Funny Freddie

Hey guys! So Kristen and I were hanging out and turned on the TV, and coincidentally turned on a parody of Frederick Douglas - Funny or Die. Thought you guys might want to check it out at this http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d47e6a33a5/drunk-history-vol-5-w-will-ferrell-don-cheadle-zooey-deschanel

Though it may be seen as disrespectful, it is honestly rather humorous, and Kristen and I found it both very entertaining and it referenced the history we learned in class! (p.s. definitely LOL worthy)

Sexism is Alive

Many Americans see sexism as a thing of the past. However, it is very much alive today. Though many may claim that they do not a sexual predjudice, I believe that subconsciously many males have a superiority complex, and find themselves better/more important than women. This can be seen by the example below. Punctuation is powerful and the vast difference between the statements made by the two sexes is alarming.

Both sexes seem to make their gender seem more important than the other. It could be argued that many women harbor deep-setted resentment towards men. Women and men are both usual culprits of being sexist today. On the Sexism Watch: The 2010 Black List it becomes clear that women's independence and skill are not appreciated by Hollywood. The majority of the top movies of 2010 were produced by men and films starring a female role had the female starr "in service of men." One of the Top Movies of 2010 includes Twilight: Eclipse, in which a young girl is dependent to the point of suicide on a male (vampire). The media, as has been noted before, has a large impact on our world. It is hard to believe that the media still contains subtle promotions of sexism.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

I hope everyone is having a day full of family, laughter and warmth. Christmas is a religious holiday that has been turned into a capitalist sensation. While opening gifts today also think of how lucky you are to have  such gifts, that you can afford a Christmas tree and that you have a family that loves you. Even though Christmas as turned into a way to help the economy and promote Santa, I ho-ho-hope everyone can truly get in the holiday spirit and appreciate this holy day.
(Also, while listening to 93.9 FM for holiday jams, I realized every single one for the hour I listened involved Santa. Sure, he's an awesomely generous and magical old man, however why does he symbolize the material things of Christmas. Gifts. Money. etc...)

Nobody can do everything but everyone can do something...

"I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives. " ~Tracy Chapman

 In this holiday season, you can be an angel, you can make a difference.

Unbelievable Apparel

Following the body-image theme from Thursday I would like to call attention to a shirt that my favorite store, Urban Outfitters, once had available for sale. The shirt has a rather frighteningly direct message (see image below):

Many woman of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds have seen this shirt in stores and on-line. It is fittingly worn by a stick-skinny model and most certainly tells customers that they should "Eat Less" to achieve model-worthy beauty. This is disgusting. Many media sources subliminally tell girls to watch their waistlines, however something so direct and offensive scares me. Urban Outfitters has always been my favorite store, but there is no way that I would ever support the "fashion" statement this shirt is sending. Actress Sophia Bush was also appalled at Urban Outfitters for producing this shirt. She wrote a letter of complaint as follows:

UO,

 I have been a supporter of your store for many years, but now I’m through. I am fortunate enough to star on a wonderful TV show called One Tree Hill. I play a fashion designer named Brooke Davis, who started a campaign on the show called “Zero Is Not A Size” and the outpouring of love and gratitude that came my way from girls and women ALL OVER THE WORLD who have body image issues brought me to tears.

 To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your stores. And I will encourage the tens of thousands of female supporters I have to do the same. I have fought to boycott BP. I never imagined I would also be boycotting affordable fashion.

You should issue a public apology, and make a hefty donation to a women’s organization that supports those stricken with eating disorders. I am sickened that anyone, on any board, in your gigantic company would have voted ‘yes’ on such a thing, let alone enough of you to manufacture an item with such a hurtful message. It’s like handing a suicidal person a loaded gun. You should know better.

I sincerely hope that next time you decide that making fun of serious issues is comedic, or ‘snarky in a cool way,’ that you rethink your decision.

With Sincerity but NO respect,

Sophia Bush

Bush eloquently was able to write her and my anger in writing. The shirt is not funny. It's dangerous, and if UO needs to make a shirt commenting on weight, it could sell millions of shirts with the message below:

If anything, I would buy a shirt with this message. Society continues to shock me.

"Celebrate the things you don't like about yourself- love yourself." ~ Lady Gaga

Everyone deserves their own love. I can only hope that our culture of body hatred can mature.

Barbie Inc. stopped The Body Shop from printing this add. I have never seen an ad that compels me to buy something more. The ironic thing is that real Barbies, loved by millions of little girls, are promoting the message that an ideal and beautiful body is one that is about 7 feet and 2 inches tall and about 101 pounds. If this "ideal" Barbie was alive, her vital organs would not even fit in her body and she would be dyeing of malnutrition. What message are we sending to our youth?

I hope to send the message that: Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Society is the one that's disgusting.

With My Bare Hands

Today I went on an excursion with my advisery to the North Shore Dojo in Glenview to learn basic self defense techniques. And wow, it was most definitely not what I expected. Sensei Jeff taught us to not only avoid dangerous situations but how we can maneuver our way out of dangerous spots, even when facing a 200 lb. male. He did not mince words. Within the first couple minutes of entering the dojo we were told that "can't" and "sorry" were not allowed to be in our vocabulary and that there was no f***ing around. He had no filters for profanities and sexual references. He tried to scare us, anger us, and empower us.
Within a half hour of his incessant drilling and ferocity to the slightest giggle, I realized that learning to defend myself was not just to protect my  physical and mental health, but also to protect my civil liberties.
It's not fair that rape and assault is so common on college campuses around the world. It's not right that a woman is raped every 6 minutes...day and night. When one is sexually assaulted their freedoms of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, speech etc. are put on hold. The individuals life is unwillingly held in the hands of another.
Now that I know basic wrist, nose, ear and head jabs, I feel somewhat more liberated and able to exercise my rights.

At the end of our two hour training session we each were called upon to break a relatively thick wooden board with our bare hand (as if it were an attackers face). After i slapped it and failed several times, only succeeding in a very bruised and red hand, I got angry. The anger I experienced was the exact emotion Sensei Jeff had been trying to instill within each of us the entire time. It is not okay to allow your civil liberties to be taken away (by assault or any other way) and you have to learn to protect yourself and mean it.
The empowerment I felt when I slammed the board and cracked it in half was unreal. The experience added to my confidence in my abilities to defend myself and my rights. Everyone deserves to have the same confidence.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Now that it's December, the holiday consumer madness has begun. On every street corner holiday wreaths and lights hang. The odd thing about this though, is that all of the advertisements seem to be directed towards Christmas shoppers. Check-out clerks make it a point every year to say "Happy Holidays," versus the singular and discriminatory, "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hannukah," or "Happy Kwanza." At the same time in our towns the street lights have a christmas wreath tied with a red ribbon. A wreath doesn't say "Merry Chrannukwanza" but solely "Merry Christmas." Why is this okay?
If there has been controversy in stores over the superiority of the phrase, "Happy Holidays," why is it that the JCPenny ad (and their entire website) is written in entirely in green and red writing?
I understand that a larger percentage of Americans celebrate Christmas, but why begin to try to send a univeral seasons greeting that is directly pointing to one religious sect and holiday?

When I typed in "Happy Holidays" into Google images the first image that popped up is above. Does it seem to be favoring a certain holiday to anyone?

"It's about us..."

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on this gorgeous brisk november day!
This day is not only set aside to encourage Americans to eat ridiculously large portions of sweet potatoes, turkey and stuffing coated with rich gravy and cranberry sauce; this day is about reflecting on your life. After this reflection I, like many others always realize that, my life is pretty darn good. Beyond declaring your thankfulness for everyone and everything in your life, Thanksgiving is also a day to think of how you can improve upon the next year (whether this means to be more generous with church donations or more sympathetic with neighbors and their political yard signs.)
I came across an article on Obama's thanksgiving address this morning. It really hit home.
The article Obama's Thanksgiving message cites need for bipartisan representation, not only talks of how the Obama's spent time volunteering in a soup kitchen for Thanksgiving, but also on Obama's simple plan in the greater scheme of things.

Obama labels an American's mission as one where all citizens, regardless of their differences (political parties, race, gender, socio economic background etc.), "come together and do what's required to make tomorrow better than today." This simplistic goal makes every hardship a little bit easier to overcome. If we just focus on one day at a time, we will be able to accomplish a lot more...and be happier and more thankful. Every country and every person has hardships, but, at the same time, every nation and  human being has experienced things to be grateful for. A difference in political opinions or nationality does not change any of the core characteristics of a human being.
Thanksgiving was founded after the Civil war in attempts to unite the nation. Appropriately, I believe in Obama's similar message for, if we unite as one and work on making the world a bettter place we can improve our nation. It all start with us though, "it's about us" ultimately.

Fixin' To Die

Everyone is well aware of the impact media plays has in one's everyday life. We know that propaganda is often found in the form of posters, commercials, and newspapers articles. However, I believe music to be the source of a lot of political opinions and anxieties. Artists generally have a large audience and therefore the ability to influence and impact a large number of people. In class, I am studying the Vietnam War and immediately realized it's connection to multiple songs my parents often playedwhen I was younger. My mother, who was a large anti-war activist (and a huge hippy might I add) commented over dinner that "protests were basically free concerts." This really emphasizes that music played a large role in anti-war movements.


One in particular bluntly adresses  the general frustration and anger (at the government) many were experiencing because of the Vietnam War. This song is: I-Feel-Like-I'm Fixin'-to-Die  Rag by Country Joe & The Fish (1965). This song was a huge tool in the anti-war movement. The lyrics speak directly to the complaints, protests, and fear that were circulating at the time. I've noticed that many songs have political messages engrained within them, particularly those at wartime (just look at Woodstock).
There are a couple lines by Country Joe McDonald that pretty much say it all:

"Well, Come On All Of You, Big Strong Men,
Uncle Sam Needs Your Help Again.
He's Got Himself In A Terrible Jam
Way Down Yonder In Vietnam
So Put Down Your Books And Pick Up A Gun,
We're Gonna Have A Whole Lotta Fun. "

This opening stanza speaks directly to the audience of the time. Men, regardless of race or location were being drafted to fight. There is sarcasm in these lyrics, poking fun at "Uncle Sam" and his tendency to get into trouble. He notes the specific irony in the fact that the US government was encouraging young men to give up on their college or educational plans in order to fight. Deep sarcasm is deeply sensed and felt in the last line. McDonald had served in the war, and expressed sentiments felt by many of his fellow veterans and Americans.

This song became almost a theme-song of protestors, and packs an immense deal of emotion into a relatively short song that reached out to an enormous audience. Check out different songs from the 60's and you'll find an overwhelmingly large number of them address the war directly or indirectly through speaking about peace.
Some you might recognize are:
 "Revolution" -The Beatles; "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" -The Animals; "Ohio" -Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; "Masters of War" -Bob Dylan; "Come Together"- The Beatles; "Give Peace a Chance" or "Imagine" -John Lennon; "Light My Fire" - The Doors

The Gossip Industry

November 4th, 2010 was the opening of New Trier's annual Literary Festival. This at first did not thrill me, for I expected to have to sit through endless rambling about writing, grammar, editing and passion for the arts. Adversely, the two hours I spent at the Cornog Auditorium in Northfield could not have been more intriguing, comical or thought-provoking.
Many artists performed, each defying my expectation of what it means to be a poet, musician, magazine editor or author. The last presenter, Davey Rothbart, of Found Magazine got me thinking. This young man, has created a career from the collection of garbage. Why do we care about people's garbage anyway?  Found is a magazine compiled by notes and little artifacts "found" by people in relatively random locations.
It seems that people care a great deal about other people's trash, secrets and past. As he was reading various love notes, threatening letters, and advertisements, I was overcome by a desire to read more, I admittedly did not like minding my own business. But, I was obviously not the only one. Found attracts thousands of readers with each publication.

Found is not the only publication of people's secrets or personal notes. There is an entire chain of websites devoted to sharing one's secrets, confessions and special anecdotes with the world. These websites would not be growing everyday if they did not attract such a large audience. I visit Six Billion Secrets, Gives Me Hope, and their sister sites such as Love Gives Me Hope, Taste of Awesome and more on a pretty regular basis. Humans seem to share an insatiable desire for gossip, stories and tales of other peoples lives. This is almost sad to me because it seems that the only reason for the success of these publicized secrets is that we love to be distracted by other peoples misfortunes or luck so we can avoid the reality of our own lives.

A Hamilton Chang Halloween

This last Sunday was Halloween, a day dedicated to costumes, candy and...campaigning. My friend and I went out to trick or treat for about a half hour. In a mere thirty minutes we came across many Hershey bars, M&M's and the one and only Hamilton Chang himself.
Prior to my encounter with this candidate for Illinois State Representative for the 17th District, I had absolutely no idea who this "Hamilton Chang" was or what he was about.
But now, after meeting this candidate at his own residence (accompanied by many delicious treats, blondies, brownies, candy corn and even chocolate bars with his face and name on the wrapper) I have a pretty warm feeling towards Mr. Chang.

My Halloween encounter with him prompted me to visit his campaign's website where I was able to become educated on his political views and activities. In this way, his Halloween campaigning was very successful.

My trick-or-treating experience with Mr. "Chang for Change" left me feeling a bit confused. First off, I believe his use of Halloween as a intelligent and prime time to advertise and promote his campaign. I give him credit for taking advantage of the trick-or-treat crowd. It was effective. The crowd is greatly composed of Wilmette children and their parents. These same parents will make up a large percentage of voters. Considering that he is running for a district position, his Halloween treats were probably able to reach a large number of his voters. Adversely, I find it sad that even innocent holidays like Halloween are now being viewed as a prime time for campaigning. It is a sign of the times that political advertisement is so prominent in society.

****Side Note: When I was walking home after my short trick-or-treat adventure, I saw a boy who greatly resembled Candidate Chang. After coming closer I noticed that he was wearing one of Chang's campaign t-shirts. This boy was probably his son. I wonder whether it was his  idea to dress up as his father for Halloween, or whether it was suggested to him in hopes of collecting more votes.

My Meta-Post

I  now have two months of experience as a blogger.
Even in this short amount of time, I have learned a lot about what blogging is about, what is effective, and what interests me. My posts have somewhat evolved over time. My first real post was incredibly anxiety provoking for me, and I decided to split a large block of rambling into two separate posts. These posts, are sadly just a huge stream of consciousness. They have no true direction or point but rather house an overload of ideas in a limited amount of space.
My post's have somewhat gained purpose from that point on.
After the first initial post I began to try different methods and styles out. In my "Toasted Koran" article I experimented with sarcasm, though I am unsure as to how successfully my tone came across to my readers. I started adding personal anecdotes to blog posts occasionally. I told of my attachment to "The Story of Little Babaji," and of how many of my friends have suffered from negative self esteem and body image due to the media. I am still unsure how personal to make my posts. Pictures and links really enhanced my posts, made them more attractive to the reader and more interesting overall.
Content wise, I'm not sure whether there is a constant theme overall. All of my posts had the common goal of "continuing the conversation" from class. Therefore, many of my posts deal with various aspects of class discussions.
All of my posts could be improved upon. I believe I need to work on the conciseness and organization of each post, as well as make sure that I am making my point and a connection to American Studies clear. I wmay try to revise certain posts, but have not yet done so. To this date, the post that I believe most accurately represents my growth as as a blogger is my most recent post : Bible Exploitation. I am looking forward to another quarter to take advantage of my growing blogging skills!

Bible Exploitation

In class we are reading, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." This biography has stirred many emotions within me today, and I have been downright appalled at many of the inhumane practices depicted in this book. One observation Douglass made has stuck with me. The slave masters in the South often looked to religion as an excuse for their cruelty.  Douglass notes, "I should regard being the slave of a religious master the greatest calamity that could befall me. For of all slaveholders with whom I have ever meet, religious slaveholders are the worst" (45). I am greatly upset by this apparent truth. Douglass believed this because many religious slaveholders read the Bible literally, as fundamentalists.

The Bible is a best seller, yet it is misinterpreted to support many inhumane practices. Slave masters misused the Bible to justify slavery. There are, in fact, many excerpts about slaves, many which could be taken as pro-slavery if viewed in the eyes of fundamentalist. One in particle is  
"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.  If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property."  [Exodus 21:20-21]
Here are several others.When read literally these passages seem to permit and approve of the severe beating of slaves as long as the master did not beat them to the point of death.
It's ridiculous that the Bible was used to condone evil.

Today, the Bible is still being exploited.
Every year New Trier has a "Day of Silence" to respect homosexual students. Last year, on this day, protestors came to our Winnetka campus to show general disapproval of homosexualtiy and to "preach the word of God." They handed me a bible. Once I realized their intentions I returned it.... and hit the roof. 
I began to contradict them, stating that I believe that  homosexual people should not be persecuted or discriminated for everyone has the right to love who ever they want; in defense they started quoting the Bible... they read me a passage similar to this:
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." [Leviticus 20:13]
among others. These exact quotes seemed to be straightforward. But I do not believe that homosexuals should be put to death.

It scares me that there is apparent "evidence" that supports slavery and discriminates all homosexuality.
But how does one dispute these passages? I honestly do not believe these scripture readings to be a proper representation of the Christian faith or morally right. I just hope that we can instead look to the plentiful Bible passages promoting peace, love and harmony.

The Color Wheel

White. What a word. It's a color. A race. A word that is pinned to a variety of words to connote a certain meaning. White is the color of innocence, purity, and cleanliness. Brides wear white.
But why? White, a simple color has become deeply integrated into our society. Why not green, or blue, or, (my personal favorite) yellow?
We had a long discussion about the meaning of whitewashing in class the other day. When you whitewash something you conceal something. It's relevant to paint, and virtually everything else involving censorship. I was shocked that I'd never noticed the connection between that term and the color. I began to think of other terms or phrases in which white is usually used.
The first term I thought of was a white lie. A white lie is deemed acceptable by society.It is used to protect someone's feelings. It is innocent. Yet it is still a lie. Does the fact that it is called white make it better, less "dark" and instead sinless?
The second term I thought of was white noise. This term is very closely related to that of whitewash. White noise covers something up as well. It is used in households around the world for a simple form of comfort. It puts babies to sleep; so it must be relaxing, welcome and commonplace. If white and black are opposite colors, would black noise be the opposite of white noise? What would black noise sound like? Would it wake someone up, would it be loud and raucous?
"Like black and white," is an everyday term...meaning opposites, two extremes. But if this comparison of colors is applicable to everything, what does that say about the black and white races? Are blacks the opposite of whites? No. Is there any connection between pure white snow and pale skin? No. They are not even the same color. Is there any connection between a bat and the skin of an African-American? No. They are entirely different. Color does not indicate internal differences. How could it if you can so easily cover color up? You can paint anything whatever color you want.

Yellow, Gender Neutral

Gender roles and steroeotypes have been imprinted on us from an early age. In class we talked about how gender roles have changed, and I would just like to note that they have improved, but still exist. New parents immediately know how to dress or decorate a nursery based on their newborns gender. Girls like pink, princesses, ponies, and purple. Boys, on the other hand like blue, baseball, football, cowboys, trucks and cars. When did these common associations become established?
I guess my main question is whether gender roles are the product of nurture or nature?
Yes, it is statistically proven that boys have a tendency to have trouble sitting still and enjoy action. This biological trait makes the sports stereotype seem to be caused by nature. However,  why is it true that most boys can sit for hours to watch a football game, whereas many girls (apparently with a higher affinity to focus and sit still for long periods of time) become bored and restless?

But then again, I am a girl. And I love watching and playing sports, as do many of my female as well as male friends do as well. Are these stereotypes all subjective? They still exist today, but they seem to be broken daily. My favorite color is yellow, not pink or girly purple. I prefer to watch a baseball game vs. the new episode of Hannah Montana, and enjoy participating in sports as well. Does this make me any less of a female?
I think not. I am very much a teenage girl. But then why do these stereotypes exist if they are so inaccurate? This makes me question the validity of any stereotype.
 Are african americans natural athletes? Are Asians technological geniuses? Some are. But the majority are not. When did these stereotypes become ingrained into society. Why is a woman expected to be the primary caregiver to her children? Why is a male expected to be tough, strong and emotionless?

Little Babaji, my Sambo

The story of Little Black Sambo is one I became very familiar with in youth. I enjoyed it to the point that I once hid it to prevent my mother from returning it to the library. However, the story I grew to love and herishwas not the story of Sambo, but of his cultural parallel, Little Babaji. Little Babaji was Indian, not black, yet is an exact replica of Sambo in every mental and physical way except race.When we began to discuss the idea of Sambo in class, I stopped to reflect on the messages I received from the book as a child. In my memory the story of Sambo/Babaji is comprised of several events.

1. The book began with Sambo receiving nice clothing, shoes, and an umbrella from his mother. Looking back, this confuses me if Sambo was meant to parallel a slave. I accept that the material goods may be representing food or simply the rare event if a gift was bestowed on a slave. Yet, it is surprising to me that the typical slave would be portrayed as privileged with such nice accesories. Anyhow, Sambo walked off into the jungle happy as can be in his new finery. Yes, it was made very clear that he was simple, unworried, ignorant of his surroundings and happy.
2. Sambo had to give away each item to a tiger in order to save himself. This too puzzled me. What could this represent? Perhaps the fact that slaves had to sacrifice a lot of important things in order to stay alive and with one master. They lost much of their culture, identity, freedom of speech, religion, print and the ability too carry arms or earn an education. Each of the countless things slaves were denied of could certainly represent something as fine as a  pair of satin shoes. I am still unsure of whether this is the connection the author intended. Sambo was very scared of the tigers, he wouldn't dare to physically attack them in order to regain what had been taken from him. Many slaves too, were thought to be too timid to act out against their masters.
3. Sambo outsmarts the tigers by tying their tails together. This was my favorite part as a child. I loved the illustration of the tigers looking silly and confused as Babaji tricked them. The solution to his problem was plain and simple. Was this an illustration of how slaves were able to reobtain some freedoms, without their masters being aware of it. The freedoms I'm thinking of are those of meeting to practice their own form of religion or to sing in the fields. These are tricks that kept the owners unaware of the fact that they were reobtaining some rights. Whenever Babaji adressed the tigers he was very polite and addressed them as Mr. Tiger. This detail is a direct parallel to the sterotype of Sambo.
4. The tigers spin into butter, which Babaji collects for his mother to make pancakes with. This, I believe, is the most important part of the story. It is a happy ending in which Sambo forgets all that has happened with the tigers and is overwhelmed with joy because he is treated to a surplus of pancakes. This hilights his childishness, absent-minded, and simple characteristics. I think it is key that food was the charm to his happiness because slaves were in fact usually well fed in order to keep them strong and able bodied. Perhaps the slave masters believed (or wished) that the slaves would overlook the abuse and inequities of their life due to the fact that they were fed by their masters. Or, in a different light, maybe this parallels the owners feeding the slaves when ignorant of their efforts to find the pretences under which they could again enjoy privilege, or (in the case of Babaji) satin shoes.

One last thing I feel compelled to point out is that, in my copy of Sambo, Sambo was Babaji the Indian. I find this very curious if slaves in the south have a parallel to slaves in India. Does the parallel continue? At one point in time, Indians were also discriminated against. I wonder how far this Sambo characterization extends, and whether it crosses into multiple cultures.

Like, Uh...Amazing

Today in class we talked about the most comman word (if you can call it that) in the coloquial english language. This word of course being: um, uh, or like. Wow. I am very guilty of over-using all of these apparent "space-fillers." O'Connor, however, brought a study to light. The number of these words you use has a direct correlation to ones intellect. The most intelligent and educated people are the most frequent users of these terms. Why? I mean, really, they don't make one sound smart.
Personally, I think this study makes sense. And of course I find it believable, I mean, after all it was researched at Stanford of all places! But, I think the main reason I resort to what my father calls "Valley girl" language when I overuse "like" is that I talk way too fast for my brain to catch up.

These thoughts led me to think of the phrase, "think before you speak." Do I really control everything that comes out of my mouth? I am doubtful of this. I mean, if I was asked to explain how to talk I'd be speechless. I don't know where half the stuff I say comes from. This is admittedly a bad quality. But honestly, how did I pick up the usage of "um, uh, like...." Did I pick it up from the affluent community I live in? Is it inherent with the developement of speech? I do not find myself consciously choosing to use these words. I found a link that claims to have the key to stop yourself from using these common terms. http://digg.com/news/science/How_to_Stop_saying_Um_and_Ah_during_a_speech
So many friends make fun of me and count how many times I say "like" and it can be annoying. But with this study in mind, Why would I try to get rid of them if they mark my intelligence? Will this study lead to an influx in usage?
I have no idea, but know one thing for certain, if the usage of these uh fillers suggest higher intelligence, I'm like a total genius.

One Day Can Change the World

In class today we relived 9/11. It seemed surreal. Everyone has their one memory of that horrific day 9 years ago, and watching the news footage from the event broke my heart. September 11th is a day that will live on in history. It impacted not just the people in those towers or their families, NY, or the airplane companies,  it impacted a nation. It shocked the world. It scared me. Even as a second grader, this act of hatred left a deep and lasting impression on me.
It seems sad to me that this event was so greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted. I wish it wasn't another excuse for war and international crisis.

How is it that 19 people, the 19 terrorists, had such a huge effect on the world?
I only hope that the next 19 people to impact a nation to the same degree to do so with love in their hearts and peace in their eyes.

My condolences for any family or friends of the victims of 9/11/01. Please know that you can change the world too...for the better.

America: The Land of the Insecure

At one point in class we were talking about the media and how it effects people. Being a teenage girl, I instantly think of the countless ways the media has affected my friends, their self-esteem and body image. The ways the media have influence over what news stories are reported, what information is "leaked", or the light in which these stories are shared are evident in all areas of media: politics, entertainment/media, travel, world and even food.
People are affected more than they think by the media. There is media everywhere, and all of it seems to be sending a message to this nation's youth. Many of the messages leave a lasting impression on kids and adults and I believe that many of these messages are destroying the confidence and health of the nations youth.
America, in short, is known to promote a "can-do" attitude, positive, pro-active energy, freedom, success and happiness. Looking around the high school today, I was looking for signs of these attitudes.
In the bathroom, there were a number of girls crowded around the mirrors applying make-up, doing and re-doing their hair, complaining about their outfits etc. All of them were really down on themselves. They didn't seem to be sporting a positive or motivated attitude (about themselves or the school day). It's really sad to me that so many girls possess such strong hatred for their bodies and/or themselves. I contribute much of this from the environment they live in (America). This environment consists of constant ads of TV for weight loss products, exercise plans, and ads for shows with extremely skinny and "perfect" actors. On the other hand many ads are also devoted to spreading the word about a new fast food menu, video games, and alcohol. The majority of the ads focused at women, however, are focused on one's appearance. The attention to physical attributes also comes directly from peers, family, and teachers as well. It is hard to ignore and often a huge trigger for girls to engage in unhealthy behaviors.
All girls, regardless of their self-esteem have second guessed themselves, an outfit they've selected, or their bodies. In a competitive environment like my high school, comparisons are often made and the need to be the best often extends to ones appearance. The American Dream makes all people equal, however, the media often teaches girls that they are inferior if stockier, shorter or less "perfect." I have personally seen friends restrict their eating habits and body's needs. They do not live a very free life.
I am a believer in the American Dream; that anyone can acheive greatness. I believe that anything  is possible, and that every individual is amazing and beautiful in their own way. This video (a form of media) has recently helped a friend of mine, and hopefully the Americans can soon be known as healthy rather than obese or diet-crazed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE&feature=player_embedded
We all deserve to be free, and acknowledge that you can do anything, regardless of what messages external sources tell you.

Toasted Koran: The Perfect Appetizer to Peace Talks

The burning of books is not a custom new to society. Over the centuries, people have made burning, shredding, torching, and ultimately destroying books a sordid tradition. These people all have something in common. They all possess a huge amount of hatred, ignorance, and audacity. This surplus of attractive qualities always seems to be accompanied by a lack of hope or willingness to understand or make amends with the "enemy". The fact that a pastor in the United States is planning on conducting a ceremonial burning of the Koran, would undermine everything America stands for.
Book burnings never have happy endings. They seem to always have started or promoted crisis and war. If a pastor of all people has given up on hopes of peace, what example does that set for the rest of us? During the Holocaust the works of every Jewish authors were burned. In Ancient times, the Library of Alexandria was demolished and the scrolls of an entire Chinese Dynasty were set ablaze. Have any of these events ever been encouraging understanding, peace or international affairs? Have these “book bonfires” ever had a positive result?
No. The targeted group has been personally targeted and feels the instinctual need to react. This is true in the case of the Jews, philosophers, Muslims, and more. The degree of the reaction varies, but who’s to say what the burning of the Koran, a religious text with a massive following, will cause. There is a difference between whether something is morally vs. legally right. This may be legal, but by no means is it right.
If the pastor's intention is to "confront terrorism" and possibly prevent it, he is doing the opposite and rather inviting it.

Trust: Part II

Lies are a staple of our society. Falsehoods or “half-truths” are apparent everywhere. There are countless scandals, such as the Rob Blagojevich trial, trivial headlines such as an Ashton Kutcher affair, and the everyday white lies some tell to a friend about their hair or outfit. The question still stands, when and who and what can you trust?


Trust gives every human being the obligation to be honest, sincere and self-responsible. Honestly, I don’t trust everyone to uphold their moral responsibility.

That is NOT to say trust isn’t important. Trust is vital to every relationship. That’s the catch. The only true relationships exist on trust. What happens if this trust is simply not found? If a patient doesn’t trust their doctor they could go untreated for a possibly harmful illness. On the other hand, if a patient has complete trust in their physician, it is very possible that the physician could be mistaken. How much doubt should we entertain towards people in our lives? In the case of a husband and wife it is apparent that trust has to be established with both parties. Thankfully, the human race still defaults to trust. Is it possible that I only trust the people I love? What about sources then? What makes a source reputable?

Who can I rely on? Are all journalists just out to sell a paper? Who cares about the truth when an evidently large news story has been unearthed? Is Yellow Journalism taking over?

I’m not sure, but this worries me.

Trust: Part I

Who and what can you trust? Trust is a trait valued in society. However, more often than not, “believers” are often taken advantage of and persecuted. This week I really got to thinking about the validity of the sources I feed from on a daily basis. Are these sources legitimate? Are they true? I often trust the information I obtain from a text, news program, webpage or teacher to be genuine. After undergoing intensive research this week I have come to the conclusion that you must see everything with a critical eye. To automatically believe a source, is to show ignorance.


Many sources may provide accurate information, but more often than not that information is skewed. Everyone has their own opinion, and many journalists seem to find it to be their “duty” to relay and convince others of their opinion.

Politics is dominant in the daily media. However, politics is an extremely wide and controversial topic. It is a rare discovery to come across an article or report void of bias. FOX only presents news geared toward the Republican Party, often insulting the Democratic Party. If one was only exposed or only looked to one place for information, they would collect partial data. I do not think that biased information is truth. Therefore, as I found this week along with looking at sources critically it is important to corroborate information from a number of sources.

I recently came across the website http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/, it claims to have the real story, void of bias. It explains it’s content to be unique to FOX, MSN or MSNBC saying,” While the TV news industry tries to convince you that you need to know more about personal tragedies than about Dick Cheney’s secrets, PNAC, or about the lies of an American President, we bring you the information that is vital to preserving democracy and freedom. An informed American is a responsible American.” I agree with their last line. However, it seems impossible to be an informed American as well as an American who is free to develop one’s own opinions and viewpoints without external influence. I don’t believe that any news report is entirely neutral. Relevant information is always being withheld from the general public. Therefore, I choose to follow and trust reports that I agree with, and am often ignorant and unaware of other viewpoints and information from opposing parties.

The Start

Today marks the beginning of this new site, a new school year, and maybe a new way to look at "the state of things."