Celebrities on the Walk of Fame in Little Havana :: Calle Ocho Walk of Fame Cuba

Exploring the Culture of Little Havana: The Celebrities on the Walk of Fame Since the start of the "Calle Ocho Walk of Fame" in 1988, more than 20 celebrities have been honored by receiving stars. Yet, not all 20 were Cuban celebrities. This has sparked controversy and violence in Little Havana. Members of the community and local government officials have argued about who should be given stars. To resolve this problem a selection committee was formed. These people still could not please everyone with their choices because there were so many opposing viewpoints within the community. Some people feel that only famous people that have some relation with South Florida should be honored. They want to include Hispanics and African American celebrities who have ties within the community and who have roots in or around the Miami area. Jesus Sanchez, a customer at one of the shops on Calle Ocho said, in 1996, "It doesn't matter if they're Cuban or Mexican or American. As long as they have talent and vocation" (Menendez 2). On the other hand, Spanish language radio announcer Alberto Gonzalez of WRHC-AM said, "We Cubans may not own all of Miami, but we do [own] Calle Ocho" ("Walk" 2B). He said this during the controversy in 1989 over the inclusion, in the walk of fame, of Spanish singer Raphael, the first non-Cuban to receive a star. Raphael was the fifth person to be honored with a star despite the protests of local community members. Since the Raphael incident, the controversy has subsided; however, there are still those who believe that the "Calle Ocho Walk of Fame" should only be for Cuban stars. Franco and Rodriguez, the two men who revived the project, have shown that Latin stars are not the only ones who need to apply. In 1995, they were trying to get Sylvester Stallone a star. The issue of whether the "Calle Ocho Walk of Fame" should be for Latinos only continued in 1997 when Enrique Iglesias was selected for a star, but Dr. Ferdie Pacheco was denied the honor. The furor revolved around the fact that Iglesias was just starting out as a singer while Pacheco already had international recognition due to his career as one of the world's foremost boxing authorities, a painter of some renown, and author of eight books. Most of the celebrities that have stars on Calle Ocho are partly, if not 100%, Hispanic. Not all of them are Cuban.

Legalizing Prostitution Will Not Work Response to Mark Liberators Arti

Legalizing Prostitution In the article 'Legalized Prostitution' the author, Mark Liberator, shares his views on legalizing prostitution. He believes because of women's specialized roles in society, they should be allowed to use sex as a service that can be bartered for goods and money, and by using these specialized roles, the author explains that allowing prostitution in the United States could lower a majority of murder and rape cases, and can decrease the amount of suicides and divorces. By making prostitution legal, Liberator also thinks that it will allow law enforcement to respond faster to more important crimes, help women that use prostitution as a career path, and will prevent teens from being trapped into prostitution. Though Liberator states his case strongly, and has statistics that help prove his point, his logic has holes that could even make cocaine, heroin, and other illegal drugs legal. Liberator states that our primal desires should not be ignored or suppressed, but instead should be manag ed. If this is the case, then should our first instincts to lie, cheat, steal, and kill should also be managed? No. Managing these things, and not suppressing them, means that we are making it legal to rob stores, lie about it, and kill anyone who disagrees with our reasons as to why we?ve committed the crime. Not only that, but if we make prostitution legal, it is possible that there could be an overflow of prostitutes, that would create larger drug chains, which could ruin our countries credibility as a safe place to live. I feel that legalizing prostitution is the first small step to that future, and that we should avoid making prostitution tolerable in America. Liberator starts his argument by giving a quick study on c... ...lizing prostitution will do nothing more than encourage the spread of STD?s. In closing, the argument that the author presents falls weak in most aspects. Though he seems to have positive end results to the issue, the immoral act of prostitution still is part of the solution. As proven before, legal prostitution could lead to an excess of prostitutes that could ruin the appearance of our country, it does not control ones animal-like impulses, but merely lets them run wild, it uses sex as a drug that could lead to an increase of sex ?junkies?, the crime rate could possible increase, rather than decrease, and the spread of STD?s will not be effected positively. The best way to fix the issue of prostitution is to continue fighting it, till eventually the message gets across that prostitution is wrong, and does not lead to a profitable life financially, or morally. Legalizing Prostitution Will Not Work Response to Mark Liberator's Arti Legalizing Prostitution In the article 'Legalized Prostitution' the author, Mark Liberator, shares his views on legalizing prostitution. He believes because of women's specialized roles in society, they should be allowed to use sex as a service that can be bartered for goods and money, and by using these specialized roles, the author explains that allowing prostitution in the United States could lower a majority of murder and rape cases, and can decrease the amount of suicides and divorces. By making prostitution legal, Liberator also thinks that it will allow law enforcement to respond faster to more important crimes, help women that use prostitution as a career path, and will prevent teens from being trapped into prostitution. Though Liberator states his case strongly, and has statistics that help prove his point, his logic has holes that could even make cocaine, heroin, and other illegal drugs legal. Liberator states that our primal desires should not be ignored or suppressed, but instead should be manag ed. If this is the case, then should our first instincts to lie, cheat, steal, and kill should also be managed? No. Managing these things, and not suppressing them, means that we are making it legal to rob stores, lie about it, and kill anyone who disagrees with our reasons as to why we?ve committed the crime. Not only that, but if we make prostitution legal, it is possible that there could be an overflow of prostitutes, that would create larger drug chains, which could ruin our countries credibility as a safe place to live. I feel that legalizing prostitution is the first small step to that future, and that we should avoid making prostitution tolerable in America. Liberator starts his argument by giving a quick study on c... ...lizing prostitution will do nothing more than encourage the spread of STD?s. In closing, the argument that the author presents falls weak in most aspects. Though he seems to have positive end results to the issue, the immoral act of prostitution still is part of the solution. As proven before, legal prostitution could lead to an excess of prostitutes that could ruin the appearance of our country, it does not control ones animal-like impulses, but merely lets them run wild, it uses sex as a drug that could lead to an increase of sex ?junkies?, the crime rate could possible increase, rather than decrease, and the spread of STD?s will not be effected positively. The best way to fix the issue of prostitution is to continue fighting it, till eventually the message gets across that prostitution is wrong, and does not lead to a profitable life financially, or morally.

Creativity vs. Psychological Health of Anne Sexton

A number of creative individuals have taken their own lives, including John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, and many other writers. The large number of such cases suggests that there may be a functional relationship between creativity and psychological health. This relationship seems to vary across domains, with the rate of suicide especially high in certain groups of artists. This may suggest that there may be something unique to those domains that either draws suicide-prone persons into the domain or has an impact on the individual such that suicide is considered and often attempted. When the poem writing by Anne Sexton entitled Her Kind you can closely compare how Anne’s mental health affected her poetry and how her poetry affected her mental health. The American Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Anne Sexton took her own life in 1974 via carbon monoxide poisoning before reaching the age of fifty. Her life and work are especially interesting because her poetry was clearly tied to her own psychiatric treatment. She began writing with only moderate formal education (a high school diploma), but after being published she was given honorary degrees from several universities, including Tufts, Radcliffe, and Harvard. Sexton's poems, many dealing with suicide, read together with richly researched recent biography, enhanced by biographer's access to tapes of Sexton's sessions with her psychiatrist and by foreword by that psychiatrist, permit unusual opportunity to understand the interrelationship of her illness, her treatment, and the meaning of suicide in her life. Whatever was on her mind seemed to come out in her poetry whether it was about sex, madness or death. â€Å"Readers tend to be generous in their praise, celebrating the poetry primarily because it so fully and openly reveals Sexton's personal pain† (Anne). Basically, the speaker of â€Å"Her Kind† is outcast because she is powerful. Traditionally, society expects women to lead sheltered lives. Women are to be obedient, quiet, and timid. They are viewed as gentle and kind, not â€Å"dreaming evil† (Line 3, Sexton). The modern, liberated woman completely shatters this tradition by courageously speaking her mind and living an independent life. She is empowered as she seeks education and a stable career instead of a domestic life. Since the modern woman does not fit the traditional label, â€Å"A woman like that is not a woman quite† (Line 6, Sexton). Society would view this line of the poem as a negative slam on the modern woman and paraphrase it by saying, â€Å"She's not quite right in the head; therefore, she does not belong here in civilization. † Anne Sexton was a poet and a woman, but most importantly, she was an outcast. Subjected to nervous breakdowns and admitted to a neuropsychiatry hospital, Sexton must have been all too familiar with the staring eyes and the judging minds of the public. Just being a woman in today's world often can be enough to degrade a person in the public's eye, let alone being labeled as a crazy woman. But Anne Sexton did not let society remain unchallenged in its views. She voiced a different opinion of women through poetry. In Anne Sexton's â€Å"Her Kind† she embraces society's negative stereotype of modern, liberated women and transforms it into a positive image. Two voices, the voice of society and the voice of Anne, duel about the issue of the stereotype of modern women. Like Anne Sexton, the speaker in this poem is an outcast woman. Sexton was born in Massachusetts on November 9, 1928, to Mary Gray Staples and Ralph Churchill Harvey, who were known to drink regularly and sometimes heavily. They were somewhat prominent and quite socially active. Scholars suggest that they may have valued their social engagements over their family responsibilities. There is some evidence that Sexton's mother was jealous about her very early writing (Long). Sexton did not have obvious creative aspirations, but instead seemed to think more about a family of her own. At one point her mother accused her of plagiarism and had that particular writing examined. It was deemed to be original, but many scholars suggest this incident affected Sexton's relationship with her mother. Sexton's aunt on her father's side attempted suicide in early childhood, lived several decades in an apparently stable marriage, and eventually committed suicide just before she turned seventy. The family believes that if her aunt's suicide had any sort of influence on Sexton, it was probably informational (e. g. , the aunt modeling suicide) rather than genetic. Biographers place great emphasis on Sexton's psychiatric treatment, which was significant as evidenced by the content of her poetry. And, it is possible, given her nonconformism that Sexton suffered from a borderline personality disorder. There are reports of her schizophrenic language, for instance, as well as her tendency to enter some sort of trance at the end of her psychiatric treatment sessions. She apparently did not want to end the sessions, perhaps because of emotional and social needs. â€Å"Sexton’s writing seems so personal she is often labeled a ‘confessional’ poet† Anne did not agree with this title and preferred to be called a â€Å"storyteller† (Middlebrook). For instance, in her poem titled â€Å"Her Kind† she writes, â€Å"A woman like that is not a woman, quite. I have been her kind† (Sexton). Many people would automatically assume that Anne was speaking about herself in her poem, especially according to those who believe her poetry is confessional. But in reality, â€Å"she considered the speaking ‘I’ in her poetry as a literary rather than a real identity† (Middlebrook). Not everything she wrote was necessarily about her but rather perhaps a form of therapy. Diane Middlebrook believes Sexton conveys the terms on which she wishes to be understood: not victim, but a witness (Middlebrook). Through reading Anne Sexton’s poem â€Å"Her Kind† we get a better understanding of Anne herself. She was a strong character who used her writing as therapy. Doctors never knew that her writing would have such an impact on the world. She writes specifically in her poem â€Å"Her Kind† about what she went through in society as a woman. Through Anne’s writing it improved her mental health. It was an outlet for her feelings. Her writing was true and honest and something many women would never talk about much less publicly write about. Her mental health inspired her creative writing which in turn helped her mental health to some degree. Her honest writing became her outlet and a way of therapy. Works Cited â€Å"Anne (Harvey) Sexton. † American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. Ed. A. Walton Litz. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981. Literature Resource Center. Gale. University of South Carolina Libraries. 6 Apr. 2009 . George, Diana Hume. â€Å"Oedipus Anne: The Poetry of Anne Sexton. † Oedipus Anne: The Poetry of Anne Sexton. University of Illinois Press, 1987. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz. Vol. 53. Detroit: Gale Research, 1982. Literature Resource Center. Gale. University of South Carolina Libraries. 7 Apr. 2009

Waiting for the phone call

The room is stuffy. It has a gaudy lino floor with pattern rubbed away in front of the sofa and round the table; the walls are damp and cluttered with old calendars and pictures torn from magazines. There is a rotten stench. The mantelpiece by the fireplace is filled with china ornaments: big-eyed flop-eared rabbits and beribboned kittens and flowery milkmaids and a porcelain doll wearing a Victorian dress and her long, golden hair in two neat plaits. The room is silent; except for the steady paced ‘tick-tock' from the ancient Grand-father clock. It is Dorothy's birthday, 12th August. She is hunched up on her old tacky sofa on an early August morning. Dorothy is startled by birdsong echoing across the garden outside and, for a long time, she stares in confused remembrance towards where the swelling orange sun is burning the faded floral wallpaper across from her old-fashioned table. ‘It's my birthday,' she finally realises. ‘I'm seventy-six today. Where did it go?' Climbing painfully from a lumpy sofa, standing in a striped night dress by the window, Dorothy stares outside in her back garden. There's much too be done. Later. Much later. These days it's all weed killing, backache and sore bones. ‘It's my birthday.' Dorothy's cat slithers past a glass sharp wall and drops beside its shadow under an apple tree, stalking anxious sparrows. Under the broken birdhouse a mouse plays with a nibble of yesterday's bread. Shadows shrink in bright shyness against all the garden fences and the last star melts into dawn rise. There's heat in the breathless August day already. Dorothy sits in her kitchen. Silent. The house, holding its breath around her, the roof heavy and oven baked. Dorothy's thick veined hands brush toast crumbs from the plastic tabletop and when she moves her faded dainty feet dust dances giddily on the sun patched carpet. She listens to the awakening of the new day: the clock on the dresser ticks hurriedly and the letter box snaps awake. Dorothy walks to the hall and picks up bills and ads that promise discounts and holidays abroad, Dorothy has never been out of England, never been on a plane. Her tired eyes examine the envelopes at arm's length. There are no birthday cards to sigh over – Not even from her family! Returning to the familiar kitchen she slides a knife along her letters, slitting out the folded information. It's better than nothing. Even if the electricity is red and overdue – At least, they keep in touch. No longer absorbed in her letter opening task Dorothy looks at the sunlight shining blindly on her glazed, brown teapot and then she pours some lukewarm tea. She sits and thinks about birthdays back then – Cakes and drinks, songs and celebrations and her precious beloved family members spending time with her on her special day. Back when. ‘Time flies,' she says. She's talking to herself most days – who else will listen? Up in the still shadowed parlour a clock chimes the hour and Dorothy rises tiredly and prepares to face the day. She stumbles into the living room and looks up to the mantelpiece. No birthday cards – Only a picture of her and her adorable grandchildren, Steven and Carol. Her eyes close. She becomes delirious with dreaming†¦ Carol skipping up the lawn with a small straw basket, picking up little daisies and carefully placing them in the basket. Steven, being 2 years old, filling the bird house with crunchy treats awaiting the magpies to glide in. Dorothy is stood under the apple tree, tip-toeing up and grabbing fresh, ripe apples for her relatives. Carol and Steven run over to Dorothy and wrap their arms tightly around her as if they were to never let go†¦ Dorothy smiles and wishes she could still feel their small hands around her waist, grabbing securely. She dresses and walks to the front door and checks the windows and the bolts and all's secure. When the night time house creaks with its own age, Dorothy thinks of burglars and imagined violations and trembles in case they invade her. Dorothy swings open the front door and sees Carol and Steven stands there, smiling like sunlight. ‘Happy birthday Grandmother!' No longer astonished, Dorothy smiles back and sighs because they aren't really there. Her head sinks and she wonders back to living room. She notices the phone on the table. She slides over to it. Gently picks it up to check if the dial tone is there – she is reassured and drops it down. No phone calls. No phone messages. No birthday cards. She collapses into her tacky sofa. When she turns on the television the news assaults her soul. The world is littered with dead children and pain. The world has gone mad with cruelty and nobody seems to have noticed. It was different back in her day, when children could go out and play happily on the street without anybody worrying that someone would come abruptly attack them. Back when. She is startled by the sharp ringing of the phone. Her heart is pounding – could this be the phone call she has been waiting for all day? Is this her treasured family? She reaches over and clasps the phone. ‘Hello?' she asks waiting urgently for answer. ‘Hello. My name is Abigail Taylor calling on behalf of†¦' the woman replied. Dorothy slowly lowers the handset and replaces it back in the holder. She stands there paralysed. A tiny tear drop trickles down her wrinkly skin. She felt so much pain it was as if someone had stabbed her millions of times in the heart. What is the point of living if there is nobody who even knows you exist? The Grandfather clock strikes six in the evening. She strolls back to the photo of her with her grandchildren. Dorothy bursts out in tears – her eyes sore and red and waterfalls of tears flowing down her face. She picks up the photo and holds it against her broken heart. Dorothy still hopes to get that special phone call from her much-loved grandchildren.

We All Fall Down(Why Tt Was Banned)

We All Fall Down â€Å"Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down. † This nursery rhyme and We All Fall Down are alike in a way. They both result in the falling of dead bodies as they land on the ground, now corpses. The book We All Fall Down was banned due to its violence and vandalism (Sova 2; We All Fall Down); the occurring sexual content (Marshall University Libraries 1); and the alcoholic references and profanity (Cormier; occurring theme) that haunt its pages.The book is worthwhile because it has such a suspenseful plot (Sova 1; We All Fall Down); its advanced vocabulary is enough to be at a college level and it teaches good morals and values (Cormier; throughout book); and the book explores the responsibilities of peoples towards others as well as the motives of teenagers to commit such brutal acts (Sova 2; We All Fall Down). This book shouldn’t be banned because it displays the struggles and family ties that the characters learn to cope with (Cormier; whole book).It has relationships between the trashers’ families and the main heroine’s that differ and demonstrate the importance of close knit ties (Sova 2; We All Fall Down). The book also contains romance to relieve itself from its dark, malignant plot (Sova 3; We All Fall Down). We All Fall Down was banned for a multitude of things for the content it contained. A reason it was banned was for its violence and vandalism (Sova 1; Censorship History of We All Fall Down). The one murderer in this story is the Avenger, a mysterious eleven year old who avenges for the sole purpose of justice.His first victim was his own classmate in the fifth grade, Vaughn Masterson. Vaughn was a bully who humiliated the other children as well as cheat off the Avenger’s tests. The Avenger saw no end to his constant teasing and began to observe his target. He followed him home and knew all his activities. The Avenger is all about observation, and after much o f it, he put on his â€Å"thinking cap† to devise his murderous plot. After following Vaughn home and into his backyard where Vaughn was playing, he pulled out his grandfather’s revolver and shot Vaughn’s face to shreds.The avenger felt no guilt or regret even at Vaughn’s funeral, and instead chuckled and smiled to himself. The Avenger also pushed his grandfather off his own balcony, proving to himself that killing could be done without the use of weapons. His grandfather was a retired policeman, and after much interrogation by his grandfather, the Avenger decided the only way to save himself from being found was to kill a second time. His â€Å"thinking cap† went on once again and his plan carried out perfectly. With two murders, the Avenger was nothing but pleased for his eleven year old heart dreaded nothing.Violence such as this occurred and still occurs worldwide, so banning this book means banning the whole world. Violence is something that w ill continue to live on in this world, whether we decide to change it or not. Vandalism also played an important role in this book’s banning, for vandalism is what set the whole plot’s events in motion (Cormier 1). The trashers, Harry Flowers, Marty Sanders, Randy Pierce, and Buddy Walker destroyed the Jerome’s house and all its belongings. All the boys are juveniles who run around to have what they call, â€Å"fun time. † Their next plans for â€Å"fun time† happened to be set on the Jerome’s house.They destroyed China plates, smashed furniture, and even urinated on the walls. Vomit puddles appeared throughout due to their heavy drinking. Nothing was left untouched for the Jeromes to come home to, nothing but misery and paranoia. The trashers left without a second thought, all but Buddy Walker. Even then though, the Avenger saw it all, and began his observations on his new targets. Vandalism may be considered â€Å"art† to some peopl e, but I still believe it’s wrong. That is damage to someone’s property and they shouldn’t have to clean up what wasn’t theirs.Graffiti art and all of it alike are the faces of rundown buildings, and give the impression that that area is not safe. Another reason for this book’s banning was for its occurring sexual content. Attempted rape occurred in the first pages (Sova 1; Censorship History of We All Fall Down). Harry, Marty, and Randy all participated in attempting to rape Karen Jerome, who came home all too early. The boys took turns, all but Buddy, and repeatedly grabbed at her clothes to reveal the skin underneath. Karen eventually broke free but at a terrible price. She took a tumble down her cellar stairs and fell into a coma.The trashers left and Karen lay in a heap on the cold cellar floor. Other explicit content was the heart-warming romance between Jane Jerome and Buddy Walker . As their relationship became more intimate, their sexual l ust grew. Certain parts of the body were caressed and were furthermore deemed inappropriate for even freshmen (Cormier 139). Making out scenes occur throughout the book and the Avenger even peeps as Jane gets undressed. The sexual content is probably what gave this book more flair to its dark plot. Though it gave the book some flair, it gives nothing when it comes to reality.I, for one, can’t stand rape or any type of abusive sexual interaction between male and female. People become traumatized and feel no trust in others anymore. Rape, like violence and vandalism, occurs everywhere and it most impossible to stop against the sick minded who impose it. Lastly, this We All Fall Down was banned for alcohol references and profanity. The characters use foul language and would curse at each other or even secretly to themselves. Profanity was most likely used to express what the characters felt at the time (Marshall Universities Libraries 1).It was used mostly by the teenagers in th eir conversations with other characters to show just how they felt about the situation at hand. Profanity was highly associated with the drinking that occurred. Not only was alcohol used as a type of anti-depressant, but it was done by under-age drinkers (Cormier; throughout book). Buddy Walker, one of the main characters, is a sixteen year old and started to drink heavily after the divorce of his parents. Buddy began to hand out with Harry and his goons and drank to have fun and forget all his worries. He bought his liquor illegally and continued to drink even when in his relationship with Jane.Even when he was happiest when with Jane, Buddy abused alcohol which became his own brand of heroine. Like Buddy, most people do use alcohol as a way to escape and instead they should be using a proper drug prescribed by doctors. I believe that though alcohol may seem like medicine, it is far from it. It weakens slowly in the insides and confuses the brain to think it’s better than an y pharmacy drugs. It’s a hypnotizer and it performs its work best in all ages, even young teenagers like Buddy. Even though We All Fall Down was banned, it has many points which make it worthwhile to read.It has such a suspenseful plot that leaves you wanting more (Sova 1; We All Fall Down). The story begins in such a matter-of-fact tone, detailing the horrors that initially set the events in motion (Sova 1; We All Fall Down). It begins with the trashing of the Jerome’s house, Karen Jerome falling into a coma, and a mysterious person called the Avenger. This leaves the reader questioning what exactly is happening, like, â€Å"Who are these people, and who’s this mysterious Avenger guy? † As the story progresses, the reader is then able to fill in the blanks about the plot and the characters.It is later learned that the Avenger is actually Mickey Looney, the friendly neighborhood man (Cormier, 173). Robert Cormier, the author, led the readers to believe th e Avenger was some unknown criminal, roaming the streets for justice, when in reality he’s just a normal guy looking for justice. The plot contained so many twists and turns that the book could’ve been its own rollercoaster. Suspense isn’t something I typically enjoy, especially in movies, but it served well in We All Fall Down. It literally left me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more.The suspense ties in so well with the storyline that I couldn’t imagine what it would be without it. To promote the suspenseful plot, are the advanced vocabulary and the good morals and values it teaches (Cormier; throughout book). Cormier’s extensive use of vocabulary creates a unique writing style for young adults; helps to promote their reading levels. His use of complex words teaches readers and enhances the story. Cormier also teaches good morals and values in this tragic story. He displays the importance of communication and how it should be used to express oneself and help lift burdens.It teaches the consequences of lying and brutal actions that affect not only oneself but others as well. The importance of truth is a main theme of this book (Cormier 191). Cormier teaches truth is a virtue that should be cherished. Truth can affect relationships, and even the past, present, and future. Buddy kept the fact that he trashed Jane’s house and his alcohol problem from others close to him, and this in turn led to even more misery. Truth played an important role in the plot and it states just how important it is in the end. The vocabulary really helped me in learning what Cormier was saying while the story progressed.He targets young readers and places challenging vocabulary to give them a read that’s at their level. This was what I really enjoyed about the book because it made it sound sophisticated. We All Fall Down doesn’t just have a suspenseful plot and advanced vocabulary. It explores the responsibilities of peoples towards others as well as the motivation of teenagers to commit brutal acts. When Buddy’s parents divorced (Cormier 46), he goes out with Harry Flowers and his crew to commit wrongdoings and erase his stress. He communicated little with is mom and sister and wanted little to do with his father, though he secretly wished he’d come back.His father still felt responsibility for both his children and still sent a monthly check of twenty-five dollars. Buddy seldom communicated with his family because of the divorce, and all his sadness eventually led him to do heinous crimes to brush his worries away. The Avenger has his fair share in responsibilities. He took up the job of being a hero to the people by committing vengeful acts (Cormier 20, 74). With Vaughn Masterson, he murdered him to stop the other children’s suffering. He murdered his grandfather to prevent from being caught so he’d be able to carry out justice. Truth to be told, it wasn’t e xactly justice.It was what his name implied: revenge. Still, the Avenger continued on to help the people who have had wrongdoings thrust upon them. Despite being eleven years old, he’d avenge anyone, no matter the consequences. Responsibility is such an important trait to have and it really says a lot about a person. It went well with this book since the characters found faults in one another but still managed to see it through and help others to overcome their problems. Responsibility was demonstrated on the trashers and their actions on society. They showed little respect, but little do people know what they hide behind their mask of tricks and schemes.There are numerous reasons for why this book shouldn’t be banned. First of all, it displays the struggles and family ties of the characters as they learn to cope with them. Buddy struggles with his alcoholism from beginning to end, stopping it only briefly for Jane’s sake. Jane deals with her paranoia, fearing t he trashers will come back to destroy their house once more or even hurt another of her loved ones. Artie, Jane’s little brother, and his frequent nighttime terrors about the trashers’ intrusion; woke up in the middle of the night screaming (Cormier; throughout book, 53).As the story develops, Buddy’s relationship with his sister, Addy develops as well (Cormier 81). Addy was just a stuck up, smart aleck to Buddy, but as they both grow through the pain of their parent’s divorce, they form a strong bond. The relationships that show between the trashers’ families and Jane’s differ and demonstrate the importance of close knit ties. After Karen fell into a coma, Jane and her family visited Karen every day at the hospital to see her current condition (Cormier 4). They also talked to her about their lives and how they were doing, in hopes that she’d awaken from the dark abyss she was in.Harry Flowers, after being caught as the leader, was ba iled out by his father who paid for all the damage done without asking Harry questions. Harry achieved high marks in school and told Buddy later that’s why his father trusts him. Buddy’s connections with his family are not close (Cormier 48, 66). Buddy constantly fights with his sister; he barely acknowledges his mother, and he neglects his father, but wishes still that he’d come back to their family. His family life caused him more struggles and is what ultimately led to his drinking. Communication, as well as responsibility, is very important.It showed how words can help one to cope and find help in someone else. Words can help, or hurt. I think frequent conversations with someone else can help someone to not feel lonely, and this was demonstrated well in the book. We All Fall Down takes a turn from its tragic story to a heartfelt romance (Cormier 125). Buddy falls instantly and irrevocably in love with Jane after encountering her at the mall. Jane later fell in love with him twenty minutes afterwards, but she didn’t know it was love until later. This budding romance serves as a relief from the book’s dark plot.Jane later discovers Buddy’s drinking problem when a bottle of liquor fell out of his pocket (Cormier 147). Jane is deeply worried for Buddy’s welfare and argues with him about his well-being. Buddy comes to terms with Jane and she helps him to cope with his parent’s divorce. Jane becomes Buddy’s shoulder to lean on, and this strengthens their relationship. Their romance lifts the tension off the story, in hopes of eradicating the danger to come. Romance captures the hearts of most people, especially girls. For me, I enjoy romance and found the romance between Jane and Buddy and warm touch to the story.It already talks about murder and alcohol, so for it to turn for a little romance helps the book to seem less violent. Babies fall taking their first steps. Soldiers fall on the battlefield. We all fall from mistakes. We All Fall Down proves that lies and heinous acts can ruin. This book was indeed banned for its violence and vandalism, sexual content, and themes of alcohol references and profanity. The book carried a suspenseful plot, advanced vocabulary, and the responsibilities of people towards others and the motives of teenagers’ brutal acts that make it a worthwhile read.It shouldn’t be banned though, because it displays struggles that characters fight through, the importance of family bonds, and romance to pull away from the unpredictable plot. All the reasons this book is banned are all things that are seen in the media and in the public today. Most teenagers and even younger children have already been exposed to these things. We All Fall Down is just another book that matures readers and helps them better understand the cruelties of the world. In the end, it wasn’t a plague, but in fact the lies, untold truths, and secrets that conquered e ach character one at a time.

Life and Work of Mary Kay Ash

The corporate world has seen many great entrepreneurs, but May Kay Ash has a unique distinction of founding a company when it was very rare for married women to work outside the home. Mary Kay introduced a new way of life for women and opened up doors of unending opportunities for them. She spent her 80 years of life which every women in the world could dream off. Born on May 12, 1918, in Houston Texas, she had a promising childhood. Her mother worked at a restaurant, she did chores at home, attended to her sick father, and excelled at school. She brought home straight As and won every competition of public speaking. She outsold every other student from Girl Scout cookies to school-event tickets (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). She wanted to become a doctor until an aptitude test showed her selling ability outranked her science ability. After having decided to get into sales, she joined Stanley Home Products in 1938. Energetic and a quick learner, Ash found that direct sales suited her well. She rose at Stanley to unit manager and served there till 1952. Following a divorce from her husband, Ash moved from her job at Stanley Home Products to a similar sales slot at World Gift Company, where she remained for another 11 years and became National Training Director (â€Å"Biography,† 2005). While working at Stanley Home Products and World Gift Company, she broke every sales record and won numerous awards. She was however frustrated due to the discriminating attitude towards women. Her male colleagues she trained were promoted ahead of her and were getting twice her salary. After having served for 25 years, she finally decided to retire. Soon after her retirement she started writing a book for women. This book eventually turned into a marketing plan for a â€Å"dream company,† which Mary decided to implement herself (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). Mary Kay bought a skin care cream formula and enlisted her second husband to handle operations and started recruiting friends as beauty consultants for the venture she called â€Å"Beauty by Mary Kay.† Her husband died just before the launch of company but her children helped her to recoup and compose herself, and go ahead with the plan. Mary Kay formally launched her company on Friday, September 13, 1963. She wrote in her autobiography, â€Å"I knew I would never have a second chance to put my dream into action.† She started the company with investment of $5000. In the first calendar year, the sales reached $198,000 and by 1983 Mary Kay, Inc. sales exceeded $300 million. The company at present sells more than 200 products in eight product categories: facial skin care, cosmetics, fragrances, nutritional supplements, sun protection, nail care, body care and men's skin care (â€Å"Mary Kay Ash,† 2006). Mary Kay Ash worked day and night which contributed badly to her health. In 1996, she survived a stroke. Before her death in 2001, the business which she started with 9 beauty consultants had reached to over 800,000 representatives in more than 30 markets. The sales reported by the company in 2000 was $1.3 billion which even crossed $2.2 billion in 2005. During the period of Mary Kay’s life, there were 151 women who earned more than $1 million in commissions. Also during this period more than 10,000 pink Cadillacs were awarded to employees (â€Å"Company Information,† 2006). Mary Kay Inc. today remains one of the largest privately held firms in the United States. Mary Kay lived her life with simple and solid principles that never wavered. As a committed daughter, wife, mother and an employer, she was always sustained by her deep and abiding faith in God. Through her uncomplicated formula for success – put God first, family second and career third – she made the world a better place specially for women (â€Å"Mary Kay,† 2006). References â€Å"Biography.† (2005). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.bookrags.com/biography/mary-kay-wagner-ash/ â€Å"Company Information.† (2006). Mary Kay Website. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykay.com/company/company_companyinformation.aspx?tab=home â€Å"Mary Kay.† (2006). Mary Kay Tribute. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykaytribute.com/ â€Å"Mary Kay Ash.† (2006). Mary Kay Website. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from http://www.marykay.com/company/marykayash_herlifeandlegacy.aspx?tab=home ; ; ;

A Literary Analysis of 1984 and Fahrenheit 451

He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother† (245). According to critic, Ralph A. Ranald, Winston is an â€Å"antihero† in the â€Å"antiworld† of Oceania, in an â€Å"antiuniverse,† created by the collective mind of the Party. â€Å"In that antiworld, there is no written law, and everything is, or can be, considered a crime at the pleasure of the State† (254). Winston is not heroic in the traditional sense. He rebels in secret, always afraid of the watchful eye of Big Brother; he betrays Julia at the slightest provocation in the Ministry of Love; he comes to love and support his persecutors.He is â€Å"passive and not self-aware. Winston, from the first moment we meet him, never makes a free decision† (Ranald). However, though he is not perfect, Winston does at least attempt to find truth and insist on it in the face of overwhelming opposition. Winston’s final defeat is discouraging. James E. Davis observes that Orwell â€Å"does express a mood of near but not complete despair. The mood is despair only if readers do not heed the warning of what will happen if we continue on some of our present courses. But we do not have to become soulless automatons.It is not foreordained† (248). Our own society does not repress freedom and truth in the same way or to the same degree as the Party in 1984. There is still hope that we will not allow the government or any institution to tell us lies and compromise our freedoms. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is about a dystopian society in which firemen burn books, and the ideal citizen sits around and watches television all day, not thinking about anything too deeply and not caring about the consequences of his or her actions. Guy Montag is a fireman.He has lived most of his life believing that firemen are beneficial to society, enforcing a just law that protects everyone. His mind is opened to the reality of his miserable job when he meets a young girl named Clarisse McClellan. When his boss, the firehouse captain, realizes this change in him, Captain Beatty begins to fight back, trying to either return Montag to his previous state of ignorance or destroy him and the knowledge he represents. John Colmer is struck by Bradburys ability to convey horror. Bradbury is successful in creating the horror of mechanized anti-culture. The burning scenes have intense power† 149). Central to this â€Å"anti-culture† is a violent struggle between knowledge and ignorance. Montags job as a fireman is to destroy people’s homes and lives to eliminate knowledge and encourage ignorance, but when he meets Clarisse, knowledge begins to overpower ignorance inside his own mind, and he realizes that what he is doing is horrible. She asks him a simple question about his life: â€Å"Are you happy? † she said. â€Å"Am I what? † he cried. But she was gone—running in the moonlight. Her front door shut gently. â€Å"Happy! Of all the nonsense. † (10)Clarisse plays a critical role in alerting Montag to his blindness. Edward Eller credits this young â€Å"oddball† with creating a crisis in Montag’s life that upends his complacency: Clarisse prods him back into experiencing the outside worlds sensations, especially smells as simple as apricots and strawberries, old leaves and cinnamon, smells which up to now have always been dominated by the odor of kerosene. She ignores his authority by openly questioning whether he can even think and challenges his smug superiority by seeing through his mask of happiness and into his deeper discontent. (152)