Parallelism: The author uses the beginning and the ending scenes in the novel ending where he started.
Character Foils: Exist between the Myths and heroic stories that are told and different characters in the novel, as well as in brotherhoods such as Amir and Hassan.
Foreshadowing:
Flashback: A few good examples would be Amir's flashbacks that arise from guilt after his friends death.
Positive & Negative aspects of Writing:
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Topics of Kite Runner
Role of women:
Betrayal: is viewed as being enduring and cyclical
Brothers: brotherhood is a strong bond that can not be broken even after death.
Guilt: will never be concord by ignoring the problem.
Redemption: can only be achieved when doing something truly with an intent to provide more happiness for another, even if it takes sacrificing on your part.
Exodus:
Fathers & Sons: It is very difficult to create a child-parent relationship especially if there is strain of not living up to expectations.
Class Distinctions: The majority (Sunni Muslims) and the Minority (Shi's Muslims) are very divided and discriminated against by each other on a basis of physical features and religious beliefs.
Betrayal: is viewed as being enduring and cyclical
Brothers: brotherhood is a strong bond that can not be broken even after death.
Guilt: will never be concord by ignoring the problem.
Redemption: can only be achieved when doing something truly with an intent to provide more happiness for another, even if it takes sacrificing on your part.
Exodus:
Fathers & Sons: It is very difficult to create a child-parent relationship especially if there is strain of not living up to expectations.
Class Distinctions: The majority (Sunni Muslims) and the Minority (Shi's Muslims) are very divided and discriminated against by each other on a basis of physical features and religious beliefs.
Settings in Kite Runner
The Kite Runner was written around the pre-Russian invasion and the pre-Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The book also goes into detail of life in Afghanistan while it was under the Taliban rule and after. The story of the kite runner is factious but with the given information of political, social, and cultural systems in the Middle East it contrasts with modern day media headlines of it being a home filled with terrorist cells. It also shows how strained adult child-parent relationships were. The book focuses on themes including betrayal, redemption, love, forgiveness, social class, ethnic tensions, and immigrant experiences to provide a better overall understanding of both the time period and the cultural aspects of life in Afghanistan.
5 Characters in Kite Runner
Zaman The director of the orphanage in Kabul.
Raymond Andrews The official at the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan who makes Amir realize the difficulties he will encounter if he attempts to adopt Sohrab.
Dr. Armand Faruqi The surgeon with the Clark Gable mustache who tends to Amir's injuries after being beaten by Assef
Kaka Sharif Soraya's uncle, who has connections in the INS and helps Amir get Sohrab a visa into the United States.
Wali A childhood follower of Assef.
Raymond Andrews The official at the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan who makes Amir realize the difficulties he will encounter if he attempts to adopt Sohrab.
Dr. Armand Faruqi The surgeon with the Clark Gable mustache who tends to Amir's injuries after being beaten by Assef
Kaka Sharif Soraya's uncle, who has connections in the INS and helps Amir get Sohrab a visa into the United States.
Wali A childhood follower of Assef.
5 Symbols in Kite Runner
Kites, everyone, and everything associated with them (kite flying & kite fighting) are the most important symbols in the novel. The Afghan kites and their glass strings symbolize the dichotomy between violence and beauty, which also represents Afghanistan and the half brothers.
The myths and stories of legendary hero's in the novel show the differences between the different Muslim cultures. Rostam who was dishonorable towards the king and slept with his daughter represents amir, while sohrab who did not know his father and has an untimely death represents Hassan.
The pomegranate tree merely symbolizes hassan and amirs relationship. They carved their names into the tree and it produced fruit. Once hassan died amir was weighed down with guilt and the tree still existed but no longer produced fruit.
Amir's scar that was received after being beaten by assef symbolizes his brotherhood with hassan, he too now has his own "harelip".
The slingshot represents both childhood and the need to stand up for what is right.
The myths and stories of legendary hero's in the novel show the differences between the different Muslim cultures. Rostam who was dishonorable towards the king and slept with his daughter represents amir, while sohrab who did not know his father and has an untimely death represents Hassan.
The pomegranate tree merely symbolizes hassan and amirs relationship. They carved their names into the tree and it produced fruit. Once hassan died amir was weighed down with guilt and the tree still existed but no longer produced fruit.
Amir's scar that was received after being beaten by assef symbolizes his brotherhood with hassan, he too now has his own "harelip".
The slingshot represents both childhood and the need to stand up for what is right.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Role of Women: Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
Jesica Shipley
Akien
College English 1101
11/20/2009
Role of Women:
Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
To America Islam may seem nothing more than a single religion, among hundreds practiced in our country, however to the Malay Muslims Islam is a culture. As the religion of Islam originated in 6th century Arabia, the early forms of Islamic culture were predominately Arab. With the rapid expansion of Islamic empires Muslims contacted and assimilated much from the Persian, Turkic, Mongol, Indian, Malay, Berber, and Indonesian cultures. Muslims can be found in many different countries and communities and it can be difficult to isolate much that unifies them other than their religion of Islam; however since religion seems to be viewed as an aspect of cultural anthropology, and history, secular academia does not acknowledge that distinction. The Koran states that “Man and women were created as a single soul, and they are moral equals in the sight of God” (Maqsood), however there are very few scholars who have described Islam, predominantly the role of women in Islam, without prejudice or some inclination towards Islamic culture.
So that we may achieve an objective fair evaluation of what Islamic culture and religion actually contributed toward the restoration of women’s dignity and rights, we must review how women were treated, generally, in the religions preceding Islam. Hindu scriptures described the good of the wife as equal to that of her husband. “a woman whose mind, speech and body are kept in subjection, acquires high renown in this world, and in the next, the same abide with her husband” (Badawi). Athenian women always remained subject to a male, may it be her father, her brother, or her husband. It was not mandatory that marriage was advocated with her consent, and “she was obliged to submit to the wishes of her parents, and receive from them her husband and her lord, even though he was a stranger to her” (Badawi). A roman wife may have been described as someone to be submissive to her husband, someone who lacked the capacity to do anything according to her own taste. Today many people believe that it is the Islamic religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, forbids them to drive cars, and mutilates their genitals, however these practices are merely part of culture, and they vary between the different regions that practice Islamic religions.
For someone to truly understand a religion and the practices that come with it, they must separate completely cultural norms and styles of society from religion. Female genital mutilation is still practiced in a handful of countries but is viewed as inconceivable by the vast majority of Muslims (Maqsood). While some women are forbidden to drive cars, they will gladly take the wheel once they are abroad, knowing that this is just one of their countries uncanny laws, and not considered to be a sin in their religion.
As far as marriage goes while it has been different in the past, currently a majority of Islamic followers agree that a marriage may not be forced upon the women, making it nearly impossible to marry without the woman’s consent. Once they become legally bound to each other the women is not inclined to trade her prior possessions, or last name for that of the groom. To a Christian, marriage is “made in heaven” and is a promise to last “until death do us part”, however an Islamic marriage merely stands as contract. Once either spouse breaches the contract, divorce is not only allowed but expected.
The practice of polygamy began in the age of the prophet when warfare resulted in a large number of widows. The act of marrying multiple women was not meant to be interpreted as a provocative act but as a charity to help support widowed mothers of many children. The practice is no longer common because the Koran states that wives should be treated fairly, meaning that a man may not take up a second marriage if it is to deteriorate the first. The Koran also states that “and they (women) have rights similar to those over them (of men), and men are a degree above them,” that degree being Quiwama (maintenance and protection) (Koran 2:228 qtd :Badawi). The above quotation is where many scholars get confused, the degree of Quiwama does not mean that a man is a dictator over his wife, but it emphasizes the importance of a man providing for his family.
Women are not forbidden from the workforce, but encouraged to make their home duties, a mother and a wife, their priority. No one can properly educate children as carefully reared as their mother. If a women feels that her most sacred job (a mother) is sturdy and well developed she is defiantly not discouraged from positions that need her the most such as: nursing, teaching, and medicine. Actually women in Islam are included in the right of election; they may participate in nomination and public affairs. Both in the Koran and Islamic history rest examples of women who not only participated in but who argued their points, even with the prophet himself (Badawi).
Islamic women hold the full right to their Mahr, the gift of marriage. We discussed earlier that no marriage is arranged in Islam, but we mustn’t forget to recognize their right to seek an end to marriage that may seem unsuccessful. Majority of the time when two divorce it is the women who gains custody of the children, this is true with Islamic women. It also remains true that the men are required by Islamic law to continue to support their divorced wives, and children, by paying child support.
Worship is a main part of Muslims relationship with their God and the Koran clearly states in multiple scriptures that the status of a woman should be equated to that of a man. In the beginning of creation it was neither the man nor the women’s fault solely but their faults jointly. Islam requires a good bit of prayer and fasting, however a women is exempt from this during her menstrual period, forty days after child birth, and while she is breast feeding. This is so that she does not pose a threat to the health of herself or that of her baby (Badawi).
Premarital sex is an issue, not only in Christianity, but in Islam as well as other religions. Sexual intimacy is forbidden when it included sex before marriage, adultery, and homosexual relations. According to Ruqaiyyah Maqsood, even within a marriage intercourse should be raised from a form of self gratification to “sadaqah” to a form of worship and consideration of the happiness and satisfaction each spouse brings to the other. To decrease the temptation, both women and men are believed to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty and ornaments (Koran, XXIV:30,31). Over time the interpretation of this was that women be required to wear veils, and cover any exposed skin from head to toe, the expectations of modesty became a dress code that only applied to women. This is where many people find reason to believe that the women in Islam are being controlled, but that is misleading. It is not required that women wear the complete veil coverings but encouraged that the dress in modesty rather than provocatively. It is clear that a women has significantly more that should not be exposed than a man, and much more baggage can be gained for a women if she were to give herself away. The veils and cloth coverings are for protection of the men and women, for it is a sin for a man to look at a women in lust, these dress codes make it slightly more difficult for either to fail their God.
Islam is as much a world faith as Roman Catholicism, and while no one nationally claims the Islamic religion as its own, Islam is spreading fast even on the continent of North America despite the negative press it receives (Berrington). Men in Islam are simply support for the women, not complication. Even in the time of the prophet men and women fought against the enemies in combat, together, side by side. Islamic women have obtained the right to own and sell property, hold political and workforce positions, and chose their own marriage partners. We can take the Koran alone, and nothing and no one has worked so hard to free the rights of women from the manacles of prejudice, and social injustice. Whether we blame the culture, system, media, society, religion, the men, or the women themselves, if we remain in the state of being mislead no ones perceptions will ever change. Islam is a religion even stronger than Christianity, where religion is not a practice but a life and the very core of the heart. Depending on the society women may seem as having the wrong weight, wrong height, the wrong level of intelligence, or the wrong religion (Badawi), but dualism is the primordial design for all creation: ‘from all (created) things are pairs’ (Koran 51:49 qtd: Wadud).
Akien
College English 1101
11/20/2009
Role of Women:
Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
To America Islam may seem nothing more than a single religion, among hundreds practiced in our country, however to the Malay Muslims Islam is a culture. As the religion of Islam originated in 6th century Arabia, the early forms of Islamic culture were predominately Arab. With the rapid expansion of Islamic empires Muslims contacted and assimilated much from the Persian, Turkic, Mongol, Indian, Malay, Berber, and Indonesian cultures. Muslims can be found in many different countries and communities and it can be difficult to isolate much that unifies them other than their religion of Islam; however since religion seems to be viewed as an aspect of cultural anthropology, and history, secular academia does not acknowledge that distinction. The Koran states that “Man and women were created as a single soul, and they are moral equals in the sight of God” (Maqsood), however there are very few scholars who have described Islam, predominantly the role of women in Islam, without prejudice or some inclination towards Islamic culture.
So that we may achieve an objective fair evaluation of what Islamic culture and religion actually contributed toward the restoration of women’s dignity and rights, we must review how women were treated, generally, in the religions preceding Islam. Hindu scriptures described the good of the wife as equal to that of her husband. “a woman whose mind, speech and body are kept in subjection, acquires high renown in this world, and in the next, the same abide with her husband” (Badawi). Athenian women always remained subject to a male, may it be her father, her brother, or her husband. It was not mandatory that marriage was advocated with her consent, and “she was obliged to submit to the wishes of her parents, and receive from them her husband and her lord, even though he was a stranger to her” (Badawi). A roman wife may have been described as someone to be submissive to her husband, someone who lacked the capacity to do anything according to her own taste. Today many people believe that it is the Islamic religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, forbids them to drive cars, and mutilates their genitals, however these practices are merely part of culture, and they vary between the different regions that practice Islamic religions.
For someone to truly understand a religion and the practices that come with it, they must separate completely cultural norms and styles of society from religion. Female genital mutilation is still practiced in a handful of countries but is viewed as inconceivable by the vast majority of Muslims (Maqsood). While some women are forbidden to drive cars, they will gladly take the wheel once they are abroad, knowing that this is just one of their countries uncanny laws, and not considered to be a sin in their religion.
As far as marriage goes while it has been different in the past, currently a majority of Islamic followers agree that a marriage may not be forced upon the women, making it nearly impossible to marry without the woman’s consent. Once they become legally bound to each other the women is not inclined to trade her prior possessions, or last name for that of the groom. To a Christian, marriage is “made in heaven” and is a promise to last “until death do us part”, however an Islamic marriage merely stands as contract. Once either spouse breaches the contract, divorce is not only allowed but expected.
The practice of polygamy began in the age of the prophet when warfare resulted in a large number of widows. The act of marrying multiple women was not meant to be interpreted as a provocative act but as a charity to help support widowed mothers of many children. The practice is no longer common because the Koran states that wives should be treated fairly, meaning that a man may not take up a second marriage if it is to deteriorate the first. The Koran also states that “and they (women) have rights similar to those over them (of men), and men are a degree above them,” that degree being Quiwama (maintenance and protection) (Koran 2:228 qtd :Badawi). The above quotation is where many scholars get confused, the degree of Quiwama does not mean that a man is a dictator over his wife, but it emphasizes the importance of a man providing for his family.
Women are not forbidden from the workforce, but encouraged to make their home duties, a mother and a wife, their priority. No one can properly educate children as carefully reared as their mother. If a women feels that her most sacred job (a mother) is sturdy and well developed she is defiantly not discouraged from positions that need her the most such as: nursing, teaching, and medicine. Actually women in Islam are included in the right of election; they may participate in nomination and public affairs. Both in the Koran and Islamic history rest examples of women who not only participated in but who argued their points, even with the prophet himself (Badawi).
Islamic women hold the full right to their Mahr, the gift of marriage. We discussed earlier that no marriage is arranged in Islam, but we mustn’t forget to recognize their right to seek an end to marriage that may seem unsuccessful. Majority of the time when two divorce it is the women who gains custody of the children, this is true with Islamic women. It also remains true that the men are required by Islamic law to continue to support their divorced wives, and children, by paying child support.
Worship is a main part of Muslims relationship with their God and the Koran clearly states in multiple scriptures that the status of a woman should be equated to that of a man. In the beginning of creation it was neither the man nor the women’s fault solely but their faults jointly. Islam requires a good bit of prayer and fasting, however a women is exempt from this during her menstrual period, forty days after child birth, and while she is breast feeding. This is so that she does not pose a threat to the health of herself or that of her baby (Badawi).
Premarital sex is an issue, not only in Christianity, but in Islam as well as other religions. Sexual intimacy is forbidden when it included sex before marriage, adultery, and homosexual relations. According to Ruqaiyyah Maqsood, even within a marriage intercourse should be raised from a form of self gratification to “sadaqah” to a form of worship and consideration of the happiness and satisfaction each spouse brings to the other. To decrease the temptation, both women and men are believed to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty and ornaments (Koran, XXIV:30,31). Over time the interpretation of this was that women be required to wear veils, and cover any exposed skin from head to toe, the expectations of modesty became a dress code that only applied to women. This is where many people find reason to believe that the women in Islam are being controlled, but that is misleading. It is not required that women wear the complete veil coverings but encouraged that the dress in modesty rather than provocatively. It is clear that a women has significantly more that should not be exposed than a man, and much more baggage can be gained for a women if she were to give herself away. The veils and cloth coverings are for protection of the men and women, for it is a sin for a man to look at a women in lust, these dress codes make it slightly more difficult for either to fail their God.
Islam is as much a world faith as Roman Catholicism, and while no one nationally claims the Islamic religion as its own, Islam is spreading fast even on the continent of North America despite the negative press it receives (Berrington). Men in Islam are simply support for the women, not complication. Even in the time of the prophet men and women fought against the enemies in combat, together, side by side. Islamic women have obtained the right to own and sell property, hold political and workforce positions, and chose their own marriage partners. We can take the Koran alone, and nothing and no one has worked so hard to free the rights of women from the manacles of prejudice, and social injustice. Whether we blame the culture, system, media, society, religion, the men, or the women themselves, if we remain in the state of being mislead no ones perceptions will ever change. Islam is a religion even stronger than Christianity, where religion is not a practice but a life and the very core of the heart. Depending on the society women may seem as having the wrong weight, wrong height, the wrong level of intelligence, or the wrong religion (Badawi), but dualism is the primordial design for all creation: ‘from all (created) things are pairs’ (Koran 51:49 qtd: Wadud).
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Birthday Gift...
I turn 18 in exactly 2 hours and 40 min, and I believe I may have recieved the best birthday gift ever. I have been confused for a while but I finally figured out what I really wanted. While it is not going to be easy I am confident that it will work, and when it works it will be more than worth the trouble. Very emotional at the moment, but mosly good feelings. Happiness, hopefulness, thankfulness. I needed this just as much as I wanted it, and I know that what God has given me is better than anything else. I was an idiot for giving it away the first time, and I will not let it go again. I have seen it walk out before, but that is a sight that I will never see again. He is perfect, I have a gut feeling that he is the one, and I know for a fact my life will be the best it can be as long as he is there. I am happy, and I smile for no reason. I cry tears of joy, and it is because I love him. God has blessed me, not only by giving me enternal life, but by giving me this second chance. I have never felt this way before, so there is nothing and no one that will stop me from making this more worth it than we could have every dreamed. :*
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Education Between Generations
Jesica Shipley
Akien English 1101
Compare and Contrast
Education Between Generations
11/6/09
My education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve, almost completely, around new and improved technologies. Teachers now have an abundant amount of resources available to them, significantly more than they did during my parent’s time. Computers are daily tools used for teaching and can be found in just about every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. As the years roll by, the amount of work we do on computers, and the number of other electronic gadgets that reside in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, their issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous articles and encyclopedias just to gather the information they needed to do a research paper. Then rather than having the ability to type their papers on the computer, it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead of emailing their papers when they thought they may be absent, the paper had to be brought in that day, otherwise it would be a zero.
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Today teenagers enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain our GPA and stay on the course outlined for our college preparatory diploma, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this we could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes may seem intimidating to some, but it becomes habit after a few months in the program. These classes will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes such as, Algebra, until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced in middle school, both my brother and I took Algebra in seventh grade. There are many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the desired classes, students can often take them online.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class. Although teachers did try to make classes stimulating for those more advanced students, they still worked with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. She made great grades, but she easily got bored with her classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee herself going to college, feeling that it would be a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Maybe their teachers will be robots. (; I can not quite imagine an education system that would be anymore technologically advanced than the ones in our country today, however I am sure it remains the dream of a select few. They say that as the years go by the generations get “dumber” because they don’t have to work as hard to obtain information, but I disagree. The more technological knowledge one has the better prepared they will be for the future, I only wish I would still be around to see a class room 100 years from now.
Akien English 1101
Compare and Contrast
Education Between Generations
11/6/09
My education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve, almost completely, around new and improved technologies. Teachers now have an abundant amount of resources available to them, significantly more than they did during my parent’s time. Computers are daily tools used for teaching and can be found in just about every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. As the years roll by, the amount of work we do on computers, and the number of other electronic gadgets that reside in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, their issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous articles and encyclopedias just to gather the information they needed to do a research paper. Then rather than having the ability to type their papers on the computer, it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead of emailing their papers when they thought they may be absent, the paper had to be brought in that day, otherwise it would be a zero.
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Today teenagers enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain our GPA and stay on the course outlined for our college preparatory diploma, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this we could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes may seem intimidating to some, but it becomes habit after a few months in the program. These classes will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes such as, Algebra, until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced in middle school, both my brother and I took Algebra in seventh grade. There are many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the desired classes, students can often take them online.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class. Although teachers did try to make classes stimulating for those more advanced students, they still worked with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. She made great grades, but she easily got bored with her classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee herself going to college, feeling that it would be a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Maybe their teachers will be robots. (; I can not quite imagine an education system that would be anymore technologically advanced than the ones in our country today, however I am sure it remains the dream of a select few. They say that as the years go by the generations get “dumber” because they don’t have to work as hard to obtain information, but I disagree. The more technological knowledge one has the better prepared they will be for the future, I only wish I would still be around to see a class room 100 years from now.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Kind of Stressing...
So these last few weeks have been extremely busy. Between Exams, work, college application deadlines, and family events I have barely had time to stop and breath. I have not been getting home until after ten every night, which can be a little exhausting after a while to someone who is used to being in bed by nine thirty. Exams are over, and I finally got all of my college applications and their included documents mailed out, but we all know nothing ends quite that easy. Just when I think I have everything finished, and sit down to relax a little, a new problem always arises. So I am currently contacting admissions offices to fix information on applications, while keeping up with all of my school work. One more thing, my brother is back from his "vacation to Illinois" which means his showfer's "holidays" are now over. Catching up on sleep, not going to happen this week, which leads to more stress. Stress + lack of sleep = crazy dreams. All of the above, just life in America. In my oppinion they ought to change the saying "the city never sleeps" to "America never sleeps," because nothing in life ever shows up at the perfect time, but we take our cards as they are dealt and just keep smiling, because it is already tomorrow in Australia. (:
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Compare & Contrast Rough Draft 1
Education between Generations
Needless to say, my education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, and now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done as well and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve around everything electronic. Teachers now have many more resources available to them than they did during my parent’s time, specifically computers. Computers are everyday tools used for teaching and are in every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. Every year, the amount of work we do on computers, and the amount of other electronic gadgets that are in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, our issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous books and articles just to gather the information we needed to do a research paper. Then it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper, rather than on a computer. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead we passed notes during class and in the halls, hoping not to get caught! My parents still refuse to get texting on their phones, “why text when I could just pick up the phone and call the person.”
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Teenagers today enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain their GPA and stay on the course outlined for them, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this they could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes is intimidating to me. They will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes, such as, Algebra until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced even in elementary school. Both me and my brother took Algebra in seventh grade. There are so many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the classes desired, students can often take them on line.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class, but teachers did try to make class stimulating for those more advanced students, while still working with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. Although she made great grades, she easily got bored with classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee my self going to college, feeling that it would be such a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Who knows, maybe their teachers will be robots. (;
Needless to say, my education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, and now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done as well and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve around everything electronic. Teachers now have many more resources available to them than they did during my parent’s time, specifically computers. Computers are everyday tools used for teaching and are in every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. Every year, the amount of work we do on computers, and the amount of other electronic gadgets that are in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, our issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous books and articles just to gather the information we needed to do a research paper. Then it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper, rather than on a computer. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead we passed notes during class and in the halls, hoping not to get caught! My parents still refuse to get texting on their phones, “why text when I could just pick up the phone and call the person.”
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Teenagers today enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain their GPA and stay on the course outlined for them, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this they could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes is intimidating to me. They will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes, such as, Algebra until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced even in elementary school. Both me and my brother took Algebra in seventh grade. There are so many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the classes desired, students can often take them on line.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class, but teachers did try to make class stimulating for those more advanced students, while still working with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. Although she made great grades, she easily got bored with classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee my self going to college, feeling that it would be such a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Who knows, maybe their teachers will be robots. (;
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Man sometimes people really push my buttons...
How about some jerk called me today at work and yelling at me because a bus driver was going "90 miles an hour" on this road. I kinda laughed a little and was like alright let me give you the number to transportation and you can call them and they will take care of it,because I know nothing about the buses, that's not my job its a whole different department. He told me, "no this is something you need to handle personally." I replied, "I'm sorry sir but that's not possible all I can do is call transportation and ask them to communicate to their bus drivers to slow down." He didn't know the street name or the bus number so the only other thing I could do for him was to give him the number to transportation. Well he didn't like that idea, and preceded to yell saying that I needed to transfer him to transportation. I explained to him that this was not possible, being that they are not on our phone network its a separate number. He continued complaining about how I was making him waste all of his minutes because I wouldn't handle the situation, and how he has no more minutes to call transportation to complain. Then he made a comment like "that's what you get for letting a damn women drive the buses". That's when I realized there was nothing that I could do to satisfy this man. So I simply said, "alright, I'll see what I can do," and hung up. Later I got another call from another gentleman; the same thing except the second guy asked me for my name and told me he was going to write down that he called me and that he was going to sue me if i don't handle the situation. Grinning, I said "alright here is the number for the bus lot you do what you feel you need to do," and hung up the phone once again. It is the situations like these that make me honestly believe that some people in this world sit around scoping out unsatisfactory things, to complain about. I feel sorry for the people today who have such little gratification in their life's that they result to this, carrying so much pessimism that they feel the need to harass the first person that crosses their path.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It's All About the Money (example essay final draft)
We met in the 540 A Publix (aka The Baby Publix). His name, Cup, Reece’s Cup. I was with my mom doing our biweekly, Sunday afternoon, grocery run when we made eye contact. Maybe it was his shinny orange packaging, or perhaps it was his pasty peanut butter heart. Caught up in his rich dark chocolaty skin, I begged my mom to let him join us after dinner. Of course I didn’t realize it then, but now it is completely clear to me, I was tricked. The owners of the Publix Corporation, or possibly Reece’s, used me to get to my moms check book.
That Reece’s Cup was put there on purpose, with unflawed logic behind its exact placement. Sure, my mom walked past them without being sucked into the rabbit hole of Skittles, Twizlers, and M&M’s, but it all rested on my direct level of eye sight. There is no way, that at seven years old, I would have been able to pass by a Reece’s Cup.
(2)
So I wonder, are people subject to all of the tricks up the corporations sleeve’s, or rather are we the basis of their selling techniques.
Think about it, in every grocery store candy is always in the check out line. Why? Mothers who bring there children into the store can not avoid the register, but it expands even farther than that. The actual candy is placed on the bottom half of those shelves, to be absolutely sure that children notice it, with gum and magazines at the top. Not just any magazine, mainly the weight loss magazines, or those with headlines such as “Brittany Still Fat after the Baby”. Ironic that they are positioned directly above American’s largest temptation, sugar? Not at all, simply genius. It is a very productive thought, to place items in a way that would attract the appropriate paying customers; similar to the way Hollister plays their music loud enough to reach out and grab the attention of nine out of ten teenagers from across the mall.
Walking into the dim lit split doorway of a Hollister or Abercrombie is a little different than that of most department stores. A mixture of darkness, sweet scents of perfume, and overbearing fake plants create an atmosphere of relaxation. An atmosphere that makes you want to take your time to glance around at everything. One that makes you look a little harder at things you normally wouldn’t, because the dark lighting makes it slightly more difficult to focus your eyes. The spot lights are always rested on the most expensive items in the store, but they are the items that many would give into the price in order to receive the satisfaction of “trendy” clothes. The loud, upbeat choice of rock music that bounces past the perimeter of the store makes one excited, and often forget about how much he or she really is paying for a paper thin blouse.
(3)
It is because of all of the above statements that once we enter the store, we can no longer think clearly, and that we are distracted from truly analyzing the signs that read, “Buy two get, one free!” We get so caught up in the “sales” that we cease to realize that the regular price has increased from $15 to $21.99; so that we really are still paying for the “free” shirt. Only one who has a brick wall for a conscience could escape the temptations that lurk around every corner of the store; from the spot lit mannequin, with a god like aurora, propped at “center stage”, and the life size posters in the dressing rooms, to the faces on the bags and the pictures of Jake and Malaya on the human named cologne bottles. They all stare at you, sending the message that if you buy that top, you will look like the poster model, it’s a trick. A trick that is even performed, innocently, by Hollister’s employees, who are almost forced to spend half of their weeks pay check on their work dress code.
Sometimes what our eyes see, and what our ears hear is no further than skin deep, however our mind still believes it. Corporations are all about the money. All about tricking their audience into believing it’s a deal, and diminishing their customer’s ability to make rational decisions. Sales articles and commercials have convinced us that these companies actually care about the money we are saving in this economic downturn. Instead, it is misdirection, a manipulation of a person’s emotions by using lights, signs, and colors, almost like magic, possibly to save their own butt’s from bankruptcy.
That Reece’s Cup was put there on purpose, with unflawed logic behind its exact placement. Sure, my mom walked past them without being sucked into the rabbit hole of Skittles, Twizlers, and M&M’s, but it all rested on my direct level of eye sight. There is no way, that at seven years old, I would have been able to pass by a Reece’s Cup.
(2)
So I wonder, are people subject to all of the tricks up the corporations sleeve’s, or rather are we the basis of their selling techniques.
Think about it, in every grocery store candy is always in the check out line. Why? Mothers who bring there children into the store can not avoid the register, but it expands even farther than that. The actual candy is placed on the bottom half of those shelves, to be absolutely sure that children notice it, with gum and magazines at the top. Not just any magazine, mainly the weight loss magazines, or those with headlines such as “Brittany Still Fat after the Baby”. Ironic that they are positioned directly above American’s largest temptation, sugar? Not at all, simply genius. It is a very productive thought, to place items in a way that would attract the appropriate paying customers; similar to the way Hollister plays their music loud enough to reach out and grab the attention of nine out of ten teenagers from across the mall.
Walking into the dim lit split doorway of a Hollister or Abercrombie is a little different than that of most department stores. A mixture of darkness, sweet scents of perfume, and overbearing fake plants create an atmosphere of relaxation. An atmosphere that makes you want to take your time to glance around at everything. One that makes you look a little harder at things you normally wouldn’t, because the dark lighting makes it slightly more difficult to focus your eyes. The spot lights are always rested on the most expensive items in the store, but they are the items that many would give into the price in order to receive the satisfaction of “trendy” clothes. The loud, upbeat choice of rock music that bounces past the perimeter of the store makes one excited, and often forget about how much he or she really is paying for a paper thin blouse.
(3)
It is because of all of the above statements that once we enter the store, we can no longer think clearly, and that we are distracted from truly analyzing the signs that read, “Buy two get, one free!” We get so caught up in the “sales” that we cease to realize that the regular price has increased from $15 to $21.99; so that we really are still paying for the “free” shirt. Only one who has a brick wall for a conscience could escape the temptations that lurk around every corner of the store; from the spot lit mannequin, with a god like aurora, propped at “center stage”, and the life size posters in the dressing rooms, to the faces on the bags and the pictures of Jake and Malaya on the human named cologne bottles. They all stare at you, sending the message that if you buy that top, you will look like the poster model, it’s a trick. A trick that is even performed, innocently, by Hollister’s employees, who are almost forced to spend half of their weeks pay check on their work dress code.
Sometimes what our eyes see, and what our ears hear is no further than skin deep, however our mind still believes it. Corporations are all about the money. All about tricking their audience into believing it’s a deal, and diminishing their customer’s ability to make rational decisions. Sales articles and commercials have convinced us that these companies actually care about the money we are saving in this economic downturn. Instead, it is misdirection, a manipulation of a person’s emotions by using lights, signs, and colors, almost like magic, possibly to save their own butt’s from bankruptcy.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Busy Week...
...started last weekend. Saturday I took the SAT then after that I got lost in Macon (not completely familiar with the area around Mercer). Then I went to the perry fair and fed the cutest water buffalo named Landon. (: Got home kind of late Saturday night, and woke up early Sunday morning to go to six flags. It was Geico family day, very crowded, but wonderful weather for the day. Slept till twelve on Monday then did some house chores. Tuesday I thought it was Monday, so my week is flying by. Helped my dad out at the fire station Tuesday night. Wednesday, totally confused because it was new block schedule already. Hour and a half full body work out. Tomorrow fair with FBLA, for fall motivational rally. Friday test, report, and a load of stat homework due. Babysitting my niece Friday night. Saturday house sitting for my sister, as well as going to Gray fair. Sunday catching up on all the homework and studying I miss out on during the week. Busy, exhausted, but so worth it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Greatest Day Ever!
A's on all my progress reports! Decided I really want to go to Southern! Made arrangements to be in the homcoming parade! Full body workout with new trainer left me completely enegized when i got home! And in case anyone else needs a little boost, Black Pepper Jack Doritos are sooooo back!!!! Today is awesome! (:
Comments
Comments have not seemed to be a problem in this blogging experience for me. On my descriptive essay I received 4 comments, they did not have to much constructive criticism in them, however they were comments. They all stated that they liked my paper and that they could relate, which is a good start. You can not expect perfection on any ones first attempt.
On this example essay I received 5 comments, all of them very helpful. Each comment stating the reason they could relate to my essay, each telling me specific elements of the essay that they really liked or appreciated, and each saying one small thing that I could change to help improve my essay. So for me, the posting and commenting has worked great.
Honestly, as much as I love seeing comments because it lets me know that people are actually reading and because it helps me improve my essay, it is not mandatory. For people to get so upset over not receiving comments is a little childish. We have to remember that this is a college course that we have the privilege of taking while we are still seniors in high school. It is part of one of the largest transitions in our lifetime, and for anyone to sour the experience just because of a few comments seems a little ridiculous in my opinion. I mean we have never been in a class in which we had this kind of opportunity of making our writing public, and open to public criticism, we always ran to our friends for peer review. No one says that we can not still do that. So personally I think that the griping needs to stop, this is not something that we need to get used to or expect throughout college. And we all must also remember we are all asking our teacher to be lenient about our grades because we are not keeping up with our blogs like we were asked; however when she asks us to be patient and understanding about the blogs and comments we continue to criticize her technique. Remember that this is the first time she has done this with a class as well, and we can not expect perfection from any ones first attempt.
On this example essay I received 5 comments, all of them very helpful. Each comment stating the reason they could relate to my essay, each telling me specific elements of the essay that they really liked or appreciated, and each saying one small thing that I could change to help improve my essay. So for me, the posting and commenting has worked great.
Honestly, as much as I love seeing comments because it lets me know that people are actually reading and because it helps me improve my essay, it is not mandatory. For people to get so upset over not receiving comments is a little childish. We have to remember that this is a college course that we have the privilege of taking while we are still seniors in high school. It is part of one of the largest transitions in our lifetime, and for anyone to sour the experience just because of a few comments seems a little ridiculous in my opinion. I mean we have never been in a class in which we had this kind of opportunity of making our writing public, and open to public criticism, we always ran to our friends for peer review. No one says that we can not still do that. So personally I think that the griping needs to stop, this is not something that we need to get used to or expect throughout college. And we all must also remember we are all asking our teacher to be lenient about our grades because we are not keeping up with our blogs like we were asked; however when she asks us to be patient and understanding about the blogs and comments we continue to criticize her technique. Remember that this is the first time she has done this with a class as well, and we can not expect perfection from any ones first attempt.
2nd Essay in Review
I disagree with anyone who claims that this is the most difficult essay to write. Honestly it is probably the easiest to actually write, after you pick a topic. Picking a topic is difficult no matter what type of essay you are writing about, however when you chose a topic for an example essay you have to be sure to chose a topic which you can support your generalization with examples that relate to people other than you. The idea must be universal. Your topic must still be narrow, just like the description essay, but you have to expand the description and examples into something that everyone can relate to and understand. To me the example essay is just like the descriptive essay, except it requires a little more knowledge. If you do not know enough about you topic you may need to do a little research. Example: in my essay I wrote about how corporations use placement of colors, shapes, and words to make items in their stores look more appealing to the eye, so that we as consumers will be more likely to purchase their product. The examples that I used in my essay were facts, I had read about this online a few months before i completed my essay. So no, to me this essay was no more difficult than the next. My advice to the next 1101 student, research never hurt a paper.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Exhausted
I feel like someone has shoved a sword into my back and left it there and evertime I move it sinks a little deeper. I have been bent over a table paintint shirts for thursday for 4 hours 3 of which i was working by myself. So two of the shirts look decent and the rest progresivly get worse and more crooked. Next time I wont be working by mself, and if I am I will be making profit off of each shirt. Exhausted, in pain, and in bed. Night.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Spirit Week!
Monday: Super Hero Day
Ninja Turtle T-shirt, which took me two walmarts plus an hour to find. Who would have thought it would be in the mens, and not the little boys. I mean seriusly when did little kids stop wearing Ninja Turtle Shirts?
Tuesday: Career Day
A little chilly for hawain day, so I think I will settle for my normal everyday work attire and a lei.
Wednesday: Camo Day
Since I dont really own anything camo, I am borrowing a friends T shirt and pants and wearing my brothers camo jacket.
Thursday: Hippie Day
Tie Dye Tshirts! (that I made) (:
Friday: Purple & Gold
Purple JC T Shirt, Gold Keds, Purple and Gold Beads, Purple and Gold Socks. Maybe paint and hair color, have not completely decided.
Last homecoming spirit week ever! So glad to be a senior! 2010 baby!
Ninja Turtle T-shirt, which took me two walmarts plus an hour to find. Who would have thought it would be in the mens, and not the little boys. I mean seriusly when did little kids stop wearing Ninja Turtle Shirts?
Tuesday: Career Day
A little chilly for hawain day, so I think I will settle for my normal everyday work attire and a lei.
Wednesday: Camo Day
Since I dont really own anything camo, I am borrowing a friends T shirt and pants and wearing my brothers camo jacket.
Thursday: Hippie Day
Tie Dye Tshirts! (that I made) (:
Friday: Purple & Gold
Purple JC T Shirt, Gold Keds, Purple and Gold Beads, Purple and Gold Socks. Maybe paint and hair color, have not completely decided.
Last homecoming spirit week ever! So glad to be a senior! 2010 baby!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Frustrated
It would only make sense to me that if a student had not completed a "task" that was necessary, or required, for graduation that someone from the administration would in form the student of what they need to do. Send a letter, make a phone call, something. Especially if that particular student had recently moved in from out of town. Granted it is a majority of the students responsibility to take requirements for graduation in their own hands, to be proactive, however if it was solely up to the students then there would be no need for any type of administrative staff. I am a senior this year, and it has been almost a year since I moved here after Christmas of last year. Since while i lived in Florida I had completed all of my graduation requirements, I assumed that everything was ready to go, I mean no one had told me otherwise, in fact I was told that I had completed more than the necessary classes for graduation. Spring of last year I took the graduation test here at Jones County High School, and was not informed that there was a writing portion of the test. Had the student information center not been on the way to my locker yesterday after 8th period economics, I would not have stopped to look at it, so I would not have known that my name was on the testing list for writing. Being a senior this year and only having to two classes that I am required to take (AP Government and Economics) plus my desire to take College English 1101-1102, and AP Statistics, I am left with about half a day that I don't have any classes on my schedule. So I decided to join the work based learning program at school, I work in the morning, and go to school in the afternoon. Had I not shown up to my testing site they would have called my name on the intercom, but since I don't have class in the morning I still would not have known about this test. Granted there is a make-up testing date, however if no one thought to inform me that my name was on the list for the first round, would they really think to inform me that my name was on the make-up list. And if the had not thought to, what would they say on graduation night when I am getting ready to walk across the stage and accept my diploma, "We are sorry, but you can't graduate since you never completed the writing portion of the graduation test" Extreme frustration.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Just got finished leaving my comments.
I had an extremly relaxed weekend, finally. We needed a little family time, and I hadn't done laundry in two weeks. This weekend gave me the perfect opportunity to accomplish the above tasks as well as catch up on some greatly missed tv shows. Not totally ready for school to start back tomorrow, but then again who is. Giving charlee a bath (my dog), then catching up on some reading. That's it for now. (:
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Example Essay Rough Draft [1]... Still with out a title (:
We met in the 540 A Publix (aka The Baby Publix). His name, Cup, Reece’s Cup. I was with my mom doing our biweekly, Sunday afternoon, grocery run when we made eye contact. Maybe it was his shinny orange packaging, or perhaps it was his pasty peanut butter heart. Caught up in his rich dark chocolaty skin, I begged my mom to let him join us after dinner. Of course I didn’t realize it then, but now it is completely clear to me, I was tricked. The owners of the Publix Corporation, or possibly Reece’s, used me to get to my moms check book.
That Reece’s Cup was put there on purpose, with unflawed logic behind its exact placement. Sure, my mom walked past them without being sucked into the rabbit hole of Skittles, Twizlers, and M&M’s, but it all rested on my direct level of eye sight. There is no way, that at seven years old, I would have been able to pass by a Reece’s Cup.
So I wonder, are people subject to all of the tricks up the corporations sleeve’s, or rather are we the basis of their selling techniques.
Think about it, in every grocery store candy is always in the check out line. Why? Mothers who bring there children into the store can not avoid the register, but it expands even farther than that. The actual candy is placed on the bottom half of those shelves, to be absolutely sure that children notice it, with gum and magazines at the top. But not just any magazine, mainly the weight loss magazines, or those with headlines such as “Brittany Still Fat after the Baby”. Ironic that they are positioned directly above American’s largest temptation, sugar? Not at all, simply genius.
Walking into the dim lit split doorway of a Hollister or Abercrombie is a little different than that of most department stores. A mixture of darkness, sweet scents of perfume, and overbearing fake plants create an atmosphere of relaxation. An atmosphere that makes you want to take your time to glance around at everything. One that makes you look a little harder at things you normally wouldn’t, because the dark lighting makes it slightly more difficult to focus your eyes. The spot lights are always rested on the most expensive items in the store, but they are the items that many would give into the price in order to receive the satisfaction of “trendy” clothes. The loud, upbeat choice of rock music that bounces past the perimeter of the store makes one excited, and often forget about how much they really are paying for a paper thin blouse.
It is because of all of the above statements that once we enter the store, we can no longer think clearly, and that we are distracted from truly analyzing the signs that read, “Buy two get, one free!” We get so caught up in the “sales” that we cease to realize that the regular price has increased from $15 to $21.99; so that we really are still paying for the “free” shirt. Only one who has a brick wall for a conscience could escape the temptations that lurk around every corner of the store; from the spot lit mannequin, with a god like aurora, propped at “center stage”, and the life size posters in the dressing rooms, to the faces on the bags and the pictures of Jake and Malaya on the human named cologne bottles. They all stare at you, sending the message that if you buy that top, you will look like the poster model, it’s a trick. A trick that is even performed, innocently, by Hollister’s employees, who are almost forced to spend half of their weeks pay check on their work dress code.
Sometimes what our eyes see, and what our ears hear is no further than skin deep, however our mind still believes it. Corporations are all about the money. All about tricking their audience into believing it’s a deal, and diminishing their customer’s ability to make rational decisions. Sales articles and commercials have convinced us that these companies actually care about the money we are saving in this economic downturn. Instead, it is a misdirection, a manipulation of a person’s emotions by using lights, signs, and colors, almost like magic.
That Reece’s Cup was put there on purpose, with unflawed logic behind its exact placement. Sure, my mom walked past them without being sucked into the rabbit hole of Skittles, Twizlers, and M&M’s, but it all rested on my direct level of eye sight. There is no way, that at seven years old, I would have been able to pass by a Reece’s Cup.
So I wonder, are people subject to all of the tricks up the corporations sleeve’s, or rather are we the basis of their selling techniques.
Think about it, in every grocery store candy is always in the check out line. Why? Mothers who bring there children into the store can not avoid the register, but it expands even farther than that. The actual candy is placed on the bottom half of those shelves, to be absolutely sure that children notice it, with gum and magazines at the top. But not just any magazine, mainly the weight loss magazines, or those with headlines such as “Brittany Still Fat after the Baby”. Ironic that they are positioned directly above American’s largest temptation, sugar? Not at all, simply genius.
Walking into the dim lit split doorway of a Hollister or Abercrombie is a little different than that of most department stores. A mixture of darkness, sweet scents of perfume, and overbearing fake plants create an atmosphere of relaxation. An atmosphere that makes you want to take your time to glance around at everything. One that makes you look a little harder at things you normally wouldn’t, because the dark lighting makes it slightly more difficult to focus your eyes. The spot lights are always rested on the most expensive items in the store, but they are the items that many would give into the price in order to receive the satisfaction of “trendy” clothes. The loud, upbeat choice of rock music that bounces past the perimeter of the store makes one excited, and often forget about how much they really are paying for a paper thin blouse.
It is because of all of the above statements that once we enter the store, we can no longer think clearly, and that we are distracted from truly analyzing the signs that read, “Buy two get, one free!” We get so caught up in the “sales” that we cease to realize that the regular price has increased from $15 to $21.99; so that we really are still paying for the “free” shirt. Only one who has a brick wall for a conscience could escape the temptations that lurk around every corner of the store; from the spot lit mannequin, with a god like aurora, propped at “center stage”, and the life size posters in the dressing rooms, to the faces on the bags and the pictures of Jake and Malaya on the human named cologne bottles. They all stare at you, sending the message that if you buy that top, you will look like the poster model, it’s a trick. A trick that is even performed, innocently, by Hollister’s employees, who are almost forced to spend half of their weeks pay check on their work dress code.
Sometimes what our eyes see, and what our ears hear is no further than skin deep, however our mind still believes it. Corporations are all about the money. All about tricking their audience into believing it’s a deal, and diminishing their customer’s ability to make rational decisions. Sales articles and commercials have convinced us that these companies actually care about the money we are saving in this economic downturn. Instead, it is a misdirection, a manipulation of a person’s emotions by using lights, signs, and colors, almost like magic.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Disappointment + Rain = Extra Sleep
The new season of Dancing with the Stars started to night exactly and hour ago. It is definitely on my top ten list of favorite TV shows. I was so excited when my calender reminder went of on my phone because I was going to get to watch the premier. Yeah, turns out we don't even get the channel it comes on. Aggravation. Joy of living in Gray, where we cant run cable where I live, we have satellite. Problem: storms. When it rains, sometimes even when its just a little cloudy, we tend to have a hard time receiving satellite signal. Apparently I was not meant to watch this show tonight. Silver lining... I'm laying in my bed listening to the rain, ill be out within the next ten minutes. (: Night.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Weekend Nights
Friday:
Macon Venue Project. When I walked in I immediately thought, LAME. Minus the band members Central City Skate Park held about thirty people, definitely not what I was expecting. Any other time I have gone to these shows they were packed. Even when I volunteered at them you had no room to move around, much less for people to actually skate. Despite the small crowd, it turned out to be a pretty entertaining show, to say the least.
Saturday:
Still had a pounding headache from Friday night, and I'm sure that the rainy weather didn't help much. So after dinner with the family, I headed to down town Milledgeville. Favorite leather jackets+ rainy weather + coffee shoppes = complete and total relaxation.
Macon Venue Project. When I walked in I immediately thought, LAME. Minus the band members Central City Skate Park held about thirty people, definitely not what I was expecting. Any other time I have gone to these shows they were packed. Even when I volunteered at them you had no room to move around, much less for people to actually skate. Despite the small crowd, it turned out to be a pretty entertaining show, to say the least.
Saturday:
Still had a pounding headache from Friday night, and I'm sure that the rainy weather didn't help much. So after dinner with the family, I headed to down town Milledgeville. Favorite leather jackets+ rainy weather + coffee shoppes = complete and total relaxation.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Love it or Hate it, We all have to use it: PUNCTUATION
DEAR JOHN:
I WANT A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT. YOU ARE GENEROUS, KIND, THOUGHTFUL. PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE YOU ADMIT TO BEING USELESS AND INFERIOR. YOU HAVE RUINED ME FOR OTHER MEN. I YEARN FOR YOU. I HAVE NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER WHEN WE'RE APART. I CAN BE FOREVER HAPPY, WILL YOU LET ME BE YOURS?
GLORIA
I WANT A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT. YOU ARE GENEROUS, KIND, THOUGHTFUL. PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE YOU ADMIT TO BEING USELESS AND INFERIOR. YOU HAVE RUINED ME FOR OTHER MEN. I YEARN FOR YOU. I HAVE NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER WHEN WE'RE APART. I CAN BE FOREVER HAPPY, WILL YOU LET ME BE YOURS?
GLORIA
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Confused..
Sometimes I wanna tell you that you don't understand where I'm at right now, when really I'm the one who doesn't understand it but you do because you have been exactly where I'm at. Well pretty close at least. But when I vent to you and ask for a response you gotta remember I'm where you were when it didn't make sense to you so you gotta drop back a couple years when we talk. Instead of expecting me to completely understand and agree with you and be as mature about it as you are now. Because you weren't always like this. Sometimes I think you forget how old I actually am because you always thought I was more mature than other people my age. That may be true but not matter how much more mature I am than anyone I'm still a seventeen year old girl. My Point: when I vent remember how you felt and how you were when stuff was a little less than perfect in your life and remember that no one ever tells anywhere close to the good things in life compared to how much bad that they reveal. So even though I may complain a lot doesn't mean that I'm not thankful for all that I do have.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rough Draft [2] Definitely still needs alot of work...
Peaking through the stain glass windows, the suns rays bounce off of every surface, making the room shine with magnificent, cheerful colors. I began to stir and as I opened my eyes the glare on the bear white cabin walls seemed to unfold like petals of a rose. The sound of my favorite church hymn crawled under my covers to my ears, but it wasn’t until I opened my eyes to see last years counselor singing into her hair brush that I realized I was back at camp. I sat up examining the carvings surrounding me on every beam of my bunk, like the stars surround the moon, waiting for an uncontrollable grin so I could say to myself “yeah, I remember that year.”
I wasn’t raised in a family that attended church regularly, but every summer I went to camp with a few friends. Every year I began my count down for the next year the day that camp ended. From the moment i arrived i were treated as family, which i was in the eyes of God. There were no awkward moments at camp, it was as if i had grown up with these people even though i had just learned there names standing in small group assignment line. Everyday consisted of the same basic events almost always in this order: worship, breakfast, prayer, worship, wreck, small groups, lunch, free time, rest hour, activities, workshops or seminars, worship, small group, dinner, chapel, fellowship, devotions, lights out. However everyday was completely different. Worship varied from one on one time seriously praising our creator; to jumping literally full of joy of all of the wonderful things he has given us. Meals were family style. You were assigned a table with one counselor and eight students from different areas, and the food was already on the table. Prayer was our quite time in the mornings, for about forty five minutes where we were given the time to walk away from every thing and everyone else to talk to Jesus one on one. Wreck and free time were times for group activities, mainly consisting of nine square competitions. Small group was a time to get into a group of peers and share the things that we struggled with most in our journey to live through The Lord. Activities were things such as a ropes course and other things that would help an individual to build their trust in each other and in Jesus. Workshops and seminars were exactly as they sounded, times where we gathered in rooms and learned of new ways that we could tell others of the word of Jesus Christ. But camp always seemed to have an emphasis on reuniting with old friends and having a good time rather than learning about our creator and committing to abide by his word.
Camp served as a private get away for me. A place to run to hide, and to think, camp was my home away from homes. The one place where in a single week I kept the whole world out, and only let one Person in. Somewhere where every night I floated into a dream world where everything and everyone who followed Christ was accepted, and every morning I could wake up and that dream was real. It was the only place that once the week was over I felt like a five year old grabbing onto there Fathers leg because they didn’t want to be sent to kindergarten, except my kindergarten was the “nations.” Camp was a place that as soon as the doors on the church bus came to a close at the end of the week, so did the part of my mind that let Him in.
This summer I couldn’t go to camp, my mom’s job transferred her to Georgia and trying to arrange a trip back to Florida for camp was just not in my budget. I was devastated, more so than the times I had to leave camp. However I didn’t seem to be upset that I wasn’t getting to spend a week worshiping Jesus, but that I was missing out on something that all of my old friends were experiencing. Little did I know at the time that I wasn’t going to miss the experience, just one that had previously served as a social activity.
I was invited to a camp closer and more affordable, but I had lost all of the excitement I once had for camp. It wasn’t going to be the same; nothing could ever be the same as the fellowship I experienced at my old camp. Going into this new camp I was nervous and judgmental, and ready to make up a list to send to my old friends back in Florida about how much better camp there was than this new one.
We loaded all of our suitcases onto the church bus, just like we would have at my old camp. But when we arrived we didn’t get cabin assignments, we stayed in beach houses. This was a new concept to me because the camp I had gone to for years was on a lake and you could see the neighboring camp grounds directly across the lake. But here it was just the ocean, you can’t see across the ocean. Meals were different; we ate together as a church and not with new people. This was a major difference a main focus of my old camp was to meet new people that share the same beliefs you do, but here we were expected to grow closer to the people in our own youth group. Worship, small groups, workshops and seminars, wreck and activities, and devotionals seemed to be the same or close to the way we did it at Warren Willis camp. (old camp)
But there was another key difference, at Warren Willis we were expected to gain a deeper relationship with God, here at Super Wow we were not only expected to gain this deeper relationship with Jesus, but to learn ways that we could keep this bond once we left camp and emerged back into the real world. We were told that it wouldn’t be easy, but we would make it because we had formed a support group by becoming close to the people in our own church. We were also taught ways that we could spread the word of Jesus. I had always noticed the sort of camp high feeling I got while I was at camp, and how it always seemed to wilt faster than it was formed, but it had never occurred to me before at camp that I was supposed to take what I learned and share it with all the nations of the world.
On the last day of this camp, I took a walk down the beach to watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. As I was walking, watching the sunset I saw how He did it. I saw that His creation of the sun is a reflection of Him and how He asks us to live. The sun’s arms reach out and shine on every inch of the world just as His love does. Its light never burns out exactly like His love. And the sun comes back to us every morning, just like Jesus does even when we have sinned and don’t deserve it. In that moment, walking down the beach just as it turned to dusk; I was amazed by the amount of His love that glides across each beam of sunlight to touch all of the nations. I began to shiver as the waves gently crashed against my feet, and the cool summer breeze began to blow. But I was immediately warmed again by the melting away of the sky. Watching the sun sink into the ocean, and the sky change from blue to pink, purple, and orange, a new desire, and purpose in this life became clear to me, I wanted His light to shine through me to touch other people of this world. So I began to float away, away from this world of corruption, treachery, and fear, into a world which lives only for Him, a world that I will now continue to float forever.
I wasn’t raised in a family that attended church regularly, but every summer I went to camp with a few friends. Every year I began my count down for the next year the day that camp ended. From the moment i arrived i were treated as family, which i was in the eyes of God. There were no awkward moments at camp, it was as if i had grown up with these people even though i had just learned there names standing in small group assignment line. Everyday consisted of the same basic events almost always in this order: worship, breakfast, prayer, worship, wreck, small groups, lunch, free time, rest hour, activities, workshops or seminars, worship, small group, dinner, chapel, fellowship, devotions, lights out. However everyday was completely different. Worship varied from one on one time seriously praising our creator; to jumping literally full of joy of all of the wonderful things he has given us. Meals were family style. You were assigned a table with one counselor and eight students from different areas, and the food was already on the table. Prayer was our quite time in the mornings, for about forty five minutes where we were given the time to walk away from every thing and everyone else to talk to Jesus one on one. Wreck and free time were times for group activities, mainly consisting of nine square competitions. Small group was a time to get into a group of peers and share the things that we struggled with most in our journey to live through The Lord. Activities were things such as a ropes course and other things that would help an individual to build their trust in each other and in Jesus. Workshops and seminars were exactly as they sounded, times where we gathered in rooms and learned of new ways that we could tell others of the word of Jesus Christ. But camp always seemed to have an emphasis on reuniting with old friends and having a good time rather than learning about our creator and committing to abide by his word.
Camp served as a private get away for me. A place to run to hide, and to think, camp was my home away from homes. The one place where in a single week I kept the whole world out, and only let one Person in. Somewhere where every night I floated into a dream world where everything and everyone who followed Christ was accepted, and every morning I could wake up and that dream was real. It was the only place that once the week was over I felt like a five year old grabbing onto there Fathers leg because they didn’t want to be sent to kindergarten, except my kindergarten was the “nations.” Camp was a place that as soon as the doors on the church bus came to a close at the end of the week, so did the part of my mind that let Him in.
This summer I couldn’t go to camp, my mom’s job transferred her to Georgia and trying to arrange a trip back to Florida for camp was just not in my budget. I was devastated, more so than the times I had to leave camp. However I didn’t seem to be upset that I wasn’t getting to spend a week worshiping Jesus, but that I was missing out on something that all of my old friends were experiencing. Little did I know at the time that I wasn’t going to miss the experience, just one that had previously served as a social activity.
I was invited to a camp closer and more affordable, but I had lost all of the excitement I once had for camp. It wasn’t going to be the same; nothing could ever be the same as the fellowship I experienced at my old camp. Going into this new camp I was nervous and judgmental, and ready to make up a list to send to my old friends back in Florida about how much better camp there was than this new one.
We loaded all of our suitcases onto the church bus, just like we would have at my old camp. But when we arrived we didn’t get cabin assignments, we stayed in beach houses. This was a new concept to me because the camp I had gone to for years was on a lake and you could see the neighboring camp grounds directly across the lake. But here it was just the ocean, you can’t see across the ocean. Meals were different; we ate together as a church and not with new people. This was a major difference a main focus of my old camp was to meet new people that share the same beliefs you do, but here we were expected to grow closer to the people in our own youth group. Worship, small groups, workshops and seminars, wreck and activities, and devotionals seemed to be the same or close to the way we did it at Warren Willis camp. (old camp)
But there was another key difference, at Warren Willis we were expected to gain a deeper relationship with God, here at Super Wow we were not only expected to gain this deeper relationship with Jesus, but to learn ways that we could keep this bond once we left camp and emerged back into the real world. We were told that it wouldn’t be easy, but we would make it because we had formed a support group by becoming close to the people in our own church. We were also taught ways that we could spread the word of Jesus. I had always noticed the sort of camp high feeling I got while I was at camp, and how it always seemed to wilt faster than it was formed, but it had never occurred to me before at camp that I was supposed to take what I learned and share it with all the nations of the world.
On the last day of this camp, I took a walk down the beach to watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. As I was walking, watching the sunset I saw how He did it. I saw that His creation of the sun is a reflection of Him and how He asks us to live. The sun’s arms reach out and shine on every inch of the world just as His love does. Its light never burns out exactly like His love. And the sun comes back to us every morning, just like Jesus does even when we have sinned and don’t deserve it. In that moment, walking down the beach just as it turned to dusk; I was amazed by the amount of His love that glides across each beam of sunlight to touch all of the nations. I began to shiver as the waves gently crashed against my feet, and the cool summer breeze began to blow. But I was immediately warmed again by the melting away of the sky. Watching the sun sink into the ocean, and the sky change from blue to pink, purple, and orange, a new desire, and purpose in this life became clear to me, I wanted His light to shine through me to touch other people of this world. So I began to float away, away from this world of corruption, treachery, and fear, into a world which lives only for Him, a world that I will now continue to float forever.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Blogging?
Okay, so I am part of the generation that is said to be technologically savvy, yet not once have I thought of blogging. MySpace. Facebook. Just like any other teenager today I could tell you how to use those upside down, backwards, and probably in Spanish. I spent a whole summer learning how to create MySpace codes from scratch, but within the first five minutes of logging onto the Twitter website I had decided that it wasn't something I was interested in. Even as a middle school student I thought that Live Journals were less than admirable, and I was positive that Blogging was somthing that had no place on my short list of hobbies. So when my college english teacher told us that she wanted us to not only follow her blog, but to create one of our own I was kind of shocked. One that a non-teenager knew what a blog was, and how to use one. Two that she did it her self. And three that she was asking us to blog as well. Im interested to see where this takes me, and what I (we, rather, as a class) will learn from this experience. So out of curiosity im releasing my current view of blogging, to see where this is going. After all, open minds lead to a better understanding, and having a better understanding leads to greater knowledge. :)
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