Tiny Furniture

This weekend I went down to midtown to watch a movie called Tiny Furniture. I love going to midtown because they have movies that are not typically in local theaters. There are some movies that are international and independent films! It's also kind of nice to watch a movie that you can leave thinking about what you just watched. They have movies that are about current events happening in the world or it displays a certain message that everyone needs to know. I find these films very inspiring.

Tiny Furniture is about a girl that graduated from college and majored in film. She came back home without a job and had just broken up with her boyfriend. She was a typical college graduate that had to figure out what was the next step in her life. Tiny Furniture was interesting because it was based on a true story and about her life. The filmed the movie herself and was in the movie as well. She used her mom, sister, and her house to film her movie and wrote the script. For her first movie it was pretty good and it has now become a hit.

My mom thought it was good for me to watch Tiny Furniture because eventually this is when I graduate, I will be going to school for the same thing. I will be learning how to make movies, write scripts, and edit films as well. She has given me more confidence about what I would like to do in the future and maybe one day I could do the same thing! Who would have ever thought her film was going to become so popular? She used her skills and knowledge that she learned in school in produced something great.

Jaws

In El-Arish, Egypt there was a German tourist who was attacked by a shark at an Egyptian Red Sea Resort. The shark tour off the tourist's arm and almost killed her instantly! Apparently this attack had not been the first incident. After this attack, there were another four attacks to four other tourists. The woman was swimming in the water when the event happened. There was also another attack when an elderly woman's hand was ripped off and another woman's leg was torn off. Eventually the resort and beaches were closed down. This could be detrimental to tourism in Egypt because 66% of Egypt's total income comes from tourism. By the end of 2011 Egypt is expected to earn &12.3 million by tourism itself. After reading this article I don't know if I have to go to the Red Sea Resort, what about you?


http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/tourist-dies-in-another-shark-attack-at-egyptian-resort-of-sharm-el-sheikh/19746824

A New Hallelujah

Today the Daraja Children's Choir came to school. They have been coming for the past three years and I love it! The children of the choir are from Kenya! I have always wanted to go there. Every year they perform I have more of a desire to visit! This week also included a model of how a school would be in Kenya. It was very interesting to see how small the schools were and how many kids were expected to fit. A school in Kenya is less than the size of a typical class room. There are maybe a few desks where about 3-5 kids will sit and some may have to sit on the floor. There weren't enough books for the students as well.

I know that I am blessed with so many things but I tend to forget to be grateful. During the presentation they showed kids walking to school. Some kids it would take them an hour or two to get to school. Their only transportation was walking. Or if a child was not able to go to school it would be because they were getting water for the day for their family. As long as I've been in school, I almost feel as if I'm supposed to school. It's something that every person does even though they may not like it. In Kenya education is their way out. Education is where they find hope.

Today I really enjoyed watching the Daraja Children's Choir Sing. And even though they may not have a lot, they still had a smile on their face. They find their inner happiness rather than dwelling on the negative things that are happening around them. The children also had so much energy and I was not bored for one second. Not only were they a group of kids that were singing, you could see each child had a story by their expressions when they were singing. I felt everything that they sang even though they were singing in another language. I learned that even though someone may be from the other side of the world and doesn't speak you're language, there is always something that can bring everyone together.

Make It Easy by Using IWeb

IWeb is an application that Apple provides with macs. IWeb gives people the opportunity to make your own personal website. The first version of IWeb came out on January 10,2006 and is currently progressing. It gives users the opportunity to produce websites and blogs and are given the opportunity to customize as they please. IWeb is useful for making websites for business or personal purposes such as family. There is also an opportunity to link your websites through Facebook and Youtube.

Students can use Iweb as well. Students can produce podcasts or blogs. Blogging has become very popular and has progressed greatly. A student can communicate with his/her community about topics that they like to talk about. There are other sites online such as blogger.com to make a personal blog but Iweb gives the opportunity to make a blog, layout, or website to be customize rather than what is already provided. Young people are also starting to get more involved with issues around the world such as Africa or things such as fundraising. Young teens are beginning to be more proactive and participating and communicating with people around the world. IWeb can make this possible depending on what subject you like and what you want people to know. Get yourself out there!

IWeb consists of several different themes and layouts for your website. There a several different templates to choose from including your theme. It includes welcome, movie, blank, blog, blank, about me, my albums, and photo layouts. Depending on how complex your website will be. You can add more pages as you would like but it’s not required. IWeb is flexible to what you are trying to accomplish in your site. Features include, music, movies, photos, countdowns, etc. When you are finished with your website remember to edit your page and check everything before you publish it. Once you publish your site you have made a footprint online.

http://www.webhosteditor.com/tag/iweb/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWeb

http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/

Mo Money, Mo Problems

This weekend I went to the movies with one of my friends. It had been awhile since I had been to the movies. The last time I went the price was around $9-$10. Last night the price was $11! I couldn't believe how expensive my ticket was. When she told me the price, I felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my socket! I had also gotten gas at the beginning of the day. By that time I had spent over $30. This didn't even count dinner, which blows my mind. I know that the economy is horrible right now but $11 for a movie is ridiculous! Especially if a whole family went to the movies together, that would be at $50 total and if you bought food at the concession stand, you could spend over $100 in a couple of hours.

When I received my debit card I looked at money a lot differently than I used to because instead of it being my mom's money it was the money I earned. So, the value of the money that I have looks a lot different. Especially because I do not have that much at all therefore I need to use it wisely. I started to write down the things I was spending my card with and it didn't make any sense. So I started to cut back on what I was buying and if I didn't need it right then and there, than I won't get it. I also needed to do this soon before I would start spending money that I knew I didn't have.

Now I understand why my mom is not a fan of using credit cards. She uses debit more than credit. I have also learned that money is not something you messed around with. One minute you may all the money in the world. But if you don't keep up with what you're spending and spending it on unnecessary things, it will be gone before you know it.

In class the other day we learned how to make a screen cast! I thought it was going to be really hard and complicated but it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be! You can either do a screen cast on your computer screen or record yourself. It's really cool actually. No wonder people on youtube can whip out a video every day! It amazes me how much you can do on a mac. Doing this has also made me more aware of how I speak and how I represent myself.

When I recorded myself for the first time I hated the way my voice sounded. I couldn't believe I actually sound the way I do. I was actually getting annoyed by my own voice! It has taught me to watch how I say things and especially to say all of my words clearly. I recorded myself at least three times until I heard one where I thought my voice was decent for this little project. I have more of an interest in screen casting, now that I have done one of my own. Maybe I will play around with it a little bit more.

Well, to give you guys a fair warning this video is rough because it's my first one. So remember E for effort on this one. :)

TiK ToK

For the past couple of months I realized how important it is not to waste time and how valuable it is. The older I get I feel as if time is moving faster. Before I know it graduation will be coming up and senior year will be over and will be getting ready for college. It's scary but at the same time exciting! New people, new places, new experiences.

I have also learned how important it is to make time for yourself. If we are constantly around people and going everywhere we never get a chance to grow. It is also hard for people to get time to themselves because of school, work, and extra curricular activities. Last year I was always doing something, going somewhere, school, or work. By the end of the year I was burned out! Giving time to myself has helped me grow and I feel that I have matured and have grown as a better person.

When you let yourself grow it is a big eye opener. I see things differently and view life differently as well. There will always be changes that are positive, but there will also be negative changes. You just have to role with the punches sometimes but it's okay.

Another thing that I am experiencing is inner happiness. I have found an inner happiness in myself and I love it. I don't let the little things bother me anymore. If something wasn't for me or it didn't work out, then that's how it is and move on. There are going to be people that come into your life and stay, and some that go out. You can't rely on people to make you happy or fill in the empty space that you may feel inside because in some cases it will not be there anymore. That is how it's going to be in the real world and it's something that I have gotten used to, quickly. Negative energy wastes too much time and it's not worth it. If it is for you, things will work out in itself. If not, than it's not good for you.

Screencasting, A Trending Topic

Yesterday in my Digital Communications class we learned about screen casts. Screen casts are starting to be a new popular way of communicating. Mrs. Runkel had us to do an activity where we watched a podcast and we were expected to follow the instructions. Our activity was to make the image that the screen caster was making. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. But it's nice because you are able to repeat the things that you didn't hear the first time. Or if you did not understand what he was asking you were able to go back and replay it. The speaker was talking pretty fast and I had to click pause every couple of seconds so I knew specifically where to go.

We also learned what was the difference between a good podcast and a bad one. There was one example Mrs.Runkel showed and they were a lot of distractions or the speaker did not know exactly where to go or how to say it which made it unclear. It shows that explaining concepts may not look as easy as you think they are. I also wanted to show two screen casts. I chose one screen cast that was good and one that was not as good.



I thought this video was good because there were no distractions and I was engaged the whole time. Even though there was not a speaker. They decided to use text instead, sometimes in this case it can be better especially if the speaker can not explain him/herself very well. The video was simple and also made its point.



This video is a tutorial on the computer game tetris. There is a lot of stuff going on here. There is music playing and there are paragraphs of texts telling you how to play the game with different colors and fonts. It's not good because there is too much going on. A reader will not be able to concentrate watching this because there is a song playing plus there are directions that are to be read. Eventually the reader will not pay attention at all. The video is pointless and does not accomplish what it needs to.

Sweet Dreams

Today I was randomly searching things on the internet because my eye would not stop twitching. I decided to look online and see what the affects are. The affects of eye twitching can be from sleep deprivation, stress or being on a computer for long periods of time. This year I haven't been stressed. My junior year was way more stressful than my senior year so far. The solution to my eye twitching is probably from not getting enough sleep and being on the computer for long periods time. It is a combination of both.

I was asking to myself why am I so tired all the time? It is getting to the point where it doesn't make sense. I have realized that I have so many things to get done by a deadline and I do't have a lot of time especially between work and school combined with other activities. So, I decided to look up the importance of sleep. One of the websites that I researched talked about the importance of sleep and how it affects your health mentally and physically. If we don't get enough sleep, how are we supposed to function during the day?

Yes, work is important and school is important but when are we going to be able to take care of ourselves? If I got enough sleep every night I would be more more progressive in the things I do. Assignments would be good all of the time and I wouldn't have to debate on which subject will have to suffer because I have way to much to do and compare how important one subject is to another. It is ridiculous. We have such high expectations from others and we put pressure on ourselves as well which will cause more stress.

I am not saying that I should have no work, but it should also be reasonable. When students receive assignments from teachers, sometimes I ask myself, "Do they realize that I have six other subjects that I have to worry about? Your class is not the only class that I have!"

We live in a society where we are constantly moving and we never get a chance to take a rest. We run ourselves so much to the point where we burn out and have no more energy left. It amazes me how sleep is such a necessity, but we don't get enough of it.

Soon As I Hit The Stage Applause Im Hearing It ...Too Young to Hit the Stage?

Willow Smith is the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Willow is the youngest of three siblings. She has been under the spotlight her whole life. Willow came out her new hit single "Whip My Hair". She is only 9 years old and edgier than ever! Willow has been compared to artists such as Rihanna, Madonna, and Beyonce. How can she be compared to stars such as these at such a young age? She hasn't even reached her double digits yet! After her single was released Jay-Z signed her to his record label named Roc Nation. Willow's style shows a sense of edginess as well. Her style does not say that she is a 9 year old girl. She comes off very mature and dresses as if she is twice her age. Willow seems different than most young children stars. The issue with young stars is their longevity. Since she is starting at such a young age, how long will she last? How long will she be in the spotlight and continue to surprise us ? It is only the beginning, will she be an artist with ONE hit single or many?

http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2010/10/21/is-willow-smith-too-young/

http://www.metrolyrics.com/whip-my-hair-lyrics-willow-smith.html

Into the Darkness You Shine

Today I read an article about the miners that were saved in Chile recently this week. There was a number of 33 mine workers that were trapped 622 meters (2,041 feet) below the surface of the earth for 69 days with no light.

When the men were saved they were given sunglasses to where because they had been in the dark for over 2 months. Surprisingly all of the miners were healthy and only had minor concerns such as pneumonia and dental problems. Doctors said that the only thing that would be damaging would be themselves on an emotional level. There were no severe problems physically.On an interesting note they set a world record for survival underground! I found that pretty cool.

When the miners were rescued, everyone rejoiced all over the world. Especially the country of Chile. There were balloons and the blasting of their national anthem. This event was shown and written about all over the world. It was an emotional and glorious day for people around the world to witness this event.

I found some quotes that were interesting as well that had me thinking...

• I have been with God and with the devil," Sepulveda said later, in more reflective mood. "I seized the hand of God, it was the best hand. I always knew God would get us out of there." - 31-year-old Florencio Avalos

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/chile-joy-spreads-worldwide-as-all-33-miners-saved-20101014-16kuo.html

• "I thought I'd never see my wife again and that I wouldn't see the birth of my son."- Richard Villarroel

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101014/ts_nm/us_chile_miners

• "It's a new life about to begin," said Belgica Ramirez, the sister-in-law of Mario Gomez, the oldest of the miners saved.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/chile-joy-spreads-worldwide-as-all-33-miners-saved-20101014-16kuo.html

These quotes really made me think. I thought about my relationship with God and how much faith they must of had being over 2041 feet under the surface of the earth for 69 days. I also thought about how not to take your life for granted and to thank God for everything that you have and no matter what he is there. Even at the worst time when you think he is not there, he is.

Video: http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/miner-describes-conditions-underground-22440842

Show Me A Good Time

On October 6th I went to the Drake concert, finally! I had been waiting for this concert since July. During school I didn't have the ability to even stay focused because the concert was the only thing I was thinking about. In the beginning my plan was to drive down there myself with my sister and I. Bad idea, so my mom ended up taking us down there and I'm so glad she did because if she hadn't I don't know what I would have done. When we got there we met up with my friend her and her brother. Somehow there seats ended up being right in front us so we were able to stay together!

We also tried figuring out who was going to show up at the concert. Of course Drake but there are always all kinds of artists that show up. That night The Dream, Jeezy, Roscoe Dash, Tyga, Lil Twist, and Lil Chuckee and some others from Young Money were all there! It was amazing! Our seats were so close too I have never been that close up before. The security guy also let us go up to the front of the stage to take pictures. It was a great experience and everything seemed so different up close. I felt more of a connection being closer and he is also a great performer.

There was a dedication to Aaliyah too. I love all of her music and it was nice for him to make a tribute to her. I didn't want the night to end, when it was over I thought the concert was just getting started! It was worth the wait and I'll tell you it was a wonderful birthday present! But now what? I feel like I have nothing to look forward to now. At least that's what it feels like. I wonder who else is going on tour?

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

This weekend was quite eventful. I had to go shopping for the Drake concert that is coming up this Wednesday. I have been waiting for this concert since July and I have been counting the days. I can't believe the day is almost here! On Saturday I went shopping with two of my friends Morgan and Taylor. None of us had anything to wear so we were definitely on a mission. Let's just say that I have never taken that long to pick out an outfit, ever! I was in Forever 21 for over an hour and it took us at least 3 hours to make it to the second floor. Talk about pathetic.

Eventually we went into Macy's because Taylor needed some jeans. Morgan and I said that we were going to wait for her because there wasn't anything that we wanted nor needed in the store. Oh boy were we wrong. All of a sudden I make it to the jean section and I pick out at least 10 pairs. Taylor and Morgan also got pairs of jeans and two each for sizes. We all shared a dressing room. We ended up having 24 pairs of jeans in the fitting room. Can you say, ridiculous? We were trying each others jeans and there was ONE pair that fit all of us in some way. I have no idea how that was even possible because our body shapes are totally different! It reminded me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I have never had such a good jean day, usually it depresses me so I don't look for jeans. I got them for a pretty good price too, I used my money pretty well.

When I got home I was not satisfied with the dress that I bought, so I decided to take another shopping trip. I went to Express and found a better outfit. I bought a studded skirt, cream shirt, and black short boots with a little heel that will give some height to my short legs. Well, I can say, mission accomplished!

Who I Am

Hello there ladies and gents. My name is Amelia. My birthday is August 21 so I am a leo. I am a senior in high school this year and will be graduating in May. My family includes my mom, sister, and I. Over the years we have become very close. My mom and sister are two of my best friends, we are inseparable. But don't be surprised, it was not like that a couple of years ago. I am also a figure skater. I have been a figure skater for over 13 years and I am currently a coaching and I have been coaching for over a year and I love it! Other things I enjoy are music and traveling.
I have made this blog for my communications class at school. My teacher wants us to learn how to communicate with other people rather than only our peers. I have some experience with blogging through my Bible class last year and in middle school when I had a xanga. Xanga sounds like a blast from the past doesn't it? I can recall some of the things that I said on my xanga and it was totally pointless, sometimes I think to myself, "Did I really say that?". I am glad that I have been given the opportunity to start another blog and maybe if I like it, I might keep doing it and it will last! We will see, won't we?