Reflection: In my Own Writing Type!

Might I add first that this is structured how I love to write: to write what pops into your head! I type what I think and this is the easiest way for me to explain everything! :)

When starting a new class, I always wonder how I'll react to it. How the teacher will be as well as the students, and from the get-go how much i will enjoy the class. This quarter I knew the teacher going into it, as well as a few of the students- that made the first few days a bit easier. As the quarter went on, I came to realize that for the most part, I really liked this class. I like the arguments and the topics, even though some of the items I felt were not exactly "hard". But as the first assignments came around, I realized that writing a blog would be much more interesting than I'd imagined! I get to do what is fun for me, type. I included my favorite rapper, my favorite hobbies, as well as ways to make a friendship work. All of which I chose, so it was easier to succeed. I brought myself out of the classroom for most of these, and got to see them first hand- on the web, in a paper, and in the real world. I do always enjoy having a teacher edit my papers, as opposed to a peer, because I always feel that a teacher can relate because they've been trained to do this, longer than a student. I did really enjoy this class overall and I did enjoy creating a blog. I've never made a blog, even though I'm on the computer 24/7. I've learned to really appreciate my computer as well; I've been having computer issues this whole quarter, and am so excited to take it in and have it medicated! Most of the forms of writing I have learned before but I really appreciated how you gave us examples, as well as taught us to do these papers. You used passion and that was greatly appreciated. I always thought I was strong at English just because I enjoy writing and it comes easy- I just always choose to head towards Math. This class has taught me that you can be good at something and use it in everyday life and not just because you are assigned a paper.
Thanks so much Mr. Kopp, I appreciate the fire for the learning environment and especially in a quarter that I really struggled- this was the class I knew I tried in!

Shop Til You Drop

               In a society where money, fame and fortune are looked highly upon, shopping is an activity that enables those who want to keep up with the status quo. The more modern strip malls, developed in the 1920’s, and Soon after, as suburbia started to rise, shopping malls were mainstreaming. “In North America, the term shopping mall is usually applied to enclosed retail structures (and is generally abbreviated to simply mall), while shopping center usually refers to open-air retail complexes; both types of facilities usually have large parking lots, face major traffic arterials and have few pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods.” There are three types of shopping centers that are popular in North America: the regional mall, super regional malls, as well as outlet malls.

                  To be classified as a regional mall, there are a few components that need to be in accordance. Regional malls have to have about 15 miles of stores. There is also a greater selection of stores, nicer stores, but there may be a few less expensive stores. Comparative to stores on the “Eastside”,  the regional mall would be Alderwood Mall. In Orange County, it would be Mission Viejo Mall. They are a decent selection of stores, but they don’t necessarily have all of the nicer stores. This mall has Nordstrom’s, which is top of the line, but also has Love Culture, which is more of an inexpensive clothing store. These malls are good for everyday shopping, they have all of the stores that you need, but also the play stores that most people only browse through. They do have fancy stores, but they also have massage chairs that you can pay  someone for while you're waiting.                

                   The super regional malls have a nicer selection of shops and are the main mall for the area they are around. The super regionals are typically 800,000 sq ft of area that can be occupied. There are also three or  more anchor stores. These stores are ones such as Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, and Victoria's Secret;  and in certain cases of high-end jewelry, Tiffany’s. These malls are more of a fashionable type, for example,  Bellevue Square. Bellevue Square has the nicer stores, but it also has some stores like Claire's and the Sanrio  stores. These malls are in nicer areas, usually,  and in Southern California this mall would be the South Coast  Mall. It has all of the nicer stores, is huge, and is very fancy. Many people love to shop in these malls because  they are for the upper class.                

An outlet mall is fun for everyone. Most outlet mall shopping is less expensive than shopping in an  indoor mall, but also has some nice stores. "An outlet mall (or outlet centre) is a type of shopping mall in which manufacturers sell their products directly to the public through their own stores. Other stores in outlet malls are operated by retailers selling returned goods and discontinued products, often at heavily reduced prices", says Wikipedia. They are composed of a food court, department stores, as well as stand-alone stores! These types of malls are ideal for a summer day that you have a whole day to spend shopping. The Tulalip outlets have Burberry and Juicy Couture stores, but they also have a Dickie's store and a J. Crew store. They have an Adidas outlet, and a Michael Kors outlet. These "outlet stores" have all discounted prices from their retail stores, and most of the time there are sales in addition to this. Then, there is a Pac Sun that is a normal priced store, as well as a Sony store that is full priced. In California, the Cabazon outlets in Carlsbad has a David Yurman outlet! Some of the stores are very rare to find as outlets, and some are specific to outlet malls.                

All-in-all, malls are great no matter what shape or size. They have the convenience of nice shopping, as well as the prices for everyday shopping. Shopping is something fun to do; and with prices like the outlet malls, shops like the regional malls, and windown shopping in the super regional malls, you are set for life! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping_mall

How to Weed out the Good Ones

If you’re looking for a good friend, there are a few simple tricks to finding one.  You need trust in the person, you need to like them, and last but not least, you need to get along with them. Some friends are temporary, and some are here for the long run.  Finding a best friend, you need to make sure that this is the friend that isn’t going to leave when things get tough. And just remember, as the American Proverb says, “Fooled once shame on you, fooled twice shame on me.” 
Being able to trust in a person is very hard. Being able to trust someone is ever harder.  Some people find this easier than others, but you have to have faith in them. You have to know that they are going to stick by your side, and they are going to stick up for you. You need to test their friendship, start with little things like sharing something. Take turns driving places, taking care of the bill, and just have fun with this “friend”. Next, you need to start sharing small secrets, and they need to share back.  You will slowly feel trust building up and just remember to hardly ever put all your trust in someone. They have to earn that trust. Putting all of your marbles on the table is for when this person proves to you that they have your best intentions in mind and that they are going to act on that no matter what. Hopefully when you find that friend you’re willing to take a chance on, they will be highly enjoyable. 
Learning to like someone and live with their flaws, like a friend having OCD can be difficult. Having a friend that chomps, has other bad habits’, or is just annoying is also a difficulty that you have to live with and figure out how to deal with.  If they have a relaxed personality, it’s a safe bet that you can be up front with the friend. Tell them that it’s disgusting to chomp food, tell them that they need to change how they act, to a point; you don’t want them to completely change, because they got you as a friend from acting a certain way! In certain situations, you should tip-toe around the subject if you think the friend will react a bit harsher. If the comment is somewhat unimportant, then why risk upsetting your friend? Sometimes suffering through the pain of having a friend clean up after you, is well worth the agony of always having a clean apartment!  
Last but not least, when creating a great friendship, you need to get along with the person. You should be friends at this point, and also trusting them completely with your valuables, if they are going to be let into your life and around your house. Compatibility is a big part of trust, because it shows who is similar to you and who you should treat a bit differently. To find out if you’re compatible, try going to the movies together. If you don’t have fun, try something interactive, like going bowling or to lounge to hang out. In the end,  if that doesn’t work, then try going to a dinner together, whether in a group, or just on a friend date. Within all of these activities, if you have a blast, then you have most likely found your future roommate, or a future close friend. Still have your guard up a bit just to make sure that your friend is sincere and you will be on track to gaining a new friend.
When investing in a friend, just remember to be cautious. Always be open to a new friend, but remember to follow the steps. An unknown author once said, ““Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.” Always remember this because when you find one of the special ones, you won’t want to ever leave them, and you will always carry a part of them. Always have a small guard up when beginning any friendship, but also remember to let it down once in a while. Also, look at yourself to see if you’re as compatible as the person you’re looking for. Look at your own habits and see if they’re ones that others would like to be annoyed of. Always think of your friends as family, and consider the as important as yourself.   

Chivalry at Its Finest

               You love your mother. Wherever she is at the moment, whatever she is doing, you love her- no matter what. You have that same love for all the members of your family. This type of love is one of benevolence. Selflessness is often when one cares for others much more than themselves. Along with loving your mother, you would do anything for her. Would you automatically choose yourself over her? Or would you choose her over yourself?

            Altruism, also known as selflessness is defined on Wikipedia as, “a concern for the welfare of others”. Most people are capable of such a deep level of love and care, a level of want and need for the other to turn out as great as possible in everything they do. Having a care for someone so intensely, more than your own is what a selfless person has. At a certain point, they don’t even care what happens to themselves, they care about what happens to their loved ones. Altruism is one of the least malicious actions, where everything, in that moment, is for the better.

            We learned of altruism in the 19^th century, and to this day it is used in many instances. It is mainly looked at with psychologists’, ethologists’, as well as evolutionary biologists’. When it was first discovered though, it was looked at in more of a philosophical and ethical light. “While ideas about altruism from one field can have an impact on the other fields, the different methods and focuses of these fields lead to different perspectives on altruism.”

            There are many different viewpoints on altruism. There are scientific views, as well as religious views, and even different animal habits having to do with the subject.  One of the scientific views has to do with “how the brain works”. Two neuroscientists, or “the study of the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology of the nervous system”, did a study on how the brain reacts to different items using magnetic resonance imagining (also known as MRI’s).

Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman found that simple rewards and donations lit up the part of the brain that responds to food and sex. They also found that a different brain circuit lit up when they discussed donations and generously helping others, and this circuit is known as the subgenual cortex/septal region. This region is referred to when looking at social situations, as well as bonding and attachment. Thus, the experiment suggested that altruism is not considered a moral suppressant for basic selfish urges, but more-so a basic hard-wire to the brain and pleasurable to the human race.

Religious views have to do with most of the religions that are practiced daily, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Sufism, Jainism, as well as one of the main viewpoints being Buddhism. Wikipedia states, “Love and compassion are components of all forms of Buddhism, and both are focused on all beings equally: the wish that all beings be happy (love) and the wish that all beings be free from suffering (compassion).”

Sites used: wikipedia, dictionary.reference.com

Moving On... Again

    When I was a little girl, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri. At the young age of one, my world was changed. From then on, I realized that this “moving thing” was going to be a big part of my life. I spent 6 ½ years in St. Louis until I moved back to California, where my original home was. For most people, moving is a crazy thing. It takes hard work; it takes courage to be able to meet new people, as well as the strength to leave your loved ones. Yet, not moving also takes courage to be able to say no and not rippling the waters, to be able to see the same people and face them without running away, as well as dealing with everything face on.
    Moving is an act that is so special and can also change your life; whether for the good or the bad, it’s your choice. Wikipedia says, “Relocation, also known as moving is the process of vacating a fixed location (such as a residence or business) and settling in a different one.” My dad, Steve Runnels, who now works for a drug discovery company in Kirkland, hasn’t always lived in his current city. For his work, he’s lived in five states, as well as Singapore and Israel. When he’s not moving, he’s travelling for the companies he’s worked for. My dad has made four of those moves with his family. Whether it’s with two young boys, or three kids, my mom has always been supportive and positive about all of the moving.
As Houston Magazine says in the August 1988 edition, “Last September, Runnels, Gamma Biologicals’ ambitious, 39-year-old president of export, visited seven countries in three weeks trying to expand his company’s presence in the hotly contested Pacific Basin.”  Roseanne Clark, the author of this piece then goes on to say, “During a six-week period in April and May, he juggled Montreal, Toronto, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul.”
            Moving can create a lot of problems if you’re going on without support, it can be physically exhausting as well as becoming one of the most positive experiences of your life. Myself, I have lived in four states, visited over twenty, and do not plan on stopping any time soon. Having gone through three of the moves with family, I understand all of the frustration in moving.
Sometimes the moves are too hard on people and they choose an easy way out, or they decide that they are just going to stay in one state their whole lives. That is completely understandable- why mess up such a great life with hassle and chaos. Some people love living in that small town, growing up and marrying their high school sweetheart and never regretting a single day. For some of us though, the hustle and bustle of moving, the “never looking back” feeling and the anxiousness changes lives. Living wherever you please, recreating yourself in each place (as long as you’re still you at the end of the day), and meeting new friends is the life that was meant for us.
            Of course you then get into marriage and having to eventually settle down- unless you’re a flight attendant. Yet, most people are not living with planes as friends, a new city each night, or temporary clients. When settling down, it’s a choice you have to make to decide whether you want the life of constant circulation or if you want to have a family and stay in one state, at least for a while. Also, having children makes it more complicated to pick up and leave. “Military Brats” have lived the life of constant disorder. You get used to meeting new friends and packing up and going to new places.          
            Sometimes moving is not a choice. Circumstances can affect your current situations and that will then change your life. Whether you’re moving states, countries, or continents, there will most likely be others in your situation. And now, as I’m looking back at the last year, I see myself moving from Southern California to Washington. Now that I have experienced my moves thus far, I realize that it’s something I’m passionate about and that I will have to get used to this chaos if I’m going to continue. Moving is something that I believe everyone should experience at least once, but frustrations can be hard during certain times.

Moving On

             When I was a little girl, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri. At the young age of one year, my world was changed. From then on, I realized that this “moving thing” was going to be a big part of my life. I spent 6 ½ years in St. Louis until I moved back to California, where my original home was. For most people, moving is a crazy thing. It takes hard work; it takes courage to be able to meet new people, as well as the strength to leave your loved ones.

            Moving is an act that is so special and can also change your life; whether for the good or the bad, it’s your choice. Wikipedia says, “Relocation, also known as moving is the process of vacating a fixed location (such as a residence or business) and settling in a different one.” My dad, Steve Runnels, who now works for a drug discovery company in Kirkland, hasn’t always lived in his current city. For his work, he’s lived in five states, as well as Singapore and Israel. When he’s not moving, he’s travelling for the companies he’s worked for. My dad has made four of those moves with his family. Whether it’s with two young boys, or three kids, my mom has always been supportive and positive about all of the moving.  

As Houston Magazine says in the August 1988 edition, “Last September, Runnels, Gamma Biologicals’ ambitious, 39-year-old president of export, visited seven countries in three weeks trying to expand his company’s presence in the hotly contested Pacific Basin.”  Roseanne Clark, the author of this piece then goes on to say, “During a six-week period in April and May, he juggled Montreal, Toronto, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul.”

            Moving can create a lot of problems if you’re going on without support, it can be physically exhausting as well as becoming one of the most positive experiences of your life. Myself, I have lived in four states, visited over twenty, and do not plan on stopping any time soon. Having gone through three of the moves with family, I understand all of the frustration in moving.

Sometimes the moves are too hard on people and they choose an easy way out, or they decide that they are just going to stay in one state their whole lives. That is completely understandable- why mess up such a great life with hassle and chaos. Some people love living in that small town, growing up and marrying their high school sweetheart and never regretting a single day. For some of us though, the hustle and bustle of moving, the “never looking back” feeling and the anxiousness changes lives. Living wherever you please, recreating yourself in each place (as long as you’re still you at the end of the day), and meeting new friends is the life that was meant for us.

            Of course you then get into marriage and having to eventually settle down- unless you’re a flight attendant. Yet, most people are not living with planes as friends, a new city each night, or temporary clients. When settling down, it’s a choice you have to make to decide whether you want the life of constant circulation or if you want to have a family and stay in one state, at least for a while. Also, having children makes it more complicated to pick up and leave. “Military Brats” have lived the life of constant disorder. You get used to meeting new friends and packing up and going to new places.           

            Sometimes moving is not a choice. Circumstances can affect your current situations and that will then change your life. Whether you’re moving states, countries, or continents, there will most likely be others in your situation. And now, as I’m looking back at the last year, I see myself moving from Southern California to Washington. Now that I have experienced my moves thus far, I realize that it’s something I’m passionate about and that I will have to get used to this chaos if I’m going to continue. Moving is something that I believe everyone should experience at least once, but frustrations can be hard during certain times.

Marshall Mathers: The real Experience

     Marshall Bruce Mathers the third, is a very misunderstood man. Marshall, also known as "Eminem" has had a very successful rapping career. He has also had many troubles, everything from being poor to assault charges, from jail to having a many many court dates. He also has had drug addictions take over his life- hence why he left the scene a few different times for rehabs. As of now he states that he is sober, and his most recent album is titled relapse, then recovery. Marshall has created a lot of problems for himself, and has been to hell and back.

     Eminem started his life on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. His parents are named Deborah R. Nelson Mathers-Briggs and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr. His mother was 15 when she had him and his dad bounced out when he was very young. Growing up he was thrown between cities until his mother finally settled down in Michigan. He was 12 by that time and was always switching schools and meeting new people- all while following his love of rap. At the age of 14, he named himself "M&M".

      With rapping and rappers being predominantely African American, Marshall had a hard time fitting in. He did many different rap battles against other students in his school and other bordering schools. He was not accepted as a rapper and he had to fight that much harder to make it. He joined a group and they called themselves "Bassmint Productions" and eventually changed their name to "Soul Intent". In 1995 they released their first hit called "Fuckin' Backstabber". In this time, he was also a freshman in high school and he eventually dropped out. Before he quit, he failed freshman year 3 times because he never attended and he also was failing his classes. When he dropped out, he was 17 years old. Eminem's closest uncle commited suicide in 1991 and it devastated him. Ronnie shot himself in the head and this incident is mentioned in many of Eminem's songs. 

     After Marshall's release of infinite he tried to commit suicide. His drug and alcohol problem began around then as well. From there his problems only continued to get worse. A little after that, "The Slim Shady EP was released on cassette, vinyl, and CD."  This is where 'Slim Shady' began. As soon as Slim began to write more music,  he started discussing marital problems, death, poverty, as well as drugs and alcohol.  "After being signed to Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records in 1998, Eminem released his first major studio album, The Slim Shady LP, heavily based on the production by Dr. Dre, one year later in 1999. Billboard praised the album as "light years ahead of the material he had been writing beforehand". It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going triple platinum by the end of the year."

  

     From this point on, Marshall has had many custody battles, as well as battles with drugs and alcohol. He has been cleaning up his act, going to rehab and trying to make a life worth living. The song courtesy of VEVO, When I'm Gone, is one of Eminem's most famous and most influential songs to this day. With 13 Grammy's, and being voted "Best Rapper Alive" as well as "Best Rapper Ever", Marshall Mathers has left his mark. While there are no signs of him stopping yet, The Slim Shady rapper will hopefully one day go down in history as more than just another rapper who has a drug problem.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eminem
http://www.vevo.com/watch/eminem/when-im-gone/USUV70502343?source=ap