Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Review

Ranked as the second best selling game in the UK and the third best selling game in the US; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is selling millions of copies worldwide. The game managed to sell roughly 4.7 million copies in only 24 hours of being released. Call of duty is a series that continues to sequence with the same story line. Young teens and adults around the world are joining together with the mission of reaching a destination while completing difficult tasks. It provides three modes to play in, campaign, multiplayer or special ops. The game has become very popular and people around the globe connect via the attraction of Xbox live, which allows members from anywhere in the world to unite and play together. It is not only available for the Xbox 360 and Play Station 3 system, but it has also been adapted for the Nintendo DS and the Wii console. Modern Warfare 2: Ghost, a comic book series based on one of the games character was also developed. COD is attracting millions of people helping it be the first video game to receive its own premiere in Leicester Square.

Response to Jeremy Hsu: Video Games Can Control Dreams, Study Suggests

Jeremy Hsu writes about an interesting fact that may be unknown to many. Video games have the ability to control human’s dreams. Teens spend hours in front of television screens and this is causing effects in their daily lives. These video games attract a high portion of the person’s concentration leading to uncommon dreams.

Hsu’s article gets very interesting when he begins to list several example of how dreams can be affected by different video games. Game systems can lead to very lucid dreams and observer dreams where one views themselves outside of their body. This is not very common in dreams.

I found it very interesting that the amount of time playing video games can impact a person enough for them to control their dreams. This is due to the ability to control the characters found in the video games. Hsu gives very important examples that serve as an image to the readers in order to comprehend the article easier.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100525/sc_livescience/videogamerscancontroldreamsstudysuggests

Response to Cherie Burbach: Is Fighting Good in a Relationship

Cherie Burbach’s advice article of whether or not fighting is good in a relationship is very informative. One would normally believe fighting should not be present in order to maintain a healthy relationship but Burbach states otherwise. She states that arguments are beneficial when they are done properly.

I agree with certain points Burbach mentions and I believe they are beneficial in a relationship. She states that the main purpose of an argument is to reach a compromise between the couple. It should serve as a tool to let out what is inside in order to try to solve the conflict. Burbach also states that it is important to keep a positive goal while arguing. The argument shouldn’t be to compete with your partner; it should be to reach a positive solution. She ends the writing specifying that arguments in a relationship shouldn’t be seen wrong or unhealthy.

I agree with Burbach and her ideas. Arguments should serve as a way to understand your partner and let your partner understand you.
http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2010/04/24/is-fighting-good-in-a-relationship/

Journalism, Satire or Just Laugh? "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Examined

1. I believe Jon Stewart is a journlist. Though he claims he isnt, i believe the work he does makes him a journalist. He reports news and though he does it in an orginal way he is still doing it.

2. The fact that Stewart is reporting the daily news will lead people to consider him a journalist.

3. The show is similar to what people get from mainstream press because it is still informing about daily events and important news. However, it differes in the way he informs the public. His use of humor makes him stand out among the rest.

4. Shows like "The Dialy Show" satirize the field of journalism itself because Stewart himself is making fun of the fact that he is reporting different news to the people. By making fun of himself, he is aslso mocking and ridiculing journlists and graduates of such majors.

Letting Go

Relationships can be a wonderful experience in a person’s life but when their not, we must be willing to let go. If there’s an unhealthy relationship taking place, the couple can do everything possible to solve the issues but when that’s not enough, letting go is the best choice. We tend to hold on way too hard, when the solution is many times found in letting go. If the relationship is not working, the healthiest thing to do is to put an end to it and move on. But why do we find it so difficult to let go?

We fear not having control. The moment where you decide to let go, the control over the situation slips out of your hands. This can be a frightful experience for many because we ponder way too much on the consequences and changes we will have to experience. We dislike change and we try our best to avoid it, but many times change is the key to ending our struggles. It can bring fear upon you but it can also take you to a new level, new opportunities and a new beginning.

Though we don’t realize it, by refusing to let go we are limiting our possibilities. There are plenty of opportunities waiting for us but many times our stubbornness prevents us from reaching new success in our lives. If the relationship is not working you should not limit yourself from experiencing new changes in your life. You can meet the right people, but in order to do that you must be willing to let go of the wrong ones.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Alexander Graham Bell shared a powerful truth with these words. The fact that your relationship wasn’t successful doesn’t meant that you life is over. There are hundreds of opens door waiting for you but you must be willing to focus your sight on them and move away from the past. If wee keep looking at the closed doors we are leaving behind, we will never truly move on. Its time to accept the chance, let go of what wasn’t meant to be and open ourselves to a new journey waiting to be taken.

Though there are people that will enter our lives and remain in it, there are others that will only be present for a season. It doesn’t make them any less valuable, but their time in our lives is limited. If its time for fall, we cant make summer stay. Sometimes we are better of accepting that in order to get something, letting go of something else is necessary. Its time to put our fears aside, set our selves free and open new doors leading to a new beginning.

“I don’t know why we all hang on to something we know we’re better off letting go. It’s like we’re scared to lose what we really don’t even have. Some of us we’d rather have something than nothing at all, but the truth is…to have something halfway is harder than not having it at all”.

Learning to Forgive

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you”. Lewis B. Smedes emphasized a good point with this quotation. We tend to think that by not forgiving we are harming the person who hurt us, but the truth is we are also hurting ourselves. Forgiveness is crucial to maintain a healthy relationship, as well as to prevent you from building feelings of resentment. To prevent harm to both you and your partner there are several points that must be kept in mind when forgiving.

In order to prevent grudges to grow and walls of resentment to build up, it is important to express and let out your feelings. If you are working towards forgiving your partner you must communicate and express your thoughts to him/her. Sharing your feelings after being hurt will not only be healthy towards your relationship but to you as well. If we try to keep everything inside we will reach a point where we won’t know how to handle the pressure. This can lead to dangerous action but can be prevented through communication.

When struggling with forgiveness it is also important to remember the golden rule. We must put ourselves in our partner’s position and think about how we would like to be treated in such situation. No one is perfect and at one point or another, everyone makes mistakes. If you are determined to maintain the relationship there are certain prices that will need to be paid. It won’t be easy but if your partner offers a sincere apology, you must be willing to open yourself towards forgiveness and be willing to give a second chance. This doesn’t mean things will go back to the way they normally were, mistakes are lessons that have to be learned.

After hurting you, your partner will loose a great amount of your trust. We can compare it to a glass object, once broken you can try putting it back together but you will always see the cracks. Those moments of hurt will strongly mark the relationship and it will take a period of time for the trust to be restored. However, people tend to misjudge the meaning of forgiveness. They tend to follow a forgive and forget philosophy. Unless you forget you can’t forgive. Wrong. I disagree with this statement for various reasons. We are not God, we are merely humans, therefore our minds will always be able to recall certain moments in our lives. I believe it is possible to forgive with out forgetting. The art of this consists in erasing the pain, resentment; grudge and such feeling once remembering the moment. The ability to forgive is in being able to remember the pain without feeling the hurt. Once you are capable of doing that, forgiveness is present.

Forgiveness is a normal stage in a relationship. It is very difficult but if there is determination, patience and love, it can be done and can serve as a step of growth.

Response to Cherie Burbach: Dating Abuse

From my point of view this is one of Burbach’s best blog. I believe so because it is very informative and it reaches help to those who are continually struggling with abuse in a relationship. In this blog Burbach’s describes both physical and emotion abuse in a relationship. Neither is acceptable in a relationship and signs of such demonstrate an unhealthy relationship. Teen dating abuse is also mentioned in this blog. Young adults have the habit of dealing with dating abuse without informing or reaching for help. They many times do this because they are afraid to loose their partner. However, they are taking the wrong actions. Love is demonstrated by tenderness and not abuse.

I believe this is a great blog and Burbach did an amazing job. We can use our writing to reach out our help to those who our suffering day by day. Many reader who will scroll down Burbach blog and read this, will able to relate to the subject. This will allow them to recognize sings of dating abuse and receive the help to stop it.

http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2010/02/21/dating-abuse/

Response to Cherie Burbach: Fighting Fair

I personally believe Burbach’s Fighting Fair blog was a great one. It is rare when arguing is not found in a relationship. It is a good sign and can strengthen the relationship, but it can harm it as well. It is important to learn to argue the right way. Burbach mentions very effective points in this blog. I agree with Burbach when she mentions that the setting of the argument is very important. This is an important key because the arguments between you and your partner should be kept only between you and your partner. When arguing we find that many times we say inappropriate things. It is important that we maintain respect in our arguments without offending our partner. Burbach also mentions a very unique point. We must be aware of our arguing style. Your partner must be able to understand what you’re trying to emphasize. Most important, the goal of an argument is to reach an agreement. If this is not achieve there is no use yelling and shouting.

I find that the steps Burbach lists are in order of importance. This is a good tip to follow when trying to illustrate something through writing. The reader must grab your most important points first and the least important later on.

http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2010/03/12/fighting-fair/

Response to Cherie Burbach: Make a New Relationship Successful

Getting caught up in the moment and in ones feelings is very common when begging a new relationship. However, it is very important to be cautious and Cherie Burbach provides tips on how to do so. Burbach mentions that before moving into something new, the old has to be put in the past. This is a great philosophy to live by and follow in a relationship. It is important to let go of the past and expect the best when starting something new. Burbach also mentions the importance of communication. Communication is a key for relationship in all stages. However, if you dont begin a relationship with good communication it can lead to unfortunate consequences. One final point Burbach mentions is the ability to maintain boundaries. You must keep in mind that the relationship is just starting. It is important to give both you and your partner the space needed before getting too close.

Once again, Burbach uses her listing layout to express her points to the reader. This continues to be a great method and a good idea to follow. It makes it very easy for the readers to understand and put her advice into action.
http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2010/03/22/make-a-new-relationship-successful/

The Importance of Communication

When you hear the cry of a baby, you are aware that something is wrong. When the traffic guard indicates to stop, you obey and step on the break. When you reach a traffic light, you know you must follow the instruction and do according to what the light signals. Just like these, there are numerous examples of how communication helps us get through our daily lives. It is essential and without it we would be living in a chaotic world. If the baby wouldn’t cry, the mother wouldn’t be able to supply its need. If the stop sign wasn’t raised, the chances of running into another car are very high. If the traffic lights weren’t present, we would find it very difficult to compromise. Now let’s compare that to our relationships.

Without communication in a relationship, it is impossible to get anywhere. The silence between you and your partner can slowly separate the bonds and create a gap that becomes difficult to fill. It is necessary to inform your partner when you find yourself in the middle of a difficult situation. Like that baby, we have to raise our cry in order to be heard. It is the only way we can receive what we are in need of. The gap and silence in a relationship can lead to horrible results. It can cause your partner to begin making up ideas in his/her mind. Ideas that are not necessary true. For your own good and for the health of your relationship, I encourage you to cry out and inform your need.

There are times where communication leads us to a stop sign. There are numerous occasions where all we want is for our opinions to be heard and we forget how important it is to stop and listen. We tend to believe that communication only consist of talking, talking, and more talking. We are wrong. An important attribute of communication is listening. If we don’t stop and listen, the consequences can be catastrophic. We can cause a lot of unhealthy accidents and conflicts in our relationship. Not only is listening going to prevent unwanted problems, but it is also going to serve as a way to keep learning about your partner. When we want to be informed of something, we quickly become quite and listen to what is being said. Listening to your partner is going to help you get to know the different characteristic and qualities they are made up of. It is important to listen.

The importance of traffic lights; they serve as a compromise for each intersection. The only way for compromises to be reached is through communication. In a relationship, it is very important to learn how to compromise with your partner. It serves as a way to settle the differences among the couple and it puts an end to the claims and demands. If you are no able to compromise in a relationship, it is not a healthy relationship. The couple must be willing to give into each other and be willing to lay down each other’s arms. It is time to settle the differences and accept your partner for what he/she truly is.

The only way for all of this to be accomplished is through communication.

Response to Cherie Burbach: Before You Cheat

After reading a second blog from Burbach, I begin to notice that she is consistent in her layout and style of writing. I think this is a great and very important attribute when writing. This quality makes her blogs know, as well as easily remembered.

In the blog “Before You Cheat”, Burbach makes strong points to support her opinions. Her writing leads the reader to where Burbach stands on the subject. She is against any type of cheating and she clearly states it is not the right way to solve problems in a relationship. I support her opinions and favor the points she made.

I admire the way Burbach lists her advices to the readers. As she writes, she is instructing the readers and making it easier for them to put the tips into action.

I personally believe Cherie Burbach is a great example to follow. She has inspired me to use my writing as a trademark of who I am. Column writing allows the writer to choose a side on the subject, providing a great opportunity to express ones believes.
http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2009/07/11/before-you-cheat/

Learning to Trust

It is rare to find someone who is comfortable giving their trust away. We find it difficult to trust others because we realize we are not in control. There are numerous outputs that can take place once you give your trust away. Trusting can be frightful, but it can also be the key to reaching a healthy relationship.

Relationships are about two people, and trust is the same way. It requires you and your partner to compromise together with honesty and loyalty. In order to trust your partner, he/she must gain that trust. If your partner doesn’t show faithful signs in a relationship, that person is not worthy of your trust.

Many times it becomes very difficult to trust, and the problem is not in your partner. The problem is many times found in us. We live with boundaries and walls before us that impede us from relying and trusting others. These walls may be present due to past experiences where trusting others led us to broken hearts. They might be present due to disappointments when promises were made but never kept. There are numerous reasons why these walls built before us, but if we are not willing to bring these walls down, we won’t be able to trust again. If you can’t trust yourself, it is impossible to trust someone else.

One of the hardest things for human beings to do is to believe in something that is not seen. The proper term would be FAITH. We can try getting along claiming we don’t need faith, but at one point or another it will become essential. In order to trust your partner, you must believe in him/her. It can be a risk for many, jumping into the unknown. The moment you start believing in something, you lose control. All that is left is faith whispering to you..."its worth it".

There are numerous risks that you will encounter after giving your trust to someone. Many times things will work out, but many times they won’t. There will always be the possibility of getting hurt. The point is, we can’t live our lives with the fear of getting hurt. You must take a risk, lose control, bring the walls down, and believe.


"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket -- safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

C.S. Lewis

Response to Cherie Burbach: After the Affair

Burbach is very clear on her opinions and the way affairs should be overcame. Though she stays neutral on the subject, her thoughts and her voice is heard. I like her style of writing because the layout she uses helps keep her ideas organized. From a readers perspective she lists the most important actions that should be taken after an affair first and the least important later on. Throughout the whole blog she is very informative, helping the readers capture her point.

From a personal opinion, Burbach is a good model to follow. She has a different style of layout in her blogs, making it unique and original.
http://www.msdatingconsultant.com/2009/07/12/after-the-affair/

Healthy Dating

Couples tend to rush into relationships without analyzing the serious consequences it can bring. They tend to get caught up in their emotions, ignoring the penalty an unhealthy relationship can lead to. The divorce rate in the United States has increased drastically, shouldn’t this tell us something? Most of the couples that decide to get married are not prepared for such a drastic move.

In order to maintain a healthy marriage, the couple must have a healthy dating relationship. There are numerous tips that can be given to couples in order to maintain a healthy relationship. Trust and loyalty are two of the most important attributes in order to keep dating healthy. If your partner can’t trust you, the relationship won’t go anywhere. In order to keep the relationship growing the couple must be able to depend on each other, trusting and relying on each other’s honesty. In order to gain your partners trust, you must remain loyal to your words at all times. Once trust and loyalty are acquired, the relationship will be able to mature and deal with the struggles ahead.

Communication is also a key to healthy dating. If there is no communication there won’t be any understanding. It is important to share your feelings and thoughts with your partner preventing a gap to grown between each other. Many times the lack of communication causes couples to grow distant from each other when facing problems and struggles. Encountering your partner when in a disagreement is very important, and in order for this to take place communication is essential.

With our forgiveness there is no love. Forgiving your partner’s mistakes is very important for a healthy relationship. We are all trying to aim for perfection, but at this point no one in this world is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and if that is not clear in a relationship, the couple can harm each other. Many times being able to forgive your partner will built stronger bonds between each other. It is not healthy to hold grudges in a relationship; it will only lead to anger and feelings of resentment. In a healthy relationship you should learn to forgive your partner. One will never find the perfect person, but it is possible to learn to see and love someone perfectly.

Healthy dating is essential to having a fruitful relationship. In order to keep the relationship and love growing the couple must be willing to contribute and compromise with each other. Each one should remain loyal to each other, recognizing that with out trust there is no growth. In order to avoid disagreements and arguments communication is a key. Forgiveness is an important attribute of love. It is important to avoid grudges and anger towards your partner and learn to forgive each others mistakes.

Couples will always encounter struggles but if there has been healthy dating and a healthy relationship; it is possible to over come them.