This is very compelling story about a fellow senior about to graduate from Amherst College. I picked this article because it seems to tackle the bigger issue of low-income kids getting into elite colleges. The issue of affirmative action has been a very hot topic in Michigan for the past couple of years, so I thought that this article would be somewhat relevant to our class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/education/27grad.html?hp. Basically Mr. Jack is a great success story about how a low-income African American kid was able to attend a great private school. Mr. Jack’s mother, who works as a school security guard making less than $26,000 a year, talks about how Anthony Jack was always so self-motivated. Jack enlightens the reader about how coming from a very poor background makes things that much harder when attending an extremely prestigious, rich, and white school.
Another reason why I picked this article is because of the piece that Meagan Brooks is doing for her final piece. In her piece she talks a lot about diversity at K, or lack thereof. When I learned that there are only six African American students in the entire class I was really shocked. I couldn’t believe it. Not only was I able to name each black student, but I am pretty good friends with all of them. For god sakes, I have shared with a room with 1/3 of black population in my graduating class. Anyway, I just thought that this article tied in really well with Megan’s piece, admission standards, and graduation.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Writing Piece #3 Rough Draft
Hip-Hop Culture goes Ape @#$%
Spawned from Harajuku, Japan, “where the currency is cool, and A Bathing Ape is the golden standard,” this Japanese “cult clothing” has now become the newest fad in the United States. The Hip-Hop culture has taken the United States and the rest of the world by storm within the past ten years and the clothing industry realizes that. A clothing line known as A Bathing Ape has become the newest hottest fashion as Hip-Hop becomes increasingly dominant in our society. We have seen how the Hip-Hop industry has progressed from being a fad into being the signature music of generation Y. It is not surprising that A Bathing Ape clothing has also become synonymous with this brightly colored type of music.
A Bathing Ape clothing line was created by Japanese designer DJ Nigo in 1993. Originally A Bathing Ape was recognized for the brightly colored shoes; no one had ever used crazy colored patent leather on shoes before. The original A Bathing Ape shoe style was devised in the resemblance of Nike Air Force Ones. These shoes come in all sorts of colors ranging from your simple black and white, to camouflage. Even for lyrical mastermind Common, who does not own a pair of BAPE sneakers says “It’s really progressive and in a way cutting edge, it is hip stuff.”
Of course, A Bathing Ape also sells other products such as T-shirts, outdoor clothing, home goods, and even action figures. Chances are you have seen some of A Bathing Ape’s apparel but were too mesmerized by the bright colors and patterns to take notice of the signature A Bathing Ape star, or BAPE star.
Before this new hot fashion became popular in the United States, this clothing line was considered “the ultimate symbol of youthful cool in Japan’s street culture,” says DJ DJ Nigo. Now, with the help of famous Hip-Hop artists like Pharrell, Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common A Bathing Ape clothing line has really become a must have for any avid Hip-Hop Junky. This has been somewhat surprising to many because of the change from what the Hip-Hop style has been in the past. When people think about Hip-Hop they think big jewelry, fancy cars, and lots of beautiful half-naked women, but A Bathing Ape clothing line has started to go away from that.
Of course, A Bathing Ape product line still captures the attention of its buyers “I enjoy the attention to detail they pay to their product. I like their cleverness and wittiness and I appreciate them as a design brand. It’s really encompasses the true spirit of what Hip-Hop culture is, and that’s why we are able to strongly connect with it,” says world renounced MC Mos Def. He also referred to A Bathing Ape clothing line as being in the same tradition of Dapper Dan, which was an “old-school” clothing line worn by rapper icon and legend Slick Rick.
Besides developing the A Bathing Ape line of products DJ Nigo has also teamed up with master music beat maker Pharrell. Together they created another line of shoes as well as other products known as Ice Cream. “I’ve got to support it because they are always thinking of something fresh whether it’s music, style or whatever,” says Common. The Ice Cream product line has similar items to with similar color schemes to A Bathing Ape, but nevertheless they are both really hot sellers in today’s Hip-Hop market place.
The secret to the success of the clothing line is its exclusivity; almost every one of A Bathing Ape’s products is limited-edition. The exclusivity of the brand is what makes the brand so hot. For example, A Bathing Ape’s Hong Kong branch allows only prescreened people to shop there. This means that only people who are in certain industries or are connected are able to actually shop at the stores. This is the reason for the rock-concert fashion lines and why the resale of a simple T-shirt could be priced all the way up to around $1,000. The newest store location is in Soho, New York. This store will be one of the official stores around world. The other main stores are located in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. Along with the official stores A Bathing Ape Products can also be purchased online at http://www.bape.com.
I have been a strong supporter of the hip-hop community for about the last decade, and I have never seen any type of clothing line like this before. DJ Nigo has definitely found a niche in the market and not only is he making he apparel known world wide, but hopefully soon A Bathing Ape will be a regular household name. With the help of famous Hip-Hop artists along with the growing demand for Bathing Ape products, soon this line of clothing will not be a trend it will be the standard.
Spawned from Harajuku, Japan, “where the currency is cool, and A Bathing Ape is the golden standard,” this Japanese “cult clothing” has now become the newest fad in the United States. The Hip-Hop culture has taken the United States and the rest of the world by storm within the past ten years and the clothing industry realizes that. A clothing line known as A Bathing Ape has become the newest hottest fashion as Hip-Hop becomes increasingly dominant in our society. We have seen how the Hip-Hop industry has progressed from being a fad into being the signature music of generation Y. It is not surprising that A Bathing Ape clothing has also become synonymous with this brightly colored type of music.
A Bathing Ape clothing line was created by Japanese designer DJ Nigo in 1993. Originally A Bathing Ape was recognized for the brightly colored shoes; no one had ever used crazy colored patent leather on shoes before. The original A Bathing Ape shoe style was devised in the resemblance of Nike Air Force Ones. These shoes come in all sorts of colors ranging from your simple black and white, to camouflage. Even for lyrical mastermind Common, who does not own a pair of BAPE sneakers says “It’s really progressive and in a way cutting edge, it is hip stuff.”
Of course, A Bathing Ape also sells other products such as T-shirts, outdoor clothing, home goods, and even action figures. Chances are you have seen some of A Bathing Ape’s apparel but were too mesmerized by the bright colors and patterns to take notice of the signature A Bathing Ape star, or BAPE star.
Before this new hot fashion became popular in the United States, this clothing line was considered “the ultimate symbol of youthful cool in Japan’s street culture,” says DJ DJ Nigo. Now, with the help of famous Hip-Hop artists like Pharrell, Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common A Bathing Ape clothing line has really become a must have for any avid Hip-Hop Junky. This has been somewhat surprising to many because of the change from what the Hip-Hop style has been in the past. When people think about Hip-Hop they think big jewelry, fancy cars, and lots of beautiful half-naked women, but A Bathing Ape clothing line has started to go away from that.
Of course, A Bathing Ape product line still captures the attention of its buyers “I enjoy the attention to detail they pay to their product. I like their cleverness and wittiness and I appreciate them as a design brand. It’s really encompasses the true spirit of what Hip-Hop culture is, and that’s why we are able to strongly connect with it,” says world renounced MC Mos Def. He also referred to A Bathing Ape clothing line as being in the same tradition of Dapper Dan, which was an “old-school” clothing line worn by rapper icon and legend Slick Rick.
Besides developing the A Bathing Ape line of products DJ Nigo has also teamed up with master music beat maker Pharrell. Together they created another line of shoes as well as other products known as Ice Cream. “I’ve got to support it because they are always thinking of something fresh whether it’s music, style or whatever,” says Common. The Ice Cream product line has similar items to with similar color schemes to A Bathing Ape, but nevertheless they are both really hot sellers in today’s Hip-Hop market place.
The secret to the success of the clothing line is its exclusivity; almost every one of A Bathing Ape’s products is limited-edition. The exclusivity of the brand is what makes the brand so hot. For example, A Bathing Ape’s Hong Kong branch allows only prescreened people to shop there. This means that only people who are in certain industries or are connected are able to actually shop at the stores. This is the reason for the rock-concert fashion lines and why the resale of a simple T-shirt could be priced all the way up to around $1,000. The newest store location is in Soho, New York. This store will be one of the official stores around world. The other main stores are located in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. Along with the official stores A Bathing Ape Products can also be purchased online at http://www.bape.com.
I have been a strong supporter of the hip-hop community for about the last decade, and I have never seen any type of clothing line like this before. DJ Nigo has definitely found a niche in the market and not only is he making he apparel known world wide, but hopefully soon A Bathing Ape will be a regular household name. With the help of famous Hip-Hop artists along with the growing demand for Bathing Ape products, soon this line of clothing will not be a trend it will be the standard.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Thoughts on Reid's Article
The taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets
Pinkberry addicts cramp the style of one neighborhood.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff WriterAugust 4, 2006
I really enjoyed this article bout the Korean women who after being shot down time after time by the neighborhood committee, she ended up striking it rich. This new obsession with Pinkberry around the Los Angeles has motivated her to start opening up new locations around the LA area along with talk of opening nationally.
What makes this article so interesting is that Hwang has such a confidence in her product that she is confident she can make her amazing yogurt work all over the nation. The underlying story within this success story is that the neighbors have a hard time with all of the traffic and bustle that can be found around Pinkberry.
Finding a niche in the U.S. culture today is starting to seem as easy as turning on a light switch.
Pinkberry addicts cramp the style of one neighborhood.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff WriterAugust 4, 2006
I really enjoyed this article bout the Korean women who after being shot down time after time by the neighborhood committee, she ended up striking it rich. This new obsession with Pinkberry around the Los Angeles has motivated her to start opening up new locations around the LA area along with talk of opening nationally.
What makes this article so interesting is that Hwang has such a confidence in her product that she is confident she can make her amazing yogurt work all over the nation. The underlying story within this success story is that the neighbors have a hard time with all of the traffic and bustle that can be found around Pinkberry.
Finding a niche in the U.S. culture today is starting to seem as easy as turning on a light switch.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Profile Final Final
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.” While watching one of his old racing films it really made his experience much more vivid. With the huge crowds of people, the wild burn outs, and amazing speeds I can see why he loved being the best.
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to myself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott.
Before I could even ask a question Rick Dyer had cracked a joke at Danny Scott’s expense, this really showed me that they are close friends who joke freely. “In all seriousness though, Danny is a professional, a gentlemen, or as I like to call him, “a gentle giant.”” “Danny was a giant in the street racing community and never caused any wave. He deserved every award and his achievements are giant in the world of street racing.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.” Co-worker and good friend Patrick Goetz was only able to say one phrase when asked to describe Danny’s racing career “That man was fast!”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.” While watching one of his old racing films it really made his experience much more vivid. With the huge crowds of people, the wild burn outs, and amazing speeds I can see why he loved being the best.
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to myself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott.
Before I could even ask a question Rick Dyer had cracked a joke at Danny Scott’s expense, this really showed me that they are close friends who joke freely. “In all seriousness though, Danny is a professional, a gentlemen, or as I like to call him, “a gentle giant.”” “Danny was a giant in the street racing community and never caused any wave. He deserved every award and his achievements are giant in the world of street racing.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.” Co-worker and good friend Patrick Goetz was only able to say one phrase when asked to describe Danny’s racing career “That man was fast!”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
World Champion Danny Scott Final Profile
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.”
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to himself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a subtle competitor, people would always underestimate Danny.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
With oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver-grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt, and a big white smile World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to recall his great racing achievements.
Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. “I started street racing when I was a teenager, I was kind of a gear head,” says Mr. Scott. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capital of the world, Mr. Scott never had a hard time finding someone to race.
“Every weekend we would cruise up and down Woodward Ave. looking for someone to race against and most of the time it was easy finding someone that wanted a piece of me,” Mr. Scott said. As he established his street racing credit, he finally moved to the professional circuit in the Pro Street racing class. Today, looking back at all of it Mr. Scott still says “I really enjoyed going fast. Being the best was something I had always dreamed about, but really, I winning was never that important.” With his racing days concluded, now all Danny Scott has are the great racing memories and the awards to go with them.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “Fastest Street Car in America” Award in 1991, 92, and 93. He was also 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series. The famous world champion car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chevelle. Mr. Scott’s described his car: “It was a teal, 1966 Chevelle, with a hood scoop that housed a 638 cubic inch engine, custom stainless headers, and airflow research heads. At peak performance the car produced around 2100 horsepower with three stages of Nitrous Oxide.” This world famous automobile was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at 220 mph, when tuned to perfection.
In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Mr. Scott said “the car was really fast, every time I put gas pedal to the floor, the raw power of the car would always surprise me.”
Mr. Scott started describing the preparation that goes into racing. “Drag racing is a dangerous sport, before I ever even got into my racing suit I would make sure that all I’s were dotted and T’s crossed. If my crew or I were to overlook anything on the car, I could have been killed,” stated Mr. Scott. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that he took all of the safety precautions. Mr. Scott said “I would put on my fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready.”
Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). “I would think about at 8000 rpm’s I’m going to shift from first gear to second and so on,” remembers Mr. Scott. He remembers what it felt like when his world class car would jump off the line and charge down the race track; “every time I finished a race, I would be happy that I was safe, and think damn, that was fast.”
His mind had to stay focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it was just him and the car. He spoke about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. “Sitting in the car, waiting to do my burn out before the race, I would talk to himself quite a bit. I would remind myself what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. I never really worried about what the other guy was doing.” If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott would not win the race but, he could have been severely injured or even killed.
“Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says old racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer an experienced racer, good friend to Mr. Scott, and fellow car fanatic, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a subtle competitor, people would always underestimate Danny.” Danny Scott and Rick Dyer have been good friends, tough competitors, and drag racing legends for quite sometime now.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. “I really enjoy working for such versatile company. I get to have my hand in all sorts of different projects, and I get to be around muscle cars.”
Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, just to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Discussion about Mike L.’s Profile
Discussion about Mike L.’s Profile
First of all I just wanted to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this piece. Taking into consideration that this piece is his rough draft, I really connected with the profile. I am a frequent customer at Shakespeare’s Pub and I knew exactly what atmosphere Mike was talking about. Interviewing one of the Shakespeare’s owners is exactly the type of insight and information that I want to read about, which is why Mike’s profile was so interesting.
I really enjoyed ready about what the future plans of Shakespeare’s is looking like. When the owner was describing the new construction and the local festivities that are featured in downtown Kalamazoo, I really felt like Shakespeare’s could really start to make a name for itself outside of Kalamazoo.
The underlying story for me was that the two current owners of Shakespeare’s were once just like me. Uncertain of what the future held for them, all they really wanted was to continue the college experience and get paid at the same time. It’s really good to hear stories like this about two good friends following a crazy idea, and really enjoy achieving their dream.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Profile Draft
World Championship Drag Racer Danny Scott
Oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt with the name CMI-Schneible embroidered on it, and a big white smile Ex-World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to explain his great racing achievements. Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. Father of two girls, Suzan and Rebecca, husband to a loving wife Suzan, as well as friend and mentor too many, Danny Scott has been an all around amazing man, on and off the race track.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “One of the Fastest Street Cars in America” Award in 1991, 1992, and 1993, 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series, in the past Danny Scott was very familiar with being on top. The famous car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chavelle. Danny Scott’s race car is teal, with a hood scoop that houses the 638 cubic inch engine, put together with custom stainless headers and airflow research heads, and right around 2100 horsepower with three stages of NOS (Nitrous Oxide System). This car was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at around 220 mph, when tuned to perfection. In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Understanding how fast Mr. Scott’s really was is impossible, but he was able to describe the feeling to me.
He started by describing the preparation that goes into racing before the racer gets into the car. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that making sure that all the safety precautions are taken before he even steps into the car. He described how he would meticulously put on his fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready. Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). He would think about at 8000 rpm’s he is going to shift from first gear to second. He remembers what it feels like when his world class car jumps off the line and charges down the race track. Finally, he visualizes the win, something that he had become accustomed to.
Once it is time for him to get into the car, his mind was very clear and focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it’s just him and the car. He talked about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. Sitting in the car, waiting to do his burn out before the race, he would often talk to himself reminding him what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott could be severely injured or even killed. “Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says his racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer a fellow racer, good friend, and inside contact for me, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a fierce competitor in his own right.” Always looking for an edge against the competition both Danny Scott and Rick Dyer has been good friends and drag racing legends for quite sometime.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Oil under his fingernails, perfectly combed silver grey hair, a pair of black jeans, a collared shirt with the name CMI-Schneible embroidered on it, and a big white smile Ex-World Champion Drag Racer Danny Scott was more than happy to explain his great racing achievements. Years and years of street and professional racing have helped develop Danny Scott into the great competitor and wonderful human being that he is today. Father of two girls, Suzan and Rebecca, husband to a loving wife Suzan, as well as friend and mentor too many, Danny Scott has been an all around amazing man, on and off the race track.
Picked #1 by Hot Rod Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Edition as their “Top Ten Car over the past 25 years,” “One of the Fastest Street Cars in America” Award in 1991, 1992, and 1993, 1999 Pro Street Champion, and helped establish the fastest car racing series, in the past Danny Scott was very familiar with being on top. The famous car that Danny Scott built was a 1966 Chavelle. Danny Scott’s race car is teal, with a hood scoop that houses the 638 cubic inch engine, put together with custom stainless headers and airflow research heads, and right around 2100 horsepower with three stages of NOS (Nitrous Oxide System). This car was able to do a quarter mile in around six seconds at around 220 mph, when tuned to perfection. In comparison, the 2007 corvette, with its 427 cubic inch engine, produces 505 horsepower, and is able to do a quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 125 mph. Understanding how fast Mr. Scott’s really was is impossible, but he was able to describe the feeling to me.
He started by describing the preparation that goes into racing before the racer gets into the car. As we all know race car drivers are at extreme risk when they are traveling at such fast speeds, so it is only logical that making sure that all the safety precautions are taken before he even steps into the car. He described how he would meticulously put on his fire retardant suit, check to make sure that the engine was in perfect condition, and make sure that the parachute was packed and ready. Once he had gone through his safety check list, then mental preparation begins. He explained how he would visualize the way he was going to release the line lock when the light turned green on the tree (The tree is what they call the lights saying when to go). He would think about at 8000 rpm’s he is going to shift from first gear to second. He remembers what it feels like when his world class car jumps off the line and charges down the race track. Finally, he visualizes the win, something that he had become accustomed to.
Once it is time for him to get into the car, his mind was very clear and focused. With a machine as powerful as his, nothing and no one else matters, it’s just him and the car. He talked about how when he was racing it was never to beat the other guy, but more of he was racing himself. Sitting in the car, waiting to do his burn out before the race, he would often talk to himself reminding him what needs to be done in order to be safe and win the race. If the car was to jump out of the grooves on the track, if the engine was to blow up, or if the parachute was to not open, all of these meant that Mr. Scott could be severely injured or even killed. “Of course, that’s what this sport is all about, you try to be as safe as possible, but even the unexpected should be covered,” says his racing buddy Rick Dyer. Rick Dyer a fellow racer, good friend, and inside contact for me, really had some great words to describe Danny Scott. He said that “although Danny maybe a quiet guy for the most part, he was a fierce competitor in his own right.” Always looking for an edge against the competition both Danny Scott and Rick Dyer has been good friends and drag racing legends for quite sometime.
Danny Scott is now the Chief Engineer and Technical Advisor, for the multi-million dollar corporation CMI-Schneible, which has a muscle car division known as Detroit Muscle. Although his actual racing time has long expired, his involvement with the racing industry is still very much a part of his life. He is the expert advisor to the entire engine building division of Detroit Muscle, and pretty much the guy that gives each car the final inspection before it is handed over to another satisfied customer. Being the racing legend that he was, it is not surprising that people still come to him for drag racing advice, ways to improve engine power, and of course, to hear about the days when he was a champion.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Response to Ole Borat
Ms. Ro I thought that your article about Sacha Cohen playing the character Borat was awesome. I really connected with it in the beginning because I have seen the movie and I found it to be entertaining. When you expose the reader to more insight on a topic that they already have interest in it is always easy to keep them reading. Anyway, I thought that questions that the host was asking really allowed Sacha Cohen to really open up about what he was thinking when he was playing the Character as well as when he found out that the Kazakhstan government was trying to sew him for all the jokes and bad press that it gave the country.
I also liked how Sacha and the host started to break down the general parodies that were in the movie. Most would probably think that Borat was made with the intention of making fun of the Kazakhstan culture, but in all reality, the real joke was played on the U.S., right where it made all of its money. Sacha then goes into how he felt when he was making the jokes and saying the outlandish things that he did, while pretending to be an “anti-anti-Semitism” person. The voice, the clothes, and that wild ass mustache all helped Borat be the most loved hated person throughout the U.S. and Kazakhstan.
I also liked how Sacha and the host started to break down the general parodies that were in the movie. Most would probably think that Borat was made with the intention of making fun of the Kazakhstan culture, but in all reality, the real joke was played on the U.S., right where it made all of its money. Sacha then goes into how he felt when he was making the jokes and saying the outlandish things that he did, while pretending to be an “anti-anti-Semitism” person. The voice, the clothes, and that wild ass mustache all helped Borat be the most loved hated person throughout the U.S. and Kazakhstan.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
A Simple Smile Final
A Simple Smile
If there was one worldly communication term that would mean “friend” it would be a simple and honest smile. A smile can always brighten up a person’s day, a person should never be afraid to smile. Unfortunately, I have no confidence in my metal infested smile and so I’m afraid to smile. For the past six years or so (To be perfectly honest, I have lost count) I have endured the childish institution of braces. This adolescent tradition has been incorporated in the process of me becoming the man that I am developing into today. Growing and maturing through out high school and college, I am no longer the baby toothed boy of old. I am very conscious about my braces, which is why I wanted to talk about my special grill. I am always worried that when I meet a new person the first thing that they notice about me is that I have braces. I have been told by a variety of people that “you barely notice them,” or “you worry about them way too much.” That’s easy for others to say and to some extent I believe it to be true, but people do notice them and I can’t wait to be rid of these platinum burdens.
I started my orthodontic treatment on Dec. 6, 2000. I was a sophomore in high school and, at that point, around half of my friends had braces as well or had just gotten them on or off. It was way more common for my peers to have the same type of oral dilemmas as me, which made dealing with braces much easier. It allowed me to be much less conscious about them. There are countless of embarrassing memories involving my braces, hopefully one day the embarrassments will end.
On a day to day basis I barely notice them, just because of the duration of time I have been involved with orthodonics. I go through my day thinking that my teeth are no different from anyone else’s, but unfortunately that is not the case. These tawdry pieces of metal that call my mouth “home,” are not always so subtle. When eating certain foods my “braces awareness” becomes extremely heightened. Foods like pizza, a hamburger with onions, creamed spinach, and peanuts all can cause major complications when talking with people out in public. Of course, functionally, I am still able to talk after eating these items, but as far a being confident in how my mouth and teeth look, let’s just say that I am less than happy to smile. Always having to worry that a chunk of food is right in the middle of my teeth is rather stressful, especially when talking in a situation that I am not very comfortable. For example, I went out on a date with an old girlfriend, we went for pizza. Perfect, easy and affordable I thought to myself. If I only knew that 15 minutes later she would be pointing out that I had mushrooms and pepperoni “stuck all over my braces, HAHA.” Let’s just say that since then pizza dates have been retired.
There are times when I become very aware that my teeth have metal brackets and wires on them. When talking to a girl that I find attractive, my “braces awareness” is on red alert; hiding my braces and consequently, not talking, becomes my main concern. Maybe I am a shallow person, which could very well be the case, but regardless these are some of the things that I think about throughout my day.
Many people have expressed to me that they are not as noticeable as I think, but I still am very skeptical about their comforting comments. Each person that has told me that “they aren’t that noticeable,” has been someone that is relatively close to me. People who are close to me like my mother, a girlfriend, or even close friends are around me enough that, they too have become callused to the appearance of my braces. The more familiar people become with my flaw, the more they are able to look past my metallic smile. The most recent example of this is the relationship with housemates that I met four years ago. When I first met them as a freshman they all asked “why did I have braces?” Now, four years later, they still ask the question “Why do you still have braces?”, but it is asked with a shocking voice because they forget that I still have them. Over time people become callused to the fact that I have them, and sympathetic when my shiny smile is brought up.
I have always wondered if I would get the same response from a person who I had just met. I have wondered if they would tell me that they did notice them or would they say that they didn’t notice them even though they did, just to be polite. Polite? I’m not sure why I used the word polite, it must be because I view my braces as being something negative. Just as some one wouldn’t say “hey, I noticed that you were carrying some extra weight around the midsection,” should people not comment on my braces because it is not socially acceptable? I feel as if people sub-consciously view my braces as being a type of flaw and therefore always redundantly say “you have braces? You can barely notice them.” Every time I have ever asked someone close to me about my braces I get a very positive response. Maybe I am over concerned about my mouth or maybe I am just naïve.
Over the years my thoughts about my braces have changed about as slowly as the progress with my teeth. When I started in braces I was a young teen just starting to develop into a man. Now, six years later and about to graduate college I look back at all the experiences that I have encountered during the time; each experience I have had while in braces. It makes me wonder if things would be different if I had gone through college without the distraction of having braces. Would I have found better friends, would I have not had a great experience playing college basketball, would I have done worse in school because of female distractions, would I be overweight? All of these events could have happened during college if I did not have braces. I wouldn’t trade my college experiences for not having braces ever, not in a million years. Throughout this paper I have talked about braces as a flaw with negative connotations to them. Braces are a flaw, but they are my flaw and I am happy with the experiences and people they have brought into my life.
If there was one worldly communication term that would mean “friend” it would be a simple and honest smile. A smile can always brighten up a person’s day, a person should never be afraid to smile. Unfortunately, I have no confidence in my metal infested smile and so I’m afraid to smile. For the past six years or so (To be perfectly honest, I have lost count) I have endured the childish institution of braces. This adolescent tradition has been incorporated in the process of me becoming the man that I am developing into today. Growing and maturing through out high school and college, I am no longer the baby toothed boy of old. I am very conscious about my braces, which is why I wanted to talk about my special grill. I am always worried that when I meet a new person the first thing that they notice about me is that I have braces. I have been told by a variety of people that “you barely notice them,” or “you worry about them way too much.” That’s easy for others to say and to some extent I believe it to be true, but people do notice them and I can’t wait to be rid of these platinum burdens.
I started my orthodontic treatment on Dec. 6, 2000. I was a sophomore in high school and, at that point, around half of my friends had braces as well or had just gotten them on or off. It was way more common for my peers to have the same type of oral dilemmas as me, which made dealing with braces much easier. It allowed me to be much less conscious about them. There are countless of embarrassing memories involving my braces, hopefully one day the embarrassments will end.
On a day to day basis I barely notice them, just because of the duration of time I have been involved with orthodonics. I go through my day thinking that my teeth are no different from anyone else’s, but unfortunately that is not the case. These tawdry pieces of metal that call my mouth “home,” are not always so subtle. When eating certain foods my “braces awareness” becomes extremely heightened. Foods like pizza, a hamburger with onions, creamed spinach, and peanuts all can cause major complications when talking with people out in public. Of course, functionally, I am still able to talk after eating these items, but as far a being confident in how my mouth and teeth look, let’s just say that I am less than happy to smile. Always having to worry that a chunk of food is right in the middle of my teeth is rather stressful, especially when talking in a situation that I am not very comfortable. For example, I went out on a date with an old girlfriend, we went for pizza. Perfect, easy and affordable I thought to myself. If I only knew that 15 minutes later she would be pointing out that I had mushrooms and pepperoni “stuck all over my braces, HAHA.” Let’s just say that since then pizza dates have been retired.
There are times when I become very aware that my teeth have metal brackets and wires on them. When talking to a girl that I find attractive, my “braces awareness” is on red alert; hiding my braces and consequently, not talking, becomes my main concern. Maybe I am a shallow person, which could very well be the case, but regardless these are some of the things that I think about throughout my day.
Many people have expressed to me that they are not as noticeable as I think, but I still am very skeptical about their comforting comments. Each person that has told me that “they aren’t that noticeable,” has been someone that is relatively close to me. People who are close to me like my mother, a girlfriend, or even close friends are around me enough that, they too have become callused to the appearance of my braces. The more familiar people become with my flaw, the more they are able to look past my metallic smile. The most recent example of this is the relationship with housemates that I met four years ago. When I first met them as a freshman they all asked “why did I have braces?” Now, four years later, they still ask the question “Why do you still have braces?”, but it is asked with a shocking voice because they forget that I still have them. Over time people become callused to the fact that I have them, and sympathetic when my shiny smile is brought up.
I have always wondered if I would get the same response from a person who I had just met. I have wondered if they would tell me that they did notice them or would they say that they didn’t notice them even though they did, just to be polite. Polite? I’m not sure why I used the word polite, it must be because I view my braces as being something negative. Just as some one wouldn’t say “hey, I noticed that you were carrying some extra weight around the midsection,” should people not comment on my braces because it is not socially acceptable? I feel as if people sub-consciously view my braces as being a type of flaw and therefore always redundantly say “you have braces? You can barely notice them.” Every time I have ever asked someone close to me about my braces I get a very positive response. Maybe I am over concerned about my mouth or maybe I am just naïve.
Over the years my thoughts about my braces have changed about as slowly as the progress with my teeth. When I started in braces I was a young teen just starting to develop into a man. Now, six years later and about to graduate college I look back at all the experiences that I have encountered during the time; each experience I have had while in braces. It makes me wonder if things would be different if I had gone through college without the distraction of having braces. Would I have found better friends, would I have not had a great experience playing college basketball, would I have done worse in school because of female distractions, would I be overweight? All of these events could have happened during college if I did not have braces. I wouldn’t trade my college experiences for not having braces ever, not in a million years. Throughout this paper I have talked about braces as a flaw with negative connotations to them. Braces are a flaw, but they are my flaw and I am happy with the experiences and people they have brought into my life.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Favorite Blog Site
Although the name of my favorite blog site is rather inappropriate, I love to see what new stuff http://www.realestniggas.com/board/index has to offer everyday. This site is all about what is happening in the hip-hop world. From songs not publicly released to the hottest cars, clothes, movies, and mix tapes almost anything goes. My good friend Jarreau Jackson showed me this site earlier this year and I visit it two to three times a day. I will say that many of the posts on this blog site are poorly worded with many grammatical errors this type of blog site is extremely underground. Although the writing skills that most of the bloggers possess is sub par the content and subjects that are talked about are very interesting and I really enjoy what this site has to offer.
Monday, April 9, 2007
A Simple Smile
A Simple Smile
If there was one symbol that could mean “friend” through out the entire planet, it would be a smile. A simple smile can brighten up a person’s day whether you are the person being smiled at, or the person smiling. A person smiling is a very powerful thing especially when done with confidence. For the past six years or so (To be perfectly honest, I have lost count) I have endured the childish institution of braces. Unfortunately for me though, this adolescent tradition has worked become a part of the man that I am developing into today. Without saying, I am very conscious about my braces, which is the reason that I wanted to talk about them. I am always worried that when I meet a new person the first thing that they notice about me is that I have braces. Time and time again I have been told by a variety of people that “you can barely notice them,” or “you worry about them way to much.” That’s easy for others to say and to some extent I believe it to be true, but people do notice them and I can’t wait to be rid of these platinum burdens.
I would like to start by explaining my own personal psyche about my braces. I started my orthodontic treatment on December 6th, 2000. I was a sophomore in high school and at that point around half of my friends had braces as well or had just gotten them off. So it was way more common for my peers to have the same type of dilemmas as me, which made dealing with braces easier and made me much less conscious about them. Who knew that six years later I would still be in braces and writing a paper about how they have affected me while experiencing high school and college?
On a day to day basis I rarely notice them, just because of the duration of time that I have had them on for. I go through my day thinking that my teeth are no different from anyone else’s, but unfortunately they are not. These tawdry pieces of metal that call my mouth “home,” are not always so subtle. For example, when eating certain foods my “braces awareness” as I like to call it, becomes extremely heightened. Foods like pizza, a hamburger with onions, and peanuts all can cause major complications when talking with people out in public. Of course functionally I am still able to talk after eating these items, but as far a being confident in how my mouth looks, let’s just say that I am less than happy to smile. Always having to worry that a huge chunk of food is right in the middle of your teeth is rather stressful, especially when talking to a little cutie. Maybe I am a shallow person, which could very well be the case, but regardless these are some of the things that I think about throughout my day.
I have always wondered how the outside world perceives my braces and I. As I stated earlier many people have expressed to me that they are not a noticeable as I think, but I still am very skeptical about their comforting comments. Each person that has told me that “they aren’t even that noticeable,” has been a person that is relatively close to me. People who are close to me like my mother, a girlfriend, or even close friends are around me enough that they have become callused to the appearance of my braces and are able to look past them much more easily. I have always wondered if I would get the same response from a person who I had just met. I have wondered if they would tell me that they did notice them or would they say that they didn’t notice them even though they did, just to be polite. Polite? I’m not sure why I used the word polite, it must be because I view my braces as being something negative. Just as some one wouldn’t say “hey, I noticed that you were carrying some extra weight around the midsection,” should people not comment on my braces because it is not socially acceptable to? I feel as if people sub-consciously view my braces as being a type of flaw and therefore always redundantly say “you have braces? You can barely notice them.”
Over the years my thoughts about my braces have changed about as slowly as the progress with my teeth. When I started in braces I was a young teen just starting to develop into a man. Now, six years later and about to graduate college I look back at all the experiences that I have encountered during the time and each experience I have had while in braces. It makes me wonder if things would be different if I had gone through college without the distraction of having braces. Throughout this paper I have talked about braces as a flaw with negative connotations to them. Braces are a flaw, but they are my flaw and I am happy with where they have gotten me in life.
If there was one symbol that could mean “friend” through out the entire planet, it would be a smile. A simple smile can brighten up a person’s day whether you are the person being smiled at, or the person smiling. A person smiling is a very powerful thing especially when done with confidence. For the past six years or so (To be perfectly honest, I have lost count) I have endured the childish institution of braces. Unfortunately for me though, this adolescent tradition has worked become a part of the man that I am developing into today. Without saying, I am very conscious about my braces, which is the reason that I wanted to talk about them. I am always worried that when I meet a new person the first thing that they notice about me is that I have braces. Time and time again I have been told by a variety of people that “you can barely notice them,” or “you worry about them way to much.” That’s easy for others to say and to some extent I believe it to be true, but people do notice them and I can’t wait to be rid of these platinum burdens.
I would like to start by explaining my own personal psyche about my braces. I started my orthodontic treatment on December 6th, 2000. I was a sophomore in high school and at that point around half of my friends had braces as well or had just gotten them off. So it was way more common for my peers to have the same type of dilemmas as me, which made dealing with braces easier and made me much less conscious about them. Who knew that six years later I would still be in braces and writing a paper about how they have affected me while experiencing high school and college?
On a day to day basis I rarely notice them, just because of the duration of time that I have had them on for. I go through my day thinking that my teeth are no different from anyone else’s, but unfortunately they are not. These tawdry pieces of metal that call my mouth “home,” are not always so subtle. For example, when eating certain foods my “braces awareness” as I like to call it, becomes extremely heightened. Foods like pizza, a hamburger with onions, and peanuts all can cause major complications when talking with people out in public. Of course functionally I am still able to talk after eating these items, but as far a being confident in how my mouth looks, let’s just say that I am less than happy to smile. Always having to worry that a huge chunk of food is right in the middle of your teeth is rather stressful, especially when talking to a little cutie. Maybe I am a shallow person, which could very well be the case, but regardless these are some of the things that I think about throughout my day.
I have always wondered how the outside world perceives my braces and I. As I stated earlier many people have expressed to me that they are not a noticeable as I think, but I still am very skeptical about their comforting comments. Each person that has told me that “they aren’t even that noticeable,” has been a person that is relatively close to me. People who are close to me like my mother, a girlfriend, or even close friends are around me enough that they have become callused to the appearance of my braces and are able to look past them much more easily. I have always wondered if I would get the same response from a person who I had just met. I have wondered if they would tell me that they did notice them or would they say that they didn’t notice them even though they did, just to be polite. Polite? I’m not sure why I used the word polite, it must be because I view my braces as being something negative. Just as some one wouldn’t say “hey, I noticed that you were carrying some extra weight around the midsection,” should people not comment on my braces because it is not socially acceptable to? I feel as if people sub-consciously view my braces as being a type of flaw and therefore always redundantly say “you have braces? You can barely notice them.”
Over the years my thoughts about my braces have changed about as slowly as the progress with my teeth. When I started in braces I was a young teen just starting to develop into a man. Now, six years later and about to graduate college I look back at all the experiences that I have encountered during the time and each experience I have had while in braces. It makes me wonder if things would be different if I had gone through college without the distraction of having braces. Throughout this paper I have talked about braces as a flaw with negative connotations to them. Braces are a flaw, but they are my flaw and I am happy with where they have gotten me in life.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Questions about ME
I am having a hard time figuring out how I want to set up our first writing assignment. I don’t know how to really talk about myself. Growing up as children our parents tried to teach us that it is not polite or accepted to always talk about one. That may be the reason why talking or writing about ones life story is somewhat difficult.
As far as questions about me and my family history go, I think that I am going to revolve my story around the family business. Growing up, both of my parents have been workaholics and still are to this day. I grew up in a business environment and it seems like most ever family function or any function for that matter was either related to business, or was going to get turned into a business deal. My father is a natural to the bone sales man, and it had always been hard to get him to turn off his wheel and deal mind. Already though, I have started to think more about my family than me. It is so easy to move away from a subject that is hard to talk about. It will be a very hard task to try and keep the spot light on me through out my whole paper.
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