 'itis', it is actually a psuedo-disease of procrastination, impatience, etc. Okay, like right there. Instead of thinking for more than twenty seconds about another word to describe it, I used the good ol' 'etc'. But anyway, I didn't press that 'like' button. When I stopped to consider the fact that I was sitting on facebook, yet again, contemplating the literal mounds of homework sitting unfinished on various surfaces about my room, and not doing anything about it but feeling guilty, I couldn't bring myself to even look at the word 'Senioritis' anymore. I wish it were that easy, to have an excuse for everything I'm not doing. But it's not. Sure, I believe that us high school veterans are more likely to suffer from boredom. I mean, we have been walking down the same hallways, listening to the same voices, eating the same food, and complaining about the same homework for four years. But thinking about it now, I wish that I had been more appreciative and hard working during those years. Isn't it funny that you don't realize your own potential until it's too late? That's what it feels like to me, anyway. 'Senioritis' is bittersweet- it's the unquenchable thirst for freedom from the monotony of highschool, and a stabbing fear of what that freedom actually means. Now, I don't normally have these internal struggles on facebook, because usually facebook doesn't require too much thought process. But this boy's simple one word status made me realize how much I might've missed out on, just because I chose to blame my dwindling efforts on 'Senioritis.' Call it my second wind, because I feel a change in the air. We're graduating soon- I want to make sure I can accept my diploma knowing I gave all that I got.
Not all games are the same. There is a variety of different games you could play because you have the option to play a computer game or you could play a board game or a game on a console like X box 360 or Play Station 3 which are played for various reasons. For example a family might play connect four or monopoly. Others seem to be designed to fit the interest of the variety of society because not everyone likes to play the same type of games, while some people like shooter games others might enjoy racing. Whatever the game is, the goals are always the same which is to create a game that will not only be played world wide but keep gamers hooked for a long period of time so they can continue to profit. I enjoy playing games because when your playing a game you tend to put yourself in your gamers shoes so if your about to die or crash you jump or get nervous because you feel like the person your playing as is you and you wouldn't let yourself get hurt to you try to protect yourself or get out of the way in whatever the situation may be. I feel as if its a normal reaction people who play games have because even as a little kid when I would play mario kart(racing game) I would always lean left for left turns and right for right ones, and its amazing how much graphics can impact the gaming because it feels so real when your controlling a body about to go into some woods so your body creates adrenaline.
I occasionally enjoy going online and playing either a racing, sport, shooter or role playing game. Some games I like to play are Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2, Fifa 10, NFS: Own the City, and Guitar Hero III. Im basically into anything and everything that really helps you get into it and motivated to win, so most likely I wouldnt play something like Chess online or other games about super heros like Batman. I love to play these games because when I play them I build up excitement thats entertaining to me and its fun to pretend your going 160 in a car when your playing NFS or shooting down a helicopter in Call of Duty. In a weird way I love when I get so energetic because I can be in a bad mood or quiet mood but once I start playing I go back to the regular energetic me that tends to scream when he gets mad. Im different when I'm playing a game because I dont mean to sound like a loser but the feeling you get when you win is just really accomplished and while you may not be winning some big type of trophy, in a way you are whether you have a physical item or not to prove you won at the end of the game you feel the same way someone who would win a important compition would. I'll admit I like messing with people who are not as good as me (not to sound cocky), for example if I'm playing Call of Duty I like to chase my enemy without him knowing im behind him for a while and then shooting him. I enjoy knowing that im progressing in the game because its just like something you get to check off your list of things you want to do in your life. When I lose it only motivates me to come back ten times harder because Im very competitive so I feel the need to get some type of revenge while simultaneously proving that im good too, and if the game ends and I dont get the chance to get my payback I'll stay in the same lobby so I can play with the same people next game so in a way I can still get my payback.
Recently I've spent more time playing the game Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2. This is a shooter game in which you have to look for your enemy and kill them, using strategic methods. The good thing about this game is you don't necessarily have to learn a certain set of moves because everyone plays differently and any combination of moves can be successful. the goal of the game is pretty simple basically to reach the best of the best and to do that you have to constantly play everyday of every week which is very high maintenance and some people can put up with playing the same game basically doing the same thing everyday and others like me like to play every now and then. The goal is far from easy because one gets ranks so when you first start your rank is one and once you get a certain amount of points you get to level to and the more you rank up the more points you need to get to the next rank until you get to 70, once you get to 70 you can stay there or prestige and if you prestige you basically start all over from one and the process repeats nine more times after that. There are many obstacles but there all the same in a way; which are the players online with the same goal. When you play the game sets you up in a lobby with several other players that are equally the same level as you not in terms of ranking but in terms of skill. I never feel the need to talk myself out of feeling bad about a game because I know I'm going to be playing many games after it so I know to learn from my mistakes for the next game. There really is no end for the game because even when you've done the long process ten times it isnt as if you cant play anymore theres just no more you can do, like a "you've done it all" type of end.
The first time you play the game, you can get pretty over whelmed because its pretty fast in the sense that you have to have good reflexes to be good at the game or you'll have a difficult time enjoying the game. Players that are already accustomed to the game will be faster as opposed to someone who's been playing longer so you might barely even see the player coming at you because your not used to having to act so fast. It isnt until about the third or fourth time you play that you start to realize exactly how the game works and what not to do and what helps you, once you recognize how to read what your enemy will do you can make moves for the future(which is like 5-10 seconds later) that'll place you in a position of victory. As you get more into the game you'll find there are various techniques that you can use to defeat your opponent such as crouching down, or throwing a flash bang to blind him/her for a couple seconds and then kill them, it all depends on how much you play.
Theres going to be plenty of times while playing this game that your going to want to quit but you shouldnt because all it means is that you need to step up your game and if you dont want to turn off your console but majority of people want to be good so they'll have no choice but to step it up. The only obstacles you'll have to encounter will be the players from all around the world playing with the same intentions as you which is to reach the top, and it gets pretty tough at times but you keep going because you know if you do you put yourself at a higher standing then if you were to just stop playing, even if you dont play your best you can always get rewards and points for doing something so you theres really no such thing as not leveling up at all because each game gives you points. You know you keep playing because even though the game is tough you know if it was easy it'd get boring which is not what you want as a gamer, you want a game that'll let you succeed and feel good but challenge you to see how good you really are.
I'm holding onto a rope
I should have cut
And let go a long time ago
Feeling the pain
Of your absence and presence
I'm slowly deteriorating
My heart cries out
This love that was found
Three years ago
That still haunts my dreams
Til this very day
A knife that cuts so deep
I bleed tears of confusion
Flowing from my body
Like water from a well
Filling up and running over
My very soul
Dried streams
On my face
As I think of what was
And what could have been
But is no longer
Nor will ever be
Leftover emotions
I must throw them out
Like all those tissues
Gone to waste because of you
I should cry no longer
But I'm not that strong yet
So I'll stick to my book
And write down my madness
Madness for and over you
I still love you...
