I just finished reading a book by Billy Collins called, "The trouble with poetry." This book was a collective of Billy's poems. Billy is a very famous poem and he seems to be the only poet that could ever make it onto the bestseller's list while writing a book about poetry.

My favorite poem from this book was "The Trouble with Poetry." In this poem, Billy analyzes how poetry is something similar to a natural resource and one day poetry might end. He says that if we continue to right about things that the world has and we run out of things then that will be the end of poetry. I agreed with this theory because time and time again I have made the mistake of writing cliche poems that are boring because someone already wrote about the topic. Once we all use up all the things in this world then we will be left with pages and pages of clich poems.

I love reading poetry. I just finied taking the course Poetry Workshop with Sally-Bluimus and it was a really good class. We wrote journals on poems and we wrote poems throughout the semester. I learned alot about myself when I would write my poems because i contstantly wrote about my father and my mom. I had to read this book for that class and now I will definitely read more poetry even after the class. I definitely recommend this class to my friends because you can learn alot about yourself. I will also try to keep my own poetry book. I love writing poetry because poetry helps me to show my feelings without saying it to someone and that opportunity is very beneficial to me.

Stuff black people like: #48 Acting loud in the movie theaters

How many times have you ever went to the movie theaters to watch your favorite movie that you are excited to see and there are obnoxious people talking. The worst times are when these people are black. It’s so annoying when it’s a scary movie and they are yelling, “Don’t go in there (...) I told you not to go in there.” I feel like throwing something at these people in their faces when they are loud. If I would have spoken my mind to every person that I have heard talking in the movie theater, I would have got into a lot of fights.

A few years back I was with a recruit that was trying to come to my school and he was so annoyed by the people talking. I was in a movie theater filled with kids and obnoxious people. The movie that I was seeing was SAW IV and after every scary scene, someone was yelling. I kept looking back to show them that I was about to lose my cool but they continued. Finally I was sick and fed up and gave them a piece of my mind. I asked them aggressively, “Can you please stop talking. Some people are trying to watch the movie.” That was the worst mistake that I have ever done. They started yelling even more and started throwing things. When I turned around to see how many of them it was, I realized that I had no chance if I wanted to keep my life. I simply sat and watched the rest of the movie and didn’t say a word. I never went back to that Kings Plaza movie theater. Now I go to the LOEWS in Port Chester.

Stuff black people like: #1 hair styles:braids

For centuries now blacks have held the crown for craziest hair styles. I would have to say the craziest hair style that I have ever seen was about a decade or so ago when I was watching “Don’t be a menace to South Central while drinking your juice in the hood.” Not only did this movie have the craziest hair style, I think it holds the record for longest movie title ever to man. Shawn Wayans had a jerry curled high top fade but his brother’s was better. Marlon Wayans had such a ridiculous hair style that there was actual things in his hair such as; weed, dice and pacifiers.

This is not the first time that someone parts their afro into four pig tails, braids the pig tails and adds random things to their head. I just recently cut my braids that I had for 8 years and at one point I had ridiculous hair styles like Marlon. I guess when you are black and have hair, this is where innovation happens.

Here are some pictures of someone advertising their braiding skills on MySpace searching for potential customers. From “zigzags” to “fishnets,” braids were a style over the past decade and the designs were the key components in the fashion statement. Over the years I have had many of these designs and much more. The only bad thing about braids is that it hurts a lot and its quite expensive when you have to pay to get it done.

Here is an image of the famous Snoop Dogg with his perm curls. Snoop has been famous for his long hair and perm designs.

Stuff Black People Like: #28 Not having a Savings

In the world that we currently live in, how important is a savings account? Or a savings account with more than $100. How is it possible for anyone to move forward if they don’t save any of their money. Black people hate to save money. It’s plain and simple. I can remember as a kid how my mom used to tell me that she was deadly with a dollar in her hand and it was true. The minute she had money it was already gone. Black people love to buy things in general whether they need it or not. You can walk into a black person’s apartment in the projects and find that they have expensive furniture that is covered by plastic, their kids have every gaming system and game and they have a lot of unnecessary things that they don’t need.
If black people learned how to budget their money we would take our selves out of depression. Look at the Jews. Jews save everything. If blacks had the mentality of Jews then this world will be very different. I think we are probably waiting for our reparation check from slavery to come in so we feel that we can spend all the money that we currently work for and get the rest of that money for the enslavement of our ancestors that we probably don’t know. Blacks that are successful probably learned the idea of saving money and that is why they move forward in life. As for the rest of us, we will continue spending until one day we have more bills to pay than our yearly income and bankruptcy is a must.
This is why not having a savings is #28 in Stuff that Black people like.

Stuff Black People Like: #17 The idea of Barack Obama

From Martin Luther King Jr. to Malcolm X, blacks have always fought for their freedom and rights. Martin Luther King Jr. did have a dream and it is coming to reality. Who would have thought a few years ago that a black man, a white woman, and a very old man would be running for office? As the great Bob Dylan sang, “The times they are a-changin.” People always say as kids that they want to become the next president. Do you think that baby Barack was saying that during the 60s when segregation was still an occurrence?

When the first black person saw that there might be a chance that the next President of the United States will might be an African American, there was a celebration. I can sit here and tell you all the good things that Obama has proposed and mention how well put together the man is but that’s not what us African Americans care about. All of that is a plus. We just want to see a black person become president. Blacks that didn’t vote in the past are now voting and trying to get their kids to vote and you know who they are voting for? Not McCain and Palin but the man that they think can revolutionize the African American society, take us out this recession, and change the world.

Vote or Die- or realize that we could have missed our chance in having a black president. This is why #17 on Stuff Black People Like is the idea of Barack Obama.

Stuff Black people Like: #13 Being in the shade at the Beach

Ok it is very simple. White people tan and want to look like black people and black people are tanned (some are so black that it’s not called tan) and want to get lighter. Black people can’t wait until its winter, want to know why? It’s because they are not out in the sun getting darker. They actually get lighter during winter season. Then when summer rolls around it’s like being a slave all over again. The hot sun is beating on their backs, they are thirsty like a dog, and all they want to do is play in the fire hydrates. And the worst part is that black people can’t swim but love going to the beach. They love the water, that’s it. They hate the sand. They hate the car ride/bus ride. They hate cooking and preparing for the beach. And most of all they hate the sun. Next time you’re at the beach, take a look at the black people (if there is any) and see if they are loving the sun as much as everyone one else. They are probably under an umbrella, lying down with a t-shirt on or in the water.

Personally, I have a love hate relationship with the beach. I love everything except the sun. I am quite brown but the minute that sun touches me, I go from looking like a cookie to looking like an iPod. It’s just amazing how fast we can get dark and it sucks because we see white people laying there wanting to be darker. Its like a slap in the face!

Stuff Black People Like: # 12 Jordans

Can you tell me one African American you know that doesn’t own a pair of Jordan sneakers? Maybe Barack Obama? Well even he probably owns a pair or two of his own. Above is the Obama-Jordan t-shirt that has the famous Jordan logo that is replaced with Obama’s head. And across the shirt is the writing “OBAMA” making a pretty snazzy shirt that is being sold on the internet.

No matter how much the prices of Jordan’s, black people always seem to wear them. They range anywhere from $100-$150 for the current releases. Then there are the “exclusive” Jordan’s that people still try to get their hands on. I don’t know another type of sneaker company that could come out with a pair of sneakers almost every other month for exactly 23 years, sell those same sneakers back in the same order that they were released, and make poor old black folks buy them even though they cant afford a t-shirt to wear with the expensive sneakers that they just finished buying. Why my fellow people? I am not going to call anyone out because I have been through at least 10 pairs through my life.

It has become a way of life for some. I remember seeing a line on Saturday mornings at 7:00am waiting for the local sneaker store to open, so that they can get a pair before they are sold out 30 minutes after the store is opened. I remember because I was on this line a lot. And no matter how ugly the new pairs are, we still want to have them because of the name.

Now don’t let me get started on the fake Jordan’s. The fake one’s make Black people want them more because they are cheaper and we can get more pairs. What’s going on my brothers and sisters?

The Value of Sports

What is the value of sports in a newspaper?
Sports have been a vast spreading entertainment that has industrialized along with the new ways of mass media. From watching a gladiator back in ancient Greece to the capabilities of watching games on cell phones, sports has become one of the greatest assets to man. From football to swimming in the Olympics, everyone wants to know the details. It has become an ideal means of communication. Sports are also the highlighter of the newspaper. After many have read the interesting information about the president and the war in Iraq, they want to turn to something with pictures and numbers that they can relate to. Its human nature.
I know personally that whenever I grab a newspaper I go to the sports section. It has become so habitual because it does not matter what sport is highlighted, I know that it will be interesting. Newspapers need their sports section. If the sports section did not exist, the sales of newspapers would decrease tremendously.


Here are some statistics taken from a survey given to 5,000 people.

Top 5 sections among male company workers
Headlines (62.0%)
Domestic News (55.4%)
Sports (55.4%)
Economy (53.3%)
International News (47.8%)

Top 5 sections among male students
Headlines (66.7%)
International News (45.8%)
Sports (43.1%)
TV listings (41.7%)
Politics (38.9%)

We obviously see the percentage of how much people love sports. The numbers for women were a lot different but the percentages as a whole would not be to far off. This society needs their daily updates on how many golden medals Michael Phelps has won and if the Yankees beat the Mets.

Slavery

I can’t but wonder how hard it must have been to be a slave during the 1800s. Getting beaten everyday and working in the hot sun picking cotton must have been the hardest job known in the history of mankind. It must have been difficult for the women being tortured so much while giving birth. These women must have gone through stress that no one in this world could imagine since their children were taken away from them without any questions asked. And not only did they have to deal with giving away their children, these children were sometimes fathered by their owners. Life must have been the hardest for women during this time. I can remember my great grandmother telling me a few years ago that her mother was a slave in Trinidad. My great grandmother died at the age of 100 and she was born 1900. Her mother must have been a strong person to persevere and raise a family while being a slave.

Slavery

Slavery in the Carribean

The Iceberg theory and how it applies to news stories

What exactly is the Iceberg theory?
Ernest Hemingway stated, “If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of the iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. The writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing.” Hemingway has used this theory for many of his works and his essential reason for doing this is to make the reader think about what’s not technically being said. It is called the iceberg theory because the authors hide the majority of their foundation or feelings just as an iceberg only shows 10% of its mass.
This technique can apply to news stories because many reporters try to leave it up to the reader to figure out and learn what their true intentions are. This is seen a lot with politics. Sometimes a reporter may not bluntly say that a politician or a leader is wrong for his or her actions but the reporter uses their words and ideas behind their writing to help the reader see what the true meaning is. With this technique, reports help readers become more engaged into their articles and wanting more.

Academic Background, Future Plans, This course.

Hello. My name is Angelo David Laroche. This is my junior year at Manhattanville College. I am a Management major with a double minor in Dance & Theater and Communication studies. I have been on the deans list for the last 3 semesters and take pride in my academics.

I want to graduate Manhattanville College with my bachelor’s degree and I also want to attend grad school. I don’t think I will go to grad school at Manhattanville but I definitely want to live in the area. I completed an internship at MasterCard this past summer and I would love to get an entry level job there when I graduate. I also want to continue to dance. I danced with a company last summer and it was amazing. If I could dance part time while working on my career I would be happy.

This course fits into the big scheme of things because I want to be a part of a corporation that deals with the media and sales. It’s very important to know exactly how to write for the media. In the business world, it’s not about whether you can write for yourself but rather if you can write for others. Companies want to attract people whether it’s through their ads or websites. A place like MasterCard takes pride in communicating to the media on its products and services. I plan on retaining enough knowledge to be successful in a company that needs people to communicate through the media. This technique is what helps companies make a fortune on the amount of readers that they have. I want to learn this technique.