I believe in the American dream

My family is from Cuba. Things were going well for them until the revolution and the new leadership under Fidel Castro. My grandparents sacrificed all they had to make enough money and stick it threw until there number was up. With freedom to leave their country, my grandparents, uncle, aunt and dad left all their belongings and arrived to the land of opportunity with nothing but a change of clothes.

Inspiring isn't it?

I am proud of this strong will my family had on both sides to not settle and yearn for prosperity. I am proud of the fellow immigrant families I know are naturalized citizens of America and went from nothing to success in a new country.

I feel like this spirit transcends and transforms through generations. I feel like I am going through the same uncharted territories.

Except by uncharted territories I mean college.

My father dropped out sophomore year, my mom went straight to work, my aunts took a few courses. My uncle was the only one to complete college and it took him some while. This trend continues down to my age group. Of my six older cousins, one has dropped out, one is somewhere in his studies, one is temporarily not in college because his career is doing well, one is a year older than me and on a path to graduation. I have only one cousin to have successfully finished college but not yet in med school as he had planned. I have a younger cousin who is a freshman in college.

I hate to blame any misfortunes I have on others but in some ways I feel slighted. Just like I did in high school, I have made some mistakes in college. Mistakes I made because of lack of guidance.

I wish sometimes I could have some piece of wisdom from my parents about how college GPA works, scholarships, scheduling aims, goals, things of that nature. Instead I feel like I must pioneer my way through and learn the hard way and impart some knowledge on to my sister so she can someday not feel as I do.

College is tricky. You think everything is okay and your main concern is adjusting and keeping yourself from being overwhelmed. You underestimate how grades do not come as easy as high school and what seems like an easy balance of affairs both academic, work and personal become a doomed domino tumble.

As a sophomore I feel as if I am in a hole trying desperately to pull my way out. I never had to work too extremely hard in high school because the set up and my own intelligence worked together and I graduated with second honors (second because of a scheduling mishap freshman year which would later cost me).

I am quite blind. I have somehow scheduled the proper amount of credits necessary, taken enough mass communication classes which puts me ahead and making decent grades this year. Sounds great right? Not enough. Because I didn't do so hot freshman year and accounting absolutely destroyed me, I have to fight so hard to get near the GPA necessary to even apply to the Manship School.

I have worked ever since I could, even before I could. I have done well in school. I worked for the University newspaper and news radio. I want a profession in Public Relations. I yearn for security, a family, a career, and happiness. I feel so far away from my goals because college seems like one huge maze I am in alone with a certain predestined fail looming on my shoulders.

In these times I need to remember my roots. I need to remember people made lives of nothing. Family members did what they had to do to live the life they wanted. They didn't stop for anything. This gives me strength to not stop before I am done with college.

I will pull up my GPA, I will make it into the Manship School. I will do better.

"' Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free'" -Emma Lazarus.

I believe in the American dream.

Quando piove, diluvia

Sto risconstrado la settimana horible.

Miercoledi ho guidato a Smoothie King per smoothie prima guidato alla scuola. Ho la messo en nel supporto di tazza y ho guardo su e la maccina avanti io ha fermato. Ho frenato ma no nel tempo.

Voglio una macchina perche no ho. Voglio un macchina per la scuola e lavorare. No ho la moneta. Dopo nuovo anno io lavaro in il ristorante.

Non c'e' male. Sono male.

Mi amiche e io vogliamo parlare e siamo uscire. No non abbiamo tempo...

La mia zia sarà un intervento chirurgico domani.

Chris e io usciamo Saturday durante il gioco. Noi mangiamo e vediamo un buon film.

Its been one..year?

It's been awhile since I wrote a blog.

Not too long ago I was involved in a huge argument with someone I love. We are so blind and in a state of denial most of the time causing us not to see the problems we have before us. In our argument started the night before, leaving me feeling very uneasy about the future. I woke up the next morning feeling the worst I have felt in some time and when he tried to hug me that day, I couldn't even be touched. Its not until there is a confrontation for me to see the little things which contributed to the fire.

Fighting was the best plan of action for us. It took us letting out every frustration we had with the other in a calm manner, leaving room for discussion and compromising, to get over everything. Without a confrontation, things continually snowball until you are hit with an avalanche. At least this brought about a sense of awareness to our relationship and opened me up to see how he feels. I started out feeling as if there was an 85% chance we were breaking up a day before our anniversary on the 11th but after we fought and made up all in a few hours, I was sure we were stronger than ever.

Even though we have known each other for two years and dated for a year, I am continually finding little things about him I haven't noticed and we aren't tired of each other. We are friends with each others friends and his friends are friends with my girls as well. Its so funny how he can tell a story with so much enthusiasm and how loving he is.

For our anniversary I gave him a photo album with my favorite poem in the front and song quotes besides the pictures. I also gave him a Post Secret book with my own Post Secrets in it. He gave me roses in a vase, a beautiful pearl necklace and a mixed CD with great artists such as Queen and Boston.


Stasera,
Mary

Theatre of life

A wise man said Life is a stage
Then we are all marionettes
Spun by a creator

Our lives are but a tragedy and a comedy
Twist and turns of conflict and strife
Add drama to our lives

Awkward looks from a stranger
A comfortable glance from a lover
Day to day pleasantries carry us scene to scene

An emancipation, an extradition, a revolution
All is love in war and war in love
Opiate of the masses sedates into a coma

Blackouts lose sight
Losing touch, curtains close
Fate diverges and intersects

In a clash of events
Hate spills, discord disperses, lust impregnates
Only Hope remains

Hopes and Expectations

I'm not one for making goals and sticking to them but at least it helps me visualize how much work I still have in front of me.

1. Finish Chris' anniversary gift.
2. Get some reading done for Sociology/Political Science
3. Watch Goodbye Lenin
4. Deeply review Italian, mostly the grammer and vocabulary I skipped out on.
5. Write a blog in Italian
6. Save money for Europe and moving out
7. Get a game plan for working this summer at a second job.
8. Talk to Professor Shipka about minor
9. Make plans to visit Monica during winter break
10. Research to see if any of my favorite bands are coming close any year soon
11. Get a new haircut in about 6 weeks. I have bangs that swoop to the side but they used to also have the option of going straight down. I want both options and maybe all one length, take out the excessive layering. Somewhat like this haircut...
12. Pick up my disaster of a room
13. Buy foreign movies, especially Roberto Begnini's movies.
14. Find some form of exercise. I now weigh 3 pounds more than my max weight (110). I have been eating a little better but I still drink coffee drinks like mocha cremices and I eat ice cream and don't exercise often.

After seeing Whip It! I am inspired to lace up some four wheel skates. I don't like to workout in a gym, I prefer tennis or something outdoors and not boring. But I really want to try skating for the work out and improve coordination.

Ciao ragazzi!
Mary

I believe I can see the future, because I repeat the same routine

As every other college student, I can say I'm stressed. The rainy weather easily makes me depressed. When I am depressed I become a little antisocial.

All of this combines with big load of issues...

First of all, consider your opinions that infringe on the personal lives of others. I am content. My choice may not be what you choose but the difference is it is my life and in the end I live with my decisions, not you. If you are right and they are bad choices, I will figure it out the hard way. That's fine. At least then it will because I came to that conclusion, not because you came to that conclusion for me. This goes out to two people, somewhat a third, I have loved all my life and still love. It hurts me worse when it is people I love who tell me things that shouldn't be said, especially in certain company. Simple politeness would have made me feel just a little bit different.

Secondly, I found out some heavy, disturbing news about an EXTREMELY close relative of mine. At first I took it in stride, cautioning myself to really think about it before I made a decision about it. This morning my friend and I both exchanged hard news about our families. Because it was an exchange, my news had no affect on me because I was so involved in her story. Later I started to speak to my friend Claire about the first issue and then this second issue came about. I lost it.

I lost it in that I let myself get the better of me. I was already feeling pretty low which made myself extremely vulnerable to bad situations. All the issues I have in the back of my head became extremely relevant. I find myself knowing in a few years I will have to take control of something I should not have to be involved in until i am in my late 40s. My family member will need me in many, many ways. Those ways are extremely difficult and complicated. I began to foresee the future in my head. Everything began to snowball and reality truly reared its ugly head today.

Ice cream can't help, Lexapro can't and Pandora just further pissed me off. A usually light conversation with a friend finally made me confront issues I did not want to and it made them even more extreme with this latest piece of news.

I walk around with a facade. Only the people I love (family, friends, boyfriend) really know my secrets and the full extent of problems like these. If you saw me just now, you would pass me up, judging me, thinking I looked like a college kid time warped in a middle school height with eyes that say a thousand words but only to a few.

If I could go for a drive, I would. If I could fight someone, I would. If I could cry, I would. If I could hug, I would.

I can always count on writing to alleviate some pain.



P.S. I am trying to figure out who reads this blog besides Alyssa, Sarah and occasionally Chris. So leave me a comment (it could just say M or something) to give me an idea. If yall care...

wishes and dishes

Dishes

My aunt Monica was in town and she bought me a face cream from L'Occitane. I love their products because I have extremely sensitive skin and they have a wonderful hypo-allergenic line. I used to buy the face moisturizer (a little pricey). I also use their no rinse make up remover ($7-very cheap). Recently I bought Stilla tinted moisturizer to get the most bang out of my buck since I wear little foundation anyways. The tinted moisturizer didn't do much to help my dry skin out.

Monica bought me this face cream from L'Occitane. I love it! It also works well when I put my tinted moisturizer on right after. It is $53 but so far to me it is worth it and it will go a long way.


Monica also bought me some more Effaclar from a spa in Florida. This is a great acne wash. On this web site it is $19.95 and free shipping.


http://www.dermstore.com/product_Effaclar+Purifying+Foaming+Gel_1497.htm

Wishes

I listen to a wide array of bands and artists. There are a couple of CD's I really want to buy. And I don't have an IPOD (and my sister "lost" her old one) so i need to invest in one, especially since my car radio never ever works.

The first CD I am really want to buy is Muse's Resistance. I really like their sound, their creativity, their music, pretty much everything about them. I would love to see them live. Amazon gives you the option getting on the list ahead of the September 24th debut and having it shipped to you in short time.

Another CD I want to buy is If by Mindless Self Indulgence, MSI. I love their music especially when I am in a bad mood. It makes me happy. Many of their songs are sexually saturated but in a comical way. I love their songs Never Wanted to Dance, Shut Me Up, Issues and Get it up. I want to get this CD.

Another CD I want to buy is Marilyn Manson's Lest we Forget. It is Brian Warner's (Marilyn Manson) compilation of their greatest hits. It has his cover of Personal Jesus, Sweet Dreams, Mobscene and The Beautiful People on it. It has many of my favorites songs by him. I defend my affinity for Marilyn Manson. I think he is incredibly misinterpreted by people, misunderstood and under appreciated it. He is a legendary shock artist, he is extremely intelligent (look up an interview with him), and he is not a minister in the house of Satan. I repeat he is not a satanist. Don't believe me, read his autobiography. I did. You have a whole new perspective on him afterward and understand why Brian Warner became Marilyn Manson and you find yourself agreeing with him on certain issues.

I also want to buy the Italian movie Johnny Stecchino (toothpick Johnny). The Italian legend Roberto Begnini plays in it and directs it I believe. It also stars his wife Nicoleta. It is a true comedy filled with tons of situational irony. I also love his movie Life is Beautiful.


I also want a Boondock Saints T-shirt. I regret not getting the shirt my friend Claire has. There are so many I like. Here is one
http://www.boondockstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=210-01-1016&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1

I hope when I am an adult I have a beautifully decorated house. I want to have plenty of natural lighting, antique furniture (which I already have a lot of) and nice accents. I am obsessed with these Napoleon bee bathroom towels from Ballard designs. I plan on getting these.

I am Mary's personality

My sister had to ask my mom fill out a profile like this and my sister had to do it to for her religion class. I thought their answers were terrible and scarily similar. So I will do it too.

1. What is my favorite book?
This is an extremely hard question to answer. I love reading. I have read many great books including the Harry Potter series. But if I had to choose one book I guess I would say Q&A by Vikras Swarup (the movie on which Slumdog Millionaire was loosely based). I could reread it over again and I recommended to several people (all of whom loved it). It was an excellent book.


As far as nonfiction goes, I have to say Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper. Cooper tells a very interesting story about his career; his mother sophisticate Gloria Vanderbilt marrying his father, a farmer from Mississippi; his brother's suicide and his experiences around the world.




2. Who are three people I admire whom I do not personally know.

First, easily, is Napoleon Bonaparte. He was an Italian. Bonaparte was an extremely intelligent military genius and Emperor of France. He ordained himself and his wife (pretty mind blowing in terms of having balls). Not only did he raise France's status and establish alliances other lands. Once he was exiled to Elba, he became ruler of Elba and escaped within the year back to France with full military support.



Secondly, Johnny Depp. Not only do I think he is gorgeous, I think he is a great actor. I have been fascinated with him since I saw Cry Baby at six years old. I like how he goes for the off beat roles like Edward Scissorhands, Jack Sparrow, and Sweeney Todd.



Third is John Kennedy. I believed he could have helped bring about the social reform the country desperately needed in the 60s. I believe he held ideas to bring America together and is what America had been waiting for. I am neither Republican nor Democratic (I suppose I'm more Republican) but I think John Kennedy was our remedy. We lost him too soon. Kennedy was also an excellent orator.



3. If I could play any character in a movie, who would I play?

I would play Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. I would have loved to have lived in in the late 60s-70s. The music had an air of freedom, sex and groove. Her character plays a "band aid"-someone who truly loves the music. Hudson really pulls of the free spirited hippie in love with a band member. I would have loved to play this role.



Another character I would do is Robin Wright Penn in Forrest Gump. Jenny lives through so many hardships and sometimes hit rock bottom. She lived her life like the wind, going any way it took her even if it hurt her and lead to her eventual death. Jenny could say she never missed out on living and she found true love in the midst of all her turmoil.



4. If I was any kitchen appliance, what would I be?
I would be a microwave because I like to do things in the easiest way possible.

Will work for food

I love The Daily Reveille. I love to read the paper, I love their coverage of LSU, and I especially love working for them. But...I also like to read the opinion columns once in awhile. This one especially struck a cord with me because I very much disagree with it.

http://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/freeman-of-speech-budget-woes-provide-fresh-excuses-for-prison-labor-1.1820097

I strongly disagree with this article. Most students have parents who go to work to provide a home for their family and food to survive on. Not prisoners. Not only do they commit a crime worthy for a long term prison term but they are rewarded with free board and food. Why is that? Because our taxpayers pay for prison inmates to enjoy life's commodities, commodities many other Americans are struggling to maintain. Excuse me but Elayn Hunt Correctional Center offers job opportunities in order to give prisoner's' work experience, job skills, ability to work to receive a GDE, participate in programs for literacy, and Louisiana Technical College programs which would later benefit a prisoner when looking for a job in the public workforce. Louisiana teenagers hardly have these opportunities so easily accessible and paid for. Dixon offers a wide array of vocational programs.

Why then should they not work to earn their keep? Seeing that we are providing them skills to assimilate into general public after their term and education to find a job to better themselves, we should also benefit from this relationship.

A relationship implies a mutual giving and taking. If we give prisoners food, shelter, education and skills to survive, the community should benefit from them. If LSU saves $600,000 by using prison labor, then so be it. Their work is to give back to the same community they took away from when they committed acts of crime.

Prisoners are lucky in general to be given such opportunity to gain vocational education while serving their term. States such as Florida have a 10.7% unemployment rate as of July, California 11.9%, and Louisiana with a 7.4%. (http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm).

I fully support the use of prison labor in community beautification projects. These prisoners volunteer their time (which is pretty open and unlimited) in these work release programs so when they are up for parole, they have recommendations and capacity and willingness to work on their records. If they were unwilling to participate, they could occupy their time in their cell. All in all, it's a win-win situation.

My current wish list

Although I'm a broke college student, I still love to spend my hard earned money on clothes. Clothes aren't a temporary expense for me, I wear my clothes for a long time. I have come to the harsh realization I really need to save money to go to Europe next summer and to move out, there are still a few things I really want (but not necessarily need).This cord vest is from Old Navy and cost $24.50. Pretty reasonable price and I love vest. I think it is pretty cute.


These boots are from DSW and they cost $44.95 and the color is taupe. I think they would look cute with both jeans and a dress.

These curtains are from Urban Outfitters. I really like natural lighting and these are light enough to let some through. I think I would wait to get these for when I move out.

There are plenty of more things I want but I have a meeting to go to!

Arrivederci!

Brad Pitt for mayor of New Orleans...oh yeah and he is a basterd!

Ok y'all just to let you know this blog will be controversial and interesting. I am not worried about my audience since it consist of two friends of mine. Nevertheless, you are warned.

This post is on my decision to be for the legalization of marijuana. For starters, I have never done drugs. I promise.

Here are a few reasons why...

If weed was legalized, it would be sold openly in a controlled environment. The weed sold would have to pass standards much like the standards placed by the Food and Drug Administration on every drug already sold in America. Because of this, amounts of marijuana sold, quality, and quantity would be regulated.

If such restrictions were placed on marijuana, the war on drugs would drastically change. First of all those who smoked marijuana illegally would now be able to smoke it legally and it would put your underground drug dealers out of businesses. Crime rate would significantly change.

Those who would sell marijuana would have to be licensed, much like those who carry arms. There would be a protocal and a way to tract amounts sold and to whom. With such regulations, it would control the selling of marijuana from becoming a problem.

Obviously this would not lead to the legalization of other more harmful illegal drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Marijuana is not addictive, has just as much tar as cigarettes and less damaging to brain cells than alcohol and has little affect on the liver.

Marijuana has less chemicals than coffee (1,500 vs. 400) so there is no correlation between chemicals and danger. In every way, cigarettes and alcohol impairs the body more than marijuana. No one has died from marijuana to this day.

Rules such as not being able to drive under the influence of marijuana should apply just like alcohol as both are mind altering and slow down reaction time.

In my opinion, marijuana in small amounts would be the same as drinking in moderate amounts. Abuse of marijuana would have negative affects just as abuse of alcohol does.

That's my opinion. Legalize it, the "badass" appeal of it will go down. The availability of it will diminish the black market trade of it. And face it, cannabais has been used for over 2,000 years. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln smoked some.

I still haven't smoked it, I am merely understanding how it may become legal in the future.

Conjunctive Cinematic Climax

Tonight friends and I went to see "500 Days of Summer" which turned out to be the biggest love-hate movie I've seen in quite sometime. I loved it but it tore me apart at the same time. Somehow made me not like Zoey Deschanel (not her but her character) which I would have thought to be impossible. Before the movie started, we saw some great trailers. One was called "Slap It" seems to be a movie where Ellen Page disagrees with her mother's cotillion upbringing and finds herself in roller derby. It looks like it's worth the $7. Another trailer was Nine starring Daniel Day Lewis, Sophia Loren, Marion Cottilard, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson and Nicole Kidman. Defididently an interesting trailer, I'm very intrigued and looking forward to see it it. It was written by famous Italian Federico Fellinni so I have high expectations. Although it has a stellar cast, that isn't always a great indication of the quality of the movie because I was let down by Bobby, regardless of the cast, but amazed by other movies with some lesser known people like Boondock Saints. A third trailer was Adam, starring Hugh Dancy. I really want to see this indie movie. It is about a man with Asperger's syndrome (autism-like disease, creates social discomfort) who falls for the tennent next door. Dancy has trouble communicating his feelings for her and others. It looks deep which I love. A fourth trailer was The Informant, starring Matt Damon, Joel McHale (The Soup!) and Tony Hale (Arrested Development). Matt Damon plays and informant for his company who is really terrible about spying but after spilling the secrets, intends on keeping a job at the company. I may see this because I like movies based on true stories. All in all I'm looking forward to many movies, these and Inglorious Basterds (TARANTINO!), Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze+powerful trailer+great music+great children's story=great potential) and Time Travelers Wife.

Music for the child's soul

Today was a pretty stressful day, which probably could have been the worst day for me to discover I like the coffee at work. My dad had a stint put in so I had to go to work, pick up Elizabeth, rush to work and rush to the hospital. I was shaking from all the caffeine and running around town. At least I had the honors of color Sarah's hair purple and pink which looks so hard core by the way. When she told me the purple faded to blue I pictured electric blue not aquamarine. I cracked up!

I will be starting a new job with The Daily Reveille. Last fall I wrote for the paper, now I'm on the radio starting next week. I hope to God I figure all the technology out early on so I don't mess it all up. I'm pretty excited. I just need to work on a "radio voice".

So the title of this blog has to do with a recent event. I was using my sister's Ipod. It was on shuffle and I was so proud to see that she listens to Muse and White Zomie's "More Human than Human". So proud! She gives me hope that maybe her age group won't disappear with the last top 40 that maybe they can expand their mind to appreciate small bands like The Whigs and jazz band music like Amy Winehouse while they indulge in Kayne West and Panic at the Disco.

I was horrified when another girl my sister's age (15) didn't know who the Beatles were. And another girl my age (19) responded with "you know the movie Across the Universe?" It was a stab in my heart.

I need to call my mom and thank her for letting me listen to Michael Jackson, Alanis Morisette, and George Michael as a child rather than the then popular Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.