Thanksgiving is a wonderful day that hopefully we all celebrate. This Thanksgiving was a special one for myself at least. I was able to give back to the society which is always a good or right thing to do with our economy so low. My family and I received a letter which was for charity with the heading on it, "Give to Others" reading this interested me. We read this and believed it would be a good idea, all we had to do is serve 10-25 homeless people with a Thanksgiving meal. Yes, sounds kind of strange because we wouldn't even know who would be at our house, but at the end we decided to do a good deed. We sent the letter back accepting 15 homeless strangers to our house and celebrate Thanksgiving.
Thursday morning had came, I was awaken by the marvelous smell coming from downstairs in the kitchen. Everyone was cooking up a storm bright and early while the little ones ran around the house. Counting down the hours till these people arrived at our front door, I was particularly nervous just the fact that I'm use to having a normal Thanksgiving with my family and sharing our thanks among each other. The rest of the family started arriving around 4 o'clock with big smiles on their faces. My mother reminded them that the rest of the people would arrive around 5:30 so they needed to hurry and finish preparing all the tasty food. Some of the family didn't like the fact that we accepted the offer of feeding other people on our special family Thanksgiving, so they sat back and relaxed instead of helping everyone get ready.
5:30 p.m. had arrived and a door bell had rung. Silence was heard throughout the house. My mother stopped what she was doing and went over to the door and answered it. A beautiful young lady was the first one to speak and said "Good Afternoon, may we come in" my mother of course replying "Yes." While they entered our house they began to introduce themselves to everyone in a very respectful manner. This helping me realize that these people were completely normal and not one bit different then us. Everyone had met each other and the time had come to eat. Everyone was seating and we were beginning to get served. While at the table eating the strangers were experiencing something they had not been able to in years they said. The smiles on their faces were completely priceless, some even teared up. This made me feel proud of our decisions to help others and give thanks as one, the main reason of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was an unforgettable holiday this year. It was more then special, words couldn't describe it. If anyone ever has the opportunity to do such a thing you will never regret it and I highly recommend it!
Searching the web I found this website of something they do in Richmond, Va about the same as we did at our house but much larger.
http://www.thegivingheart.org/
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Michael Phelps
Micheal Phelps was born in Maryland on June 30, 1985, Michael Phelps started swimming when he was seven years old. At the tender age of 15, he placed fifth in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Olympics, where he was the youngest male to compete in the games since 1932. At the 2001 Spring Nationals in the United States, Phelps became the youngest man ever to break a world record in swimming, at the age of 15 years and 9 months. Phelps also became the first swimmer in history to break five individual world records at one meet, at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona. At the age of 18, in 2003, Phelps won the Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. But this year Phelps has achieved another great award, not another gold medal but the SI's Sportsman of the year.
Michael Phelps has been chosen as SI's Sportsman Of The Year. This is an honor that most people aren't fortunate to receive, this is basically the best athlete of the year! Some people might not know but there are 38 people nominated and only the best stand and you are placed on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. Michael Phelps has been privileged to win over all these other great athletes. Usain Bold, Eli Manning, The Ryder Cup Rookies, Kobe Bryant, and so many more. This is an amazing to win over so many such great athletes. Everyone knows how great Micheal Phelps performance was at this years Olympics at Beijing winning 8 medals in 8 races. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian. As of 2008, he also holds seven world record setting races in swimming. Phelps has 16 medals overall, 14 being gold and 2 being bronze. Phelps won 8 medals in the 2004 Summer Olympics and 8 in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He ties for the most individual gold medals with 5. Phelps also ranks 2 in the total career Olympian medals, after Soviet Gymnast Larissa Latynina with 18 overall 9 of them being gold. She done in a span of 3 different Olympic games. With this being said Phelps has an amazing change to becoming number 1.
I believe Michael Phelps has every right to be the winner of this award, he indeed is the best. He is the best and he has demonstrated this. We will be hearing more of Michael "The Baltimore Bullet" Phelps so keep a look out for this great young athlete.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1148390/1/38/index.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/specials/sportsman/2008/12/01/sportsman.2008/index.html?eref=T1
Michael Phelps has been chosen as SI's Sportsman Of The Year. This is an honor that most people aren't fortunate to receive, this is basically the best athlete of the year! Some people might not know but there are 38 people nominated and only the best stand and you are placed on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. Michael Phelps has been privileged to win over all these other great athletes. Usain Bold, Eli Manning, The Ryder Cup Rookies, Kobe Bryant, and so many more. This is an amazing to win over so many such great athletes. Everyone knows how great Micheal Phelps performance was at this years Olympics at Beijing winning 8 medals in 8 races. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian. As of 2008, he also holds seven world record setting races in swimming. Phelps has 16 medals overall, 14 being gold and 2 being bronze. Phelps won 8 medals in the 2004 Summer Olympics and 8 in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He ties for the most individual gold medals with 5. Phelps also ranks 2 in the total career Olympian medals, after Soviet Gymnast Larissa Latynina with 18 overall 9 of them being gold. She done in a span of 3 different Olympic games. With this being said Phelps has an amazing change to becoming number 1.
I believe Michael Phelps has every right to be the winner of this award, he indeed is the best. He is the best and he has demonstrated this. We will be hearing more of Michael "The Baltimore Bullet" Phelps so keep a look out for this great young athlete.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1148390/1/38/index.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/specials/sportsman/2008/12/01/sportsman.2008/index.html?eref=T1
Monday, October 20, 2008
King Tut in Dallas
There is a great attraction going on right now in Dallas other than the fair which is unfortunately now closed down. This attraction is the King Tut Exhibit that Dallas is privileged to have. We are the 4th place ever that the museum has came to which will travel to 4 places in the US. I was fortunate enough to be there at the grand opening and see all the great art this exhibit possessed. These collections of pieces are so unique it is unbelievable. Items that you see in movies or TV and never actually think you will see were there. Possibly many people don’t know who King Tut actually was so here a little bio about him quoted from national geographic.
King Tut was born during the Amarna Age, a time when the pharaoh Akheneaten, his probable father, had introduced quasi-monotheistic beliefs into ancient Egypt, replacing the traditional religion. Akhenaten had also moved the administrative center (Memphis in the north) and religious capital (Thebes in the south) to Akhetaten (modern Tel el Amarna) in Middle Egypt, a site not previously associated with any other god.
It is here that this young prince, named Tutankhaten - to honor the Aten, the deity of his new religion - was born and spent his early childhood. The prince, however, ultimately did not maintain the religious movement his father introduced. He ascended the throne (around 1333 BCE), while still a child. Guided by two officials of the court, the general Horemhab and the god's father Aye (perhaps a relative of the young king); Tutankhamun restored the traditional gods and re-established Thebes as the religious capital and Memphis as the administrative center. He also changed his name to Tutankhamun in order to direct attention to the restoration of the pantheon and the god Amun at its head. King Tut reigned for only about nine years.
Everyone should take a little time off and go check this exhibit out. I guarantee that you will have a great time even if you are not all into Art and Museums. If anyone has also gone or goes let me know if you were just as amazed as I was at this great and unique King Tut exhibit.
http://www.kingtut.org/home
King Tut was born during the Amarna Age, a time when the pharaoh Akheneaten, his probable father, had introduced quasi-monotheistic beliefs into ancient Egypt, replacing the traditional religion. Akhenaten had also moved the administrative center (Memphis in the north) and religious capital (Thebes in the south) to Akhetaten (modern Tel el Amarna) in Middle Egypt, a site not previously associated with any other god.
It is here that this young prince, named Tutankhaten - to honor the Aten, the deity of his new religion - was born and spent his early childhood. The prince, however, ultimately did not maintain the religious movement his father introduced. He ascended the throne (around 1333 BCE), while still a child. Guided by two officials of the court, the general Horemhab and the god's father Aye (perhaps a relative of the young king); Tutankhamun restored the traditional gods and re-established Thebes as the religious capital and Memphis as the administrative center. He also changed his name to Tutankhamun in order to direct attention to the restoration of the pantheon and the god Amun at its head. King Tut reigned for only about nine years.
Everyone should take a little time off and go check this exhibit out. I guarantee that you will have a great time even if you are not all into Art and Museums. If anyone has also gone or goes let me know if you were just as amazed as I was at this great and unique King Tut exhibit.
http://www.kingtut.org/home
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Finally a Free Man...
James Lee Woodard finally walked out of Texas prison after 27 years. You may be thinking, ok big deal a man walked out of prison like any other man after his sentence is over. No, this is incorrect. James Lee Woodard was falsely accused of a rape and murder case that he had no part of. Woodard had been dating a young lady by the name of Beverly Ann Jones for seven months before the murder. Christmas time in 1980's when disaster happened in his life. Jones was found in the trinity river new years eve which he was shocked. While he was sitting at his house he received a knock at the door and it was the police. He was taking down to the station without knowing he was the one being convicted. The only reason Woodard was convicted was that Beverly Ann Jones step father told the police Woodard had come to the house looking for her which was the only thing they had on him but at this time was enough. He was placed in jail for just those few words. He was convicted and had no way out and no fair trial. Woodard believe he was going to get out in no time, maybe they were just doing this for a short period of time till they figured out that he was not the real murderer. Unfortunately, Woodard was wrong and was about to face 27 years in prison without a fair trail and was put there immediately.
Woodard was shocked and had no clue what was going on. He knew exactly where he was the night of the murder and two other young ladies knew where he was at too, at his other girlfriends house. One witness came forward and said that Woodard did not murder Jones because the night she was murder she was with three other males, which two of them had been convicted of rape before. With all this information they had which could of easily overturned Woodard case police department and Dallas's DA kept the information from the jury. While in prison Woodard wrote multiple letters to Henry Wade Dallas' DA which asked him to please investigate this case. He kept writing and writing but only to find out that no investigation would take place and the only response he would receive would be, "No further investigation is needed in this case" which was just a very harsh thing to say.
Woodard is 17Th man that has been exonerated from prison in Dallas and all 17 of these men where African-American. Dallas kept its DNA cases instead of throwing them away like other states did in these past years. Out of the 40 cases that have been reviewed 17 had been overturned, this makes it a 40 percent error ratio which is ridiculous because many more are still in the process of being investigated.
Listening to the news I always seem to here about a man that was accused 10, 20, 30 years ago and is finally free. Not necessarily in Texas but all around the US. Finally free because of DNA test, finally overruled by the jury, and many more reasons why these men have been freed. They are freed and the government believes that everything is ok now? He get nothing but maybe a pat on his back? This is just not justified. Woodard had his life taking away from him. Something that is never going to come back to him, something you cant buy, 27 years of his life gone. Some of the most important parts of his life, three decades of no fair trial is outrageous. What would he do now? Woodard had no clue what a cell phone was, a laptop computer, but more even more devastating had no family and kids. At the age of 55 you are certainly past your prime but hopefully James Lee Woodard is able to make the best out of it.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-exonerate_29met.ART.State.Edition2.4613068.html
Woodard was shocked and had no clue what was going on. He knew exactly where he was the night of the murder and two other young ladies knew where he was at too, at his other girlfriends house. One witness came forward and said that Woodard did not murder Jones because the night she was murder she was with three other males, which two of them had been convicted of rape before. With all this information they had which could of easily overturned Woodard case police department and Dallas's DA kept the information from the jury. While in prison Woodard wrote multiple letters to Henry Wade Dallas' DA which asked him to please investigate this case. He kept writing and writing but only to find out that no investigation would take place and the only response he would receive would be, "No further investigation is needed in this case" which was just a very harsh thing to say.
Woodard is 17Th man that has been exonerated from prison in Dallas and all 17 of these men where African-American. Dallas kept its DNA cases instead of throwing them away like other states did in these past years. Out of the 40 cases that have been reviewed 17 had been overturned, this makes it a 40 percent error ratio which is ridiculous because many more are still in the process of being investigated.
Listening to the news I always seem to here about a man that was accused 10, 20, 30 years ago and is finally free. Not necessarily in Texas but all around the US. Finally free because of DNA test, finally overruled by the jury, and many more reasons why these men have been freed. They are freed and the government believes that everything is ok now? He get nothing but maybe a pat on his back? This is just not justified. Woodard had his life taking away from him. Something that is never going to come back to him, something you cant buy, 27 years of his life gone. Some of the most important parts of his life, three decades of no fair trial is outrageous. What would he do now? Woodard had no clue what a cell phone was, a laptop computer, but more even more devastating had no family and kids. At the age of 55 you are certainly past your prime but hopefully James Lee Woodard is able to make the best out of it.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-exonerate_29met.ART.State.Edition2.4613068.html
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
University Drinking
Drinking at Universities and underage drinking are both huge problems going around in our society today. Young adults in colleges are unable to go to a social event without alcohol beverages being in there surroundings. An estimated of 63,718 deaths were attributable to harmful drinking in the U.S. in 2000. Of these deaths, 45,988 were to males (4 percent of all deaths among males) and 17,730 were to females(Washington News). Not only is this around the U.S but in our Universities. Death caused by drinking at a university is not a rare thing to witness now days. Everynight young men and women go out to experience the life of the party, the night life, they attend bars, clubs, lounges, pubs to absorb alcohol and have a good time with friends. You may ask yourself how could these children get into these type of social events and drink without being of legal age, well the answer is simple, fake ID's. According to the law possesion of fake identification is a Class C Misdemeanor, but yet there are still students trying to get one. Teens can find Fake ID's with just a few keystrokes on the web, this is because the demand for them are so high. Students are eager to get fake's to be able to participate or fit in.
Reading tonight on CNN I came across an article regarding University Drinking. Drury Univeristy in Springfield, MO has banned hard liquor on the campus to crackdown on binge drinking. This even banned the students of legal age from drinking any type of hard liquor on the school campus. Drury University has put two fraternities on suspension and made others do community service and pay fines. School is a place to learn and by passings this new rule Drury University is certainly going to have a lesser problem amoung the fraternity parties and other types of social events on campus. Students are beings killed and families are gettings hurt because of mass amounts of alcohol. SMU has had many deaths throughout the years and most of them were caused by alcohol. Last year at SMU in a six month time period three students passed away and two out of the three were being of alcohol while the other was caused by an overdose. This year just recently was not a student from SMU, but approximately two weeks ago a drunk driver injured five SMU students and also killed newlyweds. Untill this day I am puzzled for what the correct solution is to prevent all of these things from happening. Should more Universities take part in this rule or create there own in order to solve these drinking hazards?
http://www.kmbc.com/cnn-news/17544715/detail.html
Reading tonight on CNN I came across an article regarding University Drinking. Drury Univeristy in Springfield, MO has banned hard liquor on the campus to crackdown on binge drinking. This even banned the students of legal age from drinking any type of hard liquor on the school campus. Drury University has put two fraternities on suspension and made others do community service and pay fines. School is a place to learn and by passings this new rule Drury University is certainly going to have a lesser problem amoung the fraternity parties and other types of social events on campus. Students are beings killed and families are gettings hurt because of mass amounts of alcohol. SMU has had many deaths throughout the years and most of them were caused by alcohol. Last year at SMU in a six month time period three students passed away and two out of the three were being of alcohol while the other was caused by an overdose. This year just recently was not a student from SMU, but approximately two weeks ago a drunk driver injured five SMU students and also killed newlyweds. Untill this day I am puzzled for what the correct solution is to prevent all of these things from happening. Should more Universities take part in this rule or create there own in order to solve these drinking hazards?
http://www.kmbc.com/cnn-news/17544715/detail.html
Monday, September 22, 2008
My Favorite Iraqi!
While eating lunch today with my suit mates we received a phone call telling us to get on youtube and watch this amazing documentary on a true Iraqi gangster. An Iraqi gangster with a powerful gift, the people around him rejoice when he walks the grounds of Iraq. He seems to be a very strong leader at an early age with an ability to dance like no other, and has the right hand of Muhammed Ali. Ok, I'm just messing with you.
This video is literally one of the funniest videos I have seen in a while. In our dorm we were laughing so hard we could not finish our food. It starts out with this little chubby Iraqi kid in the distance break dancing out of no where while he is walking over to this other kid he is about to punish. This little Iraqi literally could punk everyone on his block. And to wrap everything up, he decides to throw a rock at the guy he was pounding in his UFC debut to make the point that he's the baddest guy on the block and fears no one!
Bullying is such a huge deal at early ages, and you may say that its such a bad thing too. But I'm sorry this is the coolest fat kid ever!
MUST SEE VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKFAqoGRBs8
On a more serious note there is a big problem here too. In this video it shows many other problems that is happening in Iraq. Children at an early age are doing things that shows no discipline which makes Iraq look horrible. Of course this is a third world country and poverty is a big deal there but events like these need to be fixed by Iraqi people.
This video is literally one of the funniest videos I have seen in a while. In our dorm we were laughing so hard we could not finish our food. It starts out with this little chubby Iraqi kid in the distance break dancing out of no where while he is walking over to this other kid he is about to punish. This little Iraqi literally could punk everyone on his block. And to wrap everything up, he decides to throw a rock at the guy he was pounding in his UFC debut to make the point that he's the baddest guy on the block and fears no one!
Bullying is such a huge deal at early ages, and you may say that its such a bad thing too. But I'm sorry this is the coolest fat kid ever!
MUST SEE VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKFAqoGRBs8
On a more serious note there is a big problem here too. In this video it shows many other problems that is happening in Iraq. Children at an early age are doing things that shows no discipline which makes Iraq look horrible. Of course this is a third world country and poverty is a big deal there but events like these need to be fixed by Iraqi people.
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