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2004 In Retrospect: The W/OFeb 07 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line interesting exercise in reflection
#1: Name one person you met who you met throughout the year that has made a lasting impression on you. Tell us about them. I got to meet Dr. Jane Goodall for the first time. That lady is amazing. She just gives and gives and gives. After growing up with a supportive mom, she was fortunate enough to end up getting the opportunity to do what she wanted to do, and now she travels around the world sharing that experience with others and trying to persuade others to try and live so as to make the smallest environmental impact possible. But she is reasonable. She says that if you cannot afford to buy the most environmentally-friendly products, then you can only do what you can do, but everyone can do things like shutting off water while they are brushing their teeth, etc. She also practices what she preaches, living a very simple life. She is very humble too. #2: Was there a TV show you saw for the first time in 2004 – perhaps 2004 was it’s first season – that you now absolutely love? That show about nannies turning families with uncontrollable kids (really problem parents) around in a week. It's amazing what consistency and follow-through will do. Some people just don't get it until someone from England wearing a cape comes over and knocks them in the head for a week. #3: Tell us about the best movie you saw last year. It doesn’t have to be one that was released last year, just as long as you saw it for the first time in 2004. If possible, include a link to your review of it. I'd have to say Supersize Me. It just really shocked me to death. I mean, geez, I didn't realize you could pickle your liver on fat like that. And the whole fry experiment at the end---ugh. I haven't eaten fast food anywhere since. My cholesterol and triglycerides are happy about that. . . . as is my doctor. . . . #4: How about the worst movie you saw last year? Is there one that sticks out a mile – perhaps you wrote a scathing review on it. I'd have to say Spongebob Squarepants the Movie. I was really ambushed by that movie. It wasn't the usual kid's innocence like I was expecting. It was made too much for adult taste, and included drunkenness, enslavement, scary scenes that made kids in my theater scream, suggestive material, and just really turned me off. Luckily my 3-year-old was taking the whole thing at face value and laughing, or we would have departed. . . . #5: Was there an event that you wish people would just shut up about already? The election. So a Republican is in the White House. If Bill Clinton can't ruin the country, no one can. Besides, the President doesn't run the country, people. Are you forgetting about Congress????? #6: Was there a worldwide event that left you wondering what the world is coming to? The continuing nonsense in Iraq and the Middle East in general. When are those people going to wake up and realize that humans don't have to live in fear for their lives, women don't have to be shut up in houses and barred from education, brutality doesn't have to be an accepted form of government? Sheesh. The world doesn't have to be democratic, but I would expect it to be civilized, for Pete's sakes!!!! #7: Similarly, was there a worldwide event that made you happy? The human response to the tsunami at the end of the year. Everyone was able to turn from their own (milder) problems and help complete strangers by donating time, materials, money, etc. #8: What were the best and worst albums you heard last year? The best album was whatever one had "Mr. Mom" on it; the worst one is whatever one had "Live Like You Were Dying" on it, only because I'm tired of hearing that song over and over ad nauseum. #9: Which musician / band disappointed you? Michael Jackson continues to disappoint me. 'Nuf said. #10: Are there any writers who were newbies in 2004 that you highly recommend we read? Not a new writer, but a continually contributing writer. Robin Cook continues to write absolutely thrilling medical fiction. #11: What was the most significant event of the year? It could be local, international, or simply personal. When I bought a 2-year-old quarter horse and started training it from scratch, and it took to training right away, doing things a lot of trained horses won't readily do, like walking, trotting, and cantering across plastic tarps on the ground. #12: Do you think your life is on the right track for where you want to end up? How did 2004 affect this? I think so. I went back to school to get a master's degree. I'm going at night while I work full-time, and so far it's working out. I started back in fall 2004. #13: Was there anything else significant about 2004 you’d like to add? It was the first year I started getting $5k bonus checks for being a nationally certified teacher, which helps a lot when you're not even grossing $30k/year!!!  |
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