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.