1. Visit a park, choose a bench, explain your choice, and describe your bench:

The park that I went to is Stanley Park because it’s the only park I could think of that has so many benches in it and it’s a quiet peaceful environment and familiar. I chose this particular bench mainly due to the scenery and the surroundings of the bench and where it was located. The bench however wasn’t the best bench in the world because it had a few things that weren’t very appealing about it. Such as it had a bird feces on it, leaves all around the bottom of it and didn’t look like it had been taken care of but like I said the main reason for me choosing the bench was because of its scenery and its proximity to the nearest washroom so every time I had to stop my analyzation of the scenery i could use it.

2. From the bench , describe what you see, what you feel, what you think, what you want:

The way I felt while I was sitting on my bench and looking around and taking everything in was somewhat safe because it was early in the morning and there were not very many people around except the every once in a while jogger and couples biking. I felt very peaceful as well while i sat there looking around me, it made me feel peaceful because of the beautiful weather around me and the beautiful trees and nature and squirrels running around chasing each other. I saw birds flying around me singing beautifully and squirrels chasing one another having fun, parents and children on an early morning family walk. Every once in awhile I would see a jogger and a couple biking with each other. I saw the sun come up and just sat there in awe of it slowly rising off the horizon into the morning sky; all i could feel and see at this very moment was peaceful and safe and just like nothing in the world could bring me down at that moment. I thought that there could be no better feeling than this feeling that I’m feeling at that moment. I can honestly say i have never felt that way before and wish i could feel it again, just looking and taking in the beauty of God’s creation always excites me and leaves me in awe, it’s so beautiful. What I wanted at that moment was something to eat to be honest, i hadn’t eaten dinner yet and i was feeling a little hungry. Seeing the sun rising and the beautiful scenery around me i didn’t really want anything else.

3. If a bench were dedicated to you, where would you like the bench and what would you like the inscription to say?

If a bench was dedicated to me first of all the only way one would be dedicated to me is if i was dead or extremely ill and I’m neither and do not want to be either of those, so the way i would feel would be sad or mad, honestly i don’t care if a bench is dedicated to me. A bench being dedicated to someone is something a woman would expect out of her man, men don’t really care whether or not a bench that people’s butts have been all over is dedicated to them. The only way a bench is going to be dedicated in the first place is if the person is dying, dead, ill, or their lover is a romantic. If I had to have a bench i would want it where not a lot of people would be able to sit on it like somewhere in Squamish up in the mountain where barely anyone would see it. The only people that would be able to see it is if they climbed to the top of the chief and those people would be deserving of sitting on it, i wouldn’t want just anyone sitting on it except for the very deserving. I would like for the inscription to say “In dedication to Malcolm Lewis a hardworking young man who believed that you had to work hard to get what you truly wanted and longed for”. If that was on the inscription that would be really cool.

4. If you dedicated a bench, where would you like the bench, and what would the inscription say?

If i dedicated a bench I would put it in Stanley Park for everyone to see the person it was dedicated was important and deserved everyone to see their bench and sit on it and enjoy it like i know that person would want them too. If it was in Stanley Park a lot of people would be able to sit on it and see it and would see the inscription on it and know that this person was a good person and would want the person sitting on it to be happy and comfortable. The inscription would read “ To_________a very kind and gentle person and would want you to be happy sitting where you’re sitting and if you were not would make sure at their best efforts to make sure you are.

5. Write a journal response to your trip to the park:

Today I went to Stanley Park at 5 in the morning on a Saturday and was very tired but i knew that if i went early enough i would be able to see the beauty of nature in the morning, and if i was lucky i would be able to find my bench soon enough to see the sun set. I arrived at the park at 5 in the morning to be able to see the sun set and find my bench and i did exactly that and it was beautiful. When I found my bench after thirty minutes of searching i finally found it and made it in time to see the sun rise. Before the sun started to rise I had to carry around a flash light to be able to see where I was going. While I was sitting there looking at the things around me while the sun was rising i noticed I was not the only person there, there was a family out walking and a couple of joggers and a couple on a bike riding around. I felt so good at the moment seeing all these people so happy even though it was early in the morning. The trees around me and the early morning smell was beautiful and i enjoyed every second of it, i was definitely glad i had decided to wake up so early in the morning to experience a feeling that i know i will not soon forget.

6. Choose a poem that suits your bench, and explain your choice. Include a copy of the poem:

The Park Bench 

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read

Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.

Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown,

For the world was intent on dragging me down.

http://www.oocities.org/southbeach/bluffs/Bluffs/6615/park.html

I chose this poem Because i feel like it describes my bench and what it was like when i first got there when it says “the park bench was deserted as i sat down to read” It’s funny because i brought a book to read “Calvin and Hobbes” my favourite book to read in such a perfect situation so peaceful and quiet, the perfect time to read and the easiest way for me to read.

7. explain how your poem connects to your personal philosophy of life:

This poem connects to my personal philosophy of life because If i was ever too go and sit on a bench I would like it to be deserted with nobody around except me and my book and the nature around me where no one else can bother me. I get a lot of stuff done when I’m by myself and am more productive working on my own. That is why i found this project to be so much fun because i was able to go out and do something that i do not usually do; it was definitely something that made me get out of my comfort bubble or zone to experience new things. All this just from working on a school project.

8. what is the purpose of a park? What are your thoughts about parks?

The purpose of a park is so that parents can bring their children somewhere safe and to enjoy themselves and for a family to have fun. A park is somewhere where you can go walking, running, jogging and even swimming, the things that you can do in a park you can not do anywhere else which makes it unique and so enjoyable. The other purpose of a park is to go and relax at and just let your kids go off and play if you have kids, if you do not then you can go to a park and relax and sit on a bench and take in everything or read, the things you are able to do at a park are endless. My thoughts and feelings about parks is that they are safe and peaceful except for the every once in a while kids not getting along and parents having to come over and get mad at their kids or get into an heated argument about how their kid isn’t the one who started and how their kid is the better behaved one and a whole commotion starts up. I think parks are a safe place to bring anyone and to just go and enjoy yourself at and not worry about anything or the exact opposite, it can be somewhere you go to think about everything that’s going on in your life and to just meditate on them.  A park is a place where if you say the word park people automatically have a good feeling and a good thought about it. Parks are good places, we all learn that when were kids if we have the privilege to go to a park we all know that it is a fun place and it’s somewhere we want to keep going to and could spend all day at when were kids.

9. Writa a poem reflecting upon your bench experience or your impending high school graduation

 FEARS

The final year of our high school careers

There’s not one of us that can’t say we haven’t been through any beers

Going into the real world I have to admit it theres a lot of fears

At the end of it all there were a lot of tears

But we’ll all be together in ten years

And in that reunion we will all be saying cheers

     NEVER HAD

Tonight’s the night we grad

Just another thing we can say we never had

Lookin through the eyes of the world....it’s lookin pretty sad

In our high school careers we can never say we didn’t do anything bad

Some of us can even say we know what it feels like to be a dad

When the world tells you that you can’t do anything don’t get mad

Just reply to them..... I bet it’s something you never had

      

DREAMS

The same thing ya here coming outa High school is it seems like it went by too fast

People be saying you have a better chance going to jail and thinkin up schemes

But like Martin Luther King we all have dreams

 

     KEVIN

So now that were done

We can all just have fun

Some May even be lookin down the barrel of a gun

And at that moment for life

they be thinkin bout their life

and how it was a waste spendin all those hours in school learnin

 while he was burnin all his sorrows away with his homies in the back

thinkin about home and how he’s with his moms livin in a shack

Thats why every day he be running all his pain away on a track

While spittin his true feelings all out on a track

wishin his friend never died watching his back

now everyday he be running it all back

like he be a running back

now he lookin down the barrel of the gat

thinking that its his time up to bat

knowing that its time to see his homie up in heaven

it’s a sad story i know but thats what happened to KEVIN

NFL lockout

http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163454/nfl-lockout-2011-no-ruling-yet-from-appeals-court-on-stay

The NFL fans of the world are going to be sad this year of 2011 because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is enforcing a lockout for the 2011 season. The lockout is happening because of how much money the NFL is actually losing then recieving. The amount of money the players get is rediculous, Peyton Manning alone recieves over 100 million dollars over a 7 year contract with the indianapolis colts. That one player alone gets a large amount of money in which most people will not even live to see. The commissioner has enforced the lockout because if the NFL does not start getting more income then outcome then the NFL will be no more and will not be able to function. The ideas that Roger came up with is to raise ticket price and what not in order to be able to keep up with the players salary or even cut down on the players salary. The main reason for the lockout is because it would cause chaos with teams trying to make trades and signing free agents, teams wouldn't have the finances to do such a thing or let a lone even pay their own players.

Burrows Biting?

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Reality+bites+Canucks+Burrows+cleared+Bruins+must+grin+bear/4883906/story.html

Apparently during the intense game 1 of the NHL finals Alex Burrows tried to take a chunk out of the bruins players glove. Instead of getting in trouble which im sure many people in boston expected to happen this is what was said about Burrows actions “Burrows was not suspended because the league felt Bergeron could have easily found a player who had no teeth."  NHL senior vice-president of hockey ops Mike Murphy’s said that Alex Burrows would not be suspended because of his actions. After the incident had happened the canucks kept their lips sealed and didnt say a word about it because they want to stay concentrated on the series and winning the stanley cup and also they do not want to excalate things. "After reviewing the incident, including speaking with the on-ice officials, I can find no conclusive evidence that Alex Burrows intentionally bit the finger of Patrice Bergeron" said Colin Campbell after the incident with the 2 hockey players had happened. There will be no suspensions happenening and the canucks will win the stanley cup.....Just sayin

surrey senior found guilty

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Surrey+found+guilty+murder+after+stabbing+wife+times/4883354/story.html

A surrey senior is guilty of second degree murder after he stabbed hgis wife 126 times, his name is sebastian damin and is 76 years of age will be in court on June 10th and will be aloud parole.  The very best he can hope for is 10 years but he still faces the life sentence a murderer gets. He killed his 69 year old wife in whom he was married to for 11 years inside their house on nov 24th 2009 and is just now going to jail for it. He attacked her at 3 in the morning after they argued about damin's controlling  behaviour. Dmin did not want her to leave the house because he thought that his wife was going to leave him so in the night he grabbed a stake knife and attacked her. A few hours later he told the police that he had did it after he told them he thought that she was still going to leave him even after she was dead. "I guess I kind of snapped," damin said to the police after the incident had happened. All of damins children were happy that he was being sentenced to jail and thought that he wasn't being sentenced long enough and though he should have been guilty of first degreee murder. They also wanted to send out a message that you can not hide behind an ill'ness and murder someone and say it's because you are ill.

Police find prohibited weapons in Burnaby raid

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Police+find+prohibited+weapons+Burnaby+raid/4882906/story.html

The RCMP arrested a 24 year old man for having possesion of 9 fire arms and prohibite weapons and silencers. When the RCMP arrived at the mans house to investigate he had loaded weapons right beside him ready for action and any one that came through that door. It was also said that "investigators also seized an Uzi submachine gun with a silencer and ammunition, a bullet-resistant vest, five more 9mm pistols, a sawed-off shotgun, more silencers, a machete, a taser, gloves, masks, wrist-locks, and many rounds of ammunition." "All of the firearms are either restricted or prohibited, none were licensed or properly secured, some of the serial numbers were removed from the guns, and silencers and sawed-off shotguns are prohibited in Canada" The man was holding all these weapons without a license which gave the RCMP an immediate and good reason to arrest him. This man was living in burnaby when this happened and os now imprisoned for having a firearm without a license. They not only found guns there but they also found marijuna and a pound of pot. The police believed that the man was using his house as a place for trafficing the weapons and drugs. The man was arrested for possesion of firearm and traffiking drugs.

Bus hits 5 year old girl

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Young+Surrey+girl+struck+school/4884377/story.html

On thursday a five year old girl was struck by a private school bus in Guildford during the evening and sustained severe injuries but nothing life threatening. This incident happened around 4:45 around 148th and 105th avenue according to the police reports about what had happened on that day and for that incident. A caregiver whom had two children with her and apparently uncaringly was crossing the cross walk saw the oncoming bus but did not react quick enough to get the child out of the way. The oncoming bus driver unlike the caregiver did not see the kids and the adult crossing and smacked right into the little girl. The five year old girl was taken to the hospital by air ambulance as soon as they could be there. The RCMP are investing the situation more and think that the driver and the weather have alot to due with the tragic incident that happened on thursday.

Storm damages North Texas

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/05/25/damage-being-assessed-after-north-texas-storms/

Dallas was hit with severe thunderstorms that had large hail and damaging winds and tornadoes which swept through North Texas swiftly and quickly. "Only daylight Wednesday would make the extent and severity of the damage clear" said the fortworth city spokeman Jason Lamer, “It’s been really difficult to get a grasp of the damage at night” Gladly there were no reports of deaths or injuries of any sort just reports of trees and roots being ripped out of their place. “The hail was probably more destructive,” said the national waether service meterologist from fort worth named steve fano. The hail was apparently as big as baseballs crashing through car windows and breaking house windows. An estimate of 70,000 people were without power due to the storm that swept through fort worth. Storm sirens went off around fort worth alerting the people of an on-coming storm. People at air ports were shown to safety down in a basement so none of them would get hurt by the baseball sized hails or get swept away by one of the tornadoes. Dallas, Fort Worth was given a scare from this storm and makes them all more ready for when the storm sirens go off again.

Reggie bush torn over Kim's engagement

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/kim-kardashian-reggie-bush-engagement-kris-humphries-royal-wedding-vacation-monaco.html

Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian used to date for a year or so until reggie cut it off  for reasons of Kim Kardashian lieing to him about alot of things. Reggie Bush is a sad about his ex's new engagement to NBA player Kris Humphries. He did not attend the Wednesday launch party for the Gumball Rally 3000 in London a reporter said, "We heard Kim got engaged, so we think that's why [Reggie] didn't turn up."  A team mate of bush's sad that reggie is a party goer and that he must be pretty cut up if he didn't go to the party and also he talked to reggie and said that reggie didnt sound fine. Kim and Reggie started dating in 2007 and were together for 2 years and broke up because their different lifestyles. After dating bush she started dating humphries in december 2010 and Kris asked her to marry him 6 months later. Reggie Bush being a NFL superstar shouldn't find it that hard to bounce back, but with the demanding scedule of his NFL career it is very hard to find time for anything other than football.

Chris Brown on good morning america

Chris brown went on the set of "Good Morning America" where he was scheduled to have an interview when Robin Roberts started to ask him about his past girlfriend rhianna. Chris Brown replied   “It’s not really a big deal to me now. I think I’m past that in my life. Today is the album, so everybody go get that album.”  After this incident Chris Brown stormed off the stage into the dressing room and apparently was yelling so loud theat the makeup and dressing artists had to call the security and woresened. Someone that was their in Browns dressing room said that chris brown took a chair and smashed it through the window shattering it immediately.  After all this happened chris brown ripped his shirt off and left and a reporter being stupid tried to go and talk to him while chris gave him a look letting him know not to go near him.  A little while after this chris tweeted “I’m so over people bringing this past s**t up!!! Yet we praise Charlie sheen and other celebs for there bulls**t.” Then he deleted that and wrote, “All my fans!!! This album is for you and only you!!! I’m so tired of everyone else!! Honestly!! I love team breezy!!” Many people believa that chris has anger issues and needs to work on them. 
http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-chris-brown-allegedly-freaks-out-after-good-morning-america-interview/