Why Children Hate To Read: For Starters

Sadly, today I spent lots of time at the doctor's office and in the hospital. Don't worry, everything is fine. Knowing me and my impatient self, I decided none of the magazines were worth my time so I thought maybe I could get a kick out of reading a children's book called "Not Norman".

I opened the first page of the book and began reading. By the second page, in my mind I was thinking "wow, this kid is a brat". To summarize the book, I will just say that a kid for his birthday received a goldfish from his parents as a gift and he was not happy because he wanted a "real" pet, I recall the book even describing that he wanted a pet that he could play with, sleep with, run around with, etc. The pictures also imply that the kid is hurting the goldfish's feelings. Yes, I know it is a goldfish and in reality, if a kid didn't want a goldfish, it wouldn't cry, but I started wondering if in the long run, it makes kids believe that it is ok to hurt someone's feelings by either mocking them, bullying them, or not wanting to be their friend.

As I continue reading this book, I try to figure out where it is going. Was it trying to tell children that it is ok not to appreciate presents? He wanted to return his goldfish and trade it for something "cooler", he even tries to sell it to his classmates. I then ask myself, why am I reading this? Not only was the message terrible, but the book itself was boring and the character was conveyed as rude. Just so that I could generate a valid opinion, I continued to read the book and of course there was the happy ending where the kid finally accepted the goldfish and wanted to keep it.

Then it occurred to me, books like these were the very reason I hated reading in elementary school. Boring books with characters like the one in this book made me hate reading (and don't get me started on the reading passages that are given to you for standardized testing. If you really want a child to do well on a test, give them passages that will be somewhat interesting).

So then I started thinking back to when I actually developed the desire to read. I did not like reading until about 10th grade when I discovered Stephen King, then after my interest developed, I moved to other authors. Yes, Stephen King may be considered a freak to most people but admit it, the guy can write a novel and keep you interested. Now I am not saying Stephen King is what elementary students should be reading but I am saying that books should be written in order to encourage students to develop the desire to read. Make it interesting and fun, and I think that should apply to not only elementary school but middle school and high school as well. Point is, if kids are reading books like "Not Norman" and are even half as bored as I was, you're teaching them right off the bat that reading is boring.

Now for my point- STOP GIVING CHILDREN A BORING SELECTION OF BOOKS! Reading is a good thing!
If you have an interest in writing or even think that I made a point in this blog, have you ever considered writing children's books? The thought crossed my mind and I am heavily considering it. If you are too, get busy!

The Last Song: 2 Thumbs Up

Saturday April 3, my mom and I decided to have one of our 'girls day out' and went to see The Last Song. Personally, I like Miley Cyrus as an actor, not to mention the amount of talent that girl has that goes unnoticed and unappreciated. I started out liking Cyrus during her show Hannah Montana, yes I know. It is Disney Channel and childish right? Wrong. First, I would like to say that I like Disney channel because it has 'clean' humor. No sex, no drugs, nothing vulgar, morbid, or perverted. Just clean comedy. If you have any good movies that do not involve sex, drugs, perverted 'humor', or stupid comedy (like Napoleon Dynamite) feel free to tell me what they are. I'd love to know.

For example, just typing in 'Comedy Movies' in yahoo images search engine, I find things like "The Hangover" or "Sex Is Comedy". First of all, I did not think highly of The Hangover at all because one: I thought the 'comedy' in that movie was stupid. Secondly: the message behind the movie was pathetic. A man goes to Vegas with friends for a bachelor's party, gets so drunk he forgets everything, and almost leaves his wife stranded at the alter because his friends forget he is on top of the hotel building. The entire movie is about 4 immature and idiotic men trying to figure out what happened the night before. What good message comes from that? Anyways, I will save that for a different day.

When I went to see The Last Song, multiple things impressed me. Miley Cyrus showed more talent than I thought she had, plus the movie, in my opinion was very well made, not to mention, a beautiful story (and this time, I decided to read the book after the movie so I could keep separate opinions on the two). Cyrus not only showed good acting skills, but she also presented her talent on the piano. When discussing this movie with several different friends, I was shocked to hear most of them say they refused to see the movie because Miley Cyrus was the main character. Why?

I believe that society has defined 'comedy' as crude, perverted, sexual, or pointless so actors on Disney channel never get a chance when it comes to the big screen and I think that is because people believe that the actors on Disney are there because they can't really act when in reality, that statement is false. In my opinion, if Miley Cyrus had never signed a contract with Disney, I think more people would consider seeing her movies in theaters. Why do Disney productions make a difference? Because 'mature' teenagers and adults do not take her seriously because they think that she has no talent, so in the long run, Disney has done her no justice. Yes, she has made her way onto the big screen in Nick Sparks movie as well as her songs on the radio, but I believe that is more because of the talent she offers and because her father knows the business.

If your reason for not considering to see The Last Song is due to the fact that Miley Cyrus has "poor acting skills" or no talent, I would think again. You cannot base your opinion off of a Disney channel show that is specifically made for kids and family viewing. Walk into that theater with an open mind and pretend as if you have never heard of Miley Cyrus and I guarantee you would be impressed. So instead of saying "yea but it's Miley Cyrus" enjoy a night out to see a movie, you deserve it. Oh and bring a box of tissues. I even heard men sniffling in the theater.

Everlasting 'Food'

Have you ever purchased too much food at the grocery store and eventually it becomes moldy or stale after a week or so? Why? Because food is supposed to decompose naturally after a certain amount of time. For bread, it is a few weeks or so. Bananas, also a few weeks. But what would your reaction be if you left a piece of bread on the counter for over a year, and nothing happened? If it did not get stale, it did not mold, and no flies were attracted to it? Would you consider buying that brand of bread ever again? Probably not.

In the article Happy Meal Is Still Happy One Year On written by Bethany Sanders on March 24, 2010, consumers of today's fast food industries may or may not be shocked to read about her experiment.
Sanders partner Joann Bruso left a Happy Meal from McDonalds on her shelf for one full year, it maintained a similar appearance by the end of the year. Nothing molded, rotted, or decomposed.

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2010/03/24/happy_meal_is_still_happy_one_year_on.php

Now, this is not an attack towards McDonalds because almost all fast food resturants apply preservatives to their food so that it can sit for long periods of time throughout the day and still be edible to the consumer. Just a train of thought, if the McDonalds happy meal still appeared to be edible, don't you find it disturbing that a year old hamburger simply heated in the microwave could be what your child is eating?

Chaos In A Tiny Town

Have you ever been one of those people who have asked "what is wrong with the world today?"
I know I have asked myself that question numerous times during incidents such as 9/11, the terrorist attacks in London, and the health care bill passing recently (really stupid plan people, but that's for another day).
After reading this article, I thought of how each and every town, city, state, and country has their share of murderers, kidnappers, serial killers, burglars, etc. Even the biggest acts occur in the smallest towns. But in the end, it gets you nowhere. I don't understand what would lead anyone to hurt another person. What could possibly be a good enough reason?
This man's reason was because he was "angry with the mental health organization"

http://www.kens5.com/news/Mom-stabbed-in-the-back-at-Stephenville-park-87771417.html

Central Market Treasure Hunt

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted. But let me say, even though it seems that I have not been focusing on my blog, I have been.

Early this week, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to head down to Central Market in South Austin (off 290 West and Lamar). Of course, the man I went shopping with was in food heaven. Even though I am not too into cooking personally, I really enjoyed looking at all the different varieties of food, some items I have never even heard of such as Golden Raspberries. Nearly everything was organic, even the chocolate, not to mention, the prices were not bad at all, extremely affordable if you know what you want and don't go overboard. We got out with dinner, desert, and lots of different ingredients for about $30. We purchased aged Goat cheese soaked in wine, Goat cheese and Herb Ravioli, tons of items from the candy isle (homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate covered gummy bears, chocolate covered banana chips), sugar plums (more out of curiosity), heavy whipping cream (for our homemade pesto sauce), a few healthy choices beverage wise, and lastly, the reason for my article, Kombucha.

Personally, I had never heard of Kombucha. Kombucha is a pro biotic tea with over a billion organisms. While reading the label on the bottle, the ingredients seem a little intimidating. But because we traveled to Central Market specifically for healthy items, we decided that choosing a detoxifying beverage would be a rather smart decision. Kombucha contains significant amounts of B vitamins and has been proven to aid in fighting off specific health conditions, diseases, and even cancer.
Kombucha does not contain caffeine and the taste was interesting (to say the least).
Kombucha is known to:

• Stabilize Blood pressure
• Improve circulation and remove toxins
• Prevents canker sores and oral irritations
• Clears nail fungus
• Flattens and fades old liver spots
• Eliminates and reduces heat rash
• Removes rust
• Returns grey hairs to original color
• Improves conditions of people with liver problems
• Prevents and helps heal bladder infections
• Eases Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
• Insect repellent
• Smoothes out cellulite
• Removes toxins from the body
• Helps with Eczema
• Stops severe menstrual cramps
• Eliminates desire for alcohol
• Helps Arthritis
• Soothes sting and swelling from bee stings
• Improves eye site

Give it a try!!

http://www.answers.com/topic/kombucha
http://www.kombucha.org/

Just Something Small To Brighten Your Day

If you ever feel like someone is watching you, know that it is God and that He has plans for your every move. Psalms always helps me, maybe it will help you.

O LORD, you have searched me and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
Psalm 139:1-3

Need2know Common Sense

Today, while trying to concentrate on a crucial english paper, I overheard 2 girls talking about 'the plan'. Being the nosie and curious person that I always have been, I got distracted from my essay because I wanted to know exactly what this 'plan' was that they were talking about.
I then heard one of the girls talking about how she was going to get pregnant without getting introuble with her parents (she was informing girl #2 of the 'ingenious' plan).
"Well first, I'm going to pay one of my good friends to get me prego. I am going to tell my parents that I went to a Fraternity party and got drugged by some guy, then I am going to wait until 3 months into my pregnancy so that they can't press charges. But oh my gosh I'm so excited. I get to have a little baby and it's going to be so much fun".
Before she even got to finishing her 'plan', I was disgusted not only by her immature idea but also by her lack of common sense. She just oozed with stupidity.
I wanted to turn around and say:

• After you have this baby, your parents run DNA and find out who this baby belongs too and I am almost positive that this guy would rather throw you under the bus than go to jail for rape.
• Do you honestly think having a baby is all 'fun and games'? I highly doubt you factored in food, medical bills, staying up half the night because the baby is crying, raising the child without any help, and not to mention the amount of responsibility it takes to raise a child, which obviously, you lack maturity on a disgustingly pathetic level.
• Did you ever take into consideration that disappointment and anger your parents will have towards you when they find out you lied just so you could have fun with a baby? Did you ever consider the awful life you will be giving this child? What will you do when the 'fun' is done? What will you do when you're infant is sick and you have gone weeks without sleeping, or when you run out of money for food, dipers, medical bills, ect?

The lack of common sense in so called 'highly educated college students' is sickening.

As I stood up from my chair and grabbed my things, all I could think about was the life of this baby. I did not even know what to say to her. So I looked at her and simply said:

"If you honestly think lying about rape will get you out of the consequences you're going to bear, I can't believe you claim to have a brain."