iMedia: Body Image

 

The message of this video is a powerful one and it should be watched by every woman or young girl that is having trouble or has had a difficult time, with loving themselves.  With images in the media and in magazines of stick thin girls (not that there's anything wrong with how they look), gives the impression to those struggling with their body image that it's wrong to have a few extra pounds or more. People of all body types should be proud to be who they are and accept their little imperfections and quirks as being unique.

An Inconvenient Truth: Music business

With a lot of music going viral in this age, the argument is often brought up about how it is ruining the music business. I disagree, however. When music is easier to access and right at your fingertips, you are more inclined to listen to it which could lead to many things, say, seeing the band or artist in concert (which you pay for, need I remind you). There is a much larger audience of listeners and potential listeners on the internet than anywhere else. If you could download something for free, why would you buy the c.d.? I, for one, think c.d.s should stop being made if they do become too costly and if sales drop increasingly. Sure you'll have it forever, but why would you waste $10+ for something you will sync into iTunes and listen to on your iPod? The music business is doing just fine for now and should focus on utilizing the internet as a valid form of promotion.

Blogging Around: 5/5/11

The first blog I chose to comment on was Jenny's about a post emphasizing the importance that people stay aware of their surroundings, whether it be at school, home, or in the real world. "I agree about keeping up with what's going on in the world. It's extremely important to be aware of current events and what the country you live in is going through, as well as in other countries/nations . Students feel as if the news doesn't apply to them when in reality, all of it does in one way or another, which they should be cognizant of." This is so critical, especially when so many things in the world are changing, like in Egypt, Tunisia, etc.

Next, I moved on to Addie's blog and a post about a Do You Mind question caught my attention. The question was along the lines of if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Addie's response was her birthplace so she could have been able to experience different cultures and lifestyles. My response to her post was this: "I appreciate your answer to this question and agree that being born somewhere else is quite a concept to wrap your head around. Being born in an affluent suburb is something so many people take for granted and they don't even stop to think how different their lives would be if they had been born in the Bronx or on the south side of Chicago. Also, how even more different their lives would be had they been born in France or Italy. It's all very interesting to think about." Although changing my birthplace is not something I'd change about myself, it'd certainly be fascinating to possibly see what would have happened with my life had I not lived in Glenview/Niles.

Best of Week 4/25

After watching and listening to a couple presentations this week, I decided that Julie's was relevant to what we were learning in class, which I appreciate very much. Her presentation was about how art and science work together and that you cannot have one without the other. This goes hand in hand with a concept from Consilience, which we are reading and discussing as a class. Art can lead to science, and science to art. There is evidence of both within the other. For example, Apple uses art and creativity in its campaign for iPads and iPhones, which were made by science and technology.

Blogging Around

Julie made a captivating post about how people who win large sums of money are not always deserving of it or content with their new found wealth. There are many obstacles to overcome and they must adjust to a new way of life.

"I share this same view that people are not always happy after winning millions of dollars. There is a show on cable network TLC that shares where big lottery winners are now. They discuss how friends and family suddenly remembered who they were again and acted friendly in hopes of getting some money. The winners have also had to manage not spending all of the money at once and save some for the future, which was more of a challenge for some more than others. In short, money does not always bring happiness and those who work hard feel more deserving of what of they have."

Marina had a post about the movie Blue Valentine and its meaning/connection to the real world. The film itself is very realistic and does not sugarcoat the trials and tribulations of budding romance or married life. This kind of topic is very interesting to me since my views on marriage and love are a bit paradoxical. I believe in marriage, but only if both sides can safely say they truly love one another and are completely honest and real together.

"First of all, this was a fantastic movie and I'm really glad you thought so as well. We share different views about love, however. Being in love is something that not everyone can say they have felt, or will feel, but what's the problem with trying? It is fact that people get hurt in a relationship when it is over, but that is to be expected and will happen many times over. It is the fact that you were happy during the relationship that counts and that those months or years were well spent. Nothing lasts forever, whether it be from divorce or death, or simply parting ways but the pain/hurt is always worth it."

Best of Week 4/18

During this past week, we have discussed many different subjects in class. Whether it was during this week or a couple weeks previous, the discussion on how technology is running our lives really stuck with and impacted me. How we are practically attached to our cell phones and how we get dopamine rushes in the brain each time that little red one pops on Facebook or each time you receive a text message. We have become addicted to this dopamine and depend on it to make us happy and to feel a sense of self-worth. Without it, we become antsy, impatient, unable to sit through a 10 minute Youtube video or unable to read an interesting newspaper article or disinterested in class lectures. Our minds are always focused on getting this dopamine that we are always checking our phones and other mobile devices for signs of activity to get us excited. I notice this in myself, actually quite often unfortunately. The other day, I decided to watch one of my favorite childhood movies, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the one with Ivan Ooze (aka, the best one) and all throughout watching, I was constantly checking the internet and alternating between the many websites I am hooked on. Before I knew it, the film was over and I did not remember even watching it.  Sad? I know. But this isn't the only case. When reading books assigned from English at home, I catch myself checking my phone during each chapter break or even pauses in the page. Why can't I just sit through a full chapter, say 20 pages, without feeling cut off from the lives of friends or the internet world?

The Post-American World, Final Blog

The book I read for literature circles was The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria. There were a lot of key ideas in this novel, such as how the 'rise of the rest' would affect America and what we could do to not fall behind in such a time. Among this claim, there were many sub-claims about what America is doing wrong now and what they must change, for example how we are living in our own little cocoon. Some of the key ideas in this novel relate to some in the book Cognitive Surplus. As a reference, I used Addie's blog since her response made me think about the content I had recently read in mine.

In that novel, the use of adjacent possible was said to be a major theme, using the past to assist with the future and help with making important decisions. This can be related to my novel The Post-American World because in order to succeed in a new era, America will have to look back in time and learn by example of how other countries were able to maintain power among the globe.

Captured Thought: Learning matters!

This is something I have been thinking about for awhile now and it was recently brought back to my attention when doing an AP Psychology writing assignment, in which we had to free-write about our learning experiences (what influences it, how we learn best, what we enjoy learning about most).

Presently, I feel that students are disinterested in school more than ever before. With so many more television shows to watch and music to listen to, learning seems to be the least of everyone's priority. While the media is becoming a teenager's primary source of information and a tool for "knowledge", books and newspapers are a thing of the past. Why would anyone want to sit down and read a book with no photographs when they can easily access the same on the internet? Of course there are exceptions: those who attend school with anticipation and excitement to learn something new.

There is so much to be gained by just simply paying attention in school. It may take a lot of patience and will-power to stay awake during lectures or when the lights are off, but it is extremely rewarding to know that you understand class material and are able to talk about the information outside of school, if you choose to do so.

I find it shocking that many students either do not seem to care about current events or just have no clue about what is going on in the world. Admittedly, I at first did not know about what was happening in Egypt until brought up in class. However, I then took it upon myself outside of class to research the subject and understand the importance of those events. The same can be said for the crisis in Libya currently.

The so to speak ignorance of many high school students is very sad. It is sad how they little they care about expanding their mind and empowering themselves through the use of knowledge. 

The Post-American World, Meeting one/1-65

Chapter One sets the tone for upcoming chapters, establishing what the rise of the rest means and how the US will not always be a leading power if it does not adapt to global changes. Brief history lessons are given that explain how power-shifts occurred and what it meant to each time period within the past millenium. Three major forces in globalization are said to be politics, economics, and technology, each of course important in their own way.

"The fact that we are living in a world of synchronous global growth is good news, for the most part, but it is raising a series of complex and potentially lethal dilemmas" (Zakaria 27).

The political and economical structure of America currently, will more than likely not carry it in the global market in the future. We will have to make necessary changes to compete with new global powers. This entails challenging the status quo, changing it, and adapting to new ideals that will once again make the country a successful power. Technology must be advanced and we will have to become more open-minded and less bigoted when dealing with foreign relations and foreign markets, in order to not offend or ignore important input.

It Matters: The "Adjacent Possible"

For a couple of weeks now, we have been discussing the adjacent possible. My understanding of the term is all events which have come before the present that help add to the importance or meaning. We began learning of the adjacent possible as far as Sophie's World. Each philosopher used the ideas which came before them, so on and so on. Sophie eventually puts together all of the different pieces and forms her own philosophy, thus utilizing the adjacent possible. This concept also applies to what we have learned in second semester,  beginning with Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." He quoted many people who have influenced him and his ideals while locked in the cell. Without them, he would not have articulated his points so well or efficiently.

In current events, the adjacent possible applies to the protest situation in Egypt. Citizens decided to no longer put up with their government and that enough was enough. Using the adjacent possible of the protests in Tunisia, Egyptians felt it was time to take action. Tunisia also must have been influenced by another event which prompted them to act out. An example of the adjacent possible put to use is http://english.aljazeera.net/ which currently has live feeds of what is happening in Egypt. 

Without the adjacent possible, computers would be here and neither would any modern inventions. It goes back in time forever and influenced each event in history. The adjacent possible serves as an example and without it, what would we have to live by?

Metacognition: First Semester in Humanities

Before signing up for Humanities, I heard that it was a good class but also bad. Good because of the creativity that is used and allowed, but bad because of certain personal experiences people have had. The class was tough in the beginning and I remember thinking: "When can I be creative? When can I flourish the most and be myself?" Of course, I thought that there would be no essays and that the class would be all fun and games. However, what english class does not have to write essays? As the semester rolled on, I began to enjoy the class more because there were so many different elements and projects. The semester was broken up into two quarters, and each quarter had a different theme. This worked out very well since it provided a chance to think in a new way. Some people are mroe creative and some like guidance.   During the end of the second quarter, my thinking began to be constant. I began to think philosophically, even outside of the classroom. This impressed and shocked me, to say the least. What I could possibly do better is to be more open-minded about othr students' viewpoints and opinions.


At times, the course was very difficult and time consuming but now I see the purpose and am glad that i took this class.