Moments in Time

Often times I would like to be settle and just clear my mind because it is an on-going working machine. I just don’t stop thinking. Thoughts are just floating around in my head. Sometimes I think that when we stop thinking it creates or helps from creativity and other times like going to stop the regular routine helps get ideas on what to write about on blogs. It sometimes, for some and not a lot, to keep up with blogging; especially when they are writing good content and the readers are looking for more of what they blog about. In their own style, I believe most posts on this blog showcase what I am about and who I am and my perspective of different things and aspect of life. They range across different topics, but not too far off the charts. In one hundred something odd days, it will be marked two years of blogging with a self-conscious & day-to-day blogging/writing ideas.

This blog seems to be loosing its shape and form. I know I write about about all sorts of things instead of being in one niche as it is read in various places online. Maybe later I will stick to what exactly suppose to be done. Though this blog has not been out there like many others, but sometimes the hidden blogs are the best ones. The popular ones seem to be terrific but rather you want to find something that suits you well. Only thing I can and will try to do is to keep blogging.

So much is floating in my head on what to write. I wrote a post entitled “I Want to Write a Book & Get it Published” back in April of last year. The idea of wanting to write a book and get it publish is still in the idea…waiting to be thrown on paper and put into action. But writing isn’t exactly what I would like to do. However, it is something I like to do; an interest of writing Of course from the beginning I want to teach. This may be noticed in Thursday’s post on education and many others in the archive. Since I am continuing this blog from classroom blogging, this could be a seen as a start or progress of writing thoughts, ideas, and writing about current events and anything else. Wanting to become a teacher or a college instructor is a reason for me wanting to be in college and that evidence can be possibly be seen. So if I can get into the teaching field and teach for some odd good years I will be happy and then afterward I can always find other jobs that interest me. Then there’s the thing with the money and jobs, but we already know how that comes to play when it comes down to careers.

Even if I don't get to the goal of writing a book of some sort then, that's fine because I would have did anything else that I have have planned an wanted to do. It will be something I would like to do.

Well, I think I will digress and conclude this post.

Background Info: In past classes at my University, I  was able to do my research paper on school assessment and focus on the rising age of it and it began nationally and state wide. I was also able to take the time to explain what needs to be changed in educational system in this country. Pretty much everything was focused on national issues based on the public schools here in Memphis. This took place in English Composition 1020 (second composition course for Freshman) during Spring ‘08. In Oral Communication class, Fall ‘08, we do write and present speeches to the class.  I decided to stick with the topic of education and really tell the class my passion and that this is an issue important in this country just like any other that is being dealt with. So I was gladly to present to the class the issues of education that I thought were most important out of the other problems that occur in schools. You can visited the hyperlinked text to read the main ideas that were presented.

I find education to be a very important aspect of my life and for others, too. No matter if I end up teaching secondary English for high school (and probably teach middle school) or become a college instructor teaching English, I will always have my insight, thoughts, and perspective on the way the education system is today and how it will be in the future. Something is always changing for the better; however, there can be the downfall of the way education is today. There is still room for improvement in all aspect-from the local school to the district as a whole, leadership, learning standards and objectives, and even the No Child Left Behind Act. I think there are some students that have been left behind already.

You should understand why there is a need for change in the education system because one main idea is that “teaching to the test” can be seen as cheating students out of their free education by teaching directly to a curriculum that will help the student pass the class rather than allowing them to have the knowledge of different educational ideas and methods. They are should not be taught the material that will be on the test but instead how to take the test that will have the material that should be covered in class. It should be understand that the state test given to students all over the country should be used effectively that will how the students to promote their learning abilities from inside and outside the classroom to the workplace and beyond. I have not heard much about the No Child Left Behind Act since former Pres. Bush left office, but this can cause students to dropout of school before graduating because the will be pressured to help increase higher test scores at the local school, which reduces the time to allow the teacher to teach. Tests get in the way of actual teaching, schools loosing future students, and the “work like a robot” effect is in place.

I surely can not forget about school safety and how this effects students from learning and putting them at risk of all sorts of danger. Every day students are faced with peer pressure that can cause them to misbehave, do drugs, and ditching school. Violence can also happen when students are bullied, feel unsafe, and take matters into their own hands without parental supervision. It can be noticeable when parents are not involved in their child’s school and their learning lifestyle since, again, the child will behave improperly and how mature they are to meet high expectations. A better school system is the way to go in our to produce better and successful citizen in any country and to get them out of poverty.

To conclude this post, focusing on issues such as mentioned in this post and many others, we should help to improve local, state, and national counterparts within the education system to ensure that this country can compete with the other countries in multiple languages, the business of economics, and hoping that go off to college or some sort of vocational institute that will make them a better person and provide valuable contributions within their family and their community.

Once again I participated in the 20SB Blog Swap. This is not my fifth time, but it is the second time. My partner and the guest writer will be reveal…like right NOW! Mallory from Self-indulgent Ramblings was paired with me in this Blog Swap. Our theme for the posts is based on travel and culture. You can read the her post below and you can also head over to her blog to visit the post that I wrote. As usually leave comments and appreciation on both posts! And so it begins....

When Kipling famously wrote, “East is East and West is West, and ne’er the twain shall meet,” it is obvious that he never imagined the existence of New York City’s Chinatown.

There is much debate about ethnic enclaves within cities among scholars. Culturally exclusive communities can exist in the same city as means to forge and maintain one’s identity. Simultaneously, these communities can also puzzle those outside their comfort zone.

The criss-crossed streets are littered with stores selling fuzzy slippers wrapped loosely in crinkled plastic, glittery hair clips and Hello Kitty headbands, and tiny jade Buddha key chains. Solicitors hiss promises of designer handbags at every corner.

The fact is: Chinatown can be quite intimidating.

There is a distinct stench of fish and cleaning products that lead to the spine of Chinatown. These fish are not the colorful, graceful koi found in the ponds of Japanese gardens. No, these are brutally fresh, heavy silver bodies, with blank, beady eyes Yet there is still familiarity to be found, even in the most metallic, lifeless form of a fish that just had its last breath beaten out of it by the blunt side of a tenderizing mallet

If you look carefully, you will notice the hybrid of cultures: people selling both peanut butter and soy sauce. Among the shrimp flavored chips and soy pea crisps sold next to Pringles, the East can, in fact, meet the West.

Time goes by fast. I did not realize that how long it has been since my last blog post. I was planned to post over the weekend, but things changed (and I didn’t Twitter it). And I was planning on posting on Monday… I had a good weekend. I ended up going to one of the best malls (and the maybe the only) that is in the city. I spent the most part of the weekend with my cousins and Saturday and Sunday night. It was fun! I hardly every have that kind of a weekend. All in all, I had a good one. Did you have a good weekend? I’m sure you did.

Today is the 20SB Blog Swap. I mentioned it a few days ago and the day is finally here. I think everyone who reads this blog comes from the community, if not then  you should join. Nevertheless, it’s always good to see what goes on around the blogosphere. With this said, all participants have been paired up at random. The received respective information by email to exchange words and communicate on the topics for the posts and then they are swapped to be posted on each other’s (the partners) blogs. I got in touch with my partner and we talked and swapped posts. So you are in for a treat. I think this is one way of presenting more perspective from others to you. So the guest post will be published soon. And maybe that can lead to other things and ideas that will come into play.

So far I’m liking Twitter as other form of communication and being able to tweet up to the minute news, trending topics, and being able to talk to others using 140 characters. Nothing too too special about Twitter, but it is a nifty site. I try to find some way to make Twitter useful in way or another. Perhaps it gets treated as any other site. Perhaps it is something to experiment. For now I don’t know what to think of Twitter. I think it is another site that has surfaced amongst the many others that are being used today. I am not saying that there is something bad about Twitter; no, not all. I know I may not be addicted to it as many, many others are. I’m logged onto the site through the day (about the same with Facebook) and response and answer to the tweets almost instantly. I think Twitter gives people something to do, but may not be for everyone.

Where to begin? So far this summer has not been going the way as planned. What a bummer. So only six more weeks until classes start for the Fall semester. I’m a bit excited about returning because it is feeling like the summer is not going to get any time soon. Plus I’ll have something to do and then wishing to have a break and all that. When I am in school, those weekends often go by fast and then it will be that Monday again where we are dreading classes for the week. Plus get to meet new friends and ones I’ve already met and any other professors I enjoyed being his or her class. So yesterday I did join Twitter and tweeting away like a little bird. I did not have the mind to join Twitter.. buutttt I wanted to see what it was about. Now I know. So I’m there if you want to send me tweet. I am also accessible by e-mail and other places on the side bar. Tweet tweet.

Last night or early this morning, (your choice) I did finally fall asleep after being awake for many hours of the day into the night. I went to sleep around 3am Central time and woke up around 6:30am to hear loud, roaring thunder and flashes of lighting. I do not like thunderstorms! I did not know what was going on outside, but it did look a little bit too dark. I did Tweet about it when I woke up.Forgot to check the forecast for the week. And I don’t think the rain cooled the temperature down either. It is surely hot outside. Probably mid to upper 90s here. I like the winter and cooler weather where the sun is out and a crispy breeze. I’ll be really Walking in Memphis at that point.

As of now, I have been up since then. I tried to take a nap, but then I would still be up all night longer than I usually am. Who knows what time I will fall asleep tonight. Earlier, I found a nifty button that count down the days until the next blogoversary. So 189 more day until this blog turns 2 years old. It do not seem that long, does it? It sure does not. Let the good times roll!

Well, this is it. I decided to try out Twitter and see what the hullabaloo is about. With this said, my Twitter page is http://twitter.com/kelvinisonline and accessible in the sidebar. So follow me! See what I’m up to when I’m not blogging or what else may be going on with me. That’s interesting enough. You will enjoy your free trip to discover the good, the bad, the worse, the and other oddities. Nothing spectacular. So fasten your seat beat because this plane is off to a fast and rough take off! So hit me up on Twitter. ‘Cause I’m taking over.

I expect next Wednesday to be the 5th 20SB Blog Swap. As of now, I don’t know who my partner is since we are paired up at random. I do know that has been many, many people to have registered… bigger than the others. The deadline has already passed. Hopefully soon, way in advanced then next Wednesday I will know who my partner will is. Wednesday, July 22nd, expect my partner’s original post to be here and my post I will write will be on theirs. You can read their post here and mine here and comment on both if you’d like. For sure, I will be commenting on my blog at the given blog when I get noticed about. I’m expecting regular readers of this here and his or her readers to visit here. All in all, it is a fun event. I have participated in this Blog Swap as well. This should help bring more perspective to the blog.

♫ Tuuuesday, aaafterrrnoon…oh wait! It’s not Tuesday. Thuuuurrrsday mooorrrning♫… Where did that come from?? ….Oh well. Moving on LOL.

Maybe I do watch too much television, maybe I do not. I feel that I spend the average amount of hours watching television each week. I actually did not fall asleep to be up in the late hours. I am just still awake; not going to sleep…. yet. Yes, my sleeping habits are off and I am away during the night and not so me in the day. That will change when classes start back. I have some taste for some hot chocolate. I sure miss drinking hot chocolate from Starbucks - Grande size. Yum yum.

 

Tuesday. In the week hours of the night. 1:03AM. Guess what? I’m not asleep. I am not sleepy…and I may be not slightly sleepy. I’ve been up since 8am Monday morning. Good grief! I’m just flipping through the television and watching some late night shows. Along with that, I’m doing some small chatting on 20SB and instant messengers. Wished I could chat with you. I don’t consider myself watching a lot of TV…. more or less of contradiction. When classes start back, I may not be able to catch up with shows and try to fit some TV in the schedule. We’ll see… Not much is popping on Facebook. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

1:26 AM: I decided that I got bored and wanted to whip up a post while I am still up. 21 years old… I can’t believe I will be 22 next February. Wow! I wonder where my buddy Joey is at tonight. I can’t imagine what he have done tonight… or can I? LOL. Interesting chat went on last night and it was crazy. Give up for the night owls. I will say that is quiet around here; meaning here in the living room besides the television being on and the cool air blowing from the vents.

I’m just doing some late night blogging and rambling on about what I am currently doing. Pork steak was cooked for dinner but I did not have any. I had to find something else to eat. As the cold air is blowing out, I have to cover up because there’s no one here to cuddle with on the couch.

1:31AM: Joey just entered the 20 Something Bloggers chat.  The hangout spot. People noticed it is dead but they stop to realize it exists or bother to chat. You can meet some cool people there.

1:41: Another episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is on. A classic show that everyone should know about. Before that Family Matters was showing but on a differ channel of course. I don’t know what to do… lonely night but I am not going to complain because it could have been worse! Degrassi Goes Hollywood. I forgot this was The N channel. I’m hungry.

1:53: Not really thinking about watching TV anymore. Maybe I should read a book that I should have finished two years ago.

1:57: A slow night. Late nights.

Quote of the Week

“Television: chewing gum for the eyes.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

Plain and simple. Well in this case, our eyes have chewed many different flavors of gum. From the music videos to the reality to shows to the talk shows, our eyes have seen them all. Sometimes I think that all shows are the same. Like VH1… the shows they show are all spinoffs of each other. Someone wants a show. I watch too much TV. Do you? Sometimes it is pointless watching the square box. On MTV there’s this new show that comes on at 11:00am CST/12:00noon EST called It’s On with Alexa Chung! It has the celebrities talk and gossip and live music with interaction with the audience by the use of Facebook and Twitter. I’ve read that this is suppose to be the successor for Total Request Live that was a part of MTV programming. The twenty-five year old host does a good job on the show. I can’t complain about the show it is interesting. I watch it while I am doing something else online. Multi-tasking. Right now Sean Kingston is singing the song “Fire Burning”  to end today’s show I like the dance pop-reggae song. [YouTube: the official video]

It appears that television is changing and it is not the same as it used to be. TV shows come and go. MTV’s show Cribs is not bad either. I wished I could have some of those houses.. err… mansions that are featured on the show. Those celebrities are rich. They need to donate the money to me LOL. Country Music Television (CMT) has their version of the show, but I don’t watch it. Over the weekend I saw Teen Cribs. They have it made with those wonderful houses on the beach and some over looking the cities they live in with movie theaters, awesome bedrooms, and kitchens. MTV has other shows that I will end up watching. True Life and MADE are two shows that usually don’t end up missing to watch. Being able to see the producers documentary every day people with different live situations and issues is amazing. Then I am able to see their stories and how others deal with lives. Also, being made into something you always wanted to be; maybe from geek to pimp/ladies man is interesting to see when the guys are on MADE. I like me for whom I am although I wouldn’t mind going on that show to do some person development. Parental Control is not such a bad television show. I can’t leave out Room Raiders.

So there are many different shows I watch on TV. I have mentioned the few classic shows that are still hanging in from way back or a few years since they have been created. I usually watch too much TV and spend a lot of time online. Television is food for my eyes.

Let’s see… I have been up all night without any sleep. Maybe because I took a nap yesterday evening. I do not like falling asleep during the daytime since I will be up all night although I am up during the night. Oh well. And it seems to be raining with thunderous sound effects. Nothing major, but those small summer thunderstorms. I can tell you that my sleep scheduled is a bit off track, but that will change as it is becomes closer to start back going back to the University. Speaking of the University, I’m a bit ready to start the Fall semester on August 31. Still a chunk of summer break left. How did you guys like the Quote of the Week? It was a light discussion on technology and the usage of the Internet.

I watch television daily. One show that I have find to start back watching is Malcolm in the Middle which has begun to air on Nick at Nite. I like the show and it has a good plot. The typical American sitcom about the Malcolm and his mischievous, adolescent ways. One episode I can recall watching is when the kids were outside playing some kind of sporting game and the ball flew over an old lady’s fence. So they sent Malcolm over to get the ball when the old lady scared him and got her because he pushed her down. So the next thing happens is that he gets the consequences of helping the lady out because her arm is broken. He gets caught driving her car because Malcolm’s friends came over while she was passed out for some reason. She is a mean old lady but in the end she helps him out by saying that he was driving her to the emergency room; therefore driving her car. She saved his butt from more trouble; however, she volunteers him to help her out before school, let alone after school.

Other than watching television all night, I text a few friends and see what they were doing yesterday after I woke up from my nap since getting my hair cut. I also was on 20 Something Bloggers chatting with people there. We talked about a little bit of everything, but I recall talking about this one guy, Joey, playing pool and getting his best bids on winning and playing bowling for fun. He was a bit drunk while chatting LOL. I’ve always meet the regular peeps there and chat with them. A few are readers of this blog. So a shout to all those who are members of 20SB!! And another SHOUTOUT to those who continue to read this blog near and far.

So it has been a restless night for me; however, I’m not surprise because it happens all the time. It is just finding something to do during these types of night.

The Quote of the Week

“Advances in computer technology and the Internet have changed the way America works, learns, and communicates.  The Internet has become an integral part of America's economic, political, and social life.”  - Bill Clinton

This week’s quote comes from Mr. Bill Clinton and it sums up how technology, specifically, the Internet is shaped up today. I chose this quote for the week because we all should think about how we use the Internet and other technology in our daily lives in every aspect. It is true, too. You know some people leave the house without their phone and they will say that they feel naked without because they are always talking on the phone or texting. Most people do not know the first thing about computers everything else that is becoming popular among teenagers and young people. I read another quote that stated that the Internet is used to send out mass information and news to people since most people spend most of the day online playing games, looking at their stocks, reading blogs about the next presidential election, or just having fun the different social networks and websites that are out there. We can jump online to buy the latest Apple products, ladies can buy a new outfit and shoes, iTunes is the destination to have the ability to buy one song off an artist’s album without buying the CD for that particular song. I’m thankful for that LOL.

Some college applications and other paper items are going digital. Instead of printing and wasting paper, they want you to learn how to read online….although spending too much time the computer will mess your eyes up. The point of this quote is to think about the technology and how the internet plays a role in your daily routine. Think on how things would be like without the computer and Internet. I know I would go crazy! Communication goes beyond just talking on the phone. We can input a little about of information and let the computer and other machines and spits out everything that we need.

As you go on with your week think about the role of computers, cell phone, Internet, and any other technology, and how you use it in your daily routine including getting the latest news, socializing with family and friends to shopping online.

I will be writing this post on and around a quote said by someone famous whether they are known or unknown. The fact is that I like the quote and it fits somewhere in the chapters of life. I hope and plan to choose a quote each week and write something about it. Possibly this could be turned into a weekly feature.

The Quote of the Week

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can. – Cary Grant

This sounds like something we all do each and every day. We wake up, go to work, school, hang out with family and friends, and when the night arrives, we are off to bed. Between sleeping and being awake we are living our lives. Can living be less complicated than that? I sometimes read and hear that we must not worry about the past and not even worry about the future; instead we should live in the present? What does that mean? I think that means that we should just wake up and go on our daily routine not trying to figure out what will happen that we may not be able to control.

We should take one day at a time and realize that today is the present. We should not be living in the present and still be in the past. That is history! We should live today and somewhat thinking about tomorrow and planning, but we should not solely live in the future present. A quote Abraham Lincoln states that we “the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” I find that interesting because tomorrow is the future. We can plan out what we would like to do and what should be done, but only the present helps determine what happens.

I’m going to be starting my third year of college this fall and I dreaded most of the spring semester because every day would be the same schedule: wake up and get ready for an classes, chit chat with friends, homework, and then go to sleep.  And living was that “simple.” Everything else was occupying me… all for a good thing because I was in college that semester turning the gears in my head to stay focus wanting to graduate with my BA. I was living trying to achieve the best in life and meet the goals that I have plan.. for the future. I think living in the past is sometimes linked to the bad history, but for me it is history in life – middle and high school – that had good memories and the bad, but I want to live in the present so I can get ready for the future. This is simple for me, as the quote says, because everything between waking up and sleeping is life. I am living in the present, revising past mistakes, preparing for the future.

Where are you living: in the past, present, or future?