In the neighborhood

I usually walk around the neighborhood pond with only my grandma. We would slowly go down the steps of the house as I immediately would extend my arm in offer of support. And we would take about an hour to slowly walk and sit down and walk and sit down once around the pond and sharing stories of our life and looking back at our past.

Global Issues

Net Neutrality

Apparently, I received the news late and just NOW found out about the issue of net neutrality versus the FCC's desire to put a price on the internet.

The Internet is important to me because, as an English major college student, I need to know that there will not be barriers to learn about new ideas and services, or to maintain the ability to contribute to the educational environment of the internet. If ISP (Internet Service Providers, such as comcast and Verizon) subscribers have an easier time loading websites of existing companies than my current blog, video, or other internet posts, there’s no way that I will be able to compete or succeed.

The biggest thing I have against this, though, is the issue of money taking over the people's freedom of speech and ability to communicate without the suspicion that our internet is being censored by those who hold the money.

..At least, that's what I was going to write in my petition letter against the FCC's new rule. But after it asked me for my address and after a little bit more research, I decided I was too ignorant to really put my name down on something I don't completely understand.

If what I read is correct, all those who have the most money will be able to use the internet more freely and have a better chance to upload their content than the rest. However, my confusion lies in the fact that people already pay for the internet and advertisements to get the word out. How is this new FCC rule changing anything?

Hopefully with more research, I'll be able to understand more of what's going on in these troubled times.

For more information, Google it yourself and find articles like these: NYTIMES

And to comprehend a little more what net neutrality is, check this out:

        The "Open Internet" is the Internet as we know it. It's open because it uses free, publicly available standards that anyone can access and build to, and it treats all traffic that flows across the network in roughly the same way. The principle of the Open Internet is sometimes referred to as "net neutrality." Under this principle, consumers can make their own choices about what applications and services to use and are free to decide what lawful content they want to access, create, or share with others. This openness promotes competition and enables investment and innovation.

The Open Internet also makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to easily launch innovative applications and services, revolutionizing the way people communicate, participate, create, and do business—think of email, blogs, voice and video conferencing, streaming video, and online shopping. Once you're online, you don't have to ask permission or pay tolls to broadband providers to reach others on the network. If you develop an innovative new website, you don't have to get permission to share it with the world.

~Open Internet, FCC

http://www.fcc.gov/openinternet

*Veritas*

Thumbs up to Truth!

Cooking Attempts

Spaghetti con Pollo e Porto

Starting at 7:30 P.M. my friend and I commenced on the search through the 100 WAYS TO BE PASTA: Perfect Pasta Recipes From Gangivecchio to find a pasta dish we could cook with chicken, spaghetti, mushrooms, and cooking wine. Soon, I was passionately engaged in the recipe instructions as I chopped green onions and tomatoes and poured sugar and wine into the Italian mixture. Now, 3 hours later, my tummy is full; yet, my taste buds are down in the dumps, as is my self esteem. It seems that red cooking wine is different from red cooking wine vinegar, and that following guidelines results in less creative juices flowing and higher expectations for a dish that might not turn out so great.

Thumbs DOWN to low results, but thumbs UP to passionate attempts.

Day of Independence

 

Like after any sugar rush,

 the morning after the 4^th consisted of my friends and I slowly waking up one by one in a sick-like manner. We prepared our breakfast of blueberry pancakes as we talked about the night before that was full of friendship, family, fireworks, and freedom to celebrate.

We spent the day at a park, walked down Bardstown road, smoking some hookah, window shopping at the most unique stores. On our walk, we stopped at this one second hand store that had the most amazing brands. The store even had my favorite: Free People. And Yana bought the perfect little black dress for the Heaven and Hell theme party at our college. And I found this perfect long white toga looking dress that I could see myself meditating in, giggles.

Then the rest of the night was spent at my aunt’s with ceviche, Peruvian soap operas, bonfire-cooked s'mores, and Meijer brand fireworks. 

Eventually, the excitement died down, card games stopped, and our drive back included the starry night that signaled the end of our day. 

 We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. ~William Faulkner

This 4th, we practiced that freedom.

Thumbs up to college summers. 

Standing

My self can't take it. I stand so close to the edge of defeat that if one knee bends, i will fall. But I stand. And my fight continues with every single decision I make to not give up. 

My story, is not an exciting one, but it is one full of emotions. Tears have fallen, smiles have endured, but my anger has vented out through the written word or weak shouts of reprimand. No verbal joust has occurred, only thought out debates. As if my mind decides that i have no backbone and no quick wit in any inch of my body. 

Once upon a time, a girl in desire of forever devouring knowledge, went to college and got her heartbroken by friends, her brain destroyed by the evils of deflated energy for the arts, and her own weak stand on staying awake on the road. This girl lavished on her first year and fed on the concerns of the world at each moment she spent time with those she thought close. Then as her second year began, she had no dorm to call her own, a car she trashed with all her possessions, work that kept her sane, friends that stabbed her in the back, papers that only felt half finished from her dreams but fully finished in her physical state. But as the summer arrived. the worst kept mounting. She fell asleep at the wheel, literally and metaphorically, and damaged her car enough to take away her paycheck meant for her school, to now head towards the seller of her next chance of transportation. Why continue? She wanted to change the world. Has she? I don't know. Will she? If she continues fighting. Therefore, there is no happily ever after, because the difficulties go on and the fight occurs with different battles.  

Keep standing: if you're at the bottom, there's no where to go but up.

Goals: be a voice for the victims. Be a light to this shitty, broken world. Stop cussing, it sounds bad on you. Stand. Stay in college.