Senior Reflection; Senioritis Prevention?

So I was kinda sorta pumped for the end of Senior year. Personally I thought it would "over" because AP exams are done with, but nope; Gotta love those finals!!! The increase of work seemed to just surge all of a sudden. I'm not quite sure why because all throughout the year work was pretty simple and easy to get done. I just think that the senior teachers are trying to keep our attention until June 22 and keep us from getting the dreaded Senioritis. I personally loved how the Attendance Office actually sent our parents "Tips on Helping Seniors Avoid Senioritis". That was just great. Haha, all I pretty much have to say on the subject of Senioritis is that it's honestly nothing new and it's actually increasingly worse this year because of the late graduation date, but I feel that in the back of our minds we know that we just have to hang in there by June 22 then we're home free. So no "Senioritis Tips" needed Attendance office. (:

Michelle Obama Looking Gawgeousss!

So this article was about the outfit Michelle Obama chose to wear for the state dinner honoring the Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala on May 19, 2010. Looking at her past dresses, such as her outfit to the Inauguration Ball, the first lady loves one-shoulder gowns. It seems to fit her perfectly too because of her toned arms. The article also spoke about the "underground" designer she chose to go with for her evening outfit. This seems to also be a trend with Michelle because I remember distinctly Jason Wu's career sky-rocketed after she chose the cream one shouldered gown for the Inauguration Ball. The author also commented on this note how she tends to avoid the mainstream high-end designers such as Valentino and Versace. The color also complemented her skin tone perfectly as well as the draping of the material. The article also noted that she seems to be a fashion icon similar to that of Jackie Kennedy, another one of my faves, in that she sets her own style rather than following the trends.

I chose this article because I saw this picture of her gorgeous gown and had to comment on it. Maybe it's the fact I'm still in "prom mode" from looking through hundreds of dresses and this one seemed to catch my eye. I felt that this article was very well written and managed to make connections to minor details I would have overlooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this article because of the depth it provided into not only the world of fashion, but into the mind of the first lady. I know she's sort of an icon for her "typical J Crew" wear and it's nice to see that she tries to look flawless without over splurging too much.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100520/ap_on_en_ot/us_fea_fashion_state_dinner

Senior Reflection; APs DONE, PARTAYYY!

OMG I did it! I finally finished all the AP Exams that I had to take this year and it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted of my shoulders. I know cliche but it's the truth. Haha, I also loved how they planned prom right at the close of the exams because that was just great too. I'm actually pretty exhausted right now from prom last night but it was a blast! I really liked seeing my fellow classmates all dressed up [some better than others (;] and finally celebrating a huge landmark in our high school career, our senior prom! I must admit though, it was INSANELY strange seeing some teachers/faculty there--and some were dancing. Yeaaaaaaaa, could have done without that but in general it was absolutely great for a "Disco Inferno" themed prom.

Country-Wide Ban On Facebook, WHAAAA?

Yup, it's true boys and girls. Pakistan has now issued a ban on Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia until May 31, 2010 when they decide in the court whether or not the ban will become permanent. Why so uptight you say? Well, turns out there was a "growing amount of sacrilegious content" on all of these sites. What seemed to grind the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority's gears the most was the fact that there is a Facebook group called "Everyone Draw Muhammad Day!" The author of this article went on an extremely bias rant for a bit about how South Park, the cartoon, depicted the prophet Muhammad in a bear suit. What she failed to mention though is that this is not the only instance that Muhammad was mentioned in the show. In my English class we were discussing satire and this exact issue came up. The writers of the show commented that they had also depicted other religious leaders such as Jesus throughout their many seasons and this is nothing new. They also felt that since 9/11 tensions about referencing Muhammad, for example would anger people naturally. Before the tragedy occurred though, the writers had the prophet Muhammad in their show with virtually no outcry.

Anyhow, the author ended on a more reasonable note on recognizing deleting the group[s] formed rather than taking an extreme by blocking websites for the whole country. The way I see it is that there is no way avoiding it, there are morons out there who use the internet to release their rage and blocking a whole country from sites WILL NOT ERASE these idiots permanently. It's sort of living in a state of disillusionment. I agree in that the individual groups should be monitored more carefully but I must also note that Muslims are not the only ones targeted through these sites as well, many other races, religions, and beliefs are mocked over the internet by people who have nothing better to do. I'm glad I found this article because it was a very interesting read.


Source: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/asma_uddin/2010/05/pakistans_facebook_ban_protects_the_wrong_party.html?hpid=talkbox1

The GOP's Dirty Sexy Money--LOL

First off I didn't make up that title, it was the title of the article, but I liked it so much I decided to use it! LOL. Anyways, a new scandal on the Hill is emerging! Apparently new reports surfaced yesterday that the Republican National Committee took their "young republican donors" out for a night on the town to "an edgy sexually themed Hollywood night club called Voyeur" aka a strip joint! Not only did they drop $17,514 to fly privately to the strip joint in class, but $9,099 at a Beverly Hills hotel, and the icing on the cake nearly $2,000 to the so-called "edgy strippers". As you can imagine, the GOP is in some hot water now. The RNC's chairman, Michael Steele, is facing much of the criticism. There are rumors that re-election for him is bleak calling this stunt "the end of his career". The article went on claiming that this could be disastrous for the republican party resulting in lost seats and even lost jobs.

I honestly could not read this article without laughing out loud. The author who wrote this writes exactly the way I do so it was enjoyable to read but other than that, this whole circumstance is just so pitiful. I mean really, you high rollers from the republican party, the best you can do to show your "young republican donors" a good time is to fly them out in class to a strip joint? Good to see their donations are put to excellent use! And the fact that they didn't think anyone will notice prominent members of the GOP at in the strip joint? Hahaha, you have got to be kidding me. Either way, it serves them right for being reckless like that. I agree with the author of this article in that the way they went about celebrating was completely moronic especially considering that they are notable figures who will be noticed for their actions--whether it's voting during Roll Call or flying to Hollywood to visit strip clubs. I would not be the least bit surprised to see some of the republicans lose their jobs after this.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-29/the-gops-dirty-sexy-money/?cmpid=p_yahoo

Where I got the "edgy" description: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100330/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1374

Standards Fo' Schoolz

So as I was looking around for editorials to comment on, I stumbled across an article addressing a nation-wide school standard. As you should know from Government class, states are essentially in control with the standards they establish regarding school. With the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, states essentially create their own standards so that government funding can be awarded on the basis of their scores. The article commented on how states can manipulate this to their advantage so that they can receive much more funding. The article also spoke about how the incredibly low test scores we have here in the United States became more and more apparent after the implementation of this law. The U.S. as a whole is falling behind the other countries educational-wise and it's about time that a nation-wide effective plan is created. The author emphasized this belief all through her editorial because it is essential in this day and age to keep current and not fall behind in comparison to other countries as well.

I cannot agree with this author more. Everything she spoke about just seems like common sense to me. I mean take the S.O.L.s for example. They're basically a joke and it's sad to think that we, Fairfax County, one of the best counties in the United States, have to take such a ridiculously insulting exam. Just thinking that some students even fail that is honestly just wrong. I can't even imagine the standards implemented in other states and counties that remain below ours. I know that this doesn't apply to students that actually apply themselves but really we're slacking in comparison to other countries. I find it disgraceful that "a land full of opportunities" is just barely passing the average mark. I believe with a nationwide standard, admittance into college would be more fair as well--and no such thing as grade conversions and bullshit. I agree with the author in that a new system should be created to replace Bush's failed attempt to regulate education in the United States.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/opinion/14sun1.html

Democrats In Charge, Baby!

So this week's editorial spoke about how President Obama's recent Health Care Summit was a chance to create a bipartisanship plan to fix our fragmented heath care system. This article reviewed the meeting and spoke about how the republicans pretty much blew their chance to have any say in the matter at all. When asked to compromise, the republicans refused to negotiate at all so you know what? Their loss! Everyone knew that the loss of sixty Democratic senatorial votes was a set back but now the Democratic senators can pass the Health Care Bill through reconciliation. Don't know what reconciliation is? It is the passing of a bill as is with fifty-one senatorial votes. We have fifty-nine so the odds are in our favor. This editorial also commented that this is "the one shot we have for centuries to come, to finally ensure health coverage for Americans". The author also commented on how this giant leap forward would not only provide coverage for thirty million uninsured Americans but also help reduce the deficit over time. Either way, all of this power is now in vested in the Democrats' hands to push this bill through once and for all. The author also remained strongly in favor of finally passing the Health Care Bill.

I agree with the author of this editorial because it is absolutely ridiculous how one of the richest nations in the world, America, cannot provide affordable health care for it's citizens. I watched some of the Health Care Summit and couldn't help but become so angered at the way the republicans carried themselves. Obama was being serious in trying to establish a compromise, and the nonchalant attitude and utter rudeness the republicans showed at times must have been aggravating. They brought up points that had nothing to do with the actual bill itself but focused on criticizing everything from length of the bill to just criticizing Obama himself. After that meeting Obama was pretty angry himself. I know I would be! Again, it was Obama reaching out and the republicans were not reaching back. Like the author had said, they now lost their chance to have a say in the matter because the Democrats will pass the bill through reconciliation. The benefits that the author spoke about seems that the pros outweigh the cons. The most prominent overarching goal would be providing for those who do not have enough for health care coverage. All in all, I have full faith in what is to come if the Health Care Bill in fact passes.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/opinion/04thu1.html