The human body is made up of billion’s of different organisms, and all it takes for our body to shut down is one virus that can only be seen on a microscope.  That is a scary thought that I believe a lot of people refuse to accept.  Just think of the plague, it started with a rat on a boat and ended with Europe losing almost half of its population in fewer than 40 years.  I understand that the U.S media has a very bad reputation for making things seem much worse than they actually are, and that too hinders my ability to process this threat.  I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks/months to see just how big of an issue this actually is.  My fear is that Swine Flu is an actual threat and we are just in the very beginning of its development.  If it were to prove an issue just think of how many people will be affected.  It is easier to travel now than it ever has been in history so in result this disease will have many ways of getting around.  Imagine if it was to spread to more underdeveloped countries where medical treatment is rare or even unavailable;  that is when we will start to see the true problem arise.  Just think if it were to hit the slums of India, millions of people could contract the illness in under a month.  Although I am an optimistic person I also like to stay realistic, but as of now I am very indecisive on how to perceive the Swine Flu.

            In high school I went to a private school that required 100 hours of community service a year so I am accustom to community service and the benefits that are behind it.  The first thing that I have learned is that through community service you can gain a stringer relationship with the people you work with.  While we were painting the house you could see our teammates working together and just hanging out which is a good thing.  One of the best aspects of community service is that it can be addicting.  Once you finish working hard to help someone else it gives you a good feeling inside, and inspires you to help more people.  The big event was well organized and had many positive aspects that effected a lot of people, and for that reason I am hoping to be a larger part in the Big Event for next year.

            This movie was mainly marketed to the younger audience and while I was thinking about the main action of the movie (a woman getting pregnant on accident) I realized that this kind of situation would effect the younger demographic more so than any other.  In a time where it has never been easier to get rid of a baby, Knocked Up gives the audience a glance of the most responsible way of handling the situation.  I know that having an unexpected child is a very difficult situation, and an even harder situation in deciding to keep it, but in this movie it shines a light on the positives of going through with pregnancy.  I know such a comedy might not change peoples minds about having an abortion or not, but at least it offers people the up side of keeping the child.

            In class we have been reading fairy tales that teach the importance of finding love through virtue and not lust, and I feel that this movie does a great job in getting that point across as well.  In most movies we see two very attractive people falling in love and getting together, but in Knocked we see the opposite.  On one hand we have an over weight deadbeat  (Seth Rogan) and a very beautiful and successful T.V analyst (Kathryn Hyckle) who fall in love.  Although at first there is no real attraction the audience is able to follow the emotional development between the two, and in the end are given the opportunity to see the formation of true love.&Over all this movie was absolutely hilarious, and I appreciated the fact that it addressed two flaws that our society has ignored.

            Last night I went to one of my favorite bands concerts at the Horseshoe Casino.  Slightly Stoopid is a reggae, rock band that has a very unique sound, which I find extremely entertaining.  They sing many of their songs about one of two things girls and smoking weed.  While I was at the concert I saw many different types of people and a few situations that made me take a second glance at my perception of music and society. 

           At the concert there were many different people ranging from the “Goths” all the way to the “Supper Preps”.  I know stereotyping isn’t a good thing but because our societal standers have developed such strong stereotypes it is almost imposable to look past them.  One thing that I found interesting is that no matter what these peoples “labels” we were all there for one reason, to enjoy the music.  No one was making fun of the other or trying to fight it was all about the music, and to see that was kind of cool.  Although I had a great time there was one instance that really angered me.  Slightly Stoopid is a band that strongly supports the legalization of marijuana and during their performance at one point they stopped the music, the lead singer yelled F*^K the police, and thin lit a blunt with marijuana in it on stage.  After smoking it all they continued with no action from authorities, but then as someone close to me preceded to smoke weed out of their pipe the cops tackled him to the ground and escorted him out in handcuffs.  What kind of double standard is that?  As authorities if you are going to watch an influential figure on stage smoke weed but then proceed to abuse and arrest someone on the floor who takes part in the same action makes no since to me.  I don’t really know how to react to that situation and all I can do is sit and let it frustrate me, but I believe it is actions like this that make people question the intentions of Police Officers.

            In the first scene of the movie you feel as if you have pressed play on your DVD machine and are then instantly taken back to 1770.  I love how much effort was put into the authenticity of the costumes.  When it comes to movies I pay a lot of attention to what the characters are wearing, and because the costume designer put so much research and time into perfecting every characters wardrobe.  The costumes are just one of the small things in this movie that help the audience get lost in the time, but the even more meticulous detail put into the set is what really pulls it all together.  Just think it you have a person dressed in a full British Red Coat outfit and them put them in a universal Hollywood set then it is just another film.  The crew for the patriot was able to reach out side of that simple style, and they offered the audience the most authentic vision on that time period that I have ever seen on film.  Enough about costumes and settings, the heart winching plot is what shoot this movie out of the box office.  I believe that they captured the perfect mixture of romance, action, mystery, heroism, and history in this film.  We see again the attention to detail when the movie hits its big action scenes.  When those cameras hit the battlefield I almost feel that I need to get up and grab a gun.  The producer really does a fantastic job depicting these battles, and after showing his ability to organize the  “battalions” of militia (extras for the movie) I think he would make a darn good general.  Over all I give the patriot a 10 out 10 and would recommended it to any one who likes to be entertained.

It Is What It Is

by Paul Muldoon

It is what it is, the popping underfoot of the Bubble Wrap

in which Asher’s new toy came,

popping like bladder wrack on the foreshore 


of a country toward which I’ve been rowing

for fifty years, my peeping from behind a tamarind

at the peeping ox and ass, the flyer for a pantomime, 


the inlaid cigarette box, the shamrock-painted jug,

the New Testament bound in red leather


lying open, Lordie, on her lap


while I mull over the rules of this imperspicuous game


that seems to be missing one piece, if not more.

Her voice at the gridiron coming and going 


As if snatched by a sea wind.

My mother. Shipping out for good. For good this time.

The game. The plaything spread on the rug. 


The fifty years I’ve spent trying to put it together

     When you first read the poem you get the image of a child playing with his new toy on his grandmother’s rug.  As I continued to read it I started to notice some interesting things.  The first thing that jumped out at me was Bubble Wrap.  Why would he mention this?  As I thought about it I began to think how all most everyone no matter what age enjoys playing with bubble wrap, and maybe when Muldoon heard this Bubble Wrap it gave him a glimpse into his past.  This poem to me is Muldoon trying to say that he really has no idea what the purpose of life is.  He includes 3 generations in this poem, which could represent the life span of a person.   I believe he uses his mother to symbolize death and by explaining the things that are surrounding her he is showing us the simplicity of her life. Then he uses “the game” to connect himself with the young generation (asher), and from there states “the fifty years I’ve been trying to put it together”.  I noticed that he used “50 years” twice in the poem and in both references he was yet to achieve his goal.  So after taking all these small things and putting them together I came to the conclusion the for 50 years Paul Muldoon had been trying to figure out a true purpose, but is unsure that he will ever be able find it.  Unfortunately, I will never know what the true meaning of the poem is but it is always fun to try and figure it out. 

             I believe the American society look at terrorist as crazy foreigners who want to kill the white man, but this movie depicts it another way.  My favorite part about this movie is that is shows the “ignorant” people the perspective of the terrorist.  The writer did a great job of capturing the passion that these people have for their religion, and also showing how these people are taught to act this way their entire life.  A line in the movie that I really took to heart was “if you won’t die for something, then you shouldn’t be living.”  This line made me think just  how strong these people’s faith is, whether it is right or wrong , and the lengths they go in order to serve there god.  Now it’s very extreme to go around killing yourself, but I can say that I truly admire terrorists’ passion for their religion.  This movie was the perfect mixture of education and entertainment; I would give it a 9 out of 10.

            When comparing a book to a play you first must realize that the two forms of expression are composed with a different purpose.  A book is written with the intention for the reader to seek further understanding and to think deep into the subject, where as a play is developed more for the purpose of entertainment.  It is this reason that I feel the book version of hamlet is much more beneficial and effective than a play, because it offers many things that can not be captured by the camera.

            The story of hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular pieces due to its many underling themes and its very complex characters.  With all the different themes and interpretations it allows for an endless amount of analysis, which permits the reader to let their imagination flow.  I attended the showing of Hamlet at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, and it was my second time to see the play on stage.  Even after my second viewing I still believe that I would much rather read the book.  I have a very interesting imagination and I believe that attributes to my opinion of the book over the movie.  When I read a book I create detailed images of how I think the character looks and interact with other characters, so when I am watching a play and the actors aren’t performing the same way I thought of it in my head I get aggravated.  I know that may seem like I am a little close minded but I like to think that my thoughts are the right one.