Cooper, TX

Fellow Classmates

Swine Flu

What newest craze is all the kids at school talking about? This Swine Flu. It's the newest thing. Everyone has to have it. What is awesome is that you can get it for free but the price may be fatal. Aw!!!!! OK on the serious side. I'm up in the air as to whether I should be concerned or not about the swine flu. Yes it's true that this virus is fatal. It has killed many already. But the seasonal flu kills numerous people every year. What makes me the most nervous is that I have 3 elementary aged children. I question is the risk of the vaccine because I've heard conflicting reactions. On the news, 'experts' say that the vaccine is harmless and no more dangerous than getting the seasonal vaccination. On the other hand my grandmother's doctor said that he wouldn't get the swine flu vaccine himself unless it gets tested first. I can understand what he is saying. It's not worth the risk. When you think about it, the swine flu is not all that dangerous. The children who have died have mainly had underlining health conditions already. I have decided to give my children just the regular seasonal flu shot until the swine flu shot gets fully tested and a seal of approval.

Balloon Boy

As a parent there is nothing more terrifying than imagining your child in harm's way. I was horrified thinking this young boy was trapped in a balloon scared for his life. It was hard not to imagine my 6 year old son in the same prediciment. Imaginaing his fright as he falls out of the sky. When I heard that there is a possibility that this may be a hoax it makes me sick to my stomach. I can understand the boy being scared and hiding in the closet but rarely do children hide the truth. When asked why he was hiding in the attic the boy replied, "because of the show." What gets me is that the father doesn't ask what his son is talking about, but rather sits quiety (ah-oh) and then quickly changes the subject. He is obviously hiding the truth. It's sad that he would use his son to gain publicity.

Advice to Young Artists - Chapter One Review

What I think is so interesting is that when people look at my work their first response is "Wow your such a good artist" and my response always is "Well actually I'm more of a perfectionist." I may have been born to naturally 'see' objects better than some people and render them realistically on paper, but I don't think what I do is unrealistic for others to achieve. I will give you an example, my 6 year old son loves t-rex more than the air he breaths. He would always ask me to draw a t-rex for him, which would always end up on the floor anyways. So one day I told him, "You can draw a dinosaur yourself." He says, "But I don't know how to." I said, "Just practice and you'll figure it out." So he grabs a dinosaur book, as a reference, and begins to draw a sloppy t-rex. He gets frustrated and begins to cry. But I keep to my decision to let him do it himself. He keeps trying over and over, day after day.... and now 6 months later he can draw a t-rex better than me. In this chapter, I agree in what the arthur is saying about how artistic ability is created by determination and consistent practice. When my son gets frustrated and doubts himself I always remind him "Your mommy is an artist so that makes you an artist too because your my son." Though I don't know how that means anything, but it makes him feel better and encourages him to keep trying.

Blogging as a Promotional Tool in College

What sets M.I.T apart from other colleges? They actually post current students’ blogs on the admission page on their website. As a growing nation dependent on the internet, I am not surprised that higher education has conformed to this trend. What better way to encourage prospective students to apply then by allowing them to view the experiences by current students. What is even more interesting is that these blogs are uncensored. I can see how posting blogs can be an advantage for the college but I doubt their decision. What if a student posts something negative about the school or makes a threat? The lines between promotion, slander, and security are a fine line. Also, who is going to oversee and monitor these blogs? Does it raise the price of tuition to have these blogs available? In all, I am not convinced that these blogs are the answer to promotion. Here, at TAMU, it is required in many classes that you have a blog to post your assignments. These are accessible by a simple search engine. The school does not fund monitoring and it doesn’t come out of students’ shallow pockets. M.I.T., I would rethink your strategy with this blogging plan.

Rogue Swans

Nothing interests me more than watching “battle of the species”. The fact that these mute swans are battling it out for territory in Prospect Park in Brooklyn just shows you that even lowest of animals can’t seem to get along. I think it’s funny to think of it as two Brooklyn families fighting over the same turf. But seriously, what is sad is that local people find it neccessary to intervene between these battling swans instead of letting nature take it’s course. It’s survival of the species. Also, why don’t officials step-in and remove these animals. If they are attacking everything in sight, possibily a toddler someday, then they should be taken out of a public park and perhaps relocated or eaten. There are lots of hungry New Yorkers. My point is that these swans are becoming a safety hazard. They need to be dealt with before somebody gets hurt. I understand that some people have the need to protect the victim swans but eventually they are going to get a chunk taken out of them. Officials need to do something about this.