Kenny Roger’s concert at chumash casino

 

Mary Anne Lopez

English V02

Alley

May 9, 2008

 My hubby asked me to go watch “Kenny Rogers concert”. First thing came to mind is to whom are we going to leave the kids for us to go and see it? Sure enough that when i opened my email. My friend is asked me if I needed a break, away from my kids, with out  a second thought I responded back and said YES!!! How about this coming thursday? She responded back and said sure!  I was ecstatic!  Not only that I get to spend time with my hubby ALONE I get to watch Kenny Rogers. He is a legendary singer. It may really sound corny to you some kids at younger age but Kenny Rogers has a lot of really good songs, love song in particular.

Thursday came and I got the kids pack all their things, ready to go to my friends house as soon as daddy comes home. My children were also excited going to my friend’s  house because they get to play with their friends as well. Right after we dropped off the kids. We headed to Chumash Casino. It was a longer drive than I thought. We got lost a little bit lost because of that stupid direction from the internet got us lost. Anyhow, we got to the concert 20 minutes after it starts. We were practically running up the stairs looking for the right place to go. We asked several people on the way but it seems like a disaster that first we had to pick up the tickets at the booth which turned out their computer is not working so we had to go find another booth that dispense that ticket for us. As we get to the booth, there was a long line waited for at least 10-12 minutes which seemed like forever. We thought we were not going make it anymore. I am beginning to feel sad because the concert already started and we are still at the booth in line, waiting for our ticket. Locally the lady on the customer’s service desk was really nice and gave our tickets as fast as she could. My husband and I ran faster than ever. We got to the door.  I could hear Kenny Rogers singing one of my favorite song, “Lady”. My heart sank, I feel like I am falling all over again. Kenny‘s voice was really amazing. Powerful voice with great passion. For many of you may not know Kenny Rogers because he is really old. He started singing and writing since 1954. That is over 5 decades. Amazing, isn’t he? He had 42 hit songs up to date. “Houston-born Rogers formed his first band while in high school in 1956 and never quit making music from that point on. The rockabilly group, called The Scholars, got a record deal and released two singles that had local success, and led to a performance spot on American Bandstand. Soon afterward, Rogers joined the Bobby Doyle Trio, playing stand-up bass in the jazz band, and appearing on their album. In 1966 he became a member of the New Christy Minstrels, the popular folk group, leaving a year later to form The First Edition with other members of the troupe. The spotlight started focusing on Rogers when the group got their first hit, “I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Within a year the band was called Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, and his distinctive voice led the group to both pop and country chart success with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” written by Mel Tillis. The double-genre success struck again with “Reuben James,” and the group landed their own TV variety show.   In 1974, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition disbanded, leaving Rogers at a crossroads. Disillusioned with the fickleness of the pop world, but not with music itself, he searched for a direction to take his solo career. Impressed by the loyalty of country fans that supported their favorite artists long after they had disappeared from radio, Rogers looked to country. He’d already had some success among country fans with the First Edition and he was drawn to the type of story songs that populated the genre. It was the perfect transition for him. “Love Lifted Me,” went Top 20 in 1975, but it was the “Lucille” that shot him into the stratosphere. Tops at country, it also succeeded on the pop chart, was named the CMA’s Single of the Year and was certified Gold’’ Rogers, Kenny . Bibliography. February 2008. <http://kennyrogers.biz/biography.html>

As Amazing as he is, I sat there watching him I could tell he loved what he does that is why he is doing it so. Through the years of his work .Kenny Rogers is already I believed 70 years old and he still provide music to many of us. It was full house concert. There were mostly older viewers but it seemed to me that I was watching “the goo goo dolls” on live concert. Everyone is up and dancing. Just merely having a good time and going for the moment. I am glad I went to see the concert. I had fun being alone I had a tremendous time, A fun just being a way for a little bit as breather. As the music plays every lyrics was very meaningful. As I sat there and listen good old days of memories were pouring in. The song called “To me” brought me to tears. He dedicated the song to his twin sons who are now 4 years old. Kenny Rogers as an individual has so much accomplishment in his entire life.

 

Reasons why I LOVE YOU…..

Mary Anne Lopez

Gwendolyn Alley

English V02

May 10, 2008

Reasons why I love you

I love you for your eyes;

They way they sparkle at every sunrise,

They seem to see the best in me, and ignore the worst that I can be.

 

I love you for you lips;

they way they convey your breathtaking smiles,

they way they attract people up to a mile,

the way they have kissed all my tears away, and the way they tell me forever you’ll stay.

 

I love you for your hands;

the way they have touched other people’s lives

the way they have strucked my doubts and my fears,

and the way they tell me that God is near.

 

I love you for your ears;

They way they agree with the thoughts I play,

The way they hear every word I say,

The way they figure every,

The way they figure every plan I make

And the way they balance each step I take

I love everything about you;

The way you laugh,, the way you hide yourself each time you blush

The way think , the way you speak

The way you breathe, the way you sleep,

Those tiny little antics I wish to keep.

The way you kiss and hug me tight and most of all the way you whisper,

“I LOVE YOU” which make me most blessed because I have you.

 

Service learning

Mary Anne Lopez

Gwendolyn Alley

English V02

May 10, 2008

 

As part of my service learning is beach clean up day. Since, I am researching for my project regarding littering. I decided to go and be a part of the beach clean up program on Earth awareness day along with my children. I readily felt accomplished helping clean up our community. I gained a great deal of knowledge in how a community come together in order to have a better place to live in. It is also one way of showing my children how important cleaning up our community would be. My eldest son is religiously doing his part at home he continues to recycling. I observed him more being involved with recycling and litter prevention on his own little way. I see him picking up litter and put it in a trash bin or basket when we do our walks on the beach or on the walk path to his school. It’s amazing how we can teach children at young age and incorporate this in their daily routine. Just like riding a bike. They will never forget as long as we continue doing this at home. My behavior together with my family has completely changed our outlook towards our environment. I am more aware of my surrounding and what I could do as an individual to help out into our community clean up. Learning earth day has definitely has a great impact on my understanding why it is important to be involved in cleaning our environment. In which I am now applying in my life style including my whole family.

 I also attended a poetry reading in Union Artist Gallery Ventura California. It was great experience. I get to read my amateur poem in front or everyone, in front of strangers. It was a nerve wracking. Although it gave me a great deal of feel how it is to be a poet in one day. There were poetry sharing as well. It was nice listening to other people’s work. It may be a comedy, drama, or merely just a little poem made by their everyday life story. Little thoughts make a good description of what kind of person you are. Anything I learned with literature and writing itself made me appreciate literature more.Little did I know that literature has more to offer than just reading it. You can actually be a part of it as well. There were arts posted at the wall as well projecting a great form of art work.

            In addition I also attended Kenny Roger’s concert at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. My hubby asked me to go watch “Kenny Rogers concert”. First thing came to mind is to whom are we going to leave the kids for us to go and see it? Sure enough that when i opened my email. My friend is asked me if I needed a break, away from my kids, with out  a second thought I responded back and said YES!!! How about this coming thursday? She responded back and said sure!  I was extatic!  Not only that I get to spend time with my hubby ALONE I get to watch Kenny Rogers. He is a legendary singer. It may really sound corny to you some kids at younger age but Kenny Rogers has a lot of really good songs, love song in particular.

Thursday came and I got the kids pack all their things ,ready to go to my friends house as soon as daddy  comes home. My children were also excited going to my friends  house because they get to play with their friends as well. After we dropped off the kids. We head to Chumash Casino. It was a longer drive than I thought. We got lost a little bit lost because of that stupid direction from the internet got us lost. Anyhow, we got to the concert 20 minutes after it started. My husband and I were practically running up the stairs looking for the right place to go. We asked several people on the way but it seems like a disaster that first we had to pick up the tickets at the booth which turned out their computer is not working so we had to go find another booth that dispense that ticket for us. As we get to the booth, there was a long line waited for at least 10-12 minutes which seemed like forever. We thought we were not going make it anymore. I am beginning to feel sad because the concert already started and we are still at the booth in line, waiting for our ticket. Locally the lady on the customer’s service desk was really nice and gave our tickets as fast as she could. My husband and I ran faster than ever. We got to the door.  I could hear Kenny Rogers singing one of my favorite song, “Lady”. My heart sank, I feel like I am falling all over again. Kenny‘s voice was really amazing, powerful yet with great passion. For many of you may not know Kenny Rogers because he is really old. He started singing and writing since 1954. That is over 5 decades. Amazing, isn’t he? He had 42 hit songs up to date. “ Houston-born Rogers formed his first band while in high school in 1956 and never quit making music from that point on. The rockabilly group, called The Scholars, got a record deal and released two singles that had local success, and led to a performance spot on American Bandstand. Soon afterward, Rogers joined the Bobby Doyle Trio, playing stand-up bass in the jazz band, and appearing on their album. In 1966 he became a member of the New Christy Minstrels, the popular folk group, leaving a year later to form The First Edition with other members of the troupe. The spotlight started focusing on Rogers when the group got their first hit, “I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Within a year the band was called Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, and his distinctive voice led the group to both pop and country chart success with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” written by Mel Tillis. The double-genre success struck again with “Reuben James,” and the group landed their own TV variety show.   In 1974, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition disbanded, leaving Rogers at a crossroads. Disillusioned with the fickleness of the pop world, but not with music itself, he searched for a direction to take his solo career. Impressed by the loyalty of country fans that supported their favorite artists long after they had disappeared from radio, Rogers looked to country. He’d already had some success among country fans with the First Edition and he was drawn to the type of story songs that populated the genre. It was the perfect transition for him. “Love Lifted Me,” went Top 20 in 1975, but it was the “Lucille” that shot him into the stratosphere. Tops at country, it also succeeded on the pop chart, was named the CMA’s Single of the Year and was certified Gold’’ Rogers, Kenny . Biography. February 2008.  <http://kennyrogers.biz/biography.html>. Amazing as he is, I sat there watching him I could tell he loved what he does that is why he is doing it so. Through the years of his work .Kenny Rogers is already I believed 70 years old and he still provide music to many of us. It was full house concert. There were more older viewers but it seemed to me that I was watching “the google dolls” on live concert. Everyone is up and dancing. Just merely having a good time and going for the moment. I am glad I went to see the concert. I had fun being alone I had a tremendous time, A fun just being a way for a little bit as breather. As the music plays every lyrics was very meaningful. As I sat there and listen good old days of memories were pouring in. The song called “To me” brought me to tears. He dedicated the song to his twin sons who are now 4 years old. Kenny Rogers as an individual has so much accomplishment in his entire life. I loved it. Once again, this is another form of arts and literature which I learn more about.

The entire earth day campaign has a great impact in my life. I have changed tremendously on how I see things when it comes to helping our environment. I, including my children are now involved on cleaning up as part of our routine and in our daily lives. We started recycling which also has given us the opportunity to help our natural resources. Keeping our home clean will lead to keeping our community then our whole entire world.

 

reasearch project

Mary Anne Lopez

 

Project Research

 

May 28, 2008

                        

 

                Understanding and preventing litter, Be informed.

         

      

        It is a common knowledge that Littering is one contributing factor in pollution

 

created by US yet, do we really take the time to understand what littering

 

means and how it affects us and how can we prevent litter? Littering creates a problem

 

 that affects our daily lives, our animals, most importantly our environment. Educating

 

ourselves is the best solution in cleaning up our environment, knowing and

 

understanding the facts. We can begin doing this in our home. We teach our children

 

while they are young to be a part of their daily lives, everyday routine to endure

 

cleanliness of our environment. “When most of us think of litter, we picture someone

 

casually dropping a candy wrapper while strolling down the street. According to experts,

 

there are seven major sources of litter: pedestrian, motorist, loading docks, improper

 

household containment, improper commercial containment, construction and demolition

 

sites, and uncovered trucks.(www.co.monroe.pa.us/litter_control).

 

             Litter includes plastic bag, paper, candy or gum wrapper, coffee cups, soda cans,

 

soda bottles or beer bottles, the most common one cigarette butts and multifarious items

 

that is easily seen scattered along the highways, ocean banks, parks, school or even the

 

streets near your home.

                                      

               There are various reasons why we should stop littering. It can be really harmful

 

to animals in land or in the ocean. When it rains, it washes away the waste materials and

 

drains leading to the sea. Long after, it will cause our ocean dirty and polluted. More so,

 

The marine animals will mistakenly think this as food that could cause them to choke and

 

die. We all need this water for drinking and for recreation. Litter can be dirty not only it

 

does not look nice and untidy .It also carry germs. Animals that are scavengers can pick

 

up germs and become carriers it means they can spread the germs that could cause human

 

being to get sick. Imagine, what kind of diseases that could lead to? Littering can be

 

really bad to our environment as well causing landfills.

               

           

                Litter wastes our Natural resources. Aluminum cans, bottles paper and plastic

 

are a great resource for recycling .Glass can be made into many things such as making a

 

new bottle for various beverages .“Glass is completely recyclable and saves precious

 

energy resources. Making products from recycled glass uses less energy than starting

 

from scratch. Recycled glass is made into new beverage bottles, food jars, insulation and

 

other construction materials (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste)

 

            When litter is exposed to element it may start to decompose that will cause a foul

 

odor in a place that has litter. We certainly don’t want to go on our favorite places with

 

bad odor, an example of air pollution.

    

            Litter Facts and Research

Main Types of Litter

Type of Litter	Percentage
Fast Food Waste	(33%)
Paper	(29%)
Aluminum	(28%)
Glass	(6%)
Plastic	(2%)
Other	(2%)

Source: Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) survey of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers – 1994

How long does it take to decompose?

Object	Decomposition Time
Styrofoam container	> 1 million years
Plastic jug	1 million years
Aluminum can	200-500 years
Disposable diaper	550 years
Tinned can	90 years
Leather shoe	45 years
Wool sock	1 year
Paper bag	1 month
Banana peel	3-4 weeks

                                                                        http://mdc.mo.gov/nomoretrash/

                

                 Various states are very concern about littering thus, its cost in trying to clean

 

up our environment. Different cities and states are the following that are participating on

 

this problem clean up our community, our city and our country.  These funds toward litter

 

clean up maybe be put to a better use for new school, medical health, for planting more

 

trees. We can make a big difference by being responsible.  “The Missouri Department of

 

Transportation spends $5.8 million annually to clean litter from Missouri highways,

 

money that would be better spent improving Missouri roads.

 

www.mdc.mo.gov/nomoretrash

          

         “Throwing trash out on the highway is literally like throwing money out the car

 

window .In fiscal year 2003, Georgia DOT estimates $17 million will be spent to pick up

 

litter on Georgia’s interstates and highways. This figure is $2 million more than was

spent in fiscal year 2002. This includes contract crews, prison crews, equipment, staff

time, etc. statewide. This does not include what local governments, other state agencies

and community organizations are spending. As more and more cars and trucks travel

Georgia’s state highways and interstates, the cost to keep them clean increases by

approximately 20 percent each year. The Georgia DOT expends nearly $3 million

annually in litter pick-up in metro Atlanta alone.”

(http://wwwb.dot.ga.gov/communications/publicawareness/litter/litterfacts)

           

               We can prevent litter by good knowledge and understanding. Why we need to

 

clean up and  and how to prevent this.  Be responsible for own actions. Be aware of your

 

surrounding, Be educated. Participate on various programs that helps clean up our

 

community. Recycle, by putting recycled material in proper bins such as papers, glass

 

or plastic . You should Change your attitude from being careless to careful and more

 

concern of the environment. A better environment means better air to breathe, A pleasant

 

home  to live in.  Do not just throw trash out of our window when you are driving. Keep a

 

bag for as trash in the car so when you get out of your car you may carry your trash to the

 

designated bins. Simply pick up the trash!

 

             Doesn’t feel good to make a difference in your life? Now is the

 

time. Let’s stop littering! One little deed makes a whole world happy.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

http://www.greenct.org/litter.htm

 

http://www.nomoretrash/

 

http://www.stoplittering.com/links.html

 

http://wwwb.dot.ga.gov/communications/publicawareness/litter/litterfacts.shtml

 

http://www.cigarettelitter.org/index.asp?PageName=Education

 

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/RECYCLE/Recywrks/recywrks2.htm#glass

 

 

 

 

plastic litter what it does to our ocean and its marine animals see video

http://www.youtube.com/v/Verhi88kR60&hl=en

Ventura College Earth Action day!!!

     VC Earth ACTION Day!!!

APRIL 23 , 2008 Wednesday @ 10am -230pm,

Please put your TRASH on its designated garbage bins!!!

DON”T DROP IT, STOP iT!!!!

YES WE CAN DO IT, WE SHOULD DO IT , TODAY is the right time to start….

STOP LITTERING ,  CLEAN UP and RECYCLE !!!

JOIN US KEEPING OUR PLANET EARTH CLEAN!!!!

                   

what can I do about …?

    May be littering would be best focus on this essay. Although how do I encourage majority among us NOT TO LITTER and why it is important to us and our environement.

 

INTO THE WILD THE MOVIE

I think the movie was really sad and heart breaking. How could someone who’s intelligent and almost have everything in  life would have to suffer and to  forsaken his family? I feel bad to the family he had left. it’s very appalling. Although, He had a great venture in life I see which he had enjoyed doing. He was happy doing it so. What  I like most of his venture are the people he met along the way and the he touched their hearts especially the older guy. He offerred to adopt christopher . And he seemed made a very good difference in his life, made him happy and live again.  eventhough  Christopher separates his life with the society . He lived happy and and endured the happiness he finds  along the way. In the end he must be happy that he was able to fulfill his dream of living into the wild. Although it’s just unfortunate that he died achieving that  dream to find himself and to make sense of all these. It was tragic death.

“Into the wild” Book Club

Hanna Workman

Vivian Jackson

Mary Anne Lopez

English 2

4-3-08

Chris McCandless Self Help Guide to Alex SuperTramp

    

Christopher McCandless abandoned his privileged life in exchange to solitude and travels across America to find himself. This story is of a young man who abandoned his privileged life to travel around North America in search of high adventure, the meaning of happiness, truth, and where he belongs in the world. Christopher McCandless, obeyed his parents did really good in school and this time he wanted to do it on his own. No rules to follow no people that he takes command from. He does what pleased him.

He was actually happy merely doing what he felt was right for him. Traveling across America became his passion his home. Either be on the streets, the valley’s the canyon, for him it is home.

Christopher as Alex supertramp to the people he met along the way every time Alex gets close to the people he met he leaves them. He doesn’t like being too close to them however he touched there live. Although Chris mccanless was well educated and privileged, he was not enjoying the lifestyle. He wanted to have a life on his own terms, material things like money and expensive cars were not important to him. According to Into the Wild by Jon Krauker, “I’ve decided to that I’m going to live the live this life for sometime to come.” Chris wants to live the life as a vagabond because there are no rules to follow and his free to be who he is. 

Chris created a brand new identity for his new life. Living as Alex, Chris meet a lot of new people and made lots of friends he would not have if not for his travels. One of his closet new friends was Wayne Westerberg. Chris’s friend had also given him employment at a grain elevator and rented him a cheap room in one of his houses he owned. Chris continued to write to Westerberg though out his whole journey. 

One of the people he met along his adventure is Ronald Franz; an eighty year old man whom he hitch hiked and actually became his friend. Ronald Franz took Alex into his home and lived with him for a few days. Franz fell in love with Alex’s intelligence, wit and loved the idea of Alex’s adventurous mind.  Franz a single man, lived by himself has a little business which is carving leathers, which he taught Alex to make. Alex made a belt with carvings of the places has been including north-signifying the place he wants to visit and his dream of living in the wilderness. On alexs last day with Franz, Franz offered to adopt him to become his son. Alex refused because he wants to go and continue his journey to Alaska.  

While on his adventure Alex met Jan burress a 41 year old drifter who lived in a motor home with her boyfriend bob and her dog.  While he stayed with her for a few weeks getting to know them and helping him in a nice way by letting him live there. Not only that but by being with Jan and bob he was able to have fun and be able to relax. He got to experience something most vagabonds did not freedom of happiness in knowing that he was impacting and making a difference just by listening.

Christopher McCandless evidently had bottled up heart aches, pain and anger towards his parents. From his childhood his parents fought a lot about their business. Pushing him so hard on his school, and lastly, one of his travels in the summer of his high school graduation, he found out that his father was still seeing his ex-wife while still with his mom Billie. He felt like everything in his life was a lie. While a freshman in college, Christopher grew more isolated to himself. Despite the fact that he has so much emotions bottled up to himself he continued excel in school, getting good grades and achiever. Although very obvious that he is also withdrawn from his friends.

This is one of the many reasons Chris went on his adventure to Alaska to get away from that and be who is.  I think the main point of into the wild is that there is a part of Chris Candles in all of us. Everyone is searching their own personal adventurous and what makes them happy.  This is what Chris was searching for. Most people do not take it as far as Chris did and end up dead in Alaska.  Many young people over the years have taken too much risk and ended up with a fatal adventure.  Although Chris was very unprepared for this adventure he enjoyed every last minute of it before he died he got to meet a lot of interesting people who really impacted there lives by getting to know him.

Work cited

Jon Krauker Into the Wild

First Anchor Books Edition, February 1997

1996 by Jon Kruaker

Thesis:Into the wild

                  In “Into the wild” by Jon krauker .  Christopher McCandless , A young man abandoned his priviledged life in exchange for some solitude and travels across america to find himself.