Bumber Sticker (Just Wear It)

A particular caption which captures my eyes is the phrase, “Just Wear It”. The phrase is posted in many places, from bulletin boards, to buildings, but mainly advertised as bumper stickers. Why this one phrase in particular has a major significance is because it promotes safe sex. Sex in general is a touchy topic, one which people tend to refrain from, but others try to educate on. Teenagers would rather not talk about sex as a general topic so advertisers have found a way around talking to promote their product, which is safe sex.

            The advertisers of today know that people tend to not want to talk about certain things that make them uncomfortable, so by making large bulletins and stickers it gets them more open with a certain topic. To promote safe sex they use mainly bumper stickers, showing in the shape of a condom with the phrase inside, “JUST WEAR IT”. The usage of capital letters makes the statement bold and stands out in order to catch a wide audience of sexually active people. By demanding people to “JUST WEAR IT”, and have safe sex; people see how easy it would be. To just wear it would make life much easier telling a wide variety of people that there are no consequences if you do, but there may be if you don’t.
            In today’s society in which many began having sex at a younger and younger age, mainly due to main stream television broadcasting; you see daily news of STD alerts and awareness. The just wear it campaigners are the ones who are trying to alert people of such things. They have seemed to sum up their entire meaning in just one phrase, a phrase which sends out an alert aiming at people’s mental thoughts. By doing this they have accomplished more than most people have done by talking about sex, instead they advertised a simple slogan that people can view on their own time. The advertisers know that people pay attention to simple facts like this so they used it to their advantage. Seeing and hearing random phrases like, “JUST WEAR IT”, will make the unconscious mind think of this constantly, and when it comes time for the action of sex, people will remember to do the right thing, and wear a condom.
            In general wearing a condom is supposed to protect against getting pregnant, and contracting such diseases as HIV, and AIDS. It’s so simple to wear a condom when having sex that you should be able to remember to just wear it. The just wear it campaigners don’t understand why you, “JUST WOULDENT”, wear one due to simplicity of just wearing it. As a bumper sticker this add reaches far parts of the world where such awareness is not seen. By helping to promote you help to possibly save lives as the world becomes safer and knows how, and why to use condoms. Everyday someone see’s this sticker and thinks to themselves that the next time they have sexual intercourse they’ll remember to, “JUST WEAR IT”.

Standing Alone all on His own (English Nature essay 2)

            It was October 1, 2010, when I had set my eyes on this one single piece of nature. Walking from the car, as I had just crested the corner I had realized this magnificent beautiful tree all alone standing in the middle of other wild life. The tree stood out not only because it was alone amongst other trees, but because it stood the tallest, as if it were proud to stand solo. Beautiful as it was, I approached it breathing in the fresh air that it had pumped out constantly into the atmosphere. It smelled as if it were baby fresh, as no other did. Standing next to the tree which I had given the name “Arbol”, meaning tree in Spanish, I had realized just how huge it was. The tree’s width is like that of an average full grown tree but it seems bigger since it’s so far away from the other trees with none to compare it to.

             Being so close to something that was older than me I felt happy to be in the presence of such a powerful figure. Arbol could teach me so much; just imagine what it has grown through over the years. Grown in Massachusetts rocky soil, and having a college campus built around it I can only imagine what the tree has gone through. I began to wonder what this type of an environment has done to this single tree, stressing it out due to soil pollution, so I found out some facts from brighthub.com. I used the article Causes of soil pollution and what you can do to help, by “Matt Schelke”. The article tells us, “Pollutants can impact soil everywhere. And the effects are potentially disastrous: small chemical changes in soil can render an area inhospitable to plants, virtually eliminating the food chain’s foundation”. This could be devastating to any single plant, if not entire areas of vegetation. Arbol has most likely throughout the years gone through many drastic changes over the past decades. The changes would be shown in the trees rings which develop over years to show a change in environment and how the tree grows. A picture is provided which illustrates the effects of the environment throughout the trees life. Tree rings can not only show the beginning stages of when the tree has begun to grow, but it shows the wear and tear due to the environment that the tree is in also. The picture shows a tree that has been in a forest fire, gone through a rainy season, and dry season. Arbol seemed pretty healthy, and seemed to have grown in a good environment.

                                                                                                                                                      

            Going back to the site at night you can see a massive shadow being cast by Arbol. Overshadowing everything else you faintly see the woodland critters running from the tree trunk to its base, usually an occasional squirrel. It’s the best time to visit, realizing that at night the tree gives a more ominous appearance although it stands alone, with two little developing seedlings underneath it. The ground which the tree stands on is layered with a rich dark green grass like a big open field. Friendly and inviting, I like to sit on the hillside closest to the building of the school so that I can look down at the tree in order to see more of it. When I sit there it helps me to relax, with a feeling of tranquility, being equal with nature. I came to a conclusion that I love nature; it’s just like Henry David Thoreau said, “I love Nature partly because she is not a man, but a retreat from him. None of his institutions control or pervade her. Here a different kind of right prevails. In her midst I can be glad with an entire gladness. If this world were all man, I could not stretch myself, I should lose all hope. He is restraint; she is freedom to me. He makes me wish for another world; she makes me content with this. None of the joys she supplies is subject to his rules and definitions. What he touches he taints. In thought he moralizes... How infinite and pure the least pleasure of which Nature is basis compared with the congratulations of mankind! The joy which Nature yields is like that afforded by frank words of one we love." (Donna L. Watkins blog post Henry David Thoreau Quotes)

            The last time that I was to visit my nature site it was a cold windy day. I did not go to part ways with the tree, but to give it a look over once more so that I would always remember it. Being there one last time made me realize that nature cannot be observed in just three sittings. In order to view nature as it is you need to stay a while and relax, because it will be there forever, constantly changing with the world. As I sat there you can see the limbs of the tree swaying effortlessly as strong gust of wind blew. It was as if Arbol was saying his goodbye’s too. To see the tree move gave it an almost humanistic characteristic. Moving in the wind like that Arbol could feel the wind through its branches and leafs. What a site to see, nature coming to life was a beautiful thing. I am glad to have taken part in nature being an observer of the wildlife that was right outside in my own back yard. Being able to take in the beautiful scenery any time I wanted, I decided that I will from now on have a closer relationship with nature as a whole. We live in the world and don’t appreciate the little things that are around us daily. It was so easy to go and just sit with the natural wonders of the Earth as I would just think about life, and observe it for what it was. I embraced the nature spot I chose, and enjoyed it. Knowing that I will go back some day helped me come to a clear understanding that nature will be forever.

Works Cited:

Cause of Soil Pollution & What You Can do to Help Article by Matt Schelke
Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/16695.aspx#ixzz12oQxX5Ss

Lori weitzel, Pine Trees, http://ataleoftwoparks.blogspot.com/

Henry David Thoreau Quotes, by Donna L Watkins, http://www.thenatureinus.com/2008/01/henry-david-thoreau-quotes.html

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/geosciences/CT/TIG/WEBSITES/LOCAL/Summer2003/Harman_Pamela/Dynamic%20Earth.html

Post from movie "The Queen of the Damned"

                 The Queen of the Damned, by writer “Anne Rice,” and director “Michael Rymer”, was the most innovative vampire movie since Dracula 2000, directed by “Patrick Lussier”. The movie was released February 22, 2002 as a fantasy horror movie. It portrays a story of a 17^th century French nobleman “Lestat”. He explains how he has lived years in the shadows, alone and weary. All he longs for is a chance to become something, be known, and to come out in the open by living among the humans. Throughout the movie he struggles with the fact that he must live separated from everyone else and indeed plans to do something about this. Lestat encounters the chance to become known when a particular music resurrects him from decades of sleep. The music which caught his ear was a gothic rock genre played by an upcoming band who were shocked to see the presence of a vampire, but soon gave into his charm as he offered them fame, and fortune.

                One particular scene which I will focus on is when actor “Aaliyah”, who played as “Queen Akasha”, enters the bar, “Admirals Arms”, in order to find her new love Lestat. Akasha was also resurrected now by the music of which Lestat’s gothic rock group plays, and now goes on a search to find him, and make him her king.

                When Aaliyah walks into the Admirals Arms, she is welcomed by music sung by Lestat’s group, music played in reality by Korn, named System. She arrives there looking for Lestat as she is drawn to the music. The smell still lingers of Lestat letting her know that he was there not too long ago, so she stays in pursuit, but before she leaves she decides to kill a few vampires; seeming as she is the blood thirsty “Queen of the Damned”, who’s only goal is to drink and nothing more.

Starting from the beginning, Aaliyah had followed the music into the bar. Everyone then began to look at her in awe as she is dressed in extravagant clothing from centuries before the vampires who were present in the bar. No one knew who they were looking at; the queen, their mother, the eldest of all vampires. One vampire approaches her as he had seen she was enjoying the music being played by Lestat’s group and questions her about liking the music. He confides that he and the rest of the vampires are soon to kill Lestat so Akasha should enjoy the music while she can. Akasha questions him in return asking him is that what he thinks they are to do, then she seduces him onto the dance floor where she rips out his heart feeding on his blood, then burning down the bar with her supernatural powers.

 After viewing the film, the scene described proved to be most enjoyable. I really enjoyed the entire movie, and specifically this scene. Alone it captured how the characters Akasha, and Lestat had a broken bond, yet to be mended.