Spring Break

This is one spring break I will never forget. My husband decided to file for divorce. I am sad but not surprised by this news. I'm the kind of girl that looks ahead and think of this as a new start. Don't get me wrong, it sucks! However, I know that it can only get better from here. Who knows what the future holds, life can take us on one crazy ride. What's important in life is my children and God, and that's all I really need to get through this.

Poetry as a lifesaver for Jimmy Santiago Baca

Baker, Rob. "Jimmy Santiago Baca." The Norton Field Guide to Writing. By Richard H. Bullock. Second ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. 838-41. Print.
Jimmy Santiago Baca had a rough childhood and teen years. His parents abondoned him when he was seven years old and he was in and out of detention centers. At the age of 21 he was sent to prison for five to ten years. He found poetry as an escape, an outlet from the life in a prison. He then became a great poet after he was released and even taught teens at workshops.

James Bond 007

Scott, A. O. "007 Is Back, and He's Brooding." The Norton Field Guide to Writing. By Richard H. Bullock. Second Ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. 737-40. Print.
In his review for 007, he states that you need to go in with an understanding of the title. He explains his opinion of the action scenes, the landscape, the villains and the bond women. He talks about how the different James Bonds in each series relate to each other and how they are different. He also talks about how Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace seems tougher and more emotional than previous bonds. It seems to change with the times and he talks about how most heroes in movies lately are depressed. He missed the old bond that had a wit to him and a swagger in his step. He also states that Quantum of Solace means a measure of comfort. He’s not really sure how that is supposed to come into this film, but he prefers the older movies that have a “dash of mischief”.

California

I recently went to visit my family in Fresno, CA. We decided to take a trip to Santa Cruz to see the beach. It was a beautiful day. About 54 degrees and sunny. Just cool enough though that you needed to wear a light sweater. The sand was soft and cool between your toes. The water was very cold, but we didn't care we rolled up our pants and ran away from the tides as the came up the shore. The birds would come right up to us, they are so used to people by now that it didn't phase them. The sun started to set with deep blue, orange, yellow and purple rays shining through. You could see sail boats off in the distance coming into the docks. We dug a huge hole in the sand and put a log over to make a bridge. We took some gorgeous pictures. There was a faucet to wash our feet off near the dock. We washed our feet, put our shoes back on and headed home.

Mass Media

The media plays a huge part in the way we live, dress, and act. As C. Wright Mills explains that in the sociological imagination we can see how the large social picture affects the individuals life.
I recently watched the movie The Town. It’s about 4 friends that make their living by robbing banks. It shows how they rob the banks and how they cover their tracks. It makes it look smooth and easy, an easy way to get cash fast. The rate of bank robberies have increased in the last few years. I have noticed that there have been a lot of movies about middle to upper class white males who beat the system by robbing banks. The movies portray it as something cool, and easy to do. Just to name a few bank robbery movies there are Takers, Inside Man, The Italian Job, The Bank Job, and Public Enemies. This is not the only example of why there has been an increase in bank robberies; obviously the economy plays a huge part in this. The shortage of jobs in the last few years and an increase in demand.
Another form of media that affects the individual is the portrayal of women. You see women that are skinny, beautiful, and dumb in the media. This is portrayed in magazines, T.V., music and even children’s toys. Anorexia is one of the underlying issues women face today. We see women all over the media that look poorly nourished and unhealthy. It’s easy to understand where this all stems from when we look outside the box. Media’s influence on the public today is one of the ways we shape our society and values. Any of the high school, teen shows you will see girls that are pretty, skinny and popular. It portrays an image that is unrealistic and unhealthy. We develop our identity through the media and use it’s influence to make decisions.