I agree with Hunter! Let's keep this blog going!

Hey everybody, just wanted to keep this blog going. I really enjoyed writing this

Stereotypes

All through high school, I was stereotyped as being gay because I was a swimmer. People thought that becasue i wore a speedo that i was automatically gay. At first all i could think was how dumb people sounded and that i didnt care but as i grew older i learned more about swimmers and i became more of clever. By junior year i was able to respond to this very easily. People used to call me gay and my answer was that i was on the only sports team at our school that has girls on the team and i just happened to be 9/10ths naked in front of them 5 days of the week. If they didnt shut up after that i pulled the playboy statistics out on them which are that swimmers are number 1 in bed, number 1 most comfortable with the opposite sex, number 1 on most sexually actice. I dont really have to say more after that. If they still continued i would just bring all the points of how their sport is gayer than mine and how their idiots for trying me because a lot of sports are gay if you think about them. After i was done shutting them up i would always say that you cant be gay by the sport you do.

Stereotypes and stuff

I recall being bored with some friends when we went to a pizza place close to where we lived. we had just come back from going to a show, so we were having fun and dressed in band shirts and jeans. We were unaware of what had happened before we arrived but someone had drawn not too nice things with ketchup and other things, things got a little weirder when I heard people call us punks, and saying that we probably did it. It bothered me.
I proceeded to stand up and tell an middle aged man and his wife that neither my friends nor I did any of this and that it was very stereotypical that he would think so. I said excuse me first, and was not disrespectful at all, I just did not want someone thinking that I vandalize places just because I enjoy music and dress a certain way. The man just said "Fuck off, punk, don't be coming telling me nothing about what I think", I told him I just didn't want him thinking that I was vandalizing places.
The man then started whining about how we were potheads who have nothing better to do, I told the guy that I don't smoke. He proceeded to tell me that I do other drugs because I enjoy rock music. So I decided it would be better to sit back down, pissed off. As if that wasn't enough, the guy decided to yell at me and tell me that he wasn't finished with me. I said that I was finished talking nonsense, but some people don't understand. So he called me a dumbshit Mexican. If there is one thing people know about me is that I hate being called a Mexican, it is about one of the few things that piss me off. I told the asshole I wasn't at all a Mexican, and told him to stop bitching because I was smarter than him, after all, he told me to "Dont be telling him nothing". So. he wants me to tell him everything.
The thing was resolved when we finished eating and I just walked off and gave the guy the finger and called him some insult. I can't remember but it was funny afterwards as we got into my car. There are few things that piss me off and one is douchebags who don't do anything and being called a Mexican, I find it ignorant. Still that is the only time I remember being discriminated against, and for two reasons in one day. rofl. =D

STEREOTYPES

Do not get me started with stereotype. I have been stereotyped all my life. I am from the Philippine Islands and my appearance of being Asian gave many people false assumptions. Right off the bat, people who first meet me ask me the questions “Are you Chinese?” or “Are you Japanese?” Because of people’s lack of knowledge of the different cultures they always make these assumption. As a child I have always been called names. Growing up I always felt annoyed by these comments. Kids would always call me, “Chinese,” ”Eggroll,” or “Godzilla.” When we do school related work, they assume I am smartest kid in the class because of Asian stereotype. Let me ask you thing. Do you think I’m good at math? Well… I am not! I absolutely hate it with all my heart. Nothing kills me more than math. The stereotype that I would go into the medical field is always made too. However I do have a lot of family members in the medical field, I cannot stand being in a hospital or even being around blood and needles. NEEDLES! Needles are one of my fears. My major is actually Business and know I do not own one of those Japanese smart cars.

Being a female lead to being stereotyped in sports. Whenever I go play at the park with a group of kids with majority of them being boys, I am always chosen last or chosen to sit out when I was young. This occurred mostly during elementary school and middle school. But after playing the particular sport, I always end up proving them wrong. I can play just as dirty as the boys. That’s for sure!

Speaking of sports. I have played multiple sports throughout my life and one stereotype I also got was being a dike! Just because I played a ton of sports doesn’t mean I am a dike. This also leaned more towards the sport of basketball. At my high school, I am not going to lie, there was a number of different orientation of girls, known as “Dikes,” or “Lesbians.” People used to think our whole team was lesbian. But I never took it offensive. I never judged people by their orientation. As a team leader, I always accepted each of and every one of them regardless of orientation. Did it ever cross my mind? Of course it did, but I always respectfully ignored it and focused on what was important, the game. I feel that judgments made cause unnecessary drama, that always end up affecting the team as a whole. I remember one time there was one particular conflict about a girl and it reached the school administration. Let me tell you, my coach made us run for days!

My Stereotypes

Yeah, I'm stereotyped all the time. Even more so because I am Dominican and Haitian, therefore Hispanic and from the islands. Many of my friends, not my close ones, but still people I knew, like my classmates would go "Hey Giiiirrl!!" sometimes and I would just give them a death stare because they know I'm not like that. I hated when they did that, not because I never did it, but because they never said hi to any of their other friends that way so why do they have to do it to me? But usually I just never answered and usually they never got the hint. But it's whatever, some people just don't understand.
Another stereotype I've had to deal with is being Haitian. I've gotten so many, "Do you do voodoo?'s" I just want to answer yes so that person will get scared. Just because a person is from Haiti or has Haitian origins doesn't mean they do voodoo. All of the Haitian friends I have are Christians. And let the record show that my dad is a pastor at a Baptist church so I definitely do NOT practice voodoo. That is what I tell the people who ask me that ridiculous question.
Yet another stereotype I have to put up with is because of the friends I have. I hang out with a lot of Spanish people because my mother is Hispanic and we speak Spanish at home, well I answer my mom in English but still. I just hear people all the time "She thinks she's Mexican" or even "She thinks she's white" because I was in International Baccalaureate. I just ignored them. In the future when they are still in the same little town and I am travelling the world with my amazing salary they can eat their words.

Stereotypes

I honestly don’t have to deal with being stereotyped very often. Maybe it’s because I’m not a member of a noticeable ethnic group like blacks or Asians. Or maybe I just don’t notice it because I don’t really mind stereotypes, as long as they aren’t used maliciously. I feel like a lot of people take them way too seriously, most stereotypes can be really funny if you look at them with a lighter attitude.

Mel Brooks is considered to be one of the funniest writers/directors of all time and his movies are full of stereotypes and racist comments, but nobody seems to be offended by them. This is most likely due to the fact that he doesn’t single in on and attack a specific group or community. His movies poke fun at almost every community imaginable including blacks, whites, Jews, Christians, Asians, and many more. In fact, these movies exaggerate the stereotypes to such a degree that they actually satirize the act of stereotyping.

For example, the film “Blazing Saddles” takes place in an old western town called Rock Ridge. The citizens of this town are incredibly racist and frequently make offensive comments toward their African-American sheriff. While Brooks is using these comments to poke fun at the African-American community, their primary function is to illustrate how silly it is to stereotype ethnic groups and communities.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that stereotyping can be helpful to society as long as it is done in good fun and without harmful intents. Harmless stereotyping jokes can desensitize people to racism and prejudice and can reduce violent or malicious retaliation. If people just don’t take them personally and try to see the humor in them, stereotypes can change their image from being hateful insults to being really funny jokes. And this world could use some more humor.

So this blonde walked into a bar....

I don’t want to say that I have always been stereotyped growing up through life but I think I have. The world has a certain view on girls that they are not as good or less then guys. This is completely false. So by just being a girl I am stereotyped, but that is not the only one I have. I have also grown up and still have blonde hair. I swear I have heard every blonde joke that is out there and honestly I think they are all funny. For the people that cannot laugh at themselves have so problems with their self esteems. So what if people make fun of me because I have blonde hair and I am “supposed” to be stupid. Yea I have my “blonde moments” but who hasn’t? Laughing at the entire thing makes everything so much easier on myself. Even though my stereotype is funny and silly some are not. Some stereotypes just don’t need to be there at all. Stereotyping someone only because of their race before you even know them is just stupid. Get to know the person first before you say anything, then you can say that if they are dumb or whatever, they are because of something different then their race. We all have differences, and some people have ones they don’t want pointed out. People just need to go back to the old saying “do onto others as you would want to be treated,’ then no one would ever have this problem

Contemplate This:

Female gamers. Not to many of them, right? I know, it's odd. I've been playing video games longer than most 'serious gamers' I've met over the course of my career, and yet every time I step into a tournament room, people think absolutely nothing of me. The girls always get out first, it's just a gamer society norm. However, one day, I was determined to change that.

I entered the SSB: Melee tourney in 7th grade. It was my favourite game, so, needless to say, I played it constantly. I knew I was pretty good. It had gotten to the point where my friends wouldn't let me play with them because I would beat them so easily. I thought one day, 'Hey, maybe I can make something out of this...' So, I entered a Gamestop Melee tournament. There were 35 contenders competing for a 150 dollar Gamestop giftcard. I entered at my preferred location and practiced constantly until the day finally arrived. After just 6 rounds, I was the last female standing. When the semi-finals came around, I was one of four people still competing. People were amazed. I actually had girls cheering me on JUST because I was one of them. In my semi-final match, when I beat my opponent, he threw his controller and cursed me,

"You're a fucking chick! This is ridiculous..." He rolled his eyes, stood, and walked away (it's common courtesy to shake hands and say good game). I felt guilty. He had made me feel bad for beating him just because he had called me a girl. Who was being more ridiculous, him or me? I wasn't sure...

The final match was difficult. He was good, beyond good. I only just took him out in a Sudden Death match. I launched to my feet, beaming. I couldn't believe I had actually won! Over all of those boys! He smiled, shook my hand, and disappeared into the crowd. The girls that had attended were giving me high fives and complementing me on the game. Maybe being one of the girls isn't so bad after all.

Stereotypes

I haven't had much personal experience with stereotypes. I will say that I went to Sail High School, a hippy school. There is a certain stigma attached to Sail; before I was enrolled, some of my family members thought it was a terrible idea. When you tell someone "I go to Sail", they have a limited number of options of what to think of you: A) You do a lot of drugs, B) You have no ambition, C) You don't bathe D) You are one of the "artsy kids" and listen to "Indie Music", or E) multiple combinations of the aforementioned items. I will say that many of these things are true about some of the students, but for people like me and my friends, Sail was a wonderful place for learning. The core curriculum covered all the bases that the State required, but it was supplemented with an organic vegetable garden, an art room full of excellent materials anyone could use to make anything they wanted, the single best photographic darkroom in Tallahassee (better than TCC, better than FSU) and a music department with well trained instructors who promoted both skill and creativity. All in all, the staff of Sail were the the friendliest, most intelligent people and helpful people I knew.

Also, when I tell people that I am a vegetarian, they sometimes think that I am naive, overly sensitive or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, some extremist animal rights pusher. I have had people apologize for ordering steak in front of me; it's really weird. I could care less if someone else eats meat! Obviously, I think it's a bad idea, but who am I to tell you not to? All I can say is that Food Inc. is a totally gnarly movie and it will make you rethink some things...but the good news is, you don't have to watch it.

White and Nerdy

This post is too easy for me. In elementary school all the way to about the end of my Freshman year i always wore glasses, had longer hair, and was even skinnier and whiter than i am now.

I went to a public elementary school and during that time i was in the advanced classes which meant i left normal math and science class to go to the advanced ones everyday. Kids would always ask me for help with their work and how to do things just based off that assumption and how i looked. I remember one time in particular this one older kid was skipping by me and called me four-eyes. I was confused for a little bit but then i realized he was talking about how i wore glasses and obviously, i was hurt. In middle school i started going to private school and thats when kids started stereotyping me as a nerd, but i don't really know if that counts because i really was. I played World of Warcraft and other online games, made websites, and played on the computer pretty much exclusively.

In high school is when it really set in. Freshman year i had grown my hair even more since middle school so i looked exactly like a stereotypical man of the internet. I would get made fun of a lot and had lots of self confidence issues. Everyone assumed i was boring and just another loser nerd.

Around the end of freshman year i was sick of being stereotyped so i stopped wearing my glasses as much and tried to be more outgoing. Sophomore year i went out for sports and ended up breaking out of my previously attached stereotype. I began working out at the end of sophomore year and have been continuing that since. As of now i still feel like i belong to that cast of stereotypes somewhat. Being automatically labeled feels terrible and it is an unfortunate part of society that we all face every day.

Stereotypes

Growing up I wasn’t stereotyped by my race, color of my skin, or how tall I was. I was born into a middle class family. Both my parents worked full time jobs. We lived in a two-bedroom one-bath house in Miami Dade County. I went to Catholic School my whole life from pre-k 4 to my senior year of high school. My parents worked really hard to give an education that would help me because a successful person. One stereotype that I have experienced in my life is the “Rich, Catholic School Girl.” This one makes me laugh all the time. Yea, I went to a high school were girls had their sweet sixteen on MTV, but don’t let that fool you. There is a good handful of us in private school at are really struggling to be there. In high school I worked three jobs to help supplement my family’s income. I was a very independent person. I hate it when someone, when they just met me, assume that I am a rich bitch because I go to Saint Thomas Aquinas. I don’t think its fair for people to automatically think that just because someone goes to private school they are the richest people in the world. So basically what I am trying to say, is just don’t judge someone by where they go to school, or how much money they have. A family can be totally different behind closed doors.

Another stereotype that I have experienced is “Stupid Sorority Girl.” Not True. Being in a sorority you have to maintain a 3.0 G.P.A. We don’t party every night, studying is an important part of being in an organization like a sorority. If the sorority doesn’t maintain a good GPA then they could be kicked off of the college campus. Also we need to be involved in three different campus activities. Since I have been in a sorority here on campus I have put in 12 hours of studying for tests and quizzes. People that I have met think “Stupid Sorority Girl” but hopefully having met me and me explaining that it isn’t true, they have thought of sorority girls in a new way.

Stereotyping

Growing up, I never was really affected by any stereotypes. I was your average kid with an average family going to a public school with a bunch of kids who were pretty much in the same boat as me. However, when I entered high school, everyone began to stereotype. Throughout my childhood and teenage years as well, I have always been involved with sports. I used to play soccer competitively and I also ran track, played basketball, and flag football. To many, this may not seem like a bad thing, but to my fellow high school classmates it was something to joke about. I had a lot of guy friends in high school and so when we would get together to play football or any other activity, they would start making jokes. They would call me a dyke or a man. Of course I knew they were just kidding because I was dating one of their friends but still, they were stereotyping me based on things they assumed.
Also, in my senior year of high school, I dyed my hair blonde. I used to have blonde hair all through my childhood but as I grew up, my hair started getting darker. So, when I decided to dye my hair, I never thought that I would be stereotyped; sadly, I was wrong. Right away when I dyed my hair, the blonde jokes started. If I ever did something kind of dumb, all my friends would say ‘its okay, you’re blonde’. Or in class, if I got a bad grade on a test, everyone would say ‘you got that grade because you’re blonde’. Not really. At first, the jokes didn’t bother me but eventually they got on my nerves and I would get mad if someone tried to say I was dumb because I had blonde hair.
Then, I got accepted into the Honors Program at Florida State. When I told people about that, they were all like ‘ohhh, so you’re going to be one of those honors kids?’ One of those honors kids? I had no idea what they meant. They were assuming that all honors kids were “nerds” or “losers”. Which, as I have found out, is definitely not the case. I’ve met a lot of honors kids by living in Landis, and for the most part, all of them are as ‘normal’ as you and me. Granted, I don’t really care if people stereotype me as a nerd, but saying I’m in the honors program always makes kids think that all the honors students have no friends and are weird. Sometimes people can be so ignorant and judgmental.

Journal 4-Italian, Mexican...whatever, same thing.

I can’t honestly say that I’ve had to deal with overbearing stereotyping before in my life. Growing up a white male, it doesn’t see too much racial profiling. If I had to say something I was stereotyped with, it would be that all kids that go to Catholic school are rich and stuck-up. When I would meet friends of friends from other high schools in Orlando, they’d usually be like, “Oh, you go to Bishop Moore, so you’re loaded and a spoiled brat.” Not the case at all. Just because I went to Catholic school growing up doesn’t mean I have some kind of superiority complex above every other person I meet. My parents wanted me to go to Catholic school because they felt that it would be better than what they had when they were kids. Not to say that every kid that comes out of Catholic school isn’t a total snob, because there’s plenty of them. I definitely understand that a lot of kids to come out of my high school were basically intolerable. As far as how I dealt with it, it was pretty simple. I try to be pretty modest by nature so most people could figure out I was just as normal as they were.

Another stereotype I’ve had to deal with is also pretty trivial in comparison to some others. Back in my freshman year, a pretty good friend of mine used to mock the abnormal amount of facial hair I had for a kid my age. Italian guys usually start getting facial hair at about age 13 so it was nothing new to me. My friend wasn’t very ‘culturally diverse’ then and isn’t now either, and he would constantly ask me how my lawn service was going. He insisted that my mustache at such a young age could only make me of Hispanic descent. Not only was that offensive to me as someone who’s 100% Italian, it’s also racist to those of Hispanic descent. I made it clear to him that I wouldn’t put up with his consistently offensive joke and that it had to stop. It did thankfully and we were good friends all throughout high school.

Jokes

Honestly, I have never been profoundly offended by someone’s remark aimed at a certain community I belong to. Mainly because when people broadcast what they have to say about race, religion, etc. it's usually in a respectful manner in a meaningful conversation or just to crack a harmless joke or two. I even crack those jokes once in a while, too. Rarely do I encounter anyone with cruel intentions, even though I am sure there are plenty out there.

Usually people make jokes about their own race, religion, etc. just because it is socially acceptable, so they wouldn't be risking their lives if they did so. In one situation, I went with a friend over to a neighbor's house where he taught me and my friend how to shoot a pellet gun. He is Cuban, my friend is Colombian, and I'm a mix of both. We went outside to his backyard, and set up a pyramid of tin cans for us to shoot. My friend and I had trouble at aiming the gun, and on the verge of giving up, my neighbor shouts at me, "Shoot those cans as if it was someone taking your drugs!" The most common stereotype of Colombians is that we are the biggest drug dealers, as you can infer if you've seen the movie "Blow" with Johnny Depp. My neighbor's comment took me a little off guard; I have never been told something like that in my life. But I found it funny regardless, especially when I began to hit the tin cans afterward.

Then there are those who don't know much of what they're talking about. You could say I feel a bit of sympathy for their ignorance sometimes. Listening to a classmate say in class, "I've heard the stereotype that Cubans can't swim" was actually amusing to me. At that instant I thought, If anything I've heard that we can swim. In music videos when Hispanic women are portrayed to have a dubious morality, I'm almost indifferent to what people have to say about this image. To a certain extent, stereotypes are what they are because there is some truth to them. It's unfortunate that some of these people are the ones who represent my race and other miscellaneous communities I'm involved in, but I can't do anything about it other than prove them wrong.

Stereotypical jokes are funny to me for the simple reason that they can't sink deep enough under my skin; they won't ever affect me personally. I give the image I want people to see, regardless of how they perceive my demographic information. I don't lower myself to what is "expected," I make a new name for myself that defies the social norm.

Mexican speaking Mexican

I am a proud American born young lady of Cuban descent. I am proud of my Cuban roots and proud of my native language, Spanish. Spanish is spoken in over 20 countries over the world. September 25, 2010 I was exploring the halls in the engineering building where I bumped into a person who was looking for people to attend a presentation, offering free food. He had said the room number, I didn't understand, so he repeated "One, tres, six". That's odd, why did he say three in Spanish to me? I attend the company presentation in room 136, after all who can turn down free food?

The presenter commenced and mentioned the diversity of the company. Diversity stretching as far to include a far away place called Mexico, where he queued me. Without fail, every time he mentioned Mexico he pointed at me. I couldn't help but chuckle. This is incredible! He actually thinks I'm Mexican! I guess in the eyes of others Mexico is the only Spanish speaking country, forget Latin America and the Caribbean Islands. If you're Hispanic, and speak Spanish, that must mean you're Mexican. Oh but that's not even the best part! After the meeting he approached me and asked me what part of Mexico I was from. "Well actually, my parents are Cuban" I replied. He apologized and later complimented my Spanish (at least he apologized). I personally believe I handled the situation extremely well especially since I did not proceed in calling him a terrorist (since he was from Saudi Arabia). I thought this had been pretty hysterical and made this my Facebook status. Soon I had comments of "Mexican speaking Mexican :P, and Tally isn't PC." Long live being a minority.

There was also the time when the Engineering Magnet male students in my high school approached me and said "Melissa, you will never become an engineer: you're a girl and your female brain will never understand the higher knowledge required to succeed in the math and sciences." Low blow. That had hurt me, I had even began reevaluating if it was even worth pursuing this subject if this was going to happen. I loved engineering; I was in robotics since freshmen year. I had worked as hard as they had, yet I was singled out for being a girl. But, nothing serves greater motivation than being told what you can't do in life. Here I am, currently in Florida State University, in pre-engineering, "unconquered" like a true Seminole.

Journal 4 "White bread!"

I was born and raised in Pahokee until I was around 7 years old and my family wanted to move to Port St. Lucie. Pahokee is a predominantly black town and I am a small white boy, you can imagine that I was ridiculed quite a bit. I was called everything from “cracker” to “honky” on a regular basis. I was never one to get upset by something that somebody says to me, honestly I think “honky” is one of the funniest words I’ve ever heard and if you honestly can get offended by someone calling you that, you need to get a sense of humor. I also grew up listening to rap first, so whenever I would hear schoolmates talking about rap and I jumped and talked about a song, I would get the usual “man you crackers don’t know anything about rap, you all listen to rock and country”. They would act like I was challenging them to a rap battle instead of just talking about music. Apparently white guys aren’t allowed to know about rap, I guess I didn’t get that memo. Have you even heard of Eminem before? Does he not count or something? Also since I was a minority, everyone in my class automatically thought I was the smartest one because I’m the “white boy”. I’m flattered that they’d think that, but just because I’m white doesn’t mean I automatically have a 200 IQ. I also would be ridiculed a lot because everyone would think that all white people automatically speak with a phlegm-like voice and say the word “certainly” every 2 or 3 words. I find it all incredibly hilarious and I’ll purposely speak like that to get a reaction out of everyone, but come on, if you really think that, you’ve been watching too many TV shows. I’m not trying to gain any street cred or anything but that’s just honestly how it was growing up there. If you’re white and living in Pahokee, you can guarantee that something will get said to you because of your skin color. Just to add in something a little interesting, when I was about 6 years old, my dad took me to work with him for a day. He had to go to a juvenile detention center in Belle Glade and one of the inmate kid’s called me “white bread” and made me cry because I got laughed at badly by the other kid’s. I see how it is…I see how it is.

Journal 4: Stereotyping

When I was growing up I moved a lot, and I came into contact with many different kinds of people. As a result, I’ve figured out that people don’t always live up to the stereotypes that society forces on them. I, too, am one of those people. However, some people are as open minded as I am, and sometimes I ended up being the victim of some serious stereotyping throughout my life. I moved to Auburn, Alabama. It was a quiet little college town that my family had moved to because of my dad’s job. This was when my parents first decided to put my brother and I in private school. After looking at several different schools, my parents came to the conclusion that Lee-Scott Academy was the school we were going to attend. Lee-Scott was a predominantly “white school”, and my brother and I were two of about 5 black children at the school. So it is obvious that we would be subject for some type of stereotype or the other.

Obviously, I’m black, and for most of my life, I have had very long hair, which was my own natural hair. This is not a typical trait for most black people. Most people think that all black have “nappy” hair, and that all black women wear “weave”. However, this was not the case. It was quite the opposite. My dad is half Spanish and my mom is half Indian (not American Indian) which is the reason for my hair being the way it was. One day in class, one of the boys that sat behind me asked how it felt to wear fake hair (weave) all the time. I told him that I don’t wear fake hair, never have, and never will. Then he said, “Of course you do. All black people do.” This made me so mad. How could someone be so ignorant? I kind of wanted to punch him in the face at that point. For the rest of the day he kept bugging me about my hair, telling me that it wasn’t necessary to lie, and that no one would judge me because my hair wasn’t my own. Oh the irony. The next day at lunch, the same kid decided to prove that I was lying by trying to pull out “weave” from my head. He had pulled and pulled so much that he actually pulled some from the back of my head, which made me start to bleed. After he realized what he had done, he just walked away and sat back down like nothing had happened. Luckily, the Headmaster walked into the cafeteria at the time, and he got suspended for two weeks. And to think all of that drama could have been avoided if he wasn’t such an ignorant jerk.

JOURNAL 3

Newspaper Article:
A Baby Photo Becomes an Internet Meme
By MATT GROSS

I cannot fathom the fact that people really find this picture of a baby in red overalls amusing. A programmer from Gainesville, Florida back in 2000 posted a typical photo of five month old baby. But I must say just by looking at this picture of the baby, you can't help but smile back. Like really, how is it funny? For pete sake, they pasted the baby's face to Mount Rushmore! The fascination with these internet memes have only increased drastically over the years. I cannot help but wonder why the subject of a baby could become such a craze.

Art Piece:
“Exquisite Self-Portrait: Father Martian,” By Mr. Pruitt

I found this art piece absolutely extraordinary. It is one of the most confusing picture I have ever seen. It is a photo of a weird guy eating a chocolate Hershey bar with alien antennas. The photo is cropped in portions with different colors. He used colors like green, yellow and purple which aren't really compliment each other. Theres not much of expression found in his face gestures. But all in all this art piece is interesting in a weird way.

Advertisement:
Palm Centro Magazine Ad

When I first saw the ad I did not know where to begin looking. The advertisement is split in the middle with a person on one side and the Sprint Palm Centro in the other. I found the picture of the person so chaotic. He had written all over his body. This gives people the message of multitasking and keeping up with their daily life. The person was multitasking between different things such as school, work and juggling a social life, something that the Palm Centro consumes. But when you look on the right side of the ad it is so relieving just to see the picture of the Palm Centro cellphone.

Pg 184 Beyond Words- Item 4.4 Smiley N. Pool, Hurricane Katrina Photograph, The Dallas Morning News, September 5, 2005

When I looked it this picture it reminded me back in the days when we experienced such disaster when hurricanes flew through Florida. I remember sitting in the middle of night at my aunts house with all my family. When I look at this picture I realize how much people took the time to embrace the meaning of family and helping people. As big as an impact it made physically I feel like it mentally brought families and people together. I remember during a hurricane there was no electricity so all we did was made the best of what we had and we played games like charades or help each other prepare for the next storm, storing and making food or tape down windows in the house.s

Journal 3

Photograph

P. 180 Item 4.1 Terry Falke, Trail to Balanced Rock, 1996

The first thing that caught my eye in this photograph is the balanced rock. It is such an unusual sight and it really demonstrates the variety of nature. The rock appears to be defying the laws of gravity. The next thing I noticed was the people in the foreground. They seem so small and insignificant compared to the massive rocks in the background. This juxtaposition illustrates the minuteness of mankind compared to the rest of the Earth.

Student Project

P. 320 Virginia Wooten, North by Northwest and Spellbound: Identifiably Hitchcock, 2006

This essay caught my attention because I consider myself to be a bit of a film buff and Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors. It was interesting to read about a different person’s opinions of Hitchcock’s directing style. I liked how the writer went into detail about the dynamics of the first-person shot. This is, in my opinion, one of the most effective shots in cinematography and is frequently utilized by directors such as Sam Raimi and Quentin Tarantino. This essay effectively explained why this shot is so useful in creating a specific mood for a scene.

Public Health Poster

P. 338 Item 6.6, American Medical Association, Girlie Drinks… Women’s Diseases Poster, 2004

The first thing I noticed about this poster was the way that it addresses a serious issue, yet it is comprised of light colors and soft edges. At first glance, I thought the poster would be about a light-hearted subject. Then I noticed the blue words scattered across the poster. They casually list the horrible consequences of “girlie drinks” and add a sense of danger to the poster.

Painting

P. 42 Item 1.17, Mark Ulriksen, Little Dog, 2000

The first thing to grab my attention about this painting was how well it conveys the playfulness of a dog. It uses bright, clear colors to produce an optimistic mood which mirrors the dog’s attitude. The dog itself is painted in a very strange perspective that makes it appear to be trying to leap right off the page. The sense of joy illustrated in the dog caused me to miss my dog back home.

journal 3

Photo Page 143 Beyond Words

As I looked at this picture of two girls and a guy I can’t believe how times have changed. With all of them having gaudy piercings on their tongue, nose, or lips made them hard to miss. Under the picture it talked about how teenagers and how they expressed themselves in those years. It made me think about how my friends and myself expressed ourselves over the past few years. Fads come and go, just like how piercing your face has somewhat died down, we are more likely to get a tattoo instead. Part of me feels like the people who put holes in there bodies were smarter than us now cause they’re not permanent.

Advertisement Item 3.15 On the Cover of Rolling Stone; Photo Montage 2006-2007

When I saw the page full of Rolling Stone magazine covers I wanted to take my time to stop and look at all the covers and read what was written about them. The fact that some of my favorite artist were on the page I wanted to look at their pictures and what they said about them. It was about our obsession today with celebrities and how they were portrayed in the cover. A picture can really say 1000 words. Each cover had a story to tell in itself.

Newspaper Article New York Times: Chinese Remake the “Made in Italy” Fashion Lable

I saw the title and I love fashion so I chose this article to read. I knew that china has always made the nock off version of name brand items for years but I didn’t know that they moved to do it. The fact that people will move to a different country to work to make an illegal product is unreal to me. “Made in Italy” means many things when it is on a an article of clothing or bag that you buy. It means that what I am buying is not only real, but that it is the made out of the best fabrics out there. Now they are making fake items in Italy now to. This is upsetting to think that even today you can spend much of your money on something that is not even real.

Painting Item 7.11 The Freedom Chair, 1991. Beyond Words

The chair was different than others that I have seen. Not only was it just a chair in the painting it was completely see through. I could see how the chair was made and saw all the outlines of it. The painting is so plain in its subject but it is so complex in its design. The chair itself is truly a work of art.

The Media

Political Cartoon

Orlando Sentinel- September 12th 2010 page A1

So being home this weekend I thought I’d use the newspaper since I had access. On the front page there’s a drawing of George W with Obama standing right next to him, both with big toothy smiles. At the top of the sketch it reads, “Double-dip recession,” with dip 1 and dip 2 pins on Bush and Obama respectively. I found this pretty funny because the ’08 election was supposed to mark the change of the economy, can’t say I’ve seen any radical change though.

Article- Great Ape Debate:Research or Rest?

Orlando Sentinel page A4

So this write up explains what really happens to chimpanzees in test facilities. When I read the title and saw the basic outline of the article, I thought of a quote from one of my favorite movies of all time, “Without pain, without sacrifice, we’d have nothing; like the first monkey shot into space.” The second I saw it i thought of Fight Club and my focus was on that article immediately. Of course this article mentions the first monkey shot into space. After reading the laundry list of pesticides, disease cures, and cosmetics scientists test on chimpanzees I look at it with a positive light that they make sure they have it right for human users. Come at me PETA.

Advertisement

Orlando Sentinel page D6

So this advertisement caught my eyes with hype for the coming NBA season. The collage of Orlando Magic players was well put together with good team color scheme to catch a reader’s eye. Can’t say I liked the slogan that much, it’s been used the past couple of seasons, “Be here, be Magic.” It definitely got me excited for this season, even though it looks gloomy with the Miami Heat in our division.

Journal writing- Quran burning

Orlando Sentinel page B3

I was drawn to this because it was based out of Gainesville. Of course, stupid things coming out of there. I laughed when I first heard the story earlier this week but after reading this I realize Pastor Jones wasn’t wanted in the first place. It was a good read, lots of people went out to show that something so un-civil wasn’t welcome at their church. I came away from the reading with respect for those people who stood up against faith intolerance when they certainly didn’t have to. Still hate UF though.

Media MIndcontrol

Men's Health Cover

The cover of the magizine features a large man who has hair that looks like it must have taken him hours to do it. He would look feminane if he didnt have the slight five-o-clock shadow. The color scheme seems to be geared for a male audience. Large red and black text make it plain and easy to read. Titles such as "The perfect fit for every body" and "101 ways to look better" let me know that this is not the article i want to read. To be honest, I dont care how people think i look. I wear what I want and what i can afford. I dont really care about the 7,000 dollar Rolex's they talk about in this magazine. They say thats what women respond to... the respond to how a man's watch costs? Thats horseshit. I think this title is for somebody with a ton of cash who wants to look good as he strolls down Broadway, probably on his way to the gay bar. He looks like Clay Akin, but a more rugged Clay.

Fitness Magazine

There is a article called "Lift smarter, get bigger." The gist of this article is how to break through a weight lifting plateau. i liked this article since it was obviously written by a pretty normal guy who is really more of a fitness guru than a writer. He talks in a specific language that would probably be tough for somebody who didnt go to the gym a whole lot to understand. I like how they have highlighted the main points of the techniques. They also provide a picture of a man who is really cut and it makes me want to go to the gym right now and get big. I also like that on top of telling you how to improve your workout it also tells you why it works. that makes me feel like i am smart and that i dont just do what it tells me to. A chart of weight percentages is provided at the end so that if you cant comprehend what it says in the article you can just look at the chart for help. P.s. I am not a muscle douchebag, look at me im scrawny, i just like working out a lot and being in shape.

A Gucci fragence ad.

the picture is a bottle of "Gucci by Gucci Sport" fragrence. it is a bottle that is clear for the most part with a silver ball on top and the liquid inside is a very light green. the bottle is on a dark colored pool deck with the ripples of the pool water behind it. This picture makes me think of impressing ladies. I like how it says sport so that i feel like more of a man when i buy it(like trucks that say "offroad" or "sport edition" or "prerunner" make you feel more like a big man). At the bottom of the page it reads "the new fragrance for men" we reassures me that smelling like a flower is not just for women. It is a cool picture, the contrast of the dark concrete and the refreshing water provide a masculine feeling. Im sure if i wore this all the girls at FSU could not resist me.

The Charge of the Light Brigade. by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I have always liked this poem since the first time i heard it sometime around 9th grade. I have always known that i would end up in the military and i have always felt very proud to be an American. although this dude was not writing about America he was writing about bravery and honor, values that exemplify the American spirit. In the text is says "Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred." this makes me think of all those who have gone before us to defend the values that make us who we are. They have paid the ultimate price to allow us to live the way we do today. "Was there a man dismay'd? Not tho' the soldier knew" they are proud to serve the US and they fight for you and I. I have always wanted to be a part of the light brigade, and enter the league of men and women who have given so much for you and I.

4 Texts

Comic Book
p.110 item 3.11 Marjane Satrapi, Excerpt from Persepolis, 2004

I was flipping through Beyond Words and I found this. I read this comic book a long time ago, but this was the first time I contemplated this particular chapter by itself. Persepolis is the memoir of an Iranian women who fled Iran when she was in her early 20's. These memoirs are about her observations about her country as a child and as a young woman. This chapter is about the role of the veil in Iranian culture when she was ten years old (1980). What Satrapi is trying to get across in this chapter is that while the government was forcing children to wear a veil in school, her mother knew that religious freedom was something to be valued and religion and its symbols were not to be used as political devices. One of visual devices Satrapi uses in her storytelling is the very format in which her story is presented. The images carry strength in their black and white simplicity. As it is in comic book format, her stories are made real through caricature and symbolism. For instance, one of the blocks is captioned "I really didn't know what to think about the veil. Deep down, I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde." To illustrate this idea, Satrapi has illustrated an image of her self split down the center. One half of her body is veiled and the other half isn't. The backgrounds are also split accordingly; the veiled side of her has a traditional Islamic design such as one that might be found on the wall of a mosque, whereas the non-veiled side displays gears, a hammer and a ruler, symbols of work and rationality (and moreover, Communism, an belief system totally rejected by Muslim extremists at that time.)This particular image effectively portrays the conflicted feelings a child may have had at that time in Iranian history.

Photograph
P. 283 Item 5.13 George Bush Meeting with Burned Soldier
This picture stirs up a number of painful emotions. It is difficult for me to look at a picture of a burn victim without an automatic sense of repulsion, but this feeling is always coupled with tremendous guilt because I know that the person is the same on the inside as they always were. It makes me feel horrible because I know that if I were hurt that bad, I would know that nobody wanted to look at me anymore, and I would feel really lonely because no one could get past my face and my body. This is the last person in the world who deserves to feel like that. For his country, he sacrificed a normal life in exchange for a life of alienation and pain. Not only does he have to live with his own disfigurement; he has to live with the memory of the pain he inflicted on others and the memories of terror that were the last emotions he felt as he exited his normal life. I wonder if at that moment George Bush questioned whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth fighting at such human cost.

Advertisement
Page 100, Item 3.6. Love Me Tender Movie Poster, 1956
This movie poster is in a format common to movie posters of its era. There is one central visual figure that is the "main draw" for the movie; in this case, Elvis Presley playing a guitar. Below the central visual figure are images that illustrate key themes of the movie; in this case, a man with a gun (action), Elvis kissing a woman's cheek (romance) and a cavalry with confederate flags (provides a setting.)Just from this simple construction of images, I know that Love Me Tender is going to feature some action/violence, a romantic storyline and it will take place during the civil war.

Poem
P. 222 War (in the City in Which I Live), by Benjamin Alire Saenz, 2006
I am not Hispanic, but I have never understood why so many Americans are so cruel towards the people who fight to live here. I don't understand why it has to be so difficult for a person to immigrate. I always hear people get all fired up about "Mexicans taking all the jobs", but what few people seem to realize is that undocumented immigrants are taking the jobs that nobody wants. What it really boils down to is racism. This poem is powerful because the imagery is excellent--the poem talks about the Rio Grande, and how deceptively calm it looks. I remember thinking that when I saw it. It didn't look so dangerous, but it has drowned thousands of people. This poem presented a few viewpoints that I had not considered before but were particularly enlightening. The author says that in his city, white people are moving away because they are scared of the Mexicans. He says that he wishes they would "stay and fight"--to "learn to love the people that make the food they love". This line was striking because it seems like people are willing to just pick and choose the things they want to keep out of other cultures. For example, Americans love Chinese food and crepes and burritos and margaritas, but they still have stereotypes about the cultures who brought these things to our culture. These sterotypes breed fear. If people educated themselves about other cultures and didn't just pick and choose what they wanted to see, hear or eat, they might be able to form meaningful relationships and at least form a truly safer environment.

Photo

P 66 Item 2.6 Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother 1936

This photo really stands out to me; I remember it since I was a little girl flipping through my old history textbook. Migrant Mother was wonderfully taken by the photographer and really can pull an audience in. I also choose this one because it is in black and white. Just the facial expression on this mothers face really says it all. She has three kids and is going through a rough time. It really gives me a feel for what is happening during that time. Going back to the black and white, I know they didn’t have color back then, but I think if it were in color it would loose its strength that the photographer is trying to convey.

Essay

P 107 “I Could Tell You Stories” by Patricia Hampl (1999)

When I first saw the title I wanted to read it. I think titles are really important when it comes to writing, it can make someone scared to read your work, or excited. But just for some reason, when I was just going through our book this essay made me stop and read it. Other than the title, I really enjoyed reading it. The way she told her stories in a kind of third person made me think how I can start writing in a sense like hers.

Editorial

“Now On Google Maps: You” The Denver Post (2007)

I read this editorial because just by the title of it, I have a big issue about Google and their maps. I totally agree with this article because being scene on a camera that anyone in the world can access is embarrassing. It is a matter of personal security. What I liked about this editorial was that it supplied facts from actual sources but made it interesting at the same time. I am really going to try to make my papers about research or arguments have that substantial information but make it fun to read at the same time.

Cartoon

P 432 Christo Komarnitski, Obesity Planet, March 18, 2005

I think what really stood out in this cartoon was how he incorporated the use of symbols like the American flag, the double-meat burger with the soda. It brings the point across right away instead of looking at the picture for 20 mins trying to figure out what it is saying. Also the use of colors was pretty cool because they stood out no matter where it was placed.

Photo

P.270 Phillip Greenburg, Viagra Model Car

While I was going through Beyond Words, I came upon this picture with a model of a racing car with two model figurines, very scantily dressed, posing next to it. It was kind of a “wtf” moment. I was wondering what a picture like that was doing in one of my English textbooks. As I took a longer look, I realized that the model car had been advertising Viagra, the infamous little, blue male “enhancement” pill. Even though Viagra itself has very obvious sexual implications, the provocatively posed model figurines are what grabbed my attention. The models exude very blatant sexual references. In my opinion, the models are supposed draw in the male audience by suggesting that they may be able to get women like the figurines if they were to buy the drug.

Website

P.271 Human Rights Watch Website, 2008

At first glance, I thought that the Human Rights Website was completely boring. There was not anything flashy or appealing to capture my attention. However, as I looked further into the headlines, I began to get interested in the website more. I am a person that really likes current events and issues all over the world, so I wanted to learn more about the website. I think having the information being based on the Internet is the best medium for that type of information because it is then accessible to people all over the world, and therefore, the issues can be wider spread.

Advertisement

P.265 Got Milk, 2004

The first thing I saw as I got to this page was a shirtless, kind of cute, muscular man. I suppose that is the main intention of advertisements, to grab the consumer’s attention, and so that they pay more attention to whatever the seller is trying to sell. In this ad, the American Dairy Farmers’ association is trying to advertise the benefits of drinking milk by saying that the man on the advertisement, Dave Mirra, survived numerous accidents because he had strong bones, which was a result of him drinking milk. I think this medium works the best for the situation because visually appealing to all people because you are able to see all of the scars on his body, which further emphasizes the power of milk.

Article

P.426 The Campaign for Real Beauty Background

The first thing that caught my attention to this article was the title. How could you create a campaign for real beauty, especially since it is such a subjective topic? Everyone has their own definition of what is beautiful. As I read, I realized that Dove, the sponsor of the campaign, was pushing to develop inner beauty in women across the world, instead of outer, physical beauty. They push to improve self-esteem in women across the world. I think that having this in article form is some what effective, but not as effective as it could be.

Media... Oh No!

Essay:
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (1729)

“For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland
From Being A Burden to Their Parents or Country, and
For Making Them Beneficial to The Public”
This satirical essay is deliciously funny. What should be done about the lack of food and overabundance of abandoned children in his Ireland? Don’t waste time, plump up the newborns and eat them. Not only would it rid the streets from children beggars, a baby can comfortably feed a family of five. I remember first reading this in high school. The reactions were priceless; there were some who were offended, the ones who failed to see it as a satirical essay. I love the dark humor, if the government was not going to act, let me propose something completely radical. Just imagine if people would have taken him seriously, there would be a fully roasted plump baby at the Thanksgiving dinner (yum). I do believe this essay is best left as an essay, although I do visualize it as a short animated video. But that is some very risky business since it does threaten the integrity of the satire. Children are expensive, yield a higher income by selling it to the butcher.

Picture:
Item 5.13 George Bush Meeting with Burned Soldier (page 282, Beyond Words)

I was flipping through the book to see what I was going to write about, and the book automatically stopped here. What is it? A burned soldier meeting President Bush, just like the title mentions. Why did it get my attention? Because it hurts me to see a soldier injured, a soldier who risked his life to defend his country for the sake of others. The courage they had to lose everything for liberty, for us. It hurts me because I am scared. I have too many friends contracted in the Army and Marines. I fear for their lives, and hope they return safely to their families. Labor day weekend my front door neighbor received a call, his grandson had been killed in battle. His grandson was my age and my childhood friend. We owe a lot to those brave souls who die for us.

Advertisement:
Item 1.6 Nike, My Butt is Big, 2005 (page 20, Beyond Words)

My butt is big. Just how many times do you hear that statement in a day? You might hear it several times, but always in a negative way. This ad does the complete opposite. It is like Tyra Banks declaration of loving her “big booty.” It’s nice to see this, especially in a time where being twig skinny is the norm, and everyone out of that mold are excluded and feel ugly. Love and embrace your body.
“And those who might scorn it are invited to KISS it.”

Cartoon:
Item 8.9 Dick Locher, Cartoon Chicago Tribune, Nov.25,2003 (page 482, Beyond Words)

The very basis in which America was founded. America, the melting pot, a country built by immigrants. Yet, why do we keep closing our borders to everyone? There are many who oppose immigration, saying they are true American Natives. No one is though. Everyone in this country is a descendant of someone who came to this country for a better future. My family arrived from Cuba in 1969. Imagine, if they would not have taken the step of leaving their home, I might have never come to exist. America is a land of immigrants, although there should be laws to aid immigration to cease illegal immigration. Too many people have died in attempts to reach our borders. As great as this country is, it has been a bit hypocritical.

Journal 3

Advertisement
Pg 265 Item 5.3 Got Milk? 2004

When first looking at the advertisement, because I am a girl, I first noticed the guy’s body. I saw how he had toned arms and abs and was immediately intrigued and wanted to look more closely at the picture and read what the advertisement said. I think this is exactly what the point of this advertisement was: draw people in with an attractive man so that they’ll be interested and thus read what the actual message is. That’s a big thing in advertisement: the initial reaction and the first thoughts that you have when looking at the picture. So, after I stopped flipping the pages of Beyond Words due to the half-naked man, I then read the little blurb at the bottom of the page. I come to realize that this is an advertisement for milk and that they are saying that basically, if you drink milk, you might possibly be able to look like this guy and also be able to perform super-human tricks like him. False; but hopefully, this ad will help encourage children of all ages to drink milk in order to have strong, healthy bones.

Photo
Pg 278 Item 5.12 Images from The War
I immediately thought of sadness when I first saw this photo. The lady in the background looks as if she has lost all hope; the child next to her looks as if she is in pain; and the woman on the other side of the child is looking off into the distance as if imagining a happier time. The focal point of the photo however is a man on a stretcher who has obviously been wounded by the war. As a doctor puts an IV into the wounded, there are onlookers surrounding them. This photo makes me think about the war we are fighting now and that although the injuries and fatalities are not published as much as they used to be, this is happening everyday to people. I feel pain in my heart because although I have know no one who is serving our country overseas, I can only imagine the worry and sadness that one’s have who do know someone fighting for our country.

Newspaper Article
Pg 353 Now on Google Maps: You, The Denver Post 2007
After reading this article from the Denver Post, I began to think about how we really are losing all the privacy we have nowadays. We post our entire lives on facebook through pictures and about me’s; we tweet our every move on twitter; and now, we can be seen doing ordinary, daily tasks on google. This actually makes me upset because I feel like nothing will ever be private in the near future. We now live in a world where we want to know what everyone is doing at every single moment in their life- even if we have no clue who they are. We “facebook stalk” people we have only heard about and if you have a blog, well anybody and everybody can read about what you do on a daily basis. This whole thing scares me but I cannot imagine living without it.

Commercial Critique
Pg 421 The Mesmerizing Ad for Headache Gel by Seth Stevenson 2006
While I read this critique, I couldn’t help but laugh. I have seen the HeadOn commercial just about a million times and everything the author was saying was true. The repetition is catchy and doesn’t let you forget the slogan- I mean, come on, who doesn’t know “HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead”. Also the cheesiness of the entire ad due to them spending no money on production caught my attention. And finally, I always wondered what HeadOn actually did for you since in the commercial; they never tell you its purpose- only that you can buy it at drugstores. This critique made me realize that so many people spend hours upon hours thinking of catchy jingles and hiring famous people to promote their product, when actually, all they have to do is repeat a simple phrase over and over to catch your attention.

The Media

Photo

Page 474, Item 8.3 Car with Political Bumper Stickers

At first glance, the car with various bumper stickers looks like a dorm wall cluttered with posters and I can't help but to sit here and read each individual bumper sticker and try to derive what statement is being declared or what idea is being proposed. You can tell that this person is obviously an anti-violence, left-wing, pro-adoption, environmentalist judging on the content contained on the bumper stickers. The car in itself is a mobile advertisement for the individual's belief, however the picture as a whole is of this beaten down car covered with personal beliefs. The picture, when taken as a whole, gives me a sense of that this is an old car and an old cause, however one that is still relevant. And it's just the one car meaning that the portion of the population that may be behind this cause is just a fraction of the whole population.

Advertisement

Page 361, Item 6.15 Movie Posters for Frankenstein, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, and Gattaca

Movies have always interested me as an art, which is why I picked this Item. Movies interest me because usually movies (good ones) have some sort of reflection on what the thoughts and feelings of people as a whole at a specific time were. For instance, all 3 posters, although produced in various years (1931,1982,1997, respectively) reflect our societies interest in technological advances in biological engineering. (Frankenstein, was given life by a mad scientist; Blade Runner, deals with clones; and Gattaca, is set in a society which has been genetically engineered to be superior.) This interest has persisted to drive us since probably before the 30s, and we can see this in the way these movies are advertised, by a mysterious/monstrous face (using our curiousness to sell the movie) or guns and people in futuristic clothing surrounded by futuristic symbols (selling us the action/adventure). You can see other types of general interest in movies as well; some common themes are the End of the World/Armageddon, Afterlife/Supernatural, and Aliens/Space Travel.

Web Site

Page 271, Item 5.9 Human Rights Watch Web Site

To me, this website is an example of how mass communication and shared human interests can come together in order to create a continually evolving community of those involved with Human Rights from across the world. This is a positive example of how the ease of spreading information is actually helping us come together as a people with a common goal. Many of the links suggest various ways to obtain information based on subgroups such as Arms, Business, Social and Cultural Rights, HIV/AIDS, etc; allow you to upload Audio/Video/Text that a member may think is important or urgent for the cause; and a "Take Action" link which allows for all these ideas to formulate into an actual social movement, click by click.

Merchandise

Page 268, Item 5.6 Personality Identification Playing Cards, U.S. Army

My Uncle, who served overseas in the Iraq war, actually brought me back these exact playing cards. They contain pictures of various "wanted" Iraqi political figures. This is a genius tactic employed by the army to instill a sense of who to look out for and who is on the list of high priority targets into the soldiers. They handed these cards out to soldiers to play with, knowing that these faces would eventually be imprinted, even subconsciously, in their minds. I do not think this was 100 percent morally and ethically right, however it is a simple form of the medias ability to propagandize and manipulate the thoughts of their audience.

Journal 3

Photo

Page 477, Item 8.5: Todd Heisler, Reno, Nevada, 2005
When I first looked at this picture, I tried to make sense out of everything that was going on in the background. In the picture, you see Marine’s removing a casket that’s draped in an American flag from the cargo hold of a commercial airliner. You can see the passengers looking out of the windows at the camera to try and see what was going on. When I saw this picture though, the first thing that came to my mind is how much I respect the men and women that risk their lives by fighting in the war. This picture is very powerful because it shows what people are willing to risk in order to fight for their country to defend it. It brings warmness to your heart to see the ceremony a fallen soldier is given to show how much his actions and bravery were greatly appreciated.

Advertisement

Page 478, Item 8.6: PETA, Fur is Dead, 2007
It’s always interesting whenever you see a PETA advertisement because they make sure they guilt trip everyone as much as they possibly can. In this advertisement, you see actress Kate Ford in a bright red dress holding a fluffy white rabbit with the words “Try telling him it’s just a bit of fur trim.” The picture got me to sit back and think to myself about how animals don’t have a way to express their discontent to what people do to them. The colors of the advertisement too really attracted my attention because they put a bright red background and the actress is wearing a bright red dress so you really can’t help but look at it. It definitely got me to sit back and think about animal cruelty though and that’s what I’m sure the designers of the advertisement were intending to do.

Essay

Page 144, In the Kitchen, 1994
I love the author’s use of details in this story to describe his mom growing up and how she used to be an old fashioned hair dresser. These types of stories about growing up are always interesting, especially since the author is African American and talks about growing up in the 1960’s when times were very different. His use of details paints a vivid picture and you can almost see yourself right there in his house watching his mom straighten people’s hair. I always like to read these types of stories when people talk about growing up in a different time because I’m interested in knowing the differences between growing up then and growing up now.

Painting

Page 43, Item 1.18: Michelangelo da Caravaggio, David and Goliath, c. 1600
This painting is very interesting and powerful because of the story of David and Goliath of the small boy that was able to defeat the large man because of his skill. In the painting, you see David kneeling over a lifeless Goliath, who has a big red mark on his forehead and the boy is holding a string in his left hand. I love this painting because the David and Goliath stories is one of my personal favorites of how the small boy overcame the odds and was able to defeat someone that was feared by everyone. It’s one of those stories that can be applied to anything in life. When you overcome the odds and defeat a large monster whether it’s a test or another sports team or something, you had a David and Goliath type moment, the never say die attitude.

Photo

Page 476, Item 8.4: An Iraqi Shows Her Inked Finger after Casting Her Ballot in a Polling Station in Baghdad, 2005.

The first thought in my mind was happiness. The happiness someone feels when a best friend gets happily married, when a close friend loses weight and wears new clothes that fit perfectly, or when a coworker gets a promotion with a pay he or she rightfully deserves. Throughout high school many of my teachers emphasized the distress and hardships these women face on a daily basis, explained in books such as “A Thousand Splendid Suns” which took an emotional toll on me. So when I saw this woman with a smile on her face, it practically brought me to tears how in the midst of oppression and violence these women have found courage and strength to express themselves and be happy. The peace sign she is making with her fingers is a gesture that represents her journey to freedom. This instills me with hope for the future generations of women in these countries, and I’m pretty sure she feels hopeful, too.

Advertisement

Page 265, Item 5.3: Got Milk?, 2004.

It amazes me how long they’ve had these advertisements, but also how much they’ve spoken to me ever since my great aunt had to get surgery. Right now she has a metal pole attached to her spine because she refused to drink milk in her earlier years. Osteoporosis is when your bones begin to lose their density due to lack of calcium, and other essentials that milk provides. I’m surprised at how many people dislike milk and never drink it, and not only because one of my favorite drinks is chocolate milk. So when I looked at the stunt bicyclist in this ad, I felt that he was healthy and strong, two things I hope to be when I’m older. These ads always remind me to watch what I eat, since the food you consume greatly affects how your body is in the future.

Essay

Page 257: Kruiti Parekh, “India: A Culinary Perspective”

First and foremost, I love the way this author wrote. His sentences flowed and his detail made me enjoy reading it. In content, I had the vibe that the author was proud of his culture, despite how much they glamorized it in America. This restaurant, located in New York, is now one of my most recent additions to the list of places I would like to visit one day. Most restaurants I’ve been to dramatize the “pretty things” of foreign countries, to the point that they lose grasp of the importance of the culture within the people. In this essay, the author flawlessly describes how this restaurant embraces culture, art, and emphasizes the true beauty of India. Now that I think about it, I think I’d rather take a trip all the way to India.

Painting

Page 42, Item 1.17: Mark Ulriksen, Little Dog, 2000.

An emotion that spurred out of me was grievance from a loss. One of the hardest adversities I had to overcome was leaving my dog, Mia, in Miami. Every time I see a small dog, I think of her, and have to hold back tears. She was the only one in my household who would greet me whenever I walked through the front door, the only one who would volunteer to sleep beside me in my bed, and who would never turn down an opportunity to jump in the pool with me or take a long stroll around the park. She was so loving and loyal that there are days when I want to drive back 8 hours solely to see her again. She is my first real pet, and I adore her more than anything in this universe.

eavesdropping

football game
"Those are our seets!"
"No these seets are ours. We sit here every game."
"Get out of my seets or im gonna kick your a**"
"If i buy you a subway sandwich, will you not kick my a** and give me your seets?"
"Deal"

around campus
"Should i go to class today?"
"No way. Why would you go to class?"
"Well i think he said we have a quiz today."
"Hes not gonna give a quiz today. And even if he does missing one or two quizes wont hurt."
"Youre so right. Plus suwannee is so much more important to me right now than a stupid quiz."
"For real bro."

party
"If youre not 18 you cant be at this party. its house rules just incase the cops come by."
"Yeah but i look older than 18 in my picture."
"It does say youre date of birth on the id"
"Oh right. well i just wont show him my id then."
"No youll just get out now."

walking to the stadium
"So do you think i should let my seven year old brother play beer pong with me?"
"It depends. Is he a noles fan?"
"Yeah"
"Then yes."
"Do you think thats a sin?"
"God will understand. its gameday. He would be more insulted if you didnt teach your seven year old cousin to play beer pong."
"So true. I love gameday."

I dont eavesdrop but i guess

"I don't know"
"dude, what's going on?"
"i forgot my keys, hold up let me get it"
"alright, ill be down here, hurry up though"
""Be right back"
"You should get me some water too"
"didnt you have like 100 bottles in your room"
"yeah but i live in degraff"
"alright. whatever"

The the guy takes off and the other guy stays and I walk away

Fresh Foods

"Did you do your math"
"Nope, did you"
"Hell no, i have to do it when i get home"
"Aren't you from Virginia" *laughs*
"You know what i meant, smart-ass"
"Chill I- I know"
"Are you gonna do it"
"You wanna do it back in my dorm"
"Wow that sounded so gay"
"Wow dick" (It had the same inflection as what the other guy had just said)
"Yeah we'll might as well take the quiz when we get back"
*Then apparently he randomly gives the finger to him*
and they get up and get food

same guys after they sit back down
"I noticed"
"I couldn't be the only one to notice"
"I know they're awesome"

One of them gets up to get something and the other guy takes out his phone.
and that's pretty much where i stopped.

This is a "You had to be there" moment, it was after the game, outside of Smith when they started heading back

"Samford sucks"
"Samford ducks"
"Samford bucks"
"Samford stocks"
"Samford chucks"
"Samford lucks"
"Samford mocks"
"Samford blocks"
"Samford talks"
"Samford chalks"

I thought it was amazing because it was three people and there was like no pause in between each.

"Samford yolks"
"Samford hulks"

I cant remember much but there was a lot, I cant remember the exact order either but it went something like this. It ended when as one of them walked in and started talking about something else. I thought it was random.

Eavesdropping

[In the hall outside my dorm]

“Whoa! Those are so good!”

“I know!”

“Who made them?”

“I think Aaron.”

“Dude. He needs to tell me how to make them.”

“I think he’s here”

(knock on door across the hall)

“Yeah?”

“How’d you make these?”

“They’re basically just s’mores, but in the oven instead of, like, a campfire or whatever.”

“You gotta show me how to make ‘em. They’re so good.”

“Alright. I don’t think I put enough sugar in the crust, so that’s why it’s kind of crumbly. Sorry.”

“Haha. It’s fine. I wouldn’t even know.”

“Haha…. Well… I was actually about to take a shower, so I’ll see you guys later.”

“Ok… Hey, are you going to the crew meeting tonight?”

“I don’t know. I might be hanging out with some kids from high school.”

“Alright. See ya.”

[In the Suwannee Room]

“I did actually see a fight in high school.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I actually started it. Haha”

“Haha. How?”

“I used to drive to school and one day I parked in the parking lot and I got out of my car to, like, walk to the school building, cause it was, like, across a street from the parking lot.”

“uh huh.”

“And I was, like, gonna cross the street, but I have a bad habit of only looking one way instead of both ways before I cross the street, so I didn’t see any cars coming, so I started walking and apparently someone was coming and she had to slam on the brakes and there was another car behind her and it hit her.”

“haha. Really?”

“Yeah. Like, they hit the brakes, so it wasn’t too hard, but they both got out of their cars and started yelling at each other, and I’m just standing there, and I was like, ‘oh shit.’ So I started, like, weaving through cars in the parking lot, so they wouldn’t, like know it was me. It was pretty funny.”

“Haha. Dude. That’s crazy.”