$5 For a Life

On Sunday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, a 15-year old boy was hanged from a tree by Taliban militants for having U.S. dollars in his pocket. Taliban used the boy as an example to warn other villagers that they would face the same punishment if they had U.S. dollars in their posession. They stuffed 5 $1 bills into the mouth of the limp boy hanging from the tree and left him for the village to see. Hearing this story made me physically sick to my stomach. An innocent boy lost his life because of the reputation that has been attached to America. They hate our country so much that they are willing to sacrifice one of their own just to send a message to their village. Their own village; not a large population. I mean, we all know that things happen in Afghanistan that don't happen in many other places and killing is not something they see as a crime, but its really sad that even our money has cost people their lives.

Fairy Dust!

Everyone has a character, whether it be a superhero, cartoon character, or animal, that they dressed up as for Halloween and secretly wish they could be. As you can see, mine is Tinkerbell. I was Tinkerbell 4 years in a row for Halloween and have always had a secret little obsession with her character. This is a drawing I did for a project where I had to design a costume with lights on it. I, of course, opted for Tinkerbell. Something about being able to fly around, sprinkling fairy dust and listening to other people without having to talk has always appealed to the "child" inside me. She is the epitomy of a little girl's alter-ego and sometimes, we have a hard time letting go of that. I wonder sometimes if I had the opportunity to be anyone or anything else for a day, what or who would I choose? There are so many influential and amazing people who have contributed extraordinary ideas and accomplishments to the world that I would love to "shadow" for a day. But if I could actually "be" someone else, Tinkerbell is definately my first choice. Everything I associate with Tinkerbell has a happy or exciting connotation. She isn't really a controversial character and she gets to hang out with Peter Pan! There is an innocent, child-like perception of the world that I associate with Tinkerbell that I think everyone secretly envies and wishes we could revert back to.

My Guardian Angel

Happy; Innocent; Whole. Those are the first three things that come to my mind when I look at this picture of my Mom and I taken when I was about 4 years old. Not only was it a happy time because we were at the beach and it was summer time, but because the picture captures my Mom and I together. At this time, I was completely oblivious to what the future held and didn't have a worry in the world. I had no idea that 8 years later, my Mom would be taken from my family. To most people, it sounds like I'm throwing a "pity-party" for myself. But I'm actually doing the opposite. You can never be too sure of your life or anticipate what tomorrow will bring. There is a good chance that one day you're going to wake up and realize that life isn't always as good as your dreams. But that's life! You can't control everything and you shouldn't try to. The saying really is true; "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." I have an appreciation for life that most people never discover and I am so thankful for that. My Mom was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2000 and passed away in August of 2000, only 4 months after she was diagnosed. While it didn't happen overnight, losing my Mom at such a young age has taught me so many things about life and has made me so much stronger than I ever would have been. Lessons: #1- You never know how much time you have here, with the ones you love; time to make a difference; time to do all the things you want to do before you die. I've learned to make the best of each day & I try to be nice to everyone I meet. #2- You're never alone. Even on those days where you feel like nothing is going right, no one cares if you're upset and there's no one there to listen to you bitch and moan, someone is there. I haven't been able to have a "real conversation" with my mom in 7 years, but I talk to her everyday. As cliche as it sounds, I like to think of her as my guardian angel. She is with me everyday and she's always there to listen to me when I don't want to talk to anyone else. You have to make the best of what you have, even if you hate the circumstances. And just when you think you can't, tell yourself that it could always be worse!

Mind Map

4 different beginnings and no definite ending. A mind map. Something that allows someone to peek inside your head and follow your thoughts, never knowing exactly where they will end up. Paint alone can lead to so many places; Canvas; Van Gogh; Car; or Brush; where it takes you next depends on the person. Many times you will find yourself crossing paths you've already taken or perhaps at an intersection of new, yet similar, places. To see the paths I chose, follow my map. Where does paint take you?

Dirty Sexy Money; Trash or Entertainment?

Dirty Sexy Money is a new show on ABC about a lawyer's attempt to control one of the wealthiest families in New York. Besides being an updated, more mature version of the O.C. with all of the drama, it is a spider web of affairs covered up by sex and lies. Do we really need another television show like this? Can we not be more creative and bring a concept we haven't seen over and over again? As if our materialistic, superficial society isn't twisted enough, we continue to pollute the television shows that are watched by millions with sex, lies and money. I mean, I'm not opposed to edgy entertainment at all, so don't get me wrong, but I just wonder if we even think about the messages we are sending through shows like this. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have an S-Class Mercedes and a 5 million dollar house, and that's ok. We spend too much time focusing our attention on having money and the lavish lifestyle that goes with it, instead of how we can help those around us. My vote= Trash!

Pepsi Takes Over!

I LOVE this commercial! I think its so creative and innovative and a fresh approach to the sometimes repetitive commercials created by soft drink companies. Although Pepsi has always been successful in making their advertisements interesting and catchy, this is by far my favorite. It strays from a celebrity endorser and brings people together all over the world with something as simple as a beach ball! Not only is the beach ball a simple object, it incorporates Pepsi's label so no words are neccessary. This is by far my favorite commercial on tv right now!

Leave Britney Alone!

Wow! Can you imagine how this guy gets through everyday when his whole life revolves around Britney Spears?? Of anyone to be obsessed with, Britney might be the worst. And the sad part is, he is completely serious! He thinks this "threatening" message to Britney critics will really shield the pop-star from harm or hateful criticism. I'm not going to lie, I laughed histerically when I watched this for the first time. But as I started thinking more about it, I became very disturbed. This "product of the media" is a perfect representation of the extreme impact the media can have on society and individuals. This poor kid is so obsessed with Britney that in another video, he announces that if anything happens to Britney, he will find the nearest building and jump! Crazy?... Disturbing?... I think so! As if it isn't ridiculous enough that this kid has gotten so much attention with his bizarre ranting, he is now getting his own reality show! I don't have a clue what it will be about, but I can only imagine that it will be just as crazy as this video!