Blog Post #3 Sub-culture

For this post I want you to describe a sub-culture you belong to. This should come easily since we interviewed each other so I am expecting to really feel like I have learned something after I read your posts!

250 words or more Due Monday.

Don't forget to vote!

Rock The Vote!

Cast your vote for the project you want to represent our class at MilleFest by posting in the comments section of your favorite.

Nicole's Project

Zander's Project

Grace's Project

Andrew's Project

Adriana's Project

Maria's Project

Samson's Project

Joyce's Project

Pablo's Project

Hector's Project

Ashlee's Project

Chantal's Project

Harter's Project

Joe's Project

Jessica's Video Self Portrait

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mGS-U8V75c

Miriam??

my name: Maria is hebrew for Miriam. Miriam means either "wished for child," "bitterness," "rebellious," or "lifted up". That's what I found. What i know is that  Maria, comes from the Virgin Mary, which means pure, virginity, and all the images that comes to you when you heard the word "Virgin Mary".

I don't think I identify with either of them. I don't believe that people with the same name are somehow similar; i said this because some people do believe that you are tend to be certain way because of your name. 

Adriana dark, mysterious woman from the sea "Latin"

According to Google mi name means I am intelligent and artistically talented. I love to enjoy myself and tend to experience a happy domestic life and material success. I have a methodical and thorough mind and I am able to organize large projects easily. Charming and likeable and with more than my share of sex appeal I tend to find myself in the spotlight and much admired by others. Life is more fun with me around. I do think I am intelligent but I definitely don’t like to be admired by others. The usual English form of the Latin name Hadrianus “man from Hadria”. Hadria was a town in northern Italy which has given its name to the Adriatic Sea. According to the meaning of my name I can be called mysterious woman from the sea. This does have a connection with me because I love the sea, and any kind of water places. My last name is the origin Spanish. I am not sure why, because my family is all from Venezuela. Maybe my ancestors were from Spain.

Have you Heard the Regina Spektor Song?

Samson Frederick, frederick is of german decent. Overall the name is boring! However, it is my first and middle name worth writing about. Samson Lynn, the name lynn is most commonly a girls name so already it is unique to my gender, but what is really interesting is that all of the males in my family share this middle name. Benjamin Lynn, Stephen Lynn, and Robert Lynn. It has been passed down for many years and gives the males in my family a sense of unity. I really like sharing my middle name with my brother and dad because it always reminds me of the family we share. I think it is so special to share a name with a relative which is why i intend on naming my son with the middle name of lynn as well. When ever i introduce myself to a new person i either get one of two responses, "Have you heard of the Regina Spektor song" or Have you seen Half Baked?" which is commonly followed by an adaptation of the quote made famous by the film "I wanna talk to Samson." Despite these all to familiar reactions, I really love my name. I was a very premature baby, and the name Samson was given to me to give me strength. This is because of the Samson in the bible. I have always been proud of my name and its uniqueness, in fact, I have yet to meet another Samson. All in all i consider myself lucky to have a name with such meaning and depth, and the name Samson Lynn Frederick just seems to fit.

No relations to any famous or infamous Pablo

aking my parents about where did it come from, my dad chose my name. I think i have only met 3 other guys named Pablo so thats not that bad. When people hear my name for the first time, they right away think of Pablo Picasso or Pablo Escobar. I am not a painter nor the biggest coke dealer in the 70s. I really dont know how special is my last name "Ponce" because I never met my grandpa. Reading from it means a person who lives off of prostitutes earnings, A pimp and in spanish it means a prince. none of those are true either. It is also became common in the early christians from the Romans. In my family of five, everyone else's name starts with the letter m. maria, manuel, mirella, and manuel. im the only one with the PP initials.

Oghenerry Joyce Ogban

Oghenerry "Nerry" Joyce Ogban. Man what a name. I have been called Joyce most of my life by most people, but sometimes my parents would call my Nerry or the full name. I really like my first name because its Nigerian and also because I know that no one in the US has my name! I don't know the exact meaning on Oghennerry except that its religious. Joyce on the other obviously it means joy, of course. I really like my name Oghenerry but Joyce is OK. Everyone I know over 60 has the name Joyce. It was very popular back in the day but has gone unpopular since after the 1990s. I do like having this name, its better then being named Ester, which my parents wereon their way to naming that. My older brother also shares the common Oghene in his name, but his name is more popular both first and middle.
My parents wanted me to go by Joyce because many people couldn't pronounce my full first name which stinks in my opinion. Even with it shortened to Nerry people still say it wrong. Everyone my family has to go through the name change to make life easier for us and other people. I'm so happy that my parents named me Oghenerry so that I'll always stay attached to my wonderful tradition and very strong culture of Nigeria.

Margaret Ann

Most people call me Maggie, but my full first name is Margaret. I was named Margaret after my mother's grandmother. I know little about her, as she died when I was quite young. My grandmother on my mother's side shares a middle name with me, Ann. Although I know little about my heritage, I do know that my last name, Hornick, is a Czech word for "miner" or "mountain-dweller."
The name Margaret is derived from the Greek word for pearl. I didn't feel much kinship with such a lovely object until I thought about how pearls are created. When something irritates an oyster, it smoothes over the irritant with layers of mother-of-pearl. So I suppose my name means something a bit irritating with a deceptively shiny cover. I'd say (as would my roommates) that that is rather accurate at times.
I've always thought my middle name was a horrible name for me because Ann means grace, and I am immensely clumsy and generally socially inept. I wondered if there was more to the name than that, so I looked it up and found that it actually comes from the Biblical name Hannah. It means grace, yes, but not "grace" as in physical or social ease; it means "grace" as in the grace of god. Not being a religious person, I still don't think it suits me.

yikes

For many years, the last name of my name has always been a mystery. Many stories surround our last name and it seems noone in my family has the right answer. This confusion had built up after my grandfather had passed away, leaving us all eager to know what the heck our name was. Over this summer my family and I had gone down to Texas for a family reunion, all was going well and of course the question had come into play, “What’s our last name?”, the story goes, my great great grandfather had committed a crime and had fled to the states to Texas because at the time it was full of Mexicans with the last name Martinez, so he too had switched our last name which once was Nava, but I had also found out about another name that sounds like “I want a hot dog”… Very typical but yet interesting and always funny, when it comes to talking about this mystery. My first name on the other hand is a French/ Scottish descendant, when I asked why they chose Hector; it was because my dad wanted to pass down the same name. It’s been said that I have a long list of background nationalities and somehow it seems to keep building.

Victory of Nicole

My name, Nicole, means 'victory of the people' and comes from Greece. My parents informed me that they chose my name because of its popularity at the time and from the fact that they liked it. Boring. No one else in my family, to my knowledge, has the same name as I do. 

When I was younger, I believe in 7th grade, we had to do a research on the meaning of our names as well. I always knew my name meant 'victory of the people', so it was something that always stuck in the back of my brain. 'Victory of the people' I feel has a much stronger, more blunt definition at the first thought: a leader, confident, outgoing and very public but when I dug deep enough I found my own definition, with my own personality that fit my own version of what I made 'victory of the people.' 

Personally, my name does not bother me, but I would change it. I feel like I need a more unique name to fit me to a tee. My middle name does nothing for me whatsoever, it is the most popular middle name ever, Marie. 

The name Nicole also is from the Nicholas, which is a mans name. /:

Andrew Shennan is my name

Through doing research of my name, I’ve come to find that my last name Shennan seems to be pretty uncommon and overall the most reliable thing I found was that Shennan was a Scottish, and Irish name. But really I didn’t find any meanings or anything like that. So, I looked into Andrew and I found quite a few meanings. Andrew is a Greek origin and it means warrior. That I can completely agree with, because I am a warrior. I battle all sorts of everyday tasks like eating, working and sleeping. There are plenty of famous people with the name Andrew as well, even dating back to the twelve apostles all the way up to Andrew Jackson and so on, so you know, why not me next?
The name Andrew is a pretty solid name so I’m proud to bare its name. My Dad’s middle name was also Andrew so there is some family history in that and all, but I am sorry to say I don’t know too much about my Dads side of the family which is why the name Shennan leaves me at a blank. All that said I am still proud to be Andrew Shennan, and will wear that name proudly for the remainder of my life.
Andrew Shennan

Behind it all...IM just Chantal'

Chantal’, Chantal’, Chantal’! My name is actually a French name. It was initially given in admiration of Saint-Francoise de Chantal, the founder of Visitation in the 17th century. This Saint adopted a strict religious life and founded an order of nuns, which were called the Vistandines. It is of Old French origin, and its meaning is “stone” or “a stony place.” It has also been said to mean “singer.” My uncle Anthony also played a role in my name selection. He was actually in the navy and was stationed in France. At the time he heard the name and fall in love with it. He also helped with my middle name which is Ashante. Ashante is also a French name. The family history behind my name and my siblings name is that all the boy’s name start with a “T” and the girls name start with a “C.” So my parents had to find a name that started with a “C” and Chantal’ came up. All of the girls have the same initials as well as the boys. I believe that your name doesn’t play a big role in who you are, it just classifies who you are to the world. Your personality shapes who you are not your name. I personally like my name because its unique and its not an average name. In highschool I was the only Chantal’ and that made me stand out more, but at Columbia there are a few other Chantal’s. I still love my name because its apart of me who I am.

Nature and Grandma in a Name

When beginning the research for this, I didn’t quite know where to start because “Ashlee Adams” seems like a very plain, original, English name. I found very little on the name Ashlee because it is typically spelt with a Y instead of two E’s. I found out that the name Ashley means “ash tree clearing” or “ash tree meadows” in Old English. Also until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys than girls. My middle name (Marisa, which was my Spanish grandmothers name) means “of the sea” or just “sea.”

I asked my mother why she chose the name Ashlee and she simply says she always thought it was a fitting name for me but she wanted to make it a little unique by using EE instead of EY. I love the name Ashlee because it’s spelt differently than the typical and Ash Trees are large trees, and I am very intrigued by nature.

As for my middle name, Marisa, I wish I could use this for my first name. I love how I have a piece of my Grandmother still with me. She passed away when I was quite young, so it feels great to carry on her name. I also like how it means “sea” or
“of the sea.” I have always loved being in open water, so I thought it was interesting how it meant this.

Ashlee Marisa- ash trees, the sea, and my Grandmother… perfect match.

A Name That Nobody Gets Right The First Time: Harter

For years now, I've accepted the fact that while introducing myself to someone new, the likelihood of that person repeating it back correct is small. I say "Harter"; you say "Carter". I say "Harter"; you say "Hunter". I say "Harter"; you say "Farter". Get the picture? thing is, it's not an outlandish name, one that can only be pronounced with the help of a linguist. It's just that, no one has ever heard it before. Most people find my name to be pretty cool, but only after they've gone through ever other similar variation. So, what's the history behind such a name that is complicated and uncomplicated at the same time?

Harter is the last name of my dad's mom's mom. In a nutshell, it's my grandmother's maiden name. There is not much documentation about the name itself. I do know that my great grandfather was of German and Swedish descent. I also know that "Hart", in German, means "mud hut". I can only assume then, that my name is definitely rooted in German heritage. As for it being partially translatable into "mud hut", you can make any delineation as to why my ancestors would be intrigued to choose such a name, or why they added an "er" to end. Regardless, I'm extremely proud of my name. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that I won't ever have to change it, due to the lack of other Harters in the industry of theater and film. Hopefully, I'll be the first, and the other 40-some Harters, in the world, will just have to deal with it.

Not The Average Joe

The name Joe is not unique. In fact its synonymous with the everyday man. However, my name Joseph Korbee is somewhat special. My family is catholic, so my father gave me the name Joseph after Saint Joseph. Depending on where it was translated from the name means God will increase, give to, or favor. I also get my name from my great great grandfather Joseph Christian Korbee...According to my father there have only been two "Joseph Korbees" in the world to date. On a side note, my Dad loves to tell stories and is in many ways similar to the Dad in the movie "Big Fish"...accept not on his deathbed...One of my father's stories tells of my great great grandfather and the origin of the name Korbee. This story accounts for why whenever I make a reservation at a restaurant, or someone needs to verify my credit information people assume "Korbee" is spelled C-O-R-B-Y. Aside from the fact that Phonetically "Corby" is the most sound and easy spelling, it is also the spelling that the brother of my great great grandfather chose when he came to America. The story goes that there were three Korbee brothers who lived in Dusseldorf  Germany. Sometime in the 1800's they packed up their lives after the death of their father, and boarded a ship to America (what used to be the land of opportunity.) Somewhere along the way the three brothers found themselves at each others throat when a problem arose with their father's estate. when they finally pulled into port at Ellis Island they would not speak to one another. The issue of the estate, the close quarters, and the added emotional tension of moving had pulled them apart. So much so that they no longer thought of each other as blood. When they were showing their papers and applying for citizenship they each chose a different spelling of Korbee to disassociate themselves. One brother chose C-o-r-b-y. Another Chose K-o-r-b-e-y. My great great grandfather Joseph chose K-o-r-b-e-e. Soon after, my great great grandfather being a creative type, joined a traveling variety show. The show grew and became a circus. Being an impressive orator and entertainer, Joseph became the ringmaster. His company made a couple tours around new england and the midwest. On one night in Cincinnati after a performance at the Taft Theater, Joseph left through the stage door and fell down an open coal grate. One of the stagehands had left the grate open in the dark. Joseph broke his neck in the fall and died instantly. With the history of my name, I aspire to pursue creative ventures, grow closer with my two brothers, and be mindful of open subway grates here in chicago. I know that if I manage to turn out anything like my namesake I will never be the average Joe.

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things

When I ask my mom why she named me Grace, the story she gives never fails to make me smile. Growing up, my mom was a die-hard fan of the book series “little house on the prairie.” The novels tell a true story of a little girl and her family as they travel in a covered wagon from Wisconsin to Kansas. Along the way, a little girl is born and named Grace. My mother decided the very moment she read the book where Grace was born that that was the name she was going to give her daughter. I have a great sense of pride when I think about how I’m named after a literary character (I do very much love to read)
But, when I think of a girl like Grace, I imagine a pristine young lady sipping on a teacup and cringing at the thought of sweat or humor. To me, a Grace is a girly-girl of the highest order and I find it a little hard to believe, at times, that that’s my name.
I wouldn’t exactly call myself a tomboy. I adore wearing dresses and dressing up. But I also don’t mine getting dirty and sweaty and rude. I’ll belch as good as my uncle while I sit upright like a perfect little lady. I suppose that is why I feel like sometimes my name doesn’t fit. My name is wholly girlish and I feel I should have been assigned something a bit more androgynous.
Then again, the definition of the name as a noun is to have,”Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.” And I think I can indulge myself in saying that I live up to such a complimentary namesake :)

Blog Post #2 What's In A Name?

For this post I want you to do a little research on your name. Where does your name come from? Do you have a family history surrounding your name? What are the origins of your family name? How does your name inform who you are?

Try these resources: Oxford English Dictionary, Ancestor Search, Behind The Name, and also Google it!

Spend 200 or more words discussing the origin of your name and the significance those origins have for you in your present life.

Be sure to title your blogs well! Titles are an integral part of any written work. Make it work for you and your writing!

These are due before class on Monday.

Laughing:

There are so many people in my life that i have grown to respect. I respect all of my family members and friends. Artists such as Ben Folds have inspired me, and have gained my respect through their talents. Choosing the one person I respect, "the most" is very hard. However, for the sake of consistency, i choose my mother. My mother seems to be surrounded by bad news. Yet she still finds the strength to laugh. This is a quality i do not have. She has the ability to push aside her worries and just laugh at the end of the day. Of course, she does not take her bad news and constant struggles lightly, she just uses a positive therapeutic method. She has taught me the true meaning of unselfishness, I truly believe if i were in her position I would  curl into a ball and hide in the corner afraid of the future. My mother channels her fear into love for her family and takes care of us all when she is the one who needs taking care of the most. My lack of specificity when talking about her hardships is purposeful. The point is not that she has hard times and makes it through, we all have rough patches and we can all learn from my mothers humor. Every day when something goes wrong i think of my mother and all of my concerns disappear and I will be forever thankful and value the lessons she teaches me.

-Samson

Older Brother

My brother has really changed in the past few years trying to figure out what he wants to do in his life. it does not seem like it would involve me much but lately we have talked more about planning ahead. A few years ago he had nothing switching jobs and trying to make it in California risking his stability. He would drink and smoke very often. He tried making it in Wisconsin when his friend opened up a restaurant but didn't work out at the end. He ended upcoming back home. when out of nowhere he changed his ways to a point where I couldn't believe it. He stopped the bad habits and started going to church often. he has a job that gets payed well. I look up to him for that reason showing me that its possible to go up that spot you want to. We hang out more and talk for what we should do in the future. I like that.

Blog Post

This is really a hard question for me to answer, because I am influenced and respect so many people it’s hard to narrow it down to just one person. I would have to say that a lot of who I am comes from personal experience and the world around me such as movies, music, friends and family. When it comes down to it I really can’t say one thing sticks out to be the most influential, but if I had to choose, I would say my little brother has a lot to do with who I am.
I probably know who my little brother is more than anybody. I had always watched him when my parents were at work. He can be a very hard character to deal with at times, but I know he is a good person in the end. He is not too much like me, but I can tell he sort of looks up to me in a way although he acts like doesn’t. With him I have learned to be more understanding of how to deal with short tempered fuses, and overall I think I probably would have been less relaxed and mellow if it weren’t for having to deal with excruciating and antagonizing situations that my brother seems to create. I’ve always tried to help him on his way through school, life and all that stuff, although he usually doesn’t listen to me, sometimes you can tell he really appreciates and respects me, but not often. I’m always going to care for him my entire life no matter what, and hopefully he feels the same way.
I don’t look to my little brother for advice or anything like that, but I could say he has a lot to do with who I am today because of how often we are around each other. Were very different from each other because he’s like 6 or 7 years younger than me but he sort of does follow my footsteps from time to time. I hope not too closely cause then I would feel bad for him.

FeFe

As clichéd as this sounds, I must say that my mother is the major influence in my life. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her, not only because she is my mother, but also because she has overcome many obstacles and challenges to gain the success she’s enjoying now.

 

My mother grew up on the south side of Chicago, and lived in what most would consider the “hood”. She is the oldest of 4, and as you can imagine being the oldest you have the most responsibilities. All throughout high school my mother had a steady job in order to take care of her school expenses and to help my grandmother out. After high school my mother got married and started her life as a wife, and mother. This did not work out for long. She and my father got divorced, and became a single mother. After working different odd jobs, she finally got a job as a Chicago Police officer. My mother worked as a cop for ten years, and then decided to quit, and go back to school. At this point she was already remarried and had 5 kids. She went to Kendall College a culinary school, and became a chef. She was a celebrity in the culinary world winning the title “almost famous chef”. After working in a few restaurants she decided to work her way up, and is now the dean of students at Kendall.

 

What I admire most about my mother is that she doesn’t let things get in her way. She doesn’t let the fact that she has 5 kids stop her from achieving her goals, and she continues to strive for the best. 

My mother, Lori

Whenever I'm assigned to write about someone I respect or look up to, I can never think of anyone but my mother. My mom is an amazing person. I can talk to her about anything; I think I would have to consider her my best friend. She has raised my siblings and I to be compassionate, free-thinking human beings. She is very strong and has become even stronger the last few years because of her divorce. As a child, she did not get much attention from her parents because she had an older brother with mental retardation, but she was never bitter about it. She simply took on added responsibility in the family without complaint. Because of that she is now the director of development at a non-profit organization that helps the developmentally disabled. I hope that one day I can find an equally rewarding a job and family life.

Jose F Mendez.

One person that I respect the most is my Dad. His name is Jose Francisco. He lives in Venezuela. It is been two years since I came to the US to learn how to speak another language other than Spanish. After a year, my dad wanted me to look for some universities even though that was not the plan I had in mind for me. He made me realize that here in Chicago I could have a better future than the one I could’ve had back in Venezuela. I admired him because I know that it wasn’t easy for him to let me go away from home. I guess that is what parents do. They look out for the people they love and he always supported me. Now I just get to see him once a year, and that made me realize how important he is for me and how much did I learn from him. He makes me feel proud of having such an amazing dad. I also respect him because he was always a good example for me and my brothers. Thanks to my dad I am where I am today in life.

One person who has opened my mind and helped me to see the world differently would be my old friend Cameron. I met him a few years ago at the end of 9th grade. At first our relationship was very basic, we talked about ex girlfriends, eagerly discussed our favorite bands, and shared stories of our antics throughout middle and early high school.
Cameron was a budding activist. At 16 he had already organized several anti-war demonstrations at his previous high school and was either suspended or put in detention for nearly all of them. Despite the negative reactions Cameron received he pushed on with his strong-minded politics and beliefs.
At the time I wasn’t politically active nor did I have any ideas of my own. I was simply following along with parent’s views as a quiet democrat. When Cameron and I began having political discussions it was like a door was opened and beyond it a new world was waiting.
I began reading articles from Indy-Media groups and listening to other activist leaders. As time went on I became a stronger activist and helped my friends coordinate anti-war rallies in our hometown. We also joined the 4,000+ people in Minneapolis to march against the war last spring.
Cameron’s passionate and fearless determination inspired me greatly but I wasn’t the only person he affected. Over the past few years we accumulated more friends and activists and created our own group. M.A.A.C. (Mankato Area Activist Collective) started with only a handful of members but now has grown to over 100 people.

Mike

The person that I admire most is my father, Mike. My dad has always been a huge part of my life. My parents divorced when I was three years old and he fought for two years for custody of me. My dad loved me so much that he put himself in major debt just so that he could see me Tuesdays and every other weekend. It was hard to understand everything that was happening when I was so young but I knew that I loved my dad more than anything in the world, which irritated my mother to extremes. My mother did anything she could to keep me away from my father but I always went back to him. It says a lot when a father sticks around after a bad divorce and wants to be there for his child. My mother's other husbands never did that. My sister's father and my brother's father both took off without so much as a single child support check. My dad could have easily left after the divorce but he didn't, which is one reason I appreciate him so much. Growing up, my dad really struggled with money but still found a way to provide for me. Of course, we have had our disagreements like every father and daughter should, but to sound cliche, it's all out of love. My dad still remains to be the one constant in my life, he still comes to Chicago to have lunch with me and go to the movies. He'll drive an hour and a half each way just to see me for 10 minutes. I'm a lot like my father, not just physically, because I happen to look just like him, but emotionally as well. Watching my dad be so strong and independent has really made an impact on my life. I'm the farthest thing from codependent because of him. He continues to be a very big part of my life and I couldn't be more thankful.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Father of modern photojournalism and considered THE master of candid photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson is just awesome. I respect this guy because, he just wanted to photograph reality, no set-ups whatsoever, and his pictures are great; all he captured were great moments. All he showed was how life was in a daily basis, or how things around us interact but we are so busy in our systematical life that we don’t notice them.

So what this says to me is that he was pretty patient, because he always waited to get that great shot; had a lot of perseverance; loved what he was doing and liked the simplicity in life. Those characteristics, I think, are great to have. Everything for me makes more sense if I see it that way. I don’t only respect and admire him as a photographer, but also the simply person that he showed he was.

 

Smile

I have always like doing things to make others smile. I really thought that doing whatever others wanted would make them happy and like me no matter what. Over time I have seen that this tactic didn't work to well. I saw that making someone smile doesn't make them your friend for life. For me its kind of different. I see that smiling is the best connection that any human being can make. I feel that making someone smile shows such positive emotion, which can create a powerful connection, even though there are other emotions that can create a connection, but I see smiling as the best way. Have you ever made someone smile and then you say to yourself "wow I feel like we have made a connection", or do you say "that's nice that I was able to make them laugh, but oh well lets get on with life". What I'm tying to get at with this is that humans make connections in all sorts of ways, it just matters how you except it or think about it. I feel that I make the best connections through smiling and I think its the same for most people. How people create a connection can be in variety, but it matters about your thoughts on the outcome of that connection. I see that smiling brings out good thoughts and a happy outcome. That's why I see that smiling has done a lot with the connections I have made with the people that I most care about.

Teffy

My best friend, Teffy, has impacted and helped me with situations in my life that no one else could have helped with. We met in 7th grade, when we were both at that "awkward-figuring-who-we-were-out" stage of our lives. To this day, she has been the only person who has stuck by my side through thick and thin. She has helped me develop to be a better person and has given me advice on every possible problem I could have ever had. When we both decided on going to schools in Chicago, it made us closer than ever. We see each other much more now and rely on each other more than ever. Throughout the past few months, we have gone through the exact same situations. We can always go to each other, which is a huge comfort. Knowing you have a friend who would and could never judge you throughout your five years of friendship is one of the most comforting things in the world. I would give my right arm and leg for Teffy, and I know she would do the same back.

The person that I respect the most in my life is my father. He has done so many things for my family and me. My father is always there when I need him no matter what. I really look up to him, and I am glad that I have a male role model to look up to. He is a man of many statues. He works for CLTV as a chief engineer, is a professor at College of Dupage, works as the head audio and video director at my church; Victory Apostolic Church and does many other freelance jobs. My father is exceedingly athletic and smart at playing pool, cards, DJ, skating, producing and so much more. I really respect him because he is a very open minded person. My main goal in life is to be very diverse and versatile. My dad reflects the person that I want to be. He is very humble and shows pride in little rewards not the big rewards. He has taught me not to worry about anything and to just let God handle it. 2008 has brought a lot of struggle to my family but I have never seen him fall down. He once told me that the things you go through in life don’t make you the person you are but how you handle them makes you that person.

Marilyn Monroe

Fashion icon, sex symbol, actress, conspiracy, whatever she may be called, Marilyn Monroe is a woman I respect and think very highly of in my life. When first learning about Marilyn Monroe, I didn’t think much of her. Just some woman who was famous in the 50s and died a mysterious death. Upon learning more about her however, I became very intrigued. Born Norma Jean Mortenson, she spent most of her childhood in orphanages and foster homes. She got lucky when she was young and started modeling, she then enrolled in drama classes, started a contract with Twentieth Century Fox in 1946 when she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and the rest is pure history.

Marilyn to me is someone I look up to and respect because she had a lot of stressful situations go on in her life but she always pushed through and showed herself to the public as a woman of appeal. To me, she is hands down one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is so intriguing because she has the sadness in her eyes, you can definetly tell there is more to her than just the beautiful body, face, etc. I feel I can relate to Monroe in a way. Whenever negative things happen to me, people can tell something is wrong but I would never express it to anyone. That may seem unhealthy to some people but I feel its better to keep some things to myself. Another reason why I respect her is because she didn’t want all the fame and fortune. She was being herself and everything else came to her. Some say the fame took over, it was too much for her and that led to the possible suicide of Marilyn Monroe. Others say it was a conspiracy death involving John and Robert Kennedy, some even say CIA or mafia were involved.

Marilyn Monroe has always been a woman I want to know more about, a woman who makes me feel alive when I learn about her. She is the only woman who is such a mystery to me, so I feel whoever can make me feel this emotion is someone I highly respect. With all her talent and beauty, she still continues to amaze me whenever I learn something new about her. I could go on for hours about her fame, movies, shows, quotes, even dresses she’s worn but that’s not even the most important part. I feel if someone can make you feel a certain emotion and engage your mind, they should receive a degree of respect.

"Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered."

"There was my name up in lights. I said, 'God, somebody's made a mistake.' But there it was, in lights. And I sat there and said, 'Remember, you're not a star.' Yet there it was up in lights."

"It's all make believe, isn't it?"

John Mayer

DISCLAIMER: I know this post will immediately get eye-rolls, "omg's", and sarcastic "wow"s, but I have to do it. Because I respect Mayer, it is important to defend him from being regarded as the "Your Body Is a Wonderland Guy," or the ever popular "Douchebag." Also, despite the convincing evidence below, note: I am NOT a "all his posters on my bedroom walls, totally smitten with him,  tween girl" ...I'm just a fan.

So, I respect John Mayer. Being a guitarist/singer-songwriter myself, I have an appreciation for his talent, artistry, and the 3 Grammys he's won. It might be hard to respect him if you didn't like his music, and if you're not a musician. But because I am those things, I can really relate to what he's accomplished, and where he is going. He debuted on the pop charts in 2002 with a track called "No Such Thing" from his first studio album Room For Squares. His next single which could be viewed as a huge gain and loss, was "Your Body Is A Wonderland". This brought him both his first trip to the Grammys, and the loss of many future listeners whose opinion rides predominately on what they hear on the radio. In hindsight, for me one reason that John Mayer as an artist was not colored by "Your Body Is A Wonderland", is the fact that I barely listen to the radio. I listen every once in awhile when I'm stuck on the kennedy expressway. I find that you can never get the full spectrum of the artist by means of his/her radio-ready single. Unless your music is extremely similar song to song it is next to impossible to have one song to sums up your music or album. That is the undermining function of radio and thus the reason I don't tune in.(However 93XRT is enjoyable) I digress...

So, most people write the Mayer-man off after "Wonderland". If they haven't written him off for that, they buy into People/US weekly and well...anyone who reads tabloids for the facts is setting themselves behind the curve. Enter Joe...A non-tabloid subscriber, radio sceptic, decent guitarist, whose goal is to track at least two major albums and win a grammy before 30. After class one day in high school, I went to my local record shop to surf blues/rock. I came across an album entitled TRY!  by the John Mayer Trio. I gave it an ear. I was blown away. It is a non-radio-ready-raw-sound that is seldom heard in our world of Nickelback and Hinder as rock gods.(to clarify not a fan of these two.) The Mayer Trio's album was, and is phenomenal. After buying the album I noticed Mayer was playing in my home town. I bought a ticket for myself and girlfriend at the time. I then witnessed the closest thing to the phrase "Rock N' Roll" I have ever seen. Now it wasn't leather pants, and pelvic thrusting everywhere but by god it was gooood music. Soon Mayer's most recent studio album Continuum was released. After buying it, listening for weeks with a discerning ear, and attending another concert I was hooked. His guitar playing is amazing. His songs with the exception of few, are well-crafted honest pieces that continue to be necessary as opposed to the industry's standard of contrived made for radio works. In addition to Continuum, Mayer has also released a music video/documentary entitled Where The Light Is. This music video/ documentary is behind the scenes and under the microscope look at the different incarnations of Mayers music from his perspective. It is both a great musical showcase and an excellent rebuttal to those who see Mayer as a one trick pony. In summation, I respect John Mayer for his music, achievements, and drive as an artist to make necessary music. If you get the chance to listen to Continuum or Where The Light Is, take it, breath it in, and don't exhale for two to three months.