What I learned this semester:

This semester I have learned many new things and tried things that I have little to no experience doing, but I wanted to try at least. Over the past few years I have changed dramatically and I want to keep changing for the better.

 

1-      How to Perform Shakespeare- Shakespeare and Ethics

Two years ago, I probably would have dropped a class that the professor announced that we would be performing scenes from Shakespeare plays. However, I wanted to stick with it, I knew about it before I signed up for the class, and I was really nervous at first. Since I’ve been working on it, I’ve been trying extremely hard to take the nervous cloak off and just have fun! And it has been fun, the more I try the more I enjoy it. I realized that performing theatre and performing in music (like a show in band, the kind like in Drumline!) were very similar, but it’s been years, 9 years to be exact, geez I feel old and it’s essentially the same thing, you have to act natural even though it’s not, you have to remember where to move and when to move all the while playing (or speaking).

I never thought I would enjoy acting because of my stage fright (and its extreme) so I stayed away from it. But step one is done (the memorization) and  step two performance within an hour or so I increased my knowledge and confidence in myself in performing. (Which I have absolutely no experience in at all) I just have to keep that confidence when I get in front of the students we’re performing for. I have confidence that I can do it!

 

2-      How to write dialogue in stage play/screenplay

Some people would think it is easy. But it is much much harder than it sounds if you’ve never tried it before.  Again as this semester is my “try new things” semester” I wanted to try it out and at least learn how to do it. Even though I don’t have theater background, I do want to write and many writers turn their novels into movies/TV shows, so I at least wanted to learn how to do it so I would know when the time comes to turn my bestseller into a movie. Right? What I learned is it is hard to make dialogue seem natural and not forced and that’s what I’ve been struggling with, and you can’t use a lot of dialogue to explain everything, there has to be actions to cause the conflict etc.. This is the hardest part. You cannot write like in a novel. I gotta say it’s a work in progress and I’m going to keep working on my plays even after the class is over. 

3-      How to design a page

It sounds simple, right? WRONG! Well I had to read forty pages on how to design a page, and the mathematics involved in doing so correctly, not fun, in a poets voice, sound complicated yet?…. Have you ever heard of typography? If not, don’t feel bad, I didn’t know this course focused on typography (letter design). There aren’t many people who seriously think about which font to use when writing a paper, so that the font can be clearly read. What I’ve learned is that the letters don’t have to be a dog to say dog. You can use a simple font to do that. The reason I took the course was to have some background in designing in case I ever get a job at a magazine or newspaper, I would know how to design a page in the best possible way.  Our last project is a newsletter about ourselves. It combines all the elements of the page we have learned from the margins to the type style, the spacing with the letter, etc.. It’s not easy to keep all of these elements in mind at the same time while trying to present something about yourself.

While none of these classes were as “easy” as I originally thought, I think that it was good for me, I haven’t been very challenged (except for Chemistry) in college until now and I’ve struggled and I think I came out on top, taking so many new concepts with me for my future career, whatever I may decide to do.

(found this on a search, I think it applies here!)

Going into my senior year, that's what my motto will be!

Book Review: The Innocent Man by John Grisham

John Grisham’s The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

I read this book as part of a literature class, but I absolutely love it. The Innocent Man is John Grisham’s first non-fiction work that reads like a novel. It was published in 2006. It is also my first legal thriller. I’m more of a cozy mystery reader, you know Agatha Christie, even Sherlock Holmes. This falls under “hard-boiled” mysteries, which is the opposite of the “cozy”, giving you all the gory details, “it could, or did happen in real life type of story”.  Legal thrillers fall under this category and that is what this book is.

An  innocent man, Ron Williamson is wrongly convicted of murder and sent to Death Row.  Another  gets life in prison. There is NO tangible evidence to tie men to the murder yet both are convicted. How does this happen, when our Justice system is supposed to be so great?

The novel starts by describing the setting, a town called Ada, Oklahoma, southeast of Oklahoma City. It seems as though it could be describing any quiet small town, where nothing exciting happens, until an unexplained murder happens and then an unexplained kidnapping.

Grisham takes the reader deep inside the justice system, deep inside the jails, the prisons, Death Row in an Oklahoma prison.  He gives the reader all the details of the case inside and out.  Beware, though: Hhe doesn’t shed a nice light on the Ada police. I wanted to strangle them personally for how they treated the defendants.

John Grisham’s website http://www.jgrisham.com/the-innocent-man/ describes the book like this:” If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.”

Here is a youtube video of John Grisham talking about the novel:

I definitely wanted to strangle the cops who forced confessions out of men who they “knew” were guilty but could not prove it. So the question is how to prove it.  Step one: Force a confession. Step two: Ffind anyone who will testify against them (including snitches in the jailhouse.)  Step three: Use “experts” who can throw out language that is above the heads of the people on the jury.  Case solved, the killer is convicted and put to death.

It was a little unnerving what so-called “evidence” held  up in court in this case and how much sway an “expert” has on the jury.  All the expert has to do is use big words and then the jury goes “ ‘ooh -aah’ ” he must be the killer if this guy says so.” And the judge that ruled on this case is still serving as a judge. It makes me sick, I would hope that his views have changed

If you’ve never read John Grisham or if you have an interest in legal thrillers, this one is amazing, it will catch you from beginning to end and keep you enthralled by our so-called justice system.  One would hope that the system has corrected these issues and that it wouldn’t happen again. However, such is life and, since this story is true, we know that it could happen again. Unfortunately, since most of our mysteries are “sanitized”, reading something like this brings you back to the real world and you can again see that the world is a cruel place. But we have to deal with it. Reading non-fiction is about reading how people deal with life. That is why we need to read these things every now and then. Reading this makes you think deeply about the injustice of our system. We’re supposed to be this great country, yet innocent people were still convicted, just to get it off their plate.

I cannot imagine the hours spent in research on this book. However, (and I don’t want to give away too much) there are a few things that Grisham could have explained better.  Two people fell out of the story after the murder that may have been crucial to it.  And second, footnotes or some references would have been nice, so we know where he obtained some of the information.

Entitlement

What are we entitled to?

 

I’m working on a project in one of my classes on entitlement and it has lead me to think deeply about the things that I, as an individual, an American, a woman, a student, and all the other titles I could give myself, am entitled to. I did a little research and I found that we aren’t really entitled to anything tangible.

People of the younger generation today believe that are just entitled to certain things. Cars, a house, food, a free education, but are we entitled to these things or not? I say no! We have to work for the luxuries, the only things we have the right to are given us in the declaration of independence, and even those are just for Americans, Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Notice it is the “pursuit of happiness”, not happiness. We are not guaranteed anything, in other words, other than our own lives, the breaths we take.

So why is the younger generation so spoiled? They have to have phones, computers, cars, name-brand clothes, the best education, etc… What happened to earning it? I may be part of the generation but I do not see myself as entitled to any of those things I just listed. I did not get a cell phone even when I was doing after school activities. I didn’t get a car for my 16^th birthday, or even my 18^th birthday. I didn’t even get to start college right after high school. I paid for my associate’s degree myself and then I received some scholarships and federal aid to help me continue into my bachelor’s degree. The car I drive was given to me because I had worked so hard to graduate with honors.

 

(EBT card)

I am entitled to work for what I have,  my life, the freedom to practice my beliefs, to have my own, thoughts, ideas and opinions. I see people everyday who spend a couple hundred dollars in food stamps to buy food, half of them still dress nicely.  Once a person told me” I  got laid off, it took them six weeks to get the food stamps to me.” When I said that my store was hiring, she didn’t even look at me. People feel they are entitled to the free money just because they lost their job and don’t want to look for another. There are plenty of businesses hiring, maybe not the same job as one was in before, but it is a job nonetheless,  it will pay the bills. But people think they are too good for a job at McDonald’s or Wal-Mart or any “lowly” job, they just want free money so they can sit around and wait for the next job. I’m not talking about everyone here. But it is a harsh truth , a reality that I see everyday that I work. The bad thing is I cannot qualify for food stamps even though I barely make enough money to pay for my gas and insurance. It’s a sad cruel world.

I'm working to make a living, so I can finish school and start a career and a job I will love.

Top Seven Things I Want To Do Before I Die

·         Attend a service for different religions. I have always been curious about different religions. Taking some classes in college, I have learned that religions around the world aren’t all that different. Many religions are very similar in teachings, but taught differently and practiced differently.  There aren’t THAT many differences between the teachings of Christianity and Buddhism for instance. Yes there are many differences, BUT many of the same basic principles. Each religion goes deeper. So I want to visit a Buddhist temple, a Hindu mandir, a Catholic church (since I’ve never been to a mass) and even the scientology church.  This is not an all-inclusive list. Just a few I want to visit, preferably in the countries, like India, China, Japan, etc…

              

            (courtesy of Gfoogle images)

·         Spend New Year’s Eve at either Disneyworld, or New York Times Square at the front of the stage! I would love to be in Times Square or Disneyworld. I’m a big Disney fan and cities aren’t really my thing. So Disney world would be choice number one and Times Square would be choice number two.  I think that would be a great experience!

            (Google images)

            There's nothing like the Magic Kingdom! 

·         Spend a night in a haunted house/ and or haunted castle in Europe or United States.   Ever since I was little, I loved ghost stories and mystery novels. My dad always told us “The girl who wore the yellow ribbon” when we camped out in his yard. And my favorite mystery books as a child were The Boxcar Children and, of course, Nancy Drew. Trips to the library were important and special because I got to get the next book in the series! Later I loved watching Ghost Hunters on TV. Especially the Halloween Live specials. I think it’s still on the air. I’m sure though because I haven’t had cable in years. I always wanted to go visit the places that they would actually get EVPs and stuff on video. It was too cool. Now they have GHI (Ghost Hunters International) which is on Netflix! I’ve always said I wanted to stay the night in a haunted castle in Ireland! That’s my dream.

 this one just looks creepy cool! (Google images) and website

·         Skydive. While I would consider myself somewhat adventurous, I’m not exactly ourdoorsy. BUT I have always wanted to try skydiving.  I think I will start with bungee jumping though. I’ve had friends who’ve done both and loved it. I’ve never had the chance, but maybe someday!

  

·         Write a novel. I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing. I’m not very athletic or talented artistically (other than reading and writing). I’ve started many ideas and scraped them after a little while. I want to actually write and finish a novel, have it edited and published ( and have it hit a bestseller list would be nice too but that not a priority).

            

·         Go to the Ellen DeGeneres Show and meet Ellen. Of all the talk shows on daytime television, I think Ellen is the best. I don’t get to watch it often, but I’m still a fan. I love that she loves her fans so much. She has crazy games for the audience members but still gives them prizes anyway. She just seems like the coolest person to meet. Maybe I will get to meet her when I publish a new novel and she loves it!

            

·         Study Abroad (preferably somewhere exotic). Okay so this one will be crossed off my list this summer. I am studying abroad in Greece (through Drury!) So while I’m studying the how the Greeks learned the circumference of the earth and the distances to the stars and studying Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey and during my time off, try some Mediterranean fish YUM! I could eat fish every day.  And I will definitely be enjoying the beaches on my time off! 

            

      These aren't in any particular order.

Once Upon A Time: The Mad Hatter Went Mad

I wanted to do another blog on my new favorite show Once Upon A Time. It seems like it’s still just getting started and we’re already going on episode 18! But each week a new character or more of the story is revealed is introduced and the story gets better and better.

The last show focused on an intriguing character The Mad Hatter and his story. the writers of the show ask how he became the Mad Hatter, in this episode. Does it involve the evil queen?  You bet!

Why was the Mad Hatter called the Mad Hatter, one asks?  I love this show because the writers have attempted to answer all the questions that are just assumed in the stories we know and love. Why exactly did the evil queen hate Snow White so much?  We have yet to learn that answer, but as the story unfolds, we are learning more and more about the main characters’ background. Who is the man in the magic mirror? Each week a new question is asked and answered, but leaving new questions to be answered.

Why are fairy tales so intriguing?  They can be rewritten in a whole new way, changed around and new plots added, deeper levels added.   I know I’ve said this before but I just love the concept, as a writer and a reader to take a old piece and make it fresh! Though, sometimes this can be overdone, if it’s done correctly they can draw in a whole new audience. Recently there have been two rewrites of the original Beauty and the Beast in Beastly, both novel and now a film as well.  Also Red Riding Hood both novel and film (both films came out on DVD this summer!  I will give both A- in my book.) Yes, they are a little cheesy but I thought they were good adaptations of the original.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time/video/PL55147652/_m_VD55179399

Two weeks ago viewers learned more about Red Riding Hood and why she had to wear her hood.* Spoiler Alert* .  The hood had magic in it!  What was she being protected from or was it she was being prevented from doing something?  I liked how they used elements from both the original and the rewrites.  I won’t tell who the big bad wolf is…

 Check out that episode here

Last week the episode focused on Snow White's obsession with killing the queen. She drank a potion that Rumplestilskin gave her to forget her love. But without that love, she is a whole different person.

Check out this page, it's a really good recap of the episode!

You'll have to watch the episode to find out why they cut off his head (and yes he is still alive)!

Back to the Mad Hatter:  So here’s a little about the latest episode Mad Hatter’s name is Jefferson.  He has a daughter named Grace who is quite mature for a little girl. The Evil Queen offers Jefferson a job that requires “his special skills.”  You see he has a hat that has magic, and that magic hat is the key to Wonderland. And Mister Jefferson hates Wonderland. (clip from the episode!) Well, Evil Queen Regina and Jefferson get to Wonderland and the rules are If Two go through the looking glass, Only Two can go back through, no more, no less.  Well, we then learn that Regina’s father has been kidnapped by the Queen of Hearts. Evil Queen Regina has been racking up the enemies in Fairytale Land! She takes a piece of the mushroom and he grows back to size, just as Alice did. But now there are three and only two can go through. So they left Mad Hatter in Wonderland after he promised his daughter he would return. Here comes The Queen of Hearts’ guards? What happened to him? You’ll just have to watch it and see! I was surprised they didn’t actually show Queen of Hearts’ face, she was wearing a veil. I was wondering why the director or writers choose to do that and I haven’t come up with an answer. 

Check out the full episode here

Many of the main characters!

Looks like we don’t know these stories as well as we thought we did. All of them seem to have unanswered questions and we don’t even stop to think about them! We asked all those questions as children, but when it came to stories like Snow White, we accepted them the way they were and didn’t ask who, what, where, why. I think part of that may be due to the tradition of fairy tales. Like I’ve said in another post, fairy tales weren’t originally so happy dory, many started very dark and the point was to teach children a lesson or to warn them about different things, such as not going into the woods alone at night or not talking to strangers.  Long ago, people truly believed the tales we now know as fairy tales, which have been modified to be more appropriate for children of today and not as dark.

Regina is devastated when Emma cuts down her apple tree! 

The one thing that they spent more time on the show and less time on the commercials, but then it’s like that with any show we get into right? They just seem like they could be longer and are purposely cut short sometimes. But the writers still did a good job from my perspective.

Here’s a look at what’s in store for this week.  I can’t wait and I’ll actually be off work in time to get home and watch it on TV and not on my computer!  Yipee! This is my one hour of TV a week, so don’t judge me.

The reason the Evil Queen hates Snow White supposed to be revealed in this episode!!! 

El Charro: Quaint and Authentic Mexican Food!

Information:

Times of Operation:

Monday- Thursday, and Sunday 11am to 10 pm
Friday and Saturday 11am to 11 pm

Location:

1779 S. Glenstone Ave.Springfield, Missouri417-886-1444

El Charro has the charm of just about every Mexican restaurant where I’ve eaten.  The decorations were delightful and had the traditional Hispanic flair, with bright colors and a touch of southwestern décor, and Hispanic music playing softly on the speakers throughout the restaurant.

My group went  at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 for an early dinner. There were only a few parties in the restaurant at the time and we were seated promptly. We ordered drinks and the waiter brought some chips and salsa. The salsa tasted homemade.  Having an early dinner seemed like a great idea before the dinner rush. We were served quickly and our drinks never ran low.

Three waiters shared the service for our table, which is an interesting trait of the restaurant. It seemed as though they shared the tables and helped each other out and they took good care of their customers.  This is reminiscent of the Hispanic culture. They are very family oriented and many Mexican restaurants  are owned by a single family. It was nice to see that they were happy to share.  The restaurant is family oriented, with Hispanic music playing softly in the background and a cheery atmosphere with plenty of natural lighting.

There are four locations to choose from , two in Springfield and two in Ozark. The restaurant visitied is located on Glenstone and Sunshine next to the Midnight Rodeo. I was interested in the restaurant because I drive by it many times a week on the way to work.  I never had the chance to stop. It seemed like a nice friendly place to eat Mexican food.

To start we ordered the guacamole dip with chips. The guacamole tasted fresh and delicious. The salsa was served (free of charge), as it is at many (though not all) Mexican restaurants.  The chips were served warm and fresh. Sometimes my family would joke that we went to the Mexican restaurants for the free appetizers that half-filled us up by the time we got our food.

I tried the taco salad fajita shrimp.  The menu lists the item as having 15 shrimp cooked with sautéed onions, bell peppers and tomatoes, covered with lettuce sour cream and pico de gallo ( fresh salsa delicioso!) . Though I’m not sure there were actually 15 shrimp on the plate, I will forgive them. My two favorite Mexican specialties are fajitas and taco salads. This item was a fusion of both which caught my eye quickly, and after a couple of bites I decided that the fusion worked well for the dish.

Alex had the Aranada’s cheesesteak. This is quite a unique plate. When you think of cheesesteak, one thinks of Philly cheese-steak, but here is it a unique twist of an American favorite!  This plate has grilled steak with  onions and special cheese sauce served in three flour tortillas. These are served with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and rice. I tried a piece of his and the flavor was not what I expected. It was much better than I had thought and different at the same time. It is interesting how they can make anything tasty in a tortilla shell.

Martha ordered the tacos de carne asada. This plate I am familiar with because it is what my father always ordered at the Mexican restaurant we near his house. This plate is three tortillas stuffed with steak or chicken and served with beans, pico de gallo and a tomatillo sauce. The flavor was unique, though it was not the same as the ones my father always ordered, the dish was good, but not quite the same. Worse, no, different yes. The difference lies in the flavor, however, I cannot pick out exactly what makes it different in the flavor.

We ended with two different desserts the flan, a Mexican dessert and the fried ice cream. I don’t particularly care for the flan, I’ve tried it before, and the texture bothered me. However, I did try the fried ice cream. I’ve always wondered how they fry ice cream seeing how it melts so quickly at room temperature. The ice cream is in rolled in a crunchy pastry and served in a sugared tortilla shell, topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles with a cherry to top it all off.  It was actually quite tasty. I’ve only ever tried it once, but this one was served a bit differently and was much better than the first time. Maybe next time I go to a Mexican restaurant I will ask how they fry the ice cream.

The slogan on the sign says Authentic Mexican food. The options on the menu proved the slogan to be true. There were several items that I had never seen before on a Mexican restaurant's menu. For example, flautas, I had never heard of, nor had I heard of pollo tapatio.  Both sounded very tasty and definitely authentic. I have just recently found a liking for Mexican food, so I am new to some of the more exotic delicacies.

With Lunch specials starting at $4.99 for some tacos or tamales, you cannot beat the prices. The most expensive Lunch menu item is only $7.29 for some yummy fajitas or plenty of other options in lunch-sized portions.

With authentic Mexican food, you can’t go wrong. The food was delicious, the service was better than average and the atmosphere quaint and familiar. The prices are low and the location is close to home.  Would I recommend the place to a friend? Absolutely, friends, family, children, or just an acquaintance, parties or just a luncheon, it seems like a great place to go for a quiet get-together.

Each Hispanic restaurant have different recipes from different parts of Mexico and different parts of Central and South America, and that  is what I think entices Americans with the food. This restaurant, though in a small location serves great food. Sometimes you have to search for great food and sometimes the best places are the ones you wouldn’t even guess.  I will call this restraunt one of those places.

Blast from the Past: The Jetsons Vs.The Flinstones

If you could meet one of these families which would it be?  

I think I would definitely choose The Flintstones they were always my favorite, plus on long car rides in the winter we would listen to The Flinstones’ Christmas on cassette tape. I loved listening to that story.

I loved both of these shows when I was little and watched the reruns (and especially the mararthons were fun) If I remember correctly they came on at 11 and 12 in the morning. So these were great during the summer.  My grandma didn’t let us play outside very much so we watched shows on cartoon network, mainly Flintstones, Jetsons, and Scooby-doo.

Flintstones:

 Takes place in the past around 10,000 b.c. , where the machines are run by dinosaurs and even though there are some things that just don’t make sense to have in a Stone Age setting (say Christmas for example) it’s a comedy, it’s not supposed to make sense, it’s supposed to be for fun.

The Flintstones first aired from 1960 to 1966 on ABC by Hanna-Barbara Productions. There have also been full-length films and a couple of live action adaptations. But as far as I’m concerned the original was the best.

The cartoon centers around a working-class Stone Age man (Fred Flintstone) and his family(Wilma, his wife and later Pebbles, his daughters) and his next door neighbor and best friend (Barney and Betty) and later Bam-Bam.

Facts people may or may not know.

In 2009, IGN named The Flinstones as the ninth best in its “Top 100 Animated TV Shows”. That’s 50 years after the original series ended.  I wish I had cable so I could watch the re-runs. I do not think any animated series has been better. ( The Jetsons come close in rivalry but still make second in my book.)

The Flinstones were the first cartoon series made for adults, as reflected in the writing, of course. And it was

The Flintstones were orginally going to be called The Flagstones

At least two Flintstones-themed amusement parks exist in the United States: Bedrock City in Custer, South Dakota and another in Valle, Arizona. Both have been in operation for decades.

This park is open year round in Arizona

 The one in South Dakota. Both look pretty cool for fans. 

The Jetsons

Counterpart to The Flintstones also produced by Hanna-Barbara.

Setting: Future

The setting is supposed to be 100 years after the series ran so 2062? Probably not very realistic now, but at the time it was produced was the when our country was building the first space shuttle and so we can see how this is what sparked the imagination! Flying cars, robots for maids, and talking dogs, oh my! We could definitely dream big!

Characters:

This show features George Jetson and his family living in Orbit City. His wife Jane, his teenage daughter Judy and son Elroy and we can’t forget Astro the dog.

This show originally only aired for about a year 1962- 1963. Then again from 1985-1987.

Here's the promo for the original show

Love it!

Comparing the two

One from the  distant past, One from the future, but both ran at the same time. I wish I had lived in the sixties to have seen the show air then and see people’s reaction. Both shows have been very successful, hence they’re still around and play reruns! Both shows put use references to the modern world see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinstones. I thought this was clever of the writers. Though if I could pick one, it would still be the Flinstones.

One movie that I did enjoy was The Jetsons meet The Flinstones. This was a neat idea that blended the two series together. I remember when I was little I would tell the TV that they should meet each other, it would be cool for the reactions of the characters in the other worlds.  In the movie, they switched places for a week and enjoyed the others’ lifestyles.

One thing I noticed was that the (main and secondary) female characters, i.e. Wilma, Betty, Jane, Judy, and even Rosie the robot were all strong characters who were portrayed as somewhat more intelligent than their counterparts. Watching clips from these shows with the knowledge of literature I didn’t have before makes me see things I didn’t see then.

Which one had better writing? 

Both The Jetsons and The Flintstones used characteristics of a  typical 1960s family the working dad, the homemaker wife and children, and we can't forget the pets.

However the differences lie in the plots. The Flintstones seemed to be much more sustainable and funnier to me. 

The Animation was also similar for both shows

So, which show family would you rather meet?






For some more detailed information about the shows: (this is where I got some of the facts that I didn't know)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetsons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinstones