Alaska (Lab)

This summer for graduation my grandparents took me on a cruise to Alaska. While there we saw things like the Hubbard glacier, sea lions, and absolutely beautiful mountains covered in snow. I also have zip-lined from the top of a mountain down onto the beach. (Over 5,000 feet) However the image that stayed in my mind was a humpback whale in a full "breach".

When we stopped in Scagway we decided to get on this boat and see some of the wildlife Alaska has to offer. It was freezing riding out there but what was waiting on us was well worth the journey. After seeing several whale tales and something that the tour guide called "bubble feeding" I looked to the other side of the boat and saw a huge whale jump out of the water, blow its spout and plunge back into the sea. Only a few of us got to see it and it is definitely one of the most memorable images I have ever seen.

Political Cartoon

I think this cartoon is illustrating the effects of the war on terror. Its saying that when America goes to war we employee thousands of soldiers. This particular cartoon seems to give the idea that enlisting the army is "smarter" than getting a college degree because then you will have a career that is "more stable". This of course implies that we will always be at war.

Strawberry Fields

This video was almost disturbing to watch and I think that is exactly what they wanted to portray through these images. The Vietnam war took place at a time when drug use was at its peak and I think that some of the images in the video were representative of hallucinations or other effects cause be his drug usage. The song "Strawberry Fields" put words to the graphic visuals displayed on the T.V. screen and the images in the mans mind. I think what made it so dramatic was all of the red used to symbolize death. They showed "strawberry bombs" going out of helicopters, and blood dripping from the strawberries on the wall. Also, the longer you watched the more red was inserted into the scene which symbolized that the number of deaths was increasing. Overall this clip showed the war in a negative light, and left the viewers shocked at the reality of the war.

27 Dresses (Lab)

Being at college I don't get the opportunity to see a lot of movies, but one i have seen recently and really enjoyed was 27 Dresses. This movie plays of the old quote, "always a bridesmaid, nevera a bride" and is absolutely hilarious. It starrs Katherine Heigl (Jane) as a woman who has to watch her sister marry the man she has been in love with for 5 years. Opposite Katherine is James Marson (Kevin) who helps her discover that love can come unexpectedly.
I think that 27 dresses is a movie that a lot of women can relate to, as well as men who don't ever seem to get the girl. The humorous side of 27 dresses gave it a sence of lightheartedness and allowed the audience to laugh at situations we could all potentially find ourselves in. I hate to go see a funny movie that has a sad ending. 27 Dresses definitely ended well leaving the audience feeling happy and hopeful.

Praying for a Miracle (Lab)

Mack Hudson is sixteen years old and is a Junior at Lexington High School. He was in a very serious car accident las Sunday Feb. 10th and has been in ICU for a week now. Yes the doctors believe he will live, but right now only has a 2% chance of walking again. We are praying for a miracle.
I'm claiming 1 Peter 5:10 for Mack, it says," And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast". If anyone reads this blog please keep Mack in your thoughts and prayers. I really believe prayer changes things and cannot wait to see how God works in this situation.

MLK Reading

I really enjoyed analyzing the pictures in the Martin Luther King book during class. I think it was incredible how meaningful the illustrators pictures were and how in depth they covered the ideas of MLK. For example, the stain glass windows symbolizing people's ability to "look past where they are" and see, where we as a nation should be. The American flag is also a central symbol in several of the pictures and serves as a common ground that all readers can relate to. I really like the way this book can be analyzed on a level comprehendible to children, and then seen in a totally different light when examining the illustrations.