Jim Carrey: from rags to riches

     Hello world!  This week I am going to discuss an uplifting and amazing story of a man named Jim Carrey.  I'm sure all of you know who he is, and if you don't then where have you been, living under a rock?  Jim Carrey is one of, if not the best, comedians to ever live.  Today he is a quite wealthy and well-known comedian and actor, but he wasn't always.
     Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario in 1962.  His mother was a homemaker and his father was a musician and accountant.  Jim is also the youngest of four children.  Jim was a very extroverted child and by the age of 14 he performed his first stand-up at Yuks Yuk's Canadian comedy club.   Jim was rejected by the crowd but he did not give up here.  Before Jim rose to fame he and his family went through some hard times.  In 1977 his father lost his accountant job and the family was forced to move into a farmhouse right next to a factory.  In order to reside in the farmhouse Jim's father had to work as the factory's security guard and the children had to work during the night cleaning the factory.  The family eventually left the plant and were forced to live in a VW bus for a time.  After this things started to look better for Jim and his family.  By 1979 the family moved back to Toronto.  Jim returned to the Yuks Yuk's Canadian comedy club, now 17, where he won the crowd over. Later that year, due to his comedian success in Toronto, Jim moved to Los Angeles to live out his dream.  He worked as a stand-up for no pay for a while until Rodney Dangerfield found and signed him as his opening act for a season.  Soon after this Hollywood took notice of the star.  In 1982 Jim starred on the television show "An evening at the improv.".  The next year Jim starred on "The tonight show".  Jim's career only went up from here.  
     Throughout his acting career Jim starred in big hit movies such as "The mask" and one of my favorite "Dumb and dumber".  At one point in his career Jim was considered as the highest paid actor in Hollywood.  Wow, going from living in a bus to being the highest paid actor is a pretty big jump.  Jim Carrey is an awesome actor who worked really hard to get where he is today.  He has been in so many many movies that have won my heart and the hearts of many others.  Just think, you could be just like Jim.  All you need is motivation and a sense of humor to get you through those tough times in your life.

Modern American stratification system plus some poverty

     Hey everyone!  Hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving.  Now that were fat from turkey we should focus on the being thankfulness part of this holiday.  By discussing something horrid and depressing we then will really see how thankful we should be everyday.  This week I'm going to discuss the disheartening topic of the modern American social stratification system and the poverty that comes with it.
     The American stratification system today consists of the upper, middle, and lower classes.  Basically America is a capitalist society where everyone has equal opportunity to rise to the top, but not everyone does rise to the top.        Those who have the extremely high paying occupations make up the upper class.  Individuals with a reasonably high salary constitute the middle class.  The lower class consists of low incomes to none at all.  
     A very large percentage of people in America make up the poverty stricken population.  These individuals are homeless or are barley making it by in their daily lives.  Adults, teenagers, and children all suffer from the deadly disease of poverty.  It spreads ferociously through demotivation, debt, and  Economic recession.  Many children are born into this lifestyle and "genetically" attain the virus from their parents.  It's very heartbreaking to witness the immense affect that this devastating epidemic has on it's victims.  Although all hope seems lost, there is a cure.  Like cancer a cure is not always attainable for everyone within their lifetime.  Some rise above this desolate lifestyle triumphantly, while others die trying.  America's social stratification makes rising above a poor and depressing life possible.  All you need is a cloud of confidence hovering above and a spoonful of hope flowing through your veins. All in all I strongly believe that poverty should just fall into poverty and die. 
     

What's so cool about being cool?

      Good day world the earth says hello.  Yup it's time for another amazing blog written by the one and only moi.  The weather may be getting chillier and the air may be a little fresher, but other things are not changing.   Social and school pressure among adolescents is as evident as ever.  
      Teens all over the world just want to "fit in".  They feel a need to be liked and accepted by other teens.  Some of these pressures are harmful and harmless.  These pressures constantly affect how teens act on a daily basis.
      Some social and school pressures include fashion choices and language use.  Many teens are not seen as "cool" if they don't wear the most expensive clothes or the latest styles.  These teens are cast out from the "popular" crowd and considered to be the weirdos and geeks of society.  Mostly all adolescents fear being cast out by their peers.  The use of vulgar language among teens has become regular activity.  Teens hear, see, and speak bad language.  In fact teens don't even see profanity as inappropriate anymore.  They constantly curse in every situation.  Whether they are happy, sad, frustrated, or angry, teens curse.  Profanity's negative connotation is practically invisible among teens.  I guess cursing is the new pink!  Personally I despise profanity and see no need for it's use.  Cursing only brings about violence and negative treatment towards others.  
       So to say the least teen's social and school pressures only cause the destruction of one's family morals and values.  Individuality is lost and replaced by a cookie cutter teen of today.  What is so cool about being cool anyway?

Does sleep affect teens academically?

     Hey guys! Another week another blog. This week I am going to discuss how sleep affects teens academically.  Most teens don't realize just how important sleep really is.  Sleep is ideal for a healthy functioning body.  Efficient sleep is just as important as eating and exercising.  Let me begin this blog by just asking you a simple question.  How much sleep do you normally get each night?
     Most teens would probably answer that they get about four to six hours of sleep each night.  This is not even close to the amount of sleep an average teen should be receiving.  An average teen should be sleeping for about eight to nine hours each night.  The more sleep a teen has the better he or she can perform academically.
     Studies have shown that if an individual learns a new task and then has a good night sleep, he/she will be able to do this new skill better than when he/she first learned it.  The amount of sleep a teen receives is important because every teen needs dream sleep.  Dream sleep is the periods of sleep that an individual dreams.  While dreaming an individual rehearses what one has learned and consolidates what one has learned.    A person must be sleeping for at least four hours to then start the dreaming phase.  That is why it is very important for teens to receive about eight to nine hours of sleep each night.
     So the answer is yes teens sleep affects teens academically.  The more sleep a teens has the better he or she will be academically.
 

Hey hey hey! It's that time again!  Thats right, time for another weekly blog.  This week's topic is a very serious and important issue that needs to be discussed.  This week I am going to discuss....wait for it......blue tape!  Yes, thats what I said, blue tape.  For all of you who do not what this amazing educational tool is, it is actual, physical blue tape that teachers put on their white boards to organize their daily agenda.  Recently Broward County Public School teachers have been required to use blue tape on their boards.
      Personally I really don't feel any more academically advantaged with blue tape.  I will admit that it does make each day's shedule a little more organized. Also students are more likely to complete their warm-ups when they walk in, because they know where to look.  My question is, why don't schools use red, yellow, or purple tape? Why is it important to use blue tape?  I guess the color blue does create a calm and relaxing mood. So maybe the color does have an affect on classroom behavior. Perhaps students become just a little more focused in the classroom with the help of good ol' blue tape.
I believe that blue tape is really just a waste of money. The only benefit I see is that it makes the classroom look just a little more pretty and inviting. At least it's blue tape and not a poop brown colored tape. The last thing I shall say is, thank you blue tape for supposedly calming me down, keeping me more organized, and not being a putrid, disgusting color.

NERDS (subculture)

       Hola muchachos!  Bonnie here again.  I've got another amazing blog for all of you to read. The awesome and fantastic topic for this week is...NERDS.  Sorry to disappoint you guys but I'm not talking about the nerds candy.  (sad face)  Nerds are a subculture found in the United States and in many other parts of the world.  Now let us begin our journey into the wonderful world of nerds.
        Most people see nerds as those individuals who are super intelligent, wear braces, and have their pants pulled up past their bellybuttons.  Others may think of the legendary Steve Urkel who starred on Family Matters.   http://youtu.be/BTeOcVelYi0 (check out Steve Urkel in action.)  Today many accused nerds are just those individuals who are super duper smart.  Individuals who wear fashionable clothes, but have straight A's are considered nerds.  Nerds can also be nerdy for different interests.  For example, one may be a nerdy gamer who spends all their time playing video games.  A nerd could also be someone who is obsessed with comic books.  Typically nerds form groups with other nerds who have the same interests or nerds just remain loners.
         In the past nerds were viewed as "uncool" and "ugly" individuals, but today most nerds are liked by the general population.  Most teens want to be nerdy in some way.  A majority of teens wear buttons that say things like, "talk nerdy to me" or "I love nerds".  Today ,mostly teens, want to be nerdy because now they find it as a way to fully express their interests.  Many teens want to form groups with others who have the same interests as them. One becomes a nerd once they are obsessed with a particular activity or interest.
          In my opinion nerds are incredibly intelligent or talented individuals in their particular interest.  Nerds are pretty interesting people because they are so devoted to their particular interest.  I would call myself a nerd gymnast.  I am devoted and spend pretty much all my time doing gymnastics.  I also know almost everything about gymnastics and I enjoy doing this sport.  Last, but not least, I just want to say that NERDS RULE.
         
     
       

Suicide

     Hey guys and gals!  This week I am going to discuss a very serious mental health issue that affects people all over the world.  The topic for this week is... Suicide.
     According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suicide was the seventh leading cause of death for males and the fifteenth leading cause of death for females in 2007.  Also in 2007, suicide was the third leading cause of death for the youth ages 15-24.  In 2007, every 100,000 adults that were 65 or older about 14.3 died due to suicide.  The most common methods to die by suicide are through firearms, suffocation, and poisoning.  These are some scary numbers and facts that make one ask them self, why?  Why would so many people in a wide variety of age groups just decide to end their lives?  Many people choose to end their lives because of different risk factors that cause individuals to kill themselves.
     Some risk factors that lead to suicide are depression and other mental disorders, substance-abuse disorder, and family violence, which includes physical and sexual abuse.  Over 90% of people, who die by suicide, have depression and other mental disorders or substance-abuse disorder.  Tons of individuals, today, are becoming addicted to drugs.  Individuals believe that these drugs will relieve their stress and take away all their problems, but, in fact, these drugs just make them more depressed and stressed than before.  Physical and sexual abuse cause great emotional distress which pushes people to kill themselves.  Depression is a risk factor that is attained through so many ways.  Individuals usually become depressed because they feel lonely.  Today, most children live in a single parent home.  Most children do not have the full rounded attention they need.  They become lost, lonely, and irrational.  They decide that it is better to end their life than keep on living this particular way.
       To me the thinking about suicide, makes me feel like something is tearing my heart out and ripping it to shreds.  I feel terrible knowing that young children, adults, and the elderly are going through such terrible situations that they just want to end their lives.  I believe that a large percentage of suicides can prevented through hope and help from friends.  If you ever see someone that looks lonely or miserable just talk to them and be the friend they need.  YOU can save a life by being the hope a lost soul needs to survive.
     
     

Troy Davis

     Hi everyone! I'm going to start an amazing sociological blog that will blow all your minds.  Blogging actually looks quite fascinating to me all thanks to the movie, Julie and Julia.  Amy Adams is an awesome actress! Anyways, I hope I add more knowledge to your brains and make the minutes your taking to read my blog worthwhile!
     This week the topic is (drum roll please)... TROY DAVIS.  As most of you all know Troy Davis was a U.S. citizen who was convicted of murder and executed on September 21, 2011.  He was said to have shot the off-duty policeman, Mark Macphail.  The incident occurred in 1989 in Savannah, Georgia, and has been on trial ever since.  Davis has faced execution, a total of,  four times since 1989.  There have been a total of eight witnesses that have implicated Davis as the real killer.  Davis was only 42 years old when he was killed by lethal injection on September 21, 2011. (www.thenation.com)
     I believe that the guilty people in this world SHOULD be punished, but that the death penalty is a "little" drastic.  Loads of evidence pointed to Davis as the killer, but there was still some doubts.  What if he was not guilty? What if we have killed an innocent man? Whether he was guilty or not his sentence should have been much less drastic.  He could have been sent to prison for life or stuck with a strict parol.
    I shall use some insight from the bible on this subject.  So in John chapter eight (NKJV) the Scribes and Pharisees brought Jesus a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.  They believed that the woman should be stoned to death for her sin.  Jesus then said, " He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (verse 7)  Then all the Scribes and Pharisees left one by one until only Jesus and the woman were remaining.  Thus, I believe that no one on Earth has the right or authority to kill another person unless he or she is without sin himself or herself.  Even though Troy Davis may have killed another man, he is no less righteous then you or I who constantly cheat, lie, and steal throughout our lives.
     Many also believed this was a racist ordeal.  Numerous people believed that Davis was convicted because he was a black man who killed a white man.  Georgia Congressman, John Lewis, declared " Race is everything in this case". (www.thenation.com)  Another death of Duane Buck, a black man, was scheduled for September 15 in Texas.  He actually admitted to killing two people in a drug-fueled rage.  The U.S. Supreme Court decided to spare his life, for now.
     I truly believe that these are not racial issues, but simply coincidences.  I really think that if it was the other way around, white men who killed black men, then the verdicts would still be death.  It could have been based on a racial issue, but personally I think that conclusion is highly unlikely.
MY VERDICT: TROY DAVIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN KILLED, BUT SENT TO PRISON FOR LIFE.