Last Day

     Well it all comes to an end today is officially the last day of classes. I am excited that it is and can't wait to enjoy summer days and warm weather. Even though it's the last day it is still so stressful having exams and projects, especially when  professors assign two exams the same day, gosh it sucks. But I'm managing and handling it and things are going pretty smooth but it is a lot to deal with. This week been review sessions and taking test. In English class it was short we had to peer review our essays then we could go. I was glad because I had to study for my other classes so I had the time to do so. The rest of the week is all exams for me and getting everything together. This semester has been a good year and stressful but I have enjoyed it and I can't wait till what next year has for me.

Se7en

       

   Friday we finished the movie, Se7en,1995 detective thriller film starring Morgan Freeman & Brad Pitt as detectives trying to solve multiple murders having each victims missing their fingerprints. Each murder is followed by the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Envy, and Wrath committed by serial killer. For Gluttony, he killed a man who's overweight, which he forced to make him eat until he dies. Greed, a rich man is killed. Sloth, a man is strapped in his bed and has been laying there for a year. Lust, a man was forced to wear a blade penis to rape a prostitute killing her. Pride, a women, a model who relies on her looks, her face is dis form and she chose to die rather then living because of her face.  Envy, the serial killer himself is envied of one of the detectives life, killing Mills wife. Wrath, once the detective finds out that his wife head has been decapitated he get's enraged an anger like the killer wants, Mills shoots him completing his killing spree. 

      At first, I didn't think it was going to be a good movie, but it really was, I enjoyed the suspense and the story line. Every actor and actress did a good job playing their role. I came to realize every movie Morgan Freeman is in, it's always going to be a good movie. It started as a thriller their wasn't once of an over exaggerating time everything connected to the the killer reasons and work. It was cruel, thrilling, and suspenseful. 

     In the play by Andrew Kevin Walker has a slightly different ending then the movie. In the play, towards the end Somerset the one who finds Mills wife head in the box knows Mill is going to kill the killer. Somerset pulls out his blade telling Mills not to kill him and this is what he wants, be he doesn't listen, so he throws the blade at Mills, but misses. Mills reacted shooting Somerset, a few days passed and he wakes up in the hospital. He receives a letter from Mills saying he was right all along.  In the envelope there was a wallpaper with blood so I'm thinking Mills sent him where his wife got killed or where he kilt the killer or himself. That was the end of the play it was confusing. But like the movie good story line and I prefer the movie ending than the play.  

The Glass Menagerie- Escaping

     In class we have to read and saw the play, The Glass Menagerie. For our next essay we have to write an paper and I chose to write about  desertion (escape) and how each character in the story tries to escape from their reality. 

      Amanda, the overbearing nagging mother seeks interaction with people. She lives in the past not focusing on the future which prevents her to move forward. She doesn't face the fact that her life isn't perfect or has a pitch perfect family. Her husband abandoned her and his family, her daughter is cripple, and her son doesn't want to be around her and he's a drunk. 

       Tom careless son drinks his problems away or either smokes. He can't stand his overbearing mother always on his back. He really hates his life he feels trapped, he's miserable with his job, home, etc... So he drinks and smokes himself away from life. He's the only one who goes out into the world but he seeks happiness elsewhere.

          Laura, the daughter is cripple, she's afraid to go out into the world an focus on what people may think of her thinking she's different. She is extremely shy , fragile women who's broken like a glass figure. 

           Each family member is incapable of living in reality, every chance they get they revert back to their fantasy world.  

     

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

     Another museum we arrived at is the National Air and Space Museum. This museum exhibits aircraft, spacecrafts, and technology from centuries to present day.  It exhibits its architecture and history of each collections presented. It was really cool it felt like you were going time from past to present. Seeing how technology improved and how it change the world. My boyfriend loves this museum , he didn't want to leave D.C. without seeing it, because he's so into technology, design, and creating items. It was a good time we saw the Apollo, machines, planes, clock, navigation, etc... We didn't get a chance to watch a movie there because we would have to wait so long and we had other places to go, but their is always next time. But for the most part even though we didn't get to see everything in D.C. due to time, we had a amazing time there. 

                             

National Museum of Natural History & the National Zoo

     Next stop is the National Museum of Natural History. This museum is well natural history of this world. It has artifacts and specimen of plants, animals, fossils, etc... We saw fossils of dinosaurs, animals and creatures of the ocean, and mammals evolution. It was pretty cool to see all the artifacts there. We also went to the zoo, it was nice outside so it was perfect, but not a lot of animals were out or either sleeping since we arrived at a later time. The animals were so cute like most animals are. It was nice we didn't see all the animals by the time we walked to some of the exhibits it was too late. We were excited to see the gorillas but it closed, we were a little disappointed, but at least we had the chance to see some the animals. 

 

           

                            

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

        Today we are going to the city Washington, D.C. to go see the museums, monuments and explore.  Like Alexandria, its fast pace, metros, and shops everywhere. It's like New York down south, it's so fast pace and busy. One museums we're at is the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The modern museum has nice amazing modern contemporary sculptures, every floor had different pieces that occur on different eras and modern contemporary artist. These are some of the pictures we took and a few of my favorite pieces, it has amazing sculptures and I enjoy it. 

Trip to Washington, D.C....Old Town Alexandria

    This break a friend and I are taking a trip to Washington, D.C. Currently we are staying in Alexandria, Va. It's so many things to do, see, and explore here. We'll be here for two days or so to go to see museums, restaurants, and other places. So far we're having a nice time, we're staying at Old Town Alexandria not too far from D.C. so it's not  a far drive. It's a cute town it has some great restaurants nearby and local stores.It's diverse with a lot of history and culture.  It not so warm when we arrived here, it was pretty cold, but I'm glad we had time to go and relax just to get away. Since it wasn't so warm we didn't go walking as much as we wanted to. We went to the movies, went to stores, and went to Ted's Montana Grill located in Alexandria, it was really good. We had a choice from a regular burger or a bison burger, we decided to try something new so it was a bison burger which is a buffalo, it was really good and fulling. The city was nice, hotel was great, and food was amazing. I can't wait till we go out to the city tomorrow. 

Writing

For our first essay we were assign to write a character analysis that relates to us. So I chose to write about How to Become a Writer  from Self help written by Lorrie Moore.

       I, sometimes like reading but writing can be difficult. So I can relate to the advice that was given in the 

story, like trying to be something and exercising imagination. It's not really a character in the story but it teaches you how to build character in the process of writing a story with yourself and in the actual book. 

      The author starts the story with some tips that I use, like being patient and not quitting. What's hard for me is writing from personal experience. I think people usually hate this task because it's probably a task that someone made them do, I certainly do. Usually people don't write about themselves unless it's in a journal and diary or even a blog. So when someone makes you write about yourself  it can feel like they're forcing you. My new challenge is to not think of writing as giving away my own information, but making a character that gives information to the reader and putting a piece of my own information in that. 

       So I definitely my character that I can relate most to was talked about in how to be a writer. So, if you change the way you think of writing when you are writing something, it it possible that may actually enjoy the experience of writing as a whole, a whole lot better. I think it's possible if you try. 

Character Analysis

These past couple of weeks in class we've been focusing on character analysis with characters in the stories we've been reading. As a class we brainstormed on issues/topics we could relate to from the stories. We had a board full of topics, so we had plenty of topics to choose from to write about. Last class we wrote our rough drafts and peer reviewed each others papers and made corrections. We discussed what each of us were writing about and how the topic we chose relates to our personal lives.  Discussing our papers may help some people or may not improve their writing, and others may catch an error that we don't see ourselves so it benefits having another eye looking through it. We were suppose to have another day of peer review, but due to the snow we couldn't. So, I guess we'll continue on Monday.

class

           
             Well, I really don't know what to say on my blog, so I'll talk about classes. A couple weeks has past since classes has started and it's been pretty good so far and hoping it stays like this. I enjoy my classes and professors, but just hate waking up so early. But it's nice not having any classes on Tuesdays or Thursdays so I can have a break throughout the week. Last semester went by really quick and I know this spring semester will do as well.

                                   Senate fails the people

                           Yesterday the Senate didn't pass the common-sense gun reform, which would require people would purchase guns undergo a background check. Twelve people went to the Senate who lost their love ones at the mass shooting Sandy Hook. They were hoping they would pass the law, as so was I, but that didn't happen. Which is so disappointing and unfair to America and the victims and their families. How can someone not pass the bill, especially to those young children, who lost their lives.  Those who voted against the gun reform didn't even had one reason for why they shouldn't pass it, but it was all about politics, the second amendment. I know it's our right as a people to bear arms, but it isn't a right for innocent people to die due to someone else stupidity or mental problems that bear arms. Enough is Enough! America as a nation needs to take a stand to make a gun reform. The reform would have better background checks, and background checks for those purchasing guns, ban assault weapons, and limit high capacity ammunition magazines. It would prevent a gun being in the wrong hands. 

Call your Senator to make a difference!!!

These are the Senators who voted against the common-sense reform.

1.            Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

2.            Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

3.            Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)

4.            Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

5.            Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK)

6.            Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

7.            Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)

8.            Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)

9.            Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

10.          Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN)

11.          Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

12.          Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)

13.          Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN)

14.          Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

15.          Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID)

16.          Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

17.          Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)

18.          Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)

19.          Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)

20.          Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

21.          Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

22.          Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

23.          Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)

24.          Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

25.          Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)

26.          Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)

27.          Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

28.          Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE)

29.          Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

30.          Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)

31.          Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

32.          Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)

33.          Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

34.          Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

35.          Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)

36.          Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)

37.          Sen. James Risch (R-ID)

38.          Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

39.          Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

40.          Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)

41.          Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)

42.          Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

43.          Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

44.          Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

45.          Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)