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Understanding the Essence of Psychology

 

 

     The human body and mind make a precarious team. Did you know the human brain is the only organism that can actually study itself? Thoughts and behavior conjoin together to create an astonishing puzzle as to why a person may be or acting the way they are. Some people make a career out of studying the body and mind.That is what psychology is- the study of behavior and mental processes. Being mentally equipped can prepare you for certain situations and help you to improve your life, self-image, and overall your spirit and soul. Everyone should have a basic understanding of psychology to better themselves and improve their lives.

 

 

     The word psychology comes from the Greek word psyche meaning ‘soul’ or ‘mind’. Psychology is the merging of philosophy and biology. The so called founder of psychology was William Wundt. He was born in 1832 and died in the year 1920. He was a German professor, who established the first formal laboratory and journal that was actually dedicated to psychology. He did all of this in Germany. Wundt also generated 54,000 pages in books and articles in his entire career.

     However, all this happened in Germany. What about America? Granville Stanley Hall was the first to create a research laboratory in America. He did so at John Hobkins University in 1883. Hall also launched America’s first psychology journal. Hall was born in 1846 and died 1924. Hall and Wundt actually studied together, briefly.

     So why make such a big deal about psychology? Well, psychology applies to many things such as: mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics (the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body), and other areas affecting health and daily life.

 

     

      

     Many psychologists get Ph.D.s, but you don’t have to have one to be a psychologist. However, the majority do. To get one it generally takes 5-7 years of study after the completion of college.  To be a psychologist, you also need a specialty license from their state to be able to practice. To get this license, you need a certain level of education, work experience, and you have to pass a certain test. If you want to be a psychologist, you should be a people person. Psychologists are trained to watch and analyze behavior then use what they already know to influence the behavior.

     The professions of psychology and psychiatry are very similar, but are not the same. Each field  requires different education. Psychologists require a Ph.D. or Psy.D., while psychiatrists require medical degree(s). Also, psychiatrics can prescribe medication. Psychologists are unable to prescribe medication.

     Most psychologists are counselors, but they can also teach or study and do research on the subject.  Psychologists tend to work in private industries or businesses, colleges or universities, health care faculties, and government agencies. The two largest sub-sections of psychology are clinical psychology and counseling psychology. In these two categories, psychologists study diagnosis and treat a variety of issues that affect mental health. However, these are not the only sub-sections of psychology by far. Some others are: experimental, social, school, developmental, industrial, organizational, neuro-psychology, and environmental psychology.

     A side from the types of psychology, there are also types of careers. The most common careers include: behaviourist, humanistic, and cognitive. Although, there is also psychodynamic, physiological, and social constructionist. The median salary for psychologists in 2006 was $59,440. The top 10% of psychologists made an average salary of $102,730. It is said that a psychologist who has a doctorate will most likely receive the highest salary.

     In today’s world, everything has technology warped into it; so does the profession of a psychologist. Nearly ¾ of all psychologists in a private practices setting use a computer. They use computers for typing, keeping track of files and even scoring or mailing in psychological tests to be scored. Seventy-eight percent of psychologists have a fax machine. Forty-nine percent of psychologists have a pager. Psychologists also use a specific test as a tool to determine personality traits. This test is called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, or the MMPI. It is available online. It is quite long, having 567 test questions. This test is only for people 18 and up.

 

     

     One thing that psychologists have to deal with is any number of psychosomatic disorders in patients.   A psychosomatic disorder is any illness that is caused by or made worse by psychological factors. Psychosomatic disorders usually have a direct link to stress. Stress lowers the immune system’s abilities to fight diseases, thus letting illness invade the body.

     Psychosomatic disorders are often confused with somatoform disorders. A somatoform disorder is a group of psychological disorders marked with imaginary symptoms. Some examples of psychosomatic disorders are fast heart rate, palpitations, feeling sick, shaking, tremors, sweating, dry mouth, chest pain, headaches, a knot in the stomach, and/or fast breathing.

     To treat a psychosomatic disorder, you have to first treat the physical disorder first. To avoid the illness from coming back, psychotherapy is sometimes utlilized. Psychotherapy can make recovery quicker. This all can help treat the illness, but what about the mental and social factors of the illness? These factors could be adding to the disease, or in some cases, causing it.

     Something psychologists use to determine diagnosis of psychological disorders is the D.S.M., or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (now in the 4th print, Revised version).   It is a description of psychiatric and psychological disorders and the corresponding diagnostic codes. These codes are used for prescriptions and insurance. In the D.S.M., there is a description of the disease, but not a description of the treatment.

 

     

     Sometimes, we don’t know what is best for ourselves. Sometimes, we might be happy just where we are and not even know it. But when we know and understand ourselves, we will know when we are happy, and when we are not. If you can understand what you want to do, you will know how you should do it. For example, if you want to be a musician, you should develop better listening skills. If you have an interest in physics, you should become better at math. These are called cooperative capacities, which is a part of psychology. Basically, if you know your cooperative capacity, you will know yourself, and knowing yourself is the best thing a person can do for themselves. 

     Besides cooperative capacities, you also need to understand self-realization. In psychology, self-realization is known as self-development. Self development is becoming aware of your body and mind capabilities. It’s the process of understanding yourself and discovering your needs and goals. This plays a major role in cooperative capacity. However, before you go through this process, you need to understand your potential and how your body and mind work, as well as things that may stop you on your way to success. It’s our experiences that shape us to be who we are. “Any experience, emotional, perceptual, or rational, should be consistent and congruent with the person’s concept of who he or she is.” -Carl Rogers.   When you understand the biological and psychological potentials and factors of a human being, you can succeed in things you want to do. There are several types and versions of thinking, however most people use one over the others and not even notice it. Whereas, if you knew of this and knew other ways of thinking, you would be more well rounded as an individual and would have an advanced and complex thought system. For example, analytic-rational thinking means that you don't see the details, you get the whole picture. If you combined this with a more detailed, intricate way of thinking, you would understand most everything perfectly.

     It is common knowledge that smoking is bad for the body, but if everyone knows, why do people still smoke? The answer is psychology, it’s all mental. If people knew why their brains were making them smoke, maybe they wouldn’t smoke. I’m not saying this is the answer for all smokers, but it may help them stop smoking when adding in therapy and hard work.

 

     

     All people should have a basic understanding of psychology to better themselves and improve their lives. Knowing what psychology is and appreciating and comprehending it can help you in so many ways. Everyone should know how their brain and body work together. Knowing this information can unlock so many possibilities of the human being. Psychology has helped many improve themselves and well-beings. You can too!  

 

 

Works Cited:

“Approaches to Psychology.” Complete Psychology. Complete Psychology. 21  April 2011 http://docs.google.com/viewer/>

Bohlander, Richard, ed. Emotional and Mental Health. New York: MacMillan, 1993

“Founders of Psychology.” AngelFire. 2003. Angel Fire. 21 April 2011                     <http://www.angelfire.com/>

“Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.” Wikipedia. 2011. MMPI. 21 April 2011.             <http://en.wikipedia.org/>

“Philosophy 302: Ethics The Ethics of Self-Realization.”philosophylander.edu2009. Philosophy         Lander. 20 April 2011 <http://philospphy.lander.edu/>

“Psychologist.” BLS. 2010. BLS. 21 April 2011. <http://bls.gov/>

“Psychology: Lesson 44- Thinking, Judgement, and Dicision Making.”hippocampus.org. 2007.         HippoCampus. 21 April 2011 <http://www.hippocampus.org/>

“Psychomatic Disorders.” Patient.co.uk 2011. Patient UK. 21 April 2011                     <http://www.patient.co.uk/>

“Research Salaries in Psychology.” All Psychology Careers. 2008-2011. The Psychology Career     Center. 21 April 2011 <http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/>


“The National Psychologist.” California State University Dominguez Hills. 1995. California State         University. 21 April 2011. <http://www.csudh.edu/psych/tnp4.html>

“What is Psychology?” About.com. 2011. Psychology. 21 April 2011.                
    <http://psychology.about.com/>

“What is the DSM and what is it used for?” American Psychiatric Association. 21 April 2011 .        <http://www.psych.org/>

 

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i am that

 

i am the sock under the bed.
the ugly one without a match,
not the whitest one by far.
the one that no would dare stick upon their precious foot.
i’m disregarded,
under the bed.

i am the last leaf on the fall grass.
the grey, crumpled one,
not the pretty one that you save in your scrapbook.
the one that the thick blue breeze will swipe up,
down a sewer soon.
i’m forgotten,
on the fall grass.

i am the plastic bag, afloat in the sky winds.
the crinkly one,
not like the fresh ones at the store.
the one with the missing handles.
i’m empty,
up in the sky winds.

i am the doll at the dump.
the broken one,
not the one that will ever be found.
the one that was thrown out on Christmas by accident.
i’m lost,
at the dump.

i am the bird singing on the pine branch.
the lonely one,
not the one with the prettiest song.
the one that you find annoying and ignore.
i’m alone,
on the branch.
on the branch.

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This Review of This Lullaby

          I’ve read a couple of books by this author, Sarah Dessen, and I expected her usual story line. Dessen’s stories are known to have a boring, shaky start, and are not always capable to hold the readers by their noses and dance them through the story’s pages and plot. I expected to see one of Dessen’s average main characters, as well. These characters are usually teenage girls that never seem to be alive, but more just a cardboard cutout that stands around awkwardly, like a bad actress, awaiting her next line. So, when I opened to chapter one and settled in, expecting nothing new of Ms. Dessen’s book, I found my self gazing into the eyes of Remy Starr, a spunky, kick-butt kind of girl that wasn’t going to let me stop reading. From that moment on, I knew this book was going to be different, different from all the others. Remy Starr, was going to make me listen to her. Remy Starr, was no ordinary character.

          In this book, we first get to see Remy’s true colors when she plays hard-ball with a cars salesman (who is also her soon to be step-dad). She storms out of his office, when she mysteriously get shoved into a wall by a peculiar boy. This boy tries to reason with Remy. He would like to go on a date with her. But Remy is persistent, and the Dexter challenge begins. Now Dexter, the boy who shoved her, is a challenge-seeker. He’s a person that will never back down when someone says he can’t do something. He pesters her and pesters her, when she least expects it. Finally, Remy breaks down and has no choice, but to go out with him. There relationship is one that Remy feels it different, but is trying to ignore it. She would like it if she could dump him at the end of the summer, as if he was any other boy. But is Dexter just another boy, or will Remy have to change her usual game plan and believe in love for the first time in her life?

 

          I liked this book, mainly because it was not what I was expecting and made me reconsider my thoughts on this author. I love Remy’s attitude towards herself. Deep down, she knows that she’s anal and a perfectionist who doesn’t believe in love, but she tries to behave and act polite, even when Dexter has mustard on his tux. Being able to hear her thoughts and live through her led me to understand more about the book. That was probably my favorite thing about this book. I also liked the variety of characters and basically the variety of the book. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in love and wants to hear another side to the story. Anyone will make a quick connection with the main character and you will immediately want her to be with Dexter. I really recommend this book.

 

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Here's my English PSA that I made with Miranda, Zoe, and Hannah! Check it out! And say no to uniforms! 

 

 

 

 

 

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My Trip to Earth

 

 

            The chaos of the classroom was unimaginable when Ms.Judynne informed us of the next school project we’d be completing.

 

“You will be choosing a country down below. You will download a report on how much better it is up here, on the Platform, than it is down there in whatever particular country you may choose. We will be teleporting there, using the school’s Telly,” Ms. Judynne said, grinning a little.

 

“I have a Telly at my house!” Meg, one of my classmates, blurted suddenly. Meg was quite the blurter.

 

“Meg, please, thoughts need to be kept to your self,” Ms.Judynne reminded. Ms.Judynne raised the behavior remote. She pressed Meg’s button, defiantly. Meg jittered in her chair for a few seconds. Meg sat quietly after that, blank as a new computer touch screen.

 

In today’s world, every person had what was called a multi-brain. When a baby began to talk, that was a sign that it was time to get a multi-brain operation done. It was a standard operation. I think the Tech-Specs actually grew tired of performing it. The multi-brain operation took the average, skimpy human brain, and just made it better and faster by putting computers, gadgets, facts, and a bunch more into your brain. The part about having a multi-brain that not many people thought about (mostly because their multi-brains wouldn’t let them) was that it controlled you. This was a good thing most of the time. It meant that there would never be any criminals, everyone would be good, and it would keep Meg from shouting out in the middle of class. But sometimes, it made me feel like I had a big hole in my head, and in my heart. Not my real heart, but my soul sort of heart. I just felt empty inside I guess.

 

“So, let’s pick out some countries from down below, class,” said Ms.Judynne. She pointed to the touch-classroom. It was a board that you controlled by touch. Except, everything on the board looked very real and felt like it was sitting right next to you in the classroom. It made me dizzy sometimes to look at it, though. The Tech-Specs had come up with it two years ago. It worked well. At the same time two years ago, the tech-Specs came out with classroom beanbag-chairs. They looked like regular, boring, hard-plastic chairs, but they felt as comfortable as a beanbag was. They also weighed the same as one and the material wasn’t hard plastic. They were perfect for a classroom. The Tech-Specs are so smart. The Tech-Specs are so, very, smart.

 

The Tech-Specs are a phenomenal group of doctors are technological engineers. They came up with our world up here, the Platform.  The Platform is a huge steel board that corresponds with the Earth’s steel magnetic core. Using that, it floats up in the sky. On the top of the Platform, there’s some dirt. And on top of that, grass. There are no trees on the entire Platform, unlike there is down on Earth. Some people don’t even know what trees are, but I do, because I go to the most expensive school on the entire Platform. Going here, and paying the most, earns me the best education. I’m glad my parents are rich.

 

"So, we all know the five places on Earth. No need to name them. If you don’t already know them I just sent them to your multi-brains,” said Ms.Judynne. She pressed a button on her remote.

 

“There are five of you and five places; perfect! Ms.Judynne said, enthusiastically. Her multi-brain had done the math for her. “Everyone, pick a place,” Ms.Judynne finished. “Send them in!”

 

I didn’t know what to pick. I could tell by the looks on Ms.Judynne’s face that 2-3 kids had already sent her their desired places. I think one was returned because someone had already taken it. All of a sudden, I got a message in my multi-brain from Ms.Judynne. 

 

Iris-                                                                                                                                                     

Since you haven’t yet chosen a place on Earth to do your report and fieldtrip on, I have assigned you Aldescat, because everyone else has already sent in their requests to my multi-brain. Please, in the future, try to be more effecient.

-Ms.Judynne

 

I got as little zap from my multi-brain and I could feel my body rattling around my beanbag-chair. Ms.Judynne didn’t even look at me. Although I was still shaking, I could see out of the corner of my eye that she put the behavior remote back in her pocket.

Aldescat! I thought. That’s the worst one! Everyone knows Aldescat is full of a bunch of rowdy hicks and hillbillies.

 

“So class, please follow me down to the Telly room so you can begin your fieldtrips.  Remember, you will be completely safe. I will be watching you to make sure nothing happens, and if something does go wrong, I will immediately hit the escape button and you will be back here before you know it”  Ms. Judynne explained.  We stood up from our comfy beanbag chairs and followed her across the hallway to the Telly room.

 

It was not a very big room.  It was just big enough for all of us plus the Telly.  The Telly was the size of how big the 6 of us would be if we were all smooshed together.  In this quaint room, we were a bit tight. 

 

Ms. Judynne walked over to the machine.  It powered up automatically, sensing her multi-brain.  It glowed and hummed a little.  Ms. Judynne set it our assignments using her multi-brain. It glowed very, very bright.  Ms. Judynne herded us all in.  I did not even see the faces of my 4 classmates.  We were all split from each other so quickly and went on our individual fieldtrips.  Then I was there.  In Aldascat!

 

There was a significant difference in Aldascat right away.  It was bright and warm.  Something was making me hold my nose.  It was something inside it, tickling it.  Then I remembered.  It was a called smelling. 

When you get a multi-brain, you are not able to smell anymore.  At least, not on the platform, but on earth you can smell again.  Then I realized I kind of liked the smell.  It was sweet, like hydro-sugar, only better.  I let my nose go and it thrust into the air.  I followed the smell through the grass, and trees, and bushes.  I believe I had my eyes closed, something I hadn’t done in I don’t know how long.  Then, I got a message and a zap from Ms. Judynne.

 

Iris-

It would be greatly appreciated if you could focus on the assignment.  Remember to look for things to download to your report, too.

-Ms Judynne

 

The zap was a short one because I had exhibited miniscule amounts of misbehavior.  It still hurt and I felt a little dizzy.

 

The smell had led me to a small house, as I believed they were called.  On the platform everybody lived in big complexes called clusters.  The house looked cute.  I kind of liked it.  I got another zap, without a message this time.  I ignored it.

 

I went to the front door of the house and “knocked”.  “Knocking” on a door is practical earth behavior.  A small boy came to the door.  He was much smaller than me.  He was much smaller than everybody on the platform.  That was because everybody on the platform was the same height.   Here on earth, people’s heights varied.  Younger beings were smaller than older beings.  Everybody was mixed up.  I kind of liked that thought, everyone being different.  A much stronger zap came through my multi-brain and a message appeared.  It was identical to the previous one.  The zap focused me.

 

The little boy opened the door.

 

“Hello, little boy on Earth.  I’m here for a school project.   I have come from the Platform.  Please let me come in so that I may learn of your primitive earth ways,” I said.  My whole class had rehearsed these lines well.  It was my monotone script that made the little boy start to close the door, I believe, but the snarl on his face had proved different.

 

"I feel you should get out of here,” said the earth boy, still snarling.  I could smell more of the sweet smell inside the house.  I pushed past the boy.  I was in an Earth house.

 

"Mom! Dad!” screamed the boy. “A Platformian broke into our house!”  He said, in a panic.

 

Footsteps come from overhead.  I hunched over, feeling like I was being attacked.  They laughed at me.  I felt like laughing at him.  His tiny size was worth laughing at.

 

Two bodies appeared, coming downstairs.  I had seen stairs once before.  In the house of old, there was a magnificent staircase in a huge glass case.  It showed a woman climbing them, up to the top.  She looked tired, maybe even exhausted.  I found the stairs in this house fascinating, grand even.  It was interesting.  I got a zap, and looked back to the boy.  He was staring at me.

 

" What? Never seen a parent before?” The Earth boy said.  He glared at me.  “Don’t-cha have parents up there?  NO?”  He didn’t even seem to notice his bad grammar.  I looked at him, puzzled.  He scoffed and let out a laugh.  For the first time since I’d come in, I noticed his tussled blond hair.  It was shockingly colored, compared to everyone’s gray hair on the Platform.  Everyone was given grey hair as to not offend the old people.  He had green eyes, instead of black like mine and everyone else’s eyes on the Platform.  He was thin, like a stick.  The “parents” also had hair and eyes like him.  They clumped down on the stairs, loud with their ungraceful feet. I guess, to an Earth being, they would have appeared to be going fast, but compared to the speed that I and everyone else on the Platform could run at, it was like a brisk jog.

 

“Oh dear,” said the female parent.

 

“Yes, yes.  I got a letter a few days ago from the Platform saying there’d be one of you around,” said the male parent.  The female looked at the male. 

 

"Kent,” the female said to the male.  Apparently, the male’s name was Kent. 

 

"I know Marcy, I know,” said Kent.  I guessed that the female’s name was Marcy.  What strange names, I thought. 

 

"My name is Iris,” I said, knowing my name seemed much better than their odd ones. I said it trying not to offend them, but deep down I knew it was true.

 

"Jason, Marcy, let’s how Iris to the kitchen table,” said Kent.  I guessed Jason was the young boy. 

 

"Kitchen?” I asked.  I’d heard the word, but didn’t know what it meant.

 

"Oh boy,” said Jason. He did that thing where his eyes rolled around again. “Follow me,” he said.   The four of us entered a different room.  The one was a bit different.

 

The room was painted red.  It had many metal boxes.  As I would later learn, these boxes were a microwave, refrigerator, stove/oven, cupboards, and a hollow box without a top called a sink.  The cupboards were made of a brown metal.  This metal came from trees.

 

We sat down in some chairs.  They weren’t like the beanbag chairs in school.  They were hard, made of brown metal from the trees.  Jason explained to me that it was called, “wood”. 

 

"Oh,” I said, giving it a good knock.  “Is your door at the front also made of, wood?”  I asked.  Wood was a perfect piece for my report.

 

"Um, yeah,” said Jason kind of confused.

 

"What is that?”  I asked him.  I pointed at the ball of glass and metal hanging on a chain, strapped to the ceiling.

 

"That’s a chandelier,” said Jason.  He said it really slowly, like I was the one being made fun of.  The chandelier was pretty.  It had little glass bubbles in it.  Jason said those were called light bulbs.  It made me feel cozy and excited.  I got a zap, and I stopped looking at the chandelier and the light bulbs. 

 

"I’m sorry, I’m being rude,” I said, talking to all three of them now.  “I thank you for taking me into your house and explaining Earthly matters to me.  I’m sorry if my visit was alarming.  I’m here for a school project and I’m asking for your help with it,” I finished.  I looked up at them. 

 

"Well alrighty then,” said Marcy.  I didn’t mention that “alrighty” wasn’t a word.  And so, we talked.

 

They told me of all the things on Earth.  They explained about swimming pools, telephones, typing computers where you couldn’t touch the screens, books and paper and iPods.  All this stuff seemed so old to me.  I learned so much in just over an hour, as their clock said. 

 

"I thank you for your time,” I said, graciously.  “You’ve taught me a lot and I’m sure my report will be well done thanks to you fine Earth beings. 

 

"Your quite welcome, Iris” said Kent.

 

Before I left I said one last thing, “I think that Earth does not seem that bad,” I said with a smile.  They laughed and showed me out the door at the front.  Then, I got the zap.

 

It was the strongest zap I'd ever gotten. I think it was amplified because I was teleporting while being zapped.  I woke up in the Telly room.  I was still being zapped.

 

"Iris,” Ms. Judynne said sternly.  “You exhibited many examples of misbehavior.  Most of which were misthinking.  Please, in the future, keep your ideas positive about the Platform.  It really is a great place,” Ms. Judynne said.   The last sentence was drawn out in a funny way.

 

I finally stopped rattling and rolling on the floor.  I got myself up and followed Ms. Judynne out of the Telly room, through the hallway, back into the classroom, where 4 pairs of eyes awaited me for some staring.  I don’t think Ms. Judynne notice, or maybe she thought I deserved it.  All I knew was that I missed my fieldtrip down to Earth and wished I could go down there again.  I knew that I would visit again, someday.  Maybe I would even live there someday.

 

ZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!!!!!!

 

Someday.

 

 

 

 

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My Place

    If I could go to anyplace in the U.S. right now, I would go to Hershey, Pennsylvania. I have never been there, but would love to go! It would be so much fun to learn about my favorite brand of chocolate. And of course, I’d enjoy the part of eating some of the chocolate, too. There’s also other things to do there. Such as rides,golf courses, and many other things aside from the park. Hershey Pennsylvania is described as the sweetest place on Earth and is said to have the scent of chocolate hanging in the air, like a best friend always by your side. This sounds like such a cool place I can’t wait until someday I visit there.

 

Information from: http://www.hersheypa.com/

 

 

Photo from: http://media.photobucket.com/image/hershey%20pennsylvania/buckylarue/Hershey_PA.jpg

 

 

 

Sal’s  Place

    One place that Sal went to in the book, Walk Two Moons, is Lake Michigan. While in Wisconsin, Sal stopped there to feel the cool water. Lake Michigan has a surface area of 22,400 sq miles. It is the 2ND largest Great Lake of the five. It has an average depth of 279 feet and it’s greatest depth is 923 feet. There are many popular beaches surrounding Lake Michigan. Such as, Fox Point, Green Bay, and Milwaukee, just to name a few. Sal enjoyed Lake Michigan, along with many other people that love Lake Michigan, too!

 

Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan

 

 

Photo from:  http://www.michiganfishingonline.com/Lake%20Michigan%20Fishing.jpg