Big Girls have more fun.

Big girls have more Fun

     Today is a very important day for me. I have decided to lose someone. That fat girl that keeps smiling back at me in pictures is holding me back. She is draining my energy and stamina. She takes over and eats out of control and sits around feeling sorry for herself. She has so many issues. 

    Now that being said, that fat girl is me. I love food, joking, and fun. I like to go to bed late, wake up just in time, and share wonderful meals with my family. Unfortunately the fat girl likes food to much and never feels full. She craves candy to make her feel better and has to have all the extras. I try all the time to convince her that water is good, but she falls out for a soda every time.

     My blood sugar had been running high and my knees are knocking worse. I have trouble some nights just getting up on my feet. I know that 240 pounds is not grotesque, but it is to much. She has become to much. I need to lose. How exactly do I do that I ask myself. Do I starve the fatty out or try to out run.

     Healthy eating in my position is difficult. You see as a poor person can not afford what I would consider healthy food on a limited income while feeding a family of six. I make concessions for quantity over quality all the time. That means increased starches and fats. See if you buy a cheap hot dog, which comes in big packages, you get a hot dog with several times the amount of fat as an expensive one.

     So where should I start. Some say diet while others boast exercise. Others claim just adding water does it. None of my current health habits are good enough to discuss right now. I eat what I crave when I crave and that's that. I don't do any exercise that I am not made to. I would rather read about exercise that put exercise into motion. Now don't get me wrong. My big girl laughs, loves, and does not care what other people think. She snuggles and jokes and sings to herself and indulges herself in all the selfish habits that make her happy.

     But now she has to move out. Maybe she can leave some "junk in all the right places" but all in all she has to go. This isn't about self esteem, or fitting into the media image of a "hot chick". I just wanna run, wear high heels, and be able to bend over without grunting. 

     So today I start the mental preparedness to travel on this long journey. Taking the nerd approach I will phone a friend, start a group, and research until my brains squeak. So get ready body, tomorrow is a bright new day just for you!

Mother Tongue

     This is a reference used by the author to signify the the origin of different dialects of English. The reference is also personal since her mother who is Chinese has an extremly hard time with the proper use of the English language. Often this was an origin of sham and embarassment for the author. Oftem she would have to translate and be a liaison between her mother and billing companies. The way that these dialects are seen are wrong and irrational. The "broken" speech of an individual does not dictate the intelligence. The understanding of a person can not be weighted by the communication skill.

     The author's mother had a high intellect and cast amount of intelligence, but could not translate English into a litteral translation from her Chinese thought process. The way that the Chinese language is navigated is very different from English. The way a language works developes the individual's thought process and the way that the person is accustomed to forming a sentence. This can lead to problems with litteral translations and lead to the individual sounding ignorant and uneducated. Often, this is the contrary to the situation, but the individual can not get away from the association due to lack of language skills.

      The author has taken great strides to bridge this gap and help people understand that the way that poeple are seen becuase of this stigmatism is wrong and stereotypical and they deserve as much if not more time and effort to bridge the communication gap. The author's mother had an especially defficult experience with a medical clinic that lost some of her CT results. This was important to her to have the answer because she had personal losses from brain tumors in her life. The clinic did not treat her respectfully and seemed to take advantage of the communication barrier to ignore her protests. The author cleared the matter up for her mother and had admistrative actions taken for her that would have been taken for any other patient that had proper communication skills.

     This situation is sad, and as a health care provider the essay brought a new outlook to the care of non-english speaking patients. It has opened my eyes to some stereo-typical thinking of my own and prompted me to use the interpretation phone line more often.

The Lottery and The Storm

     In "The Lottery" a raffle is held every year and the winner is stoned to death. I hadno idea what would happen until the end. I just new that it was going to be bad. It was very surprising they stoned one of their own to death and then went to eat dinner shortly there after. "The Storm" had it's own list of betrayels. In "The Storm" Calixta give in to lust and has an affair with an ex-suitor. Both stories were stories of deep rooted hurt. In both stories the accosters were people that they new and trusted. No one would expect their own child to participate in stoning them to death. No one expects for their spouse to cheat on them either. Both tragedies were deeply hurtful on a personal level and both tragedies have trusted family members that are personally involve as a source of pain.
     There are several differences in the stories. "The Lottery" is a physical attack that the victim's own family actively participated in her cause of death. There are arguments during the story about the validity of the lottery and the desire to stop it. The action that leads to the victims death is a planned event that is basedon chance. Everyone there new that someone was going to be killed and they new that they were going to be the killers if ther were not the one drawn to be killed. In "The Storm" the alduter's husband has no idea that she cheated on him and more than likley never will. The affair was not planned. The affair happened during a chance encounter at the woman's house under circumstances that will most likley never happen again. In "The Lottery" the participants know that it will happen again and that they may be the next to be stoned to death just because they got unlucky.
     These two stories describe some very basic things in human nature. We at some point or another give into desires that hurt the people around us. These stories reflect political and personal struggles of the their times. They show that people will make choices despite negative consequences and that we have a tendency to lean our choices toward our own personal survival.

Beauty: Fact or Perception

     Everyone at one time or another worries about how other people view them. Alice Walker the author of "Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self" did that to the extent that she couldn't funcion for a lon time. An older brother had shot her in the eye with a "BB" gun. It left a horrible visible scar that repulsed her. She went from good grades in school to struggling to stay afloat. At one time she adored the public eye and wanted nothing more than to be in it. Up until the acident she craves attention and adoration.
     After the accident she began to shut herself off. She had trouble making friends, eye contact, and felt that the people around her viewed her as a monster because of the scar that was left on her eye. She even felt that the scar hindered her relationship with her father. Instead of realizing that she was pushing him away, she blamed herself for being ugly. Alice Walker felt like her father didn't love her as much because she wasn't as pretty.
     After years of dealing with internal ridicule the scar was surgically removed. Alice Walker went on to do bettter in school, open up to people, and eventually married and had a child. Women have a way of redefining themselves after the birth of a child and Alice Walker was no exception. When her daughter was old enough to talk, she reached up and touched her mother's face and asked about the world in her eye.
     These actions were symbolic on many levels. A daughter does see the world in her mother's eyes, and Alice's daughter took some of her mother's pain away. After the acceptance of her own child, Alice was more at ease with her eye and let some of her angst about the way that other's viewed it go.

Torch it baby!

     I know that slash and burn farming is an issue the we in Lawrence county deal with every season. Poeple get sick from all the ash and soot that float around in the air, and I have even kept my kids out of open air sporting events to prevent illness. I hear protest all the time about the mass burning of fields, which is the majority of the outer Walnut Ridge and Hoxie area. This is the area in which I live.
     My husband and other people with disease that inhibit oxygen uptake smuffer every year with the agonizing air. The air is so polluted at some points that soot falls out of the sky like volcanic ash and the clouds darken. I don't like, kids have a hard time breathing, and I hate watching my family struggle. I understand that it is cheaper, but it is also irresponsible.
     There are numerous buildings that have been caused damage that the owner has had to absorb. I bet you didn't know that the farmer that set blaze to the feild next to the house that caught fire is legally absolved from liability of damage. No  notice is given prior to burning, so the owner that is out of town during these occurences has no idea to call a neighbor to check in his property. I am certainly against the burning of the fields as a prepatory method for the next planting seasonl
     I don't want to cut into profits,and I don't look at gas margins and crop selling prices to keep up with a farmer's out of pocket cost. I do however see the irresponsible actions that cause my family and the members of others pain. I think that if farmers cut out burning in lieu of manual clearing that the environment would be better off. We would cut down on carbon emissions marginally and I wouldn't have to watch my husband suffer through asthma. It would also cut down on the worry of property damage.
    I have been one of those people outside with a water hose fighting of a small wild fire to protect property. To me it is just rediculous using these outdated methods. I hope that someday a good compromise can be had and burning can be retired. Until then the farmers will torch everything and I will stop up on asthma meds.

Hot Tamales: Latin Flair and Real Latinos

Respond to “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”

This response should be 2-3 paragraphs long. The points below should be covered in the context of the blog.

· What is Cofer’s purpose?

· Who is her audience?

· What are three key methods Cofer uses to reach her purpose?

· What is your personal response to this work?

         The author of “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”, has brought to light several concerns of Latina women to a caucasion working audience. She addresses such issues as why Latina women dress the way that they do, and the stereotype that surrounds them. Demonstrativly using, writing, performance, and herself as public example; Cofer poors out emotions in her writings and the way that she addresses the people around her.

         She charges herself with her heritage,and resents the way that people view her for it. She states that Latino women are boxed in and stereotyped according to their limited knowledge of the English language and no trained working skills. Then later in the essay she points out that "feminine Hispanic scholars" are lead to believe that the way Latina women are portrayed prevent them from getting jobs, promotions, and advancements in general. 

         She severes her documented evidence with her own statement about Latina women. If the fact is that they are not proficient in the local language, not educated, and know the social standards set in the society, and knowingly ignore them claiming heritage, then what outcome for their women can their be.

          Don't misunderstand my statement. I am just pointing out the "facts" as the essay puts them. I also believe that you should acknowledge and follow social customs of the area that you are in. If the rest of the world veiws an overly tight skirt, provacative make-up, and a sultry walk as a come on, then may be you should re-evaluate your dress and the way you walk. Again don't get me wrong. I love to show a little cleave and strut my "stuff". I just don't do it at work or church.

          Every social situation has some type of outline of conformity that is set. If you knowingly defy these forms of etiquette, then you knowingly put yourself in situations that you could have avoided. I agree with the writer that the way Latina women are seen isn't a fair assessment of who they are as a people. I feel that alot of the essay is not just about Latina women, but women in general.

          Lots of women of different cultures face the very same problems that Latina's face everyday. It coincides with the same issues that plague the other cultures. Low literacy, poor language, lack of education, poverty, and inability to provide oneself the basic needs in life. I myself grew up poor to two alcoholic parents in a country neighborhood. This left me as the "nigger" in the community. Only in a white school if you are a "white nigger" I should point out from experience that the proper term is "wigger". A co-joining of the two words that followed me until college.

           While I sympathize and have experiences that involve the writer's plight, some circumstances are created. If I had not dressed like Madonna and Janet Jackson , I would have been just plain trailer trash and subject to alot less ridcule. I, like the writer, was not about to be held down by everyone else's general opinion of me. When it is all said and done, I did have to take the consequences n of my own actions.

           If she wants the view of Latina's changed, then she should go to what she feels is the root of the problem. Help her people get educated and become proficient in English. She shouldn't try to go to other countries to attempt to leave her heritage, she should go to other countries to show that ettiquitte can be followed and at the end of the day there is one great salsa waiting when you get home!

Obama Care

     Obama Care is a set of guidelines for healthcare reform. In these outlined guidelines President Barrack Obama is trying to do several things. He wants to cap off healthcare premiums so that they can be affordable. He intends to deny insurance companies the right to refuse to pay for services due to pre-esxisting conditions, cap off total lifetime benefits, dropp coverage, or restrict benefits. He has covered several points of issue in his guidelines. The president wants to make preventitve care free, moniter how much of the premium money can be used for advertising, profit and salaries. President Obama also has incorporated hardship waivers, tax credits for small buisnesses, lowering the cost of healthcare for seniors, subsideis for working families, improving and extending the quality of Medicare, and a health exchange to increase choice and guarantee coverage. More importantly President Obama clains that this will reduce national deficit and that the money is already there to make this happen.
     I am against this healthcare reform. I do want to be able to choose my provider. I am a nurse and very selective about the care of myself and family. We all use different providers suited to each of us, not just one family doctor.  I would love to see insuarance companies shaking in their provebial boots, and pay out on everything for everyone. As a wife, mother, and chronic care patient, I love the concept.
     The reality of it is that this will bankrupt insurance companies. No advertisement means no consumers. The big names will float and the little names will drown. Insurance companies will be forced to work as non-profit companies, but no sanctions will be provided to stay afloat. Making preventitve care free would reduce physiscian pay significantly. Who wants to be a doctor if you aren't getting paid? Money does motivate people to go to medical school, as well as offsetting the cost of the four year education and four year  internship. I make higher hourly wages as a nurse than an intern makes as a "baby doctor".
      The attempt to cap off lifetime benefits will result in liberal use of hospitals and medical staff. The weight of this alone will bankrupt many companies. My lifetime limit is $2,000,000. I hop that I never even get close to that limit. My husband has diabetes, severe asthma, and sleep apnea. The clause that refuses the companies the ability to refuse to pay for his care is music to my ears. I would never have to worry about insulin, breathing teatments, and help with payment of equipment for him.
     There are some positives to Obama Care. The reduction of costs for seniors and extending Medicare. I think we need this. Our elders are left behind because we don't accept their decline, and there income becomes limited with physical capapbility. The reform should include new guidelines about family responsibilty to the patient, and family should prove every avenue was taken to reduce expenditure to care for the familly member. We as a society should help those as individuals understand this.
     The subsities for care that would pay out the individual are a good idea. This would put more money in the pockets of patients, but where would that money really go? The tax credits are a good idea. You have to provide proof of expenditure and payment of services for tax credits. That means that the money went to where it was meant to go in the first place.
      I could go on all day about this topic. The point is that this type of healthcare reform will stop competitve pricing, insurance company options, and overall patient choice. It will also result in another lapse of patient responsibility. Why should we as patients worry about how we take care of ourselves if we don't have to worry about whether or not the coverage will be ther. I think some points to Obama Care are valid, but I believe our new reform needs reform.
    
Sources:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100321224851AAJ59Og