Disney Princesses (Free Topic)

As a little girl I loved Disney movies more than anything. The princesses were my heroes: I idolized them. They were beautiful, had beautiful voices, cool pets, and best of all, men that adored them. But that has gotten me thinking, what about them appeals to me now?

First: it is important to note there are two types of Disney princesses. First, there are the main six: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Jasmine. There are also other Disney princesses that are well known, but don't have the type of following as the main six. Disney princesses such as Pocahantas, Mulan, and Meg fall into this category.

One thing they all have in common is they are strong, beautiful women. On the other hand, they are each in need of one thing: a man to make them happy. Even Belle, the most "independent" of the Disney six is told to "look for a man" and her father tries to set her up with Gaston, the handsome, but wicked, man of the town. She is also seen as "odd" and "peculiar" by other townspeople because of her lack of a man. Mulan begins the movie by looking for a man, then goes off to war and defends her country but doesn't bring honor to her family until she finds a man at the end.

Disney's perception of females and what should be important to them hasn't changed much since Snow White appeared in the 1930s. Even still, we have to wonder if it's what Disney and the corporation find important or what American little girls dream about. It's far more common for little girls to play house and dolls than soldier and cowboys. With this in mind, some little girls do go the "tomboy" route, but there are movies like Cars for them.

Bottom line, the Disney Princesses may be sexist and anti-feminine, but they are a small piece of nostalgia and innocence from my childhood that is still around. Little girls don't understand the sub-text of the storyline. They are much more concerned with the songs and the singing animals. Let them watch their movie with joy instead of trying to inform them that they should be happy scrubbing floors.

Is It Okay To Break the Law?

Such a complex question can really only be thought of on a case to case basis. Is it okay to pull a gun on someone because they cut you in line at the supermarket? Not so much. But there are other, more plausible examples, of times when breaking the law is okay.

One fairly common example is using marijuana to treat chemotherapy side effects or glaucoma. Technically using marijuana is a misdemeanor ;however, using it in the case above is legal if you have a doctor's permission. This isn't necessarily breaking the law, but it is bending it slightly.

A story recently caught my eye that trends on this topic. Aaron Vargas, 32, had been molested and stalked by Darrell McNeill, 63, for the greater part of his life. Vargas, who was first molested by McNeill on a fishing trip, finally snapped and shot the man who had made his life "hell". Vargas' family said that he had gone through a lifetime of punishment and was only doing what he felt was the only way to escape his situation. Even McNeill's wife said that Vargas shouldn't be punished. At the time of this article, the charges had gone from "murder" to "voluntary manslaughter". This means he can get anywhere from probation to 10 years in prison.

In the case of Vargas although I don't condone killing, if he felt there was absolutely no other way then I can see how it's justified. It was reported Vargas had filed restraining orders and moved states but McNeill continued to haunt him. In this situation, if I were the judge, I would be more lenient but still punish him. It was still a crime, but it wasn't unprovoked.
Aaron Vargas

Philosophy of Buddhism

Philosophy is defined as "the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct"

Buddhism, an east Asian, uses their teachings and methodology to become teachings for its followers.

Legend goes that Siddhartha Gautama was a prince in 556 BC. Those around him in the palace shielded him from the horrors of the outside world such as death and pain. One day, he went over the palace walls and saw the truth. He escaped the palace to find out the truth and in doing so, reached enlightenment.


They're four main teachings are:
1) Desire is the root of all suffering
2) Ending desire ends suffering
3) Life is suffering and pain
4) Believers should follow the eight-fold path.

The eight-fold path is:
1) Know and understand the Four Noble Truths
2)Give up all worldly things and don't harm others
3)Tell the truth, don't gossip, and don't talk badly about others
4)Don't commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or live an unclean life
5)Do rewarding work
6)Work for good and oppose evil
7)Make sure your mind keeps your senses under control
8)Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality

Buddhists practice discipline and self control. They use these methods in their everyday life and truly believe it is the way to holiness. This is why it qualifies as a philosophy.

FAMOUS BUDDHISTS:
-Richard Gere
-Goldie Hawn
-Kate Bosworth
-Tiger Woods
-Jet Li

*start at 10 min in*

The Visit

On Friday, April 9, I had the pleasure of going to see the Georgia Southern production of "The Visit". In this play, a wealthy former resident returns to her hometown. The town, which has recently fallen on some financial hardships, is hoping the wealthy benefactress will bestow upon them a monetary gift of some kind. Claire, the wealthy woman, agrees to this but only if her former boyfriend, Anton Shill is killed. When they were younger, Claire became pregnant by Shill, but he denied paternity. This caused Claire to have her reputation destroyed and was forced to become a prostitute.

The townspeople of Gullen, led by their Bergomaster (or Mayor-like person) deny they will ever succumb to her stipulations. Suddenly, townspeople begin buying things on credit and purchasing things that aren't a necessity, like new shoes. Anton Shill becomes suspicious and eventually he relents and allows the town to kill him for the money.

This play, though very interesting, was about an hour too long. At three hours running time, an hour of the story could have been cut out purely for times sake. This being said, the story was captivating and morbid. The audience wants to find out whether or not the town will rise up and kill the man and if so, why was Claire so dead set against him being killed.

My one wish is that the actors would have gotten into character more. The play takes place in Germany, yet only the character of the Bergermaster, played by Geoff Carr, is the only one who attempts a German accent. I did enjoy the costumes and how they depicted the period of the play.

My favorite characters were the two blind men who follow Claire around. They dress in identical suspender outfits and repeat everything they say. They offer comic relief in an otherwise depressing play.

Overall, I enjoyed the play and was grateful for the chance to see it. It was a fun event to enrich my last semester at Georgia Southern.

Sweet Summertime

This summer will be filled with possibilities. There are so many things I am looking forward to that I don't even know where to begin. I guess the first exciting thing is that I will not be returning to school in the fall. With this in mind, I will approach this summer as a new beginning to my life. There will be no anticipation of what classes I have to take next semester or worry about summer school. When this summer begins, I will be a college graduate.

With this in mind, I have a summer internship at South Magazine. As of right now, I am unsure of when I start or how much I will be getting paid. I do know that I will be a web intern meaning I will be writing stories specifically for the web and uploading blogs and videos to their website. Although it is not a real "job" it is a start and it also provides me something to do while I am looking for a real career. I figure one of two things can happen upon completion of my internship.

1) I could be hired at South Magazine and continue there
or
2) I could make connections and obtain more experience so when I am finished with my internship, I will be able to find a job.

I suppose the last and most trivial thing I am looking forward to about the summer is finally moving on with my life. I am planning on finally moving in with my boyfriend of 3 years and hopefully soon after, we can get a dog. I know this sounds trivial and unimportant but I am very much looking forward to it. It will be an exciting next step in my road to becoming a "grown up".

NA NA NA NA BATMAN

Favorite superhero? Now that's easy: Batman! He's the only one who doesn't cheat. Superman was born with his powers and his weakness is a glowing green rock. Spiderman cheats because he was bit by a spider...BOOORING. The Incredible Hulk turns superhuman sized which can't be a fair advantage. Batman, on the other hand, is a regular guy with a genuine desire to help the people of Gotham City. He was just an ordinary guy with no real superpowers, unless you count being super rich. He used his wealth to create an outfit and gadgets. He doesn't cheat: he just rocks.

Favorite villian is slightly more complicated. Although he's not a technical SUPER-VILLAIN I'm going to have to go with Hades from Disney's Hercules . He's funny but still tries to kill Hercules. His humor makes him likable, but his anger ant hatred make him a villain. In his defense, he does have some of the best lines in the entire movie such as "is this an audience or a mosaic?" and "Memo to me... Memo to me: Maim you after my meeting."

My name is Allison Brenner and I approve this message

Is it pretentious to say that I should be hired? Probably, but it's true. I think I would be an asset to every company that needs someone to write/edit/do PR/ or marketing.

I have experience in writing with all of my classes as well as the current internship I am completing. In this internship, I have been writing articles, as well as editing and practicing the layout of the newspaper itself. In addition, working in a real newspaper has given me opportunities to work with deadlines and interview people.

Also through my internship I have gained leadership experience. I organized and carried out a softball game for charity and a free food festival to inform Georgia Southern students about their first amendment rights. I am also organizing a banquet in which I have had to arrange catering, order awards, and create certificates.

I also have wonderful people skills and am not afraid to speak to anyone. I am outgoing and very persuasive. I would get compliments when I worked at McAlisters Deli for upselling items. This means that I could usually talk a customer into dessert or an appetizer, even if they didn't think they wanted one when they came into the restaurant.

Because of my experience, people skills, and desire to work hard, I think I would be an asset to any company and deserve to be hired.

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Benefits are the payments made by the Government to individuals who are unemployed due to no fault of their own. One way to think of it is like an individual bailout. When a person no longer has an income coming in, they need some way to continue to pay for rent and food while they look for a new job or recover from their injury.

Unemployment Benefits

• Regular benefits are paid for a maximum of 26 weeks in most states.
• Additional weeks of benefits are be available during times of high unemployment.
• In many states, the compensation will be half you earnings, up to a maximum amount. For example, in New York State you're entitled to collect up to a maximum of $405, which is half the state's average weekly wage. While in Arizona, the highest benefit rate is $205.
• Benefits are subject to Federal income taxes and must be reported on your Federal income tax return.

So who pays for unemployment benefits?

"employers pay federal unemployment taxes of 6.2 percent on the first $7,000 earned by each of their employees during a calendar year. These federal taxes are used to cover the costs of administering the UC programs in all states"

• All federal and state administrative costs associated with UC programs;

• The federal share of benefits paid under the federal-state Extended Unemployment

Compensation Act of 1970

To file for unemployment click here

Economic History

Everyone is familiar with coin money. As a child, it was exciting to have a bag full of pennies. As we get older, we realize pennies are pretty much useless because, lets face it, you can't even put them in a vending machine. Nickels, Dimes, Quarters, half dollars, and even the dollar coins are all a common place in everyday life.

There are some coins that are rarer than others though.

1) The most expensive coin is the gold capped bust dollar coin from 1796-1807. This coin was made in a time when $2.50 was a good weeks wage. Because of this, very few of the coins were made. The coin changed designs several times including adding and retracting stars, adding "The United States of America", and one version had Martha Washington's face. Of the original 1797 version, only 20 are thought to still be in existence. This makes the selling price for one of these coins from $85,000-$100,000 at auction.

2) Another discontinued coin, though not as rare or expensive but still cool, is the Wheat Penny. It is also known as the Strawpenny, Wheatback, Wheatie, or Wheat Head. These were made from 1909-1958. The designer of the penny, Victor David Brenner, was so proud of his work that he displayed his initial on each penny. Some wheat pennies are worth around $8,000 depending on when they were made, where they were made, and what material they were made out of. The later ones are far less rare and not worth much at all.

Pennies are some of the more fascinating monies because although they are pretty much useless, their designs have changed so much.

These were for Abe Lincoln's 200th Birthday

This is the 2010 penny. It represents the United States being a whole and being United.

3) There are also "novelty dollars". For example, this one has Santa on it. I have read these are legal tender because they are real dollar bills with Santa's face on them but the only source I could find about them is not credible. Either way they're cute and fun to have.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

My favorite work of art has to be "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. In my 6 years of French lessons I had to do projects about impressionist artists three times and twice I picked Georges Seurat, specifically so I could talk about this painting.

The actual painting itself is interesting. It depicts people (and a random monkey) enjoying an afternoon in the park. The painting, created in 1884, was inspired by Seurat's visit to the island in 1881. The clothing on the women is beautifully done and the sailboats off in the distance make it seem like it would be a beautiful day to be outside. I like the non-detailed faces of the subjects because it makes it seem like they could be anyone: not just the people Seurat saw in the park.

The absolute coolest thing, in my opinion, about this painting is that it is done in pointillism. Pointillism is a form of painting invented by Seurat in which the painting is actually made up of millions of individual dots instead of brush strokes. To the viewers eye, it appears like one cohesive picture but if one looks really carefully, you can see the individual dots. Because of this painstaking process, the painting took 2 years to create.

Passion...or Obsession?

So I've already written one post about it but in fact I am so passionate about this I feel it deserves a second blog post. That's right...I'm talking about GLEE! It's very difficult for me to find a show that I get genuinely excited about. Sure there are shows I like: Royal Pains, Kendra, and any countdown show ever, but I haven't liked a show to this extent since probably ninth grade when American Dreams was on.

So what is Glee? It's a show about a, you guessed it, high school glee club at fictional William McKinley High School in Ohio. The characters are colorful and very talented.

• Rachel-a slighly neurotic diva who is the best singer at the school and she knows it. Oh and she's in love with star quarterback Finn.
• Quinn-a cheerleader and president of the celibacy club. Did I mention she's pregnant with not her boyfriend Finn's baby, but his best friend's-Bad Boy Puck
• Finn- star quarterback and All-American boy. Also the object of lust for 2 girls and 1 boy
• Puck- the mohawked bad boy and football stud. In one episode he makes "special brownies" for the glee bake sale.
  
• Kurt-the overly flamboyant and fashionable one of the group who happens to also be in love with Finn. Every glee club needs the gay stereotype and he's it.
• Mercedes- a girl who's talent is as big as her attitude. Best line ever: I'm a Beyonce I ain't no Kelly Rowland.
• Artie-the weelchair bound nerd with a deep singing voice that doesn't match his personality at all!
• Tina- the Asian girl who fakes a stutter so she doesn't get called on in class.

There's also Mr. Shue, the devoted instructor, and Sue Sylvester, coach of the Cheerios and an all around B***H!

I'm not the only one gaga for this show. They won many awards this past season and just last weekend sang at the Presidental Easter Egg Roll. And just in case my description (and the video below) get you interested, season 2 starts April 13 at 10:30 :-)

SPRING BREAK RECAP

What is there to say about Spring Break 2K10? For some it was a joyous occasion spent frolicking on the beach. For others it was a time for going out on River Street and getting so schwasted they don't know which way is up. For me...I went up to ATL to spend time with family. Awesome right?

So what did I do in Marietta? The usual really...went shopping, spent time with family, and helped my grandpa get settled in his new apartment. I also did 2 fun things I suppose are worth noting. I went to a Hawks game with my dad (my very first professional basketball game!) where we saw the Hawks beat the Pistons 112-99. I even saw a man propose to his girlfriend on the court which I'd never seen in real life; only on TV.


I also went to my mom's school on St. Patricks Day and got to be the leperchaun. I destroyed their room by flipping over chairs and spraying confetti everywehere. We even found the leperchaun's underwear! The kids ate rainbow cupcakes and sorted lucky charms' marshmallows. Overall a fun day, for them and me!

It's a small world after all...

Disneyland Paris (or Euro Disney as it was originally called) opened in 1992 in a suburb of Paris. The concept is simple: bringing the magic of Disney to Europe. There are many similarities between Euro Disney and its American counterparts: Disneyland in California and Disney World in Orlando. For instance: the parks in Euro Disney are much like the sub-sections of Magic Kingdom in WDW. They have: Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Discoveryland. In contrast, WDW has those and Mickey's Toon Town Adventure, Liberty Square, and Tomorrowland.

They also have "Walt Disney Studio Park" which is comparable to "Disney's Hollywood Studio" in Orlando. At the Euro Disney Park they have 4 lots: Toon Studio, Backlot, Front Lot, and Production Courtyard. Disney's hollywood studio has only one lot, but it has different attractions.

Random facts:

• Both Disneyland Paris and Disneyland in California have Sleeping Beauty's castle whereas Disneyworld in Orlando has Cinderella's Castle.
• Euro Disney has roughly 12,000 employees
• The park usually has around 55,000 visitors per day (compared to 17 million visits in 2007 by WDW)
• Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney said "As Americans, the word ‘Euro’ is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For Europeans it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and commerce. Renaming the park ‘Disneyland Paris’ was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world" about the name change.

Editorial Cartoons

Cartoon number 1 This comic, for me, represents the Average American's lack of knowledge of what's going on in the world as well as our own pre-occupation with ourselves and our lives. More people voted for the American Idol than the President...kind of depressing.
Cartoon number 2 The elephant is against homosexuality because most conservatives vote against gay marriage. The donkey, being liberal, is for homosexuality. Although it may not be stressing those points, it's kind of funny anyways.

Cartoon number 3 With the economy the way it is, even the cost of protesting the economy is going up. The person in the plaid is looking like he wants to make a difference and impact the world, but he feels like he can't because of circumstances. He also doesn't have a mouth which looks like he doesn't have a voice.


Cartoon number 4 I know they are only referencing Obama in this, but I find it interesting to see how one man's actions can make things we wouldn't normally care about, relevant. Normally white people would not understand the fist bump, but because of Obama, they too think that the "fist bump" is cool.

Cartoon number 5 This article isn't funny, rather it's ironic. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested simply for sitting in the front of the bus and 53 years later, a black man holds the most respected office in the world and has his own limo. This cartoon, for me, signifys not only how far black people have come in 50 years, but how far America has come. We used to not let them share a bathroom with white people and now, we trust them to make the most important decisions regarding our country's welfare. This comic is beautiful and powerful. Though it is not funny, it does resonate with the reader.

Cutting Budgets Cutting Hopes

The idea of the budget cuts, although necessary, is tragic. Georgia Southern was discussing eliminating all temporary teachers, the ROTC, the nursing program, and many upper division classes. If this occurs, the success and notoriety Georgia Southern has worked for will be gone. "Large Scale, Small Feel" will soon be "Small Scale, Small Feel." If these cuts occur, may Georgia Southern students will be robbed of a quality education and many professors will have to find other jobs.

I read that if these happen, it will take the average GSU student six years to graduate based off the limited professors and the lack of upper division courses. These cuts will hurt everyone in the university system, not just GSU students. Schools all over Georgia will be hurt by the limited funding.

I feel very lucky that I am getting out of school here when I am. I am completing my education in four years and my college memories will be of a Georgia Southern that had money and classes. The GSU I will remember had funding for concerts and dance shows. I was offered a complete, fun educational experience and was able to leave before things went down the tube.