To Buy, or Not to Buy? That is the Question

Just like many other females, I have an obsession with shoes. Not heels and stilettoes though. I prefer tennis shoes. I will choose a pair of sneakers over any other shoe any day. The shoe I have my eye on is not just any shoe. It is a pair of Spizike's. Spizike's is a common name for a design of Jordan's. Something about this shoe caught my attention. It definitely is not the price tag though. It will be sold in retail stores for about $175. I am not the richest person alive, but I think that spending 200 dollars on a pair of shoes is worth it. I love Jordan's. They are one of the most comfortable shoes I've worn. I like that these have yellow in them. I don't own a pair of yellow shoes, so it would be something different added to my wardrobe. Although I am all for the shoes, my mother isn't as enthused. She believes that the price is too high for something that's "useless". She says that I can take that money and put it towards college. The Spizike's are subject to release on March 2nd. That means I have less than a week to convince her that I NEED these shoes. It's a challenge, but I am up for it. Owning these are a must. Yellow & Black Spizike

It's Time For a Change

I am tired of seeing our fellow African American youth die. It has always been bad, but it is getting out of control. Black youth in the DC Metro Area are being murdered over the dumbest things. The most recent of the slayings involved a student from Suitland High School. On Monday, Charles Walker Jr. was killed for a pair of shoes. 5 men (all have been charged with first-degree murder) attempted to take Walker's shoes from him. The actual trigger man has not been identified, however, everyone admitted that they have played a role in the Walker's death. Walker's death was the second murder within a 24-hour period of Suitland's students. For more information, check out Charles Walker Jr.'s Murder.

This story is important to me because I lost a close friend to the same thing. It is stupid. That is the only way to describe it. It truly irritates me that it happens as frequent as it does. Anyone can be a victim in today's society. Earlier this week I was going towards Anacostia Station. When I was approaching the W2 bus stop, I overheard a conversation between two African American males.

Boy 1: "They walkin' back and forth and s***. They makin' it hot. I'm tryna get them shoes up off slim."
Boy 2: "I don't even want them, they don't look like my size."
Boy 1: "I don't give a f*** if I can fit them or not. I'm takin' them off his feet."

Conversations like that disgust me. What is the purpose of taking something someone else has? If you want it, work for it, and get it yourself. There is a definite problem with today's youth. Something has to change.

"People These Days..."

Do you want to know what grind my gears? People. People have been irritating me a lot lately. It's not their presence that's the problem. Simply put, it's the things that they do. The little things about people bother me the most. I cannot stand when people make plans, but do not follow through. I believe that if you say that you are going to do something, you should do what you said you would. It's not that hard. Do not make promises or plans when you know you have no intentions on following through. Don't get me wrong, I understand that things happen. I know that situations and emergencies do come up. In that case, you should give the other person a heads up, a warning, call, text, or something. For the most part, I believe in second chances. However, when I give you the opportunity to re-do something, take advantage of it. Making the same mistake is not acceptable at all…especially when the situation is the same. I truly hate when people constantly do stuff, then claim that they are sorry afterwards just to turn around and do the same thing again. I think I am a pretty understanding person. I would rather have people announce when they are going to cancel their plans than have them not show up at all. People these days are just rude and self-centered. They are lacking courtesy. Or maybe I am being unreasonable. I could be asking for too much. I think I expect too much from people. Saying I’m disappointed is an understatement, but I will still make the most of my day.

 

 

Trouble in Paradise

A group of tourists went to a resort in Acapulco, Mexico. The resort is a beautiful place. It has a gorgeous beach view. However, their lovely trip turned ugly quick. On February 4, 2013 seven men rushed into the resort armed with guns. They gathered everyone there up. When everyone was together, they decided their next move. The seven male tourists were tied up with phone cables. Six women were then raped. One of the women was safe because of her nationality. Attorney General, Martha Garzon, said in an interview that "they told her [the victim] that she has 'passed the test' by being Mexican. and from that point they didn't touch her." In addition to the rape, the seven gunmen took items that included electronics and tennis shoes from the victims.

It is believed that the victims met their assailants prior to the assault. Mexican authorities say that the gunmen clearly are not part of a criminal organization. They suspects may have been involved in a drug transaction with the victims though. The Mexican police are currently holding five suspects in connection with the rape of the tourists. Checkpoints have been established to apprehend the other two suspects. For further information on this matter, read Mexico Tourists Raped.

Recently, Mexico has been getting a lot of heat for being one of the most dangerous places for tourists. When talk of Mexico being a violent country finally subsided, the multiple rapes occurred. The event grabbed national headlines and Mexico has started receiving bad publicity once again. To reduce the violence in Mexico, authorities should become more strict with gun laws. They should also stop drug and human trafficking, for those are big reasons that people are being murdered.

Losing to Gain

Good afternoon world. I have decided to make a change in myself. I recently concluded that it's time for me to lose some weight. We are currently less than three months away from my senior prom. Of course I want to look gorgeous for that. (Whether I lose weight or not, I will still look good.) But I also want to become the healthiest me possible. According to my primary care doctor, I'm "obese". I personally don't think I'm that big but hey. Maybe it's just that my height makes my weight even out. Whatever the case, I should shed a few pounds. I don't think it will be very difficult. My mother is trying to lose weight too. She takes some vitamins or something that her doctor prescribed. The doctor also put her on a diet (they call it a "healthy lifestyle choice"). Since her food choice is limited,  we don't really have snacks in the house anymore. We can't go out to eat often, and we have to get low fat everything. This semester I take PE 1. The class focuses primarily on sports, so I will always be active. I also walk to and from school everyday. That should burn a couple calories. My mom and I are finally coping with portion control. At first it is was hard (and I was always hungry), but it's getting easier as time passes. I think I will be successful because losing weight is something that I actually want to do and I have the support of my mother. Everybody will see the new me on May 3rd. I can't wait.

Keeping It In The Family

The Holocaust was a horrible time for the Polish and Jewish everywhere. The Nazi Party (which was run by Adolf Hitler) went around terrorizing everyone. They wanted a “pure” society. This meant that they needed to eliminate everyone they had a problem with. The Nazis attacked Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the physically and mentally disabled, and people didn’t support them. But the Jews were the main targets. Hitler convinced his soldiers that Jews were the cause of all of their problems and that they should be killed. The Nazis gained power quickly. They began rounding Jewish people up by the dozens. After a large number of Jews were in captivity, they were transported in small, cramped trains to concentration camps. Concentration camps were massive facilities that people were forced to live and work in. If they didn’t the task a Nazi officer wanted them to, they would be killed. People inside the camps were given little food and lived in horrible conditions. By 1945, majority of the camps were liberated by the Allied Powers. Only about one-third of the people that walked into the camps’ gates were able to walk out.

Recently, the decedents of Holocaust survivors have decided to remember what can be called the worst years in history. The grandchildren of concentration camp survivors have decided to get the same tattoo on their arm as the actual survivors in their family. The Nazis tattooed numbers on their prisoners to keep track of them. People have said that they chose to get the tattoo because their generation “knows nothing about the Holocaust,” and they are determined to remind them of the struggle. Getting the tattoo has become a trend. Having the numbers on the decedents allows them to be connected with their ancestors.