Ahh... Massage

I just absolutely love pampering myself with a massage. It makes me feel rejuvenated and ready for anything. I had one scheduled just the other day for today, because I did something funny with my neck when I woke up earlier in the week. I am a member of Massage Envy; it's really nice for the price and the massage therapists. I usually get either a deep tissue or a sports massage.

Just one of those days

I am having one of those days, where nothing can go right at all... What do you do to get out of the funk?

A word of the year?

Is there really a word of the year? Yes, there is. Merriam-Webster chose “pragmatic” to be the 2011 word of the year. Merriam-Webster started choosing the word of the year back in 2003. It is now left up of the public to vote on.

Definition of pragmatic – practical, antonym idealistic

The first word of the year (2003) was democracy

The 2004 word of the year was blog.

The 2005 word of the year was integrity.

The 2006 word of the year was truthiness, which was created by Comedy Central’s own Stephen Colbert.

The 2007 word of the year was woot.

The 2008 word of the year was bailout.

The 2009 word of the year was admonish.

Last year’s word of the year was austerity.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/15/2547167/merriam-websters-words-of-the.html

http://wtop.com/?nid=209&sid=2670686

Book Review: Paradise by Joan Elizabeth Goodman

Here is a book review I wrote for a children's lit class in 2007.  The review was on the Barnes and Noble site until recently:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paradise-joan-elizabeth-goodman/1102478402 

 Marguerite De La Rocque gets to go on a trip of a lifetime, and for a young woman in 1536, this is huge. One of the first women to colonize the Canadian Wilderness, she is chosen by her uncle, Jean-Francois de La Rocque, the Sieur de Roberval, whom the French King appointed as lieutenant general of the expedition. She persuades her love, Pierre, to join the crew of the ship, hoping for a chance they could run away together. A relationship between these two is taboo, since she is a Protestant and he a Catholic. Her uncle finds out about this relationship because the minister of the ship sees the two making love once they come into the New World. Marguerite and her female servant are kicked off the ship and left on an island, with only some provisions. The crew throws Pierre into the ocean and shoots at him, but miraculously, he survives and swims to the island to be with his love. They try living on the island, but the only survivors are Marguerite and the daughter whom Pierre has fathered. This novel of creative nonfiction is based on the true story of Frenchwoman Marguerite De La Rocque. This interesting story may prompt more curiosity in the colonizing of the Americas—especially because the story is told from the French perspective of the New World, and not the English one with which most U.S. students are most familiar. Goodman's writing is understandable although she uses some French words; she also includes an intriguing afterword that details what historians know about the true story of Marguerite.

First new Post

Writing, it’s not hard to do.  It’s just hard to figure out what you will write about.  I can write and write, and even write about writing, but topics to write about elude me.  I want to get into a writing profession, not just one where I write letters and proofread articles for others.  I want to be the writer!  The fundamentals are there; if you are a good proofreader there shouldn’t be any reason why you wouldn’t be a good writer.  It’s the motivation to get out and write about something.  I just don’t want to be rewriting someone else’s work.  I want someone to be like “that’s an original Aidan” someday.

I know there are many topics out there; many sites are out there to encourage ideas.  The best idea to write about came to me from http://www.copyblogger.com/brainstorm-blog-topics/... Number 20: “Stop worrying you’ll look dumb.” This may be the actual reason why I have trouble writing a blog.  I think about “oh my title is dumb,” “no one will want to read this crap,” and “I’m not fit to write something out on the interwebs.

We live in a unique age, where everyone can have a voice, and people have the capabilities to hear what that one little voice wants to shout out at the top of his/her lungs.  I hope I have followers and I write what is on my mind.  

*warning* future posts may be of the political sort, especially since the political season is upon us J

Debt Ceiling Almost Reached

No one can go far from the news that impeding economic crisis will be upon the United States if a decision on the debt ceiling won't be made shortly.  Moody has mentioned that it will downgrade the US government's AAA rating, and China, who holds most of the US debt, seems nervous about the outcome.  It's not just "partisan" politics right now, it's in-fighting within the Republic party.  An agreement must be reached, and must be reached shortly.  The citizens of the United States cannot risk losing more jobs because the government, in which they are supposed to trust, play a game of chicken.  The US can not be allowed to follow suit of Greece and Ireland, and if the US government stays on the path that they are currently are on, it will only be a matter of time.

What's going on in Libya

What is everyone's take on Libya? Are you on the side of the "rebels" or the side of the loyalists? Do you think that the U.S. ,the UN Security Council, and NATO did the right thing in enforcing a no-fly zone over the country?

Quaddafi (WaPo sp?) was named part of the "axis of Evil" by former U.S. President George W. Bush right after 9/11. The global community has seen the actions set forth by this leader on to the dissidents of his regime. Is it right for these actions to be taken? Did the international community take "just" action, or should've they taken more or less action?

While the nation of Libya is rich in natrual resources (=OIL), most of the people do not see the funds. It was just reported that the U.S. Treasury Department froze $30 billion dollars in U.S. banks.

Thoughts on President Barack Obama's term in office.

He's been in office a little over two years.  Has he accomplished all he said he would? Yes, he took on healthcare and it passed.  But because of that piece of legislation, the Democrats lost control of the House.  This writer isn't saying that this isn't good or bad, but I don't like when government rubber stamps everything because one party controls 2/3's of the government (White House, and Legislative Branch).