S=The Standard

I absolutly love The Standard restaurant in Crossgates Mall. They offer a wide variety of appetizers and entrees for lunch and dinner. Everytime I go to the standard I've had a pleasurable and enjoyable meal. Their prices are reasonable because of their generally large portions. Their large variety of salads, and healthy dishes are great for vegetarians also. They also offer many chicken dishes like their Encrusted Chicken Parmesean. One great thing about The Standard is that you could go to dinner and then see a movie, or walk the mall! A con that I could think of would be one time the service was really slow, but other than that, everything else is a pro! I would definately recommend The Standard for a nice, enjoyable, and always expected good dinner!

The Book That Changed My Life

My absolute favorite series is The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley. This series tells about 2 little girls that move with their grandma into a town that consists of all different fairy tale characters. These characters are in disguise but are known to the town that they are actually these characters. I really just like these books because of the pure fantasy and un-reality of them. They explain things that are never possible, and they tell you about new stories with the "old characters." Buckley almost tells new stories about old fairytales using the background information from the real stories. He gives them so many more features and life like qualities than the actual stories, it feels like you can actually relate to them as more "real people." Although these books don't relate to my life, I really feel like these books are what I wanted my childhood to be like. I always wanted to explore and have magical powers, so reading these books kind of gave me an escape to my dream world!

Bucket List

1. Go to Paris- I love the French language and the culture. I have always been fascinated with learning other languages, and French was always my favorite.
2. Skydiving- I absolutly love adreneline rushes! After doing the skycoaster at The Great Escape, I decided that I'm going to skydive when I have the chance. I love the feeling of free falling or weightlessness.
3. Graduate College- I know that I would like to graduate college and have a successful job that I enjoy doing. I hope to have a fun job that I would never get tired of!
4. Make 1 person everyday smile- making one persons day even just a little bit better is a good goal to have. I like brightening others days, it makes the time we have, even better.
5. Exand Palate- I am a very particular eater, and I would like to try to expand my tastes, and maybe try some different foods that I'm not very used to.
6. Earn enough money to take care of my family- I would like to earn enough money to take care of my parents and family and just be able to go on vacations with them from time to time to just give them a little back from what they gave to me.
7. Always have an animal in my life- Having an animal in my life is very important to me, and soon as I live on my own, I would love to own a farm with many different animals. They have always been a part of my childhood. Being an only child, the dogs were my brothers and were always there for me!
8. Learn Greek!- After visting Greece, I absolutly fell in love with their culture and land. The people, and place are so nice, and so welcoming, I could justsee myself living there. Their language is so different and very intricate in writing, it would be a nice piece of knowledge to have.
9. Scuba diving in the Great Barrier reef- While in Mexico I got a brief taste of scuba diving, and I really do enjoy it! I love seeing and studying all marine organisms, so the Great Barrier Reef would be a fantastic sight to see.
10. Get a tattoo- I really want to get a tattoo on the inside of my lip in French that says "Apprenez d'hier, vivent pour aujourd'hui." This means learn from yesterday, live for today. I really like this quote and I truly believ in it.

The Language of Song

song used : Le Vendu by Kapadnoms
 Lyrics French:

Toi t’aimes, ta vie confortable
T’aimes ton job, ton portable
T’aimes ton eau bien potable
T’aimes des choses trop palpables
Tu manges que du végétal
Tu penses que t’es pas banal
T’as mis d’côté oui tous tes idéaux
Tu préfères penser comme la populo
C’est tellement plus simple de profiter des cadeaux
Offert par l’système pour une poignée d’ euros
Tu préfères payer régulièrement tes impôts
T’apprécies cette vie, moi j’te tire mon chapeau

Refrain :
Laisse- moi penser
Qu’y a p't’être une autre solution
Laisse- moi penser que ce n’sont pas des illusions
Laisse- moi penser *2
Autre que ta belle conception :
Qu’la vérité, c’est le pognon, c’est le pognon

Ça fait 20 ans que j’travaille,
Je suis dev’nu commercial
Je vends à des succursales
Du vent et des combines bien sales
J’ai écrit adolescent sur mes idées, des poèmes
Malheureusement maint'nant j’ai plus l’temps d’changer l’système
J’ai plus d’utopie, j’serais jamais un accompli
J’ai des excuses, il faut qu’mon frigo soit rempli
Si on m’avait dit qu’un jour je s’rais dev’nu bien pensant
Politiquement correct voir même insignifiant,
J’aurais pris mon billet pour l’inde, le Pakistan
Pour vivre mon rêve à fond sans jamais m’dire qu’j’ai l’temps

Lyrics English

You love yourself, your life comfortable
You love your job, your mobile
You love your drinking water well
You like things too palpable
You eat the plant that
You think you're not trivial
You got to put aside all your ideals so
You prefer to think like the populist
It's so easy to enjoy the gifts
Offered by the system for a handful of euros
You prefer to pay your regular tax
You appreciate this life, I take my hat j'te

Chorus:
Let me think
What p't'être has another solution
Let me think it n 'are not illusions
Let me think * 2
Other than your beautiful design:
Qu'la truth is the dough, the dough is

It's been 20 years since j'travaille,
I'm shopping dev'nu
I sell to stores
Wind and dirty tricks well
I wrote my ideas teens, poems
Unfortunately maint'nant I have more time to change the system
I have more utopia, j'serais never done a
I apologize, it must qu'mon fridge is filled
If someone had told me that one day I thought well s'rais dev'nu
Politically correct or even insignificant,
I would have taken my ticket to india, Pakistan
To live my dream thoroughly without ever say to me the time qu'j'ai

It was just the two complete opposites. The live of Timmy and the life of Tod. These 2 twin brothers were absolutly identical, but when their minds were compared, their lifes were quite contrasting. Timmy lived the luxurious and splendid life always filled with pure easiness and success. His life never consisted of many challenges until he had discovered about his twin brother. Tod appears into Timmys life through the explanation from their mother. Timmy had stayed with their dad, and Tod with their mom. Tod was always hard working and had to work hard towards a goal. He had to work much harder in school, and money was always a concern when growing up with his father. When Timmy graciously opened his life to Tod and let him move in, they found out that they truly were brothers and that they did have a lot of twin characteristics.
Tods life was in a sort of downfall during this time, and he needed to pay back a couple people. The only way for him to do this was to steal some money from Timmy. He obviously knew this wasn't the right thing to do, but this was the life he was taught using his "teenage ways and dirty tricks." He wasnt presented with all the oppertunities that Timmy was. Tod had to work, maintain, and live a hectic life. He became somewhat jelous and quite angry about his brothers graceful upbringing, and he decided that it wasnt fair that his mom picked Timmy. He stole all Timmys money and went to accomplish his only dream he's ever had. He was going to visit Paris, France. He felt like he'd fit in there,  and be able to live a hardworking, self sufficient life along with the sweet Parisian life. Tod split the country and hopped onto his new life. Tod found a job, and started feeling somewhat accomplished again. He was working, and not caring about his brother. He still felt somewhat bad about taking the money, but it was what Tod deserved. He never had all the experiences that Timmy had. So I guess that Tod could thank Timmy for "giving" him the money to start his dream life. Tod never heard from his brother again

Lucky Blog

My most lucky posession is my swatch that I got in NYC about 3 years ago. I swear when I wear this watch, it just makes my mood change. Of course I believe that "lucky things" are just a prized posession with no actual luck, but I really do love this watch. It's one of those wartches that shows all the gears, and it ticks extremely loud. The gears are all different colors which really makes the watch pop. I call it my mood changing watch just for that exact reason. It could just be that I like wearing watches, but who knows, maybe this watch is actually lucky? Also, while wearing this watch, I've found a 50 dollar bill at crossgates, and I've won a contest at some convention. I just won a couple gift-cards, but still...I did win! Of course, this was all because of the 'Lucky Watch.'

TU Tuesday

My Question: Are physical/mental disorders taken into account during a murder trial?

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/6-jurors-picked-in-Pa-vet-s-double-murder-trial-3405369.php

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/mentally_disordered_offenders/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15176762

The Times Union article that I read was about a double murder trial in Hollisday, PA. The article explains that six jurors were selcted for this case. It then explains where and how the situation occured. "

Horner is charged with murdering 19-year-old Scott Garlick at the Subway sandwich shop where Garlick worked on April 6, 2009, and with gunning down 64-year-old Raymond Williams a short distance away. In the NCBI article it explains how specifically men who are Comorbid substance users are more likely to be the offender. "However, there are no published data from clinical interviews or lifetime objective documents on the prevalence of lifetime personality disorder (PD) or SUD among a comprehensive sample of mentally ill homicide offenders." This explains how there is no written saying that these "users" and their disorder is associated with the situation at hand. In Mentally Disordered Offenders, it explains that, "Each case must be considered on its merits, taking into account all available information about any mental health problem, and its relevance to the offence, in addition to the principles set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors." This says that if the offender does have a disorder, the court must investigate how the disorder affects the offenders decision making skills.

Creative Contests II

"The magician waved his wand, and the mans head just fell off his body!"

SCRUPLES

You are drafted to fight in a war you consider unjust. Do you refuse and risk prison?

If I was drafted into a war that I considered unjust, I would definately refuse to go! To say the truth, I would rather go to jail than to go into any war, but thats just my oponion. I think that fighting in a cause that you consider to be wrong, is just not fair. Being forced to fight is just not right. You are more like a slave that just goes off to war, and puts your life on the line for an unjust cause! If I believed in a cause, than I MIGHT fight. I am a person who doesn't believe in fighting, so I think that using violence to come to an agreement is just pure stupidity. If fighting countries are in such a virulent disagreement that they result to fighting, then (in my oponion) their leaders are just so incapable and lacking leadership. Look at all the wars our world has been in; lives have been lost, and rarly the goals are achieved. Why lose lives when talking could accomplish the EXACT same results. People need to learn how to come to an agreement. (Sorry, got off topic) So back to the question; again, I say NO, I would never fight in a cause that I didn't believe in!

What Did the Teachers do Wrong?

Think through all of your previous/present teachers, and think about one teacher that you didn't like. Explain the ways this teacher taught the class, and what were the things that you didn't like about it. Also think about describing some of the things that this teacher focused on, such as a certain topic or a certain aspect.

I think my least favorite teacher was during 3rd grade. This teacher was very focued on having your child become independant, and focusing a lot on reading. I think that her teaching strategies were just not suited for a 3rd grade class. She had much to large expectations, and always treated us with a "stupid" like attitude. She was much to focused on reading, and having hour long reading assignments for a easily destracted 3rd grader was quite ridicolous. I think that her teachings were just a little to advanced for our age, and that maybe she taught an higher grade before, and that maybe she just expected more. I just remember absolutly dreading to have to go to school to be with this teacher. I was one of the kids who would tell somebody off if someone was bothering me, so this particular teacher wasn't too fond of me. So I think that this teacher definately was the least productive in teaching, and was not fit to be teaching an elementary class.

Revisions

Satellite
Tracked
Traced
Everywhere
I can find
I can see
I can feel
Who you are
What you do
I know
I know
No secrets
I am the satellite
I am untouchable
unapproachable
undefeatable
I am the satellite


Grass
Who glosses you every morning?
Are the elves there... painting your stalks?
Every morning you show the suspicious quality
Is there something that we dont know?
Are you more than just a plant?
What is your "dew"?
Unexplainable, this crazy phenomenon
How do you change every morning?
What creates this morning dew..that lies on you?

Taylor - two very nice poems.  I very much appreciate the metaphor in "Satellite."  I wonder if you could add more details (things you know about a satellite or could look up) to enrich this poem.
In Grass - I found the questions in this poem excellent questions to raise.  I think I would have liked some kind of conclusion or discussion rather than just raising the questions.  Your best line is your last line!

Satellite
Tracked
Traced
Everywhere
I can find
I can see
I can feel
The knowing of you
the detailed and enriched pictures
following your abilities
establishing a sense of companionship
all unknown to the follower.
Who you are, I know
What you do, I know
I know
I know
No secrets
I am the satellite
I am untouchable
unapproachable
undefeatable
I can see the things
all around you
hovering and waiting to pounce
I am the eyes behind your head
I am the satellite

Grass
Who glosses you every morning?
Are the elves there... painting your stalks?
Every morning you show the suspicious quality
Is there something that we dont know?
Are you more than just a plant?
What is your "dew"?
Unexplainable, this crazy phenomenon
How do you change every morning?
I know you answers are unreliable
because you could never tell the truth
your the liar of it all
Who knows?
Maybe the cold morning air creates this dew!
Nahh
Too predictable, never could happen
But I still question...
What creates this morning dew...that lies on you?

I found my poems to be much better after using Moriartys feedback. I feel like my poems are much more complete and able to draw the reader much deeper into the story. I added a lot of more detail and even a sub-story in just so it ables the reader to think and feel even more about the whole concept.