Author Unknown

1. Respect The Competition

Don’t just respect the competition for their sake. Do it for your own benefit, because each time you treat your opponent with respect it strengthens your competitive spirit. Each time you treat your opponent with disrespect it weakens it. Poor sportsmanship advertises the fear you feel inside. It is not a sign of strength but a sign of weakness.

2. No Excuses

Work hard in practice and give your best effort and you won’t need any excuses. You will have traded in your excuses for a heart-felt responsibility that will help you both on and off the field. A big part of athletic maturity is realizing you can’t get everything you want when you want it. There is nothing to be gained by telling people why you didn’t play better on a given day. You are better off learning from your disappointment and trying to do better the next time you take the field.

3. Be A Good Teammate

In order to be a good teammate, you can’t just think about what you want. You also have to think about what the team needs. A team is like a family. Everyone needs to work together. Everyone needs to make sacrifices. Everyone needs to value each other. The best way to judge the character of a team is by the way it treats its weakest player. Team chemistry is not a popularity contest. You can’t be a leader on your team unless you’re willing to care about all of your teammates.

You should never feel the need to tell people what a great player you are. Your game should speak for itself.

4. Learn From Losses

It will be easier for you to be a good sport throughout the season if you feel there are lessons that can be learned from defeat. This doesn’t mean that you have to like losing. It just means that you need to be humble enough to accept that you don’t always deserve to win. The team that plays better on a given day deserves to be victorious. There is no shame in losing, no shame in learning from a loss. While winning is definitely more fun, that doesn’t mean it will make you a better athlete. If you don’t ever feel above defeat, then you will never feel beneath victory.

5. Give The Ref A Break

Complaining about the referee will never make you a better player, no matter how badly you feel the game has been officiated. Referees make mistakes just as players make mistakes. If you can learn to forgive the ref when he or she makes a mistake, it might even help you to forgive yourself when you make a mistake. Often it is helpful to think of officiating in the same way as you think of the weather. There is no point getting angry at rain or wind. You are better off just putting on a jacket and trying to make the best of things.

6. Thank Your Parents

It is a great privilege to be able to play youth sports. You should thank your parents for this opportunity. There are many kids your age whose families can’t afford the costs involved in playing on a sports team. There are many parents who aren’t willing (or don’t have jobs that allow them) to wake up early and drive their children to games across town. This doesn’t mean that you owe it to your parents to become an athletic superstar. It just means that you need to appreciate the privilege that’s been given to you and let your parents know from time to time that you don’t take it all for granted.

7. Control Your Temper

You won’t be able to help your team from the penalty box, so you owe it to your teammates to control your temper and keep your head in the game. It is a myth that hating your opponent will make you a tougher competitor. Mental toughness isn’t about anger; it is about confidence and concentration. The best way to retaliate against a team that is playing “dirty” is to keep your composure and play better than they do.

8. Listen To Your Coaches

The only way to keep improving as a player is to become a student of the game and value all of your coaches as teachers. There is something you can learn from every coach that will make you a better player. The best coaches aren’t always associated with the most prestigious clubs, just as the best teachers aren’t always associated with the most prestigious universities. Great coaches come in all sorts of shapes and disguises, which means that you need to be ready to receive wisdom every time you lace up.

9. Be Humble

You should never feel the need to tell people what a great player you are. Your game should speak for itself. The problem with feeling above one player is that you set yourself up to feel beneath another. Arrogance always proves itself to be an athlete’s worst quicksand. You don’t get better by trying to impress others. Instead, you get better by quietly trying to develop your talent. If you are blessed with talent, you should feel grateful—the best spirit for receiving any gift.

10. Honor The Game

You cannot love the game without honoring it. What does it mean to honor something? It means you treat it with care and respect. It means you give of yourself and try to make it better. You don’t have to have a lot of money to make something better. You just need to have a big athletic heart, and then take that big athletic heart of yours to practices and games and let everyone know how much you appreciate them being a part of your life. It usually doesn’t take much effort to let people know you appreciate them. Sometimes you can just smile or say, “Thank you.” Sometimes you can just reach out your hand and say, “Nice game.”

The key is not to focus on the sticky note, figure out what other assets you have at your disposal and figure out how the sticky notes can support those assets or be supported by those assets.

The students were then given the task of coming up with 50-100 ideas each regarding how they could get it done, this is the culmination of all their submissions (some are way better than others!):

• Have your family or friends give you a lot of stacks of white paper - and colored paper. Make paper dresses. It takes a lot of time and effort but it is something someone would buy!
• Make mini polaroid photo picture frames - Cut the sticky note to make it the size of a polaroid photo and design it, to make it a cute small picture frame!
• Walk to Local Businesses and Offer To Make Flyers for them for money - Have them write down their contact info on the sticky-note
• Turn them into note-cards. Go into class, if any classmate doesn’t have anything to write notes on - Sell them for 50 cents each.
• Get multiple packs of sticky notes - Design them to be coasters. Sell a pack of coasters made from sticky-notes for $1 each.
• Make paper flags! LGBT Flags, flags from different countries, etc. Sticky notes come in all sorts of colors and sell them!
• Make a variety of different things with paper - Table in the free-speech zone on-campus and sell them to college students.
• Make paper purses! They are very famous on eBay and esty! Make multiple varieties and sell them! They would make money!
• Sneak into a house and clog a toilet with them and be a plumber too so they call you to unclog it and they pay you
• Make money with ad-revenue by making sticky-note videos on tik-tok. - Tik tok is very famous nowadays!
• Collect so many sticky notes (used or unused), go to a recycling plant that pays people, and get paid
• Make stickers and sell them. Whether they’re political stickers, LGBT+ stickers, anime stickers, etc.
• Ask Kenny what people did in the past and use a version of that and innovate it for our benefit.
• Make paper lamp shades! It’s a great idea. It takes a lot of effort, but would definitely sell!
• Sketch Manga on the sticky-notes! Anime is very popular nowadays! That would definitely sell.
• We already have paper coffee filters - Use sticky notes and make different colored versions!
• Make paper wallets and design them with arts and crafts material. - Sell them for $1.50 each
• Create scientific and anatomical models to be sold as science projects to desperate students
• Organize talent show event and use sticky notes as table name reservations (pay to enter)
• Make ring-cases with sticky notes! Make them with sticky-notes, decorate them, sell them!
• Organize a “treasure/scavenger” hunt with sticky notes offering the clues (pay to enter)
• Organize a musical chairs event with sticky notes as participant numbers (pay to enter)
• Look at the neighbor app and see if there's something for free that we can trade later.
• Write your phone number on it and tell people you’re a Nigerian prince when they call.
• Write down details of highly criminal activities, sell off to them as extortion money
• Organize a “horror escape room” event with sticky notes as hints/items (pay to enter)
• Make paper bracelets with the sticky notes and other arts and crafts. Sell those too.
• Make a youtube channel for UNLV and advertise the campus while partnering with CSUN.
• Donate a bunch of packs of sticky notes to goodwill - They’ll give you store credit.
• Use multiple sticky notes and make paper picture frames. - Sell them for $1 each.
• Use a variety of different colored sticky notes and make wall art - Then sell it.
• Stick them to your backpack and sell them to other people so they can do the same
• Make them into membership cards for each member of private club (paid membership)
• Stick them in a Polaroid camera and print pictures on them and sell the pictures
• Make a sticky note mascot you can sell the copyright to an office supply company
• Have a sticky-note company sponsor you to do sticky note-related youtube videos.
• Art contest with the sticky notes and have people donate for the prize money.
• Organize a “murder mystery” event with sticky notes as clues (pay to enter)
• Make paper solar-system models, and sell them to students in middle school!
• Create model cities and landscapes that can be sold to architectural firms
• Partner with a fast food place or a nice food place to host a fundraiser.
• Organize a catch the flag event with sticky notes as flags (pay to enter)
• Make paper hats - takes a lot of work and requires a lot of sticky notes.
• Get celebrities to sign your sticky notes and sell the signatures to fans
• Trade the sticky notes for something else, and sell that something else.
• Create a puppet show using the sticky notes as individual finger puppets
• Create a Chinese finger trap and make bets on who can and can't get out
• Stick them all over someones house and make them pay you to clean it up
• Make mini paper journals with arts and crafts - Sell them for $1 each.
• Make and design PS4 game cases with a lot of sticky notes. - Sell them
• Make 3DS game cartridge cases. Small, quick, simple. Would sell a lot.
• Get a fake receipt and return them to wherever they were purchased at
• Do commissions and use sticky notes to get information from customers
• Stick them all together backwards and make an accordion and sell it.
• Attach them to product bought by customer that encourages repurchase
• Stick them all over a car and make the owner pay you to clean it up
• Buy a bunch of chips from the dollar store and sell them for $2.00.
• Buy a bunch of candy from the dollar store and sell them for $1.50.
• Blend them up with milk, ice, and sugar and sell them as milkshakes
• Write song on sticky notes, record, make money off of record deal
• Write a fundraising proposal and give to businesses in Las Vegas.
• Sell them as raffle tickets and give away something to the winner
• Roll them up into hornets and sell them to elementary school kids
• Print the Adidas three stripes and sell them as an Adidas product
• Have my boss Steve Davis sign sticky notes and sell them on ebay.
• Create your own sticky note brand and beat out the Post-It brand.
• Create a moving picture flipbook by being artistic - and sell it.
• Ask for money on the sticky notes and stick them all over campus.
• You could make speakers out of multiple stacks of sticky notes.
• Turn them into trading cards (think Pokemon Cards and Yu-Gi-Oh)
• Make paper cups - Fill them with candy and sell them on campus.
• Make masks out of them to protect people from the coronavirus.
• Have a sticky note block stacking contest (pay to participate)
• Create a YouTube channel about sticky notes and get monetized
• Create a stop-motion film using the sticky notes as the models
• Write the word “Supreme” on them and sell them for more money
• Cover body in sticky notes and stand on fremont with a bucket
• Turn them into fridge magnets, sell a whole variety of them!
• Trade for stuff, eventually sell things that are worth money
• Make paper air filters out of the Sticky Notes - And sell it
• Make a fundraiser targeted towards the GEE Junior Year trip.
• Use as kindling to burn fires that can then be used to cook
• Print a Nike swoosh on them and sell them as a Nike product
• Personal messaging service in the same way telegrams worked
• Make and design paper scrapbooks, sell them for $3-$5 each!
• Get a papercut with them and sue the company that made them
• Trade them for something, then sell the item traded to you
• Sell them as light reflectors to change the color of light
• Sell information on how to get a lot of scholarship money.
• Make valentine-grams with the sticky notes - and sell them
• Create flip-book animation out of sticky notes and sell it
• Create a business, use as coupons to purchase other things
• Use as part of a costume and sell as part of a larger package
• Sell them as tissues to broke, depressed college students
• Create mini-boxes to hold small items, like beads or pins
• Trade with the sticky notes like that one Ted Talk video
• Sell them to moms who right notes to kids in lunch boxes
• Sell individually (1 post-it pack= some amount of money)
• Make paper guitar picks and sell them for 50 cents each.
• Make (3D and 2D) artwork out of sticky notes and sell it
• Host a College Party where people have to pay to get in.
• Create funny notes like sarcastic vouchers or joke notes
• Use the creative space in the library to make products.
• Shred, ground up, and create stuffing for plush animals
• Sell them as badges teachers can use to reward children
• Write the word Gucci on them and sell each one for $50
• Turn them into adoptable mini-pets (a.k.a. adoptables)
• Attach them to items you’re selling during the garage sale
• Turn them into pieces of a jigsaw puzzle you can sell
• Stalk famous people, have them autograph sticky notes
• Pretend to be homeless and use sticky notes as a sign
• Make paper puppets! Sell this to little kids/parents!
• Write a book on sticky notes, publish a book, make money
• Restaurant sponsor night through a local restaurant
• Write compliments on them and sell them for $1 each
• Use them to give customer information about the product
• Use the sticky-notes to make comics - and sell them
• Sell candy with sticky notes with encouraging words
• make a youtube video on the history of sticky notes
• Draw schematics for inventions that can be sold off
• Design Planners on the Sticky Notes - and sell them
• Sell water-bottles with GL Positive Vibes Stickers
• Do beautiful art on the sticky notes - and sell it
• Use material as an alternative for plastic straws
• Make a video tutorial about how to make a lanyard
• Go to UNLV Hike events and sell snacks and water.
• Create comic book out of sticky notes and sell it
• Make social media website with sticky note theme
• Make paper suspenders and sell them for $2 each!
• Make ornaments out of sticky notes and sell them
• Make lee business school t-shirts and sell them.
• Grind them up and sell it as a fiber supplement.
• Cover peoples’ eyes with them while you rob them
• Advertise babysitting services with sticky notes
• Will do dares written on sticky notes for money
• Sell them to drug dealers to use to make blunts
• Make youtube video on how sticky notes are made
• Make things in the library using the 3D printer
• Make paper kites! Kids would love to buy those!
• Dance on fremont street with sticky note bucket
• Create miniature post-its to sell as bookmarks
• Create artificial snow and sell to movie studio
• Use string and make paper blinds! - Sell them!
• Sing on fremont street with sticky note bucket
• Put diamonds on them and sell them as jewelery
• Make paper heart pendant necklaces! Sell them!
• Just sell the sticky notes (social experiment)
• Have people pay to use them to test their pens
• Create ad campaign for company using stickies
• Sudoku puzzle that can be sold to newspapers
• Make a video game with sticky note characters
• Cut off the sticky part and sell them as tape
• Advertise tutoring services with sticky notes
• Send a letter to a business for sponsorships
• Make social media app with sticky note theme
• Make paper pen/pencil holders and sell them.
• Make paper cranes and sell them for a dollar
• Make one of those instagram donation thingys
• Make a pair of pants with them and sell them
• Have and sell a sticky note themed Jenga set
• Christian can thrift clothes and resell them
• Write cute messages, work as an uber driver
• Use for notes for classes or exams and sell
• Making art/ origami out of the sticky notes
• Go to the basketball games and sell snacks.
• Become product ambassadors on Social Media.
• Write nice messages and we’ll deliver them
• Write cute messages/jokes and auction/sell
• Write cute messages, work as a taxi driver
• Use to draw art on, which can then be sold
• Use them as raffle tickets for a bake sale
• Throw a party and charge people to get in
• Send a letter to restaurant for fundraiser
• Sell tickets to the UNLV Basketball games.
• Post them on facebook market and sell them
• Make little toys out of them and sell them
• Decorate donation bucket with sticky notes
• Create board game with office supply theme
• Advertise labor services with sticky notes
• Start a gossip website for UNLV students.
• Sell them with cookies during a bake sale
• Sell them as valentines (how festive lol)
• Music video challenge- pay to enter 50/50
• Use them as labels for garage sale ideas
• Teach people how to make fortune tellers
• Sell lemonade outside the student union.
• Make bookmarks out of them and sell them
• Make a video tutorial about paper straws
• Create a new fashion style and sell them
• Create a cute notepad from sticky notes.
• Coffee delivery (Starbucks mobile order)
• Ask my family and friends for donations.
• Trade them up to eventually buy a house
• Organize students dorm rooms for money.
• Make DND dice out of them and sell them
• Make a calendar out of them and sell it
• Create aesthetically pleasing schedules
• Use sticky notes to advertise a raffle
• Use origami and make paper kids’ toys!
• Sell exercise routines written on them
• Post them on alliexpress and sell them
• Personalize peoples backpacks/binders.
• Offer services written on sticky notes
• Make origami out of them and sell them
• Make and sell art projects/ paintings
• Make a planner out of them and sell it
• Host an honors college freshman party.
• Create flip-book out of it and sell it
• Create board game made of sticky notes
• Collect and make sticky note sculpture
• Weight challenges and sell it in gyms
• Use then as raffle tickets for raffle
• Sell Motivational Quotes for 50 Cents
• Post them on craigslist and sell them
• Make super realistic weapon, rob bank
• Make origami snowflakes and sell them
• Make into paper mache, create crafts
• Become teachers assistants for money.
• Advertise bake sale with sticky notes
• Write cute messages, work at grubhub
• Make paper back-packs and sell them!
• make a youtube video of magic tricks
• Make 3D Paper Sculptures - Sell them
• Enter writing contest for cash prize
• Be a mediator for roommate disputes.
• Write insults on them and sell them
• Use them to advertise charity event
• Use them as bookmarks and sell them
• Post them on poshmark and sell them
• Create individualized vision boards
• Build a tent with them and sell it.
• Use to create sellable scrapbooks
• Trash pick-up service in the dorms
• Teach kindergarteners how to color
• Start a personal training service.
• Sell tips on how to make spitballs
• Post them on offerup and sell them
• Make mini flyers to sell textbooks
• Make dance covers with fan posters
• Make a music video for sticky note
• Custom decorations on paper crowns
• Collect steel and metal for money.
• Advertise a sale with sticky notes
• Post them on amazon and sell them
• Make sing covers with fan posters
• Make paper bowties and sell them!
• Make origami planes and sell them
• Make counterfeit money with them\
• Draw art on them and sell the art
• Create tickets for a theater show
• Create posters for people/events.
• Ask people to donate on Teen Talk
• Use them to advertise paid event
• Use it to give eyeliner tutorial
• Sell the individual sticky notes
• Post them on letgo and sell them
• Make stop motion animation video
• Make origami boats and sell them
• Make origami birds and sell them
• Use sticky notes for furniture
• Teach people how to make hearts
• Sell mini notes for binder tabs
• Sell Boring company merch/info.
• Post them on ebay and sell them
• Make paper whistles. Sell them.
• Make a life hacks youtube video
• Do people's homework for money.
• Create flowers and sell as art
• Create decorative hats for pets
• Classroom basketball with trash
• Add to pack for school supplies
• Use them to advertise services
• Use and sell it as Party Decor
• Transform into laptop stickers
• Sell to presidential campaigns
• Sell clothes to Plato’s Closet
• Make them custom made stickers
• Make paper-dolls and sell them
• Make paper cogs and sell them.
• Make paper cases and sell them
• Make a song called sticky note
• Hold up, hold up, toilet paper
• Create a decorative lampshade
• Transform into hydro stickers
• Take online surveys for money
• Start a babysitting business.
• Sell the pack of Sticky Notes
• Sell sticky note paper planes
• Sell calligraphy pen swatches
• Prank people for hire service
• Make sticky note themed event
• Make paper pins and sell them
• Host a freshmans only party .
• Create decorative world maps
• A glove to protect from germs
• Use as sign to beg for money
• Sticky note brainstorm ideas
• Sell your notes and syllabi.
• Recreate that gum commercial
• Make blankets and sell them.
• Host a checkers competition.
• Camera cover from government
• Valentines day (valentines)
• Use to record stock advice
• Take an offering at church.
• make it a profile on tinder
• make a tik tok of bad jokes
• make a no littering tik tok
• Grind it up and make bleach
• Color and sell the confetti
• Collect aluminum for money.
• Buy snacks in bulk and sell
• Advertise tutoring sessions
• Use them to advertise sale
• Use them as business cards
• Straws to save the turtles
• Sell valentines day grams.
• sell face reveal on tinder
• Make video on organization
• eat sticky notes for money
• Collect money from singing
• Block off air conditioner
• Start a tutoring service.
• Sell them as toilet paper
• Sell paint brush swatches
• Sell cute little earrings
• Put on items at yard sell
• Offer a shredding service
• Market using sticky notes
• Make art with and sell it
• Classroom finger football
• Arm wrestling competition
• Valograms/ Cute messages
• Use as paper for origami
• Trivia night with prizes
• trade it for flash cards
• trade it for a candy bar
• Start a youtube channel.
• Plant flowers for people
• Make flyers for tutoring
• Make ad for sticky notes
• Combine with other notes
• Coffee and donut morning
• Claim things in the frig
• Christmas tree ornaments
• Blackout window business
• Valentine’s Day letters
• Stack and use as straws
• Silent auction somehow?
• Sell zodiac predictions
• Sell them note by note!
• Sell them as gift cards
• Sell them as blindfolds
• Sell clothes and shoes.
• make kind notes tik tok
• Drawing perfect squares
• Create a game of chance
• Carnival ring toss game
• What I am grateful for
• Sell organization tips
• Sell financial advice!
• Put on drinks and sale
• Paint the sticky notes
• Make wall decorations
• Make a paper megaphone
• Be someone's assistant
• Background wall design
• Artwork, trade, resell
• Trade the sticky note
• Three positive traits
• Three negative traits
• Stop motion animation
• Sticky note Pinwheels
• Sticky note challenge
• Sticky note cellphone
• Start a fashion trend
• sell valentines notes
• Sell them as bandaids
• sell it on craigslist
• Sell each sticky note
• sell a scavenger hunt
• Note passing business
• Make valentines cards
• Make portable charger
• Make flyers for clubs
• Make campaign designs
• make a couple tik tok
• Custom made tote bags
• Create clothing line
• Sticky note key caps
• Sticky note confetti
• Sticky note backpack
• Sell thank you notes
• sell origami lessons
• Sell as Night Shades
• Rainbow sticky notes
• Power wash driveways
• Make a pattern chart
• Make a deck of cards
• Inspirational quotes
• Host a spelling bee.
• Fortune cookie paper
• Eyeshadow cut crease
• Create a paper straw
• Cleaning car windows
• Charms for bracelets
• Umbrellas that fold
• Sticky note fashion
• Start a go fund me.
• Spray paint patches
• Singing competition
• Sell raffle tickets
• Sell back old books
• Sample it to a beat
• Resell free clothes
• Real life spongebob
• Origami soccer ball
• Make paper flowers!
• Essay brainstorming
• Transition effects
• teach magic tricks
• Taro card reading
• Sticky note ladder
• Sell the paintings
• Sell palm readings
• Sell old textbooks
• sell kind messages
• Sell kids stencils
• Paper ball hitman
• Office decorations
• Make a request pad
• Flipbook challenge
• Eating competition
• Decorating service
• Coaster for drinks
• Cell phone charger
• teach calligraphy
• Sticky note shoes
• Sticky note props
• Sticky note jeans
• Small item holder
• Sell paper straws
• Sell for a dollar
• Recyclable plates
• Put Venmo info on
• Prop up table leg
• Patches for jeans
• Party decorations
• Outlet protectors
• Origami triangles
• Make lyric videos
• Make hydro labels
• Make a doll house
• Filter for camera
• Dance competition
• Crumble into ball
• Create board game
• Counterfeit money
• Backdrop for bugs
• Advertise service
• 50 yd. dash races
• Video storyboard
• Sticky note toys
• Sticky note bags
• sell magic shows
• Sell as a napkin
• Origami football
• Makeup oil paper
• Make a sculpture
• Instruction book
• Have a yard sale
• Forge signatures
• Flashcards study
• Designs for case
• Decorate beanies
• Connect the dots
• Cleaning service
• Camera blackout
• Basketball court
• Valentines card
• Valentine grams
• Tips for resume
• Thank you notes
• Sticky note gun
• Sticky note car
• Sell study tips
• Sell scrunchies
• sell it on ebay
• Make a flipbook
• Laundry service
• Homework ‘help’
• Glasses cleaner
• Favorite people
• Draw yoga poses
• Design previews
• Daily reminders
• Children’s book
• Block off light
• Beverage holder
• Become a notary
• YouTube Video
• Yoga tip guide
• Wrapping paper
• Trade on E-Bay
• Trade for cash
• Shoe protector
• Sell your car.
• sell sculpture
• Sell a lanyard
• self-portraits
• Recycled paper
• Rat stair case
• Raffle tickets
• Pocket journal
• Picture frames
• Origami laptop
• Origami hearts
• Origami cranes
• make sculpture
• Make a lanyard
• Make a blanket
• Graphic Design
• Garden divider
• Fortune teller
• Doodles of ppl
• Cupcake topper
• Basketball net
• Back scratcher
• Traffic cones
• Sleeping mask
• Shoe shining
• Sell stencils
• Sell as Paper
• Paper machete
• Origami games
• Movie tickets
• Mini calendar
• Make confetti
• Make a TikTok
• List of jokes
• Ladybug house
• Create a game
• Business card
• Toilet Paper
• Sticky balls
• sell origami
• Reminder app
• Paper straws
• Origami bird
• New currency
• Magic tricks
• Love letters
• Life lessons
• Firestarter
• Draw my life
• Cheat Sheets
• Board eraser
• 50/50 raffle
• Whiteboards
• Stock paper
• Recipe book
• Phone cases
• Ninja stars
• Movie night
• Motivations
• Lamp shades
• Invest them
• Instruments
• Holla hoop
• Drink cover
• Cord labels
• Compliments
• Cable label
• Bucket List
• Babysitting
• Tutor kids
• sell jokes
• Pull weeds
• Price tags
• Phone Case
• Paper bags
• Make blunt
• Make a map
• List maker
• Hand towel
• Crosswords
• Chopsticks
• Book marks
• Book cover
• Basketball
• Bake sell
• Wash cars
• Walk dogs
• Telescope
• Reminders
• Pawn them
• Newspaper
• Mow lawns
• Manicures
• Magazines
• Lunchbox
• House sit
• Flip book
• Fireworks
• Face mask
• Envelopes
• Card Game
• Car wash.
• calendars
• Bake sale
• Animation
• Airplanes
• Accordion
• 2d movies
• Notebook
• Make art
• GoFundMe
• Flipbook
• Earrings
• Dog toys
• Dog toy
• Confetti
• Charades
• Art work
• Alcohol
• 2d piano
• Tissues
• Tickets
• Pet sit
• Origami
• Napkins
• Lottery
• Hangman
• Flowers
• Roasts
• Puzzle
• Cuponk
• Condom
• Bop it
• Blade
• 3d art
• Story
• Notes
• Merch
• Goals
• Darts
• Cards
• Books
• Logo
• IGTV
• Food
• Bets
• Fan
• Box
• Art

In April of 2021, a good friend of mine started doing Keto and somehow talked me into doing it with him. I usually HATE diets, never have time for working out (and feel like working out never works for me), and generally didn't care to try and do anything about being overweight. There was also a part of me that didn't really think I was overweight at all...

I'm 5' 11" tall (couldn't ever quite breakthrough that 6 ft mark), and in April 2021, I was 248 lbs. Today, as of this writing (August 25, 2021), I'm still 5' 11"... BUT I'm at 196 lbs and counting. It has been almost 4 months to the day, which means I've lost 52 lbs, averaging 13 lbs lost per month, or around 3 lbs per week. And the best part, I've never gone hungry, haven't tracked any calories, and haven't worked out for a single minute. That probably sounds too good to be true... which if it didn't happen to me, I would definitely be thinking that as well. This blog sets out to explain what I've learned and provide tips for those considering a weight loss program.

What is Keto?

If you're like me, you've probably heard the word "Keto" but have no idea how it actually works. Here's a little background on the subject.

Our bodies typically use a primary energy source, and for most of the world, that source is carbohydrates. Carbs are a fast-burning fuel that the body can burn quickly and easily. In today's modern society, carbs are found everywhere. We eat a ton of them on a regular diet, way more than we should. Pro-tip, sugars are also carbs, and we take in WAY too much sugar too.

When one decides to go "Keto," you lower your carb intake to insanely low levels, starving your body of that energy source. Then an amazing thing happens, your body attempts to find another fuel source, so they start burning the next best thing... fats.

Ketosis is the state your body is in when it has switched from carbs to fats for fuel, ergo the name "Keto."

So while in ketosis, you're just feeding your body fats to burn for energy, and it's sweet because while it's burning the food fats, it goes ahead and burns some of the other fats laying around too... and off falls the weight.

Weighing In Everyday

I read on a blog somewhere back at the beginning that weighing in every day somehow helps. I'm a big data fan, so weighing every day sounded like data gold.

This was really different than what most other diets recommend. Before that, I'd heard "only weigh in once a week" so that you don't get moody about the changes.

I disconnected from that mentality entirely and used it as strictly a data point. Over time I have actually been able to track weight changes with things I'm eating almost exactly. I can guarantee if I eat a low-carb tortilla, my weight will increase the next day (probably due to retaining water).

And I REALLY like my scale; it puts all the data right into my phone so that I can track all the things. Here it is if you want one too:

What to eat?

When I first started this whole idea, figuring out what to eat was the hardest part. My awesome wife found this website called Keto Custom Plan that really helped get us started. You plug in your likes/dislikes, how much you want to work out, and then like magic, it comes up with a meal plan of things you'd probably like to eat along with the grocery shopping list to ensure you have all the ingredients. It was a great way to get us started.

We ended up not using it for very long because once we figured out what a keto meal looks like, we could come up with a lot of stuff on our own.

The biggest thing is to eat things that have little to no net* *carbs. Net carbs are your secret, which is basically total carbs minus dietary fiber = net carbs. Most meals I eat have 5 or fewer net carbs.

Lots of different sources on the internet say that to stay in ketosis, you have to eat less than 50 carbs a day, but I found it easier to try and stay down around 20 carbs a day, and only every once in a great while do I go up to 50.

Cheat days

Sooo... every other time I've tried dieting, I have looked forward to cheat days... In the past 4+ months, I haven't taken a single cheat day. BUT that is because I don't feel like I have to cheat. They say keto curbs the sugar appetite, which I think it has. But I also have some good treats that help me out too, see below.

Treats

It turns out there are LOTS of low-carb treats out there these days. Here are some of my favorites:

"Zero" Soft Drinks

I'm a Mountain Dew fan primarily, but any of the "zero" drinks have no carbs in them at all and are great ways to quench that sugary desire.

Quest Nutrition Bars

Quest has a ton of awesome treats. They're sold at most 7-11 stores, and lots of other gas stations carry them too. Some of the favorites are:

• Protein Bars
• Snack Bars
• Peanut Butter Cups
• Gooey Carmel Candy Bites

CLICK HERE to view all of their awesome products and get $10 while you're at it!

Snacks

Snacks are the secret to success on Keto. I always have snacks around to munch on stuff throughout the day to keep the metabolism going without overdoing it on a large meal.

Pepperonis

I have grown to love this snack. I've eaten more pepperonis in the past 4 months than I'd like to admit. Tasty, no carbs, easy, perfect snack.

Cheese

This one has been great because I've always been a huge cheese fan. We now are sure to keep likes of string cheese on hand, along with a block of Colby jack and even a few other flavors to change it up every once in a while. I've really become a fan of pepper jack through all of this.

Quest Snacks

Again, Quest comes through in a pinch. Some of their favorite snacks I like to eat are the:

• Protein Chips
• Protein Cookies

Did I mention you get $10 if you buy something using this link?

Food Schedule

I've found my rhythm for a food schedule that works for me. Not to say it works for everyone, but I've definitely got this locked in, and it gets me through the day.

The first thing to talk about is my food mentality; I'm to a place where food isn't for pleasure. It's for fuel. So I don't dwell on finding something amazing to eat for every meal. I need the fuel. Yes, the occasional extra tasty meal is awesome, but it's rarer that it happens that way.

Breakfast

I kind of think this is my biggest game-changer to my long-term eating, even post keto. I eat 6 eggs for breakfast every day. Yes, 6 eggs. My business partner once told me that's how many eggs he ate, and I thought it was impossible to eat that many eggs. It turns out it's not. And here's why it has been awesome.

In the past, breakfast was always the meal I either skipped entirely or skimped on big time. Usually, because I'm rushing to get out the door, it was easy to go and figure out food later. I'm pretty sure that was a big mistake.

Now I start my day with that huge breakfast, which has a lasting effect throughout the day. My day begins super full starting at breakfast. This makes it easier not to stuff myself for lunch. It also kickstarts my metabolism for the day so that I'm burning calories early. I think this has been a big factor in my weight loss.

I usually scramble my eggs and add a lot of cheese with salt and pepper. That's it. Until recently, I thought it was a zero-carb breakfast because eggs and cheese didn't have carbs... It turns out they both contain less than one carb per serving, so all in, I'm maybe at 5 carbs for breakfast. Not a bad start.

Mid-Morning Snack

Around 10:30, I grab a protein bar, usually less than 5 net carbs, and eat that to keep me going. It's not even that I'm really that hungry by then; it's more of a mental satisfaction of eating something. I also feel like it keeps my fuel tanks full to keep burning calories throughout the day.

Lunch

I usually make a light lunch, not always, but usually. If I have a lunch meeting, I'll usually get a salad wherever we go, something light with little to no carbs. I'll often skip lunch if I'm still feeling good after my mid-morning snack.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Around 3:00 or so, I'll usually grab something else from my Quest Nutrition list and much on that. Maybe some protein chips or a different snack or protein bar. Just keeping the fuel levels high but trying to take in as few carbs as possible.

Dinner

For dinner, I've had to make some big changes. My wife is so awesome and usually makes great meals for the kids and me. But sometimes it isn't very pleasant to cook for someone doing keto, and it's easier to make pasta of some kind, which leaves me on my own. I've grown to be totally okay with that and usually whip something up for myself, maybe a freezer low carb meal or something using the ingredients from the meal she makes.

For example, they had spaghetti and meatballs one night... I grabbed a bunch of the meatballs, put a little sauce on top, and covered it with mozzarella cheese, and voila! Low carb dinner!

I also found low-carb alternatives to some dinner favorites, like enchiladas, for example. My wife makes the best enchiladas, and I love them. So we found some low-carb tortillas, Mission Tortillas makes some, and there's another company called "Extreme," I think, that makes some other ones. With those tortillas, she's able to put in the meat and cheese and even some light sauce to give me a low-carb alternative!

We also have grown to really like grilling food like chicken, steak, and pork. Then we steam some broccoli or asparagus, and we've got one delicious meal.

Best after pic I could find

After scouring the internet for a logical answer to getting mp3's from a ripped audiobook cd into iBooks on the iPhone (or iPad for that matter), I came to the conclusion that there just isn't a good way sync them still. I finally had to sit down and figure it out myself... it was painful.

The reason for getting mp3's into iBooks on the phone is simple, it allows you to have all the features you need when listening to an audiobook. The two main features are the ability to pick up right where you left off (available on music, but you have to turn on a special setting... ain't nobody got time for that), and the ability to speed up or slow down the audiobook to your liking (definitely not available in music). I'm also just super OCD when it comes to organizing my media, and an audiobook inside the music library is enough to make me go insane.

How to Sync MP3's to iBooks on your iPhone

• Start by ripping the audiobook cd with your whatever ripping software you'd like. Most of the time iTunes is more than sufficient. Before ripping the CD, make sure to have your import settings configured correctly. You can access the preferences pain under the menu item iTunes->Preferences, or by pressing "Command-,". Here are the settings I have for my import:

• You'll want to also make sure you import the CD with correct titles, tracks and discs in order to keep the play order accurate. Don't want to get chapters out of order, nobody wants to know Harry dies at the end without being adequately prepped... What?

• Once you've ripped the CD into your library you have to change the file from a "Music" media type to "Audiobook". You do this by highlighting all the tracks, right-clicking, then clicking "Get Info" from the popup menu. On the get info screen, switch to the "Options" tab and change the media kind to "Audiobook" and click OK.

• You're almost there. Next step is getting said Audiobook actually onto your iPhone. If you're like me, everything syncs over the cloud these days. Everything. Guess what doesn't? Audio-freaking-books. You're going to have to actually unplug the white cord from your wall charger and plug it into your computer in order to get that audiobook transferred over with a manual sync. Once plugged in, your iPhone will show in a tiny icon in the iTunes window:

• Go to the Audiobooks section, select the Sync Audiobooks checkbox, and choose whether you want all of them or a few of them and click the "Sync" button at the bottom of the screen.

Setting Up Wifi Sync

While you're plugged in, you might as well turn on the feature to sync your iPhone over wifi. Then you won't have to pull out the charger cable next time you need to sync. That's located on the main summary page of the phone sync settings:

And like that, You're Syncing Audiobooks to iBooks on the iPhone

One strange thing this doesn't do, it DOESN'T put the audiobook into your iBooks library on the Mac. No idea why. Doesn't make sense. I'm sure they'll eventually end up fixing that, but for now, you import into iTunes and you sync them to your iPhone so you can play them in iBooks. Weird.

Good luck.

African art covers a wide range of objects; it is definitely not confined to any one specific area. They have many pieces that have a traditional nature, as well as pieces that are considered contemporary. It is interesting to me that it seems like everything they have, they can make into some form of art. Much of the traditional art was made to reflect the social norms of the era. They were often pieces that were used in everyday life, as well as many pieces that were used in religious ceremonies. Many pieces were created to help address the individual and community needs during the time, there helping with those things. Also, with the traditional art, humans and animals were often the main subject. The art would depict both desirable and undesirable traits of the human body. As far as the use of traditional art for religious purposes went, they created many sculptures and other pieces to reflect their deities, ancestors, or other spiritual beings. Many times the Artists that created these pieces were often very well known in their communities, but unknown to the world outside. This is where the researchers now have to do the most work, trying to relate the art back to the person who created it. This seems like quite a task.

Contemporary art usually shows individual vision and innovation. Their audiences weren’t as defined as with the traditional art. These artists focused on audiences much bigger; often times a global audience is their target. Their pieces aren’t as focused either, they will sometimes venture into global issues, while still bringing them back on a personal level and how they are affected.

African art is integrated into every aspect of life. Art is used in such things as religious ceremonies, to show religious beliefs, and even regular daily household tasks. They put art in EVERYTHING! Art often shows a social status as well. A leader might have a special headpiece that shows his rankings while a farmer would have a specific robe that indicated his profession. They even have special art for women, and special art for men. Many pieces of art can have multiple uses. A bed to one family might be where they sleep. While a bed to another family, might be a religious symbol of the afterlife. So don’t lie down without checking first.

The imagery they use is often times very abstract but somewhat recognizable. They use animals in a lot of their art for their character traits of the animal. For example, a leopard would be used to show its speed and power. Many of these pieces are not just confined to one culture either, they are wide spread ideas that are seen throughout most of Africa. I found it very interesting and it really made me want to travel to Africa!

In order to put the matter to rest once and for all I enlisted the help of friends on Facebook to come up with a survey on items that are mostly normal foods or ingredients. Note, this is not a list of all the things I don't eat. I eat a number of these.

The hope was to see how often I line up with the majority of people... Here are all the surveys (feel free to vote). I'll put my food choices down below.

YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE BY VOTING YOURSELF. Just click the thumbs up or thumbs down to reveal the percentages.

So, am I a picky eater?

Probably. Ha.

If I cared enough to look through all the results, I speculate that most people would probably have about 15 out of the 34 things on the list that they don't like... But alas, I don't care to look that much.

Some other interesting things gleamed from this survey

• Half of the voters actually like brussels sprouts. Thought that was an easy one for disliking on the popular vote.
• Pineapple on Pizza also did surprisingly well, thought the pineapple on pizza hater movement was much larger.
• Really? People like artichokes??
• Good to see I'm not alone on the sushi dislike... it often feels like such a lonely place.
• Avacado is overwhelmingly popular. Just didn't expect it.
• There are people in the world that don't like PB&J. Seriously. Go look.

This is a classic piece of art that everyone has acted out at least once in their lives. It shows the good old American farmer and his wife, doing what they know how to do best, and that is farm. There wasn’t much more to it than that. It was probably made during a time of lower income where the farm was the only way to make any money. Definitely a classic piece of American folk art.

I thought this piece of art was interesting because it didn’t really seem like it fit in with the rest. This piece looks more modern than the others and was probably done during a time when dinosaurs became popular.

This piece looks like it was created to help solve a common household need. They needed a place to put the sugar and just didn’t have one yet. It was probably created by a housewife who had the idea to begin with. Shows the simplicity of what can be considered art.

This weathervane represents a lot more than the weather. Baseball quickly developed to be a huge American pastime. Not only is does it tell which way the wind was blowing, but it also represents a new phase of American heritage. It has duality in purpose.

To me this piece represents so many things. It represents the amazing love of one person for another. With the many hours of meticulous carving and sewing to come up with a child’s doll, there would have to be a great love there. It also represents the African American influence on the United States.

These pieces, much like the African art from the last assignment represent cultural needs and are sometimes used for practical reasons as well. These pieces of art often make many different statements. The American folk art, although different in design, had many of the same purposes as the African art we learned about. Also much like the African art, the artists of the American folk art are not often known. They were quaint people creating things to help with their needs at the given time. In another hundred years, I wonder if the things we are creating now will stand out with such magnitude. I sure hope so.

Full video here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god?lang=eng*

Click to Open Full Resolution

https://www.slideshare.net/kennyeliason/standards-night-2022-entertainment-and-media

Since the mid 1900’s, we’ve been introduced to more and more advertising. It is everywhere! It’s amazing how much we just don’t realize it. That is the exact reason why our culture has become so used to skimming the surface. We don’t worry about as many details because if we stopped to think about even a small amount of them, our lives would be consumed by it! With this onset of information that we so easily skim over, we tend to pass that trait over to our regular daily lives. Even worst is when we pass that trait onto our relationships with the people we are closest to. If we are aware of this happening, we could avoid complicated discussions about what we did and did not do. The depression comes when we have to focus on those small steps which make it feel overwhelming causing us to either give up or get bogged down. Not good at all. Another interesting fact is that we are finding that as Asian countries become more “Westernized” their depression rate also rises.

This one really caught my attention because I love technology. The article says that the more we rely on technology, the more warped our sense of time becomes. We start to think that everything should be done fast and when it’s not we find ourselves asking why? This often has damaging effects on our intimate relationships as well, and we know how bad that can be! The article also talks about the affect TV has on our society. We all know that TV has some bad influences, but I personally never heard of what exactly that bad influence is. With all these popular night time dramas, we are left to think that HUGE problems can be solved in an hour or less… that’s why I watch 24… Just kidding. With more and more Americans watching TV, we can see how this might cause a problem.

Some skills needed to avoid depression are that we shouldn’t get stuck believing that there is only one right way to do things, and don’t underestimate the amount of control you have on any given situation. This is something I notice a lot in people. People are quick to feel hopeless and give up in the first sight of controversy. We have to realize our potential, and not think that our thoughts and desires are less than anyone else. The most important skill mentioned that one needs to ward off depression is good relationship skills. It has been proven over and over again that people who are not only in a relationship, but happy in a relationship, have a far less chance of becoming depressed. With a little practice, the art of avoiding depression is definitely an art, but one that can be learned.

This movie was kind of hard for me to enjoy… I realize it is most famous for its simplicity with just regular people acting and not professional actors. But in my mind, this is also what made the movie weak. The people did good acting, just not as amazing as I like to see. Also it was really hard for me to enjoy because of the different language and having to read sub-titles. This movie definitely did not make my top movie list. It was ok, but nothing that I would willingly watch again.

Table of contents

• Main Purposes

• Helping Young Men Prepare to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood

• Working with the Young Women

• Working with the Primary

• Meetings Sacrament Meeting

• Sunday Class Meetings

• Ward Youth Council

• Quorum/Class Presidency Meetings

• Bishop Youth Discussion

• Adult Presidency Meeting (YM or YW)

• Callings Youth Quorum/Class Leaders (youth)

• Young Women's Presidency (adults)

• Adult Advisers Young Men

• Young Women

• Adult Specialists

• Activities Weekly

• Overnight

• Yearly Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Camp

• Young Women Camp

• For the Strength of Youth

• Budgeting

• The Secret to Working with the Youth

• To Bishopric Counselors

Main Purposes

***The bishop’s foremost responsibility is caring for the young men and women in his ward. He learns their names and understands their home circumstances. ***10.3

The counselors support the bishop in this purpose.

The bishopric is to become mentors to the youth.

As bishopric members, our foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and women in our ward. We make it a priority to learn their names and understand their home circumstances so that we can offer support and guidance. The counselors play a vital role in supporting this purpose. Some tips to accomplishing this level of support:

• Regularly (I do it quarterly) text the parents and ask about their child, how they're doing in school, how they're doing with friends, any hobbies, when are the next sporting events, etc.

• Attend sporting events or activities their involved with outside of church! Sports, acting, singing, piano, chess, whatever, just go!

• Talk with them about life things more than you talk about church things. If they're being open and talkative, maybe don't even get into the church topics.

Helping Young Men Prepare to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood

Bishopric should provide Aaronic Priesthood holders with experiences that will prepare them for a lifetime of service as elders. The best preparation to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood is to fulfill Aaronic Priesthood duties. 10.6

The bishopric should help the Young Men understand:

• The oath and covenant of the priesthood (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:33–44).

The Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Theme (MY FAVORITE!)

• The duties of an elder (Doctrine and Covenants 20:38–45; 42:44; 107:11–12).

• The purposes of priesthood ordinances and blessings and how to perform them (see chapter 18).

• How men and women work together to accomplish God’s work.

Working with the Young Women

Bishop is the direct liaison with the Young Women's president. He can't assign that responsibility to a counselor.

The bishop and his counselors regularly participate in Young Women meetings, services, and activities. 11.3.1

Working with the Primary

Typically one counselor is assigned to work as the liaison with the primary president.

The bishop and his counselors regularly attend Primary. They also learn the names and understand the home circumstances of each child in the ward. 12.3.1

Meetings

Sacrament Meeting

All of our young men arrive at sacrament meeting 15 minutes early.

The teachers and priests take care of preparing the sacrament.

The deacons clean the pews, clean papers from the hymnal holders, pick up garbage off the ground and straighten the folding chairs. We even bought a push sweeper vacuum that they run through the chapel before meetings begin so that the room is ready for worshipers. The deacons are also in charge of putting the hymn numbers up on the board.

Sunday Class Meetings

When a bishopric member attends a quorum meeting, he presides in the meeting.

Meetings happen on the 2nd and 4th Sundays as of the date of publishing this post.

Ward Youth Council

Strengthen the youth in the ward. Help them participate in the work of salvation and exaltation.29.2.6

The meeting happens monthly when possible.

The meeting could include the following:

• The work of salvation and exaltation.

• Needs of youth in the ward and ways to address them.

• Efforts to reach out to youth who are less active or new members.

• Activities, including opportunities to serve those in need. Most of the planning is done in quorum or class presidency meetings (see chapter 20).

• Ministering (see chapter 21).

• Orienting newly called quorum and class presidencies.

***Kenny thought: ***We LOVE Ward Youth Council! It's our favorite meeting! We focus the youth leaders on the members of their quorums/classes that need support. We make assignments on how to help their friends succeed. Then we follow up on assignments after the fact. The youth are AWESOME when they're given the keys.

Quorum/Class Presidency Meetings

Should meet "regularly."

At least two adults should attend.

The Quorum/Class President should conduct.

Awesome sample agenda found here.

Further info: Young Women 11.3.4.3, Young Men 10.4.3

Bishop Youth Discussion

From what I can tell, this is not referenced in the handbook but is a popular optional meeting. It's like a fireside, typically held on Sunday, where the youth and bishopric spend time with the youth in a less formal setting than a church, like someone's house, but still discussing church-related topics.

Adult Presidency Meeting (YM or YW)

From what I can tell, a separate meeting should not be held for just the adults to plan youth activities. Those should only be done with the class presidencies in attendance.

Callings

Youth Quorum/Class Leaders (youth)

These kids are the ones in charge. Bishopric and YW Adult Presidency support the youth do whatever they want/need (within reason).

Young Women's Presidency (adults)

The bishopric supports the Young Women adult leaders by attending meetings and providing information they might not otherwise have access to (ie, budget).

Adult Advisers

Young Men

Young Men advisers are optional; only one can be assigned per quorum. Advisers are called to support (not replace!) the bishopric for the above purposes. They give special emphasis to mentoring young men, teaching them how to lead by inspiration, and helping them become more like Jesus Christ. [10.5](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/10-aaronic-priesthood.title_number28-title_number29#title_number28 NeONBRAND)

***Kenny thought: ***We currently have one adult advisor and two adult specialists in each quorum, which means including the bishopric there are four adults per quorum. When we do combined activities (which we do a lot because we're a small group) the adults often outnumber the youth. It's actually an awesome thing. The young men get to see these grown adults having fun and being good examples. We really like it. And it allows for two-deep leadership much easier, even when someone can't come.

Young Women

Young Women advisers are optional, and only one can be assigned per age group of Young Women.

The list of responsibilities of an adviser is very clear in the handbook 11.3.5:

• Help the Young Women's presidency with their responsibilities.

• Support and guide class presidencies as they learn and carry out their responsibilities.

• Teach Sunday lessons as needed. Help young women who have been invited to teach a lesson to prepare and teach effectively.

• Attend class activities.

• Attend ward Young Women presidency meetings when invited.

Adult Specialists

This is an optional calling. The handbook does not give much direction on specialists, but they might sometimes be assigned to a specific event like a camp, youth conference, or sports.

There is no limit on the number of adult specialists you can call to a group.

Activities

The bishopric and youth quorum leaders, supported by advisers, plan service and activities.

These should help accomplish the work of salvation and exaltation.

Service and activities should build testimonies, strengthen families, foster quorum unity, and provide opportunities to bless others.

All activities should ALWAYS have at least two responsible adults of the same gender as the youth at every activity. Or they can be called for a specific assignment. The example given for the young men is "recording attendance."

Perhaps the biggest reason for having additional adult leaders is so the bishopric can sometimes attend young women's or primary activities since two adults must always be present.

Weekly

Weekly activities should be planned by the class presidency, with the leader's support. 11.2.1.3 NOT PLANNED BY THE ADULTS.

The goal is to give the youth opportunities to stretch out of their comfort zones and gain new experiences with budgeting, planning, scheduling, etc.

Youth should lead activities, adults only support.

You may want to assign an adult specialist as the one responsible for ensuring weekly activities are adequately prepared by the youth each week.

***Kenny thought: ***We have loved this, it has really given our kids a boost of confidence we didn't know they had.

Overnight

Both Young Men and Young Women are allowed to hold overnight camps throughout the year.

Young Women Camp Guide

Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Camp Guide

Yearly

Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Camp

Should take place once a year and promote unity and further understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Budgets should be planned to minimize the financial impact on the family, and no one should ever be turned away if they cannot pay.

Young Women Camp

It should take place once a year and promote unity and further understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Budgets should be planned to minimize the financial impact on the family, and no one should ever be turned away if they cannot pay.

For the Strength of Youth

At least one activity emphasizing the standards in For the Strength of Youth. This event could include both young men and young women. Parents may also be invited.

Budgeting

Budgets for Youth should be based on the number of youth in the ward. Think of it as a per-person budget, not an exact split down the middle.

Here is a Google sheet to help manage the budget: Google Sheet

The Secret to Working with the Youth

We have found one secret to having success with the youth... Love each of them, and make sure they know it!

Getting the youth involved was a little hard when we first started. They were cold and distant to us "old people," and getting them to talk and communicate with us was a little tricky.

After a few months of diligently working to gain their trust and love, things started changing. We worked hard to get to know their names first and foremost, then we talked to them about things they liked to do, participated in the activities, and found ways to laugh together. They now know that we're friends.

In Ward Youth Council, they all love talking. They share their thoughts regularly because they know that we value their input. We act on things they say and empower them to make decisions that focus on helping people meet basic physical and spiritual needs.

To Bishopric Counselors

In the story of Moses and the battle against the Amalekites, we learn that the Israelites were winning the battle as long as Moses held his hands up. However, Moses' arms grew tired, and he could not hold them up alone. So Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses, holding up his arms and helping him to continue to lead the people to victory.

Similarly, bishopric counselors serve as invaluable support to the bishop in caring for and leading the ward. Like Aaron and Hur, they help hold up the bishop's arms, providing strength and guidance, so we can all win the battle of life.

Bishopric members can do almost everything the Bishop can do and should feel confident in pushing the work forward. Don't sit back and wait on your bishop to always tell you what to do. You know the overall mission of your ward, and you know where there's a need. Get it done. Just do it.

La capital oficial de Bolivia es Sucre y la sede del gobierno se encuentra en la ciudad de La Paz. Otras ciudades importantes son Santa Cruz y Cochabamba. Según el censo de 2001, La Paz tiene una población de 1.552.156 habitantes. Este número incluye la ciudad de El Alto, una ciudad pegada a La Paz. Estas dos ciudades forman la segunda metrópoli de Bolivia. Santa Cruz es un conjunto de poblaciones que forman la ciudad más grande de Bolivia, con 1.774.998 habitantes. Santa Cruz empezó crecer en los años cincuenta del siglo XX por los problemas del petróleo y la agricultura y en los últimos cincuenta años la población ha crecido rápidamente. Las ciudades de Sucre y Cochabamba son importantes porque la primera tiene raíces históricas con la constitución de Bolivia y la segunda siempre ha sido una ciudad fuerte que ha apoyado la economía boliviana.

En el año 2009 han sucedido algunos cambios muy grandes del gobierno de Bolivia: adoptaron un nuevo sistema, llamado “Estado Unitario Social de Derecho Democrático”, muy parecido al sistema de gobierno en los Estados Unidos. El presidente de Bolivia se llama Juan Evo Morales Ayma y puede gobernar un término de cinco años con la posibilidad de ser reelegido una sola vez. Un poco diferente, pero con algunas similitudes al sistema de los Estados Unidos, el poder del gobierno esta divido entre cuatro órganos: Ejecutivo, Legislativo, Judicial y Electoral. Han tenido varios cambios desde los años ochenta, cuando tuvieron por primera vez un gobierno democrático duradero. Desde entonces el país ha crecido y sigue creciendo en su poder nacional.

Bolivia es uno de los dos países que están completamente rodeados por tierra, es decir, no tiene mar. En la Guerra del Pacifico, que terminó en 1884, Bolivia perdió contra Chile su única zona costera. Desde entonces Bolivia ha negociado con Chile una salida al océano y aun en el año 2009 en su nueva Constitución reclamaron la salida como derecho propio de Bolivia. En total, el país tiene 1.098,581 km2 de territorio y 6.940 km de fronteras con otros países. El terreno de Bolivia es muy diverso porque en el sureste del país tiene las alturas de los Andes y al noroeste tiene la cuenca del río Amazonas. La variedad de terrenos incluye desiertos, selvas secas, húmedas y tropicales, e incluso tiene parte de los glaciares andinos.

Más de la mitad de los bolivianos son descendientes de los amerindios, una expresión que se usa para describir a los nativos del país. La gente quechua y aimara forma parte de este grupo amerindio. El resto de la población es mestiza; pocos son blancos europeos. En 2006 se publicó que Bolivia tenía uno de los porcentajes más altos de analfabetismo en América del Sur: 12,8% de la población. En 2008 anunciaron los resultados de un programa que habían empezado en 2006 que ayudó a más que 820.000 personas a aprender leer en todo el país, incluyendo a los indígenas. Estos fueron resultados fenomenales, los cuales ayudaron al porcentaje de analfabetismo muchísimo, ya que hoy sólo 4% de la población es analfabeta.

La moneda oficial de Bolivia es el boliviano, que empezó usarse en 1987, después de muchos años de hiperinflación. La moneda oficial antes del boliviano se llamaba igual, entonces hoy día a veces se habla de la moneda actual como “nuevo boliviano”. En 1987 el nuevo boliviano era equivalente a un dólar estadounidense. Ahora, más de veinte años después, la tasa de cambio con el dólar ha bajado mucho. Actualmente, el boliviano equivale 0,14245 dólares estadounidenses. Estos cambios se basan en la inestabilidad de la economía boliviana durante los años ochenta y aun en años tan recientes como el periodo 2003-2005. La tasa de inflación ha subido muchísimo en estos últimos años también: en 2001 era del 2%, pero en 2008 subió al 14%. Este porcentaje hace de Bolivia el segundo país con mayor inflación de América del Sur, sólo superado por Venezuela, que tiene una tasa de inflación de 30,4%. Obviamente, esto tiene un mal efecto para la economía boliviana.

En el año 2008, el producto interno bruto (PIB) de Bolivia fue de 43.270 millones de dólares estadounidenses, y per cápita, 4.500 dólares estadounidenses al año. La composición del PIB ha cambiado en los últimos diez años, pues ahora la agricultura es menos importante que antes. Los servicios siguen teniendo el porcentaje más alto del PIB, con el 51,8% del total. La industria en Bolivia ha tenido grandes crecimientos, y es un sector cada vez más importante. Uno de los problemas es que una gran parte de la población boliviana trabaja en la agricultura (40%) y entonces hay mucha gente que se encuentra sin trabajo o subempleado por circunstancias fuera de su control. Bolivia es uno de los países más pobres de América del Sur, con cerca del 60% de sus habitantes bajo el umbral de pobreza, una cantidad sorprendente.

Las principales industrias de Bolivia son la minería, la fundición, el petróleo, el procesamiento de alimentos y de bebidas, el tabaco, la artesanía, los textiles y la ropa. El país exporta metales, gas natural, café, plata, madera, joyas, soja en grano, estaño, petróleo y azúcar. El mercado más importante para sus exportaciones son los Estados Unidos, pero también exporta mucho a Colombia, Reino Unido, Brasil y Perú. Importan productos derivados del petróleo, plásticos, papel, aviones y piezas de aviones, alimentos preparados, automóviles, insecticidas y semillas de soja. El 24% de sus importaciones viene de los Estados Unidos; también importan productos de Argentina, Brasil, Chile y Perú.

El transporte en Bolivia es un poco anticuado porque sólo 6% de las carreteras son pavimentadas. Esto hace difícil transportar bienes en camión, porque las carreteras pavimentadas no llegan a muchos destinos. Dependen más de las 3.504 km de vías férreas para poder llevar los productos a las ciudades aisladas. Actualmente hay 952 aeropuertos en Bolivia, pero sólo dieciséis tienen pistas de aterrizaje pavimentadas. Bolivia cuenta con nueve aeropuertos que tienen vuelos comerciales y esta es la manera más eficaz de llegar a Bolivia desde los Estados Unidos.

Los habitantes de Bolivia tienen una dieta común para un país suramericano. Su especialidad son las diferentes maneras de preparar las papas. Muchas veces les gusta poner una salsa picante llamada llajua sobre las papas. Cuando invitan a una persona a comer en su casa, esperan que ella pruebe toda la comida que han preparado. Después de terminar de comer, una cortesía normal es desearles a los que prepararon la comida un “buen provecho”. Como muchos países latinoamericanos, el horario al mediodía o a la una de la tarde comen el almuerzo y no tienen la cena hasta las nueve de la noche.

Bolivia sólo lleva un poco más que 20 años con la estabilidad política y social que tiene ahora. En los años ochenta el presidente Víctor Paz Estenssoro hizo algunos cambios significativos para el mercado libre del país, lo cual ayudo bajar la hiperinflación del país a un porcentaje razonable. Desde entonces Bolivia ha tenido varios presidentes que han ayudado a solidificar la economía privatizando muchas empresas estatales y dando oportunidades a los propios bolivianos para mejorar. No ha sido fácil, pues aun en los años noventa el país tenía un estado de sitio de 90 días después del fracaso de unas negociaciones con sindicatos. El país ha tenido sus altibajos, pero sigue esforzándose para el futuro.

Bolivia tiene planes para cambiar su industria, con el fin de llegar a ser el líder de los combustibles menos contaminantes en toda de Suramérica. Los planes reciben mucha oposición de los indígenas, por el enfoque del gobierno en los extranjeros y no en sus propios intereses. Sin embargo, Bolivia sigue adelante con mucha esperanza. En la gran perspectiva del tiempo, es un país bastante joven y todavía tiene mucho que aprender. En fin, como ha probado una y otra vez, Bolivia tiene la fuerza para superar cualquier problema que encuentre en su camino hacia el futuro.

Bibliografía

• BOLIVIA portal del gobierno boliviano. 02 Nov. 2009. www.bolivia.gov.bo
• "CIA - The World Factbook -- Bolivia." Welcome to the CIA Web Site; Central Intelligence Agency. 02 Nov. 2009.
• Doyle, Michael Scott. Éxito comercial prácticas administrativas y contextos culturales. Boston: Thomson Heinle, 2006.

1 de enero de 2010

Muy señores míos:

Es nuestro placer a anunciar la computadora nueva, el PCEXCEL-1. Con la nueva tecnología de las computadoras, hemos podido hacer una maquina exquisita que cumple todos sus sueños. Probablemente está cansado de esperar minutos para guardar un archivo no mas para averiguar que no tiene espacio suficiente para guardarlo. Con el PCEXCEL-1 esos son problemas del pasado. El PCEXCEL-1 no solo tiene 1,000 gigabyte de espacio, usa tecnología nueva que le permite guardar en el internet donde hay espacio ilimitado. Esta computadora pesa solo tres libras entonces es muy portátil y es ideal para la casa o la oficina. Se puede ver los precios de los varios modelos en nuestra dirección de internet al www.compunow.com. ¡Las ventas empezarán este viernes entonces no esperen más!

Atentamente,

Kenny Eliason

Gerente de Ventas

Altamira N˚ 100

San Juan, Puerto Rico

+2 (345) 567-8910

QUALIMARC

Avenida Salto N˚ 43

San José de Mayo, Uruguay

Estimados Señores:

Estamos considerando la posibilidad de contratar a MÁQUINAS ELISEO como distribuidora de nuestros productos. La gerente de MÁQUINAS ELISEO, Magdelena Eliseo nos informó que podríamos pedir un informe comercial de ustedes para ayudarnos con esta decisión.

A la mayor brevedad, les rogamos información sobre su experiencia de ustedes con esta empresa. Esperamos tener su respuesta antes del 10 de noviembre para que podamos hacer una decisión pronto. Si tienen cualquier pregunta, no duden en llamarnos. Les agradecemos por su ayuda en este asunto tan importante.

EQUIPOSAGRARIOS

Kenny Eliason

GERENTE

19 de noviembre de 2009

Sra. Susana Benavides CAÑERÍA COLOMBE Ronda San Pablo No. 14 Bogotá, Colombia

Estimada Sra. Benavides:

Me lamento informarle que no podemos enviar su pedido No. 1664 a causa de una huelga naviera. Nos gustaría mandarle las mercancías después de que termine la huelga o hasta cuando encontramos otra manera de mandárselas. Queremos saber lo que a usted le gustaría que hagamos para satisfacer sus necesidades. Su negocio es muy importante para nosotros y no queremos que estas circunstancias fuera de nuestro control sean problemas en nuestra relación. Si usted desea contactarnos directamente usted puede llamarnos en el (809) 813-1574 el lunes a viernes, desde las 8:30 de la mañana hasta las 5:00 de la tarde.

Esperando una pronta respuesta, quedamos a la orden,

AZUCARERADULCE

Kenny Eliason

Gerente General

Roberto Benigno C/Telar 9 Orense 15 de mayo de 2005

Estimado Sr. Benigno:

Le agradecemos por su petición de las dos habitaciones para las noches del 24 y 25 de junio. En cuanto a sus preguntas, sí tenemos dos habitaciones disponibles para estas fechas. Están en la misma planta y las dos tienen una vista maravillosa. Las habitaciones cuestan $59.00 por noche y si quieren incluir el desayuno sube al $69.00 o por la media pensión es $75.00. Esperamos que pueda visitarnos para estas fechas. Hemos puesto las habitaciones en reserva temporaria hasta que nos den su respuesta exacta. Le agradecemos por su interés.

Atentamente,

Departamento de reservas

These movies have better and better plots as time progresses. But the one thing that I look forward to the most is the technological advances that come in the future. The picture does become better and better as we have been watching, especially with the advance of color film in the Wizard of Oz. This film was pretty much shot on only a couple different scenes, Rick’s club being the majority of the shots. Hopefully soon some action adventure movies will come around so we can see the advances that take place.

Chandlers Dumb State GameDownload

We both got our pens ready and went to work. We silently filled in our sheets, me totally expecting Danielle to be killing me and Danielle expecting the same. Turns out we both capped out at about 40 states in a short amount of time, then over the next 25 MINUTES I managed to fill in 4 more and she got 9 more. But neither of us could finish!

This whole idea spurred from my addiction to Friends and the episode where Chandler gets everyone to play this same game. After re-watching that part of the episode, I didn't realize there was a 6 minute time limit to the game which makes the whole thing even more amazing to accomplish. Give it a shot, spend at least 6 minutes on it (if not more). Then give this YouTube clip a watch, it's pretty dang funny, especially after trying to do it.

Buddy Gleason was also quite the character. His movie, although it was very long, was pretty entertaining. I was also thinking about how he was not only funny with the things he did, but he had to be in pretty good shape too. He jumped on and off that train a hundred times, threw the logs all the way up on top of the train and ran after the dang thing a hundred or so times. These movies were on the cusp of the industry. The audiences had to find them absolutely hilarious. I can only image the level of entertainment that this provided to that generation. No movie we see now could even compare.

Being raised in the wild would have its definite benefits. To be free to do what you want, whenever you want, could often come in handy. It would probably be a little more physically demanding than our soft civilized lives. But along with that we would be forced to stay in shape, so that’s not such a bad thing after all. Being raised in the wild you wouldn’t know what you were missing, so life would be just great.

As the story goes, he is civilized to help defeat the Great Gilgamesh. When the time comes for their fight, the crowd is quite disappointed to find that instead of hating each other, they had become best friends. Gilgamesh

Cuando yo era chico, tuve que compartir mi cuarto con mis dos hermanos por mucha de mi juventud. Cuando teníamos menos que seis o siete anos, nos llevábamos muy bien entre nos tres. Siempre había algo que hacer por que pudiéramos jugar juntos. También de niños, aprendimos como compartir, aunque fue un poco duro a veces, aprendimos este principio muy bien. Después de unos anos, empezamos a ser más grande y cuando éramos jóvenes peleábamos mucho. Pero yo creo que todos pelean con sus hermanos un poco. Durante aquel tiempo, era un poco más difícil de compartir el cuarto. Creo que la razón que no pudimos estar juntos durante aquel tiempo fue porque cuando uno tiene esta edad, no piensa en los de más y es muy egoísta. No nos importaba mucho la opinión de los otros hermanos, no mas quisimos complacer nuestros propios deseos.

Cuando cumplí diecinueve años, me fui a una misión para mi iglesia. Tuve la oportunidad de compartir mi cuarto con muchas personas diferentes. De acuerdo con el presidente de la misión, nos asignaron compañeros por tiempos ciertos, y más que nada, teníamos que aprender cómo llevarnos bien con extranjeros. Eso fue una experiencia muy buena para mí y me preparo cada vez más de entender como son otras personas y como yo puedo ser para que no molestara a mis compañeros de cuarto. Aprendí que siempre va a ver algunas diferencias entre los modos de vivir cuando hay dos personas viviendo en el mismo lugar. Tuve que aprender mucha paciencia por las faltas de otras personas por que en el principio me molestaría cuando mis compañeros no hicieron las cosas como yo los hubiera hecho. Pensé que mi manera de ser era el mejor, y si alguien quería hacerlo diferente, estaban mal. Todavía yo era muy egoísta y no había aprendido como respetar las opiniones de otras personas. Después de que hice enojar algunos de mis compañeros, me di cuenta de que yo fue la persona que tenía problemas. Empecé a tratar de cambiar como actuaba con mis compañeros, y trate de complacer sus necesidades. Averigüé que cuando haría cosas para ellos, me trataban mejor a mí también. Poco a poco llegue a ser muchísimo mejor con las relaciones con mis compañeros. Fue una experiencia muy buena.

Después de la misión, me di cuenta de cuantos me estaba preparando por la vida. Ahorita tengo un compañero de cuarto y está un poco diferente. Mi compañero de cuarto que tengo ahorita era amigo de un compañero de trabajo y mudo aquí de california. Un poquito después de que se vino aquí, consiguió una novia y en aquel momento es cuando empezaron los problemas. No son problemas muy serios, pero son cosas que me molesta no más. Tenemos maneras diferentes de vivir y el tiene prioridades diferentes que me molesta a veces. Por ejemplo, a él no le importa mucho cuan limpio está su baño. De todos modos, somos amigos y nos llevamos bien.

Los compañeros de cuarto puedan ser muy buenos o a veces no tan buenos. La cosa mejor es que la experiencia puede ensenarle muchísimo. Cuando era niño, aprendí como compartir y jugar con mis compañeros, los quienes fueron mis hermanos. Luego en la misión, tuve que aprender cómo tratar a esos extranjeros que me asignaron. En aprender cómo vivir con esos extranjeros, a veces nos llegamos a ser mejores amigos y todavía sigo en contacto con muchos de ellos. Creo que todas estas experiencias me están preparando por lo que me merece algún día en el futuro, y eso es la vida casada. Creo que cuando me case, todo no va a ser perfecto y vamos a tener maneras diferente de vivir, voy a tener que enfocarme mucho en las experiencias que habrá tenido de otros compañeros de cuarto para ayudarme complacer a mi futura esposa.

El sida (síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida) es causado por el VIH (virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana). El VIH debilita el sistema inmunológico de tu cuerpo, y esto hace que seas menos capaz de luchar contra las enfermedades e infecciones. El VIH pasa de una persona a otra mediante el contacto con los fluidos corporales de alguien infectado con el virus. Muy a menudo, el virus se propaga a través del sexo oral, vaginal o anal en el que no se usa condón. También, por compartir una aguja. Las madres pueden transmitir el virus a sus bebés durante el embarazo, el parto o la lactancia.

No es una "cosa de homosexuales". Las relaciones heterosexuales son la fuente más común de infección para las mujeres y la segunda causa más común para los hombres. Hay más hombres que contraen el VIH, pero la tasa de la infección de las mujeres es cada vez mayor.

El uso de alcohol y de drogas aumenta el riesgo de infección por el VIH. El uso de drogas inyectables es la principal causa de transmisión, pues los usuarios se infectan cuando comparten agujas y jeringas con una persona portadora del virus. Además, el alcohol y las drogas no inyectables pueden afectar tu juicio y bajar tus inhibiciones, llevándote a asumir riesgos que no tomarías cuando estás sobrio, como tener relaciones sexuales sin protección. Cualquier tipo de drogas puede contribuir a la propagación del VIH/SIDA, ya sea cuando los usuarios cambian sexo por drogas o cuando se involucran en comportamientos de riesgo bajo la influencia de las drogas.

**Antes de arriesgarte… **

**Conoce los hechos. **No tener relaciones sexuales es la manera más eficaz de evitar enfermedades de transmisión sexual (ETS), incluido el VIH/SIDA. Para los adolescentes que deciden ser sexualmente activos, las siguientes medidas de prevención pueden reducir el riesgo de una infección por el VIH:

• Evita el alcohol y las drogas. Al consumirlos, puedes tomar decisiones sexuales que no harías cuando estás sobrio.

• Realiza sólo actividades sexuales que no implique el sexo vaginal, oral o anal.

• Ten relaciones sexuales sólo con una sola pareja que no esté infectada.

• Usa un condón de látex cada vez que tengas relaciones sexuales de cualquier tipo.

Conoce los riesgos. La mayoría de los jóvenes que tienen VIH se infectan de manera sexual. A medida que más jóvenes se han dado cuenta del riesgo, son menos los que tienen relaciones sexuales y más de los que son sexualmente activos utilizan condones. La segunda causa más común del VIH es el uso de drogas por vía intravenosa, pero cualquier actividad donde haya intercambio de sangre es riesgosa. Los adolescentes no deben compartir agujas en ninguna actividad, y esto incluye tatuajes, inyección de drogas esteroides y perforaciones en el cuerpo.

Mantente informado. Debido a los avances en la investigación médica y a los nuevos fármacos, la mayoría de las personas que tienen la enfermedad viven mucho más tiempo que antes, pero no hay cura.

**Conozca los signos... **

¿Cómo puedes saber si tú o alguien más tiene el VIH? Si no has tenido relaciones sexuales sin protección o si no has compartido agujas, es muy poco probable que tengas el VIH. La única manera de saber si estás infectado es hacerte una prueba. Los siguientes pueden ser signos de la infección por el VIH:

• Pérdida de peso

• Fiebre y sudor frecuentes

• Falta de energía

• Inflamación de ganglios linfáticos en las axilas, las ingles o el cuello

• Erupciones cutáneas persistentes

• Graves infecciones por herpes, que causa ulceras en la boca, los genitales o el ano

• Pérdida de memoria a corto plazo

Sin embargo, nadie debe suponer que está infectado si tiene estos síntomas. Cualquiera de estos síntomas puede estar relacionado con otras enfermedades. Una vez más, la única manera de saber si se está infectado con el VIH es hacerse una prueba.

¿Qué puedes hacer para ayudar a alguien cuya uso de drogas o alcohol está poniéndolo en riesgo de contraer VIH/SIDA? Ser un verdadero amigo. Incluso puedes salvar su vida. Anima a tu amigo a dejar de utilizar sustancias y a buscar ayuda profesional. Para obtener información y referencias, llama a la Red de Información de Salud del SAMHSA: 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727).

Para más información o referencias a hechos comprobados en este folleto “Consejos para Adolescentes”, visita www.samhsa.gov/SHIN.

Para obtener más información sobre el VIH/SIDA o para conseguir referencias a los programas en tu comunidad, comunícate gratis con uno de los siguientes números:**Red de Información de Salud del SAMHSA****1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) **

**(Inglés y español) **

TTY 1-800-487-4889 El punto final: Si conoces a alguien que tiene el riesgo de infectarse de VIH/SIDA, anímalo a detenerse. Si tu comportamiento te pone en riesgo de infectarte de VIH/SIDA, ¡para! Si ya estás en riesgo, hazte una prueba y sigue las instrucciones de tu médico. Cuanto más tiempo ignoras los hechos reales, más pones en riesgo tu vida. Habla con tus padres, un médico, un consejero, un maestro u otro adulto de confianza. Para más información, también puedes llamar a la Línea Nacional de Sida de CDC: 1-800-232-4636 / TTY 1-888-232-6348.¡Hazlo hoy mismo, es tu vida!

P. ¿Se puede contraer el VIH/SIDA por contacto casual con una persona infectada o por tocar sus cosas?R. No. El VIH/SIDA no se contagia a través del sudor, las lágrimas o la saliva. Los fluidos corporales que se ha probado que contienen altas concentraciones de VIH son la sangre, el semen, los fluidos vaginales, la leche materna y otros líquidos corporales que contienen sangre. P. Si alguien ya tiene el VIH, ¿realmente importa si toma alcohol o usa drogas?R. Sí. Evitar el consumo de tabaco, alcohol o drogas mejora las posibilidades de mantenerse sano por más tiempo. El uso de cualquiera de estas sustancias puede causar otros problemas de salud, interferir con los medicamentos de tratamiento, o ambos. P. ¿Quién es más propenso a contraer el VIH/SIDA?R. Cualquier persona que tenga relaciones sexuales sin protección, que comparta una aguja o que haya tenido transfusión de sangre con una persona infectada está en riesgo. El VIH es un virus. El sida es una enfermedad. Los virus no diferencian la edad, la raza, el género o la orientación sexual de la persona a la que infectan.

Consejos paraAdolescentes

VIH/SIDA

Folk art is a bit different from craft art. Most pieces deemed as folk art were pieces created by people who were very unskilled. Often the pieces were created for a regular every day use, like a sugar jar or butter tray. These pieces were not so much known for their effect they had on society, but rather the reflected the current status of the society at that given time. Folk art was used for religious purposes and sometimes even domestic purposes. Much different than craft art which is specifically designed for the purpose of being art, and not used in every day life.

Slack Custom Emoji NameSlack Custom Emoji Image:dabb: :golden-knights: :lightsaber: :lightsaber-red: :lightsaber-blue: :sloth: :sadturtle:

Dante believes that people who have committed fraud against someone they are bound to, have sinned the greatest of all sins. The people that were found in that circle did not just betray a stranger or someone they didn’t know well, they betrayed someone who loved and respected them. They went against their own kin. The ones who fell closest to hell, were those who betrayed not just their kin, but God himself. He looks at fraud as the worst sin because it is what Lucifer uses to make others sin. Lucifer gives people false hope for doing wrong things, which lead them down wrong paths. Also Dante relates fraud or deceit to all of the other sins. That each sin committed started with some act of fraud against someone or something.

In my mind, I can somewhat agree with Dante’s views on the topic of fraud. This is a very serious sin, especially when committed against someone who is close to you. It is one that breaks eternal ties between those who are close to you. And when committed against somewhat who may not be as close, it can still have long-term effects. For example, when a thief steals something from a stranger, the stranger will forever fear the possibility of that happening again.

At the same time, it is hard to classify that as the worst sin. It is hard to compare a liar to a murderer. Someone who knowingly takes the life of another human being, in my mind, should be punished far greater than a thief. Murderers would seem to be at a completely different level than those who commit fraud. It seems that Dante may have had a more personal experience with deceit, than murder.

Or perhaps another sin that could be considered worst than fraud would be adultery. Which Dante classifies as only the second circle, falling under a lustful sin. This sin would seem to be far worse than most others as it not only has to do with being deceitful against someone you’re close to, but someone whom you have promised to give your life to and no one else. Adultery is the ultimate deceit against loved friends and family members.

With Dante’s views on fraud, you are drawn to think that he has serious issues regarding possible past experiences that he may have had regarding the topic. At least in today’s society, I think that although fraud is still a serious sin to most of us, it is not the worst of all the sins. There are far greater sins to watch out for, and we all must do our best to avoid them at all costs.

Con el fútbol llegando a ser más y más popular aquí en los Estados Unidos los promotores del deporte decidieron que era hora de comenzar un equipo nacional para que jueguen contra otros países. El entrenador del equipo viajó por todos los Estados Unidos buscando a jugadores y por alguna razón, llego al pueblo chiquito de Abbeville. Allí es donde él encontró a Santiago. Inmediatamente el entrenador ofreció a Santiago una posición en el equipo e inmediatamente él aceptó la oferta. Santiago iba a cumplir su sueño que había tenido por vida. La búsqueda para otros jugadores continuó a través de los estados. Los jugadores de todas partes del mundo compusieron el equipo de los Estados Unidos. Pancho de México y Freddy de la Argentina. Había algunos muchachos americanos que se llamaban Michael, Johnny y Frank y un jugador inglés que se llamaba Jon. El equipo se llenó muy rápido. Mientras el entrenador continuaba su búsqueda él encontró un hombre joven con talentos asombrosos. Èl miró a este hombre joven jugar fútbol, él estaba asombrado de sus habilidades y sabía que él necesitaba a este hombre para ser parte del equipo. El nombre de este jugador era Uko Eka, y él era de Nigeria.

Uko era un poco diferente que el resto de los jugadores en este equipo nuevamente formado. Él casi no hablaba y eso puso a los otros compañeros de equipo un poco incomodo. Otra diferencia importante era sus creencias. Algunos de los jugadores como Santiago, Pancho y Freddy eran muy católicos y lo habían sido desde su nacimiento. También los otros compañeros del equipo eran de religiones cristianas. Pero Uko no, él no era de una de estas religiones comunes, sus creencias eran muy diferentes. Uko creía en el Vudú, y sus compañeros del equipo esto no estaba bien. Más porque ellos no sabían cuáles eran las creencias de esta religión, pero les ponía nervioso de todas formas. Para la mayor parte no había problemas, hasta un día cuando Uko comenzó a bendecir al equipo.

Santiago no tenía ningún problema con Uko, todo lo que él quería hacer era jugar al fútbol. Mientras que el equipo practicaba junto, ellos comenzaron a jugar muy bien. Ellos desarrollaron sus amistades mientras que se preparaban para su primer juego contra los canadienses. Por alguna razón, Uko se sentía cómodo con Santiago y empezaron a tener una amistad no solamente en el campo pero en la calle también.

El equipo americano finalmente se reunió para su primer juego. Mientras que estaban en el vestuario, algunos de los jugadores notaron que Uko estaba haciendo una ceremonia por su armario. Muchos de los compañeros del equipo se sentían incómodos con la idea de tener esta religión extranjera bendiciendo a su equipo, pero nadie lo paró. Después de que cada uno estuvo listo, el entrenador vino y dio unas palabras y después ellos salieron corriendo al campo para calentarse. ¡Jugaron asombrosamente el primer juego y ganaron a los canadienses! Era el comienzo que todos habían esperado.

Se juntaron para su próximo juego en contra de Brasil y esta vez antes del juego, en vez de orar individualmente, ellos tomaron turnos. Incluso Uko participó y ofreció una bendición sobre el equipo entero. Uko no fue realmente seguro acerca de cómo él se sentía sobre compartir su religión muy personal con la otra gente del equipo, pero él lo hizo de todos modos. En su oración el dijo algunas palabras muy extranjeras en cuanto a Santiago, como que él iba realizar sus sueños algún día y que por mientras iba a tener que seguir trabajando en la panadería. Santiago estaba muy confundido pero no pensó mucho en el asunto. El equipo jugó mejor que la primera vez, ganando este juego 3-0.

Santiago estaba tan feliz como siempre. Él no podría creer que él estaba en un equipo profesional de fútbol. Esa noche Santiago fue a dormir como siempre. De repente, su papá le estaba despertando diciéndole que necesitaba entregar otro pan. ¿Realmente podría haber sido un sueño? ¿Todavía estaba en Abbeville entregando pan? Santiago estaba sentado en el silencio pensando sobre todo y no pudo dejar de pensar que no era un sueño. La experiencia era demasiado real, los olores en el aire, la sensación del pasto, él no habría podido soñar eso. Él miró abajo a la entrega que su padre le había dado, y el nombre de la persona le asustó mucho. El nombre era Uko Eka.

El Jefe’s Mexican Restaurant 9925 S. Eastern Ave Las Vegas, NV 89183 www.eljefesrestaurant.com

• Date/meal period you visited the restaurant: Friday, January 23, 2008, dinner

• Style of service – fine dining, casual dress

• A general listing of the specialty food/beverage items on the menu

• Spiced Salmon Filet

• Chicken Mole Enchiladas

• Fajitas

• Carnitas

• Lemonade and Soda

• Wide selection of Alcoholic beverages

• A list of what foods/beverages you tasted during your visit

• Cheese Enchiladas

• Hard and Soft Chicken Taco

• Burrito Mojado

• Bean Dip

• Guacamole

• Lemonade

• Your general thoughts/observations about the foods, ambiance and service:

The restaurant was extremely well decorated. The lighting was soft and the people were very nice there. I was expecting to eat the kind of Mexican food you’re used to getting at places like Roberto’s taco shop, but I was pleasantly surprised with the class of food served at the restaurant. It was definitely more Tex/Mex style than authentic Mexican food. The guacamole dip was amazing along with the bean dip. Those were probably the favorites of the night.

• From your personal experience and/or what you have learned in class, did the restaurant seem culturally representative or not?

The decorations were very Mexico oriented. From the sombreros hanging on the walls, down to the tile on the floor it had a very authentic feel. There were a few Hispanic workers there but not as many as would be expected. If that restaurant was placed in Mexico it would be one of the nicest restaurants around I’m sure.

• What did you learn about this culture and their foods from your visit?

I learned about a whole new side of Mexican food. Prior to my visit I was very used to the ma and pa restaurants that serve real authentic food and nobody speaks English. This was very Americanized and the taste of the food was also different. It showed me that even the simplest of foods can be served in a very spectacular and different way.

• Would you return to the restaurant in the future? Why or why not?

I would definitely return to this restaurant in the future mostly because of how nice it seemed inside. I was also very pleased with the quality of food and the way it was prepared. The food came out on time and we didn’t seem rushed. It was a very pleasing experience and I would recommend anyone to try it out.

Cuando el cuento comienza, Ofelia llega con su madre quien está enferma y embarazada para reunir con su padrastro, capitán Vidal, quien da sus servicios en la administración de Franco. Vidal vive en un sitio recluido en el campo español, en donde los soldados rebeldes todavía andan alrededor. Vidal es el padre biológico del bebé, y él declara que el bebe debe ser y será un hijo que nacerá cerca de él.

Las señales siniestras de un futuro lúgubre son evidentes del primer apretón de manos. Cuando Ofelia ofrece a Vidal la mano "incorrecta", él reacciona violentamente, casi rompiéndose la mano con su apretón fuerte. Fijando en nuestra familiaridad con tales cuentos de la familia, Del Toro no elabora en las relaciones entre Ofelia, su buena madre, y su padrastro repugnante.

Tomando una caminata en el laberinto al lado de su casa, Ofelia se encuentra en un mundo de la fantasía. La diferencia entre los reinos opuestos de la historia es poco. El nuevo reino acentúa la diferencia del mundo "verdadero" de Ofelia, que es definido por la insensibilidad y la violencia cruel. Al crédito de Del Toro, los reinos fueron hechos meticulosamente y imaginado tan perfectamente que no hay necesidad de elaborar en las tensiones entre ellos.

Ofelia descubre un ídolo pagan y una hada que la guía a un laberinto que está detrás del edificio, un laberinto que sea anterior al cristianismo. Un fauno le cuenta a Ofelia que ella es la princesa perdida del reino de hadas, y le asigna tres tareas de lograr antes de que ella pueda volver a casa. Ofelia tiene que conseguir una cosa en un banquete peligroso y no puede comer el alimento que esta allí, también hay un sapo gigante que tiene que comer una piedra mágica. Todas las tareas tienen que ser completadas antes de la luna llena.

Ofelia cree en el mundo de las hadas y en lo que el fauno le dice, a pesar de cuan feo es; él tiene vasos de caballo como pies y cuernos en su cabeza. Sin embargo, no como de Vidal, Ofelia no confía completamente en el fauno, lo cual sea su rescate y salvación en el final.

Ya que los destinos de su madre y padrastro están preordinados, Ofelia no es; ella es el único carácter con su libre albedrio para hacer decisiones. Como una muchacha joven, Ofelia se encuentra a si misma entre la niñez y la adolescencia; le dicen que ella es demasiado vieja para los cuentos de hadas, pero todavía ella está muy fascinada con ellos.

El tema de la dualidad se repite muchas veces durante la película. El centro del laberinto cambia de mágico a no-mágico; los soldados rebeldes tienen identidades dobles; y los pocos momentos honestos de Vidal ocurren cuando él está en frente de un espejo.

Aunque esta película incluye una historia para y acerca de niños, ningún niño menos de diez anos debe ver la película, porque es demasiado oscura y la violencia se disturba extremadamente. Pero todos los demás deben ver esta película. Es una parábola para nuestra época. En cuanto de porqué él juntaría el mundo mágico de la fantasía "de hadas" de la niñez con la realidad fuerte de la historia española debajo de Franco, Guillermo del Toro ha dicho, "para mí, fascismo es una representación del último horror y está, en este sentido, un concepto ideal con el cual de contar un cuento de hadas creado para adultos. Porque el fascismo es una perversión de la inocencia, así es una perversión de la niñez."

En vez de hacer una alegoría fascista simple, Del Toro usa su material mejor, usando la cantidad perfecta de temor e imaginación para asustar el alma de todos. Su meta es muy ambiciosa, él quisiera que recordáramos esta película, y definitivamente él es exitoso en eso. Del Toro construye dos mundos enteramente diferentes, con los mundos siempre siendo creíbles (el mágico, caliente y el dar la bienvenida, y el verdadero, frío y estéril). “El Laberinto del Fauno" mezcla un número de conceptos diferentes. La película es su propio género y una declaración personal. Es horror gótico y fantasía. Es históricamente específico y sigue los políticos de aquel tiempo perfectamente pero también universal en sus características cinemáticas.

En muchas películas, las interpretaciones de los actores no serian tan buenos comparados a los elementos más fantásticos, pero aquí, los actores hallan el drama en la historia. Capitán Vidal es uno de los bandidos más espantosos de mucho tiempo, y Maribel Verdu, que era tan atractiva en la película de Alfonso Cuaron, Y tu mama también, hace muy bien como Mercedes, la criada querida y fuerte quien llegue a ser un tipo de madre sustituta para Ofelia. Doug Jones, tomando dos papeles como el fauno y el hombre pálido, sus expectaciones y sus tactos pasen lo que una película requiere generalmente. Sin embargo, Baquero es quien toma la atención durante la película. Ella interpreta a Ofelia con la cantidad exacta de inteligencia y de desconcierto que es diferente a los clichés típicos de la niñez y hace que las audiencias sientan que son parte de la fantasía de esta muchacha joven. Su interpretación es bastante fuerte y le pone junto a las mejores representaciónes dadas por niños.

El laberinto del Fauno afecta más porque Del Toro pone la fantasía en la vida verdadera. Hasta ahora, Del Toro ha sido sobre todo un artista de películas de temor. Pero El Laberinto del Fauno lo hace un artista verdadero con una visión profunda y grande del mundo.

El Laberinto del Fauno, una de las mejores películas del 2006, es un logro increíble que nos lleva a las raíces de la fantasía y del horror. Cuando entramos la vida sub-real de Ofelia, nos sorprende y nos cautive en los terrores de la realidad y los esplendores de la imaginación.

Si podríamos ver el año 2100, encontraríamos tecnología asombrosa comparada con la tecnología que tenemos ahorita. Las computadoras serían chiquitísimas y tendremos la opción de controlarla con nuestra voz. Nuestros carros estarían conectados a la red para que podamos revisar nuestro correo electrónico cuando sea. También con la habilidad de revisar el correo, vamos poder bajar música o videos cuando queramos. Todo que tenemos va estar conectado a la red todo el tiempo. No necesitaremos un ipod con más que cien gigabits, porque cuando queramos escuchar a nuestra música, no mas tendremos que conectar a nuestra cuenta de la red y como mágico, tendremos toda la música que queramos. Entonces lo que va ser más importante sería la rapidez de su conexión a la red y no el espacio que tiene para guardar música.

Aunque en el futuro veremos muchas avanzas con la tecnología, eso no va a resolver nuestros problemas. Los problemas que tenemos ahorita con la posibilidad de tener una recesión no se van a quitar. Va empeorar mucho más antes de que se mejore. Pero a la misma vez, nos va forzar buscar otros remedios a los problemas. En el futuro, es seguro que todos los carros van a usar algo diferente que gasolina. La gente no puede seguir pagando más y más para la gasolina y seguir viviendo vidas normales. Los carros van ser más pequeño y no van a gastar tanta energía como los camionotes que manejamos ahorita. Aparte de la gasolina, nuestra comida costaría más y vamos tener que cultivar nuestros propios frutos y vegetables. Nuestra manera de trabajar sería diferente también. Ya que todo va estar usando la red, nosotros también vamos trabajar con la red también. Eso lo haría posible a trabajar en cualquier sitio del mundo o quizás otros mundos también. A fin de cuentas, por aquel tiempo probablemente estaremos viviendo en Marte.

Si calculo las décadas correctamente, van seguir repitiendo y por el año 2100 todos estarían vestidos como los hippies otra vez… ok, quizás no, pero me magino que estaremos vestidos similar de cómo vestimos ahorita. Tal vez camisas de colores o materiales diferentes o un corte de pelo un poco más feo, pero pareceremos igual a hoy día. Lo que si va ser muy diferente es la manera que socialicemos con otras personas. Este problema va venir de usar tanta tecnología, no sabremos cómo tratar amigos cuando estemos juntos con ellos. Vamos estar tan acostumbrado a mandar mensajes de texto o correos electrónicos que no vamos recordar como comunicar bien. Esto sería un problema muy grande para la población en general. Debemos empezar de cuidarnos para que no caigamos en esta trampa.

En el futuro sería muy triste porque la voz del público no sería tan fuerte como es ahorita. La democracia que tenemos ahorita no existiría y sería sustituida por un gobierno más como la monarquía. En vez de tener un presidente guiándonos al buen camino, tendremos una persona más como un rey y él nos mandaría a cumplir con sus mandatos. Pero la razón que vamos tener un Rey es porque va llegar un momento cuando la gente va perder su confianza con nuestros líderes y querrían una sistema nueva. Pero el sistema no podría ser muy diferente porque habría una revolución si hicieron eso. Entonces el gobierno, aunque la estructura va cambiar un poco, la manera en que funciona sería casi lo mismo. En un nivel más cerca, la policía todavía estaría protegiéndonos y creo que nunca vamos perder su asistencia. No importa qué tipo de gobierno tenemos, la policía todavía estaría ahí para ayudarnos. No creo que podríamos vivir por mucho tiempo sin la ayuda de ellos.

El resto del mundo tendría sus propios problemas. Las guerras civiles de África nunca van cesar y la guerra de Iraq nunca va terminar por que no están peleando sobre algo que se puede corregir. Los problemas ahí vienen de siglos de creencias fuertes. Necesitaría más que nuestro ejército para ayudarles empezar un gobierno nuevo. China estaría el mejor lugar en todo el mundo. Aun ahorita tienen mucha tecnología muy avanzada que no tenemos en los estados unidos y en cien años más, ni si quiera podrías imaginar todo que tendrían.

Entonces en el futuro, la tecnología sería mucha más avanzada y todo que tenemos estaría conectado a la red. La economía estaría mucho peor que es ahorita y sufriremos si no hemos preparado bien. También en el futuro vestiremos casi igual a como vestimos hoy día. Vamos ser menos sociables porque vamos estar tan acostumbrado a mandar mensajes de texto o correos electrónicos que vamos olvidar como comunicar bien. El gobierno sería muy diferente por la corrupción que hay. Llegaría un día cuando tendremos que escoger un Rey en vez de un Presidente porque vamos perder la confianza en sus decisiones. El mundo todavía estaría un poco loco con las guerras y otros problemas que habría. Sin embargo, podríamos corregir todos estos problemas si olvidemos los problemas de todos los demás y si empezaríamos limpiando nuestras propias vidas.

El heroísmo es la presencia de cualidades especiales de virtud y valor que uno se demuestra en un momento cuando nadie lo espera. El problema es que muchas veces los héroes son muy pocos porque para muchas personas es más fácil de no hacer nada y dejar el futuro al destino. En el cuento el héroe está harto de estar arriba del caballo y decide que quiere pasearse un rato. Habla de la diferencias de la vista de arriba del caballo y de abajo en el suelo. A veces los héroes pueden estar tan egocéntricos que olvidan los que tienen menos aun que los que tienen menos siempre están viendo para arriba hacia los héroes esperando que algún día puedan ser como ellos.

El héroe se encuentra desanimado después de ver los tanques y la disrupción civil que estaba en la ciudad. Cuando se sentó en un banco de la plaza, un joven se sentó a su lado. Para el héroe el joven es una representación de esperanza y le hace preguntas sobre la situación. Las palabras del joven le anima al caudillo cuando contestó la pregunta, “¿Y ahora qué hará?” El joven le respondió, “Eso no lo puedo decir a nadie”. Para el héroe esto significaba que el joven tenía un plan que iba ayudar a salvar la ciudad, el joven iba ser su héroe.

Estrella siguió investigando y una noche siguió su papá al cine. Por un momento vemos adentro del cine y Augustine esta ahí prestando mucha atención a la mujer de la película. Luego cuando salió de la película, Estrella estaba afuera y le siguió a una cafetería donde le encontró escribiendo una carta. Oímos los pensamientos de Augustine y es obvio que él está escribiendo a la mujer de la película, lo cual es una querida que ha conocido de Sevilla, la ciudad de su niñez de Augustine. Se sorprendió cuando levantó su cabeza y vio a su hija en la ventana, como que no quería que viera la carta. Poco después, Augustine se fue de la casa durante la noche y no regresó hasta la próxima mañana. Estrella no sabía exactamente a donde fue y cuando le preguntó a su mamá si sabía que pasaba con él, su mamá le contestó que no sabía tampoco. Esto le molestó mucho a Estrella y se escondió debajo de su cama. Estrella entonces empezó a desconfiar en su papá por que parecía que tenía muchos secretos que estaba guardando.

Años después Estrella ya esta más grande y no esta tan cerca a su papá como en el principio de la película. Aun se esconde cuando le ve en la calle cuando están en la ciudad. Un día Augustine le preguntó a Estrella si quería almorzar con él en el Gran Hotel. Esto fue una sorpresa para Estrella porque su papá nunca había hecho algo así en su vida. Durante el almuerzo Augustine le preguntó a Estrella que había pasado a su relación. Estrella le contestó con su propia pregunta sobre la mujer que él estaba escribiendo por todos estos años. Augustine, en vez de darla una respuesta, se fue al baño y le vemos lavando el sudor de su cabeza. Pareció que estaba muy nervioso con la respuesta a esta pregunta que Estrella le hizo. Cuando Augustine regresó a la mesa, trate de cambiar el tema por hablar de la música que el grupo estaba tocando en el cuarto al lado. Estrella tenía que ir a la escuela y se fue sin reconocer la importancia de la música.

En la próxima escena, vemos su papá de Estrella boca abajo en el pasto con un rifle a su lado. Él había cometido suicidio. Augustine había vaciado sus bolsas antes de que salió de la casa y Estrella encontró una receta de una conferencia telefónica que él había tenido la noche anterior con alguien del sur. Estrella escondió este papel para tratar de salvar la reputación de su papá porque piensa que la llamada fue con la mujer que siempre escribía en el sur. Al final de la película Estrella estaba empacando sus cosas en su equipaje y vemos que todavía tenía la receta de la llamada que hizo su papá. Al cerrar el equipaje el narrador dice, “Por fin, voy a conocer el sur”.

Esta es un cuento que toma en serio la procreación y nos hace pensar en los límites éticos que tenemos como sociedad. Este es, claramente, un dilema típico de nuestra época, en la que cada día más las nuevas parejas tienen dificultades para tener hijos por el estrés y los problemas que vivimos.

En este cuento, el narrador nos presenta otros temas muy comunes actualmente: el problema de la infertilidad, el deseo de tener hijos y los métodos alternativos. Obviamente, el problema de la fertilidad ha existido siempre, pero ha llegado a ser más controversial en esta época debido a que hay muchas técnicas nuevas de fecundación. Para la pareja del cuento, esta idea de utilizar a otro hombre sólo es una de las muchas opciones para poder tener un hijo. Es asombroso cómo las creencias conservadoras de los españoles han cambiado en los últimos años y han pasado a ser mucho más liberales. En el cuento estas creencias nuevas se demuestran no sólo en la pareja, sino en el hombre y su familia también. Es interesante que ningún miembro de la familia del hombre esté muy sorprendido de que la mujer quiera usar a otro hombre para tener un hijo, sino que se enfoquen más en la sorpresa de que ella escogió específicamente a ese hombre.

Otro elemento del cuento es la libertad que la mujer ha recibido en estos últimos años. Durante el gobierno de Franco, las mujeres tenían pocos derechos, pero ahora todas tienen mucha más libertad. Aquí el marido está dispuesto a dejar que su esposa tenga relaciones con otro hombre, una idea muy anormal. Esto nos hace pensar que están pasando dos cosas: la mujer tiene poder de decidir cuál opción quiere tomar y a la vez el hombre tiene respeto de la opción que la mujer tome. Es interesante también cómo reacciona el hombre que la mujer escoge. Primero, el hombre cree lo que la mujer le explica y, segundo, está dispuesto a ayudarla en esta rara situación sin tener información acerca de ella. Estos dos hechos prueban el respeto entre los sexos. La liberación de los papeles femeninos tradicionales como madre y esposa, su igualdad con el hombre y su independencia, son conceptos que han empezado a desarrollarse de manera significativa desde finales de los años cincuenta hasta la total libertad de hoy.

Como hemos demostrado, “Entonces empezó a olvidar” es un cuento contemporáneo de varias maneras. Los problemas de la fertilidad y la libertad de la mujer han sido temas muy nuevos que empezaron después de la muerte de Franco. La sociedad española ha cambiado muchísimo, y entonces todavía estos temas puedan ser muy controversiales. El cuento demuestra los pensamientos comunes que la sociedad ya tiene después de 30 años de democracia.

Esta es un cuento que toma en serio la procreación y nos hace pensar en los límites éticos que tenemos como sociedad. Este es, claramente, un dilema típico de nuestra época, en la que cada día más las nuevas parejas tienen dificultades para tener hijos por el estrés y los problemas que vivimos.

En este cuento, el narrador nos presenta otros temas muy comunes actualmente: el problema de la infertilidad, el deseo de tener hijos y los métodos alternativos. Obviamente, el problema de la fertilidad ha existido siempre, pero ha llegado a ser más controversial en esta época debido a que hay muchas técnicas nuevas de fecundación. Para la pareja del cuento, esta idea de utilizar a otro hombre sólo es una de las muchas opciones para poder tener un hijo. Es asombroso cómo las creencias conservadoras de los españoles han cambiado en los últimos años y han pasado a ser mucho más liberales. En el cuento estas creencias nuevas se demuestran no sólo en la pareja, sino en el hombre y su familia también. Es interesante que ningún miembro de la familia del hombre esté muy sorprendido de que la mujer quiera usar a otro hombre para tener un hijo, sino que se enfoquen más en la sorpresa de que ella escogió específicamente a ese hombre.

Otro elemento del cuento es la libertad que la mujer ha recibido en estos últimos años. Durante el gobierno de Franco, las mujeres tenían pocos derechos, pero ahora todas tienen mucha más libertad. Aquí el marido está dispuesto a dejar que su esposa tenga relaciones con otro hombre, una idea muy anormal. Esto nos hace pensar que están pasando dos cosas: la mujer tiene poder de decidir cuál opción quiere tomar y a la vez el hombre tiene respeto de la opción que la mujer tome. Es interesante también cómo reacciona el hombre que la mujer escoge. Primero, el hombre cree lo que la mujer le explica y, segundo, está dispuesto a ayudarla en esta rara situación sin tener información acerca de ella. Estos dos hechos prueban el respeto entre los sexos. La liberación de los papeles femeninos tradicionales como madre y esposa, su igualdad con el hombre y su independencia, son conceptos que han empezado a desarrollarse de manera significativa desde finales de los años cincuenta hasta la total libertad de hoy.

Como hemos demostrado, “Entonces empezó a olvidar” es un cuento contemporáneo de varias maneras. Los problemas de la fertilidad y la libertad de la mujer han sido temas muy nuevos que empezaron después de la muerte de Franco. La sociedad española ha cambiado muchísimo, y entonces todavía estos temas puedan ser muy controversiales. El cuento demuestra los pensamientos comunes que la sociedad ya tiene después de 30 años de democracia.

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December Family History Activities PDFDownload

• Compare Virgil's Aeneas with a hero from one of the Homeric epics. What might Virgil be saying by means of the similarities and differences?

When comparing Virgil's Aeneas with a Homeric hero, it is obvious that Virgil was not after the same thing as Homer.   Obviously in order to have a hero, one must possess similar traits such as devotion and leadership. Homer's Odysseus possessed these traits along with many others. Odysseus was a man of strength, courage, nobility, had a thirst for glory, and confidence in his authority.   He was also extremely intelligent and his sharp intellect came in handy numerous times throughout his journey home. For example, he used his wits to outsmart the Cyclops after having been trapped in the cave of Polyphemus.

On the other side, Odysseus was more concerned with his own well-being than that of others on regular occasion. His wife waited 20 years for him to return, while, although he was lost, he was enjoying the company of other beautiful women such as Calypso. Odysseus even tells Calypso that his wife will never compare to her. Seeing the way he acts shows us great amounts about the value he places on his family, they are somewhat important to him, but not as important as his immediate desires.

Virgil's Aeneas was much like Odysseus in many ways. He too was a man of strength, courage, nobility, had a thirst for glory, and was very confident in his authority. Aeneas was a very intelligent leader who many people loved and trusted. Aeneas, like Odysseus, also had a high respect for the Gods, especially since his mother is Venus, the God of beauty and erotic love. Aeneas places high value on destiny and fate, he tries to include those in all of the decisions he makes.

Aeneas makes up in all the places where Odysseus lacks. Aeneas is a man of high values, who wants the greater good in everything he does. He was known as being very sympathetic towards everyone he met, the rich, the poor, everyone. Aeneas was very compassionate and giving of his time and strength whenever it was needed. He placed very high value on his family and this is shown when he is seen leaving Troy with his son, and his father who could barely stand, carried on his back. Virgil made sure that everything that Odysseus did wrong, Aeneas did right. Aeneas was also able to push aside his own desires and follow the higher laws. He did not give in and choose the easy road when he knew he had greater duties to follow.

After having looked at a Homeric hero and compared it with Virgil's Aeneas, it is easy to see what Virgil was going for. Since Virgil knew well the works of Homer, he took all the good he could find in the characters, and created what he thought to be an even greater hero. The hero that Virgil created is one that meets our current definition of a hero in today's society. Someone who stands up for the what they believe to be right even when it's not the popular one, someone willing to get down and get their hands dirty when they don't have to, or someone who does something without seeking the reward. Aeneas makes up for what Odysseus lacked, Virgil knew what he was doing.

• Use Shakespeare's Hamlet and another assigned reading of your choosing to demonstrate qualities of a 'tragedy.' How do the works relate to Aristotle's definition of a tragedy?

Aristotle defines a tragedy as a serious story that is acted out which builds emotion throughout its entirety, then ends with a breath taking moment that brings everything together in one conclusion. Aristotle looked at a tragedy as a form of therapy, different from that of real life. For example, Aristotle would have said that to watch a murder in real life would be emotionally traumatizing, but to watch it in the theater which allows us to think about murder and develop personal thoughts and ideas about the subject. Much like in the story of Hamlet or Oedipus the King, a tragedy can end with the death of the hero, obviously providing the closure needed as to avoid any loose ends.

The story of Oedipus the King is a great example of a tragedy. This story involves a boy who was told that one day he would grow to kill his father and marry his own mother, and so as to avoid that fate, he ran away never again to return to his home. He then comes to Thebes and solves the riddle of the sphinx, which saved the people of the city. The citizens then chose to honor him by making him their king. Soon thereafter, there is a great plague placed upon the city. The people turn to Oedipus to put an end to their suffering. Oedipus then learns through the rest of the story that the reason there was a plague upon the city was because of himself. He learned that in his attempt to escape his fate, he had actually done just the opposite. The oracle of Delphi tells Oedipus that he was adopted as a young child. He also tells him that he killed his real father when he left who he thought was his family. The oracle goes on to tell him that the woman he is married to now, is in fact his actual mother. With all of the recognition happening in this play, it also helps define why this is considered a tragedy. After Oedipus realizes what had happened, he stabs his eyes out and asks Creon to banish him, providing us with the tying up of loose ends for the conclusion.

Hamlet is as well another great example of a tragedy. Different than the story of Oedipus, Shakespeare's Hamlet focuses mainly on the character of Hamlet, rather than Oedipus which focuses on the recognition of actions that had happened in the past. In the story of Hamlet, young Hamlets father is killed, and his uncle then marries his mother and takes the throne. Hamlet believes that his uncle is the one who killed his father and throughout the play he is determined to prove it. He even goes as far as to have actors put on a play depicting how Hamlet envisioned his father’s murder to be, just to see how his uncle would respond to it. He gets the response he expected and knows his uncle is guilty. The closing scene is what Aristotle would call, an amazing ending. With almost every main character being killed by each other, the tragedy is definitely concluded. We are not left with anything else to think about, other than what had happened during the story.

In both of these stories the plot is very deep and complex, something that Aristotle would say is a must. According to Aristotle, the plot is what makes a piece of work, art. The more closely intertwined a sequence of events is throughout a story, the better for Aristotle. These pieces both have you constantly looking for a possible solution to the situations presented, and do a good job about keeping the conclusion hidden until it comes the right time. A tragedy consists of different parts, such as the plot, characters, thought, rhythm and action, and these stories have it all.

• Choose from the assigned 'sacred texts' and discuss how the work might be perceived as being universal. Or discuss how the work is not universal. What does the text teach us about the identity of the work's audience?

The story of Joseph was and is a story that greatly influenced the people of that time when it was written, as well as a strength and guide for the believers of Hebrew scripture in our day as well. The values that are discussed in the story about loyalty, forgiveness, devotion, and unconditional love, are all things that people could learn from, even today.

When Joseph was sold into Egypt, he felt greatly betrayed by his brothers. He was forced to start a new life as a slave, thinking that he would never see his family again. Having been a slave for some time he had gained a reputation of interpreting dreams. The Pharaoh himself started to have dreams and wanted them interpreted. Joseph did interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, even the dream regarding the 7 years of feast and the seven years of famine. Joseph told the king that they must prepare for the time of famine during the feast. When the feast came to an end, the Pharaoh had done what Joseph recommended, so when the famine began, they had plenty of storage to last them through the next seven years. People came from all around the country to buy corn from Joseph, even his own brothers.

Now at that moment, most people's first reaction would be to punish those who had so deeply betrayed you. But Joseph teaches the people of his day, as well as the believers throughout time that the higher law is forgiveness. Instead of punishing them for what they had done to him, Joseph gets his brother to go get his father and other brother. They then eat together and still have no idea that it is Joseph. Joseph then sends them away with as much food as they can carry, but he also plants a silver cup in the youngest brother, Benjamin's sack. He soon after reveals himself to his brothers, telling them not to fear him or be worried that they sold him into Egypt. Joseph tells them that God allowed them to do it so that Joseph could be in Egypt to help preserve his family during this time of famine.

The story of Joseph being sold into Egypt can apply on a daily basis when we consider all the ways people are betrayed in our day. Those Christians who believe in the Hebrew Scriptures would take Joseph's example of unconditional love and later compare it to that of even Jesus Christ himself. Joseph also showed great humility when he was a slave, doing exactly what he was told and never complaining. His story is greatly universal and applies to not only the people of his day, but to those that have existed since.

• Use two assigned readings to define 'skepticism.' You may compare and contrast the works. Discuss each author's purpose.

Skepticism is a doubting or questioning attitude, and a lot of the time a true skeptic doubts the existence of any true knowledge at all. Often times, those who follow the Socratic Method are thought to be skeptics. The Socratic method of discovering the truth involves lots of questions and debate, which sometimes ends without a conclusion. This way of reasoning is found in the stories of Shakespeare and Montaigne. The stories are filled with questions about the unknown, often drawing personal conclusions from the questions that are answered. This is also known as a dialectic form of reasoning.

The other form of finding the truth that is found in the text is didactic reasoning. Didactic reasoning, different than dialectic, is where someone looks for the truth by listening and learning from lectures or other text. There isn't as much debate or questioning as dialectic. Some examples of didactic text are the Hebrew Scripture, the Koran, and Augustine. These texts, contrary to dialectic texts, are written to give answers to questions, not incite them. In these stories, we are to compare them to our own lives to help us give reason to the things we go through.

In Augustine, we read about a young boy’s journey to manhood and his search for truth. Augustine's lasting effect comes from his combining of the Neo-platonic view of religion, with the Christian views. The purpose behind Augustine's writing of this text was to praise his God, as well as inform his readers of the path he has found to be correct. He does this to help others avoid going through the same things that he did, in order to find his truth. When Augustine came close to the Academics, he saw firsthand the students of Plato and their skepticism. Those students believed to doubt everything and accept nothing as absolute truth. Augustine decided that that course was not for him, and chose to put more trust in faith than an absolute knowledge.

As we can tell, Skepticism has been around for a very long time. In today's age, the word skeptic sometimes derives a negative connotation. The idea of someone always asking the question, "Why?" and never being content with the answer is almost an annoyance to most. After realizing the rationale behind that way of thinking, we know that that is clearly a false idea. Skepticism has been proven to be a legitimate way of drawing conclusions time and time again. The way of the skeptic may not be a route most of us would choose, but using that way of thinking, we still mind come to the same conclusion.

The piece in the top right hand corner of the page was seen towards the beginning of the semester when we were learning about the different shapes, colors, and contrasting effects that can be used in a piece of art. It is perfectly centered on the piece with almost the exact same amount of blue on all 4 of the corners. That would make the piece symmetrical. It’s nice to see the images have such contrast in colors, from the dark black to the bright greens then blue. The colors still remain harmonious. With how the image is shaded it allows you to know that the black is actually a shade of purple. It’s a good-looking painting.

And of course the most amazing piece in the middle of the image, which was done by Lino Tagliapietra who is an amazing glass blowing artist. He has been around basically since the art of glass blowing began. The piece seen in the image is called Concerto di Primavera. It is amazing to see how they can shape the molten glass into such amazing pieces of art. If there was any one field I would like to be a part of, this would definitely be it.

(click on the full-screen button in the top right corner from mobile to open it in Google Maps)

Fixer Upper Show Must-Sees

This is in order of priority based on our experiences at each location as well as the proximity to the previous location:

• Magnolia Table
• Harp Design Co.
• Junky Monkey
• Magnolia Silos (Bakery, Market, Food Trucks)
• Shotgun House
• Waco Suspension Bridge
• Little Shop on Bosque

Magnolia Table

The reason this is first is because there is a pretty long wait time to get seated, sometimes many hours. You'll need to go here first, put your name in, then you can leave and wait till you get a text message to return. You can usually get in one or two of the next stops while you're waiting.

The menu is very small, only a few options, and really they're just variations on the same few things. The biscuits were amazing, and the strawberry butter on the biscuits was phenomenal. Everything else was tasty, but nothing out of this world.

2132 S Valley Mills Dr Waco, TX 76706

Harp Design Co.

This one is an obvious one, and if you put your name in at Magnolia Table, it's a pretty quick drive over to see Clint's little store. There are also a few houses in between Magnolia Table and Harp Design Co. that you can see along the way if you're quick. Fun fact, they offer shipping to send it back home for you if you can't pack it back.

808 N 15th St Waco, TX 76707

Junky Monkey

If you went to Harp Design Co. while waiting for your table, on the way back you can go by Junky Monkey and check out this unique little shop. It's one of the ones where Jo gets all her unique antiques. Funky place, lots of old stuff. It's right down the street from Magnolia Table.

1715 La Salle Ave Waco, TX 76706

Magnolia Silos

This is the epicenter of all things Fixer Upper. Plan on spending at least an hour here, maybe more if it's a busy day. The silos look awesome, the courtyard is super nice, the bakery is tasty, and the market is pretty awesome. As a husband, it was a great place to just chill and people watch as there were lots of places to sit. Chip and Jo seriously figured out how to make a Fixer Upper Disneyland. So well done, everyone was so nice, just a great experience overall.

601 Webster Ave Waco, TX 76706

Shotgun House

Of all the memorable houses, this one stands out for me. It was a very unique build. It's literally two blocks away from the Silos so it was an obvious choice.

625 S 7th St Waco, TX 76706

Waco Suspension Bridge

Not that this is a huge Fixer Upper thing, but I think it shows up in the opening shot of each show. It's a pretty cool bridge with a ton of Longhorn statues in front. Quick stop not far from the Silos.

101 N University Parks Dr Waco, TX 76701

Little Shop on Bosque

The Little Shop on Bosque is a little far away from everything, but it's a cute little store that was worth the trip. And again, there are a few houses between the bridge and the shop that made it an easy choice to visit.

3801 Bosque Blvd Waco, TX 76710

Fixer Upper Show No-Gos

Alright, so there are a lot of lists floating around with some pretty extensive things to see from the show. We saw a lot of them and was less than impressed with some of them. Some not-so-important things to go visit:

• **Chip and Jo's Farm **- I know, this is on the must-visit list... but I'll tell you what, we were creepers and went to find their farm, save yourself the trouble. There's nothing to see, they've done a fantastic job hiding their farm from all streets. You can't see it at all. So unless seeing their front gate is exciting to you, save yourself the trip (it's about 20 minutes outside of Waco).
• Waco Visitor Center - There is no cutout of Chip and Jo at the location, and it's tiny and not super exciting... 🤷🏼‍♂️
• Dr. Pepper Museum - As of November 2019, the museum is in need of a makeover. It's pretty old feeling at this point, and sadly the "free" Dr. Pepper didn't even taste good... 😞

3220 S. Nellis Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89121

According to Wikipedia.org, Fresh & Easy neighborhood markets is an off shoot of a British supermarket chain called Tesco. The British chain announced that it would be expanding into the United States back on February 9, 2006. They have focused their expansion mainly into the western region on the United States including California, Nevada and Arizona. On November 1, 2007 Fresh & Easy opened its first store in the United States which was located in Hemet, California. Since then there have been a total of 107 stores opened in the United States.

The stores are much smaller than most regular grocery stores. They are usually located right on the corner of two major streets and do not have very large parking lots. Especially here in Las Vegas they came into town right at the same time as Rite-Aid was going out of business, they seemed to have used that greatly to their advantage and bought the old locations and converted them into new Fresh & Easy stores. The carts are all located outside of the store so you have to get one as you enter.

As you walk in there are always waters and plants for sale in the entrance. The first section you walk into once entering the store is the produce aisle. An interesting difference from most grocery stores is that the produce isn’t sold by the pound; it’s sold per package, which makes it a lot easier to buy than having to weigh out every piece of produce. There is then an aisle for frozen food and meats and cheese, they also have a section for pre-packaged meals that look like they have been put together by the store itself. These are usually very simple and very convenient meals made for one or two people. There are then other aisles like most grocery stores that have medicine, pasta, breads, candy, etc. There is a large bread area with many different types of bread I’m not used to seeing in a regular grocery store. Many types are ones that I have never even heard of. There is a pre-made desert section as well with cakes and pies prepackaged and ready to go.

It’s like the food is all packaged for a smaller family. Just like how Sams Club specializes in bulk packaging, it’s like Fresh & Easy specializes in packages made for small families of 2 or 3 people. It makes it really convenient for my wife and me to shop there. Another different point from most grocery stores is that there aren’t any cashiers, everything is self checkout and they have only one person watching the checkout lanes. This makes it good for the customer and good for the store. Good for the customer because we can checkout as fast or as slow as we would like, good for the store because they can cut down on the amount of employees they have to have on the clock which greatly brings down the overhead associated with this type of store. And different than some of the large grocery chains, these stores have always been very clean every time I have been.

My wife and I enjoy Fresh & Easy and will definitely continue to shop there for all of the above reasons. This new supermarket chain has gone without much recognition this far in its progression here in the United States, but I would assume that with all of the locations that keep showing up around town, their popularity will continue to grow as well.

William Morris has a very interesting style. His art is very detailed and takes different shapes than most glass art. He actually does sculpture type pieces that require a lot of meticulous work. I like how his pieces can be seen as glass art or other types of art as well. His bronze pieces were really interesting as well. They look like ancient artifacts that have been dug up out of old tombs. I really like how smooth all of his pieces seem.

Dale Chihuly has some way nice pieces of glass art. It seems to me that he really likes making pieces that resemble seaforms which flow across all of his work. Under his wall installations I really like the lighting that is used to accent all of the pieces. It makes the colors stand out far more than usual. His chandeliers are also very intriguing because of their many pieces of glass that form them. It must take so much time to create a piece like those.

Dale Chihuly says that Lino Tagliapietra is the world’s greatest living glass blower, and I can see why. His pieces are amazing. They look almost like they were created on another planet. So much detail is involved in each of his pieces it would take nothing less than a master to complete pieces like his. The dinosaur collection has very long free flowing pieces that you could probably look at for hours. I definitely enjoyed his work.

Glass art definitely takes the prize for me. These artists have some amazing talent that I wish I could have a small piece of. The ability to create these objects must come from years of practice and patience in order to achieve such perfection. They represent more than just the power of the imagination, but the hard work and determination to create something that nobody else has created.

No es ninguna coincidencia que Almodóvar haya comenzado a rodar su primer largometraje (Pepi, Luci, Bom, y otras chicas del montón*, *1980) en el mismo año – 1978 – en que España adoptó una nueva constitución tras los cuarenta años de dictadura franquista. Es innecesario recordar que durante ese largo período no sólo el cine producido en España fue sometido a la censura, sino también todas las películas que se exhibían en el país, cualquiera fuese su origen y procedencia. Franco, además, había ordenado el cierre de la escuela de cine de Madrid, la única existente en toda España, de modo que cuando a la edad de diecisiete años (en 1966), Almodóvar emigró de su ciudad natal, Calzada de Calatrava, en la provincia de Ciudad Real, a la capital del país, se encontró con que no existía ninguna institución en la que pudiera realizar un aprendizaje formal para llevar a cabo su ambición de convertirse en realizador cinematográfico. Con la adopción de la nueva constitución, aprobada tras un referéndum, se inició en Madrid una etapa de irrestricta libertad cultural y sexual que se conoció como la movida, y que en el curso de las próximas dos décadas hizo de España, considerada hasta entonces como el país más retrógrado desde el punto de vista social y político de toda Europa, uno de los más liberales y avanzados en cuanto a costumbres sexuales y otros hábitos de vida.

Pedro Almodóvar fue, incluso antes de convertirse en el más famoso de los cineastas españoles, un indiscutible protagonista de la escena madrileña durante los años de la movida, y el cine que comienza a dar a conocer a partir del primero de sus largometrajes, no sólo se sitúa cronológicamente en ese período, sino que intenta captar y trasladar el clima de disolución y libertinaje del ámbito madrileño a través de la pintura de sus personajes, la recreación ambiental y algunas de las más típicas situaciones o “enredos” de su filmografía. De este período pueden considerarse la ya mencionada Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón (1980), Laberinto de pasiones (1982), Entre tinieblas (1983) y Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto (1984). Creo que con Matador (1986), se inicia otra fase de la filmografía de Almodóvar, en la que el tratamiento de algunos de sus temas fundamentales comienza a adquirir un grado de profundidad y esencialización que culminará, como he dicho al comienzo de este trabajo, en la película que nos ocupa hoy. Aunque no es mi intención proponer una periodización de esta filmografía, me atrevería a decir que esa segunda fase que según indiqué se inicia con Matador, puede abarcar también La ley del deseo (1987), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988), Átame (1990), Tacones lejanos (1991) y Kika (1993). * Yo advierto un significativo avance en la madurez con que el realizador aborda su temática y sus propias obsesiones a partir de La flor de mi secreto (1995), *Carne trémula (1997) y Todo sobre mi madre (1999), alcanzando el máximo grado de esencialización y despojamiento en Hable con ella (2002).

Este film de Almodóvar, en muchos sentidos y por diversas razones, parece indicar el momento en que el realizador abandona los recursos paródicos y satíricos que caracterizaron su filmografía más temprana y aparecen todavía fragmentariamente en su film, Todo sobre mi madre*, *para acercarse a los mismos temas que le obsesionaron desde siempre con una mirada (la mirada de la cámara, podríamos decir, pero también la mirada del propio autor en una etapa más avanzada de su madurez estética y de su conciencia social) despojada de todo lo superfluo, lo grotesco e incluso de los excesos histriónicos de sus personajes. Bien sabemos que el universo temático y anecdótico de Almodóvar está dominado por la sexualidad. La sexualidad en todas sus formas y variantes: heterosexualidad, homosexualidad, trans-sexualidad, travestismo, voyerismo, sadomasoquismo, pornografía, prostitución, perversión, y aunque estoy tentado de escribir “etcétera,” no sé, realmente, si después de este breve catálogo hay lugar para un “etcétera.” Es un universo poblado de hombres y mujeres necesitado de una relación de amor y ansioso por encontrarse sexualmente, aunque los caminos y formas de establecer esa relación son muy diversos. Sin embargo, en Hable con ella, no encontramos ninguna de las escenas erótico/sexuales a que nos había acostumbrado Almodóvar en sus filmes anteriores. Marcos y Lydia, dos de los personajes principales de la película, no participan de ninguna escena de amor, por lo menos sexualmente hablando, aunque sí hay un momento de mucha ternura entre ambos cuando en medio de la canción interpretada por Caetano Veloso (una de las secuencias artísticamente mejor logradas de todo el film), Marcos se aleja del lugar embargado por los recuerdos, Lydia advierte eso, le sigue, y se abraza a él para hacerle sentir que ella sigue a su lado.

En cuanto a la otra pareja protagónica, Alicia y Benigno, la única posible escena de amor en términos sexuales está hábilmente escamoteada por Almodóvar, al insertar en el film una película muda, El amante menguante (éste, también, uno de los pasajes más ingeniosos de la película, lo que prueba la versatilidad de recursos narrativos y específicamente cinematográficos del realizador), con lo que el acto de posesión sexual por parte de Benigno a la comatosa Alicia se nos da a través de una metáfora, una alegoría, y también – y esto es un elemento importante del repertorio discursivo de Almodóvar – mediante el uso del grotesco. Es grotesca la anécdota y la situación descripta en la película muda, pero también, si lo pensamos dos veces, resulta grotesca la posibilidad de la relación sexual entre un hombre virgen y una mujer en estado de coma, que no puede responder a su deseo, a sus caricias, ni a la penetración sexual. [1] Tal vez nos acercamos aquí a una de las perversiones que abundan en el repertorio de transgresiones sexuales que exhibe Almodóvar, la necrofilia, pero bien sabemos que el acto de posesión de Benigno no es nada de eso, sino un acto de verdadero amor, una necesidad de entrega y de consumar el deseo y los sentimientos largamente reprimidos. Por lo tanto, yo diría que el recurso del grotesco, tan recurrido por Almodóvar en la mayoría de sus films, resulta en este caso algo así como “redimido,” porque no se trata de exagerar los rasgos físicos o el comportamiento de las personas, tendiendo hacia el exceso o el ridículo (que pasa por ser la definición convencional de lo grotesco), sino de relacionar por contraste dos situaciones hasta cierto punto comparables (el amante diminuto internándose en la vagina de su amada y Benigno haciendo el amor con la inconsciente Alicia) para destacar, por un lado, el absurdo de una situación, y por el otro la autenticidad de un acto de amor que sólo podía ser consumado de esa manera. Me permito aquí incluir una breve cita de un trabajo sobre lo grotesco realizado por Orencia Moreno Correa, actriz y candidata al doctorado en Teatro y Artes del Espectáculo por la Universidad de París III. Lo grotesco en el teatro, dice Orencia, consiste en “captar la atención del espectador, provocar lo inesperado. Hay que sorprender al público con los elementos que no se esperan; no hay que interpretar con el referente de la vida cotidiana, sino con el referente de una vida mágica. Eso no quiere decir que lo que se haga sobre el escenario tenga que resultar inverosímil; todo lo contrario, tiene que ser real y asombroso. Este tipo de interpretación encierra en sí mismo lo trágico y lo cómico, tiende hacia la exageración y por oposición a lo más sutil”. [2]

Desde sus primeros filmes, Almodóvar percibió y expuso temáticamente y mediante el más directo recurso de las imágenes el profundo nexo ontológico existente entre sexo, amor y muerte. Este es un nudo temático que bien puede servir para explorar la reconocida influencia buñuelesca en la filmografía de Almodóvar. Si bien puede decirse que todo el cine español de postguerra debe algo a Buñuel, en ningún otro realizador como Almodóvar esta herencia es tan aparente. Buñuel indagó a fondo la relación entre el impulso sexual y lo que Freud llamó el instinto de muerte, la tensión entre “eros” y “tánatos,” evidente en filmes como Belle de jour*, Tristana, El obscuro objeto del deseo, etc. Sin embargo, Luis Buñuel, que filmó principalmente en México y en Francia – puesto que vivió en el exilio durante todo el período franquista y hasta su muerte – no dispuso de la libertad expresiva que la era post-franquista le concedió a Almodóvar, ya que si bien México o Francia no imponían restricciones de carácter moral, las condiciones históricas y culturales, tanto como las libertades que podía permitirse en esa época la industria cinematográfica, eran bastante restrictivas. Almodóvar se aventura en su filmografía mucho más allá – por lo menos en cuanto a lo explícito y desenfadado de las imágenes – de lo que se atrevió Buñuel, aunque vale la pena enfatizar que en este dominio Buñuel fue casi un precursor, y su obra es un insoslayable punto de partida para los cineastas que vinieron después, y por supuesto para éste de quien nos ocupamos hoy. La fuerza destructiva del impulso sexual librado a su propia satisfacción, falto y vacío de amor, se propone ya en los primeros filmes de Almodóvar, donde la violación y el sadomasoquismo (Pepi, Luci, Bom y la chicas del montón), la ninfomanía (Laberinto de pasiones), la lujuria y la promiscuidad sexual (Entre tinieblas, ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto?)* constituyen algunas de las prácticas sexuales más corrientes. Sin embargo, es al llegar a Matador (1986), que Almodóvar arriesga acceder al más profundo nivel del inescrutable nexo ontológico entre sexo, amor y muerte. Para lograrlo, el realizador recurre a un rito intransferiblemente español, el del toreo, ya que es en esta ceremonia donde la relación simbólica entre el sexo y la muerte se expresa en todas sus consecuencias. El enfrentamiento entre el matador y el toro es un enfrentamiento sexual; el toro representa el máximo exponente de masculinidad, y el torero que lo desafía lo hace con movimientos, gestos y atavíos casi femeninos, con lo que el supuesto “machismo” de la ceremonia se reduce a probar quién de los dos es el más hábil y en última instancia también el más fuerte. [3]

En la secuencia inicial de Matador*, *Diego, un famoso torero ya retirado de la lidia y ahora maestro de esas artes, instruye a un grupo de discípulos sobre la forma en que se debe culminar la faena, es decir, proceder a la muerte del toro. Simultáneamente, en una secuencia contrapuntística, María, el otro personaje protagónico, da muerte a uno de sus amantes en pleno acto sexual, siguiendo al pie de la letra las indicaciones que Diego transmite a sus discípulos. En una secuencia posterior, cuando Diego y María por fin se reencuentran, Diego confiesa: “Dejar de matar (referencia a su pasado de torero) era como dejar de vivir.” Esa fascinación con la muerte y la relación entre ésta y el sexo como acto consagratorio de la relación amorosa alcanza su culminación en la secuencia final, en la que los dos amantes ponen fin a sus vidas después de una última entrega sexual.

Aunque todo esto es muy explícito en cuanto a la forma en que Almodóvar interpreta el vínculo entre sexo, amor y muerte – la *petite morte orgásmica a la que se refiere Georges Bataille, el pensador que quizás haya dedicado la más extensa reflexión a este tópico -, ni en Matador ni en ninguno de sus filmes anteriores o posteriores el cineasta alcanza la profundidad ni el grado de despojamiento esencial [4] que podemos observar en Hable con ella respecto al significado último de este nexo ontológico. Marco y Benigno – la pareja masculina protagónica del film – aman a dos mujeres muertas, es decir, en coma, que para el caso es lo mismo. Si bien el film se permite varios flashbacks para darnos los antecedentes de la relación que ambos tienen con sus respectivos objetos del deseo, el mayor desarrollo argumental de la película transcurre cuando ambas mujeres ya han entrado en coma, de modo que ese cortejo estático, en torno o al lado de la cama, mudo en el caso de Marco, monologante en el caso de Benigno, adquiere el carácter de una ceremonia ritual, consistente en velar, cuidar, acompañar a un ser inanimado. Pero la significación de ese extraño vínculo amoroso adquiere un mayor nivel de profundidad cuando nos enteramos de que Lydia muere efectivamente después de que Marco ha abandonado el hospital y emprende un nuevo viaje, convencido de que Lydia y su pareja anterior, el torero apodado “el niño de Valencia,” continuaban amándose. Creo que es absolutamente legítimo interpretar que la muerte de Lydia se produce porque Marco ha dejado de amarla, con lo que Almodóvar parece decirnos que amor y muerte no sólo se relacionan ontológicamente en el acto sexual (la petite morte) sino también que el cese del amor (y del sexo) invocan o provocan la muerte. Alicia, en cambio, el amor de Benigno, vuelve a la vida – resucita – precisamente debido a un acto de amor, la supuesta violación que Benigno comete cuando bajo el estímulo de la película muda, El amante menguante, *ya no puede reprimir su deseo y penetra, esa noche, a su amada inconsciente. Alicia quedará embarazada y recobrará la vida al dar a luz, meses más tarde, a un niño que nace muerto. Benigno sólo se enterará de la mitad de la verdad – que su hijo nació sin vida – ya que las autoridades deciden ocultarle la recuperación de Alicia. Convencido de que no habrá de verla más, Benigno resuelve poner fin a su existencia, y esa muerte adquiere el significado de un sacrificio vicario, es decir, muerte expiatoria, morir para salvar o devolver la vida a otro ser.

Ya señalé antes que esa ceremonia tan indisolublemente ligada a la cultura y a la tradición españolas, la corrida de toros, se asocia claramente en la obra de Almodóvar con la fascinación de la muerte y también con el acto que sólo en apariencia constituye su negación: el acto sexual y la entrega amorosa. En relación con la muerte, Federico García Lorca ya había escrito, en los años treinta, que “en España, un hombre muerto, está más vivo después de su muerte que en ninguna otra parte del mundo.” [5] No creo que García Lorca aludiera a la “inmortalidad” que los próceres o los poetas gozan en todo el mundo, sino a un hecho intrínsecamente español, si bien sus raíces están en la cultura latina: la contigüidad espacial y temporal que el ser vivo tiene con sus muertos, la presencia de la muerte en medio de la vida. El espectáculo taurino, en España y en cualquier otra parte del planeta donde se lleve a cabo, es una manera de enfrentarse con la muerte, invocarla pero también desafiarla. No sólo por parte del matador, el torero, sino por todo aquel que participa, dentro o fuera del ruedo, de este espectáculo. Resulta perfectamente natural que Almodóvar haya tenido que hacer de esta ceremonia ritual, la corrida, el tema central de una o más de sus películas. En Hable con ella la corrida como tal no es un episodio central, pero es obvio que Almodóvar se sirve de ella y sobre todo del personaje de Lydia no sólo para describir minuciosamente el ritual que acompaña a la ceremonia, sino también para desmitificar algunas de las ideas y prejuicios – bien podemos llamarlos “mitos” - más arraigados en relación con la tauromaquia. En primer lugar, por supuesto, el “machismo” que por prejuicios y tradición parece consubstancial al arte del toreo. Lydia, hija de un banderillero, logró realizar lo que su padre nunca pudo ser, pero también debió enfrentar el rechazo y desprecio de los toreros profesionales que se negaron a participar con ella en el mismo espectáculo por no tener que alternar con una mujer en el ruedo. Lydia tuvo que luchar contra este prejuicio machista no sólo asumiendo un aspecto casi masculino, [6] sino haciendo gala de una valentía y audacia que le ganaron el respeto del público y sobre todo de “el niño de Valencia,” el matador que se ofreció a compartir el cartel con ella y acompañarla a donde hiciera falta. Ambos se enamoran y constituyen una pareja, pero desde el comienzo del film nos enteramos que la relación entre ambos está rota, en parte debido a los prejuicios todavía dominantes, en parte debido a que Lydia no se resigna a que su fama se deba hasta cierto punto al éxito público de esta relación.

Almodóvar expone minuciosamente el rito y las pequeñas ceremonias rituales que preceden y acompañan a la corrida: la vestimenta, las plegarias, el decisivo papel que juega la religión en la preparación del torero, la importancia de la presencia y el apoyo familiar. Sin embargo, al revelar en una escena clave el terror que le inspiran a Lydia las serpientes, Almodóvar parece también insistir de manera implacable en las contradicciones y paradojas que contaminan a este rito ancestral, en que el alardeado machismo de que hace gala el torero al enfrentarse con el toro, es vulnerable, sin embargo, a los más irracionales temores. La aparente masculinidad de Lydia al asumir su papel de torero no puede hacernos olvidar que se trata de una mujer, y esto parece servirle a Almodóvar para acentuar el contraste entre la notoria virilidad de ese mundo de hombres o de “machos,” y las debilidades y temores que asedian a todo ser humano; el mayor de todos, sin duda, el temor a la muerte.

Por supuesto, habría muchísimo más que decir sobre este film. Quiero recordar, simplemente, que Almodóvar declaró en entrevistas de prensa que los dos espectáculos con que se abre y cierra la película, Café Muller, creado en 1978, y Mazurca Fogo, de 1998, ambos creaciones de la coreógrafa alemana Pina Bausch, le sirvieron como punto de partida y punto final para encerrar todo el drama que se encierra entre el minuto inicial y el final de Hable con ella*. En Todo sobre mi madre ya aparecía un póster de Pina Bausch en Café Muller, y ese es el mismo que Benigno le obsequia a Alicia en la secuencia inmediatamente posterior a la del espectáculo teatral. También en ese teatro en que se representa Café Muller, Marcos y Benigno se encuentran por primera vez, aunque sólo es Benigno quien repara en la presencia de aquél. Finalmente, después del suicidio de Benigno, Marcos acude a otra función teatral, esta vez la de Mazurca Fogo, y allí se produce el encuentro entre éste y Alicia, una historia que, como bien sabemos, Almodóvar nos debe para una próxima película. No es extraño, entonces, que el propio Almodóvar haya reconocido que Pina Bausch hubiese creado, sin saberlo, “las puertas por las que entrar y salir de Hable con ella.*” [7] Pero si hemos observado atentamente el comienzo y el final de la película, habremos notado que no se trata de dos puertas, sino de un telón que se levanta y otro que se baja. Todo el film, por lo tanto, podría estar contenido dentro de los límites de tragedia y comedia que encierra el espectáculo teatral.

** **

NOTAS

[1] Al hacer la presentación de Hable con ella en Barcelona, Almodóvar reveló que la acción central del film estaba basada en un hecho real. Sucedió en la anterior Yugoeslavia: el guardián nocturno de un depósito de cadáveres violó a una mujer convencido de que estaba muerta. En realidad, sufría un ataque de catalepsia, y despertó al contacto con el miembro erecto del violador; es decir, volvió a la vida gracias a ese acto sexual. Recordó Almodóvar que la familia de la mujer se mostró muy agradecida con el vigilante pese a lo repulsivo de su acto, pero no logró ablandar con ello a las autoridades, que ordenaron su detención y encarcelamiento.

[2] Moreno Correa, Orencia. L’héritage de Meyerhold. Travail du DEA, la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, 2002.

[3] Por ejemplo en Almodóvar on Almodóvar, Frédéric Strauss (1996), escribe lo siguiente: “Aunque el toreo es un mundo muy masculino, el torero asume en la corrida el papel femenino. Cuando viste su traje de luces, duro como una armadura, recuerda a un gladiador. Pero el traje es también muy ajustado, la manera en que se mueve no es enteramente masculina, se desliza como una bailarina. Durante la primera fase de la corrida el torero representa la tentación. Incita al toro, lo seduce. Se trata de un típico rol femenino” (pag. 57). Mi traducción.

[4] Toda vez que me refiero a un “despojamiento esencial” en el proceso de maduración o esencialización con que Almodóvar aborda en Hable con ella la temática de sus films anteriores***, *** aludo al concepto de **intuición eidética **propuesto por Edmund Husserl para referirse a la culminación del proceso de reducción fenomenológica en que el conocimiento del mundo empírico adquiere su forma última y esencial.

[5] La cita aparece en “Teoría y juego del duende,” en Lorca Peguin Books*, *London, Peguin, 1960.

[6] En declaraciones a la prensa, Almodóvar admitió que de todas las actrices conocidas por él, Rosario Flores era la única que vestida de torero parece un torero.

[7] Entrevista a Almodóvar en Primer Plano, abril 2002.

** **

Bibliografía

** **

Albaladejo, Miguel et. al. Los fantasmas del deseo. A propósito de Pedro Almodóvar*.* Madrid: Aula 7, 1988.

Almodóvar, Pedro. Putty Diphusa y otros textos*.* Barcelona: Anagrama, 1997.

Allinson, Mark. Spanish Labyrinth – The films of Pedro Almodóvar. London and New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 1988.

Edwards, Gwynne. Almodóvar, Labyrinths of Passion. London and Chester Springs: Peter Owen, 2001.

Escudero, Javier. “Rosa Montero y Pedro Almodóvar: miseria y estilización de la movida madrileña.” Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 2 (1998): 147-161.

Smith, Paul Julian. Desire Unlimited, the Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar*.* London and New York: Verso, 1994.

Strauss, Frédéric, Editor. Almodóvar on Almodóvar*. *London: Faber and Faber, 1996.

Vernon, Kathleen M. y Barbara Morris, Editores. Post-Franco. Postmodern. The films of Pedro Almodóvar*.* Greenwood Press: Westport, CT, 1995.

It Happened One Night was a fairly entertaining movie. I thought it was interesting when Claudette Colbert lifted her skirt to get someone to stop for her hitchhiking, especially since the movie was shot in 1934. This had to be a pretty bold move for the character to perform with such high standards that the people of that time had. For the most part it was a good picture and a good plot. One that you would see in any movie coming out on the big screen today.

This is going to be a series of posts surrounding our 7 pivots and how we got to where we are today.

Case Management: Pivot #1

You see, back in late 2021 I was approached to come help take an already existing and very robust personal injury case management app to market. It was being used internally at a law firm with tremendous results for their firm.

I had been feeling the pull to get into a startup, so the idea was very enticing.

I started doing some research on existing case management systems. While we felt that we may be able to deliver a new way of doing case management, the existing competitors like Filevine and CASEpeer Legal Software and others were already light years ahead of us. This later became known as pivot number one.

We then attended Startup Ignition in January of 2022 and officially kicked off our new company… MaxLaw. Yeah that name didn’t last long.

We went back to the drawing boards with new knowledge about problem hunting and the entrepreneurial scientific method. Let the pivoting begin!

Artificial Intelligence: Pivot #2

What startup doesn't at least TRY to have an artificial intelligence angle these days?? 😃

We were really excited about this one. We were going to use big data on case and settlement data to predict values of future cases using AI. Who wouldn't want that, right!?

Well I'll tell you who... I went out and interviewed a bunch of personal injury attorneys and asked them about it. Turns out, predicting case values is job numero uno for THEM and if I were to replace them with a bot... they really weren't excited about it.

So while it was (and still is) an awesome idea, totally doable, the people I was going to be selling it to weren't going to buy it.

Very glad I did those interviews before building that out. Saved me a lot of time and money. Needless to say, Quilia is not an AI company... (yet 😃) Pivot number two was in the books ✅

Medical Record Retrieval: Pivot #3

Now, what are we going to do...

So after our first ideas fell flat, we really wanted to find a home run idea. So I hit up a few more firms and, this time, asked if I could interview their entire staff. Hadn't ever done that before, but I was sure the secret golden solution was hidden somewhere; I just had to uncover it.

A little bit of backstory, when I worked at Tingey Injury Law Firm, we did a TON of work optimizing every facet of the firm, from human workflows to digital solutions. We really had a smooth-running machine! So when I'm doing these interviews, I'm lucky that I am usually familiar with what they're talking about.

While interviewing the staff at a few firms, the idea of medical record retrieval was brought up. The staff complained about the arduous process and that nothing out there was currently meeting their needs.

I instantly remembered this problem from my law firm days and remembered how we had optimized the processes at the firm with workflows, but now was maybe the time I could solve it with technology.

I went back to my desk and started doing some research. I then went and interviewed about 20 doctors in the space to learn about their side of the process.

What I came up with would have required both the medical provider and law firm software to have API capabilities. That way, when a medical record was completed, the doctor would simply click the "send" button and voila, the record would appear in the case management software.

The issue here ended up being a "riding the wave" problem. Just like when you're surfing, if your timing isn't right, you won't catch the wave. I believe the timing wasn't right for this solution as most medical software was outdated and inadequate technologically for this level of integration...

It would have been like building out a plug without a socket to plug it into. So... we bagged it.

Pivot number three was in the books.

Come to find out later, there are actually some very innovative companies like Arctrieval Inc doing some incredible things with Medical Record retrieval that I hadn't even considered. I'm glad they're working on the solution.

Communication: Pivot #4

Okay okay… this one has to work out…

So there I was… I had interviewed attorneys and their staff, doctors and their staff, and even interviewed some car accident victims. I started realizing where the real complaints lie…

Communication.

Communication in many law firms is REALLY dated. Many have only started texting their clients in the last few years... They still rely heavily on fax machines. Lots of documents are sent via the good ol’ USPS. With regard to communications, it’s like they’re stuck in the 90’s.

I also learned that the staff of attorneys and doctors who know the personal injury industry frequently move between offices/practices. They’ll work for a doctor one month, then switch to an attorney the next, then maybe another attorney and back to another doctor. Once you know personal injury, you kind of know it from all angles. They also keep the relationships they’ve made with other people throughout their career, which is often a very valuable part of their resumes.

With this newly acquired knowledge… I started thinking about how communication has evolved in other industries over the past couple decades. And it hit me… Slack, but not slack, LinkedIn, but not LinkedIn… A place for everyone to keep and maintain relationships while facilitating communication via text, document transfers, video calls, and more…

Well… I was ready to hit the ground running on this one. We were going to build out a market-network for the personal injury industry. But… as this being a pivot might suggest… this was not the winner - for what later became an obvious reason.

Attorneys. Don’t. Like. Change.

Especially when it comes to how they communicate with people. They like to stick with tried and true methods that they know work. So when I introduced the idea of changing from their traditional methods, the fear of change overtook them. Even if they “wanted” it… they wouldn’t end up using it because they wouldn’t trust it, and heaven forbid they encounter a bug along the way that messed up their communication… it would have been over.

A communication tool… ☠️☠️☠️ Turns out it's still better to CALL (or fax)... Saul...

Onto figuring out the next idea… But man, it was at this point where I was really starting to feel beaten down. Was I ever going to find a good idea?? Could we even come up with an idea that would work?!

Obviously the answer is yes… or Quilia wouldn't exist… but there were still a couple more pivots before we got to the end of the rainbow. Stay tuned.

Lien Tracking: Pivot #5

Pivot number five is a little unique, the idea is still a great one. It’s just not the first one. Nooo, it's not branded socks...

At this point, through my interviews, I became friends with many doctors who work with patients involved in personal injury cases. It’s important now that you understand how the medical side of personal injury works. One word:

Liens.

Whenever a provider is requested to help on a personal injury case, they agree to treat the patient with absolutely no payment upfront and risk not getting paid at all if there isn’t a settlement.

That means as you’re seeing the doctors for your injuries, you can be racking up literally thousands (and sometimes tens and hundreds of thousands) of dollars in medical bills that will hopefully be paid back once the case settles.

Why would doctors risk doing all their work for free? Because…

Personal injury recoveries are considered the final golden frontier of medical reimbursements. A provider can bill health insurance and get pennies on the dollar for their charges… Orrrr you can hold out for a personal injury settlement and possibly get 70-80 cents on the dollar. The risk is very much worth it.

So what does all this mean? How could we, as a startup, improve this system?

If you’re an attorney reading this, you’re probably thinking that I’m going to say we thought about going into settlement advances for doctors. Definitely not, I don’t want to be in the loan shark business.

I’m going to be a little coy about this pivot because we are going to build this one, just not first. Why not first?

For this medical provider idea to succeed, it relies on other components succeeding first. When we pull off what we envisioned for Quilia, phase two will be for the providers. And it should really help make their lives a lot easier.

The other great thing about putting this idea second in line is that when we get there, we can probably offer this solution at no charge to the providers. Pretty crazy, right?

We have a way to go before we undertake this one, though. First things first.

Pivot number five… not good enough now, but should be good enough later.

Car Estimates: Pivot #6

Here goes pivot number six… can you guess what motivates many people to hire a personal injury attorney?

Getting their vehicle repaired (or replaced).

From a legal perspective, it’s important that a car not only be paid for but repaired. The value of a repair can make an impact on the settlement value of the medical claim.

I knew quite a bit about the legal side of getting your car fixed, but I hadn’t looked into the body shop side. So… I set out to do some more interviews.

After interviewing some shops, I learned quite a bit about the process from their side.

Turns out, most people who get an estimate on their car never get the work done. That means body shops spend a ton of time creating estimates that they know they’ll never get paid on.

They might not get paid for two reasons: the client decides to keep the cash instead of getting the car fixed, or they take it to a different body shop.

The insurance company usually prepares an estimate which is ALWAYS lower than the body shop estimates. A low estimate is strategic, the insurance company knows most people take the cash, so they lowball the initial offer hoping the client takes the money and runs. All while knowing they would have to pay more should the person get the repairs done.

So if the body shop happens to get the repairs, they know they will have to submit supplement requests for the remainder of the repairs, which is a lot of back and forth on the phone trying to talk the insurance company’s approval.

So after learning about all that… my mind started forming ideas around optimizing the clunkiness of the current process. So much time is lost creating estimates that will never be used. So much time is wasted submitting extra claims to the insurance company. So many lost opportunities for work to the competition.

What if all this could be solved with technology? I’m sure it could.

What’s the issue with solving this problem? Razor-thin margins. Body shops are a pretty cutthroat business, so many shops are trying to make just enough money to cover costs plus a couple of bucks on every job. They want to get the gig, so they estimate low.

Providing them with a software solution would have to come at such a low cost it would make it very difficult to operate at a profit. Unfortunately, on this one, manual processes still outweigh a digital solution.

Next pivot... The pivot of all pivots that becomes Quilia!

Quilia: Pivot #7

And now... pivot number seven! Quilia! So how did this happen…

After coming up with six different ideas and being told none of them would work… The discouragement was real. I was really getting bummed that none of these ideas were working out.

I was reviewing my notes, looking for that secret hidden pattern… and I came across a note from an interview I did with a good friend of mine. The note said, “He told me about his favorite client ever.” So I called him up and asked for more details about that favorite client…

He started telling me the story about this favorite client, the client would text before and after appointments and didn’t ask to be texted back, he never missed an appointment, he rarely asked questions, and when he did they were often very thought-provoking, and at the end of the treatment he showed up with a spreadsheet that had every doctor’s visit with accompanying bill amounts with most of the records attached. 😱

As he was telling me about this golden client, I couldn't help but think… what if I could make every client a FAVORITE client? I mean, couldn't technology make all of that a lot easier?

So I went back over my list of interviewees and started asking about their best, and worst (😬) clients. The pattern was evident, and the problem wasn’t anyone’s fault. Just the nature of a personal injury case.

You see, attorneys and their staff handle hundreds (sometimes thousands) of cases. Cases follow kind of similar paths, and often clients have similar questions with small variations. For example, “Who is paying for my treatment?” You can imagine how that might start to get… old… after a while.

And clients, for most of them it’s the first time they’ve been in a car accident. So to no fault of their own, they have no idea what’s going on and have a lot of, often simple, questions.

Enter Quilia.

We help make every client a great client by enabling them to self-manage their case. That way their interactions with the law firm are more meaningful and can be focused on building relationships and getting to know the situation better, the stuff that makes each case unique.

If you or someone you know is a personal injury attorney (or works for a personal injury firm), send them my info! We'd love to help.

A couple of assumptions being made about this post:

• You own an Apple Computer, whether it's an iMac or Macbook doesn't matter
• You own an iPhone

Without the above two requirements, this whole thing falls apart.

Here are the steps to getting an iMovie export file onto your iPhone:

• Export from iMovie to File (recommend using the highest settings possible, but ultimately doesn't affect the process.)
• Open the exported file with QuickTime
• Click File -> Export As -> 4k (or 1080 if 4k not available)
• Right-click on the newly exported file, select Share -> AirDrop -> Select your device from the list

Step by Step iMovie to iPhone (with Photos)

On iMovie, click the share icon in the top right corner of the screen:

Choose the "File" option:

Set the settings as high as possible, then click next:

Save it to somewhere you can easily access, like your desktop, and click save:

Open the file from your desktop with Quicktime:

In Quicktime, choose File -> Export As -> (my preference, select the highest available resolution):

Change the name so that it's different than the original export, and save it to a spot you can easily access (like back to the Desktop):

Right-click on the newly created file, Share -> AirDrop:

Select your device from the available list (if you don't see your device, make sure it is unlocked):

The video will then appear in your regular Photos App on the iPhone:

Every day we have more and more and more online registrations which means more and more and more passwords to try and memorize... We know this is normally an impossible task, but I may have a potential solution. Instead of thinking of a pass-"word", I recommend changing it to a pass-"pattern" (or algorithm, but I didn't want to scare anyone off this early by using big complicated buzz words... 😆 ).

Table of contents

• The Password Problem

• Pass-patterns to the rescue! Use Multiple Words in your Pass-pattern

• Use Capitalization, Numbers for Letters, and Punctuation with your Words

• Use the Site or App You're Using to Manipulate the Password

• Building a Unique, Secure, and Memorable Password is Doable! Which passwords do you upgrade first?

The Password Problem

You might be surprised to find out how many people use the same passwords over and over... Oftentimes, when I'm giving someone support with some technical issue, will give me a password... and 9 times out of 10 it's a totally guessable password. Here are a few favorites everyone seems to use:

• Marriage date

• First child birthday

• The word "password" (not joking)

• Some passwords they've used since they were 12... and they're now 38.

People just don't realize the importance of having a secure unique password. Keyword being unique. So many people have the SAME password on every website because that's the only way they can remember their logins. Let me give you a secret, people who use the same password over and over again are a hacker's DREAM!

All it takes is one breach on a website, and you're in big trouble. Let me give you an example:

Let me guess, you bought something from that Instagram ad recently, right? Did they take your information and set up a user account on their random website using the same password you use on every website?

Now fast-forward three years. That company is probably out of business because unfortunately, that's how most of those shops go... their site is left online but hasn't been updated in 3 years, so their security is super weak. Their site gets hacked... OH NO! WHATEVER WILL YOU DO?? You don't care because you haven't used that site in 3 years and will never use it again. Oh well, right? WRONG.

The hackers take the information they stole, and then they run the username/email and password combos against all the major banks, online stores (Amazon, Walmart, etc.), and social media sites. What are the chances that the username/password combo will work on at least one of those??

Next thing you know, you're waking up to overdraft charges from your bank because your checking and savings accounts are all the sudden at zero balances... Don't be that guy.

Pass-patterns to the rescue!

Now a requirement for my passwords is that I want to be able to not rely entirely on a password manager like LastPass (which I do love) to save all my passwords in case I can't access LastPass for any reason. So, I came up with a way to memorize passwords but still have them be unique and secure. Here's the breakdown.

Use Multiple Words in your Pass-pattern

To start, you should pick a few words that you will use in your pass pattern. Those words should be totally random and possibly in another language if possible. But they should be words you can easily memorize. For this example, we'll use the "Hello World".

For additional security, let's switch those words to Spanish so they become "Hola Mundo".

You can see how the security would increase by adding more words, or making the words more unrelated, like "Chicken World Bug"... definitely not getting guessed anytime soon.

Use Capitalization, Numbers for Letters, and Punctuation with your Words

Now that you have your two or more words figured out, let's make them a little harder to understand by adding some random capitals, sum digits for numbers, and add random punctuation. So "Hola Mundo" might become "h0la! munD0". Still memorable but now a little more complicated... Do you see how you can manipulate this yet?

Use the Site or App You're Using to Manipulate the Password

Now comes the magic. This is where your password steps from pretty good to really good. For this example, let's use two easy sites, google.com and the Instagram app. Starting with google.com.

This is the part you memorize, and here are a few different ideas:

• Take the first two letters from the domain or app

• Take the first and last letter from the domain or app

• Take the 2nd and 3rd letter

• Etc.

You can see where this is going. Take those letters from the domain or app and use them to manipulate your password. Maybe you put them in the front of the two words, in the middle or the end of the words. So for google.com, your password might become any one of these combinations:

• goh0la!munD0

• h0la!gomunD0

• h0la!munD0go

And for Instagram, for the example's sake, your password would become:

• inh0la!munD0

• h0la!inmunD0

• h0la!munD0in

See how we're breaking the uniqueness but still keeping it memorable? Just think of the other ways you could use a pattern as well. Here are just a couple of additional examples:

• Depending on if the domain or app starts with a vowel or consonant, change which letters you get

• Depending on if the domain or app has an even or odd number of letters in it, change which letters you get

• Whether the first letter of the domain or app is in your first name, you use your first name or last name.

Building a Unique, Secure, and Memorable Password is Doable!

You can definitely start today by building your own pass-pattern using the tips mentioned above. This will significantly improve your ability to protect yourself from potential hackers. After memorizing the pattern, it gets VERY easy to remember your password to any website or app.

Which passwords do you upgrade first?

The next big issue is updating the 1,000+ passwords that already exist on the internet! First, I would start with your email address, then your online bank account, social media accounts, and favorite e-commerce sites. Then, continually improve all the other passwords you already have stored over time.

We recently purchased a home and decided that we were going to cut cable entirely. This was a pretty big deal (mostly for me) since I luvs watching me some meaningless dribble from time-to-time. The wife didn't really mind as long as she could still watch The Bachelor. So it was decided: no cable television, and we would solely rely on what we could find on Hulu or any other subscription service.

Then we started to realize that not all shows are online, and even the ones that are wouldn't be available until days later when the network would upload the show to a streaming service. And, well, that just wouldn't do. So off I went on a crusade to figure out how to get FREE over-the-air (a.k.a. O.T.A. smh tmi? idk idc...) television.

Being an admitted Apple fanboy, I really wanted to get the live television to work through the newest Apple TV (4th Generation). Since the newest Apple TV allows apps to be installed, the hunt for a solution to free TV on the Apple TV started there.

Things Needed for Free Live TV on Apple TV

Channels ($15)

(link to their website)

I came across this app on the Apple TV and thought this was the solution I had been hoping for. At a measly $15, I could buy the app one time and have free television for life! Wrong. This app is just the start, but it is an essential component to getting free tv on the Apple TV.

HDHomeRun Extend ($169)

(link to their website)

What HDHomeRun has done is taken a normal television signal, be it cable television signal or O.T.A. signal, and broadcasts that signal over your home wifi. It's pretty awesome. They have a few different versions, but the best solution I found for the Apple TV at least was the HDHomeRun Extend, which allows for two channels to be viewed (or recorded, more on that later) at a time on your wireless network. This includes the ability to watch television on not only your Apple TV, but also many other compatible devices including iPhones and iPads. Slick.

But alas, I still don't have any free television coming into my house. Next up, the antenna.

ClearStream Antenna from Antennas Direct ($35-$100)

(link to their website)

When looking for an antenna you'll want to first visit this website (or similar sites) to see how far away you are from the nearest broadcast tower. In my case here in Las Vegas, I was about as far away from the towers as possible (being 30+ miles). I took my chances with a powered antenna from Walmart that allowed me to receive a few of the channels, but the quality was really choppy. I looked on Amazon and found this ClearStream antenna and it had rave reviews, so I purchased that one thinking it would solve all my troubles.

Nope, it didn't. Turns out I ordered an antenna that only received UHF channels when half of the networks were broadcast on the VHF spectrum. Waa waa. Well, this is where I got smart. I actually picked up the phone and called the lovely people at Antennas Direct. The woman who answered the phone was incredibly helpful, looked up my address, and told me the exact antenna I needed to purchase. I recommend you do the same, here's the number: 877-825-5572. I know, who calls people these days? I'm with you. But the experience was so pleasant and quick, it's worth the countless hours you'll spend trying to figure it out otherwise. She even told me where I could pick one up locally, which I did that same day from Best Buy. For my situation, the ClearStream™ 2V Long Range Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna was the best solution.

Installing the antenna is probably going to be the trickiest part about all of this. You will have to install it somewhere with a pretty good line of sight towards the location of the broadcast towers. I installed mine in the attic. Most costly part was the time it took to do it, but it wasn't hard to do. THEN you have to run a coaxial cable from the antenna to your HDHomeRun box. Luckily mine was pretty much directly below where I installed the antenna. I imagine running that cable could be the most annoying part for most people. Be creative. Maybe run the cable outside like the Satellite companies do then run it back into your house at the room you need it in. Just an idea. (Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician nor cable-runner guy. I have very little idea on how running that cable works logistically with laws and ordinances in ANY jurisdiction... so... good luck.)

Can I record Free O.T.A. Television on the Apple TV?

Well this is the next hurdle to solve. HDHomeRun is currently in an "early access" phase with their DVR component to the system, which if you order it now you get a discount on the device. I'm still waiting for that component to arrive, but once it does I'll update how it works here. And I've already confirmed with the Channels App guys that the DVR will be supported with their app once it is out of this "early access" phase:

@neonbrand Yes we plan on it, see the FAQ on our website.

— Channels App (@getchannels) December 29, 2015

Cost of Free TV on Apple TV

But wait, how does "Free" TV actually cost money? Well as you can see above, you're going to have to spend anywhere from $150 to $300 to get up and running with your "Free" broadcast television. But if I'm doing my math right, that's the cost of approximately 2 months of DirecTV or Dish Network services, so after that you're in the green! I'd say it definitely pays off.

Is there a monthly charge for Free TV on the Apple TV?

Now come on, I already tricked you once with saying it was free... This one is for reals. No monthly fee for this type of connection. There are definitely other ways to watch live television without (slingbox is an example), but we're not talking about those here... ain't nobody got time for that.

Once you buy the equipment listed here, you'll be good to go into the foreseeable future. In summary, you're shopping list:

• Channels App
• HDHomeRun Extend (available at Fry's)
• ClearStream antenna
• About 5 hours of setup and configuration (it's a great Saturday project)

So after having navigated the system for about a year now, I’m finally getting an understanding of the steps to get your kid into hockey with the Golden Knights. Here is what I’ve learned.

This is all for kids 10 and under. Most of the kids fall between the 7-10 years old, although there were definitely younger kids, as young as 4 or 5 in Learn to Skate and Learn to Play.

The Order of Golden Knights Skate Programs for Kids

1. Learn to Skate

The first step is skating; your kid has to know how to ice skate. We signed our son up for the Learn to Skate program, and since he was already very familiar with skating, they bumped him up through the levels very quickly. I’ve heard you can test out of Learn to Skate by talking to the coaches, but no one ever offered us that option, so I cannot confirm if that is true or not.

From what I saw, this program will help most beginner skaters become fairly decent on the ice. Some kids can hardly stand up on skates when they start, and then there are kids who can already skate pretty well, along with everything in between. If you’re not sure if hockey is for your kid, this is the place to start.

Learn to Skate was once a week, with varying days of availability, for 50 minutes of skating.

The price was around $150 for a 6-week session. You have to keep doing Learn to Skate until your child passes all of the levels and can advance to Learn to Play.

2. Learn to Play

After your child passes all the levels of Learn to Skate, they’re ready to learn some hockey knowledge.

The most exciting part about Learn to Play is that they get hockey gear included in their membership. It coincided with Christmas for us, so it was an awesome “free” Christmas present! It was a fun day when all of that arrived at the house.

Now that they have their gear, they’re ready to start learning how to control the puck.

Learn to Play is a once-a-week program like Learn to Skate, but the format alternates every other week. One week they’re doing drills and exercises, and the next week they do a mini-scrimmage amongst themselves. **Update: they've changed the program, now it's 3 weeks of practices and then a scrimmage. *

At the scrimmages, points are not kept, and teams are not formed. It’s usually divided by jersey color, but sometimes if not enough kids show up, they’ll throw a colored penny on one of the kids so they can have even teams. The scrimmages are to get them used to hustling after the puck and shooting on the fly.

The scrimmages are held on one-third of the ice (**side note: **you’ll hear the coaches call the ice rink the “sheet of ice”… so that you’re up on the lingo).

The practices and the scrimmages are both about 50 minutes in length.

The price for this one was around $150 for an 8-week session.

3. Lil’ Knights

You’ve made it! Your kid is officially a Knight! Well, kinda. Ha.

Lil’ Knights are the closest you get to being on an actual team without being on a team. This program is basically an accelerated Learn to Play program. Instead of once a week, they meet twice a week. The first one is a practice on a weeknight and the second one is a scrimmage on a Saturday.

Your child is not on a formal team with a coach; it is run by the arena coaches (who are phenomenal, by the way, more on that later).

You also get a new jersey when you join Lil' Knights.

The price for this one is around $200 for another 8-week session.

4. House League!

You’ve finally made it to real hockey!! This is the pinnacle of fun for our family. We love it.

To start, all of the boys who have signed up for House League come to a sort of “tryout.” It’s not really a tryout, but the coaches are all there looking at the boys trying to make even teams. That way, one team doesn’t get stacked with all the stellar skaters.

From there, they’re placed on teams, names are given to the coaches, and they’ll contact you to let you know your schedule! In House League, they finally get a numbered jersey with their name on the back. That’s an exciting time too.

This is a twice a week program too, practice on a weeknight and a game on the weekend. Games can be held on Saturday or Sunday at either City National in Summerlin or Lifeguard Arena in Henderson. It doesn’t matter where you signed up; you play at both. You do play more at your “home” ice, but there’s no exact number.

I’ve gathered that many kids want to skate and play hockey, which makes it hard to schedule for these leagues. The league does its best to make it work for everyone, but the scheduling can be a little crazy. Some weeks there’s simply no ice available, so our coach has been awesome and set up stuff at a local outdoor park with a roller hockey rink. The boys have loved that.

The price for House League is where things start to get serious. This league lasts for about 6 or so months and costs around $1,000. That's right, the price is legit at this point.

5. Travel League?

We’re not here yet, so I’m not sure what this entails! But I think it follows after House League or maybe in the alternative to house league.

The Value

I've grown up playing sports and have been around a lot of different sports with our children. This hockey program, by far, is the most impressive kids' sports program I've ever been around.

The Coaching

The big difference with hockey compared to other sports is the coaching. Think about it, for soccer or even football, you often get some dad who likes the sport but may or may not know anything about how to actually play. With hockey, you get premium coaching at all levels because in order to ice skate or play hockey... YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT! Or else you'll fall on your butt and look like a fool... and no one wants that.

The Venues

With the Knights program, you get to skate at either the beautiful City National arena (the practice facility for the Golden Knights) or the beautiful Lifeguard Arena (the practice facility for the Silver Knights). Both facilities are practically brand new and very well kept.

The other reason we love the venues, especially compared to other sports... Air conditioning! It's Las Vegas, it's hot, and if you've ever been to a youth game on a field of grass... it can get MISERABLE. Not with hockey! If anything you get chilly being that the temps are usually around 60-65 degrees inside the venue. It's friggen awesome.

Being a "Knight"

If you're a fan of the Golden Knights, and if you live in Las Vegas and you're reading this post... you probably are... It's awesome to have a kid in their program. Not that there aren't really any perks to it at all, honestly. It's just an awesome connection to the team that feels cool when you're there like you're part of something much bigger. One cool thing once you get to House League, the kids did get to pick jersey numbers which are all based on the pro players.

The Downsides of The Golden Knights Kid Hockey Program

There really isn't much downside to this program at all, really... but if I were to pick anything it would be:

The Price

Hockey is definitely much more expensive than other youth sports... but the value is there. It doesn't make it any less painful paying those bills, though.

...The Price

Oh, I already said the price? It goes on. One thing we were told when we started Learn to Play was that the gear they gave us would last until he grew out of them. Welllll that's only partially true. We just found out that when they get to House League that gear they got for Learn to Play is some weak gear, and we'll be needing to upgrade soon to keep our son protected from the increased speed and hits.

In 1906 Karen was accepted to college and met her soon to be husband Oscar Horney, who was a law student.  Karen’s acceptance into college was a major accomplishment especially for women in that time. At the college she attended, there were over 2,000 students, only 58 of them being women. Colleges in Germany had only been opened up to women since 1900, so Karen was definitely working against the odds. She later graduated from the University of Berlin in 1913, earning her medical degree. Even with all her school going on, the life away from school was quite a roller coaster. In 1909 she was married, one year later her first of three daughters was born, Briggette. One year after her daughter’s birth, Karen’s mother died. And then in 1913 and 1916 her second and third daughters, Marianne and Renate, were born.   She suffers from depression caused by stress and undergoes Freudian analysis. It would have been very difficult to be in her shoes during that time.

Her husband turned out to be just like her father, very authoritative and demanding. In 1923, he lost his business and he became very ill with meningitis, this caused his temper to become very bad and had a very bad influence on their family. At the same time, Karen’s brother who she was so close to passed away at the age of 40 of an infection in his lungs. She became greatly depressed and even suicidal. She packed up and moved her and her kids out of Oscar’s house in 1926. Four years later, she took her family to start a new life in the United States.

Karen's first American job was as the Associate Director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. She stayed there for 2 years before her family moved to Brooklyn, which was then the intellectual capital of the world. She became friends with many well known psychologists such as Eric Fromm and Harry Sullivan. Also during that time she had the opportunity to develop many of her own theories on neurosis. By 1941, Horney became the Dean of the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. There she was able to teach many of her own ideas which had developed from her dissatisfaction with the Orthodox approach to psychoanalysis. She soon after resigned because of some negativity from other psychologists, but began teaching at the New York Medical College.

Karen’s studies on neurosis are perhaps some of the best we have to date. I found it very interesting to see the viewpoint she placed on it. She believed that neurotics did not suffer from some estranged feeling that no normal person could relate to, but she felt that neurotics felt the same things as most, just that due to situations in their lives they tend to focus more on some of the basic needs than others. She said there were ten patterns of needs that every person would need but clumped them into three groups, the move-toward group, the move-against group, and the move-away group.

In C. George Boree’s article he gives an excellent example on the difference between the neurotic and normal person. He says that it is normal for everyone to want to feel affection for approval. We all want it, but we don’t expect it from everyone, we don’t even expect it from our close family members all the time. So what makes the neurotic different? The neurotic takes it overboard in the sense that he will require it of everyone he meets and feel great anxiety when that need is not met. Whether it be a long time friend, or a brand new acquaintance, the neurotic expects to feel affection from everyone.

The move-toward group was those people who tend to rely greatly on other people’s opinions about them. They tend to believe that love will solve life’s problems and just want someone else to tell them how things should be done. The move-against group was those whom suffered from much of the same situation as the move-toward group, but instead of drawing closer, they push away. They often showed signs of resentment and anger. The last group being the move-away group is those that try to be independent and self sufficient. They don’t allow others to help and often alienate themselves and strive on perfection. Most of the traits seen in these groups are in every one of us, it’s just that the neurotic takes it to the extreme.

Karen places the blame for neurosis on parental indifference. As children our parents have an amazing influence on our lives, whether good or bad, and whether or not we mean for it to be perceived that way is up to the child. If a child feels underappreciated or unloved, it may cause them to lean toward one of the three groups. A child might respond to a confrontation with a parent by getting hostile and trying to show that they have power over the situation. Thus making them fall into the move-against group. Or perhaps the child will feel like they would do anything just to make you love them, making them a part of the move-toward group. Or perhaps, in the face of confrontation a child might respond by withdrawing from the situation and try to avoid it in the future, placing them in the move-away group. I find Karen’s studies to be very accurate even in my own lives experiences.

The last point I’ll cover is Karen’s view on self-actualization. She speaks of a “looking glass” image that the neurotic has. It is something that a normal person does not realize is happening. A neurotic person will often listen to the opinion of others around them, or sometimes draw up their own conclusions on what people think about them and internalize it making a fake interpretation of what they really are in their brain. This is often crippling to the neurotic because of the effect this can have on ones psychological well being. It is everyone’s goal in life to realize who we are and what we are capable of, and with the neurotic that dream can almost never be realized.

From an early age Karen was influenced by psychology just like most of us. The difference is that instead of allowing it to get her down and depressed, she took it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Eventually helping to heal her own life and the lives of many others. Without people like Karen who sacrificed so much for her studies, we would all fall into the same traps without anyone to help us be guided back out. Her studies remain a major influence in society today.

Works Cited

Boeree, C. George Karen Horney: 1885-1952. 1997. Online. 5 Apr 2007. http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/horney.html.

Horney, Karen. Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Toward Self-realization. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company, 1950.

Mazzarella, Stephanie Karen Horney (1885 - 1952). 1999. Online. 10 Apr 2007. http://www.depts.drew.edu/wmst/corecourses/wmst111/timeline)bios/Horney.htmlbios/Horney.html).

O'Connell, Agnes N., and Nancy F. Russo. Women in Psychology - A Bio-Bibliographic Sourcebook. New York City: Greenwood Press, 1990.

Beethoven was first taught by his father but it didn’t last very long because of how harsh of an instructor his dad was. He was then taught by a couple other people before being taught by Christian Gottlob Neefe who had a tremendous influence on Beethoven’s work. By 1778 Beethoven didn’t only play the piano masterfully, but was taught how to play the organ and the viola. He had an amazing career which lead to many pieces that will be known for all time. Beethoven passed away on March 26, 1827 at the age of fifty-seven, not very old at all.

Beethoven is most known for his music in the western classical genre. He was also around during the time when music changed from the classical era to the romantic era. He played a very important role in this change which influenced composers for years to come, we are even still seeing the effects of his music in the world today. He wrote songs for many different types of music, piano pieces, viola pieces, or even full orchestra arrangements. The music he wrote is known for its three different phases all depending on what was going on in his life. His early classical period, his middle heroic period, and his late romantic period were the three phases of his music.

The first piece I chose to listen to was “Pathétique Sonata” which is a piano piece written by Beethoven. It is a very dramatic piece that tells a very smooth and intriguing story. The piece makes you want to feel like even though there is frustration there still might be hope. Towards the middle of the piece the tempo begins to accelerate which makes it feel like something important is happening. I really enjoyed this piece.

The second piece I listened to was “Moonlight Sonata” which is a more well known piece. The whole piece was very soft and very slow. This kind of made the piece seem a little melancholy. It repeated the same parts a lot, with slight differences such as the tempo or the volume. I enjoyed this piece because it was really soothing.

Overall Beethoven was a tremendous composer. His work has been well known for centuries now, and will continue to be well known for centuries to come. After having done the research for this paper I am definitely going to listen more to his music.

Similar a muchas de sus películas, Almodóvar se enfoque a la mujer en esta película también. Leo representa muchas de las mujeres en España porque está saliendo del control de los militares y está empezando recibir más libertades. Cuando el esposo de Leo le dice que le va a dejar, se encuentra muy deprimida y aun intenta suicidarse. Leo no cree que pueda vivir sin el control de su esposo. Tal como las mujeres de esta generación en España porque crecieron después de la dictadura de Franco y los Papas estaban más involucrados en el crecimiento de la familia. Las niñas estaban acostumbradas en tener el control patrimonial en la familia entonces cuando salieron de la familia buscaban este mismo control en un esposo. Esto es muy diferente que la mama de Leo. Ella representa la generación más vieja quien creció sin los padres porque todos fueron militares. La mamá de Leo es muy fuerte y le molesta cuando alguien intente controlarla como la hermana de Leo.

Después de que Leo intenta suicidarse ella habla con su mamá y las dos deciden a salir de la ciudad y regresar al pueblo. A la mamá le gusto más al pueblo porque se siente que tiene más control de su vida. Para Leo, ella espere que en regresar al pueblo encontrará la fuerza que su mamá tiene. Es interesante como Almodóvar es muy directo con la historia aquí. Leo regrese al pueblo de su juventud por que quiere empezar de nuevo. Quiere tener la misma fuerza que tenía cuando salió del pueblo por primera vez. Creo que aquí Leo representa la mayoría de la gente en España por que muchas personas de esta generación muevan a la ciudad. Piensen que las ciudades brindan más oportunidades que los pueblos y por eso dejan sus familias y muevan a las ciudades. Al final de la película Leo encuentra su fuerza y llegue ser una mujer independiente.

Pedro Almodóvar nació el 25 de septiembre 1951 en Calzada de Calatrava, España. Él creció en aquel pueblito hasta que cumplió los ocho años y fue cuando sus padres le mandaron a un internado católico en la ciudad de Cáceres, Extremadura. El pueblo de Calzada no tenía ningún cine pero Cáceres si tenía. Así que en Cáceres Almodóvar encontró que “toda su educación tuvo lugar en una sola calle.” 2 Almodóvar fue parte del coro e iba al cine en su tiempo libre. En la escuela le ensenaba que su deseo de ver películas era un pecado. Afortunadamente no le afecto mucho y sequió yendo al cine. Luego Almodóvar dijo de su niñez en una entrevista, “Cinema became my real education, much more than the one I received from the priest.” 3   Siguió viviendo en Cáceres hasta el año 1967 cuando decidió mudar a la capital de España, Madrid. Solo tenía dieciséis años pero aun que era muy joven, su decisión de mudar fue basada en su amor del cine y porque algún día quería ser un director de cine. Después de que Franco cerró la escuela nacional de cine Almodóvar decidió conseguir un trabajo normal y empezar su vida madrileña.4

Al estar en la capital durante la última década de la dictadura, Almodóvar conoció la represión política y cinemática a primera mano por casi nueve años. Poco después de que llegó a Madrid, en el año 1971 anunciaron el cerramiento de la Escuela Oficial de Cine.5 El cerramiento de esta escuela lo hizo muy difícil para los que querían ser directores, escritores y actores a encontrar lugares a reunir para aprender y compartir técnicas nuevas. Entonces poco a poco el cine empezó perder interés. Almodóvar dijo que cuando llegó a Madrid ya estaba “totalmente hechizado por la cultura pop americana y los ‘swinging sixties’ ingleses.” 6 Entonces por no tener la escuela para ayudarle en sus estudios de cine, tuvo que buscar otras fuentes. Consiguió un trabajo con la compañía nacional de teléfonos lo cual le ayudó conocer gente de la clase social baja. Luego la clase social baja seria una parte muy importante en muchas de sus películas. En su trabajo de teléfonos, salió a las tres de la tarde cada día y entonces tenía mucho tiempo a dedicar a otras actividades. Él siempre iba a los bares y clubs de Madrid y ahí conoció muchas artistas quienes llegarían ser muy importantes en sus primeras películas cortas y también en sus largometrajes.

Cuando Franco murió, la transición a la democracia empezó casi inmediatamente. La cultura pop no había tenido lugar en España durante los años de la dictadura entonces al tener más libertad a expresarse los jóvenes trataron de imitar a ésa cultura extranjera. No fue coincidencia que poco después de la abolición de la censura en el año 1977, Almodóvar empezó rodar su primer largometraje llamado Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón. Originalmente esta película fue llamada Erecciones Generales, 7 lo cual fue una broma de las nuevas elecciones democráticas en España. La película fue completamente el opuesto de cualquier película española que había salido en España en los últimos cuarenta años. La historia trata de temas especialmente gráficas y lo hace de una forma muy satírica. En una de las primeras escenas un policía viola a una mujer, lo cual es una representación exacta de cómo la gente sentía en cuanto a los líderes gubernamentales. La sociedad política está representada a lo largo de la película especialmente en el papel del policía quien no tiene nombre. Por ejemplo, el policía es muy fascista y en una parte dice, “Este país. Con tanta democracia no sé dónde vamos a llegar.” También tiene vistas muy conservadoras en cuanto a la mujer, “Tú, cállate. Ésas no son cosas de mujeres”. La película hace un juego con los conflictos y libertades que encontraban en España por el rechazo de la dictadura.

Este tiempo de cambios en la cultura se llama la Movida, o en la historia del país la Movida Madrileña.  Durante la movida los jóvenes estaban tratando de imitar muchas de las tendencias en los EE.UU. y Europa tal como la música punk, el uso de drogas y la liberación de los gay. Mucha de la carrera de Almodóvar está basada en la movida y aun sus primeros siete largometrajes tratarían de este movimiento. La gente española empezó acomodarse a esta cultura nueva casi diez años después de la muerte de Franco. En 1988 Almodóvar rodó la película Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios y otra vez representó la cultura perfectamente y su acomodación a la nueva España. Uno de los cambios que la Movida causó fue que en vez de identificarse por clases sociales, se identificaba por el área de la ciudad o los diferentes grupos de popularidad. Si eran ricos o pobres eso ya no tenía mucha importancia. También por la Movida había mucha migración de todo de España a Madrid. En Mujeres refleja la mezcla de las clases sociales y también las áreas geográficas en España. Pepa es el carácter principal de la película y está frustrada porque su novio la ha dejado por otra mujer. Pero ella no es una mujer normal, ella es una mujer fuerte que quiere tener venganza a su ex-novio. Ella vive en un apartamento cerca del centro de la ciudad, pero tiene su jardín en el balcón para ayudarle no extrañar su vida del pueblo. La amiga de Pepa se llama Candela y por su acento es obvio que ella viene de Andalucía lo cual es otra marca de la mezcla geográfica. En el libro Desire Unlimited, explica que el tesis de Mujeres es que “society has now adapted itself to individuals”.8

Almodóvar sigue capturando sus audiencias con otras películas durante los finales de los años ochenta y aun en los principios de los años noventa. En 1995 Almodóvar hizo su película más realista hasta aquel entonces llamada La flor de mi secreto. La flor es la historia Leo, quien es una autora que ha estado escribiendo libros románticos por casi veinte años pero tiene sus propios problemas con su vida romántica. Su esposo es militar y casi nunca está en la casa entonces Leo se encuentra sola y le extraña mucho. Cuando su esposo regresó de una misión parecía que ya no la quería y de repente se fue antes de cuando había dicho que tenía que ir. Leo se puso deprimida e intentó suicidarse. Después de hablar con su Mamá, ellas decidieron regresar al pueblo para olvidar sus problemas de la ciudad. Ahí Leo encontró la fuerza que necesitaba para aguantar la vida urbana. La vida de Leo representa las vidas de los españoles en aquel tiempo porque ya tenían casi diez años desde que todos emigraron a la ciudad y estaban empezando extrañar la vida más simple.

Las películas de Almodóvar siguen las etapas diferentes de la sociedad y cultura española empezando poco después de la muerte de Franco. Tal vez puede decir que Almodóvar debe una parte de su éxito a la represión de la dictadura porque de otro modo España nunca hubiera tenido que pasar por el tiempo de la Movida. Sus películas son representaciones exactas de todos los movimientos importantes de España. El rechazo de franco, la exploración de las nuevas libertades, la aceptación de la democracia y aun los recuerdos de la vida del pueblo son unos de los temas que sus películas han explorado. Por mal o bien, sus películas han sido una influencia en la cultura pop y el nombre de Almodóvar nunca será olvidado.

Endnotes

• Post-Franco, Postmodern, p. 2

• Un Laberinto Español: Allison, p. 17

• Pedro Almodóvar: D’Lugo, p. 13

• Pedro Almodóvar, página oficial.

• Post-Franco, Postmodern, p. 4

• Un Laberinto Español: Allison, p. 18

• Un Laberinto Español: Allison, p. 51

• Desire Unlimited: Smith, p. 93

Bibliografía

Acevedo-Muñoz, Ernesto R. Pedro Almodóvar (Bfi World Directors). Annapolis: British Film Institute, 2007.

Un análisis de todos los temas que Almodóvar cubre en sus películas. Los analicen en todas sus películas empezando con una de sus películas cortas del 1974, Film político hasta su última película en 2006, Volver.

Allinson, Mark. Un Laberinto Español. Madrid: Ocho y Medio, Libros de Cine, 2003.

Mark Allison presenta la conexión de Almodóvar con la cultura de la nueva España. También explica las razones de porque Almodóvar juega tanto con los géneros.

Almodóvar, Pedro. Almodóvar on Almodóvar. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.

Una entrevista con Almodóvar sobre sus películas. Hablen mucho del rodaje y no mucho de lo que representan las películas. Cubren todos de sus largometrajes.

D’ Lugo, Marvin. Pedro Almodóvar, University of Illinois Press, 2006.

Un análisis de los largometrajes que ha rodado hasta 2006. Se enfoque mucho en sus últimas películas. Explique cómo Almodóvar ha llegado ser conocido internacionalmente.

"Pedro Almodóvar, página oficial." ClubCultura.com - Cultura iberoamericana, literatura, cine, música y fotografía. 15 Apr. 2009 http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/almodovar/esp/home.htm.

Este sitio de web explica año por año la vida de Pedro Almodóvar y como llegó a ser tan famoso. También tiene resúmenes de todos de sus largometrajes. El sitio está en inglés, español y francés.

Post-Franco, postmodern the films of Pedro Almodóvar. Westport, Conn: Greenwood P, 1995.

Repase sus primeros largometrajes hasta *Kika *1993. Cuenta la historia de la dictadura de Franco y como está conectado a las películas de Almodóvar. También cuenta la historia de la Movida y como eso fue una de las influencias de Almodóvar.

Smith, Paul Julian. Desire unlimited the cinema of Pedro Almodóvar. London: Verso, 1994.

Una explanación de las películas de Almodóvar escrito especialmente para los americanos. Ayuda explicar todas las razones que Almodóvar es famoso internacionalmente y ayuda al extranjero entender las diferencias culturales.

La mayoría del cuento se narra en primera persona. La primera persona es el modo de destacar la imparcialidad del narrador. Lo que se cuenta se hace según lo vive la protagonista, ya sea que acierte o no en sus apreciaciones o que distorsione la realidad de manera evidente. En este tipo de narración alcanzan su mayor expresión el monólogo interior, la interiorización de los pensamientos y el manejo de los sentimientos humanos. Este libro usa la primera persona en forma de autobiografía, en la cual la protagonista habla de algo que le ocurrió a sí misma y cuenta sobre su propia vida. Un ejemplo de este tipo de dialogo es: “Me tironeaban la admiración y algo de crítica, tal vez quería descubrir que Lucas se había vuelto loco” (51).

También la primera persona aparece como testigo directo de lo vivido por otros, y el narrador suele ser un personaje secundario o desplegar alguna técnica narrativa, como descubridor de supuestos manuscritos, investigador de un acontecimiento poco conocido o cualquier otra estrategia semejante. En esta frase estamos leyendo desde el punto de vista de otro personaje del cuento: “Carmela palpó su libreta, pero en ese momento debía poner en práctica otra tarea, la aprendida en la hondonada de tiro” (85). El uso de la primera persona permite desarrollar más los aspectos psicológicos de los personajes y consigue una mayor identificación del lector con el protagonista del argumento.

El vocabulario de los personajes en un cuento es una buena manera de entender los niveles de educación que tienen. En este libro el vocabulario de los soldados es de un registro muy bajo, usan palabras muy poblanas y muchas groserías: “¡Lo vi hacerse culiar! ¡Es un puto! ¡Un traidor hijo é puta!” (115). Las groserías demuestren una falta de la habilidad de comunicarse usando palabras más respetuosas. Este tipo de vocabulario es muy común en el ejército y a veces tiene un efecto bueno, porque lo usan para demostrar autoridad y poder ante los que están en rangos más bajos. La protagonista usa varios registros de vocabulario, dependiendo de con quién esté hablando. Ella es una doctora entonces tiene mucha educación y sabiduría para poder comunicarse aun con los más sofisticados. Pero a la vez ella entiende que todos no hablan en este nivel y entonces sabe bien cuándo tiene que hablar con un registro más bajo para ser entendida.

Este libro hace un trabajo excelente en el uso de frases largas y cortas, que ayuda a mantener la atención de los lectores. Algunas de las frases cortas pueden ser sólo una palabra, lo cual tiene un fuerte impacto en el lector. Por lo general, se utilizan las frases cortas para demostrar el enojo o la frustración de los personajes. Un buen ejemplo de unas frases cortas se encuentra en el siguiente fragmento: “¿Juntos? No, no era posible. Algo tramaban” (98). Muchas veces las frases son mucho más largas y contienen una gran cantidad de información vital. Estas frases son generalmente las partes no vocales o cuando estamos escuchando los pensamientos del narrador y no las partes conversacionales.

El autor Marcos Aguinis ha hecho un buen trabajo con este libro a trevés de usar varias técnicas para mantener la atención del lector. Los temas que mencioné sólo forma una parte pequeña de todo de lo que el autor emplea para contarnos esta historia. Los detalles que están escondidos detrás de las técnicas gramaticales en La pasión según Carmela ayudan mucho la historia cuando el lector los entiende. Este libro es muy recomendado para alguien que tiene tiempo para leer, porque después de que empieza pasar las primeras hojas no va a poder dejarlo hasta que lo termine.

Now on the other hand, I couldn’t help but think about the original audience for which these movies were created. These were definitely the most amazing thing ever seen to that audience. They had never seen all the different pieces of art combined in such a way, it was absolutely amazing. For us we get excited when a new movie comes out, I can only imagine the excitement they had when they were going to not only their first movie, but the first movie ever created. Had to be an amazing experience.

Along the way, the group demonstrated their commitment to the project by collecting trash and helping to beautify the community. We were also able to distribute food and water to those in need along the way. Amid the physical exertion, we managed to bond and have fun together, making it an even more memorable event.

When we finally reached the temple grounds and sat on the lawn, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment washed over us. Exhausted yet elated, we had conquered our doubts and grown stronger, both individually and as a group. The Las Vegas Temple Walk was truly an awe-inspiring experience for all involved.

Here's the plan we used in case anyone else wants to do it (and you should).

Objective: To strengthen the youth's faith and determination by walking across Las Vegas, a total of 15 miles, to the temple on the other side of town.

**Pacing: **We planned on a steady three miles per hour, or 20 minute mile, walking pace, we ended up with a 24 minute overall mile, which included taking breaks at each stop and a longer lunch break. We were not going "fast" nor were we going "slow," everyone was just... walking along.

Preparation and Materials:

• Hats

• Trash bags

• Trash collectors to maintain cleanliness throughout the walk

• Sunscreen

• Food and water for distribution

• Backpacks for carrying supplies

• Pack lunches or arrange for meal pick-up.

Schedule:

• 6:30 AM - Meet at a designated location and load backpacks

• 6:45 AM - Opening remarks and spiritual thoughts

• 7:00 AM - Drive to the LVAC on North Decatur

• 7:15 AM - Begin the walk, with designated stops along the way for rest, snack breaks, and spiritual thoughts

• 1:15 PM - Arrive at the temple

• 1:30 PM - Drive back to the starting location

• 2:00 PM - Dismissal

Spiritual Thoughts and Themes:

• Baptismal covenant

• Building spiritual bridges

• Preparing to go to the temple

• Be prepared to enter the temple

• "I can do all things in Christ which strengtheneth me."

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Follow vehicles to provide support and supplies

• Hydration monitors to ensure everyone stays hydrated

• Spiritual thought leaders at each designated stop

Shopping List:

• Sunscreen

• Chips

• Granola bars

• Beef jerky

• Trash bags

• Bottled water

The Results

En el segundo párrafo del primer tratado, el hambre empieza a estar presente en la vida de Lazarillo. Cuando él tenía solo ocho años de edad, acusaron a su padre de haber robado trigo de las bolsas de la gente que iba al molino donde él trabajaba. Su padre confesó el delito y como consecuencia fue condenado a muerte. Poco después, la madre de Lazarillo se mudó con él a la ciudad donde ella había conocido a un hombre moreno llamado Zaide. Lazarillo se dio cuenta de que la comida mejoraba porque Zaide siempre les llevaba pan y carne. No pasó mucho tiempo así antes de que el mayordomo de Zaide averiguara que él había estado robando comida, almohadas, mantas y sábanas durante mucho tiempo. Lazarillo se sintió mal porque castigaron a Zaide por su delito, pero para él no era un delito, sino una bendición. Estos ejemplos patronales de su juventud le enseñaron a Lazarillo que el hambre es más importante que la ley. Estas fueron las primeras de muchas experiencias que formaron a Lazarillo.

En su adolescencia, Lazarillo tuvo tres experiencias con tres amos. Cada uno lo trató de forma diferente y así él aprendió algo nuevo cada vez. El primer amo es un ciego que lo usa como un guía, pero no le permite cargar la comida y la protege en una bolsa. Cuando le da algo de comer a Lazarillo, son porciones muy pequeñas. Esto le molesta a Lazarillo porque el ciego tenía más que ofrecer y entonces empieza buscar la manera de conseguir más comida. Decide que va a tratar de robarle al ciego. Es la primera vez que roba para conseguir comida para sí mismo y desde aquí su relación con el ciego empieza empeorar hasta que decide irse porque el deseo de comer era más grande que el deseo de seguir tratando de robar el ciego. Con el segundo amo tiene una experiencia similar, y tiene que usar su ingenio para encontrar una manera de robar su comida porque este amo era aún más tacaño que el primero, pero no era ciego, entonces era mucho más difícil de robarle. Lazarillo aprende mucho del segundo amo porque este tenía comida, más que el ciego, pero nunca compartía con Lazarillo y le daba a él la basura para comer. Él aprende que cuando uno tiene y no lo comparte con los demás, nadie está feliz. Con el tercer amo, Lazarillo tiene una experiencia muy diferente. Este amo no tiene ni un centavo y está muy deprimido. Es la primera vez que Lazarillo tiene que hacer todo el trabajo para proveer comida para alguien más. El tercer amo le enseña lo que necesita hacer para sobrevivir en el mundo.

Al final de la novela, Lazarillo ya es grande y por su deseo de comer decide trabajar en diferentes partes. Eventualmente llega a ser un hombre muy conocido por vender vinos y comida para la gente de la ciudad. Ya la comida ha llegado a ser la manera en que él gana su dinero. Así es como conoce al señor Arcipreste de San Salvador y también a su futura esposa. En esta parte vemos como Lazarillo usa todo lo que había aprendido de sus amos con su esposa y el arcipreste cuando oiga los chispes de la infidelidad de su esposa con el arcipreste. El hambre le ha enseñado cómo reaccionar y como debe tratar la situación. Vemos como el hambre lo ha formado para ser un hombre que respeta a todos y que quiere compartir de todo con todos.

The other problem was that, for example, religion. They said that religion is no more than an expression or emotion and idea because it is not verifiable. But who is to say what one’s experiences are? Why can't I say that I saw God and have it be an experience?

María cree en el destino y dice que todo lo que ha pasado en su vida ha sido parte de este destino. Ella también dice que cree en Dios aunque nunca fue muy católica. Le gusta pensar que un cielo existe para las personas del mundo que no tienen nada aquí. No conozco la historia muy bien pero parece que tenía un novio o esposo por mucho tiempo que todos conocieron. Fue su primer amor de María y también parece que ya no están juntos. Ella habla un poco sobre su relación y como su novio era un hombre bueno. Otra vez repita que eso fue parte de su destino.

María ya está enferma y no le gusta para nada. Ha sido muy saludable durante todo su vida entonces le cuesta mucho a decir eso. Esta animada del disco que sus amigos han ayudado hacer como homenaje de su vida. Tiene mucho respeto por estos amigos y habla de cuan buenos son.

I guess you could say that the movies are progressively getting better and better. Although this was not my favorite movie, it was the most like any movie you see in the theaters today. It had action and suspense, some scary parts and even some scandalous parts. The storyline was a little different than I’m used to, but it wasn’t too bad. It had a regular set of characters, a bit of a love story and some crazy technological parts.

General information on Mexio is that its located in North America bordered by the United States to the North, the Pacific Ocean to the West, Guatemala, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the Southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico on the East. The Size - 758,249 sq. mi. (1/4 the size of the U.S.) and population is July 2008 - 109,955,400. The capital is Mexico City. The population of Mexico City - 8,836,045 and the Terrain - high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus and desert. Climate - varies from tropical to desert. The Official language – Spanish Religions - Roman Catholic (76%, but only 47% attend regularly), Protestant (6%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1.8%), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1%), Seventh Day Adventist (0.5%), Jewish and Islam.

Mexico has a few traditional dresses that they wear for their culture. They have The China Poblana, The Puebla Dress, Mexican Peasant Dress, and Boho Dress. China Poblana is a name that refers to two elements of the culture of Mexico, which have been related by the name from the end of the 19th century. China Poblana has a legend story behind it which explains a young Indian woman by the name from Miira was brought from the Philippines by a merchant ship to be the viceroy’s personal servant. She was kidnapped by the Portuguese pirates during the travel and was taken to cochin which is located in the south of India. She found a way to escape from the pirates along with others that was also kidnapped and they took refuge in a Jesuit mission, where she got baptized and that changed her name to Catarina de San Juan. Once Mirra got back home to the Philippines, she was kidnapped again by the same pirates and was taken to a different location this time. The location is New Spain and the pirates sold her as a slave to the Pueblan man Miguel de Sosa.

The story brought to the conclusion that the dress she wore was a style from her birth country which is India and the dress was completely wrapped in a sari that covered her entire body. It says that the dress she’s been wearing has given rise to the china dress. Weird and interesting story I would have to say. Other dresses such as Puebla Dress can be purchased now for women and children today. The dress is from Puebla, a city in Mexico that is related with Mexico’s successful second war of independence. It is known today for the traditional dress being handcrafted. Now into Boho Dress, which is stilled being used for to describe puebla dresses and the Mexican Peasant Dress. Which is mostly used for hot summer days and wearing these garments which keep make your body comfortable and cool. Mexican clothing is not different from any other culture today. Mexicans that lives in big cities tend to wear t-shirts, jeans an etc. But if you go into the smaller towns you would see more traditional clothing such as the maya dress, which is a “native” feeling. You can also see the dresses being used for celebrations such as the Day of the Death, and I’ll get into that later. Mexico is the largest Spanish speaking country in the world. The entertainment is very large has well. Mexico is considered like our Hollywood here because of their strength of its music and television along with its cinema. As we known today we all have seen actors, actress, and singers from Mexico which made it to the American soil. Mexico has some entertainment that is no different than the Americans. Mexico is extremely large on competitive sporting events. They are very big on basketball, baseball, wrestling (lucha libre), boxing, charreria (rodeo), bullfighting, tennis, Basque Pelota, Golf, Ice Hockey, Polo, TaeKwondo, RacquetBall, 400 meter track and field and soccer. Soccer is their main thing in mexico and also considered as their entertainment.

Mexico has been a popular get away to many of the tourists from Canada and the United States, and slowly increasing tourists from Europe. Since spring break is coming up within the next month. One popular destination is Cancun. Many tourists go there to have a great time and to have fun. It attracts most colleagues and its one of the closes destinations. It’s only a 2 hour flight from Mexico City and it provides many activities. Cancun provides a beach and a golf course. You can also go scuba or snorkeling. They have a sports activity center and a museum which is all located at Cedam. El Rey Maya Ruins provide the archeological ruins, and a tomb, burial site. It has a Convention for the meeting planners and an exhibition center. It has a resort for the guests to stay which is known as a relaxation spot.

There are four/five meals consumed daily (in unlimited income families) they are: Breakfast – Tortillas, eggs, meat, leftover beans, wheat bread, pastries, fruit with coffee and hot chocolate

Then a Coffee break with Fruit with coffee and mild lunch A six course meal from soup to dessert

Late afternoon snack such as Sweet rolls, cakes, cookies. They then have a late dinner and meals are usually served family style or from the stove. Stacking is done frequently as well.

The most important social unit is family comes before individual needs. The father heads the family –wife is the homemaker children are special and taught to share and work together grandparents are honored and help with child care girls are raised differently from boys and kept at home to learn

Household skills thus limited and professional goals for women

"Dia De Los Muertos" or Day of the Dead, focuses on the gathering of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November, which also coincides with the Catholic Holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.In Mexico, November 1st is for honoring deceased children and infants while November 2nd is for honoring deceased adults. This is distinguished by refereeing to November 1st as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents), and November 2nd as "Día de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead).Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear their prayers. Families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigolds, In Mexico the term is used "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings. Toys are brought to the deceased children and tequila to the adults.

Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrenda food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives.Some families build alters in their homes. These altars usually have the Christian cross statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other persons, many candles, and an ofrenda. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (colloquially called calavera), which celebrants represent in masks and foods such as sugar or chocolate skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead. Other holiday foods include pan de muerto, a sweet egg bread made in various shapes, from plain rounds to skulls.

The traditional actives of the Day of the Dead vary throughout Mexico. In some towns they have a large prosession where people dress in costumes, wear skull shaped masks, and carry candles. In other towns people who have had a loved one die the previous year will accept people into their homes for tamales and atole in exchange for a wax candle to honor the deceased. A more modern tradition is for the children to dress up in costumes and ask for candy and money by knocking on people’s doors and asking people in the streets.

Group Questions

Question #1 :

Where is Mexico Located?

Question #2:

What's one traditional dress?

Question #3 :

What's one traditional sport in Mexico?

Question #4 :

What's one of our items on Today's Special?

Question #5:

Name a popular destination in Mexico.

Mi papá siempre ha sido un buen trabajador. Aun cuando él no estaba en el trabajo, él trabajaba duro en lo que él hacía. Cuando yo era más joven, él tenía su propio negocio que alfombra casas y muchos días tenía que trabajar muy tarde. Pero era divertido porque a veces, nos llevaba a mí y a mis hermanos al trabajo, y le ayudábamos como pudimos. Él era el handyman en la casa, siempre arreglando las cosas que romperíamos. Y si él no sabía arreglarla ya, él aprendía rápidamente. Mi mamá sabe que ella puede contar siempre en él cuando algo no funciona correctamente.

También mi papá es la persona más generosa que han conocido. Durante toda mi vida, he visto cómo él intenta continuamente servir a la gente. No solamente a la familia, cada uno que él encuentra, él intenta ayudar en una forma u otra. Algo que yo hago ya que estoy más viejo, es parar a ayudar a personas que están teniendo problemas con sus vehículos en la calle. Recuerdo que el SIEMPRE hacia eso. Él nunca lo hacía para el reconocimiento tampoco. Él trata a la gente cómo él esperaría ser tratado.

Otro buen atributo que mi papá tiene es que él es muy personable. A la gente, realmente le cae muy bien. A muchos les gusta estar en su presencia y muchas veces les hace sonreír. Casi nunca está enojado o frustrado, y pienso que eso es importante para mucha gente. Honestamente, yo puedo decir que mi papá no tiene NINGUN enemigo. Si alguien tiene problemas con él, pronto él trata de arreglar lo que sea. Espero ser así algún día también.

Hay un atributo que he heredado definitivamente, y ésa es la capacidad de hacer chistes muy tontos, que muchas veces no tienen ningún sentido. Es un sentido del humor raro con el cual él me ha bendecido pero debo admitir, todavía consigue una risa de vez en cuando. Si yo hubiera podido escoger cómo ser cuando creciera, mi papá hubiera sido una opción bastante buena.

PART II Click on https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculpture#Materials_of_sculpture, read the article on sculpture and write one full page, using your own words, to explain your understanding of sculpture.

Sculpture comes in many different shapes and sizes. People can now make a sculpture out of anything. They can depict many different things like a person, animals, objects, or even thoughts and ideas. There is no incorrect form of sculpture, people do it for anything. Often times, sculptures are used to capture a moment in time to help people forever remember that event.

In ancient times, sculptures were used in many religious ceremonies. Many times the sculptures symbolized the gods that were worshipped during that time. In ancient Asian countries this was definitely the case. The sculptures would also represent the teachings from their religious teachings as well. These types of sculpture were very sacred to the people of that time and were taken very well care of.

To me, sculptures are even more important than if someone were to draw a picture of you. They represent much more work and involvement which shows more dedication and loyalty. When someone makes a sculpture, they are giving it everything they have to express what they feel is important. The amazing sculptures like the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore show extreme dedication to the cause. With sculptures being a strong point of the world of art, we will continue to have those amazing moments captured in time that will outlive most of us. Sculptures really do break the barrier of time.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

• Date of movie/director/featured actors and actresses:

• August 2, 2002

• Director – Joel Zwick

• Featured actors and actresses:

Nia Vardalos

• Michael Constantine

• Christina Eleusiniotis

• Kaylee Vieira

• John Kalangis

• Lainie Kazan

• A short summary of the movie plot:

This movie is about a 30 year old girl named Toula and her extremely interesting Greek family. Toula is definitely the odd duck in the family who didn’t do anything like anyone expected. She was never the popular one as a young child and at the start of the movie we see how odd she really was when it shows her as a young kid. Then once she grows older she considers herself a “frump” girl until her dad allows her to go back to school when she washes her hair and gets rid of her glasses. She meets a guy that she really has a crush on. Unfortunately he’s not greek, which poses a huge predicament for Toula because the family rule is that Greeks marry Greeks. The movie is basically about how she shows her family that there is more than one way to get something done, and it’s not necessarily the way that everyone is used to.

• What role does food play in the movie?

Food plays a major role in the movie. Basically every time the family is found in one shot there is some sort of meal being served. Toula’s family even owns the local Greek restaurant called the Dancing Zorbas which is ran by the entire family. Lots of the shots of the family are also shot in the kitchen of their house or around the dinner table. It shows how important a meal is in the Greek culture. That is where everything takes place is around the dinner table.

• How does the movie use food to illustrate social/cultural/political/family/religious and/or psychological issues?

The movie uses food to help illustrate how important food is in the Greek culture. It has everything to do with everything. It shows that Greece has its own type of food different from other places. Food obviously plays a major role in the family which is shown by their owning the restaurant. The food in the movie also plays a psychological role which is evident throughout the movie. Anytime anyone had a hard time with a mental issue, the answer was to eat food. Like when Toula’s mom finds out that she is dating the non-greek guy, she immediately tells her to hurry and eat something.

• What kind of personal relationships do the characters have with food?

The characters all have different connections when it comes to food, but all of them are connected somehow. It appears that there has to be food present at every family function and if there isn’t food, then something is wrong. It also appears that food and dancing are also closely related because throughout the movie anytime there is a lot of food present there is also a lot of dancing.

• Did you like the movie? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the movie and found it rather entertaining. It was pretty funny throughout with all the different extremely strong personalities. It was almost crazy how much food there was throughout the movie. There wasn’t 5 minutes that went by in the movie without showing some type of food. The different characters were very funny. It was a very enjoyable movie overall.

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my friend Trevon Angulo at his newly built Video Podcast Studio for an engaging conversation about my journey from marketing to creating Quilia. Here's the short story, but feel free to watch the whole interview up above.

The Early Days: Building a Marketing Company

My passion for marketing and technology led me to co-found NeONBRAND, a marketing agency, with my friend Chad Ramos. Our partnership with Trevon's videography company, Canico Media, played a significant role in our success. We discussed the hardest parts of building a marketing company, which include finding and retaining the right people, as well as scaling time and resources effectively.

Creating a Positive Company Culture

I emphasized the importance of cultivating a positive and enjoyable company culture to retain talented team members. By engaging in fun activities such as Nerf wars, ping pong, and bus tours, we created an environment that encouraged personal and professional growth.

Venturing into Other Businesses

Our marketing experience enabled us to venture into various other businesses, including a CBD company, an investment recommendation website, a window cleaning service, and a tiny home company. Regardless of the industry, the focus remained on people – building trust and strong relationships with clients and partners.

The Birth of Quilia

The shift to working on Quilia occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when I was searching for a new challenge. The idea for Quilia came from identifying patterns within the personal injury industry, highlighting the need for improved communication and streamlined case management.

Building and Pivoting with Quilia

The process of building Quilia involved numerous interviews and several pivots before landing on the current concept. By employing the validation process taught by Startup Ignition, I ensured that customer feedback was incorporated into the app's development. This approach allowed me to create a product that addresses real needs within the industry.

Tackling Challenges in the Personal Injury Space

Quilia aims to revolutionize the personal injury industry by solving three key issues:

• Empowering clients to manage their cases and enhancing attorney efficiency.

• Improving client satisfaction through better communication and case updates.

• Optimizing settlements by improving case quality.

The Role of AI in the Future of Personal Injury

We also discussed the potential impact of AI on the personal injury industry and how Quilia could adapt to a post-AI world. As a data collection point, Quilia can leverage AI to analyze cases and provide recommendations for improving case quality, ultimately benefiting both clients and attorneys.

Integrating with Case Management Software

One of the major features of Quilia is its ability to integrate with case management software, allowing for seamless communication between clients and attorneys. This integration enables legal professionals to focus on more critical aspects of case building while providing clients with access to their case information outside of regular business hours.

Pivoting and Adapting in the Startup World

Throughout the development of Quilia, the importance of pivoting and adapting to new information and feedback was emphasized. The ability to adjust and fine-tune the app based on real-world needs has been instrumental in its success.

Three Tips for Startups

As parting advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, I shared three key tips:

• Focus on building trust and strong relationships with people.

• Don't build your product in the dark; seek customer feedback before development.

• Put in the time and effort required to grow your business.

I wrote these up when coming up with the January Family History Activities sheet... This was the initial draft that just ended up having way too much content for a one-page activity sheet for kids.

So here's the longer version!

Ten Ways to Do More Family History this Year

• Set the Family Tree app as a prominent icon or widget on the home screen of your phone and open it regularly. Having the app front and center will hopefully be a regular reminder to spend some time on it!
• Make sure notifications are turned on for the Family Tree app so you can get alerts for temple work and discoveries that you may not have otherwise received!
• Go through the Family Tree app and “follow” any relatives you knew personally. This will create a notification anytime anyone adds or changes information related to that relative.
• On the Family Tree app, look at your contributions from last year and make a goal to beat that number this year. If you only did 10, maybe shoot for 20. If you did 100, maybe shoot for 1,000! Remember contributions count as anytime you do a task, add memories, or create a person on your family tree.
• Before you get on social media, make a goal to dedicate just a couple of minutes to family history. You can knock out a few tasks, add a memory to a relative, or maybe just read a story about an ancestor.
• Every Sunday, make a goal to enter at least one family memory for a relative. You’ll be surprised at how many great stories have yet to be written down. How did your grandparents meet and fall in love? What hobbies did your parents enjoy as kids? The list is endless. Just ask a parent or grandparent to tell you a story from their childhood and write down what you learn.
• Digitize! So much of our family memories are stored on paper documents shoved in the corner of a closet at your grandmother’s house… Don’t let them rot away! They need to be digitized! This can be a large project if you’re doing it yourself, but it’s worth it. Scan documents, pictures, and maybe convert audio and video recordings into digital media. If you have the budget, maybe use a service like LegacyBox.com to simplify things!
• Regularly attempt to teach your family members how to do family history work! Anyone 8 years old and older can have an account on FamilySearch.org. Help them get logged in so they too can experience the joy of family history work!
• Make a goal to attend the temple regularly this year! If you’re an adult, go often! Maybe once a month or once a week if you can do it! If you’re a youth, help plan a regular temple trip for your family or ward. And if you’re still in primary, make sure to share names to the temple on the Family Tree app so others can do the temple work for you!
• Get inspired to include temple work and family history in your regular routine by reading the talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund titled “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing.”

The subject matter of this piece of art is clearly the different fruits. This is definitely asymmetrically balanced because the fruits are located slightly off centered. It is more of a natural feeling, like the fruits were just set there in no specific order. They don’t use size variation to show depth really on this piece. It is definitely harmonious because of the related colors between all the different fruits.

Discuss the subject matter, whether the image is asymmetrically or symmetrically balanced, variety in the shapes, color saturation, harmony and contrast.

The movie does a great job at exploiting what the asylums of that time were doing to its patients. Although Jack is unable to free these men from their own thoughts, he does make a great impact on especially one man. Which is what makes the ending as good as it was.

When studying a language, it’s an interesting process. You learn a lot of the vocabulary and some grammar. But you don’t really start learning the language until you go out and first start listening to people speak in that language, followed by you attempting to put words together and form sentences that are understandable. At first, this is a difficult thing, it takes a lot of listening to start to understand someone speaking a different language. You have to really be quiet, focus, listen, understand (know the words before they spoke them), figure out sentence structure, etc.

The Holy Ghost is a revelator, no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.

Joseph Smith (HC 6:58)

Like learning a language, we need to learn the language of the spirit.

"There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God's people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges"

Brigham Young (Journal of Discources)

The Precious Gift of Personal Revelation Edwin Kumferman Ricks College Devotional October 24, 2000

Seven Steps to Ongoing Personal Revelation

• Live clean, pure lives D&C 50:29 And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done.

• Search the scriptures 2 Nephi 32:3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

• Ask in Faith If we don't ask, it is like having a driver's license and a new car, but no key. Prayer is the key to receiving revelation from the Lord.

• Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

• Be Patient D&C 98:12 For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith.

• Do everything that is in your power You shouldn't be asking the Lord to guide your steps if you aren't willing to move your feet. Heavenly Father has given you your agency and common sense along with certain talents, gifts, and abilities. He expects you to use them in your decision-making process.

• Be calm and at peace Do you have any personal quiet time?

• Elder M. Russell Ballard: Handheld devices, such as smartphones, are a blessing, but they can also distract us from hearing the “still, small voice.” They need to be our servants, not our masters. For example, if later tonight you share inspiring thoughts from this devotional on social media, your smartphone is a servant. If you randomly surf the Internet, your smartphone is a master.

• Write down promptings you receive and act quickly upon them Elder Richard G. Scott wrote, "Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down word for word, like spiritual dictation" (Finding Peace, Happiness and Joy, 42).

• In 1998, Elder Richard G. Scott speaking to church educators said, “learn to write revelation in your journals so you can remember what the Lord has said.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKIm_JeD9WA https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/let-the-holy-spirit-guide?lang=eng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6iINV_p-8E https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nimfoO59mDw https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/04/the-spirit-giveth-life?lang=eng

Outback Steakhouse 2625 Craig Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89032 www.outback.com

• Date/meal period you visited the restaurant: Friday, March 20, 2009, dinner

• Style of service – fine dining, casual dress

• A general listing of the specialty food/beverage items on the menu

• Bloomin’ Onion

• Aussie Cheese Fries

• Outback Special (steak)

• Alice Springs Chicken

• New York Strip

• The Melbourne (steak)

• Mum’s Chopped Steak

• Atlantic Salmon

• Lobster Tails

• A list of what foods/beverages you tasted during your visit

• Aussie Cheese Fries

• Bread with Honey Butter

• Lemonade

• 6 oz. Outback Special

• Loaded baked potato

• House Salad

• Your general thoughts/observations about the foods, ambiance and service:

This is one of my favorite restaurants. The lighting is somewhat dimmer than other restaurants which give the overall tone to the place as very mellow and relaxed. The service is usually very good with quick seating and prompt drinks and appetizers. The Aussie Cheese Fries are a must have, they are extremely bad for you but taste extremely good. I really like their house salads because they are plain like I like them and they have really peppery croutons that come with it that taste really good. The waiter was really nice and helpful and did a really good job at keeping the table cleared and keeping our drinks filled. The 6 oz. steak may be small but it is just right for me after having eaten all the other food beforehand. I love how they bake their potatoes in with the salt and butter on the outside. It makes the whole potato taste really good.

• From your personal experience and/or what you have learned in class, did the restaurant seem culturally representative or not?

Outback is an interesting place in my mind when it comes to how culturally representative it is of Australia. The decorations are definitely “Australian” as far as the aborigine type decorations and things you would see out in the wild down in Australia. But like the United States, it seems like Australia doesn't have a real culturally representative food that stands out from the rest. The menu seems like any other steakhouse menu with Australian spins on the names of the food.

• What did you learn about this culture and their foods from your visit?

If Outback does represent the Australian culture, then the culture there is probably a lot like the United States. The food is cooked and prepared a lot like the food here in the United States as well. For example they like to fry a lot of food and grill a lot of meat.

• Would you return to the restaurant in the future? Why or why not?

I will definitely continue to return to Outback. The food and the experience has never let me down yet and at this point even if they did let me down once in the future, I'd probably still go back because of all the other good experiences I've had. The ambiance in the restaurant has always been pleasing to me and I feel really comfortable with the menu and everything else about the place. This will probably be a long time favorite restaurant of mine.

Pei Wei Asian Diner 1311 West Sunset Road Henderson, NV 89014 www.peiwei.com

• Date/meal period you visited the restaurant: Friday, February 6, 2009, dinner

• Style of service – fast dining, casual dress

• A general listing of the specialty food/beverage items on the menu

• Edamame

• Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• Crab Wontons

• Pei Wei Spring Rolls

• Hot and Sour Soup

• Dan Dan Noodles

• Lo Mein Noodles

• Pad Thai

• Fried Rice

• Pei Wei Spicy

• Sweet & Sour

• Manderin Kung Pao

• Mongolian

• A list of what foods/beverages you tasted during your visit

• Edamame

• Sweet & Sour Chicken

• Lo Mein Noodles with Chicken

• Your general thoughts/observations about the foods, ambiance and service:

I really enjoyed the experience. The restaurant had a very good ambiance due to the bright red colors on the black backdrop. The menu was very easy to order from as it explained each dish in great detail. The food was extremely tasteful although I would think that it has been greatly Americanized. I had the Sweet & Sour Chicken for my meal and it was full of fried peppers and pineapple with a nice sized helping of brown rice. My wife ordered the Lo Mein Noodles with Chicken which was also very flavorful.

• From your personal experience and/or what you have learned in class, did the restaurant seem culturally representative or not?

The decorations seemed to represent the Asian culture, although there weren’t any people of Asian descent working in the restaurant. The meals probably derived some a very Asian food but I also doubt that the meals taste like the original meals. They did give us fortune cookies with our meal which is as Asian as it gets.

• What did you learn about this culture and their foods from your visit?

Well unfortunately because the restaurant seems to be very Americanized to me, I can’t say that I learned a lot about their culture. Other than the fact that it seems to easily be able to take on an American taste that really makes the meal taste just how we want it. The food must be pretty adaptable to different cultures just by changing the recipe a little.

• Would you return to the restaurant in the future? Why or why not?

I plan on returning to this restaurant again and again. The food was excellent and a much better choice than it’s possible competitor Panda Express. The food was of a high quality, way more than you would expect for a fast food place. The meals were delivered to our table in a very short time and we were able to eat and leave and not feel rushed. I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Hay algo de una película de miedo que muchas personas les gusta de una manera muy extraña. Yo no sé por qué la gente se sometería al miedo y a las posibles pesadillas, pero una cosa es segura, mucha gente vaya a las películas de miedo y van todo el tiempo. Una de las cosas agradables sobre una película de miedo es que son perfectas para los dos géneros, y la mayoría de la gente, tiene que mirarlas con alguien del sexo opuesto. Es bueno para el muchacho porque él puede demostrar cuán fuerte y valeroso es y es perfecto para la muchacha porque ella puede tener alguien allí para ayudar a confortarla y protegerla. Todos ganan en una película de miedo, es por eso que son perfectas para una cita.

Personalmente a mí me gusta algunas de las películas de miedo, pero solamente cuando no están llenas de sangre y muerte. Cuando una película puede asustarme, pero todavía puede estar buena, para mí es una señal de una película muy buena. Realmente no me gusta cuando las películas de miedo están muy espantosas con personas muriendo cada minuto de maneras muy sangrientas y dantescas. A mí me parece muy desagradable y me disturba que llenemos nuestras mentes con este tipo de imágenes. Yo podría utilizar este espacio en mi memoria para cosas más importantes que aquel tipo de película.

Por el contrario, a mucha gente les gusta mucho las películas de miedo. Algunos dirían que cuando una película tiene mucha sangre, sea mucha mejor. Les gusta ver a la gente asustada y temblando porque piensan que se van a morir. Los productores de estas películas saben que la gente piensa de esta manera, así que los productores casi compiten para ver quién puede poner los pelos de punto más. Con esta competición en mente, las películas que salen cada año redefinen este tipo de género con nuevas tácticas de sustos y efectos especiales.

Han estado grabando películas de miedo casi desde que se inventó la película misma. Algunas de las primeras películas de miedo fueron grabadas por principio de 1900 y desde aquel entonces han estado asustando a mucha gente. Por cualquier razón, la gente ama la emoción y la ansiedad de este género. Cuando la gente puede relacionarse con una película tal como Disturbia, van a continuar esperando en filas y pagando precios increíbles en los cines para verla.

I enjoyed watching the movie for the education factor. I feel that I don’t know much about the Vietnam War to begin with so it was interesting to see it from this perspective. I enjoyed the realistic feeling the movie had to it. It didn’t seem like it was Hollywood but that it was a reality television show that actually followed around soldiers. The movie was very well done and gives a long term impression on the realities of War.

The first charge made against Socrates is the one on which is accused of not believing in the Athenian gods.  Throughout the whole trial Socrates states that he does believe in god, and at this moment all the contradictions begin and evidences on Socrates side are shown by the same Socrates.  If Socrates did not believe in the gods of Athens, he would not have followed the Apollo’s Oracle at Delphi which stated, “There is no man wiser”.  This statement shows that Socrates does believe in god because the statement, “There is no man wiser”, came from a sort of god to whom Socrates tests out to see if what god was stating was true.  Socrates did not know exactly what the oracle meant, so he decided to test it out and find out if there was actually a wiser man than himself.  This shows that if Socrates wouldn't have believed in god, he wouldn't have followed something that came from a sort of god.  He went and questioned politicians, poets, and craftsmen just to see if he was truly wiser than they were.  After finding out his answer, which in conclusion he found out he actually was wiser than those other men, Socrates also gained even more enemies.  Another fact that proved that Socrates believed in the gods of Athens was his “divine sign”. This is probably the clearest proof that Socrates did believe in the gods of Athens because this sign was definitely coming from some form of an Athenian god. The “divine sign” was a clear voice that always forbids him to do something which he is going to do, but never commands him to do anything.  If Socrates would not have believed in the gods of Athens, for sure he would not have ever listened or followed the signs or in certain circumstance a direction.  During the trial, Socrates stated, “For I do believe that there are gods, and in a far higher sense than that in which any of my accusers believe in them. And to you and to god I commit my cause, to be determined by you as is best for you and me”. This sentence let them know that what they are saying is wrong, that he does believe in god probably even more than what they might do.  But it seems that Socrates himself did not believe that he was actually the wisest man in Athens.  Socrates did not know that the only wise man was god.

The next accusation brought against Socrates during his trial is the one accusing him of corrupting the youth.  Even if Socrates was corrupting the youth, he was doing it unintentionally as Socrates stated.  During this accusation, Meletus claims that what Socrates is doing is wrong.  Meletus views the corruption of the youth as Socrates telling the children to believe in certain gods contrary to what gods the public believes in.  Educating youth about other gods, which was one of the accusations from Meletus and his associates, was not the purpose of Socrates.  His purpose was to teach youth to care about the greatest improvement of the soul.  Socrates was not corrupting the youth because as he states, he would have corrupted many generations.  This sentence came from Socrates, "For if I am really corrupting the youth, and have corrupted some of them already, those of them who have grown up and have become sensible that I gave them bad advice in the days of their youth should come forward as accusers and take their revenge."  That shows that Socrates was sure that he had not corrupted the youth, and this was proved because none of the youth who had now grown up came forward for their "revenge".  What he wanted to teach the youth was only good and to never harm anybody. Socrates taught them this because because he was a good man, a man who was only serving his great city.  Even if Socrates corrupted the youth unintentionally, he should not be held accountable because the Athenian law "does not mention unintentional offenses".  Before putting him to death, Socrates should have been informed about his mistakes so he could stop, but he was never informed.  As we all suppose, if he would have been informed, he would have stopped because he might of thought about the consequences.  But it seems that Socrates was less afraid of death because after being sentenced to the death penalty, Socrates states, "I regard this as proof that what has happened to me is good, and that those of us who think that death is an evil, are in error."  So even if what he was doing was wrong for the city of Athens but for him was not, he would have still kept on teaching.  That was his teaching, the one which he never got paid for because he was not looking for material stuff (particularly money).  All he was looking for was for the improvement of his great city.

The other two charges were, of being a Physicist and a Sophist.  These two other accusations from my perspective do not fit in with the previous accusations.  If Socrates did believe in god, he is not a Physicist.  He never inquired anything about the heavens in this case, which as we suppose heaven relates to god.  He never had any doubt on god so there was not any reason for him to inquire about it.  The other charge on him was him being accused of being a Sophist.  Socrates was never trying to make the youth believe in something else than what they already believed.  All he was trying to do was let them know about the improvement of the soul.  He was probably charged with that because he didn't know how to confront others, and when he did confront them, he wouldn't stop pushing them even if they had a different opinion.

All the evidence provided throughout this trial does not make any sense.  It seems that the death of poor Socrates was already planned because none of the accusations fit in with the evidences provided by Meletus and his associates.  All they had against Socrates was envy, because they knew Socrates was a wise man and that everything he was doing was only for the good of Athens.  But it seems that instead of them being appreciative of Socrates for everything he did, they were upset.  It seems that they actually did not want the good for their city.  The jury in this case was definitely misguided.  Socrates was only trying to help the city of Athens, a city for which he had a great love.  The jury overlooked the evidence that was brought to the case and relied on their biased opinions and not actually true facts.  There was no evidence of any wrong doing by Socrates.  He was trying to follow the Oracle of Delphi and if somehow misinterpreted it, it was purely by mistake.  Socrates followed all of the laws of Athens even until the end of his life when he was put to death. A death that was definitely unfair.

Parents have a tough job setting this up and then continuing to monitor it all, but it is possible. NOT doing anything is the easiest way to handle tech in your home, but it's also the most dangerous.

Take the initiative to set up your digital guard rails to ensure everyone (including yourself) stays safe while navigating technology and the internet.

2023 Version

** Protecting Kids in the Digital Age July 2023 ** from Kenny Eliason

2022 Version

** Protecting Kids in the Digital Age 2022 ** from Kenny Eliason

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Scientists have found that thoughts can definitely have an effect on your health. In the above story, you would think that success would have brought happiness, but scientists have found that success only brings happiness when there is enough self-esteem to go along with it. What happens a lot of times when people are successful is that it makes them happier, and when we are happy, our immune system gets a boost and we feel healthier from head to toe. In the case of the “Brian’s” in the world, if that success is so great it is felt undeserved by the individual, it can have a reverse affect, lowering our immune response, allowing illness and disease to set in. Sometimes too much optimism can just plain be too much.

The article also covers the topic of stress and how we usually associate too much stress with high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. The article also proves that that is not always the case. There is a story of a lady named Rachel who was a school teacher. During the summer months when she wasn’t teaching, she would become very tired and didn’t want to return to school by the time the fall months came around. When that time came her doctor recommended that she make her best effort and go back to school. Now being a teacher can be stressful, but instead of that stress wearing Rachel down even more, it gave her an extra boost of energy. The stress was actually causing her body to wake up and stay alert! This is proven over and over by humans on a daily basis. It’s our natural instinct, that when we’re under some kind of pressure (be it stress) that our bodies become active and our drive helps us to get out of that situation the quickest way possible. The problems that stress causes are when it is constant on-going stress, which we can never get out of. That is when our immune system just “gives up” and weakens to the point where it allows bad things to happen to our body. All of these different points of view open a wide variety of topics for many psychologists today.

I found this topic very interesting because I think I’m a lot like the story of the school teacher Rachel. I thrive off stressful situations. I like to be in them because I feel like my mind works at its best under pressure. I have also begun to realize the effect that has on those around me, and it’s usually not a good one. I have realized how fine a line it is to walk and need to be extremely careful so that I don’t overdo it personally or for those people that are around me. It is definitely good to read on a topic that I feel has a lot to do with everyone’s situation, whether they know it or not.

The types of truths taught in these tales cover many topics. There are some that cover religious views, many that deal with personal standards, and even some that talk about common sense. I think many people in today’s society could learn greatly from the simple truths related through Chaucer’s poem. We are surrounded by liars and thieves who would do anything to make a dollar, or we often see married women or men who break long term commitments with their spouses for a night of pleasure. Chaucer keeps the atmosphere of the poem light, while showing us his thoughts on many serious issues.

The Canterbury Tales was written in a perfect way so that Chaucer could cover all of his thoughts regarding the society of that time. The characters were all perfectly developed and their relation one to another was easy to understand. We all could learn a great deal from the small and simple truths that are sometimes forgotten in our time. When you think about it, maybe we aren’t much different than the people of Chaucer’s time, even if they did live over 600 years ago.

• To understand oneself, according to Plato, you have to know that you know nothing. Our journey in this life is to constantly gain more understanding. It is an almost impossible task to say that there is no more to learn, and that you have learned all there is to learn. To understand ourselves, we must realize that that understanding is found in the search of it. Montaigne understood this idea perfectly.

In Montaigne’s essay about the power of the imagination, his thoughts and ideas were very similar to my own. The imagination, when properly controlled, has amazing power over the rest of the body. It can make us sick when we want to be sick, and it can make us smile when we want to be happy. When imagination is controlled in the proper way its powers are endless. Like Montaigne says in his essay, it’s interesting how the more abstract and strange something seems to the imagination, the more power it has over it. We must learn to control the imagination to bring us to new levels of understanding.

Montaigne was a great writer, mostly because he didn’t care what everyone else thought, he was only writing the essays for himself. In understanding ourselves, and our potential, we learn that there is nothing we cannot do. We must strive to be better people, not only for wisdom, but for the progression toward a final understanding of who we are.

• There are many things that make a ‘quality’ political leader. Much like Machiavelli, I believe that there should be some separation of politics and religion. That one should not be entirely based on the other. A quality leader is one who knows where to draw that line, and he is one who has enough courage to stand for what he believes even when it is the unpopular vote. A leader must be able to make honorable decisions in a timely manner as to avoid causing further problems.

I believe a quality leader must have strong morals, but should not let those weigh to heavily on his political duties. By knowing that a leader has beliefs, it shows us that he knows that he doesn’t know everything, but that he wants to know more. A leader must be not only good, but effective. They must know the most efficient way to complete a task, and be able to execute a plan in order to get the job done.

I place high standards on a quality leader, but they are not impossible to meet. When leaders become too much of extremists, their ability to be just is taken out of the equation. Quality comes from a life time of hard work and dedication that helps us see how they will react in any given situation. These are the type of people we want guiding us to a brighter future.

El primer punto tremendista es cuando el narrador explica la razón por lo cual Marcelo Brito está en la cárcel. El narrador dice, “no fue él quien le pego con el hacha en mitad de la cabeza a Marta, su mujer”, este comentario es muy tremendista porque nos sorprende la barbarie de la manera en que se murió su mujer. Casi inmediatamente después de dejar cicatrices en nuestra mente, cuenta un ejemplo de ternura cuando se enfoque en la sencillez de Marcelo Brito y como el pasa los años en el presidio haciendo un barco en una botella y como se queda por horas llorando y viendo el cuadro de su esposa en la pared. Otro punto tremendista es cuando averiguamos quien mató a la mujer de Marcelo. Es casi increíble que la suegra matara a su hija, pero aparentemente ella fue.

Después de sacarle del presidio Marcelo decide tratar de empezar de nuevo, arreglar sus papeles y buscar una novia nueva. Encontró a Dolores y es casi chistoso lo que Marcelo hace a su mamá de ella. Marcelo quiere saber si esta posible suegra nueva iba ser tener problemas con esta relación nueva. Cuando el narrador cuenta lo de la vida de Dolores es tan tremenda que uno puede empezar a reírse a oír de tantos problemas. Hay varios otros puntos tremendos en el relato, especialmente al final cuando averiguamos del hijo de Marcelo. El relato completo tiene más tremendismo que cualquier otro elemento. El autor hizo muy bien en capturar nuestra atención por lo largo del relato.

La fantasía que María soñó de Ramón fue una realización de los deseos de María en tener un amor perfecto en su vida. Al principio de la fantasía estaban en lados opuestos de una calle esto representa como ellos estaban en posiciones diferentes en sus vidas. La gente corriendo en las aceras representa las decisiones que tomaron en sus vidas que les distrajeron de sus sueños de María a estar juntos con Ramón. Cuando por fin se encuentran juntos en la fantasía, esto representa la reunión de este amor perdido, para María esto representa la posibilidad de estar juntos con este amor otra vez. En la fantasía, María quiere que este amor la lleve a un lugar lejos de su vida real, lejos de sus problemas, lejos de Lorenzo. Es por eso que es especialmente interesante que Lorenzo la despierta de su sueño, exactamente el opuesto de lo que esperaba que pasara.

La fantasía de la niña en el armario es una realización de los temores de María. Como que la niña estaba atrapada en el armario representa una incapacidad. La única cosa que podría haber sido peor que la niña muriera hubiera sido si estuviera viva pero paralizada o incapacitada de alguna forma. María tendría que cuidarla todo el tiempo, ayudándola moverse, cortarse las unas y todo. María no siente capaz de poder atenderla como hubiera tenido que hacer. Nos hace pensar que la niña murió en un accidente o alguna catástrofe que le podía haber dejado incapacitado si no muerta.

Años después de que resolvieron los problemas de la T.V.I., llegó la gran catástrofe. Jamás hubieron pensado que algo tan grande hubiera pasado durante esta vida, especialmente después de todo el rollo que hicieron con la T.V.I. Fue el 19 de marzo cuando una mujer curiosa sacó la T.V.I. del rincón de su armario, cambió unos alambres y de repente se podía ver conversaciones del gobierno de alta seguridad. La mujer no lo cree pero sé que ella se quedó ahí por varias horas viendo las conversaciones del gobierno. Una de ellas fue una conversación entre el jefe de seguridad nacional y el presidente del país, la cual no hubiera sido nada especial si ella no hubiera notado las reflexiones de la voz del presidente. No le puedo decir que escuchó la mujer pero basta decir que ella no la debía haber oído.

La mujer reportó lo que había oído a las agencias de noticias pero no querían reportar sobre información obtenido del uso ilegal de una T.V.I. La mujer decidió que su única opción era a tratar de convencer a otras mujeres que iba pasar con el gobierno porque ella sabía que después de contárselo a unas mujeres, ellas seguirían contándolo a sus amigas de ellas también. Dos días después las noticias habían difundido todo el país. Cuando el presidente escuchó a lo que todos estaban diciendo se sintió muy triste porque era obvio que no le entendieron muy bien. El presidente decidió hablar con el país y decírselos de los planes reales que estaban arreglando aquel día.

Cuando el presidente empezó hablar, la mujer escuchaba atentamente porque ella pensaba que había ayudado salvar su país. Se sorprendió muchísimo cuando oyó los planes reales del presidente. Resulta que la razón por la conversación entre el presidente y el jefe de seguridad era porque estaban tratando de guardar el secreto de la fiesta sorpresa del cumpleaños de su esposa del presidente. Estas noticias nos sorprendieron muchísimo porque pensábamos que había un gran escándalo pero ya supimos que no era nada. Otra vez el T.V.I. había causado una gran catástrofe en el país y todos escondieron sus aparatos para que eso no pasara una vez más. Nadie lo quiere pero sabemos que una sospechosa va a sacarlo un día y causar más problemas, no más esperamos averiguar que será.

La mejor forma de comparar a los destinatarios de las cartas es hacerlo mediante los ejemplos que la escritora nos muestra. En «El recado», el escritor dice que el destinatario es como un soldado. No sabemos con certeza si realmente es un soldado, pero partiendo de este título podemos derivar muchas características del hombre. Cuando uno piensa en un soldado, siempre tiene que ser muy disciplinado. La disciplina es una de las cosas más importantes para los soldados, porque si no lo son, pueden morir. También otras características de un buen soldado es que siempre es valiente y respetado. Por la propiedad que el destinatario tiene, parece que es exitoso en lo que hace, pero a la vez parece que no es muy conocido.

En «Cine Prado» probablemente la mejor manera de examinar al destinatario, Françoise Arnoul, es por su empleo: es actriz. Para ser una actriz, se deben tener características innatas. Tal como sucede en el caso de un soldado, una actriz tiene que ser muy disciplinada. Obviamente, para grabar una película se puede tomar mucho tiempo y puedan tener que repetir las escenas muchas veces. Si no tiene disciplina, la actriz podría cansarse y aburrirse fácilmente. Semejante al novio en «El recado», una actriz tiene que ser valiente cuando está interpretando un papel cinematográfico. Sin embargo, diferente del novio esta actriz parece que no es muy respetado, a menos por el escritor de la carta. Igual del novio, parece que la actriz es muy exitosa en su trabajo y diferente del novio de «El recado», ella es muy conocida por la larga lista de películas que ha desarrollado.

Setting parental controls can be overwhelming and confusing for many parents, especially when unfamiliar with technology.

I want to share some practical steps to help you set up parental controls on iOS and Android devices. I hope to make it a more approachable and doable task for everyone by breaking it down into small, manageable steps.

It's important to remember that while it may seem challenging, protecting our children is vital, and these steps can be the first step towards a safer online experience for them.

iOS Parental Control Settings

Here are some practical steps for setting up parental controls on an iOS device:

• Open the "Settings" app on the device and tap "Screen Time."

• Tap on "Turn On Screen Time" and set a passcode to prevent unauthorized changes.

• Under "Content & Privacy Restrictions," switch to the "On" position.

• Under "Allowed apps," you can choose which apps are accessible to your child.

• Under "Content Restrictions," you can set age limits for movies, TV shows, and books and restrict explicit music, podcasts, and news.

• Under "Privacy," you can prevent your child from making changes to certain settings, such as location sharing and account changes.

• Under "iTunes & App Store Purchases," you can restrict in-app purchases and downloads of specific apps.

• Under "Websites," you can limit access to adult websites or only allow specific websites.

• Under "Always Allowed," you can specify apps that are always accessible, even during downtime or when content restrictions are in place.

• To monitor your child's activity, you can go back to the "Screen Time" settings and tap on "See All Activity" to view a detailed report of app usage and set time limits for specific apps.

It's essential to remember that setting these controls may limit the child's online experience, but it's a trade-off for their safety.

Android Parental Control Settings

Here are some practical steps for setting up parental controls on an Android device:

• Open the "Settings" app on the device and scroll down to "Digital Wellbeing & parental controls."

• Tap on "Parental controls" and set a PIN code or pattern to prevent unauthorized changes.

• Under "Apps & Games," you can set age restrictions for content and restrict the installation of inappropriate apps for your child.

• Under "Web & App activity," you can control and monitor the websites and apps your child can access. You can also set time limits for app usage.

• Under "Screen Time," you can set daily limits for screen time, set bedtime hours, and set specific apps to be blocked during certain hours.

• Under "Location," you can turn on location tracking for your child's device and get notifications when they leave or arrive at specific locations.

• Under "Google Assistant," you can set voice command restrictions and prevent access to some sensitive information like personal information and other sensitive information.

• To monitor your child's activity, you can go back to the "Parental controls" settings and tap "Activity" to view a detailed report of app usage and set time limits for specific apps.

It's also important to note that some features and settings available for Android devices can vary depending on the device brand, version, and carrier. So, checking the device manual or contacting the manufacturer for more detailed instructions is always recommended.

Windows PC Parental Control Settings

Setting up parental controls on a Windows PC can be done in several ways. Still, one of the most straightforward methods is to use the built-in parental controls feature in the Windows operating system. Here are the steps to set up parental controls on a Windows PC:

• Open the "Control Panel" and click "User Accounts and Family Safety."

• Click on "Set up parental controls for any user."

• Select the user account you want to set up parental controls for, and click "On, enforce current settings."

• Under "Time limits," you can set specific times of the day when the user can use the PC and also set a bedtime for the user.

• Under "Games," you can set age limits and prevent the user from playing games with specific ratings.

• Under "Allow and block specific programs," you can choose which programs the user can run and also block specific programs.

• Under "Web filtering," you can set up Internet Explorer to block certain websites or types of content, like adult sites or social media sites.

• To monitor your child's activity, you can go back to the "Parental controls" settings and see a report of the websites they have visited, the programs they have used, and the time they have spent on the PC.

It's essential to remember that these controls may not work for other browsers or apps that are not integrated with the Windows operating system, so it's recommended to use additional software or browser extensions to block access to specific websites or apps.

A good interpreter begins their interpretation long before the time comes to actually sit down to start interpreting. There are many different exercises you can try to help get prepared. Some things to consider in preparation is how knowledgeable you are regarding the topic you’re going to cover, can you attend any meetings in advance to help get to know the speaker better and can you get a copy of the speakers written speech if there was one prepared in advance. A good interpreter will know everything there is to know about the speaker and his speech well in advance so that they will feel more comfortable with what is said on the actual day of interpretation. There are many other ways to help get ready for interpreting a speech. James Nolan, translator and professor, discusses many exercises that can be done to practice interpretation in his book titled *Interpretation Techniques and Exercises. *One exercise he mentions is that before any public speakers give a speech either on television or in person, prepare a list of words or phrases that you think the person might use. Then watch or listen to the speech and see how many you got right. Nolan says this exercise will help in being able to know your speaker and be more comfortable with the terms and phrases they like to use. This exercise should be repeated until you feel comfortable in knowing your speaker (19). Often times a message may become hard to understand either because of technical difficulties or maybe just a weird pronunciation. When this happens, a technique Nolan uses is to interpret the emotion behind the message. He suggests practicing this by writing down a small sentence and then reading it with many different emotions. For example, you could read, “The fox likes the color red.” with feelings of anger, sadness, happiness or annoyance. Record yourself repeating the sentence with the different emotions. Having finished recording all the emotions, listen back to the recording and see if you were convincing. Keep recording until you can really sense the different emotions. This will greatly help with your conveyance of the meaning of the message, not just the words (21-22). Another way you can prepare in case of any technical difficulties, according to Nolan, is to find a paragraph in a magazine and mark out some of the key words with a black marker. Then read over the paragraph and try to fill in the blanks that have been blackened out with words that help keep the context of the message (22). After getting comfortable with this method, Nolan states:

Repeat the exercise again with a new photocopy. This time, blot out the final words of key sentences in each paragraph. When you do the sight-translation, try to finish the sentences in a way that makes sense without altering the main thrust of the sentence. Check yourself against the original. In those cases where you were not able to reconstruct the original meaning intended, consider whether it would have been better to take an educated guess or to drop the entire sentence rather than risk getting it wrong. This depends on your judgment and on the context in which the sentence appears (24).

Having followed these techniques well in advance will not only help you feel better prepared, but it will also help perfect your interpreting skills.

Another thing that often stumps even the best of interpreters is the many different figures of speech used in every language. Nolan states that “The most common pitfall to be avoided is not recognizing figurative or idiomatic language and translating it literally (67)”. Nolan also gives an exercise to help with this problem. He gives a list of many different figures of speech such as idiom, simile, parody, pun or play on words, euphemism and hyperbole and then has you come up with as many examples as possible for each one in both your first and second language (68-72). It is important to be able to translate the meaning of the message, and not so much the actual figure of speech. Along with this, Nolan gives another exercise which has you take the moral or lesson given in a well known story, and make up a different story in the other language that would give the same moral (103). By doing this you are helping to grow your vocabulary in such a way that you may able to recognize figures of speech and translate them in such a way to help the audience understand the meaning, and not the literal translation.

Another stumbling block for many interpreters is translating humor. Jokes can carry such abstract ideas that it is extremely difficult for even the best of interpreters to get a laugh out of the audience at the same time as the speaker. Nolan yet again has an excellent idea on how to overcome this possible pitfall. The exercise is rather simple. Tell jokes (274). That is the whole way to be able to interpret a joke in a different language. You should look up and be able to tell jokes in any language you speak. The art of telling a joke comes with practice, so if you’re trying to interpret a joke and you’re not good at telling jokes yourself, you may have a problem.

The final topic I wanted to cover is the technique of learning how to take good notes, especially while interpreting consecutively. Deborah A. Garretson talks about this skill in her book titled A Psychological Approach to Consecutive Interpretation. She talks about an experiment wherein they tested the ability of the interpreters to recall the information that was presented. She states:

The wording, the surface structure of the sentences, is largely lost by the subjects within a short time after presentation; yet when questioned about the content of the material presented, the subjects were able both to recognize as well as actively recall their contents with accuracy (247).

The key to good note taking is practice, practice, practice. Nolan gives many great examples on how to practice this technique, one of which is the writing of the story about the tortoise and the hair without using any words, just shapes (298).

As we can tell, there is much to be learned when it comes to being an outstanding interpreter. But with much exercise and practice one can become trained enough to give a great interpretation.

Works Cited

Garretson, Deborah A. “A Psychological Approach to Consecutive Interpretation”. Meta 26 (3), September 1981.

Nolan, James. Interpretation : Techniques and Exercises*. *Clevedon, GBR: Multilingual Matters Limited, 2005.

Oh the famous topic of procrastination. A topic that many college students deal with every year at this time. Assignment are due, studying for tests, procrastination gets the best of all of everyone at some point. This article tells a story about a brilliant college kid who has blown two huge deadlines. He didn’t blow them because he wasn’t capable. He blew them because he kept thinking, “Eh, I’ll get to it.” Famous last words. The author does a great job explaining the causes of this horrible habit that people tend to form. The author also explains the effect this habit can have not only on mental health, but your physical health as well. People procrastinate for many reasons, fear, perfection, self control and thrill seeking are just some mentioned.

I chose this article for class because I felt like I had a lot to learn from it. This has always been one of my struggles since as long as I remember and I believe that many a college student suffers from it as well. Many college students, especially at a community college, are so wrapped up in other things rather than school that it makes it easy to say, “I just don’t have time.” It is a constant juggle between work, family and school. With all those things constantly on your plate, procrastination is not the answer, more the result. We must teach our selves to prioritize, set goals and fulfill them, be punctual and responsible. I think many CCSN students would agree, and with the offering of online classes, sometimes it allows us to procrastinate even more because we don’t have to answer to a real person, just an online web site. Once you get into the groove of college, life becomes much easier and fulfilling because you’re planning ahead for those tests and essays that are due by the end of the semester so that you’re not dreading the last two weeks before school is out. Procrastination is an ugly habit that sometimes forms without us even realizing it.

I definitely agree with the author’s description of the causes of procrastination. I found that as I read the different causes I could remember times when those were the reasons for why I procrastinated. One of the quotes that hit home the most was, “Procrastinators would rather be seen as lacking in effort than lacking in ability.” How true is that? When we fail a final, it’s a lot easier to say, “It’s not my fault I only had 30 minutes to study.” Instead of, “Man, I wish I would have had a tutor all semester.” Another thing mentioned in the article are the feelings that are associated with procrastination. Feelings of anxiety or guilt are normal results, and what is more interesting is that when they did a test on college students who procrastinated, the feelings they had reversed. Soon after beginning that long overdue project, or studying for tomorrow’s test, they reported feeling relieved and no longer said that they worked better under pressure. It’s interesting how our mind works under those situations.

Procrastination can be deadly on many aspects of life. “I’ll tell her sorry next time I see her.” Or, “I’ll run that daily report for my boss next week.” We must learn to harness the beast! We need to realize the problem and attack it with our guns loaded. It’s not good enough to just skim through life barely making deadlines. That causes unnecessary stress and anxiety and has adverse affects even on your physical health. According to the article, 70 percent of college students report having a hard time making deadlines. Isn’t that amazing? We need to strive to be in that 30 percent of those who do not procrastinate and make an effort to succeed.

Let me know if I should add any to my list by leaving a note down in the comments.

In no particular order, here's my list of must-read startup books, and if I find the time I'll add a review after I'm done with it.

Book List

In no particular order:

• Hooked by Nir Eyal
• Monetizing Innovation by Madhavan Ramanujam & Georg Tacke
• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
• Nail It Then Scale It by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
• Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur
• The New Business Road Test by John Mullins
• The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
• The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
• Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson
• What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 by Tina Seelig
• Zero to One by Peter Thiel
• Traction by Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis
• Start From Zero by Dane Maxwell
• Slicing Pie Handbook by Mike Moyer
• The Startup Playbook by David S. Kidder
• Startup CEO by Matt Blumberg
• Getting More by Stuart Diamond
• Do More Faster by Brad Feld and David G. Cohen
• Sprint by Jake Knapp
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Harowitz
• Simple Numbers by Greg Crabtree

Ok, I know the title of this blog post is a little... rude? #isntitironicdontchathink. This has been on my mind for a while now, just let me explain...

Isn't it interesting how things evolve? Especially in the world of communication. Here's my quick perspective on the communication evolution.

The Communication Evolution

Before there was a solid written language, communicating with people would have required us to physically be present in order to convey a message. I would imagine that this caused one of two things to happen, either you saved the most important messages for that time you saw your friends, or when you saw your friends you were so excited that you would talk and talk and talk until you couldn't talk anymore because you had no idea when would be the next time you saw them. Rough life.

Then comes written communication, and what an improvement it was. Now you could tie a note to a rock and throw it over to your friend. I'm sure this saved countless hours of travel.

After that we were lucky enough to get the telegraph! What a time that would have been to experience. Instant messaging at it's finest.

Then at some point, we start getting landlines at our homes and businesses. This allowed us to easily reach out to a friend, convey a message (important or not) with a few quick clicks on a keypad. Pretty revolutionary, for sure.

Now skip forward a bit to the smartphone generation. Ho-lee-smokes. We have a list of ways to communicate:

• email
• text message
• phone call
• facebook
• twitter
• whatsapp
• facetime/skype
• phone call

The list goes on and on and on and on...

NOW FOR MY RANT

In this day of 1,000+ ways to communicate, the option of a phone call needs to be very far down on the list. Here's my reason why.

Most of my day is consumed with tasks, doing things that are pending from previous days that need to be finished. A lot of those tasks include doing such things as responding to previous emails or other forms of communication that people have sent me.

As I'm cranking through my day, suddenly the phone will ring. Now here's what happens. I have to immediately stop everything I was doing. This is because with a phone call it only rings for a certain amount of time before losing the opportunity to communicate forever. So I stop and answer the phone.

It's almost as if the person making the phone call decided, "Hey, my day has stopped because of this situation, I may as well stop your day too because I'm sure this is more important." :/

Then further compounding this phone call is now I have to respond to questions or requests with split second reaction time. Rather than taking the time to compose a thoughtful, data-rich response to a question, I have to be quick and dirty with it by either hopefully knowing the answer right away or hemming and hawing until I can muster some sort of response that buys more time to get the actual answer. In 2016+, this isn't the way we have to do things anymore.

</rant>

So When is a Phone Call Appropriate?

This isn't to say there isn't ever a place to make a phone call. I think they are a very effective and very necessary method of communication. BUT a phone call should be prefaced with another form of communication to set the date, time, and topics to be discussed during said phone call (even if it's a quick text that says, "Hey, can I call you real quick?"). In this manner, we can all have a pleasurable experience on the phone call and make real strides in accomplishing the goal.

Now I realize this may effectively end any and all phone calls from my friends and family... which isn't really my intention, but maybe it is... guess you'll never know. Heh.

Home Screen

Basic home screen layout here. I'm a heavy folder user so all of my apps are tucked away nicely into their individual homes. One trick most I've realized a lot of people don't know about is the ability to put folders in the main bottom bar in iOS. This is done by creating the folder in the main area, then dragging the already created folder down to the main bottom bar. Here are the apps I have direct access to from the home view:

Apple Maps: Daily. I use the Apple maps app for pretty much all my direction needs.

Apple Calendar: Daily. Also heavily rely on the Apple calendar app as my main appointment viewer.

Apple Camera: Daily. My go-to camera app. They have made HUGE improvements to the camera app in the upcoming iOS7. I have it on my phone and absolutely love it.

Apple Newstand: Never. Stupid Newstand. Luckily they allow you to tuck this app away into a folder on iOS7. I know there are hacks to get it into a folder now, but it ain't easy...

Utilities (1 of 2)

This is one of two utility folders I have. I like to think of these apps as apps that get things done... I'm excited for iOS7 though so I can combine these two utility folders into one...

Apple Settings: Daily. Is what it is...

App Store: Daily. Not many options here...

LogMeIn Ignition: Couple times a week. Great free way to access your computers while away. Been using LogMeIn for a long time to provide IT support to my family's computers, they just limited the free accounts to only 10 computers so I had to pick my 10 most tech-un-savy family members and leave them on my account... Hi Dad! ;)

Jump Desktop: Couple times a month. Expensive way to access remote computers. This app is currently $14.99. A little more solid than LogMeIn because it uses Microsoft's remote desktop connection, but essentially the same product. The geek in me likes this one a little more for some features that no one else would really notice...

Nest: Daily. We've got a couple of the Nest thermostats at our house and I totally love them. Able to control the temp from anywhere in the world. Slick.

**The Weather Channel: **Rarely. Just because the iPad doesn't have a built in weather app... come on Apple.

Find My iPhone: Rarely. Have this one installed just in case someone misplaces their phone.

Mozy: Rarely. Mozy is my backup solution of choice for our home computers. This app is handy in case I need to get something that was backed up on my computer, although I don't need it too often.

**Fing: *Once a month or so. *This is for the nerd in me... Helps me identify all the computers on a network. Doubt many people will find this one too useful...

**Apple Game Center: **Rarely. Another app from Apple that is auto-installed, yet rarely used... I know the purpose of it, just don't play enough games to really use it.

Apple iTunes: Rarely. I don't buy my music through here, so I don't really get on the app.

**FTP Client Pro: **Once a month or so. Another nerdy app, use this one for work when I'm on the road or sitting in bed and need to make an edit to a website. Very well done app and works wonderfully when I'm in a pinch.

Airport Utility: *Rarely. *Great for setting up my Apple Airport wifi network, don't have to make many changes on it ever since it runs so well... that's the only reason this app isn't used more.

Speedtest: Rarely. Fun to see how fast your internet connection is... My uncle used this the other day and shared his results of over 200mb downloads... In normal terms, that's like one hundred times faster than most home internet connections. Crazy!

Web2Pic: Rarely. Use this one for work sometimes when I need to screenshot an entire web page while away from my computer. Works pretty well.

**HTML5: **Rarely. Awesome guide for learning the basics of web programming for the HTML5 world.

MySQL: Rarely. Again, another work app but it's an amazing piece of software to connect to MySQL databases on the road... Cost $10 but totally worth it.

**Craftsman: **Once a month or so. Another super nerdy home automation thing, which I think is way awesome. So my garage door opener connects to the internet which I'm then able to monitor through this app. I can see if it's open or closed, I can open or close it, I can see how long it's been open or closed, oh, and I can do this from anywhere in the world. Great for leaving the house for a long weekend and solving the riddle of whether or not we closed the garage...

Air Display: Rarely. Sometimes you just need a fifth monitor on your computer... Heh. Picked this one up to out-do Joseph in our little monitor competition at work. Essentially it turns your iPad (or iPhone) into another monitor for your computer. Pretty cool concept, although the execution is pretty clunky with the app.

Utilities (2 of 2)

**Apple Find Friends: **Couple times a day. All of my family is on this app so we're able to see where everyone is all the time... For those worried about other people knowing your current location, I ask: What are you hiding?

Apple Reminders: Daily. This is my todo app of choice. I've tried many others and reminders keeps it nice and simple and also integrates with the iOS so well it makes it really great to work with.

**Calculator+: **Couple times a week. Since cough Apple hasn't given us a native calculator for the iPad yet... This is good enough. Has some dumb ads that pop up a lot, but whatever. I'm in the app for a couple seconds at a time, just long enough to solve the math problems that are too difficult to do in my head... like 2+2...

**Apple **Clock: Couple times a week. Good ol' clock app... Not much to say about that.

**Turboscan: ***Rarely. *Great for scanning a document and converting it to a pdf. I don't use it that much because I mostly use the scanners on my computers.

**QRReader: **Hardly ever. Have this app only because apparently people use QR codes still, although I never really come across a time when I actually need it.

SuperCam: Once every couple months. This is set up for the camera system at FLIPnOUT, but it's a really good multi-camera internet viewer.

WallpapersHD:* Once a month.* Great high definition wallpapers for iOS in an easy to browse format. Good enough for who it's for.

**Go Daddy: ***Once every couple weeks. *Go Daddy did a GREAT job with the app. You can really run anything and everything domain related from the iPad or iPhone. I prefer this app over their website for it's simplicity.

**Google Sync: **As needed. This is a slick shortcut to the calendar settings for which calendars show up in your iOS. Really comes in handy.

Church

Well if you hadn't put it together yet, I'm LDS (mormon). These are the apps that make me more spiritual and stuff...

**LDS Scriptures: **Daily, but of course... This is an expensive alternative to the free Gospel Library app. But it does have one really slick feature that I haven't found in the Gospel Library app. Every verse shows the references that have been made to that verse in any and all talks, magazines, etc.

LDS Tools: Once a week or so. Ward list on the go. Bam.

Bible Videos: *Rarely. *Great quality videos on the life of Christ. 'Nuff said.

**LDS Music: **Rarely. Only use this one when a hymnal isn't within reach...

Mormon Channel:* Rarely.* Don't use this one much either... Probably should.

BoM Stories:* Rarely.* The idea is cool, execution isn't so great. Kinda a clunky app.

Little LDS:* Rarely. *This one is pretty good for the kiddos.

**BoM Heroes: **Rarely. My kid uses this one for the coloring books. She can color with her finger or change it to touch mode and paint entire sections of the page at one touch. Simple app, graphics aren't anything too amazing, but gets the job done.

BoM Touch:* Rarely. *Good activities for the little ones.

Gospel Library: Rarely. This is the new version of the app. It's WAY better than the previous, although it still doesn't have all the features I'm used to having in the LDS Scriptures app.

Shopping

The folder I turn to when I need to buy something...

Apple Store: Often. Sure wish Apple would give us an iPad version of this app, but whatever. This one works good enough.

Deal Drop: Not very often. Used to use this app a lot to find sweet deals on crap I never needed... Then I figured out their trick. So I stopped buying crap I didn't need.

eBay: Once every couple months. Easier than browsing eBay from the website, just don't shop on eBay too often.

Priceline: Once every couple months. used this last month to bid on a hotel. Just so you know, the app limits the amount you're able to bid, but the website allows you to bid as low as you want. Also, another fun fact, when you bid on a hotel there is no guarantee for the bed type.

Amazon: Once a week. I love the Amazon app. I'm an Amazon Prime subscriber, which comes with free two day shipping. So if we're in a store and I find something I want, a quick scan on the Amazon app and I can find it for cheaper and get it delivered in a couple days for free.

Living Social: Not often. Only use this when someone informs me that there is a deal to get on LS.

Walgreens: Not often. Installed this once to get a deal at Walgreens I think... Probably the first and last time I used it, although it does have the sweet ability to see the floor layout before going to the store, great for when you really have to get in and out in a jiffy.

Target: Can't remember last time I used. Wife probably installed this... Good ol' Tar-jay.

Amazon Local: Not ever... Another one of those apps that only gets used when someone tells me to go buy something...

CL Mobile: Sometimes, not a lot. Craigslist app of choice, but apparently it's not in the App Store anymore.

Groupon HD: Same as LS. Is what it is.

Photos

The photos folder, anything and everything related to the camera.

Apple Photos: Daily-ish. Photo browser of choice. Simple. Effective.

iMovie: Hardly ever. It's amazing how much you can do with this iMovie app. I made this on there a few years back, nothing special, but slick: http://youtu.be/RIbBuCAy1HA

SloPro: Hardly ever. A few months back we were recording these Slam Ball (two man ping pong) games on my gopro and I needed a way to do them in slow motion, this app did the trick. Here's one of the many amazing videos we made: http://youtu.be/nMTa9GBj-SI (the slo-mo goodness starts at about 22 seconds in this one)

iPhoto: Rarely. One of a few photo editing apps I have installed. This is an Apple app so it of course works really well and is super user friendly. Lots of filters and the ability to post to social media sites.

MiniatureCam: Not ever. I always think I'll use this app, but it never happens. Really cool for making those trick effect shots where everything looks like it's in a small micro machine type world.

Everyday: I used this everyday for a long time once... This was fun: http://youtu.be/M2C5Mq_79K4

InstaMail: Just don't need it very often. This app is great for when you want to email more than the 5 photos at a time (the limit on the photos app).

FILMiC Pro: *Rarely. *I initially downloaded this app because it let me change the FPS (frames per second) on the video camera. Haven't used it much since the first time.

**Magic Hour: **Rarely. For those special times I think I'm a photographer and want to know when the sunlight is juuuuuuussst right.

**PicFrame: ***Rarely. *Where Instagram lacks, PicFrame excels. Most of the girls know about this app I'm sure, great for making that perfect collage of what I had for dinner...

**Burst Mode: **Sometimes, once every couple months. I love this app, takes tons of consecutive photos in a row. Helps get the perfect action shot, although the photos can be a little blurry sometimes.

**Apple **Photo Booth: *Sometimes. *When the kiddos want to take funny pictures, this is the go-to app for sure.

**Shutterfly: ***Once a year. *I started this strange tradition of printing a photobook for Christmas every year. This app used to be super crappy but they just released 2.0 which has some major improvements. Great for all the photo printing needs.

PS Express: *Once a month. *This app allows me to adjust the brightness of a photo, which the native photo app doesn't do for some reason.

Aviary: Once every couple months. Fun photo editor, creates MEME's with ease. Also allows you to adjust brightness on photos.

**SplitLens2: **Unknown. Just downloaded this one, seemed kind of fun. It takes two pictures and merges them into one. Twins anyone?

Games

Here are the few game apps I have downloaded, many of which I'll play for a while then not play anymore. These are all the ones that I've gotten addicted to enough to have a permanent residence on my iPad.

**Angry Birds: **Classic game, who doesn't like some angry birds?

Temple Run: Another classic. Haven't tried it yet? Go ahead and reserve a couple hours in your schedule and get started.

**BMX: **I downloaded this one initially because it provided the AirPlay feature. Basically you can stream the app to your Apple TV and the iPad (or iPhone) becomes the controller. Oh, and I like BMX so that's another reason.

**THPS2: **One of the few games I remember playing as a kid. Good ol' Tony Hawk Pro Skater. It's identical to the Playstation II version.

**Bike or Die!: **Nothing special on the graphics front, but equally as addicting as Temple Run or Angry Birds. Again, might have something to do with my BMX obsession.

**Skee Ball: **Well friends, this is one of my more favorite apps too, but it's not in the App store anymore! At least that I could find. Classic Skee Ball. Takes me back to the days of Pistol Pete's Pizza (that's right kids, none of that Peter Pipers or Chucky Cheese stuff...).

**Angry Birds Space: **I wonder how many ways they'll spin this app? Space? Why not.

**CSR Racing: **Me and my brother-in-law Russ played this game for a bit. He went on to win the world championship I think... heh (not really).

**Tapped Out: **Well if you like those dumb games like Farmville with a taste of obscure humor... The Tapped Out Simpsons app will be right up your alley. Unfortunately I'll admit this is my current addiction... Dang Trey.

**Temple Run 2: **What's harder than beating the original Temple Run? Beating the sequel.

**InfinityBlade2: **After playing and enjoying the original Infinity Blade, the sequel was a given.

**Infinity Blade: **Played this one a while ago when it first came out. I initially downloaded it because it was one of the first apps to use the full potential of the graphics card in the iDevices.

**Real Racing 3: **Amazing graphics and a fun game. This also does AirPlay where it puts the screen onto the Apple TV and the device turns into the remote control. Really slick.

Finance

My finance folder is where everything related to money goes. I'll keep these short since they're pretty specific to my needs, but yeah. Maybe one or two will come in handy.

Wells Fargo: Once every other day or so.** **I bank there... the iPad app is way better than the iPhone app, and they've both come a long ways since their inception, but still have a long ways to go.

**Quicken: ***Once a week. *We use Quicken for our home finances and they recently started doing a sync to cloud kind of thing. Pretty handy.

PayPal: *Once a week-ish. *Use this for sending money every once and a while.

**CheckPlease: ***Once a month. *Good ol' tip calculator. There are tons of these out there, this one works well. It's free for the iPhone, or 99 cents for the iPad.

**Amex: ***Once a month. *Easy way to monitor our American Express card.

**Discover: ***Once a month. *See Amex.

**Online Payroll: ***Once a month. *We use intuit for our payroll at work. This app lets you do it from anywhere.

**PayPal Here: ***Once every couple months. *Good way to accept payments similar to the Square app. Paypal sends you a little credit card reader for free if I remember right.

**Gas Cubby: ***Not too much anymore. *Sometimes I'm super OCD and like to see lots of details on things that don't particularly matter... This app does that for gas mileage. The app actually does a lot more than track your gas mileage, but that's it's essential purpose. It's basically a car service manager. Thanks Nick for showing me this one.

**Safeco: ***Not too often. *There's an app for everything, right? Well this one is for our car insurance through AMS Insurance! Thanks fellas.

**Freshbooks: ***Regularly. *If you are in a business where you send invoices, I can't recommend Freshbooks enough. Makes collection soooo easy by automating most of the process. We use it here and love it.

**Simple: *****Couple times a week. *Not a part of Simple yet? Tired of fees at banks? Simple does no fee banking, the simple way. You have to request an invitation to be a part of the bank, but it's pretty slick. I like it a lot.

**Mint.com: ***Not too much anymore. *Used to use this a lot before the Quicken app came out. Pretty simple money manager, it had some major quirks that made my wife not like it very much. Mostly that the numbers always seemed to be incorrect due to them not syncing correctly.

Register: *Once a month. *This is the app that accompanies the Square card reader. We use this down at the concession stand at FLIPnOUT. I thoroughly enjoy it's simplicity. Very user friendly and easy to set up. The in-app reporting is pretty great as well.

**Zillow: ***Once every couple months. *Ever driven through La Jolla, CA and wondered how much the homes cost? Chya... Someday!

**MT4i: ***Daily. *This is actually a web app I use for tracking some trading I'm doing. For those who may not know how web apps work, here's a little tutorial:

Health

Ah yes, the fitness folder... Get's used a couple times of year... at least! ;)

**RunKeeper: **If you're not using RunKeeper yet, well... you're one of the few. Great app for tracking a jog. Provides all kinds of data on speed, distance, elevation, etc.

**Running: **I've got the Nike shoes with the little fob inside of them. It's a cool idea but RunKeeper does pretty much everything this does.

**Lose It!: **I've gone through a couple different calorie trackers, this one is just the most simple one I can find. And it links up with RunKeeper as of recently too.

**Baby Monitor: **This one is probably in the wrong folder... I'll think about that. But we have baby monitor camera's in both our kids rooms and this is the app we use to check out what's going on in there from anywhere.

Video

Netflix: *Daily. *If the kiddos aren't watching it, I'm watching Arrested Development or something....

**Apple **Videos: *Weekly. *Not many options here, but I have a ton of movies in my iTunes and I usually keep the most recent 10 unwatched videos on here so I always have something new to watch when needed.

**Remote: **Daily. We have three Apple TVs in our house (my wife just loves how techy everything has to be in our house... heh) and the Remote app works great on all those.

**YouTube: ***Daily. *Gotta get my daily dose of useless video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVyMoGCQxss

**Flixster: ***Weekly. *Whenever I need to know a movie time, movie rating, or what videos have recently come out on DVD, this is where I turn.

**NBC: ***Seldom. *Whenever the providers don't release their stuff on Hulu or Netflix, you have to go to their apps to get the most recent episodes. This is NBC's app.

**Watch ABC: ***Seldom. *See NBC app.

**iTV Shows: ***Weekly. *Wondering when the next episode of Revenge is coming on? This app tracks all my favorite shows and notifies me when they'll be on TV next.

**IMDb: ***Regularly. *Great for figuring out what other shows that actor or actress was on... also good for some movie trivia.

**SpeedUpTV: **Seldom. This will playback movies from the movie app or from any streaming service at a faster speed. Conference anyone? Heh, I kid.

**Vimeo: ***Seldom. *This is actually a really nice app and the Vimeo videos are 99% of the time better than anything on YouTube, but it's just not as used.

**Fandango: ***Once a month or so. *My movie ticket purchasing app of choice.

**Hulu Plus: ***Rarely anymore. *When it's not on Netflix, it might be on Hulu... although I've cut back my Hulu usage lately.

**TV Connect: ***Once a month or so. *With Cox you get access to watching some channels on your iPad via this app. Works pretty well, with some minor bugs and obvious need for updated design.

Cox Connect+: *Seldom. *Checking on the monthly bill with Cox couldn't be easier.

**Apple Trailers: ***Once a month or so. *Apple just likes to do things right. This movie trailer app is top notch.

FOX NOW: Only when American Idol is on... What, can't a guy have a guilty pleasure? Heh.

**CBS: **Regularly during the fall and spring. CBS doesn't like to let Hulu or Netflix stream their shows, so if you want to watch the latest episode of Elementary or Person of Interest, this is the app.

**Watch ESPN: ***Rarely. ** *I think this is the only sports app I have on my iPad... and my buddy Josh installed it. I leave it on here so that my friends think I'm manly...

**Instant Video: **Once a month or so. As an Amazon Prime member, along with many other perks, they give you access to stream a ton of movies. When one of the other apps don't cut it, I'll get on here and browse around for a bit.

Kid (1 of 3)

For these kids folders, I'm just going to bullet list them out. The kiddo goes through them and plays them all at different times. Most of these were free so why not, right? (Again, in iOS7 all these folders will be combined into one folder, can't wait for that.)

• Rumpel...
• Riding Hood
• OhThePlaces
• 1 Fish 2 Fish
• Hansel Gretel
• Green Eggs
• Presch... Touch
• Bubble
• ABC a Go-Go
• Animal...Game
• CatInTheHat
• Run Roo Run
• Sheep...olines (trampolines are in our blood...)
• Eggs
• PIXEL'D
• Scooby Doo
• Puzzle Book
• Winnie the Pooh
• AlphaBaby Free
• Count Along

Kid (2 of 3)

• Matching Zoo
• I Hear Ewe
• Mobile Land
• Shapes
• Cute Cards
• TTCountingLite
• Rapunzel
• Chatterphone
• Monster 1
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• Disney Channel
• Party Doodles
• Beastly ABCs
• Artkive
• Puppet Show
• Water? Free
• Pirate School
• Fashion
• Nemo's Reef

Kid (3 of 3)

• Animals...
• Stars
• Ewe Can Count
• Sock Puppets
• Wee Sing
• Robot Lab
• Toca Monsters
• Memory... Game
• Fairies Fly
• Elmo Potty
• Cupcake
• Minnie Puzzle
• Carnival
• GnomeVillage
• Royal Ball
• Appisodes

Communication

Alrighty, now to the good folders in my home row. This is my "comm." folder, or communications folder. These are the apps I use to communicate with the whole wide world...

**Apple **Messages: *Daily. *I love the fact that I can iMessage from my iPad. I use it all the time.

**Gmail: ***Multiple times a day. *I used to be a regular Apple Mail fan, until my brother Taylor switched the rest of my family over which made me finally give it a chance... This app is great for managing my gmail accounts. Makes email managment super slick and easy. Definitely recommend it. One downside is that you still need to have your email accounts set up in the iOS settings so that you can email from other apps, but that's not that big of a deal.

**Apple **Mail: *Never. *Don't use this anymore since switching to the Gmail app.

**Skype: **Once every couple months. Don't skype a lot, unless I'm calling Eric in Siberia...

**Talk: ***Rarely. *I used to work a lot with people in other countries that were on totally different time zones, they always wanted to Google chat at the most random times. This app allowed me to do that from my iPad.

**Apple *Facetime: Few times a week. *The kiddos love callin' grandma on the Facetime app.

Productivity

**Chrome: **Daily. Pretty slick web browser. I use it for proably 50% of my web browsing.

**Apple **Safari: *Daily. *The other 50% of my web browsing takes place here...

**Puffin: ***Once a month or so. *This browser is great for seeing a full page website, including anything dealing with Flash. I use it when I don't want to get forced into a mobile version of a website.

**Apple Pages: ***Once every six months. *If I did more word processing, I'd use this app a lot more. The app is super clean and simple to use.

**Apple Numbers: **Once every couple months. When I need to do some excel work on the iPad, I turn to numbers. It's also super well done, in true Apple form.

**Apple Keynote: ***Once every six months. *Apple's version of Powerpoint, just like the other two apps, it's super user friendly and easy to use.

**Evernote: ***Couple times a week. *My note taking application of choice, great because it syncs across all my devices.

**GoodReader: ***Once every couple months. *Great document viewer. Used to use it a TON in college, don't need it as much anymore. Still a great app.

Dropbox: *Multiple times a day. *If you're not using Dropbox yet, you're missin' out.

**Apple Notes: ***Seldom. *I mostly use Evernote for any note taking, although I have previously relied on this app for notes. It's really clean and well done.

**Apple Contacts: **Couple times a week. I have all my contacts synced through my Google account so they're consistent across all my devices.

**Idea Sketch: ***Seldom. *Used this a few times in the past. Way good for brainstorming and laying out ideas. Very clean and simple user interface.

SignNow: *Seldom. *Great for signing documents from the iPad. Makes it pretty easy and you can email the signed docs straight from the app.

Wordpress: *Couple times a month. *I use this for work since 99.9% of our websites are ran on Wordpress. Pretty clean app, and they just came out with some pretty sweet updates not to far back.

**Quickoffice: ***Seldom. *When you need to edit a word or excel doc, this app is great. Expensive, but great. Used to use it a lot more when I was in school.

**LastPass Tab: ***Couple times a month. *I'm a huge LastPass fan, great for saving passwords on all my devices. This is their app to access login information stored by them. Never forget another password again.

**Penultimate: ***Once every couple months. *Evernote recently purchased this app and synced it up with their software. It's really great for taking hand-written notes, although I would recommend purchasing an iDevice compatible stylus.

**Google Drive: **Once a *month. *We use Google Drive around work sometimes, this app is pretty great at allowing access.

**lynda.com: ***Once a month. *This site is awesome for learning new things. They have experts from all over the world teaching lessons about pretty much any subject. I use it to learn more about web development all the time.

**WWDC: ***Seldom. *I downloaded this one just the other day. We're Apple Developers so we have access to the Developer stuff. The app looks like it's only updated though whenever there's a WWDC going on.

Music

**Apple Music: **Daily. My music playing app of choice. Especially with iOS7 iTunes Radio coming out, it's going to give Pandora a run for it's money.

**Pandora: ***Once every couple months. *I mostly listen to music I already own, or iTunes Radio. This one is good for an extra song or two when I don't feel like choosing the music.

**SoundHound: **Couple times a month. Similar to Shazaam, the other music recognizing app that people use. I've had this one since before shazaam came out, so it's still the one I use. Does the same thing though.

**Tabs: **Once a month or so. This is Ultimate Guitar's app for all their guitar music they have online. Pretty great app.

**#music: ***Once every couple months. *Great for finding the latest popular music.

**GarageBand: **Never... I should probably delete this app, it's just really cool. Lots of neat features, just not really in a rock band right now so it doesn't do me much good...

Social

**Feedly: ***Couple times a week. *This is the app I use for following blogs on techy work stuff. I used to use a different one, but ever since Google Reader went down, I had to find a new home.

**HootSuite: **Once a month or so. Social posting app for posting across multiple social networks at once. I use it mostly for work.

**Facebook: ***Too often. *Stupid Facebook... can't escape it! If only Fake Block were real...

**Twitter: ***Once every couple months. *I don't get on Twitter too often, but this is the app.

**Instapad Pro: ***Once a week or so. *Since Instagram doesn't have an iPad app yet, this one is pretty good.

**Yelp: **Once a month or so. I use Yelp pretty regularly to find new places and review places I've been.

**Apple iBooks: ***Seldom. *I just don't read enough...

**Google+: ***Once a week. *Google+ is pretty useless to most people. With the SEO work we do, Google pushes companies to really use Google+ so I find myself on here pretty regularly.

**LinkedIn: ***Seldom. *Professional networking. Booorrring. Heh.

**Pages: ***Couple times a week. *This is Facebook's app for managing company pages on FB. Works pretty well.

**Foursquare: ***Never. *Another app I should probably just delete... I go through spurts with checkin apps, I used to use this one a lot. Haven't done it in a long long time.

**Pinterest: ***Once a month or so. *That's right, I get on Pinterest. But I have that ESPN app up there to counteract the girly-ness...

**Timehop: **Once every couple months. Fun app for seeing what you've done on this date in previous years of social media. Links up to FB, Twitter, Foursquare, and some of the others.

Vine: *Never. *Instagram Videos = death to Vine. Need to delete.

My Apps Summary

Well holy smokes that's a lot of apps. Practically took me an eternity to write about them all. If you have any questions about any of these apps, or if you're looking for an app that does something specific, let me know. Chances are I have an answer for you. And if you made it this far in the post, you get a big high five!

General Characteristics to Know About Technical People

Generally speaking, and I know these can be seen as huge over generalizations... but there are a few common traits when it comes to technically minded people.

• Many technical people are introverts. This means they're not going to be found in many of the normal networking events where most people meet other people. They typically avoid those like the plague.
• Many of them also work from home, and will likely want to work from home when they start working with you as well.
• Many technical people are gamers. When they're not working on their computer they shift to their gaming system.
• Many technical people are pessimists by nature. They tend to see the problems much easier than they see the opportunities.
• All technical people are engineering minded people. If you've never been close with someone who thinks like an engineer... you soon will see that their brain operates very differently than most. For you to say, "Make the answer to the equation '4'." But what an engineer hears and starts immediately thinking is, "Do you want '0+4, '1+3', '2+2', '3+1', '4+0', '41', or '14'?" and without specifying exactly what you want... it will drive them crazy.
• Many are also unhappy with their current employment. Because of their pessimism, they are usually always looking for a better opportunity. What they're currently working on is never going to work so they're hoping to join a different team. This is a huge internal struggle for most of them, because they also think the next team will suck just like the current team so they often don't change teams for fear of the unknown.

So Where Do You Find a Technical Co-Founder?

As mentioned in the beginning... where's the unicorn watering hole, right? Where do they hang out?

Using the above characteristics, you can hopefully start thinking of your own places to start looking, but here are a few worth mentioning:

• LinkedIn - Most developers do have a LinkedIn and do have the fact that they're a developer listed on their profile.
• Meetups - Not hugely popular for many technical people, and often the "best" developers avoid meetups like the plague. But the nice part about meetups is you can find people with usually pretty decent skills but they're also a little more social than others.
• Online Gaming - This one is hard for me since i'm not a gamer, but for those of you that are... Devs love gaming. If you play games where you talk to people online, you may work in ways to ask what people do for work. And if it pans out and you become online friends, you may be able to pull them away from wherever they're working.
• Use a Dev Shop! - Now now... hold on. One of the rules about building a startup is to avoid using a dev shop if at all possible. Having ran a dev shop for over a decade, I agree 100% that hiring a dev shop is not the way you should be building your product. BUT... guess what. Developers really don't like working for dev shops... so if you go and interview with a dev shop, and are lucky enough to meet one of their developers, you may be able to entice them away from the shop and bring them onto your team. It’s definitely a jerk move… but the dev shop is probably used to it.

Easy Enough to Find a Technical Co-founder, Right?

So that's all you have to do, easy enough, right? Finding a technical co-founder is still a terribly difficult thing to do and can take many months of looking under every rock.

With looking in the right places over a long enough period of time, you can find that technical co-founder.

The next problem is vetting the developer to make sure they can build your product... but that's a whole different post.

My one piece of advice is to make sure you can stand the person as a human... go out to lunch a few times, maybe go bowling or something to make sure you can stand being around each other. Developers can be a pain to work with, but as long as you have appropriate expectations you can end up becoming great friends.

The most popular song in 1833 was a song called “Long, Long Ago” written by Thomas H. Bayly… guess where the music for ye elders of Israel came from??

Here's what I hope to convey today: let’s all sing. We will be blessed by singing the hymns.

Let's start with some history:

Calling Emma Smith to make the first selection of hymns in July of 1830, the Lord said, “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12).

Some of the songs Emma picked are still in our hymnal!

• Spirit of God was hymn 90
• How firm a foundation
• Joy to the World
• I know the my redeemer lives was hymn 79

Several English hymnbooks followed Emma’s 1835 90-hymn book. The Latter-day Saints’ Psalmody was the first hymnbook to include both music and text in 1889. Songs of Zion, published in 1908, included about 100 gospel hymns. The 1985 edition of Hymns, the Church’s current hymnbook, has 341 hymns in 38 languages, with several more languages approaching completion.

Eliza R. Snow collected the first set of songs for children in 1880, published two years after the founding of the Primary Mutual Improvement Association. The Children Sing, published in 1951, known affectionately by members as “the blue book,” includes 199 songs divided into seven sections. Delicate pastel illustrations accompany the 268 songs in the currently used Children’s Songbook, first published in 1989 in 21 languages, which compiled favorite resources from previous songbooks like Sing with Me, More Songs for Children, and Activity Songs and Verses.

Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages

I just picked up this book and love it already! It's so interesting to learn the stories behind some of our favorite hymns, start by reading the cool story about "I am a child of God."

Many of you are thinking… I can’t sing.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise” (Psalm 98:4)

Jay E. Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy

The Nourishing Power of Hymns

• Hymns invite the spirit
• Hymns invite revelation
• Hymns invite conversion
• Teaching children hymns begins at home
• Worship more meaningfully through hymns

Spirit, revelation, conversion, learning, worship

Hymns invite the spirit President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said, “We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer.”5

• Missionary stories.
• Baptisms
• Special musical numbers
• Special musical firesides
• Maybe even you’ve experienced dark times… and played a hymn and felt’s its power.

Prelude music is for all to feel the spirit and invite reverence and revelation

Hymns invite revelation

Because hymns invite a spirit of “REVERENCE”… they allow for “REVELATION” to be received.

President Russell M. Nelson

From the New Testament, we also learn that the Lord and His Apostles sang a hymn at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:30). That tradition continues in our day. Each time members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles meet in the temple, we sing a hymn. It sets a sweet, spiritual tone for our deliberations.

“Because singing the hymns invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we become more receptive to gospel truths as we participate.” - W. Herbert Klopfer

Hymns invite conversion

How do we become converted? How does a testimony work? Have we ever heard that our testimonies grow stronger when we share them?

Teach us Unique doctrine to the History of the Church

• “Praise to the Man”9
• “Come, Come, Ye Saints”10
• “Ye Elders of Israel”11
• “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”12

How about the sacrament hymns… let’s talk about those for a minute.

Sacrament hymn is the opportunity for all to voice their prayerful thanks through music. Sacramental hymns focus our attention on the Lord, his atoning sacrifice, and gospel plan.

How great is this line from a classic: “I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.”15

Let’s get our science on…

David W. Stowe, theconversation.com

Why does religious singing bring us together?

Sacred song is one of the most social aspects of religious practice. But it is also an intimate embodied experience. The singer draws meaning from her or his core being: She feels the sound being produced as she hears it.

Creating a musical tone in one’s chest and throat provides sensuous pleasure, amplified by what sociologist Emile Durkheim referred to as “collective effervescence” – the collective energy generated when groups come together in a shared purpose.

Teaching Children Hymns Begins at Home

Play church music in your homes on Sunday mornings instead of turning on the TV! Make that day stand out as different from the rest of the week

One of our favorite things to do at bedtime is singing the hymns. We’ll sing whatever the kids can think of. A favorite lullaby, pretty much the only lullaby I know is the tune to “Reverently, Quietly” thanks to my mom humming it to all of our babies.

Worship More Meaningfully through Hymns

The Book of Mormon teaches that one’s desire to sing praises to the Lord comes with one’s complete conversion to Him. Alma asked this penetrating question: “I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26).

Dallin H Oaks

1993 Worship through Music

I had finished a special assignment on a Sunday morning in Salt Lake City and desired to attend a sacrament meeting. I stopped at a convenient ward meetinghouse and slipped unnoticed into the overflow area just as the congregation was beginning to sing these sacred words of the sacrament song:

’Tis sweet to sing the matchless love

Of Him who left his home above

And came to earth—oh, wondrous plan—

To suffer, bleed, and die for man!

My heart swelled as we sang this worshipful hymn and contemplated renewing our covenants by partaking of the sacrament. Our voices raised the concluding strains:

For Jesus died on Calvary,

That all thru him might ransomed be.

Then sing hosannas to his name;

Let heav’n and earth his love proclaim.

As we sang these words, I glanced around at members of the congregation and was stunned to observe that about a third of them were not singing. How could this be? Were those who did not even mouth the words suggesting that for them it was not “sweet to sing the matchless love” or to “sing hosannas to his name”? What are we saying, what are we thinking, when we fail to join in singing in our worship services?

Dallin H Oaks: “Music is an effective way to worship our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. We should use hymns when we need spiritual strength and inspiration.”

The closing hymn today is "Master, the tempest is raging"

Written by Mary Ann Baker, she was commissioned to write the song by her Baptist religious leader to write a song about the verses of Jesus stilling the tempest.

From Matthew 8

**23 **¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

**24 **And, behold, there arose a great atempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

**25 **And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

**26 **And he saith unto them, Why are ye afearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and brebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

**27 **But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the asea obey him!

Verse 1, the apostles pleading with christ to wake up because of the storm

Verse 2, this verse is how we relate to the ship sinking. We are a vessel for the spirit, sometimes it gets messy and full of sin and anguish, feels like we’re about to sink in despair

Verse 3, after the storm has passed, we ask the lord to stay with us to prevent it from happening again.

The chorus is an acknowledgment of the power of the lord and his presence.

Jay E. Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy

The Nourishing Power of Hymns

Important lessons I have learned and seek to apply about hymns are:

• Strive to be more punctual to meetings, sit quietly and listen to the prelude music, and experience reverence and revelation.
• Exit meetings more reverently, allowing the postlude music to extend the spirit of the meeting.
• Sing the hymns. I see some who have access to hymnals but do not sing.
• …
• Use hymns to introduce or to emphasize scriptures and gospel truths in lessons and classes.
• Listen to the hymns more frequently in our homes, inviting the Spirit to prevail.

Things to do while singing

• Think about the messages of the words
• Listen for revelation

Tips for having the power of the hymns in our lives

• Find or create a playlist of your favorite hymns and church music on Spotify or Apple Music
• Use the “sacred music” app in your preparation for lessons or talks to find songs that are relevant to the topic
• Play the hymns in our homes more regularly, or for those that have a daily commute, at least once per week play your favorite hymns playlist.
• Share your favorite hymns or church music with others, Facebook, slack or text message
• Sing the hymns at church, teach your kids how to to sing by handing them a hymnal and showing them how verses work, then be a good example and sing

Like I said at the beginning: let’s all sing. We will be blessed by singing the hymns.

Una de las partes más chidas de mi casa sería el sistema de entretenimiento. Habría una computadora, que controla el sonido con envolvente, la televisión, y cualquier clase del DVD u otro medio. El sistema entero funcionaría por un solo mando a distancia que sería una mini computadora. Podría buscar en la red y mirar videos de youtube en la pantalla de él. El resto de la casa estaría conectado al sistema principal también. Habría bocinas en toda la casa que tocarían música que también sería controlada a través del sistema principal. Cada televisión estará conectada al sistema también. Podrán mirar películas que están guardadas en la computadora central. También cada recámara tendría versiones miniatura del mismo sistema de medios.

Mis hijos amarían el lugar, porque podrían jugar con muchas clases de juguetes y de juegos. La casa tendría túneles secretos y puertas escondidas en toda la casa y solamente mi familia sabría dónde están. También mis hijos montarían bicicleta, y yo construiría una pista de bici en la yarda detrás de la casa para mantenerlos ocupados. Sería una casa asombrosa.

Por otra parte, dejaría esa casa entera por un hogar bueno. Pienso que hay una diferencia enorme en una casa y un hogar. Mi hogar sería de cualquier tamaño para que mi familia se sintiera confortable. Si mi esposa y mis hijos están felices, yo estaría feliz. El hogar tendría una cama para que cada persona pudiera dormir en paz, y bastante comida para que todos se sientan satisfechos. Mi hogar sería un lugar en donde todos se sentirían bienvenido, amigos y extranjeros. Yo dejaría todos los juguetes tecnológicos en mi casa por un hogar donde mi familia podría estar realmente feliz.

How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?

Seth Godin

The Double-Edged Digital Renaissance

The information age is truly incredible.

There has never been a time in human history that people have had such fast, easy, and affordable access to information and education.

Internet technology is the most profound thing to happen to human progress since the printing press made literacy the standard.

Are we taking full advantage of it?

Here's the thing about our ease of access to information:

• Anything that's easy to do is also easy not to do.
• It's easy to dismiss something like a free language learning app because it doesn't cost us much time, money, or effort to use it. We don't feel like we're losing anything by ignoring that tool.
• Sure, learning a new language can open new career options, increase your value in your job and your community, and even improve your brain function.

But here's a fact about human nature:

• People are more motivated by the possibility of loss than they are by the potential for gain.

In more practical terms:

• A person is likely to take action to keep $5 they already have, but they're not as likely to take action to gain $50 that they don't have yet.
• By lowering the amount of investment involved in accessing information, we've made it more accessible, but for a lot of people, it's also less likely that they'll use it.

Are You Stagnating?

Think about it, when was the last time you used technology to learn something worthwhile?

If you're like most people, you probably use the web primarily for entertainment.

There are more and greater opportunities now than ever before, and some people are taking advantage of the plentiful market resources to do incredible things.

The only thing you need is a willingness to value the things you don't have yet, and the discipline to keep learning, growing, and doing.

Focus Areas for Health

In light of recent global events, we have all found ourselves with a little more free time than we would like. While out of our normal routines, it's probably wise to focus on our health.

Here's a good list of five focus areas for health:

• Physical Health - Body functions – The energy you need to carry out everyday tasks
• Mental Health - How you react to events – Feelings respond appropriately
• Emotional Health - Being comfortable with yourself, with others, and your environment
• Social Health - How you get along with others
• Spiritual Health - Your individual purpose expressed by values, morals, and ethics

Technology for Physical Health

This is probably the easiest one that most people already have figured out. There are tons of fitness apps out there from tracking your runs (like GoMe which we built!) to tracking your food. There's a lot of value in using these reporting tools to help keep tabs on your physical health.

Technology for Mental Health

For mental health the quest for a good app can be a little more challenging, although one of my favorites is built right into my watch. The breathe app gives me a good reminder to stop and take one minute to focus on my breathing. Always seems to help, even just a little.

Technology for Emotional Health

Desde el principio de historia hemos pensado en la manera de curar enfermedades,sino también queremos saber cómo prevenirlas. Así, en 1796 se desarrolló la primera vacuna del mundo. Edward Jenner, un médico que vivía en Berkeley, Inglaterra,sacó pus de una lesión de viruela de vacas de la mano de una adolescente e inoculó un niño de ocho años, James Phipps, quien nunca había tenido viruela. Seis semanas después, Jenner contagió al niño con viruela, pero este no se enfermó y tampoco reaccionó ante otras personas contagiadas del virus. El médico hizo 12 experimentos iguales a este y encontró los mismos resultados. Después de haber reunido bastante información, Jenner publicó sus estudios en un libro titulado Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccine: “His assertion ‘that the cow-pox protects the human constitution from the infection of smallpox’ laid the foundation for modern vaccinology”[3] (Stern 612).

La prevención de la viruela fue el principio de los estudios inmunológicos, pero los científicos todavía tenían mucho que aprender. Muchas enfermedades todavía causaban problemas en las sociedades y los científicos seguían buscando las vacunas para prevenirlas. Fue casi cien años después del descubrimiento de la vacuna de la viruela cuando un químico francés, Louis Pasteur, creó lo que él dijo que erala vacuna contra la rabia. Lo que realmente había desarrollado fue una antitoxina que ayudaríaa curar la rabia si alguien ya la había contraído. Aunque no encontró la vacuna, Pasteur descubrió algo que tendría un impacto significativo en los futuros estudios de vacunas. Creó la antitoxina a partir de microbios incubados de rabia por un largo periodo de tiempo antes de introducirlos al cuerpo humano. Desde entonces otros científicos empezarona introducir microbios vivos, pero menos fuertes, a gente para tratar de prevenir enfermedades. Los científicos han obtenido resultados tan buenos que aun hoy día siguen usando este modelo de Pasteur con muchas de las vacunas actuales.

En los últimos cincuenta años, se han desarrollado vacunas para la prevención de muchas enfermedades graves. Los estudios mostraron que elmomento ideal para introducir estas vacunas al sistema humano es en los primeros años de vida, antes de que el sistema inmunológico se desarrolle completamente. En los años ochenta del siglo XX, de acuerdo con estos resultados,en Estados Unidos se empezó vacunar a niños pequeños.Pronto empezaron a tener problemas porquehabía demasiadas vacunas y los niños tenían que regresar a los centros de salud muchas veces para poder recibirlastodas. La solución fue combinar las vacunas para darles más de una en cada visita. Aun después de combinarlas, todavía las madres llevaban a sus niños a las clínicas para recibir sus vacunas casi cada mes en los primeros años de vida.A introducir tanta medicina en esos cuerpos tan pequeñosha ayudado a no enfermarnos tanto; sin embargo, en los últimos20 años hemos visto un aumento de autismo, epilepsia, trastorno por déficit de atención y otras enfermedades. Muchas de las nuevas madres llevan sus niños a recibir las vacunas para protegerlos, pero ¿pueden ser que estas mismas vacunas la causa de otras afecciones?

Como todas las nuevas ideas, el estudio de vacunas ha tenido mucha controversia a través de los años. En 1821, poco tiempo después de la aprobación de las leyes que obligaban a la vacunación en Gran Bretaña, los británicos empezaron protestar las leyes porque “they considered the intrusion of their privacy and bodily integrity”[4] (Stern 617).Los británicos no fueron los únicos que se sintieron así;casi en cada país donde practican la vacunación siempre hubo resistencia. Muchos estaban preocupados porque pensaban que no había suficientes estudios de los efectos adversos que estas vacunas podían causar.Esta preocupación duró por mucho tiempo, pero nadie había hecho pruebas de si las vacunas realmente podían causar efectos adversos. En 1986,en un intento de calmar las preocupaciones,Estados Unidos aprobó el National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act[5] (NCVIA). Esta nueva ley también mandó que el secretario del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos ordenara al IOM estudiar los efectos adversos de las vacunas. El IOM empezó inmediatamente a estudiar las vacunas de rubeola y tos ferina y los posibles efectos adversos que puedan causar. Los resultados fueron publicados en 1991 en el libro Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines. Luego, el IOM también completó estudios sobre los posibles efectos adversos de muchas otras las vacunas. Todos sus resultados han sido publicados en varios libros y volúmenes de enciclopedias.

La vacuna de tos ferina ha sido centro de controversia desde su implantación. Los estudios que hicieron en 1991 descubrieron que la vacuna sícausaba encefalopatía aguda, anafilaxis y llanto inconsolable (Adverse Effects of Pertussis 7). También descubrieron otras posibles enfermedades que puedan ser causadas por esa vacuna, pero dijeron que no podían relacionarlas totalmente porque no tenían bastantes pruebas. Además de los efectos adversos de la vacuna de tos ferina, averiguaron que la vacuna de rubeola causaba problemas de artritis crónica y aguda. Aún siguen estudiando esos efectos y en un año tan reciente como el 2002, Estados Unidos dejó de usar la vacuna contra la tos ferina y ahora usa una vacuna menos fuerte, llamadadifteria, tétano y tos ferinaacelular(DTaP). Estos cambios demuestren que las vacunas todavía son parte de una ciencia nueva que todavía está en desarrollo.

Ha existido mucha discusión sobre la conexión entre las vacunas y el síndrome de muerte infantil súbita (SMIS):“El SMIS es la principal causa de muertes infantiles entre un mes y un año de edad, siendo la mayoría de las muertes entre los 2 y 4 meses” (sidscenter.org). Muchos estudios han probado que varias vacunas sí puedan causar la muerte. Aun el IOM publicó en 2003:“the evidence favors acceptance of a causal relationship between diphtheria toxoid and the whole cell pertussis vaccine and death due to anaphylaxis in infants”[6] (Immunization Safety 59).Es alarmante aprender que las mismas vacunas que nos deben salvar puedan incluso llevarnos ala muerte. Esto no quiere decir que el SMIS siempre sea resultado de un efecto adverso de una vacunay no hay por qué eliminarlasvacunas completamente.

El uso extendido de las vacunas fue tan rápido que muchos no se enfocaron en informarse completamente acerca de lo bueno y lo malo de las vacunas, sólo se enfocaron en lo bueno. Incluso algunos médicos particulares no saben mucho de lo malo porque han aprendido desde el principio de su carreraque las vacunas han salvado a la sociedad. Gracias al Instituto de Medicina y otros estudios actuales estamos empezando a saber más sobre lo malo yentonces existe la necesidad de educarnos mejor sobre los posibles efectos adversos. Como una sociedad moderna, Estados Unidos seguirá vacunando a los niños para evitar las posibles epidemias que pueden pasar sin las vacunas. Nuestro papel en esta obra tan grande es tener mejor información acerca de cómo y cuándo debemos vacunarnos nosotros y a nuestros niños para poder evitar los posibles efectos adversos. Es cierto que estas vacunas ayudan a prevenir muchas enfermedades, pero también es cierto que causan otras. Bibliografía

Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines.AReport of the Committee to Review the Adverse Consequences of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1991.

Institute of Medicine. Adverse Events Associated with Childhood Vaccines Evidence Bearing on Causality. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1994.

Institute of Medicine. Immunization Safety Review Vaccinations and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press, 2003.

National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy Loss Resource Center. 07 Nov. 2009 http://www.sidscenter.org/espanol/queessmis.html.

Stern, Alexandra M. and Howard Markel. "The History of Vaccines and Immunization: Familiar Patterns, New Challenges." Health Aff 24 (May 2005): 611-621.

United States of America. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Jan. 2008. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 3 Nov. 2009 <www.niaid.nih.gov>.

[1]“Las vacunas se encuentran entre los logros más grandes de la salud pública del siglo pasado”.

[2]“Pocos pondrían en duda la enorme importancia de las vacunas para la salud pública”.

[3]“Su afirmación de que “la viruela vacuna protegerá a la sociedad humana de la infección de la viruela”fundó las bases para la inmunología moderna”.

[4] “se consideraba una intrusión a su privacidad e integridad del cuerpo”.

[5]Ley nacional de daños de vacunas en niños.

[6]“laspruebas muestran que hay una relación causal entre el toxoide diftérico y la vacuna contra la tos ferina y la muerte por anafilaxia en los niños”.

Las primeras imágenes de la película son de un grupo de mujeres limpiando las tumbas de sus maridos. Esto es muy tradicional de las mujeres de España porque casi todas son católicas y en la religión católica las tumbas de los muertos tienen que estar limpios porque si están sucios Dios no los bendecirá. Raimunda, su hermana Soledad y su hija Paula están limpiando la tumba de sus papás quienes murieron en un incendio algunos años antes. Poco después la tía de Raimunda y Paula muere y Almodóvar nos demuestra como son las mujeres de los pueblos de España. Las mujeres del pueblo de la tía reúnen y empiezan contar chismes y le dicen a Soledad que la tía fue visitada por su mamá quien ahora es una fantasma. Como muchas de las mujeres en España, los caracteres en esta película tienen personalidades muy fuertes e independientes. Por ejemplo Raimunda ha pasado por muchos problemas muy serios en su vida y siempre averigüe una manera de resolverlos. La fuerza de las mujeres es una característica clásica de cualquier película de Almodóvar.

Como todas sus películas, Almodóvar ha hecho otro melodrama muy bueno. En esta película hay un reparto de puros mujeres, casi no ve ningún hombre nunca. Tal como otras películas de Almodóvar, siempre le gusta usar colores muy brillantes y repite hacerlo en esta película también. El color del carro de la hermana Soledad es un color rojo, el refrigerador donde Raimunda esconde el cuerpo de su esposo es un color naranjo y por toda la película hay una mezcla de colores radiantes. La música de esta película ayuda contar la historia y así llegue a ser una parte muy importante. Se nota el impacto de la música especialmente cuando Raimunda canta la canción de donde viene el titulo de la película, la música cuenta lo que ella estaba pensando de su mamá. Los acentos de partes diferentes de España es una prueba de Almodóvar también. A través de esta película, Almodóvar nos demuestra la vida de unas mujeres en España y nos ayuda entenderlas de una manera personal.

Coworking is like a gym membership for office space. When coworking, you typically pay a monthly fee which gives you access to some or all of the amenities which the coworking facility has to offer. Because there are no leases or long term commitments usually required, many are calling coworking the "Uber of office space."

Turns out almost half of my friends (that participated in this FB poll) are still unaware of what exactly is coworking. Hopefully this will help spread the idea of coworking to friends that might find it useful!

Coworking is a new alternative to the old-fashioned leased office space. Gone are the days where you have to sign a long-term lease with a landlord in order to get to work. With coworking, you sign up one day and you can get to work that very same day, and if in a couple months your work situation changes, then you can adjust your membership accordingly.

Coworking is also much simpler than leasing an office space because all of the utilities and most of the typical expenses that come with a leased office are covered under your membership fee. You use the facility's internet, the facility's electricity, sewer and gas, and have your space maintained by the facility's cleaners.

Coworking is sometimes more expensive than a typical lease plus utilities and expenses, but if you calculate the opportunity cost of having to manage all of the utilities and lease requirements, that argument can quickly be overcome.

Coworking is also great for individual employees or teams of employees up to any size. One cost-benefit for when your team is growing is that you only pay for the desks you're using, so you can scale up (and down if needed) without taking on a large lease to cover the potential of growing into a larger team.

Coworking is simply for people working in any industry. Some of the industries we see coworking are:

• Startups
• Attorneys
• CPAs
• Realtors (pronounced real-ters, per this FB poll... ?)
• Remote workers
• Developers
• Marketers
• Non-profits
• Pretty much anyone...

A major perk of coworking vs. a typical lease is the built-in networking component. You meet a ton of people while coworking, which is just freaking awesome. I actually believe a ton of the success we've had with NeONBRAND is due to working from coworking since we started. No more having to join Le Tip or whatever too-early-in-the-morning-without-much-results-group you can think of (heh).

There are a lot of coworking spaces popping up around the world. The largest is WeWork, which is worth literally billions of dollars. Then there are a lot of smaller places, like the one we own called Work in Progress. Here are some pictures of our coworking space, which is a pretty standard representation of what you might find in some coworking spaces:

Final point, let's all agree to always spell coworking without the hyphenation... a personal preference, really, but why add extra characters when they're not needed?

Life before Law School

Law school was never in my life plan. My dad attended some business college after high school, and then laid carpet his entire life before changing careers and working on warranty repairs for some of the residential development companies here in Las Vegas. He's a super hard-working guy and attended some post-high-school education, but not graduate school. Same for my mom and grandparents, graduate school just wasn't really a thing.

Becoming a lawyer only became a possibility after getting hired as a Spanish-speaking legal assistant for Tingey Law Firm here in Las Vegas. I only got the job because I spoke Spanish, and I had zero clue about the law.

After working there for a few years, it became apparent that I might actually be good at the whole lawyer thing. So I took the LSAT... twice, maybe three times... And eventually got a good enough score to get some schools to accept me.

I only include all this information to illustrate that I had no idea what I was doing when choosing a law school... nor did I have anyone super close to me to ask about it either. I was forging a new path!

Choosing a Law School

When it came time to choose a law school I applied to probably 10-15 schools and received acceptance letters from four or five of them. I went and toured the ones I liked most and then had to decide on which one I was going to attend. My choice was not really based at all on the quality of education they provided, the price of tuition, or the types of job offers I would get afterward... no no, I picked on location. And sunny San Diego sounded like a great location to me (definitely an oversimplification, but some truth for sure).

So, I chose California Western School of Law. Well... that will definitely come back to bite me.

Life at Law School

First day of Law School

I've never been a super studious student... I was always more of a C+, B average kind of guy. My mom says that I never really tried in school but always figured out a way to get passing grades. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Well, law school was a wake-up call. Lots of studying. Lots of reading. Lots of writing. There wasn't any faking it here. But I was up for the task and put in lots of hours doing all three of those things.

Finals for the first semester were... fun... ya see, before law school started my wife and I had become pregnant with our first daughter who ended up being born on November 24... right in the thick of studying for finals. Excuses excuses, I know. I survived finals with decent grades, as of this writing I can't remember exactly what they were but I wasn't toooooo concerned, yet.

The second semester was probably harder than the first, I think that's when I had the legal writing class which really kicked my butt. Made it through and then the weekend before second-semester finals... Our apartment flooded and we had to relocate to a hotel for a couple of weeks while they fixed it. 😖 I "survived" those finals too.

Because I was anxious to move back to Vegas to get going on my law career, I decided to take summer classes in order to graduate quicker than the typical three-year time frame. So I rolled right into the next semester. Well, about six or so weeks into this third semester, or first semester of my second year... I get ***the ***email.

The End of Law School

Unbeknownst to me when I was choosing law schools based on location (kind of)... I didn't know about this fun thing that law schools do in order to keep up their bar passage rates.

Why would law schools need to keep up their bar passage rates, you ask? Well, their accreditation as a law school depends on having a certain percentage of students pass the bar and become practicing attorneys.

So what could they possibly do to make sure their students pass the bar?

• Provide them with a "great" education? ✅

• Give them lots of study options? ✅

• Provide tutoring? ✅

Oh yeah, and one other thing... Kick out the bottom percentage of the first-year students so that they don't ever take the bar to begin with? ✅

That's right. That's how law school works.

Now typically this isn't a problem for most law schools. Most law schools only kick out around 3% of the first class. So out of a class of 100 students, only three might go home, and usually, those three are really not great students.

The day we found out about law school ending... we went and played mini golf.

Well... the school I happened to choose cut a very different percentage. 33% of the first-year class got the boot, 10x the number of students get the boot more than in typical law schools.

Remember how I said I was historically a C+, B average student? At the end of the first year, I had a cumulative 78.4% average grade... Per the email I received, this was NOT enough to be accepted for a second year. In an instant, law school was over.

I pleaded with the school to let me stay and asked how I could possibly make up the difference of a percentage point or two. The only option I had was to get one of my professors to admit that they had graded my finals incorrectly... and another fun fact about law school is that the professors aren't typically the type that would ever make a mistake, let alone admit it. So that fix didn't happen.

Life after Law School

So it's May, and I just got kicked out of law school. I had insane debt from the tuition for 1.5 years of law school. I still had 3 months remaining on my one-year apartment lease... and a newborn. Fun.

We ended our lease early and moved back to Las Vegas where I knew I could get a job and be around family to help with the newborn.

Some people ask... Why didn't I just transfer to another law school that didn't cut 33% of the first-year class? Because I would have had to start over no matter where I went. The year was gone, no longer counted. They sure kept my money, though. 😖

So that's it, that's the story of why I only went to one year of law school. Maybe I'll tell the story of my failed first marriage or the house I should have never bought next... 🤦🏼‍♂️

Moving back to Las Vegas with my tail between my legs...

• Infertility
• Death of a child
• Lost child
• Loss of a Mother
• Unmarried

And sometimes traditional "gifts" for all the women in the ward can actually cause more harm than good.

While preparing for this Mother's Day for our ward, we were considering a number of ideas.

• Cookies - homemade or purchased
• Chocolate Bars
• Flowers
• Nachos during 2nd Hour
• Not doing anything at all...

We weren't totally in love with any of them. And then we found a comment on an article online that talked about an idea we totally fell in love with.

Mother's Day Carnations

The idea is this: Everyone gets a carnation. EVERYONE. Guy or girl. There are two colors of flowers, red and white. You grab a red flower to show respect for your living mother. You grab a white flower to show honor for your mother who has passed.

Turns out this is a tradition of other Christian churches out there and we've never known it.

This seemed like a great way to get to know each other better and hopefully learn about their loved ones. And since we love doing family history, it fit in nicely with that effort as well.

We ordered these pins from amazon to allow for people to cut off the stems and pin the flowers to their shirts.

We made up some graphics, sent out a message on social media, and off we went. You can download all of that here!

Mothers Day Church CarnationsEditable PSD

We told everyone about it via social media in advance to help make the process easier when they arrived at the building:

Other ideas for Mother's Day at Church?

We do know that people love candy, so as a bonus we bought a bunch of Hershey's milk chocolate bars and wrapped them with a special wrapping paper and a custom sticker we printed off as well.

And here's the sticker PSD we used:

Custom Round Stickers for Mothers DayEditable PSD

If you have any other great ideas you've seen that would work as well, put them in the comments below!

The more interesting part to me is the political allegory that is taking place in the movie. How Dorothy represents all of the regular American population, while her fellow journeymen represent various political leaders of the time. I don’t believe the author of this story has ever admitted to having created the similitude on purpose, but none the less it still exists. This movie has withstood the test of time that is for sure. It will forever be a classic for generations to come.