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.

Metacognition: A tribute to Aristotle

For this project, I decided to organize files on my laptop. This is already something I do semi-regularly, or when I do not have enough memory left. Not having enough RAM capacity always makes me feel anxious and as if there is a weight on my shoulders. I also feel regret, for not organizing files while saving them, but instead just sending them into the vast unknown. However, as I get into the groove of organizing, deleting, and moving files, this weight diminishes, and I start to feel productive. After the work is complete, I am just glad that the task is over and I don't have to go on worrying about it any more or have it hanging over my head. 

My mind feels less cluttered and open. I feel as if I can think more clearly as well.

After the project, I know that I need to organize my files better at regular intervals, instead of just letting it all accumulate until the breaking point. Organization is key: if your life is organized, then your mind will follow.

Carry It Forward: Descartes in Sophie's World

Descartes had many valid points and of course some not so valid, as does every philosopher. First of all, Descartes and Socrates were both convinced that certain knowledge can only be acquired through reason. I agree with both of them since through reason, you can decide what is right, wrong, truth, or opinion. Again like Socrates, Descartes would not accept that he knew nothing. He claimed that we can only accept anything as being true if we can clearly and distinctly perceive it. This makes sense since this laptop I am using exists; I can see it, feel it, and obviously use it. Descartes started off by doubting everything, so that he can work his theories out from scratch, from a completely blank slate. Therefore, the fact that he doubted everything was the only thing he was certain of. This is where his theory gets complex, and lost me. However, I was brought back in by the expression, "I think therefore I am." This is something you and I have heard numerous times, I'm sure.

Descartes's next point I'd like to bring up is that there exists a perfect entity. He claimed that there would not be a perfect entity if it didn't exist and we would not possess the idea of a perfect entity if it didn't exist. God is very present in this theory, since God is that perfect entity, since no human being is perfect. By this, Descartes must believe that God exists, which I do not agree with however.

Philosophy is very complicated and each person has a right to their own opinions, some people are just more inclined to share them.

An Inconvenient Truth: Men As "Breadwinners"

This theory has been around for all of time, beginning with the story of Adam and Eve; Eve was created with Adam's rib, therefore he is more powerful. 

The issue of sexism rubs me the wrong way, and it should have that effect on everyone. Being told that men are superior since childhood pollutes the mind and therefore, children grow up believing that it is true. Little girls are supposed to wear frilly clothes and do "girly" things like arts and crafts, take ballet, and be soft-spoken. They see their mothers, most of the time, stay at home and tend to household chores while their fathers work to support them.

Even on television, this the common view: a mother stays home with the children while daddy goes out and makes a living. Women and girls alike are taught that they need to play Susie homemaker, so to speak. Shouldn't everyone be allowed to go out and make a living for themselves?

This is getting to be more common in modern day, however. Young females are going to college and working before settling down and starting a family. Even when they do, most are still working, sending kids to daycare centers and daytime babysitters. 

Growing up with a single mother who always had to work to support us, I can see how doing so makes for a strong, independent woman. I can't help but appreciate and look up to her.

Best of Today: Class discussion on Wednesday 11/3/10

The best and only thing we did in class Wednesday was discuss Sophie's World and why Gaarder juxtaposes two stories, much like Marianne Wiggins did in The Shadow Catcher.

I had a difficult time understanding this book and its purpose, but I started to realize how important philosophy can be during the discusison in class. Philosophers ask the questions that i am too afraid to ask myself, and even though they may not know an answer, it is better to at least have tried to arrive at one. 

I am a philosopher in the sense that I know that I do not know everything, and therefore do not brag about being all-knowing. Socrates felt the same, and he was in turn the wisest man in Athens. Sophie also realizes this about herself, which makes me relate to her character. 

The discussions in class, but specifically this one from Wednesday, make me think about many things. If someone brings up a really good point, I can't help but think "Wow." Certain comments also stick with me, and can carry over into different classes or discussions I have outside of school.

iMedia: George Carlin's Modern Man

George Carlin's comedy, not just this one video, can teach us many things. His cynical attitude shows what is wrong with society and he tells it like it is and is never afraid to hold back. His genuine honesty has gained him a very loyal following, even after his death a little over two years ago.

I first was introduced to Carlin's comedy around the time of his death, strangely enough, by an old friend. At the time, I didn't understand how important this man was to popular culture and how many comedians he has inspired. However, as I got older, I understood the magic of his words and how true he is as a person and comedian; how he can take a serious issue and make a joke about it without being over-the-top.

Carlin can be seen as quite controversial, with monologues such as "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." For the time of 1972, he was very inappropriate. He knocked down barriers and was something no one at the time was familiar with.There are no words that I can say to do this man justice, except to say that he has inspired me and my personality today. He is a realist, which taught me to be the same. The world is not perfect, and he knew it.

In this specific video, Carlin states what a "modern man" is. How superficial "he" is and how this type of person is not real at all. He examined and critiqued what is wrong with this modern culture and used his wonderful wit to exploit it. For this and many other things do I admire him.

Best of Week: Born Into Brothels

I thought that the best thing we observed in class the week of 10/18 was the documentary Born into Brothels. What I liked most about this film, although not the only thing, was how happy these children were just to be learning photography. Avijit was already very artistic and when introduced to this new art form, he immediately enjoyed it. Every single child has something different to offer through their photo skills as well. Some take photos of their families, some of the streets of which they belong to. Each time one of them smiles, it makes me smile. This documentary has so far taught me that you need to pursue your dreams, because you never know where they will take you. These children have taken advantage of the opportunities that photography gives them, because otherwise they are not given much. Not one of the children let themselves be affected too much by their surroundings, either. They try to stay positive and enjoy their lives while they are young and before they are forced to grow up and become adults, whatever their responsibilities will entail. This documentary leaves me with a sense of hope after each day of viewing. It has also peaked my interest in Indian culture, whether that was the purpose or not. I could only hope to achieve something of this magnitude with my life and I extremely admire Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski for all their time and effort put into teaching these kids that there are ways to escape the pain of living in a impoverished brothel. 

Metacognition: QE Essay

I have written about my experience while writing essays in a previous post, but as this essay progressed, the style of my thought processes changed. 

While discussing this essay in class before the entire process began, I had an idea about what question I wanted to write about: What role does education play in creativity? I even thought of an example while still in class that I could use to open up the paper with. However, after receiving Section 1 with a grade on it, I read the other questions that night. I realized I could use the same example, but choose a question that would be easier to use the class material as support.

When the time came to write Section 2, I had not prepared anything the night or nights previous, which left me in a bit of a rush. I had to think fast and about what made sense or what did not. In times like these, there is no space to be creative or add extra insignificant details, which is actually quite nice. It eliminates unnecessary thoughts/words. Before starting Section 3, though, I did make corrections on Section 2 because God knows I needed to. 

And now it is time for Section 3: the final section of the QE Essay. Even though we were given class time for this, I could not make myself focus. Therefore, this was left for the night before the whole essay was due. Bad idea, yes, but I find that I work well under pressure. Much as I am now: rushing to get this blog post done before the school day is over so I do not have to worry about it anymore. 

What I learned through-out this QE Essay process was that it is easier to write an essay or any piece of writing in parts; it takes the dread and pressure out of the equation, at least somewhat. There were still deadlines and guidelines to follow, but you can focus more on a single section instead of the whole.

Blogging Around

The first blog that I read was Angelo's. His essential focus was that inspiration is needed to write essays and other pieces of writing. It is difficult to become inspired, but your environment can in turn help to focus your mind and give inspiration while writing. "I agree with you that inspiration is hard to come by at first, but when you find it, essays and other pieces just come together naturally. The part about your loud siblings was comical, as well as the part about you staying focused on an essay in the midst of a fire. I enjoyed your acronym for inspiration, even though it didn't make too much sense. But inspiration doesn't make sense, either, does it?"

The second blog I chose to comment on was Katie T's. Her writing style reminded me very much of my own, and it was if I had wrote her Metacognition post myself. Her focus was on blog posts, and how writing them takes time and may not be a simple task.  She starts out by reading other blogs, which I have done as well, to start on her creative thinking process and get her mind going. "I enjoyed this post very much, I must say. Your style of writing reminds me very much of my own, in certain ways. The part about soaking up each others creativity is very true; we, as students, draw creativity and ideas from peers and other elements around us. Although you still have to find a way to differentiate your thought processes from what you may see in the end, reading other classmates' posts is very helpful. Blogs don't have to be something to dread, because like you said, they aren't so bad after all."

Metacognition: QE Essay and Blog Posts

The process I go through when writing essays, and this year even blog posts, is very similar; perhaps the exact same. Both start with me brainstorming ideas while listening to music that makes me think, become inspired, and focus on the task at hand. This is usually effective, but sometimes I just sit and stare at the computer screen, waiting for an idea to be formed. Music with lyrics usually causes this, which is why I tend to draw inspiration from music sans words. 

As the writing gets going and I find an issue to address or whatever the case may be, numerous changes are made. Delete this sentence, add a certain word here, make corrections there, this sentence makes little sense-discard it. I am indecisive by nature, so writing an essay or blog post can take a couple hours or more. However, I tend to save essays and blog posts to the last minute, since I am forced to perform and get the job done quickly. Before the task is done, though, I proof read. I never used to do this, since I once hated reading my own writing. I have realized that proofreading is necessary. You can find mistakes that you never even know you made, or add any final thoughts before hitting 'Print'. 

My thinking is usually very sporadic and all over the place. When I can focus on one thing, I can get it done. It still surprises me that I am capable of accomplishing something when really putting my mind to it. Of course, there are times when I wish i could just drown out the rest of the world and not let the environment influence my thinking negatively. Certain things distract me, which can be for the better. Often though, that is not the case.