Life is like a Box of Chocolates...

These are the movie quotes that seem to always find there way into my head...

"Life is like a box of chocolates"-Forrest Gump

"You can't hide what is in your heart"-The Green Mile

"Bring it!"-Bring It On

"We have a half a pack of cigarettes, a full tank of gas,its 200 miles to Chicago, its dark, and we're wearing sun glasses...hit it!"-Blues Brothers

"You don't want your baby comin' out the womb talkin bout' where the liquor at."-Deliver us From Eva.

"No body puts baby in a corner."-Dirty Dancing

"Call the Po, Po, Hoe."-Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

"Ain't life Grand."-Bonnie and Clyde

"You got knocked the f**k out."-Friday

"Daddy would you like some sausage."-Freedy Got Fingered.

"Mama's little mistake down by the lake."-Johnson Family vacation

"Say Hello to my little friend."-Scareface

Well as you can see my movie tastes are very diversed and I remeber almost everything.

Schindler's List

One word seemed to constantly penetrate my thoughts as I watched Schindler's List, haunting. The images, the violence, the constant degredation of human life all amounted to the haunting of my consciousness. I had always thought I knew what happened in the removal of the Jews from the Karkow, but I truly had no idea. I couldn't fathom the images I saw as I watched this movie. The coloring of the film as black and white did not lessen the affect of anything I watched. The film being done in black and white actually caused the true reality of what I was witnessing set in more. The film had no bright side or happy moments, even the end of the movie, which was suppose to be uplifiting, was a bleak depression to me. It was uplifting in the sense that these people survived, but also saddening when you think of all those who did not survive. The bright spot I did find in the movie though was the character of Oskar Schindler himself. Maybe it was the fact that Schindler was portrayed by Liam Nessen, or just the pure humanity the film portrayed Schindler as having, is why I was truly mesmerized by Schindler. Schindler, according to both the movie and his biographer, did not set out to save a group of people, but to save himself. He wanted to turn a profit on the war. He saw the war as a way to make money and the Jews were the cheapest labor. Normally if I had heard that someone was turning a profit for war, I would be appalled. War is not something you profit from because no one wins. Schindler searching for a profit, however, did not disgust me I was actually applauding him. I found as I watched the movie, that I did not care if his intentions for saving his Jews were merely profit, but that he did save these innocent people. One scene that stands out most in my mind is the images of Schindler watching the raid on the ghetto from the hilltop. That scene stuck out the most in my mind because not only was it the most brutal, but the most prolific. As I watched this scene I could see the absolute fear and distress in Schindler's eyes. I was horrified by the murdering and mesmerized by the pain present in Schindler's eyes. The novel seemed to often stress the importance Schindler placed on profit and his abilities as a munipulator, but as I watched the movie those thoughts seemed farthest from my mind. Schindler was an extrordinary munipulator. He seemed to bribe SS officers with ease and he did so without thoughts of his fancial security, but thoughts for those he wanted to keep safe. Another scene of the movie that stood out in my mind was one of the ending scenes in which the Jews are thanking him for his bravery and give him the ring. Schindler remarks to the Jews that he is not this prominent man that they see him as but a swindler, thief, and munipulator. I was struck by this scene because of the way Schindler viewed himself. Watching the movie I did not see Schindler in any of these ways. I may have a thought this a little while reading, but as I watched the movie I did not. The violence and danger Schindler faced was brought to life by the movie. While watching the movie I forgot all about the book and its emphasis on Schindler and his money. I thought that how could a man watch somethign as vile as the Karkow raid and still put their lives on the line willingly. Money doesn't mean a thing when you're dead and each time that Oskar pressed for another Jew for his factory that is what he was doing.
This movie was by far one of the best and the worse I have ever viewed. I cried from the beginning of the movie until the end. This movie is a great testmeant to 'bearing witness" as Elie Wiesel would say.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope that your turkey day is womderful.

I would also like to say that I am thankful for my Mom, my family, and my crazy bestfriend Jo.

I frustrate you?

Yesterday in class Professor Kristi told me that I frustrate her. Wow. Once she said that all I could do was laugh. I frustrate her? Seriously. I go crazy writting for her/your class. I still enjoy this class though. (=

Sarah Palin and "Going Rouge"

I am the first person to admit that I don't not know Sarah Palin personally and I have no right to judge her, but I also am the first person to admit, I don't like her. I don't. Her platform is something I could care less for and her personality, from what I have seen in interviews, just rubs me the wrong way. I don't think that she would have been qualified for the job of VP. I would not trust this woman to walk me across the street, yet alone run my country. I was raised in a Democratic household, but I praise myself in being an independent. My views are in the middle of being either way, so my disapproval does not center on her being a Republican. I feel that she is not educated enough for a job in that high of an office and that she seems to play the blame game a lot. She, from what I have viewed recently, seems to be blaming the downfall of the McCain/Palin campaign in 08 to the campaign runners. She seems to be trying to deflect the responsibilty of why her ticket lost on the basis that she was not allowed to do anything. I don't agree. I feel like instead of saying "Yes we lost the election and I am at fault as is so and so..."she is saying, "Well, if they let me do things my way..." (I will not judge her personally life when it comes to her daughter because things happen. She was a working mother. I will however say that she was not a single working mother so a little more attention should have been paid, but hey my mom is a single working mother, so I get that you can't always be exactly where your children are.) Sarah Palin to me can be summed up in a few short words, judgemental, arrogant, air-head,pompus, flaky, and un informed. I am am not downing Sarah Palin because I am an Obama supporter, even though I am. I am saying that before she runs in 2012, she should consider taking some advice from Hilary Clinton or Nancy Pelowsi on how to become a serious female politician.

Today is not my day

Okay. Do you know those days where nothing seems to go your way? Well, that was how my day went today. As the day goes on I also realize that, things aren't getting any better. First thing that happened to me today was, I locked my keys in my car. Yup, with the car running. Smart huh? I had to climb through the back hatch window to get in. Not fun at all. Next thing I did was leave my power cord, to my dead laptop at home, and didn't remeber that it wasn't in my case until i got to my class. Third thing, I forgot my cell phone at home. I am lost without my phone. Then on top of all of this I have a mild concussion, really great. Yesterday night I tripped on the rug in my bathroom fell and banged my head off of the tub. I was to stubborn and tired (I know the tiredness should have been a sign) to go yesterday, so I went today and just my luck, a small concussion. So now here I am, an ice pack on my head, my laptop charging, my cell right next to me, and my car keys on the kitchen table. In the words of Clyde Barrow, "Ain't life Grand?"

Bitter Sweet

Today is a bitter sweet day. Not only is it one of my luckiest days(I was born on Friday the 13th) of the year,but it is also my deceased cousin's birthday. Five years ago my cousin, Christopher, was gunned down on the streets of South West Detroit. He was twenty-nine years old and a father of four little girls. My heart hurts and I tear up thinking about why he was murdered. He was killed for his jacket. A 250 dollar jacket was the price of my cousin's life. Everytime I think about what happened my heart ache turns to sorrow, then to anger, and then to rage. I just cannot understand why people do the things they do. Do people even think about the consequences of their actions and the people affected by them? Detroit is one of the most violent cities in the nation and it has taken a lot from me, not just my cousin, but my father, and a dear family friend as well.At times I want to rage against the city, but I can't because it is not the city, but the people in it that do these things. I am from Detroit and it will forever be my home town, but Detroit has lost it's soul. Blood spills the streets of Detroit and often the blood of the innocent. I won't lie my cousin was not innocent. He lived a hard life. He was a "gang banger",but he was a good person, a very good person.He cared for those who he loved and I couldn't have asked for a better person to have been able to call family. I love you Bub and I miss you dearly. God rest your soul.

"How many brothaz fell victim to these streetz...

Rest in peace young n***a, there's a Heaven for a 'G'

be a lie if I told ya, I never thought about death,

my n***as we the last one's left

but life goes on..."

Tupac Shakur "Life Goes On."

It not because I cannot Explain...

"It is not because I cannot explain, that you will not understand; it is because you will not understand, that I cannot explain." -Elie Wiesel

One question that everyone seems to have in regards to the Holocaust is the simple question of why. Why did this happen, why was the Holocaust aimed at the Jews, and why innocent people. The question of why, itself presents a conundrum. In asking why people are searching for a higher meaning, an answer. In searching for these meanings we are searching for understanding. Understanding is the ability to sympathize and feel, to comprehend why something is the way it is. As Elie Wiesel has pointed out however, in searching for understanding we are getting nowhere, because there is no explantion for the Holocaust. Sure we can blame Hitler's evilness, but what about the higher meaning everyone searches for, like why did God let this happen and why didn't anyone stop this.

The only way to understand is to "bare witness" and not repeat past mistakes, as Elie Wiesel has pointed out. Understanding is not something that can be achieved by glancing over a few old photographs, but by vowing to do better. Just think of what is happening at the moment in Darfur. Why are we letting this happen? We all strive to understand, yet we are not trying to do better. What have we learned? Nothing apparently. We have to do better. We have to bare witness for all those who are not here; all of those whose bodies perished amongst the flames of ovens, all of those who remain nameless, and all of those who just cannot find the words to speak. If we are searching for meaning so profusly, why are we still not understanding and repeating pasts mistakes. Darfur is real and proves that we still do not understand.

Yeah Me

I am flying high right now! I receieved an A on my English midterm and my Poli Sci. I hate to sound like London from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, but "Yeah Me!"