The Road

One of the few movies which does its' book justice! I highly recommend the book and the movie

What a morning

I had to work at 8 this morning so I woke up at 6 and actually saw a sunrise for the first time in months! Haha. It was gorgeous! I saw what I was missing out on by waking up after the sun's already up. My body is in shock from getting up so early but I think it's also in shock because I've had 3 cups of coffee already...not a good decision! I'm shaking and WAY too awake right now. Yikes! It's going to be an interesting day, but I'm glad it started with a pretty sunrise. It made me think about how I should do things out of my normal routine more often, like wake up early and watch the sun come up! I must work on that.

Ha!

On a lighter note, I just saw this movie. And it made me laugh. Thought it was great!

We Can Do Better Than This, America!

In all honesty I'm a little infuriated right now. I'm reading Jonathan Kozol's book Savage Inequalities for my School and Society class and although the book was written in 1990 and some pretty outdated numbers and statistics, the underlying problem Kozol talks about is so unbelievably, tragically, relevant today that it makes me sad. Kozol writes about his visits to some of the country's crappiest schools. What I get from his book is that this country should be humiliated at how we treat our poorest citizens. I also recently watched the movie Sicko. All feelings toward Michael Moore aside, the movie makes you think. While other countries allow their citizens to enjoy free health care we let the rich buy the best their money can buy and let the poor suffer and die. The school system is the same. One difference is that the education system is, in theory, free for every citizen. The problem is that just like health care the rich go around buying their ridiculously high-quality medical care and education while the poor have to suffer with the lowest of the low "leftovers" and the elite say to them "well hey you ARE getting it for free...don't you love your freedom?" What good is a free education if it leaves you worlds behind academically, financially, and in every other way?

I can't imagine the education or health care system will ever fall into a utopian "free and good quality for all" because there seems to be a mindset among those who have the wealth that they have lots of money and that ought to buy them something better than those who don't have as much money. Otherwise what's the point in having all this money if it doesn't do something good for you? From a structural functional point of view this is true. In order for some people to have cushy fanciful lives, someone else has to suffer through a life of mediocrity. If we all received the same health care, education, life chances no one would be motivated to do better, right? Maybe, but in the meantime the difference in quality of life in this wonderful country full of freedom and opportunity between the rich and the poor is literally as big as it has ever been. Even if some people get a better education than others (this seems inevitable) shouldn't those getting the short end of the stick at the very least get an adequate education? Shouldn't a sick person at least get immediate medical attention before we ask how or if they can pay for it?





" 'You can have more crayons; or you can be given a real teacher; or you can have a bunsen burner someday in a high school science laboratory. But you cannot have all three. You'll have to choose.' One would never have thought that children in America would ever have to choose between a teacher or a playground or sufficient toilet paper. Like grain in a time of famine, the immense resources which the nation does in fact possess go not to the child in the greatest need but to the child of the highest bidder" -Jonathan Kozol

Things to come

Just bought my graduation cap and tassel!

I'm graduating soon!!! The end of college is upon me, and I'm ready! 45 days until graduation and counting...

Hard to believe it's already November. I LOVE the holiday season so I'm excited for all that, plus my graduation. Lots of exciting things are coming up :-)

Heidi and I went to Elitches for Halloween, I was princess Jasmine and I made Heidi dress up as Minnie Mouse. She was reluctant at first, but I convinced her that it was more fun that way and she eventually decided I was right! Haha. I also made her go on the free-fall bungee jump-type ride which was awesome! So much fun. A great Halloween.

Heidi and I at Elitches on Halloween

Twister II with sunset in the background