How can a parent forget their child in a heated vehicle?  Sure I can forgive the first grandparent who did it, but when it starts to happen 3 times in the same month, enough is enough I think. Was watching the news yesterday and saw a report about a couple I believe who forgot their child. The child was unfamiliar with the area and stayed in the car for a total of 9 hours. Can’t remember if the parents were charged. Though the first grandparent whi forgot their child this summer was charged, I guess a life really isn’t as important as one would think if you can forget about your own child.

But that’s outstanding parenting for ya…yeah right.

Editing is not as easy as one would think. I’m sure that everyone knows this if you’re in school right now or just finished. Though when your editing someone else’s work it can take a bit longer because you don’t want to change the sounding of their voice, I try not to do that too much when editing for the NPM.  Maybe I’m slow, but editing one article can take me around an hour or so. Editing my own stuff can take me even longer…or not.

This will probably be up at the npm blog, but did anyone hear about Septa cutting transpasses for students? Look like getting to school on time has just gotten a little harder, this will be mentioned in the upcoming NPM.

Yesterday as I waited for the 33 bus after getting my copy of the Spiderwick Chronicles DVD from FYE, a mother walked by, who looked to be in her 20’s, walked by and was talking on her phone. Thing is a few feet behind her was her son, shoes untied, and trying despertly to catch up to his mother with his little legs who is talking on the phone and not even paying attention to him.

How can you not pay attention to your child? Anything could have happened. Anyone could have took her child while she was on the phone, that’s how bad she was not paying attention. So once the child fell and the mother just stood as he helped himself up, mind you he had to be 1 or 2, the mother finished talking and completed her saga of not paying attention to her child.

That’s outstanding parenting folks…yeah right.

The saying goes, “Children watch us more than we watch them.” At least I believe that is part of the saying. So far in my life I have met a lot of out of control teens or should I say teenagers who you can just tell have not been taught any kind of sense from their parents. What’s up with that? I don’t want to write this as if I am bashing the parents of Philadelphia, but some of our youth are very angry at the world and this source of anger usually starts at home. At the HLCCTL there are some teenagers who are just that, angry, but why.

Well some of their parents don’t listen to them and treat them as if they don’t matter or know what they’re talking about. Not too long ago, there was a kid who was disrespecting a co-worker of mine and when another threaten and then called his father he completly froze with fear. Another example, throughout the school year I worked with primarly seven year olds. One day one of them were out of control by throwing chairs and screaming. My co-worker that I work with in the class called his father. HIs father came in and beat him with a twitch in front of his friends.  

The child was of course upset and abashed by this.  The point about both these scenarios id that both boys feared their fathers, this shouldn’t be. Yes sometimes the children should be reminded that they have certain lines that are able to cross and know that they are not “grown” yet. But I don’t think they should fear their parent in a negative way, maybe a respectful way, ya know?

However, there are some parents who really don’t pay any attention to their child therefore not really educatiing them about lives and explaining to them that they are not “grown” yet. Some parents will let their child rome the streets of Philly in an out of control fashion and not caring what time they get in or what theyt do between the hours of noon and when they’re supposed to be home.  Some parents are just as out of control as their child and the child has mimicked that because that is who they are supposed to look up to.

Yesterday as my sister was playing with her jump rope outside, little girl came up to her and asked if she wanted to play. The little girl, from what my mom was telling me, had a firecracker or was playing with them. My sister said “no, because fire is dangerous,” the little girl replied, “fire is not dangerous.”

That’s outstanding parenting folks…yeah right.

Apologies for not writing another post like I said a couple of days ago, as you saw on the news a lot was going on with that graduation shooting, expect an article in the paper by me with this incident included. Anyway my morning started out fine today as I decided that it was time for my annual hair-cut. The best thing about being out of school for the summer is that you can always be sure that you will be the first one to get an early hair-cut. I learned a very valuble lesson today as I started work on 2 of the 3 newspaper boxes and that lesson was that when a person says that “if this paint gets on you it will not get off” you listen to them.

See what had happened was…everything was going fine at first with box #1 as I began painting it and covering it. It was not until I brought box# 2 out and started working on that did things get messy. I had just finished chizziling things off when I decided “Its time for paint” Number 1 I didn’t have enough room and sometimes when I think of a plan I sometimes don’t think it all the way through, ya know.

So somehow paint got on the bottom of my shoes and I started tracking it, luckily for me a friend of mine Mr. Doron who happens to be the janitor at the HLC helped me out. I think I kind of gotten him a bit nervous at first, but whatever he had it helped get the paint out. I’m glad I noticed before things got out of control really. He’s going to help me again on Monday with the other one, this time I ‘m painting outside to prevent this ever happening again.

Remember though, if you’re doing a project with paint that does not come off prepare yourself better than I did. All I had on was an apron and in one hand a can of paint.

I am so amazed that I actually got a couple of good comments on this little website of mine. Every once in a while as I take my break from working on the NPM or scoping the web for new writing projects that I can get into I stumble across new comments as I prepare to write a new post or add something new. I cannot take all the credit, for if it wasn’t for my buddy Mr. Steve Bozzone for pushing me to do this there would be no peakjohnson.com. And Mr. Steve if you are reading this, I’m planning on putting a link to your website in my blogroll.

Sundays are now my lounge days, this means that I sometimes do nothing but lounge around all day in bed thinking of new projects that I want to pertake in to get my name known more in Philadelphia and new ideas about the NPM.  Of course sitting in bed all day is not very productive which is why sometimes I use Sunday as also a day to write, however, since my laptop has recently caught a virus its been a daunting time for me. So sometimes I work on layout for the paper even though some say I shouldn’t work on a Sunday.

Though if anyone has any thoughts as to what I can do on Sundays don’t hesitate to leave a comment for me or email me. Once I get a new break for my bike and a couple of other things I’ll be moving around. I’ve been thinking of going to the Art Mueseum soon, no reason in particular, but going there has given me an idea for a possible theme for the next issue of the paper.

Also as I was lounging around Sunday at home I found that Robo Cop 3 was on, I have never watched Robo Cop fully through only seeing bits and pieces so this is my first time watching it all the way through. I liked it and there was one scene in it that I think kind of made fun of  police. There was a scene where this guy comes into a restaurant to rob this guy and as soon as he pulls out his gun, all of these cops who are eating there pull out their weapons.

Now as a report is going out for another crime that is presently happening none of the officers want to go and are passing the job to other officers where the criminal then says, “Doesn’t anyone get arrested in this town.” Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.

This also gave me an idea for the new story I am kind of working on for the NPM and myself. I actually started working on it way before I started on the book series and you should see how much detail and notes I have for it. I actually finished it up a while back, but it needs a lot of tuning and more detail and cak story which I could never seem to get right.

But one piece of the story was published in issue 7 of the NPM. It is also at the Librairy of Congress, I actually have to check on this because I think you have to renew it or whatever. But in order to this story justice I have to ride around philly and take a couple of pictures, so of you know about the story though until its in the NPM I shall say nothing else.

I have to get back to laying out now, but I think I’ll write something else today or tomorrow revolving around the book series and how I got an idea for a good scene this morning as I left for work or more about authors who inspire me and my stories.

Before I get back to work on the North Philly Metropolis’s  health edition I would just like to say that on June 24th, the Spiderwick Chronicles movie will be coming to DVD. Many may not know of this title because it is based off of the childrens  books of the same name by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black.

Before reading both the Chronicles of Narnia and the Spiderwick Chronicles I went to see both movie adaptions first and, even though the target range is for the little kidies, I loved both of them. The books will always be better and going to see the movies only made me want to read the books more and learn how to create such worlds for Zach and Samantha. I am still reminiscing about when I saw Mollery (from spiderwick) fight off the goblins and Susan (from the chronicles) fought off her enemies with only a bow and an arrow. I think some of my associates, including myself, wish we could travel to Narnia

 

Allow me to tell you a story, rather one of the reasons that I work with the North Philly Metropolis. In our current issue where the theme of Race and Culture is discussed we have a new contributor. Now in almost every issue thus far we have had a new contributor in the mix however, the contributor that I am talking about really took the cake. I am not going to say her name because I am not for certain if she would want her story out in the open, but two days ago I received a email from her saying that she had got jump last Thursday in school and that everything was ok and if I could tell her the deadline for her next submission.

From reading her story this contributor tells you that she has been through a lot so far in her life, but despite what she has been through she does not really let it get her down. I am happy that the NPM is able to help her get her voice out to her pairs and older and hopefully if I can deliver some papers to her school she can get acknowledge for her wonderful stories.

This issue another contributor, Mecca Ellerby has drawn the cover for the NPM(go to the www.northphillyteens.com/blog to view it), it looks great, and is a perfect way to get her creative talent known throughout Philadelphia. My purpose, the entire purpose of the Metropolis is to make sure that teenagers voices are heard just like these twi, one issue at a time.

Reading is a fun thing to do and do not let anyone else tell you different. Turn off or tune out the television once in a while and pick up a good book and become lost in the different characters and plot twists. Seriously though folks, there is nothing on television anymore. The only thing worth watching is the news (which I never thought I would find interesting when I was younger) and all we learn from that is what people are trying to do instead of what we should be doing.

There was one piece of good showing in March and April and that was the mini-series of HBO entitled John Adams starring Paul Giamati. I can’t explain it, well actually I can, but that series was so well done and so good. To see how our nation was first started, how our states were united by a man who sometimes didn’t have anyone to side with him but his wife and children.

It reminded me of how the North Philly Metropolis was formed and how its future is being planned, I can almost feel what John was going through. The mini-series was based on the book of the same name which I have not read yet. Ever since watching the series I’ve been entralled when finding a book with either John or Abigail Adams name on it.

Anyway, back to reading. If you haven’t been to my ”F.A.Q.” page yet (for anyone who has questions about Peak Johnson) then you have no clue of what I am reading now and why. I finished up the childrens books, The Spiderwick Chronicles last month and am now on chapter 5 of the Dawn Treader. The Dawn Treader is book 5 from the Chronicles of Narnia in case you didn’t know.

C.S. Lewis (the author of the series) was a genius in writing these stories. He’s not just famous for the Chornicles, oh no, try reading The Screwtape Letters or his sci-fi fantasy. I thought I had a copy of the screwtape letter, but I only have two stories from his sci-fi series. J.R.R. Tolkien (author of the lord of the rings) was also a close friend of Lewis. The two could often be found sharing and discussing each others stories in a pub known as The Eagle and the Child. The two were also members of the Inklings.  The Inklings were a informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University.

The group praised the narrative in fiction and encouraged the writing of fantasy. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were great and along with our present J.K. Rowling they are truly my writing idols. I havne’t read any of the Lord of the rings books, but once I’m done with the Chronicles I am planning on read The Hobit.

I should start my own writing group, any takers? The Harry Potter  series is really great too. Everyone should know this by now and should not be left alone because your skeptical. Pick them up and see if you don’t get lost within the wizard world. Besides, if your trying to become a great fiction author these titles are for you. Remeber reading is an absolute necessasity for everyone. 

Figures that you would hear this kind of advice from an editor of a newspaper.

 

Bear with me folks, I’m still working on my site and a couple of other things. I just wrote a new post for the npm blog page where I breifly entered the world of politics. In case you haven’t visited the site in a while I copied what I wrote here and also added a little extra to it. Maybe not much, but there’s a nice picture at the end

What can one say about the world of politics? To some its confusing and to others it is nothing but a pain. It seems however, that Philadelphia has had nothing to talk about (besides the mindless killings that still plague our city, civilian beatings, outraged youth, gas prices, lack of jobs, a low economy, etc) but politics. Last year this time it was a frenzy over who would be our next Mayor, Nutter, Fattah, Evans, or Knox. Now it is who will be our next President of the United States, Obama or Caine.

I remember having the chance to interview the mayoral candidates and there were only a few who actually seemed honest, meaning that they did not try to beat around the bush. Can’t remember what I wrote about Knox you’ll have to refer to the link to mayoral guide in my “Peak Johnson Happenings” page for that. But I felt that Nutter was a real honest man and instead of trying to beat around the bush he answered only what he could and if he didn’t know the answer then he said so. Taubenberger (hopefully I’m saying the name right) openly answered the questions that were asked of him. The thing is he just seemed like a nice guy, but he didn’t have that edge you know.

Some of us are glad that Hillary is out finally. She just seemed so worried all the time and looked to be trying to gather up as many supporters as possible. I really didn’t know where to stand because both candidates would have been historic as president. Barrack seemed (and most people would probably agree) humble and really didn’t care about the numbers, but who he could really help as President, who he could touch, and how he could do that.

In any rate this is still to be a facisnating election and hopefully there’ll be some facisnating articles revolving around it in future editions of the North Philly Metropolis.