Not that Random of a family...

I really like the book so far. It is alot to consume in just a couple of chapters, but I like the fast paced reading. Reading about pregnancy, drugs, sex, and young children being abused is liek another world to me. I never grew up the way these kids did, nor has many other poeple that I know. But of course you read about ti and see it in movies. To them its a normal life, but when we read it, we think they live in hell. It seems that every girl who is ten years or older is pregnant with five chidren and three different fathers. Its overwhelming to hear abotu how the girls acted and the men. Some end up lucky nad the rest have to learn to grow up fast. I feel very blessed that I never get to expereince the hard life these children have too. I think these kids can turn there life around though, even the parents. First of all, children need to get back in school becuase that is the only realistic way hey are going to get a decent payign job. Parents need to look after thier kids more and stop the drugs. It is not that hard, but when so much controversy and negative influences are around constantly, it's difficult to walk away.

Anna Nicole

I forgot to blog about the Anna Nicole discussion. I did not persoannly enjoy any of the case information shown on television. I do not know anyone who would "enjoy" it. But it is amusign tryign to figure out wh othe father of the baby is and tryign to find out the final casue fo the death, which they have recently ruled as an accidental deat hdue to nine prescription durgs in her system. It is an unfortuante incident to occur and every news channel found it as much important to talk about than the war, which is not good. People die everyday and its sad, but true. I haven't heard much about the case anymore. Everyone is focused on more newer things. This is one of those 15 minute news that comes and goes. Life goes on and pretty soon we will forget Anna's name.

Scary Movies and Chinese Birth Control

I think that people watch scary movies just for the adrenaline rush. It is not like an everyday person sees ghosts monsters, or other thigns in thrillers all the time. It is somehtign different. I love scary movies personally! Your heart races and your scared to death and its really cool. I really do not know why else people would would watch horror movies...

Group 5 & 6

Celebrity Question:

I have to admit, I am very much in tune with celebrity gossip. I am not really proud of it though. WHo the hell cares what goes on in actors or actresses lives. We all need to focus on our own because I doubt any of these celebrities would give two craps what occurs in our daily lives. But if I were some famous person and saw my face on the cover of a magazine, depending on what the coverstory said, I would proabably read it. That would proabably be in the beginning of my fame and then after that, I'll get over it, as do all celebrities. But if I saw one about my spouse cheating, I am not sure what I would do. It would probably be somehtign I have known about already. Those things are hard to say though...We are not celebrities and thier lives are fantasies compared to the "normal" people. We have to live in thier shoes to answer these questions.

Judge Question

If I were the jugde, I would proabably charge the officers with manslaughter or somethign else severe. It is not right to shoot someone 31 times! After the victim was down at probabaly the first shot, what else was the officer planning to happen, only kill the man. He killed him with no sole purpose. It is ridiculous and should not ever happen again. The officers are scared and do not know the proper way to handle an occurence like this. More trainign should be done so police officers are more aware of what to do. In this case, the killer should go to jail. The other man who shot eleven times is the same to me. It only takes one shot, maybe two, to put a person down, 31 times is just wrong...

A Hitlist

I come from the second largest highschool in New Jersey,which is Clifton High School. You would think there would be alot of violence and threats everywhere. And maybe there were at times, but I do not recall any hitlist or threats from the students. But during my sophmore year there was a anthrax threat and we to be detianed in our classroom for about three hours or so. Lights were off and doors were locked. I think that is the only major thign that occurred while I was in highschool. But I do not think it had anythign to do with a student, I thik the threat was from soemone outside of the school. I also rememeber a bomb threat in middles school nad all the students had to evacuate to a nearby funeral home. Taht was pretty crazy. But as for a hitlist, I cannot really recall any. I am more than sure that there probabaly was some though. Those type of incidences occurs in unexpected places, it doesn't just have to be in a fairly large school.

American Idol

I think that bad singers stay on American Idol because it brings a sense of drama to the show. Personally, I think that for this season there are not many great singers at all. Someone like Sanjaya stays on becuase of his appeal to a younger audience and fact that he has outrageous hair. Simon Cowell even commented on it and said that maybe it was his hair that was keeping him in the competition. I also think it could be for sympathy. If the judges really bash the person and that person ends up in tears, viewers may feel bad for that person. I am sure the producers of the show could care less if they have found a great singer or not, they just want excellent ratings. Antonella is good example because the controversy that she had with racy pictures goes against the show's rules, yet she was still on till getting voted off. But in the end, I think the worst singers sooner or later get voted off and the best singer wins the competetion.

Spring Break!!!

I'm so sad to say that spring break is over. Went by way too fast. but I had a blast down in Florida. I went with a group of my friends and we stayed at my house in Orlando. So much fun!!! We layed out by the pool, worked out (lol), went shopping, and went to Daytona Beach. At night we all went to City Walk and hung out. We ate at the Hard Rock which was really good! We also went to Disney World which I can never get enough of. I also had a great time at Club Paris when we went on our last night there. Got into alittle trouble, but whatever, its my Spring Break and I guess thats a good excuse. lol And that is bascially it. I came back and a day later the blizzard from hell came. It was good though cuz I was able to miss work. But then the next day I wanted to go shopping again so I leave my house and as I back out of my garage the car gets stuck in ice. Half the freakin car is out in the driveway and wont move. I thought the driveway was shoveled enough, but apparently not. My brother and I shoveled around the car like crazy and a good two hours later everythign was good. Then I went shopping :)

Can't wait till summer! <3 Nabila

My Chosen Book

I have started reading the James Frey novel A Million Little Pieces from two weeks ago off and on. I always wanted to read it and my Writing class was recently talking about it, so I got it. Of course part of me reading it is the controversy that occured with Oprah and everthing. But regardless, everyone did say it was a fairly good book. I finished up the novel on the flight to and from my vacation to Florida that I went on this week. I have to say it is an extremely good book! It is the story of a man who wakes up on a airplane, takign him to an unknown place. His face is bruised and his teeth are crushed. He is confused and angry. He meets his parents when the plane lands and they tell him he is on his way to rehab in Minnestoa. At first, James looks like a person who may never beat his addiction to drugs and alcohol, but slowly comes around. He knows that if he wants to get better, he has to trust himslef and understand that he coould do it. His parents and brother are very handson and visit him frequesntly, providing him with love even when they finally persuade him to go to the Family Program, which is counseling. James understands that although everyone is making him think that there are logical reasons for his addiction, such as childhood issues and heredity, James knows he is the sole purpose for being an addict. Also, he finds love with one of the women at the center names Lilly. SHe is just as messed up as him and finds herself in trouble when she tries to escape and is caught using drugs. James tries to help her and disregards the drugs all together. The endign has him relaesed fro mthe center and him going to a bar. I was confused at that part becuase I htought he was all better and now he wanted to go drink again! Well, he asks for whiskey and then tells the bartender to get rid of it for him. This symbolizes the ending relationship between him and his deathly addiction.

Final Project Preview

I think I would like to do either a film, scrapbook or webpage for my final project. Maybe I could intertwine them somehow. I am undeclared now, but there is alot of career options I could focus on. I currently work at a preschool and have employed there for about two years, since my junior year of highschool. I never thought I would ever get into teaching, but it is a great possibility now. My other interests are business and communication. But maybe for this project, I lean more towards education. I would love to teach either elementary or middle school. I could interview many of the teachers there, as well as the director of the school. I will be researching the necessary classes that I need to take for an education major here at MSU. Also, salary issues and where I would like to teach. I also need to research how many years it will take me to get a certain degree, whether I want my masters and so forth. I couls also see nay minors that I could possibly do. The resources I would use is the Montclair Website and other places that I am unsure of yet.

Women and Children's Rights

Women's rights has never been fully accepted ni this world. That is why when we hear about it in other countries, its a difficult thing to be so completely shocked. I think we tend to shy away from these issues unfortunatley because it is so common. Even though it is not familiar in the United States, we hear about it alot in the Middle East and other places as well. But alot has been going no to change it. There are organizations, groups, active commitees and other programs that are helping to fight for women's rights. People are speakign up about it everyday and the more others are aware of it, the better. Specifically in other countries, we need to talk about it more and get poeple to notice that the way soem women ar ebeing treated is unacceptable. I also think children's rights need to be addressed the same way with women's rights. People need to understand that children may not be taken care of or being treated properly. The more other people can know about these issues the more voice and reason we can make out of it. There is really nothign mroe than can be done. If you tell your story, someone is bound to listen, and listen carefully.

More Boys and Girls

I wanted to write today about the whole gender thing again. We mentioned in class about young children, boys playing with trucks and girls playing with dolls and Easy Bake ovens in the kitchen. I think that as a child, one cannot decide what to play with unless they are infuenced by others. This of course refers to the parents. I think that if it were not for parents and other adults teaching thier children that boys play with manly thigns and girls love the color, then the boys and girls would be playing with everyhting. Case and point...I work at a preschool, so I see first hand what the children enjoy to play with. The boys run to the legos and blocks. Girls play with the little kitchen and have dolls in thier hands. But not all are like that. Just the other day two four year old boys went to the costume chest and asked me to help them put on fairy princess costumes (and the wings too!) I started laughing, and of course thought nothing negative about it. I thought it was great and thier teacher thought the same thing, saying "You know, I think it is great they can do that and experiment, it's nothing bad." Very true I think. That very same day during play time again, soem other boys went to the mirror/makeup station and pretended to brush their hair, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty they said. Tehy also pretended to put on lipstick too. Then I thought for a second how they came about to do those things. Was it from watchign all those princess Dsiney movies, listenign to the girls and watchign them play with all those things, the way thier parents treated them. I do not know. but it is definetly true that they must have recieved soem type of influence. Girls young fro ma young age the color fo pink and the significance it has to beign girly and cute and beautiful. One little girl three year old who always wears pink clothing and has her nails pink, was coloring a picture. Of course, she colored everyhting pink. I asked her why she always colored every picture pink. She said,"because I like it." "But why" I always tell her. "Because it is sooo beautiful," she explained in a cheerful voice. Tehn I told her, "but how do you know it is a beautiful color?" I knew the answer to this question but waited anyway. "Becasue my mommy tells me it is beautiful." And that is it. If her mom were to tell her the most beautiful color is black, she would show up everyday in black and proabably think pink is ugly. So it is us who creates these differences between males and females. I know I like to shop, dress well, get a manicure and pedicaure every once in a while, and put on makeup. But I wonder what brought me to do all that. I guess just growing up, seeign your other peer, what is on the television. Right now there is alot of fashion networks and celebrity gossip on whats the newest "it" thign to buy or look at. For us girls, it really takes control of us. We spend so much money on clothes then we even need to. But soemtimes we cannot help it. We want the newest fashion thing out and always want to look our best. It's weird. Personally, I do not thnik it is a bad thign to do all of these things, but its strange to sit back and actually relaize how much we are being influnced more and more each day. Same goes for guys I believe. They proabably are doign soemthign just because it is the macho thign to do, like playign basketball, watchign sports, dating soemone when they do not really wan to so they don't get teased from their firends for not havign a girlfriend. I think things like these are never going to stop. We are all just like wierd robots, doing whjat is expected of us, and not even thinkign anything of it.

Girls and Boys

Alot has changed between girls and guys. I htink we are all mixing together, when it comes to jobs and activities we like to do. We tlaked in class about metrosexuals, and I believe more and more guys are becomeing that way. Even though they do not want to admit it, they seem to care much more about thier appearance than ever before. It is not a bad thing. But still, I hti kguys who wear pink, or get thier eyebrows done, or goes tannign is a big no no. I don't know why. Like I said, it is not bad if they do, but that kind of guy is just not for me. I liek a guy who doesn't try so hard, but still looks great. I would like for him to care about how he looks, but the whole feminity thing that comes along, like a manicure, should just be for girls. I guess I'm old school like that. haha. But of course, for us girls, we should be able to do all those girly things, manicure, pedicaure, massages, facials, tanning, shopping, and more shopping. lol. I may not be a girly girl, but I do like doing all those things. It's in our nature for girls to like and do all these things. Tha's what makes us girls. Right? maybe? I don't know. But then again, guys and girls can act however they want. People are proabably going to judge you anyone, so do whateevr it is you feel and want!

Snow Day!

I really did not think it would snow at all until I saw the flurries last night. I've had my hopes up before about gettign snow. So I'm happy to have a day today, especially since I have classes five days a week. I work at a preschool, so it was closed too. I feel like a little kid so excited about a snow day and not going to school. So it was a very relaxing day. I just got up from my nap (yeah I take naps whenever I have a chance hehe) and now finishign up on some work I need to do. talk to all of you soon! oh yeah, Happy Valentines Day everyone! Hope everyone spent it with someone special, and if not, don't worry. This day is too overanalyzed anyway...

Random Stuff

So I am really excited because I just found out I am going to Egypt this summer. I love traveling nad hopefully I could do alot of that in the future. I went to Egypt about five years ago with my brother and sister, so I am happy now my whole family will be able to go. I usually never get excited about vacations and then I end up having a great time. but now that I am looking foward to it, hopefully I don't jinx it. Well whatever. I was hoping to see Freedom Writers this weekend, but wasn't able to. I saw Pursuit of Happyness on Christmas day. It was soooo good. I had to hold back from crying so hard. Will Smith and his son did a fantastic job. Anyone who hasn't seen it yet really should. I really need to get started on Kite Runner. I have only gone up to Chapter 2. The story is getting interesting. I'll do some readign tonight.

<3 Nabila

Alittle Something to Think About

I'm not surprised the US has not taken any actions against the genocide occuring in Darfur. We always seem to think that we have much more problems than anyone else. But to be honest, nothing occuring in this country comes close to what is happening in Africa, not even close. Yes it is true this situation is not of our concern, but then whos concern is it? Is it just the people beign killed, the women being raped, kids being stabbed, and fathers salughtered in front of thier loved ones. Is it that simple to turn our heads and pretend it is not a big issue. Should the US start to be concerned once the killing rate reaches eleven million, as it did in the Holocaust? We cannot let history repeat itself like this anymore. Way too many people are dying now. ithink it is time for this country to become a feidn to another. This world needs helpful hands once and a while, and at this time, hopefully someone will lend that hand. I don't think it is a horrible thingto help another country. And knowign that in the process we could save the lives of the innocent and defeat the evils, yeah, it's not so horrible.

Mengele's Children

The infamous doctor during the Holocaust, Dr. Josef Mengele, experimented on so many innocent Jews, many did not survive once they entered his office. He had a deep interest in twins that he made it his main focus for deathly experiments and during selections. He wanted the world to know his name, so he decided to seek information about the secrets of heredity. He thought since many Aryan women gave birth to twins, mostly blonde hair and blue eyes, he could help aid the rest of the future. Although it is quite clear that twins were put through horrfic experiments, they were not treated horribly like the rest of the Jews in Aushwitz. Officials allowed them to keep thier own hair and even keep thier clothing. They were known as messengers and did not have to go through the hard labor many others went through. Unfortunately, twins had to go through a daily routine of taking out an immense amount of blood from thier fingers and arms. This was not good for very small children. it seemed like there were many pros and cons to being a twin. But in the end, few twins made it out alive from Aushwitz.

To read more of the twins of Auschwitz, you can go to http://history1900s.about.com/od/auschwitz/a/mengeletwins.htm



<3 Nabila

Genocide: Past to Present

I never really knew much about genocides, until I saw the movie Hotel Rwanda a couple of years ago. It was about the violence that took place amongst the Rwandan people between two ethnic groups in 1994, called the Hutu and Tutsi. One Rwandan man was able to save 1,268 people by sheltering them in a hotel, which he managed. It was the first time I had ever heard about the Rwandan genocide. By reflecting on the movie, it is hard to say how or why genocide still occurs. Maybe it is to put the blame on a group of people just to provide a common enemy and reasure themselves that they are destroying the bad guys. The only way to categorize these "enemies" is I guess by race, gener, or religion. That is what Hitler did, and his plan worked by killing millions of innocent Jews. It is very easy to say that genocide should not happen anymore, but it is easier said then done. After 9/11, all people wanted to do was have some kind of opinion on the Muslim faith. That is when violence begins, when people stop talking about specific people who committed an act and look at his or her background or faith and blame it on that. Ways that we can avoid and demolish genocide for ever occuring again is by simply to stop being ignorant and stop believing what other people have to say negativley on a certain group. Use your mind and develop your own interpretation. But no matter what, the destruction of people based on heritage or faith is never the right road to take. But like I said, easier said than done...

Never ever again

It's been a very odd couple of days. I'm thinking all that has happened yesterday at work and can't believe I made it out alive. Here's how the story went...I come to work bright and early, hoping for a slow easy day. Well, it wasn't as slow as I thought. I completely forgot I had to organize the party that was going to be happening later that day ( I work at a Clubhouse, so parties are always going on every weekend). Well, I had all these reservations that I had to arrange, laong with seating arrangements and finishing up contracts. Then I had to create menu and reservation names to go on each table. Members of the club decide it will be okay to call a couple of hours before the party and make a reservation, thinking it is not a big deal to call last minute. well sorry to say this, but it is. This is why emails are sent to members statign how big the party is going to be and that they should call before a certain day before all spaces are filled. Now these people like to believe that this rule is ridiculous and should be able to come, even though all space is filled to the max. Now I have to deal with endless phonecalls of poeple yelling at me saying how it is unfair and they should be able to come to the party because they are members and very rich. I can not believe just how selfish people can be at times. Then my boss decides to call me and give me fifty million other things to do. That lady talks so much. Now it is about two hours before the shindig starts and the staff is arriving. They come into the office and tell me they need this and that and this and that...thinking I have all the time in the world. It is about time for me to leave and I receive a message from a member saying that she is confirming her reservation, even though her name on the sheet was no where in sight. Now I have my coat, my purse, and my keys in my hand and ready to finally leave and now I have to deal with this. All table and arrangment have already been done there is absolutely no more room to squeeze another table. And if this member arrives and realizes she is not on the list, the fault will be on me and she will get very pissed and tell myslef and send an email to the committee. Yeah the people there are like that. So I am basically ready to pass out and call one of the wait staff in and he says he will take care of it (god bless him lol) Now today I get a call from my boss asking if I gave the final count as to how many people were attending to the chef. Well I did, but I was off on the number. I think she was alittle irritated, but you know what? I honestly could not care less. I worked so hard that day, for the first time lol. For eight hours straight I was working solo trying to make the party turn out great and on point. So if any of them have any complaints, I 'll just slap them. And that's all. Hehe sorry this took forever and you all probably stopped reading this a while ago, but I just had to let it out. I feel better now :) I had fun later that night so whatever. I just found out some exciting news so I am all smiles now. I'll share it once I know it is definite. But never again will I put myself through this crap. I am way too young to be getting all stressed out. Never again

<3 Nabz

Here's a Thought...

Okay...so I finished reading the book this morning. I thought I had read that book back in middle school, but I guess not. Even though the story is short and seems to go to quickley for my liking, I still really enjoyed it. I can not believe all the pain and heartache all these people had to go through. Eleizer was such a strong person and it was hard to believe he was the one caring for his father. It was so sad when I finally read that his father had died right beside him. I don't know what I would have done in that situation. I loved the ending as well. Even though he is looking at himself, emaciated and somewhat like a stranger, he knows that he has survived and finally free. But it saddens me that people can live a life of tragedy just by being who they are. Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again

<3 Nabila

My First Post

Hi everybody! My name is Nabila. I am a freshman and do not have a declared major as of yet. I am thinking either early childhood education or business. Not sure yet though. I have more in mind but those are the ones for now. I am from Clifton, NJ (about two minutes away from here) and a commuter. My goals for the class is to have a better understanding of what I want to learn at Montclair. Watching the movie "Accepted" was really interesting and made me think about what I wanted for an education. I hope at the end of the semester I can get a lot out of this class because it seems that the books we will be reading and the weekly discussions will be a big eye opener and very interesting. I guess that is all I have to say for now, talk to all of you soon!

<3 Nabila