Monday, March 15, 2010
Movie review
Up in the air - George Clooney earns his sky miles in this one. He takes us across the country with him as he delivers his message. This movie is original and has an awesome musical guest appearance. 2 claps! I see why it was nominated for a bunch of awards.
Movie review essentials
I guess this should have been in the first movie review post. 2 claps is a movie you should see. 1 clap is rentable. 0 claps, don't waste your time. A standing ovation, then you should be out the door on the way to the theater.
Law abiding citizen - Gerard Butler and Jaime Fox put on a brilliant display. This movie puts you in the mind of Inside Man (2 claps). Butler ends up in jail and the world must pay for it. This is a guy you don't want to mess with. With that being said...Standing ovation goes to this movie.
2012 - John Cusack takes us to the end of the world and back in this sci fi action film. It gives you all of the science, drama, and action you could ask for in a movie. A little on the long side, but worth the time. See it while you still can. 2012 is right around the corner...it just came out on dvd last Tuesday.
Princess and the Frog - Classic Disney animation. The Disney princess has returned with a band of characters that will make you laugh and cry and go through all of the basic Disney emotions. Princess Tiana brings Disney animation back in a big way and takes you back to a time when New Orleans was known for much more than a hurricane. This deserves and receives a standing ovation and a foot stomp.
Zombieland - Woody Harrelson is one of the lone rangers fighting against the zombies. You've seen one zombie movie, you've seen them all. Nothing really different here, just some nice comic relief. This won't win any awards, but it'll keep you gasping and laughing. 1 clap.
If there are any movies you'd like a review on please let me know. Either leave a comment here or reply on twitter www.twitter.com/ogreen32 or on leave me a message on facebook. Thanks for taking the time to read my reviews. Take care.
Law abiding citizen - Gerard Butler and Jaime Fox put on a brilliant display. This movie puts you in the mind of Inside Man (2 claps). Butler ends up in jail and the world must pay for it. This is a guy you don't want to mess with. With that being said...Standing ovation goes to this movie.
2012 - John Cusack takes us to the end of the world and back in this sci fi action film. It gives you all of the science, drama, and action you could ask for in a movie. A little on the long side, but worth the time. See it while you still can. 2012 is right around the corner...it just came out on dvd last Tuesday.
Princess and the Frog - Classic Disney animation. The Disney princess has returned with a band of characters that will make you laugh and cry and go through all of the basic Disney emotions. Princess Tiana brings Disney animation back in a big way and takes you back to a time when New Orleans was known for much more than a hurricane. This deserves and receives a standing ovation and a foot stomp.
Zombieland - Woody Harrelson is one of the lone rangers fighting against the zombies. You've seen one zombie movie, you've seen them all. Nothing really different here, just some nice comic relief. This won't win any awards, but it'll keep you gasping and laughing. 1 clap.
If there are any movies you'd like a review on please let me know. Either leave a comment here or reply on twitter www.twitter.com/ogreen32 or on leave me a message on facebook. Thanks for taking the time to read my reviews. Take care.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Movie reviews!!!
Now to the fun stuff.
1.) Shutter Island - Well written, directed and acted psychological thriller. Scorcese was in rare form with this one and Leo DiCaprio gave a "Titanic" performance. It was about a federal marshal who goes to investigate an escape from an insane asylum but finds out he has more of a connection to the island than he originally expected. It's a good one! I give it 2 claps.
2.) Alice in Wonderland - It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Depp played a good hatter, but overall I wasn't that impressed. It basically picks up 13 years after Alice first went down the hole and they need her to come back. Alice has grown up and her world is a little different now. It was an interesting concept, but not that well executed. You'll be more entertained watching the Disney cartoon. I give it a clap. View at your own risk or wait for the DVD.
3.) Avatar - Visually stunning! The story line was one that had been done before and honestly if you have seen Ferngully you've seen this movie. This is one case where the effects were really the stars of the movie. It's very long and the 3D effects are awesome, but the 3D glasses will get annoying after about an hour. If you stick it out you will definitely enjoy the movie. I deem it a must see. 2 claps!!
4.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - For all of my mythology fans, you'll like this modern twist on a great classic. Which classic is that you ask? Clash of the Titans!! (Which will be out April 2 - Expect a review). In this movie Percy (Perceus) is told who he truly is and what his missions are. He sets out with some friends to find who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. It's a well paced adventure and a fun story to follow. This gets 2 claps! Enjoy it. It's for young and not so young alike.
As I make my way to the theater over the break look for more reviews. Till then take care!
1.) Shutter Island - Well written, directed and acted psychological thriller. Scorcese was in rare form with this one and Leo DiCaprio gave a "Titanic" performance. It was about a federal marshal who goes to investigate an escape from an insane asylum but finds out he has more of a connection to the island than he originally expected. It's a good one! I give it 2 claps.
2.) Alice in Wonderland - It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Depp played a good hatter, but overall I wasn't that impressed. It basically picks up 13 years after Alice first went down the hole and they need her to come back. Alice has grown up and her world is a little different now. It was an interesting concept, but not that well executed. You'll be more entertained watching the Disney cartoon. I give it a clap. View at your own risk or wait for the DVD.
3.) Avatar - Visually stunning! The story line was one that had been done before and honestly if you have seen Ferngully you've seen this movie. This is one case where the effects were really the stars of the movie. It's very long and the 3D effects are awesome, but the 3D glasses will get annoying after about an hour. If you stick it out you will definitely enjoy the movie. I deem it a must see. 2 claps!!
4.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - For all of my mythology fans, you'll like this modern twist on a great classic. Which classic is that you ask? Clash of the Titans!! (Which will be out April 2 - Expect a review). In this movie Percy (Perceus) is told who he truly is and what his missions are. He sets out with some friends to find who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. It's a well paced adventure and a fun story to follow. This gets 2 claps! Enjoy it. It's for young and not so young alike.
As I make my way to the theater over the break look for more reviews. Till then take care!
Childhood obesity
This is serious topic number two and it should get lighter from here. OK. Let's go! It's no question that our country has an obesity problem. From the kids to the adults. I want to look at the kids. I guess some would ask "why?" but it's not really that hard to figure out. The kids today are obese because they don't get exercise, they have horrible eating habits and because their parents are obese. There I go talking about parents again, but I hope that through these post you start to see how much influence parents have on their kids. So let's dissect this piece by piece.
1.) Not enough exercise. Most kids that are obese don't get enough exercise. Well let's look where they are most of the time....at school. Well shouldn't they be out at recess? No, that has been taken out of most schools so that there is time for test prep. Well don't they get exercise in gym class? No, most schools have reduced the time of their gym classes so that kids have more "instructional time" - test prep. Also, most schools allow students not to participate in any physical activities with a note from the parents. So we're back to the parents. I'm not sure why they do it, but the parents let the kids not exercise at school, so I'm almost convinced they're not getting it at home either, so there is where the issues come in. The schools aren't being allowed to provide students with exercise because they have to get kids ready for the test and the parents are allowing the kids to sit and be sedentary. These two are part of the obesity problem. The next part is the biggie in my mind-nutrition.
2.) When you look at what our kids are eating it's really sad, but what's more unfortunate is that it's cheaper to eat unhealthy than it is to eat healthy in most cases. In some places, healthy choices are just plain hard to find. It's usually in poorer areas where the healthy choices are the hardest to find and these are usually the people suffering from the most dietary diseases. I guess it's like the question of the chicken or the egg. Do poor areas not have healthy choices because they don't want or use them or are there no healthy options because they can't afford them? who really knows. Back to the topic, in the school setting, schools are able to regulate what they serve and because they serve such a large population they get food at cheaper prices. The problem is that they still go with the lowest bidder which is the most unhealthy slop that is available. Instead of paying a few dollars more for something that will actually have some kind of nutritional value. I think districts should be more mindful of what they offer as food to the students since they are not allowing them to get the amount of activity that they need. Again, if they look at the research it shows that schools with healthy lunch programs have less discipline problems and better scores. Why they don't latch on to that research is still beyond me.
3.)Parental obesity- Since this is about childhood obesity I'm not going to say much about the parents except this "If the parents are obese, then the children will more than likely be obese."
For any parents or students reading this, I urge you to go to your local school board and push for a better school lunch program. This will not only help with the health of your child, but with their overall education. Well, that's what research shows... Feel free to comment. Take care!
1.) Not enough exercise. Most kids that are obese don't get enough exercise. Well let's look where they are most of the time....at school. Well shouldn't they be out at recess? No, that has been taken out of most schools so that there is time for test prep. Well don't they get exercise in gym class? No, most schools have reduced the time of their gym classes so that kids have more "instructional time" - test prep. Also, most schools allow students not to participate in any physical activities with a note from the parents. So we're back to the parents. I'm not sure why they do it, but the parents let the kids not exercise at school, so I'm almost convinced they're not getting it at home either, so there is where the issues come in. The schools aren't being allowed to provide students with exercise because they have to get kids ready for the test and the parents are allowing the kids to sit and be sedentary. These two are part of the obesity problem. The next part is the biggie in my mind-nutrition.
2.) When you look at what our kids are eating it's really sad, but what's more unfortunate is that it's cheaper to eat unhealthy than it is to eat healthy in most cases. In some places, healthy choices are just plain hard to find. It's usually in poorer areas where the healthy choices are the hardest to find and these are usually the people suffering from the most dietary diseases. I guess it's like the question of the chicken or the egg. Do poor areas not have healthy choices because they don't want or use them or are there no healthy options because they can't afford them? who really knows. Back to the topic, in the school setting, schools are able to regulate what they serve and because they serve such a large population they get food at cheaper prices. The problem is that they still go with the lowest bidder which is the most unhealthy slop that is available. Instead of paying a few dollars more for something that will actually have some kind of nutritional value. I think districts should be more mindful of what they offer as food to the students since they are not allowing them to get the amount of activity that they need. Again, if they look at the research it shows that schools with healthy lunch programs have less discipline problems and better scores. Why they don't latch on to that research is still beyond me.
3.)Parental obesity- Since this is about childhood obesity I'm not going to say much about the parents except this "If the parents are obese, then the children will more than likely be obese."
For any parents or students reading this, I urge you to go to your local school board and push for a better school lunch program. This will not only help with the health of your child, but with their overall education. Well, that's what research shows... Feel free to comment. Take care!
Spring break is here and boy do I have some stuff to talk about
I'm going to get the serious stuff out of the way and then move on to some lighter topics. Let's start. Of course education is up on the docket. I was talking with a couple of co-workers about Oprah's school for girls that she opened in Africa and the backlash it got from people here stateside. Her reasoning is what really made me think. It was said that she sent out surveys to see what kids wanted and when she got the surveys back almost overwhelmingly the American kids wanted material goods. The kids from other countries simply wanted schools and education. Armed with that knowledge she embarked on spending her own money to build an all girl school in Africa.
I'm by no means an Oprah fan, but I think this should be a wake up call for those who think that education doesn't need to be addressed in this country. It seems as though it has been taken for granted and that has led to the quandary we're in now. The students are not achieving on a competitive level, the teachers are stressed beyond reason and are leaving the profession and the "expert" and states are not trying to address the true issues. They fire teachers, fire administrators, close schools and when all of that still doesn't work they still refuse to look at the 900 pound gorilla in the room....the parents!
Since education officials like to look at research so much, let's focus on the fact that kids are most influenced by their parents. Kids often times will take the educational, professional, career routes that their parents took. My question is why don't we focus more on this aspect in education? Hmmm, I think I know. Most of the people that are in places of power to make these decisions are too scared to have to actually deal with telling a parent you need to do better because the education system has taken the Disney route. They like to tell the kids that everyone's a winner and can and will do everything you want to do.....without having to put forth any effort. Now they can't stop people from believing that and it's hard to go in a different direction. Secondly, the frivolous lawsuits have made a lot of officials scared to stand for anything because they fear being sued. Just like doctors, school districts play the ultra conservative role to avoid lawsuits. I guess it's necessary, but it ultimately let's the kids down.
All that I want to say is if we expect our kids to learn at a higher level we have to hold them to a higher level. We can't keep giving reprieves for a hard upbringing or because there's only one parent in the house. We have to show them that in order to get an education, you have to want an education. The more you want it the more you get from it and the better you'll be because of it. That's how education was in my house growing up and it's made me a better person. Let's start holding the parents to the flame if you really expect the kids to achieve. If you have any comments feel free to leave some and if not feel free to hang around and read some of my other post. Take care!!
I'm by no means an Oprah fan, but I think this should be a wake up call for those who think that education doesn't need to be addressed in this country. It seems as though it has been taken for granted and that has led to the quandary we're in now. The students are not achieving on a competitive level, the teachers are stressed beyond reason and are leaving the profession and the "expert" and states are not trying to address the true issues. They fire teachers, fire administrators, close schools and when all of that still doesn't work they still refuse to look at the 900 pound gorilla in the room....the parents!
Since education officials like to look at research so much, let's focus on the fact that kids are most influenced by their parents. Kids often times will take the educational, professional, career routes that their parents took. My question is why don't we focus more on this aspect in education? Hmmm, I think I know. Most of the people that are in places of power to make these decisions are too scared to have to actually deal with telling a parent you need to do better because the education system has taken the Disney route. They like to tell the kids that everyone's a winner and can and will do everything you want to do.....without having to put forth any effort. Now they can't stop people from believing that and it's hard to go in a different direction. Secondly, the frivolous lawsuits have made a lot of officials scared to stand for anything because they fear being sued. Just like doctors, school districts play the ultra conservative role to avoid lawsuits. I guess it's necessary, but it ultimately let's the kids down.
All that I want to say is if we expect our kids to learn at a higher level we have to hold them to a higher level. We can't keep giving reprieves for a hard upbringing or because there's only one parent in the house. We have to show them that in order to get an education, you have to want an education. The more you want it the more you get from it and the better you'll be because of it. That's how education was in my house growing up and it's made me a better person. Let's start holding the parents to the flame if you really expect the kids to achieve. If you have any comments feel free to leave some and if not feel free to hang around and read some of my other post. Take care!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I wonder where some of my students will end up
I like to think that what I'm a part of is doing some good, but I'm starting to wonder if the current system is railroading some students into career paths that may or may not pan out. What I mean is this. When I go to trainings and staffings and to hear these so-called "experts" talk about the "right" way to teach minority students they seem to always talk about the arts. Now before any of my readers get all upset and start causing a riot, I was a part of the band and have the utmost respect and appreciation for the arts, but what bothers me is the following. Why are black and Hispanic students supposed to be taught using "art"? This is becoming a concern for me. I've been told that working with minority populations I should use art, music, raps, poems, stories, etc in order to help them learn. I think that's a great alternative when the basics have been covered, but how is this helping a student get ready for college or even the work place?
How many students aspire to be art teachers, music teachers, or even musicians? Not many. They think about being rich, having a house, something nice to ride in. Who was the last living artist that was able to say they were living that dream? How many musicians actually make it? Not that many, but that's the life they push these kids towards. They tell us "science and math isn't there thing." or "just let them enjoy acting in the school play." I'm wondering why are we not encouraging these students to do well in all subjects and allow their arts to be compliments to their other studies? I'm not trying to say that the school system is really pushing these kids to fail, but I think soo much more can be done to enhance their education. The current system seems to see young Hispanics and blacks as merely artist, actors, musicians all while allowing them to fall through the cracks and not teaching them to really play the game of life that they will be faced with. Are all Hispanics graffiti aritist? Can all blacks sing and dance? I don't think so. So why are those the skills that are pushed on these students? Why are they not categorized in this way: "Well George Washington Carver was a wonderful scientist, I think little Chris could be one also." or "Justice Sotomayor made it to the supreme court, maybe Andrea could get there one day too." Why aren't these conversations the norm? They should be. The prevailing thought shouldn't be that these students are artistically inclined so let's teach them all that way. It gets a little irritating to see.
If you're a student reading this, do your best in everything you do. You can be a great artist, actor, musician as well as a great historian, scientist or mathematician. Don't let anyone tell you the only talent you have is such and such. For any bold administrators that dare to read something like this. Take a look at your own school and see if you are doing this on your campus. Finally for any teacher that reads this. Be sure to encourage your kids to continue to learn across curricula and DO NOT let a child feel that they can only be one thing or the other. It's our job to show these kids that the world is theirs and they must find ways to seize every opportunity that they have.
I'm out folks. I hope someone can take this and it lights a spark that can help get this country and our students going in a positive direction. Leave comments and take care.
How many students aspire to be art teachers, music teachers, or even musicians? Not many. They think about being rich, having a house, something nice to ride in. Who was the last living artist that was able to say they were living that dream? How many musicians actually make it? Not that many, but that's the life they push these kids towards. They tell us "science and math isn't there thing." or "just let them enjoy acting in the school play." I'm wondering why are we not encouraging these students to do well in all subjects and allow their arts to be compliments to their other studies? I'm not trying to say that the school system is really pushing these kids to fail, but I think soo much more can be done to enhance their education. The current system seems to see young Hispanics and blacks as merely artist, actors, musicians all while allowing them to fall through the cracks and not teaching them to really play the game of life that they will be faced with. Are all Hispanics graffiti aritist? Can all blacks sing and dance? I don't think so. So why are those the skills that are pushed on these students? Why are they not categorized in this way: "Well George Washington Carver was a wonderful scientist, I think little Chris could be one also." or "Justice Sotomayor made it to the supreme court, maybe Andrea could get there one day too." Why aren't these conversations the norm? They should be. The prevailing thought shouldn't be that these students are artistically inclined so let's teach them all that way. It gets a little irritating to see.
If you're a student reading this, do your best in everything you do. You can be a great artist, actor, musician as well as a great historian, scientist or mathematician. Don't let anyone tell you the only talent you have is such and such. For any bold administrators that dare to read something like this. Take a look at your own school and see if you are doing this on your campus. Finally for any teacher that reads this. Be sure to encourage your kids to continue to learn across curricula and DO NOT let a child feel that they can only be one thing or the other. It's our job to show these kids that the world is theirs and they must find ways to seize every opportunity that they have.
I'm out folks. I hope someone can take this and it lights a spark that can help get this country and our students going in a positive direction. Leave comments and take care.
Politics- part 2
The second part of my politics post has to deal with the President. Many "Black Leaders" are starting to push the president to help the black community. Well, I'd love to see a fat check in the mail one day but that's not going to happen but as far as what would help blacks in America is the following....an agenda. That's the one thing that we're missing as a people. We have no unified platform to stand on or stand around. Are there things that need to be fixed in the black community? Yes. Are there things that African Americans need to do for themselves? Yes. Are there things that the government could do to help? Yes. What I don't think is that Barack Obama is going to or should have to sit down in the oval office and single-handedly write up a proposal or plan to help just black people. He is the first black president, true, but he is first of all the President of the United States of America. His focus needs to be on the betterment of the country not just blacks. What I will admit is that minorities are disproportionately effected by the fluctuations in the economy, incarceration rates, joblessness, poor education, and discrimination. What does this mean for African-Americans? We do need to step up and do what we need to do to make ourselves better, our community better and in turn make this country better. I wish it was as easy as having a black president, but that would truly be a fantasy. What I'm charging African-Americans to do is to come together. We're not crabs and this world is not our bucket. We have the opportunities to be educated, let's use it. Not to just get out of the hood, but to make the path for those that come behind us a little bit more defined. Until we have a platform to take to Washington, we're not going to see anything different from what we've seen in the past. As the old adage goes - The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Until we squeak as much and as loud as all of the other wheels, we will continue on our path which is one of little advancement. We've been able to make it through some rough times in the past and we have an opportunity to shape the history of this young country. Let's come together and do what it takes in order for us to show the resilience and the brilliance of African-Americans in this country. It's on us to make this happen. Take care.
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