Ali

//**﻿I Believe... **//

**// 1.) I believe that there is some good in everyone//**

2.) I believe that everyone should be treated with respect 3.) I believe in being nice to everyone unless there is a reason to not be 4.) I believe in the right to be yourself 5.) I believe that jealousy is the biggest reason for hate 6.) I believe that kids want to grow up too fast 7.) I believe in being a vegeterian my whole life 8.) I believe in working hard to get what I want 9.) I believe in having true friends 10.) I believe that true friends are hard to find 11.) I believe that there is a perfect person for everyone 12.) I believe not everyone finds that person 13.) I believe that liars are stupid 14.) I believe in trusting your gut feelings 15.) I believe that you should never settle for less 16.) I believe there are stories behind why people act the way they do 17.) I believe in the power of love

//﻿30 by 30//
//** 1.) Visit Brazil **// //**  2.) Go Parasailing **// //** 3.) Graduate from University of MIami **// //**  4.) Fall in love **// //** 5.) Model **// //**  6.) Make a lot of money modeling **// //** 7.) Adopt my first cat **// //**  8.) Be sure of my real friends **// //** 9.) Learn Portuguese **// //**  10.) Live well **// //** 11.) Have been a vegeterian for 19 years **// //**  12.) Be sure of myself **// //** 13.) Be kind to everyone **// //**  14.) Meet Zac Efron **// //** 15.) Live in Miami at some point **// //**  16.) Stay far away from Ventura **// //** 17.) Travel **// //**  18.) Own my dream car **// //** 19.) Ride a dolphin **// //**  20.) Horseback ride on the beach **// //** 21.) Visit Brazil again **// //**  22.) Jetskii **// //** 23.) Do as much as I can before I'm tied down **// //**  24.) Dye my hair **// //** 25.) Be a Victoria's Secret model **// //**  26.) Be fit and healthy **// //** 27.) Marry a successful man **// //**  28.) Buy a nice house **// //** 29.) Have kids (a boy first) **// //**  30.) Be happy (:  **//

**Traditional Arranged Marriage and Modern Romantic Marriage ** There are two kinds of marriages; traditional arranged marriage and modern romantic marriages. There is a debate on which is better; some think it’s smart to let your parents decide who you will marry and others think it’s smart to choose for yourself. Personally, I think you should be able to choose who you will marry, after all; you will have to spend the rest of your lives together.

Traditional arranged marriages are when somebody, usually your parents choose a spouse for you. The only thing that is considered in this circumstance is logic. If your parents really know you well enough and know exactly what you want and what is in your logic; then sure, why not have them choose for you. Let them make your decision that will affect your whole life and deal with the consequences if there are any. One good thing about arranged marriages is that it’s not about the looks. So the way someone looks doesn’t affect your thought about them or your compatibility. If you really, really trust your parents to make the right decision for you, then go ahead with an arranged marriage.

Modern romantic marriages are what is mostly used today; it’s when people choose their spouse on their own based on their heart, emotion, and what they want and think is most logical. You know exactly what you want most of the time and a responsible person will find a spouse who is what they want and a great match. There’s compatibility and compassion right off the bat. Which probably doesn’t come from an arranged marriage. You have the freedom to be with whoever you want. “Where there is marriage without love, there is love without marriage.”. This means that if you don’t love the person you’re married to, you’ll find that love somewhere else, so why not choose someone for yourself that you know you’ll love?

In my opinion, modern romantic marriage is definitely the best way to go. Why would you let someone else decide who you will spend the rest of your life with? Yes 50% of marriages end in divorce, but smart, responsible people will choose somebody they are really compatible with; thinking with their heart and head. With arranged marriages there are no divorces, you are stuck with that person for the rest of your life; even if you hate them. That could end in you hating your parents for choosing that person, or your parents could have made a selfish decision not caring how it would affect you. You’re stuck thinking of what could have happened if you chose for yourself. Modern marriages are most common for a reason. They work out if a mature person can make the right decision.

These two kinds of marriages are completely different and end up completely different most of the time. Independent people chose modern marriage, codependent people would chose arranged marriage. I think that modern marriage where you can make your own decision is the best way to go.

**One Thing ** For this writing assignment we have to choose something; one thing that is special to us. Something that doesn’t have to have been in your life for years and years. But simply an object that means a lot to you.

My one thing that is special to me is my dog. He is a pug and his name is “Happy”. He is now almost 7 years old but I have had him for five years; since he was about 2 and a half years old. We adopted him from Chino; a city near San Diego and he didn’t have a good life. His owners didn’t really feed him so he was very skinny and they had a bigger dog who would always bite Happy. He still has the scars today. The reason his name is “Happy” is because is because his owners noticed how sad he was living outside, beat up, and hungry and thought it would be funny to name him Happy. Luckily, we took him from that environment and actually his name actually fits him and he is one of the most important things in my life.

My doggy means the world to me. We instantly bonded when he jumped from the back part of our truck through the window, and snuggled up in the backseat of our car right next to me. The first day we had him he fell into an ice cold pool and I thought he couldn’t swim so I was about to jump in. Instead, I called him and pulled him out of the water and tried to warm him up to stop his shivering. I think because of our first couple days together he relies on me to take care of him and love him; which I do. My puppy follows me around the house and never strays far out of the house. He is my “Baby”, Cutie Pie”, “Love Bug”, and just about every other nickna  me out there. He can put a smile on my face just by me looking at his cute little, flat face, perky ears, and curly tail. I plan on even taking him with me when I move out and go to college because we are so close. He is such a friendly, affectionate dog that almost no one can resist and I am glad to say that he is all mine.

I am glad to have something so special to me like my dog. Something I almost can’t live without and care so much for. He really is the most special, important thing to me.



**Chemicals Vs. Love ** Most of the world is in fact chemical. Your emotions are mostly chemical, sex, romance, almost everything. Chemicals are the name for feelings and emotions that can be explained with science. However, your feelings and attachments you have when you love, trust, and are committed to somebody cannot be explained by science. Those are the feelings you have within.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Men and women both have strong chemical reactions. Men mostly have Testosterone, and women mostly have Estrogen in their bodies. When a man or woman are excited to see someone they like or ask them out or just be with them; they release chemicals that can be stimulated by drugs. Dopamine is the main one; it’s a natural high you get from someone you have feelings for. Serotonin and nuropinephrine are also feel-good chemicals. This chemical reaction happens mainly in the early stages of romance. That feeling of content you have when you’re in a relationship is Oxytocin. It’s a sense of well being that all starts from one other person. But how do you explain why people want to be committed to one person for their whole life and trust and love them? I don’t think that can be explained by science.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Evolutionary Process is when someone offers a potential mate. When you see someone who looks a certain way, you will be attracted to them by instinct. It all comes down to Evolutionary Anthropology. A woman is attracted to a man with big, strong muscles and strong facial structure. This symbolizes a man’s capability to care for a woman and their future family. A man looks for a woman with large breasts, a small waist, and wide hips. These features symbolize fertility in a women, It has been this way for tens of thousands of years,

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">If you leave out all the chemical and scientific explanations for things; you are left with love. Love enables people to promise to be loyal and committed to one person for the rest of their lives when they choose to get married. “Until death do we part” “In sickness and in health” people don’t stay together for that long because of chemicals. Chemicals don’t tell you to be loyal, your emotions and feelings for that special person do. Famous poets such as Dante and Petrarch wrote about one woman for 50 plus years, they never had a relationship, or even talked to but rather loved them from one look, there were no chemicals involved for that long. There is no real scientific explanation about love but you know it’s there. To find someone you would like to spend the rest of your life with and love forever is inexplicable.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">So, all in all, there is a scientific, chemical explanation for most of our attractions and feelings towards people. There is a thing called love that isn’t a part of chemicals but your true feelings.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Photography ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I strongly disagree with Susan Sontag. She thinks photos limit the understanding of the world and that they are basically useless. She believes that you can only understand things by reading. I think photos expand our knowledge and add to the text we have to read.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sontag’s point that text gives an understanding is true. When you read an article or a book you understand what is going on based on the author’s writing and if you are trying to understand it. Text gives the understanding of something to you, you don’t have to make sense out of anything. Words have facts and explain things to a person.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">On the other hand, photos are a simple way of understanding something; in your own mind. When you look at a picture you see something 100% real that grabs and holds your attention. It gives you an understanding of that frame and even part of things you don’t see. It does not give you someone else’s opinion or argument. Lewis Hines took pictures of child laborers which ultimately lead to a law being passed that made it illegal for young children to work. That law wouldn’t have been passed if there were an article about it. So how can someone say that pictures are useless? No one wants to read a boring, long essay such as Sontag’s “Looking At War” without pictures to grab your attention. All you are getting from her are words and her own opinions being thrown at you. In my opinion, pictures are much more powerful than words.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Personally, I think the best way to get a complete understanding of something ids to have both pictures and some text. I hated reading the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” because it dragged on and on about things I didn’t know or really care about. But seeing the pictures of the great depression and the actual poor part of Maycomb County explained in the book; it gave me a greater interest and understanding about the story. I have a great grandfather who had a book written about him and from reading a few pages all I knew was that he was in the war and successfully escaped. But when I saw a picture of him I understood what it was really like to be in that time. Pictures really give a greater understanding.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I feel that Susan Sontag is wrong and that text is not the only way to understand something. A picture is worth a thousand words and doesn’t restrict you the way reading does although text can help with understanding. Ultimately, I think pictures along with some text is the best way to understand something.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Should Brandon Be Tried As An Adult Or Juvenile? ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brandon murdered one of his classmates; Larry King out of rage and embarrassment on February 12, 2008 and is now on trial as an adult. I think depending on how Brandon behaves in juvie and in court should define whether he is charged as an adult or as a juvenile. If he has behaved well then charge him as a juvenile, if not, charge him as an adult. Ultimately, I think he should be charged as a juvenile.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brandon was barely 14 years old when he did this. He is not as mature as an adult. His brain isn’t even fully developed, Yes, he must have known it was wrong but he was barely a teenager, not anything close to an adult. On the other hand, adults know right from wrong also, and planning this murder was an adult action. So he might have been acting as an adult and a child but he is and was a child and should probably be charged as a juvenile.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brandon might be able to be rehabilitated, everyone deserves a second chance. There are people out there whose lives have been turned around, adults and children. Brandon is 17 and a bad kid yes. Based on what I’ve heard he draws white supremacy signs on his cell and doesn’t show remorse. We don’t know how Brandon really feels, he probably does feel at least a little bit guilty. If Brandon gets professional care and proves that he is changed and a better person, then I personally think he should get out at 25 years of age. I f he shows no progress or willingness to change then he should get the longer sentence.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">For Larry’s family “just” is Brandon getting life in prison. Their son is dead, that’s it, so for them, Brandon getting to keep his life and spend it in prison is the right thing to do. For Brandon’s family “just” is being in juvie and getting out of jail at 25. He was provoked and had issues and was only 14 so a juvenile sentence is appropriate. In my thoughts Brandon should be charged as a juvenile with intense professional care and only be let out with good behavior. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Clearly, Brandon is guilty. But considering his age, background, reasoning and other factors he should be charged as a juvenile and get help. Being let out at 25 if he is in the right place.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Larry King Murder ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Many people are wondering who is most to blame for the Larry King situation? In my opinion, Brandon has the most blame. There were other factors and people that contributed but by far Brandon is most t o blame. He took things too far and into his own hands and murdered a boy. Although many people and factors contributed to Larry’s death including Larry himself, Brandon is most to blame.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some would say Larry is to blame for his own murder. He did dress like a girl and flaunt the fact that he was gay. Perhaps just being himself? But he had a crush on a boy, Brandon McInerney and purposely asked him to be his valentine in front of all Brandon’s friends to embarrass him. That is undeniable. But how could Larry know Brandon was would shoot him? He didn’t, everybody has done something purposely too annoy or embarrass another person and did the thought of being killed for doing so cross their mind? No, probably not. Larry was gay and dressed like a girl mostly because he liked to. He provoked a boy and that was his only mistake. He did not deserve to be shot and killed because of it.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Others would say that the school board at E.O. Green is to blame. Epstein could have cut him some slack because she too was gay, but she was only trying to help. It is said that the staff could have told Larry to stop wearing the clothes and makeup and stop flirting with boys. Yes they could have, but it would have been against the law. Everyone has the right to express themselves freely. However, is there some kind of loophole that if apparel is becoming a distraction then is it legal to make Larry stop? That I don’t know the answer to but I believe that the staff at E.O. Green School only tried to help Larry.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I personally think that Larry, the school, Larry’s parents, society, Brandon’s parents, and Brandon all have a certain amount of blame. But by far Brandon has the most. He chose to bring a gun to school and kill Larry four days prior to the actual shooting. It was a pre-meditated murder. Yes Brandon had horrible parents who are a big part of why he did it but his parents are not his only influences. In fact, he knows they’re bad, shouldn’t he learn from what not to do? Besides that, there are other things he can learn from, not just his awful parents. He could have learned from school, TV, and other things what the right thing to do was. He obviously knew killing someone was bad but chose to take the wrong route and do it anyway. Following in the devastating path of his parents. He was a teenager and knew right from wrong, he knew it was completely wrong to shoot Larry, a two year old would have known that. But Brandon did it anyway. He is the reason Larry is dead, he is to blame.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">So clearly, this is a difficult case with tons of people who could be to blame, Larry himself, the E.O. Green school board, society and parenting, and Brandon. But in the end who pulled out a gun and murdered a boy? Brandon McInerney. He is the reason Larry King’s life is over, done with by the eighth grade. And although many people are contributing factors to what happened to Larry. Brandon; the murderer, is most to blame.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I Know What It’s Like ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I know what it’s like to have a family member that I am extremely close to. My sister Karynna, but I call her Kai. We do almost everything together and when we’re at home we’re usually with each other also. My sister is 25 and some would say we look alike, some say we don’t look like sisters at all, maybe because we have different dads. She is an important part of my life and I amaround her almost every day.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">My big sister is ten years older than I am, she is living at home now that she graduated college and is looking for a job and a place to live. If you were wondering why I call her Kai; it’s because as a baby I couldn’t say her name and when I tried it came out as “Kai”. Now everyone calls her that. She has taken care of me almost as much as my parents have since I was born. She babysat me all the times my parents couldn’t be home, she played with me when my parents were busy, and she fed me and kept me occupied and pretty much everything else you can think of.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">My sister was almost like a second mother to me even as a little girl. She would put my favorite movies on, make me and my brother lunch, and play games with me. My favorite was always “airplane”. She would put her feet in the air and I would lay my stomach on them and grab her hands. Then she would move me back and forth and make airplane noises.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Now that I’m older my sister and I are more like friends. Although we fight like sisters sometimes. But she does teach me life lessons and explains things to me when I’m wrong. We call each other “Sissy” all the time and we go shopping together, run errands together, go to the beach, walk our dogs, everything. We are basically with each other during most of our time at home. When I get into fights with my parents, she’s usually there to back me up when I really need it and I can usually go to her for advice on anything.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I don’t know what it’s like to have a big brother, or be a millionaire, and I probably never will, but what I do know is what it’s like to have a big sister who is someone I can rely on and do anything with. Someone who is like a live-in friend and a sister, and a care-taker who is looking out for my best interest.