11/6 another freewrite.

YouTube.

Where should I even begin with the topic of YouTube?! First of all, I think it is a wonderful thing. It has opened the doors to different cultures and experiences and given billions of people around the world something to do when they are bored. YouTube became an instant hit. People of all kinds make videos and post them on the internet in hopes that it will become a top-viewed video. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame! There was even an episode of the Tyra Show that aired about a year ago that dealt with some of the most popular YouTube video stars. It is crazy to think that millions of people watch a video that has absolutely no objective or goal other than to entertain and laugh. But some people may disagree with this. As YouTube has become more and more popular, educational videos and music videos have become a large part of the network. YouTube can now be used in school to show the history of jazz or punk or can be viewed by teenagers looking for the latest hit song. In turn, they can record their own personal remix and post it on YouTube for others to view.

Yes. I believe YouTube is a good thing. But sometimes, people can take it too far. The idiotic people that do grose and dangerous things just to be put on YouTube and get "famous" for a short period of time, bring a negative aspect of YouTube to light. When people start finding ways to set themselves apart from everyone else by doing dumb things that may harm themselves or others, attention must be paid and the madness must be stopped.

11/4 freewrite.

Photographs. The one thing that can capture a moment in time and freeze it forever. Have you ever heard the phrase "a pictures worth a thousand words?" If you have, then you probably understand what it means and would agree with the statement. If you haven't, now you have :) There is nothing better than looking back at old photographs you've found while cleaning out the attic, basement, closet, or any other room that was in need of spring cleaning. Photographs bring back memories of old friends and places you've been and also help us remember who we were at that moment in time, whether it was a year ago or thirty years ago.

Many times scrapbooks are made for friends or children as gifts. These can stay with you forever. I have a couple of scrapbooks and I've made one of my own. There was noghting like it. I loved being able to look back on my past and remember all the good memories and experiences that have made me who I am today. I never really thought that I would ever have the oppurtunity to make my own scrapbook, but high school changed that. I had to for a senior project, and I'm really glad I did now. I learned about my parents and their stories about getting married and their stories about me. I found long lost pictures of when I was little and all the friends that have come and gone throughout my life.

Photographs are remarkable. The guy/girl who made it possible for us to make them, is my hero.

11/2 Poetry.

http://poems.com/poem.php?date=14563

The poem that I chose to read is called Robert's Lake. This poem is short and simple. It talks about a small fish caught in a small pond that ended up being part of the family. It uses lots of imagery and symbolism and makes me visualize the events in the poem. The flushing of a dead fish turned into "circled the porcelain vigorously on his way down and out of this

dazzling world.." Another reason I like this poem is because it relates to my life. When I started reading, I

imagined myself in Alabama at my grandparents house fishing in the pond thay have on their

land :) It was one of my favorite things to do back in the day. I don't get to do it much anymore

because as I've gotten older, life has become more complicated and busy. The whole family is

getting older and we all have less time for the simple things in life. Another thing I thought about

while I was reading this poem, was all the times I had to flush my dead fish down the toilet. It

was always sad, but neccessary. I think that poetry has lost a lot of importance in the modern

world. Not as many people care to read or write it anymore. I'm not exactly a huge fan of

poetry, but that is probably because I can't write a poem to save my life :( I wish I could, but

I can't, and it bothers me..

10/26 Music Genius and Insanity

The "tortured artist." We've all heard about it multiple times. We've listened to the crazy stories on the radio or watched the E True Hollywood story about the musician with the trouble past and the badass attitude. I believe that extroidinary musicians have a different kind of mind than the everyday average person. If they didn't, then the whole world would be able to bust out with a remarkable tune whenever they wanted! Musicians have a certain passion and love for their music that only they can understand. In the case of Sidney Bechet, he loved his music so much and had the desire to prove that HIS notes weren't wrong that he challenged another man to a dual. He was willing to die for what he blieved in.
Musicians are funny that way. They're kind of like UFC fighters. They're so confident in themselves that they don't really worry about the consequences of losing. They just assume that they're the best and that they can't be wrong. This may be for many reasons though. A lot of musicians have troubled pasts. They use their rough experiences and struggles to inspire their work. So do I believe that insanity and talent can be directly correlated? Yes, in some cases. Their troubled minds make them great.

10/30 Halloween

I've never been a huge fan of Halloween..until this year. Of course when I was a little girl, my parents would dress my sisters and me up like barbie princesses, disney characters, Barney, or witches for this "holiday." I guess it was fun for me back then, but I was so young that I don't really even remember going trick-or-treating or meeting up with the little family we have that lives near us. I do vaguely remember the days before Halloween which were actually enjoyable because of all the decorations and trips to the pumpkin patch. I loved the hay-rides and petting zoos, but as I got older, I realized I didn't enjoy these things as much as I used to. The middle school days rolled around, and I just never really got very excited about Halloween. I hated the idea of dressing up in a bunch of uncomfortable costumes and running around to a bunch of strangers houses just for them to give me a couple pieces of candy..if that. Most years I didn't even dress up! If I went out, I went out as a noraml everyday student. My family never gives out candy or decorates for Halloween. I've never even carved a pumpkin!
I don't really consider Halloween to be a legitimate holiday, but it's fun and entertaining for most people in America, so who am I to say it isn't important. Yes, candy businesses and costume/decoration producers earn a lot of money during this time, but I think that is true with any "holiday." Americans usually try to find reasons to spend money and have a good time. Plus, it gives a lot of families good bonding time. Halloween is no different than Cinco de Mayo, St. Patricks Day, Valentine's Day, etc. Why not let people enjoy themselves and declare October 31 a holiday. It isn't bothering me.
The only good thing about Halloween was candy, until this year. This year was different..I guess because it's my first year of college. I had so much fun :) I dressed up as a sailor! I don't really have a specific reason other than the costume was one of my teammates old ones, so I got it for free! Anything free is good with me. Honestly, if I had another choice, I probably would have gotten another costume that covered more of my body :/ but it was really cute, and most girls looked just as uncovered as I did, so it was okay. My Halloween started Thursday night, and I partied with my friends all weekend, except Friday, because I went to visit my sister at West Georgia. I loved every minute of it.

10/28 Music

I love music. I cannot imagine the world without it. Music has been an important part of history and entertainment for people all over the planet. Slaves used music and spirituals to cope with their everyday struggles. During the 1920's, new innovative music styles and jazz created fun dance music for flappers. And who can forget the disco era? Music can be traced throughout history and identified with different important time periods. Music also varies widely in the different parts of the world. People in Africa are listening to different music than people here in the United States. There is a huge culture difference in different areas or regions of the world, and music helps demonstrate that.
I believe that you can tell a lot about a person just by knowing what kind of music they like to listen to. I'm not saying that certain kinds of people only listen to certain kinds of music, but in many cases, you can determine moods and personalities of individuals just by going through their iPods. I know that when I'm upset or sad, I like to listen to rap or rock to drowned out all the million different thoughts I have going on in my head. The music somehow takes my mind off of everything going on in life and gives me an alternate reality to live in for a little while. When I'm feeling happy and everything seems to be almost perfect, I listen to country or upbeat tunes. It is waaay too depressing to listen to sad love songs when I'm already half depressed and discouraged with life, so I might even want to listen to an inspirational or motivating feel-good song when I'm upset, just to remind me that there will be better days.
Music is an important part of society. It can be heard everywhere. In cars driving down the road, movies, elevators and lobbies, restraunts, etc. The world would be a very boring and sad place without it.

10/23 decisions..

When it comes to making decisions in life, I am definitely not the best. I can't decide what to wear in the morning, what I want to eat, what I want to do in life, or pretty much anything else that requires choosing. I am pretty sure that I get this character flaw from my mother. I love her to death. She is a very intelligent lady, but she can't make decisions to save her life. If we go out to eat as a family, and we all try to make her decide, then we'll just sit on the side of the road or continue driving in circles until one of us finally decides to make the decision for her. I am a lot like her in that respect, but I'd like to think that I'm not as bad about it as she is. I've been trying to work on it. Other people in my life have even tried to help me because it is such a problem. Unlike other girls, I hate shopping. This is not because I don't like clothes or looking nice. I don't like shopping because when I go to the mall, there are sooo many choices (clothes, shoes, purses, perfumes, electronics, etc.) that I get overwhelmed and have a small anxiety attack! It's ridiculous! What the heck is wrong with me?! Why is it so hard for me to choose between the apple or the orange? It's not like my world is going to drastically change if I decide to eat the apple instead of the orange, and I know this, but sometimes I just can't realize it until after I've already spent so much time agonizing over the "right" choice.
I have recently realized something about decisions though: sometimes the hard choice and the right choice are the same. When this happens, man does it suck :/ but what can you do? Life is full of trials and tribulations, laughs and cries, success and failure. Without the difficult times, the happy times wouldn't be so great. Life isn't always fair, but it isn't fair for anybody, which kind of levels the playing field and in turn, makes the stuggles in life, normal.