Won't Back Down trailer

 

Two determined mothers­, one a teacher, look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.

Director:

Daniel Barnz

Writers:

Brin Hil (screenwriter), Daniel Barnz (screenplay)

Stars:

Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Holly Hunter, etc.

Miss Representation

http://vimeo.com/28066212

"I love that this`touches also on how media affects men, but wow. Stereotypes are perpetuated by television more than in reality, and they are so skewed because they have to be provocative or funny or any number of things that aren’t complete or real enough.
This affects not only women and men, but race, gays and lesbians, trans people, all people.
We all struggle against what we are supposed to be, what we are told we should be, and yet when positions in media and PR change, the image doesn’t. Because people get those positions by conforming to that image, and breaking out risks loss.
This is why it is so hard for anyone to be who they really are, because they are so busy being what other’s expect so as not to be harassed for not being what they are supposed to be."

Seriously, watch this. What is happeneing to society? Shouldn't intelligence be the most attractive trait about a women or a man?

BNV Finals: Philadelphia Round Two

Crazy. No disrespect intended, I just found this amazing.

JD Schramm: Break the Silence for Suicide Survivors

http://www.hulu.com/watch/249736

Even when our lives appear fine from the outside, locked within can be a world of quiet suffering, leading some to the decision to end their life. JD Schramm asks us to break the silence surrounding suicide and to create resources to help.

So much respect and praise for this man.
Death scares me terribly, however, I have to sympathize with those who have tried or have succeeded. I wish they hadn't. I've tried. When my depression is really low I have that mantra in my head that makes me think that death would be better.
I am not using this as a way to get attention. I prefer not to have any. I'm putting all this up because, there are so many Beautiful men and women who need to remember that there is Always someone who loves them. If you know someone who might be, reach out. Don't tell them to suck it up or pity them like a kicked dog. Sit down and ask them why. From experiences, it is hard to start that conversation but, it is more helpful than you realize. Always remember the times that you've wanted a hug, love, acceptance.

 The Six Reasons People Attempt Suicide

Suicide is far more understandable than people think.

Published on April 29, 2010 by Alex Lickerman, M.D. in Happiness in this World

 

Though I've never lost a friend or family member to suicide, I have lost a patient (who I wrote about in a previous post, The True Cause Of Depression). I have known a number of people left behind by the suicide of people close to them, however. Given how much losing my patient affected me, I've only been able to guess at the devastation these people have experienced. Pain mixed with guilt, anger, and regret makes for a bitter drink, the taste of which I've seen take many months or even years to wash out of some mouths.The one question everyone has asked without exception, that they ache to have answered more than any other, is simply: why? Why did their friend, child, parent, spouse, or sibling take their own life? Even when a note explaining the reasons is found, lingering questions usually remain: yes, they felt enough despair to want to die, but why did they feel that? A person's suicide often takes the people it leaves behind by surprise (only accentuating survivor's guilt for failing to see it coming).

People who've survived suicide attempts have reported wanting not so much to die as to stop living, a strange dichotomy but a valid one nevertheless. If some in-between state existed, some other alternative to death, I suspect many suicidal people would take it. For the sake of all those reading this who might have been left behind by someone's suicide, I wanted to describe how I was trained to think about the reasons people kill themselves. They're not as intuitive as most think.
In general, people try to kill themselves for six reasons:

1. They're depressed. This is without question the most common reason people commit suicide. Severe depression is always accompanied by a pervasive sense of suffering as well as the belief that escape from it is hopeless. The pain of existence often becomes too much for severely depressed people to bear. The state of depression warps their thinking, allowing ideas like "Everyone would all be better off without me" to make rational sense. They shouldn't be blamed for falling prey to such distorted thoughts any more than a heart patient should be blamed for experiencing chest pain: it's simply the nature of their disease. Because depression, as we all know, is almost always treatable, we should all seek to recognize its presence in our close friends and loved ones. Often people suffer with it silently, planning suicide without anyone ever knowing. Despite making both parties uncomfortable, inquiring directly about suicidal thoughts in my experience almost always yields an honest response. If you suspect someone might be depressed, don't allow your tendency to deny the possibility of suicidal ideation prevent you from asking about it.
2. They're psychotic. Malevolent inner voices often command self-destruction for unintelligible reasons. Psychosis is much harder to mask than depression, and is arguably even more tragic. The worldwide incidence of schizophrenia is 1% and often strikes otherwise healthy, high-performing individuals, whose lives, though manageable with medication, never fulfill their original promise. Schizophrenics are just as likely to talk freely about the voices commanding them to kill themselves as not, and also, in my experience, give honest answers about thoughts of suicide when asked directly. Psychosis, too, is treatable, and usually must be treated for a schizophrenic to be able to function at all. Untreated or poorly treated psychosis almost always requires hospital admission to a locked ward until the voices lose their commanding power.
3. They're impulsive. Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and impulsively attempt to end their own lives. Once sobered and calmed, these people usually feel emphatically ashamed. The remorse is often genuine, but whether or not they'll ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. They may try it again the very next time they become drunk or high, or never again in their lifetime. Hospital admission is therefore not usually indicated. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are generally a greater concern in these people and should be addressed as aggressively as possible.
4. They're crying out for help, and don't know how else to get it. These people don't usually want to die but do want to alert those around them that something is seriously wrong. They often don't believe they will die, frequently choosing methods they don't think can kill them in order to strike out at someone who's hurt them, but they are sometimes tragically misinformed. The prototypical example of this is a young teenage girl suffering genuine angst because of a relationship, either with a friend, boyfriend, or parent, who swallows a bottle of Tylenol, not realizing that in high enough doses Tylenol causes irreversible liver damage. I've watched more than one teenager die a horrible death in an ICU days after such an ingestion when remorse has already cured them of their desire to die and their true goal of alerting those close to them of their distress has been achieved.
5. They have a philosophical desire to die. The decision to commit suicide for some is based on a reasoned decision, often motivated by the presence of a painful terminal illness from which little to no hope of reprieve exists. These people aren't depressed, psychotic, maudlin, or crying out for help. They're trying to take control of their destiny and alleviate their own suffering, which usually can only be done in death. They often look at their choice to commit suicide as a way to shorten a dying that will happen regardless. In my personal view, if such people are evaluated by a qualified professional who can reliably exclude the other possibilities for why suicide is desired, these people should be allowed to die at their own hands.
6. They've made a mistake. This is a recent, tragic phenomenon in which typically young people flirt with oxygen deprivation for the high it brings and simply go too far. The only defense against this, it seems to me, is education.

The wounds suicide leaves in the lives of those left behind by it are often deep and long lasting. The apparent senselessness of suicide often fuels the most significant pain. Thinking we all deal better with tragedy when we understand its underpinnings, I've offered the preceding paragraphs in hopes that anyone reading this who's been left behind by a suicide might be able to more easily find a way to move on, to relinquish their guilt and anger, and find closure. Despite the abrupt way you may have been left, guilt and anger don't have to be the only two emotions you're doomed to feel about the one who left you.

Alice Dreger: Is Anatomy Destiny?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/249133

Alice Dreger works with people at the edge of anatomy, such as conjoined twins and intersexed people. In her observation, it's often a fuzzy line between male and female, which raises a huge quesiton: Why do we let our anatomy determine our fate?

BLEW my mind. Love this very much. 

Desert Flower Trailer

You may look at this and think that it is probably the stereotypical "girl movie". It is not that at all, It is so much more. It chose to show this one instead of another bescause the other gave away a lot. Watch this...look it up. It may change how you think. It did for me.

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa.

   I am a firm believer in Christianity and support gay rights. I wouldn't say that I know many who are christian that agree with me on this. It is also something I don't go out of my way to ask because, of it's such a tender topic. But, no one should be afraid of violence or murderous words because of who they are. Love is the most beautiful thing. Why should we deny anyone this gift?

Thegirlinthebigbox

I admit, I'm not the biggest fan of lady gaga. Used to be till her music get connected to memories. Whether you love her or despise her, seriously, watch this. Really. It is Amazing. I absolutely adore this girl's work

To Hell But Never Back

Please do not steal or copy my work.

Going through various papers

My fingers brushed the envelopes

That held the roughly folded, simple letters you sent me

During the many times you were away.

I did not understand the full weight of those words

Until now.

Your diction was a child-like tone of enduring love.

A love that consumed you and made you miss me terribly

Through the long nights and blazing days.

I wish I could have held that kind of love.

I never did.

Not for you.

If I were able to take back all the things said,

And done

During those three years,

I would meticulously scavenge the tapes of our memories.

Hold each scene up to the light,

Squinting from my intense scrutiny, desperately searching

For the moment that it all broke down in hell.

Act One

Please do not steal or copy my work.

She watched as the car warped.
The soft sound of glass jingled
The warm ups on the piano.
Disaster was simply
Getting started.
She watched and chasséd
Over the delicate sculptures
Of twisted metal.
The fire caressed her thin ankles,
Adoring their fine structure,
Their attention to detail.
She pirouetted over the body.
Curiously, gingerly,
Admiring the petite figure
As it was engulfed by
Sightless, soundless, numb,
Beauty.
She held the life in her hands,
As if it was a child.
With a simple pasé
She exited-stage left.
The jingling stopped.
And the mess was cleaned up.

The Possibilities...

I Think this is just...beautiful. The skill and time that was put into this is beyond my comprehension.



I Know I'm Not The Only One

I know I am not the only one who gets surges of guilt or longing for when you were unaware of all the things in the world. This is really short, simple, and like Poe's lost lover in the Raven I regret to hear that somethings can never be returned.

Please do not steal or copy my work.

I crave innocence.

I want to be in ecstasy when someone takes my hand,

When I’m given a smile from across a crowded room,

When he tells me I’m pretty with a blush upon his face.

There is fear riding in my chest

And he tells me that it will never be through clenched teeth-

Quotas the raven

Nevermore.

Lame Reflections

Please do not steal or copy my work.

The moment I have been dreading is here. I never realized that it had been slinking closer.
It would be too late to hide or to deny my existence,
When, the thought of not being is more of a comfort than it should be.
The sands of time had been kind in prolonging this
And I will be forever grateful,
I suppose that one cannot disappear forever.

Carpe Diem feels like just another string of worlds
That were only created to coax you along like a child, giving false hope.
Maybe I am just bitter.
I see love and I proclaim it fake.
I see pain and I weep in sorrow.
I hear laughter and I presume it is towards cruelty.
Yes, I am nothing but bitter armor.
Maybe, the time that is upon me,
Despite my surprised outcry and juvenile resistance,
Will allow me to open my eyes and realize that
I am nothing more than one person.
One person who must stop living this way,
Grow up.

Cigarettes

I published this one on Teen Ink. I doubt they will mind if I put it here- Its only on their website, anyways. It is my favorite poem. Its really personal for me and the feeling I get when I read it again and again always comes- A feeling of sober realization mixed with the want to still protect the person it is about. It will probably never go away. I hope it doesn't. That's what poetry is all about, having a feeling or dream and struggling to put it into words for the sake of your sanity.

Please do not steal or copy my work.

Cigarettes

My darling.

I started my laundry.

Methodically pulling out items to add,

Until I came across something that smelt like you.

The glorious scent of cigarettes, and simple love.

I was afraid to add the item, to let the lingering,

Tantalizing essence of you be destroyed.

So very afraid.


I do not think you understand,

How your sleepy, dreamers eyes ensnare me,

Your self-conscious smile lets forth

The wells that harbor my adoration.

I feel like a broken Ferris wheel going up,

Into bliss, glimpsing hope,

And going down,

Realizing that the ride is over.

Do you remember when you slept on the floor?

I didn’t want to wake you and it was then

That I wanted to protect you.

It was then that I cracked.

Nothing that beautiful can last forever.

I knew that, and yet,

You were worth this feeling,

As I take in my new addiction of cigarette smoke.

I Have a Dream

Please do not steal or copy my work.

Infinite winters do not burn like fire. One falls quietly around me, scattering unique around for inspiration.

Heaven does not fall with it.

At least all the purities around are calming; soothing my aches, pains, and

Vacant  heart.

Enlist my thoughts in boot camp, I will,

And give them the

Determination to grow deeper. While my thoughts work, my dreams will watch silently and

Recharge. They will crave the beauty around us and will want to capture them by blindsiding them through this thick white forest which holds the universe on a ledge.  

Enticed, my dreams will become.

And this will all happen while I stay here, lying on this bitter cold, soft bed of snow.

Maybe, this dead wintery atmosphere is disheartening. But, did you know a Phoenix is born from ashes? Something dead that creates life. Imagine that.

Academic Decathlon Speech

When I took the class I wanted to find a topic that was important. (Even though any lame topic would have gotten a low score instantly.) So, I went with what was deemed important by myself: Learning and knowledge.       Unfortunately....When I had to say it to the judges, I panicked and forgot most of it. Hopefully ,Some of you will read it and understand what it means to me, or won't like it. Either way, I would REALLY appreciate if you gave your honest opinion.

Please do not steal or copy my work.

                 I want multiple relationships, alcohol, adrenaline, drugs. I don’t want to feel so empty and alone inside of my limited mind. I need fulfillment and that rush that comes with discovery. I don’t necessarily want open heart surgery-….no…I know I feel.- I need to bash my skull with the sharp rocks of wit, so I can know that my mind is still turning and whirling- in the raw process of understanding. I am very certain that I am not the only one on this path of righteous destruction. I am not the only one in this vast world who needs something… which begs the question: why do we need anything? Why can’t we be happy with just ourselves- because we seek out gifts only the world can give, instead of knowledge that only a god-like mind can provide.

                It’s easier said than done to make yourself happy. You knit-pick all your flaws, highlight what you Need to change in neon colors and put pretty pink tabs there to remind yourself to fix them in the near future. You second guess what you say, what you think is right. But, the funny thing is, no one explicitly told you what to think. No one told you to hate yourself because you didn’t do this or that. Because you don’t believe in this religion or the one over there. Because you don’t like him or her. Everything we believe is practically assumed. We hear hints being dropped like lead pipes; we hear orders falling like rusty tanks on the sandpaper of good intentions. And in this horrid disorder we find that we are lost.

                There was a man who was skilled at untangling the lost souls. The thirty, lost, souls. His name was Socrates. On 399 BCE, in Athens he committed forced suicide. His life was taken because he was tainting the poor minds of the Athenian youth. He was telling them that they should think for themselves and not to place one’s precious thoughts carelessly. Thoughts are priceless. In a retold story by Eric Saperston, Socrates was asked by a young man how to gain the mastery of wisdom and insight. The sage took the intrigued youth to the beach. There he proceeded to drown the boy, almost taking his life. But at the last possible moment he let the young man up. After the young man caught his breath, Socrates proceeded to ask him: “Boy, when you were underneath the water, not sure if you would live to see another day, what did you want more than anything in the world?” The soft reply was “I just wanted to breathe.” This simple, honest, answer delighted Socrates. And he said “When you want wisdom and insight as badly as you wanted to breathe, it is then you shall have it.”

                 We can’t look at sources outside of ourselves to find answers. We can be given some good directions, but ultimately, it all comes down to how we view intelligence. If we don’t value knowledge that enlightens our drowning minds how can any of us be happy?

                One of the best directions you could ever follow would be the movie Dead Poets Society. In an all boys boarding school, a new teacher, language teacher, works on helping the boys find their voice, helps them unlock every aspect of their closed mind. All the boys were smart, but none of them truly thought for themselves. During one of his unique lessons, Mr. Keating boldly says: “Boys, you must strive to find your own voice, because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said ’most men lead lives of quiet desperation’, don’t be resigned to that. Break out.”

Taylor Mali Part Two

I wish I could meet him.

Taylor Mali

I know I am not the only one disgusted by how much the Education system has been cut. How dare the government take away from future. But I digress, as long as there are men and women like Taylor Mali there is still hope.

Love is love

Please, Please, Please watch.

Seduce Your Muse

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html


One of the most intelligent and wonderful persons showed this to my class two or so years ago. MyAp Language teacher, she is the reason I want to write so badly. I really, really hope you love this video as much as I do.