Blog/RJ Week15

      At the beginning of the semester, I thought this would be an easy class, but surprise surprise it was quite the work load and plenty of writing. There were times throughout the semester when I was ready to give up on this class, but I also told myself "I have taken harder classes than this and I have succeeded in them." I must say that my writing has improved a great amount. To be honest when I would read others' blogs, class discussions, essays,... etc. I became more self-awared and self-conscious about my writing, I knew then, that I had to "step up my game" and start writing like a college student and less like a high school student. Of course, my writing will always be a work in progress, but I am more than willing to work on it until I am completely please with my style of writing. I know for now that it has improved and all thanks to this class.
      The reading was easy yet hard at the same time, only because it had to be analyzed and I had think like a critical thinker. Thinking outside the box is quite the brain teaser, but it helped my critical thinking skills, which were also useful for my history class. I have said it before and I will say it again, I enjoy writing and it's something that I will always need as long as I am in school, and perhaps even after finishing school. Pursuing a career in psychology is more than just listening to people and help them resolve any problems or issues, I know there's an extraneous amount of writing. I am pleased to have taken this class.

Blog/RJ Week14

My thoughts on the research paper, well so far I haven't started on it yet and it's already wednesday, I plan on doing all my research today. I have an idea of what I want my paper to be on and I know where I can find most of the information. It's just a matter of finding my inner motivation and get started on it. Though I am excited to type up this paper because I plan on writing it on the educational system, I recently watched a documentary on it and I thought it was perfect to include in my paper, there's many different sources that can be found for this subject. I do hope that in the process I don't get writers block because that would be harmful to my grade for this paper.

Blog/RJ Week13

    Depending with whom I'm talking to through online communication then sometimes I may be more details and other times I am more brief and to the point. If it's an e-mail it's more brief and to the point and also professional because most of the time it is for jobs or something important. If I am chatting with a friend on Facebook than it's often times more detailed and relaxed writing, though slang from my part is hardly used, because I like spelling out every word to give sentences and conversation more life and vivacity. I usually write out exactly what I am thinking, whenever I chat with friends and most times I like exaggerating the letters in words like for example if someone gives me a good news, case in point, my friend gave me great news the other day telling me he got accepted into UCLA and I responded, "oooooohhh my gooodnesss, that is sooo amazingggg" something like that, but I guess you get the point right? I usually do that to show my excitement for something that I am told.
   People usually think I am happy all the time, because of my style of writing things. Which is true for the most part, I am happy and outgoing the majority of the time. Also because I like spelling out every word, people may think that I am smart well of course that's when I am not exaggerating the words I use. I will use different styles for different situations, like I mentioned before if I am writing an e-mail it will most likely be formal rather than informal and relaxed. But usually with friends it will be a more informal writing style, but it also depends who I am speaking with, like if it's an adult, a family member than I would be more formal just to keep the formality and respect towards that person, under no circumstances would I use foul language; though it is rare that I use it.

Blog/RJ Week12

       America is the one country that allows people to express their thoughts and perhaps feelings too in the way they see the world. Editorial cartoons are the one way that people get to express themselves without being judged or getting in trouble for it, they make fun of politics, giant corporations, and almost anything that happens around the world. If we take a second to think about it, editorial cartoons play quite a large part in American culture, I mean it's satirical but educational in a sense, it gives Americans a different perspective whether it be a political cartoon and it's either democratic or republican, or most of the time they are both made fun of, but the fact that people have the freedom of speech to express themselves in such a way; really gives us (the community) a sense of relief. 

     They are a communication medium in the sense that it's a way of cartoonist expressing their ideas of how they see the world. Although everyone thinks differently, people give their own opinion on them and their perspective of what they may think the cartoon means to them. As most of us can see, by newspaper editorials or online editorials; most of these cartoons are based on politics and some can be hilarious because they have truth to them. Other are just silly, they make fun of presidents, governors, and many other situations that happen in government or around the world. But it's safe to say that we can look at these and know that the cartoonist did not "get in trouble" for coming up with such cartoon. 

    As we all must have heard, Osama Bin Laden is dead... or so they say, but people are skeptical and want to see his death certificate, I was looking up some editorial cartoons when this political cartoon came up and it has Osama Bin Laden burning in hell and the devil signing his death certificate while saying "Donald Trump is demanding to see your death certificate". Here's a link so you guys can check it out if you want  http://www.cagle.com/news/OsamabinLadenDead/main.asp 

   

blog/RJ Week11

      What can be more propagandized than the political parties, it can be assured that during the political running of the 2008 elections everyone and everything was propagandized. Many artists would help the candidates in the running. Television, radio, magazines, newspapers, commercials... and many more than can be named, and what do all these medias have in common? Well they would help promote the upcoming candidates. The year 2008 was when many different topics and electronics began to be propagandized. Like the iPod touches and all the new phones, like the iPhones. Political campaigns had never been so propagandized until that year, perhaps it helped out because voters were more aware, and they were particularly young voters which is what is needed during elections; young well informed voters.
     As we all may be well informed of the most recent ridiculous news of Donald /trump attempting to run for President for the 2012 elections, there are quite very many articles covering this story. According to an article written by the Los Angeles Times called "Trump's flirtation with presidential bid gains traction", he mentioned that he would be able to get lower gas prices faster than Obama, because supposedly Obama has been wasting time in the basketball courts. He really knows how to promote himself he has all the tools to do so, and therefore does it to the best of his ability.
    He might be able to know how to promote his campaign and all, but he honestly does not have political savviness. How would he know, how to manage a whole country, he might be a very successful man in what he does with real estate and investing, but would he be prepared to take this country out of its whole. Would he be capable of provide jobs, Medi-care, and most importantly what about all the budget cuts that are affecting students. It's looking harder and harder to have a career when so many classes and teachers are being cut. If he can find a way to incorporate that into his propagandizing for the running of Presidency and he is able to keep his word, perhaps people would most likely vote for him.

Blog/RJ Week10

Throughout the years, I have been keeping up with what's going on in the world, and I have newspapers, and TV news to thank for, such events like the Twin Towers that made an enormous impact on not only the United States, but also other countries. I remember that day as a clear as if it were water, I was 11 years old at that time and I was on vacation. I remember every channel had news about the twin towers some information was hyped and some was more realistic, it was on newspapers and though I never read about it, I could always count on the television to have updates for me. The same situation happened when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, it was devastating watching the news and seeing how flooded it was, a place that was once full of houses and life was now a flooded place in which many people had to flee to different states, some came to California, others went to Texas. Watching those images on television was something so sad, but yet the updates were full of hope. The fact that there is such a thing as news reports helps the world be more compassionate of others, of the difficulties they go through. Lets take a more recent disaster, like the Earthquake/Tsunami that happened a couple of months ago in Japan, if we did not have news reports we would definitely we uninformed of such a tragedy, but because we do, we have the heart and compassion to help those in need. Right away the U.S. helped them by donating money or canned foods.
I like to turn to the internet and CNN for more information, because I feel that they have the right information and I can rely on the fact that their reports will not be hyped. One always looks for the truth unfortunately some news reports on television will hype the report to get more ratings. I like to compare and contrast some of the information to see which is hyped and which is not, which one seems to be more realistic.

Blog/RJ Week9

    Every time I listen to rap music, I find myself listening closely to the lyrics, yet to find out that some of the lyrical words are quite racial towards certain ethnicities, other rap songs tend to have an opinion of those that are not as lucky as them, because they made it big in the music industry and they have all the fame at the moment. It does contribute for people to use certain words that are not appropriate, a behavior towards others that is inappropriate. Some of these rappers might use inappropriate language, they might use language that could be sexist, racist, and so on and so forth, but many young people look up to these rappers, some take the lyrics to heart, I them posting up these lyrics on facebook and twitter. Some of these young people even live there lives based off of some of the lyrics.
   I'm not trying to "bash" on men or anything, but television shows women as a sex symbol often times and honestly it's degrading to other women out in the world, because men often times think that because they see these beautiful women on television and movies, that they will probably find a woman like that out in the world, though what they haven't thoroughly though of is that perhaps these women on tv and movies have to look the way they look to get ratings, because sexy women on tv is what gets ratings. For example December 2010, I don't know if anyone remembers the Victoria Secret runaway show, it was a Christmas special. Well that day all guys were going crazy for that special and even girls, but what was the reason for all the madness? Well first of all there were beautiful model women that wore very little clothing, they were in lingerie so obviously it would attract attention by a lot of men. But I think, I need to get to the point here. Men are often times sexist because of what they watch on television and of the image that is given towards women. When we all know that women can be intelligent, brilliant, and independent.
  

Blog/RJ Week8

Both happiness and self-respect are important, but with I believe that with self- respect, happiness comes along. So in this case self-respect is more important, if we look up the definition to the word self-respect we get "pride and confidence in oneself; a feeling that one is behaving with honor and dignity" with that being said, not only will it bring happiness along, but the people surrounding us will express how proud they are, when listening to such words, one feels a sudden joy that can't be obtained by anything else in the world. Self-respect takes an individual longer than plain out happiness, lets give a more relatable example, lets just say that in a corporate setting where there are a various amount of people that are competing for the better position, one person can work with honor and dignity, he or she will never do anything that will harm his or her reputation, this person is hardworking and ethical, also very intelligent, this person is a "catch" for that position in this corporate "world", meanwhile there's that one person that seems to be "happy" and does all the work that is needed to be done, but doesn't go any further than that, this person does a well job, is attractive, and has his way with words. Who do we think is going to get the job? The person that has self-respect or the one with "happiness", what matters most in such a world like the one corporate is? We hope to believe that the person that's obviously more prepared, the person that is the overachiever will obtain the job, because he or she gained that self-respect. By doing what's honorable and dignifying, this person will always do what's right for the job and will never jeopardize any relationships with outside companies or investors.  Sometimes in society the attractive person will be chosen over the person that has more to give, c' est la vie. 

Blog/RJ Week 7

    At a gathering a couple of years ago, there was a heated debate going in between a couple of friends and myself about tattoos. I have always believed that tattoos are pointless, even when a person has the name of their mom, dad, or loved one tattooed onto their skin. I feel that if you really love someone, show them how much you love them with actions rather than showing off this ink on your skin. This is just my personal belief. Obviously everyone has different thoughts and opinions on the subject and in this case all my friends were upset by this discussion. There was this one girl that was especially angered by what I had said, she called me all types of names and in trying to calm the situation down I had no other choice but to agree with her. Even though my beliefs were otherwise, at the moment it just seem like the right thing to do, rather than to keep an argument going that wasn't going anywhere.
  In a moment of utter and complete despair, I took a long deep breath and decided to calm down. Eventually I gathered all my thoughts and decided that I should see her point of view and the point of view of everyone else in the room, because at this point everyone was against me and I felt thrown a against a wall and no where to go, actually I felt like I had been trapped in a corner. In seeking some answers, some more open points of view, I received some logical, very thorough and sentimental responses. I found that people usually have very well thought out ideas of why they want a tattoo. Their reasons could be a death of a loved one and they want to to keep them in their memory as well as also marked onto their skin. Some of the stories I heard of why these people had actually gotten tattoos were touching. Even though I wouldn't get a tattoo, I now understand the logic of why some people get tattoos. Some are extraordinarily significant in the life of these people. In a sense this situation opened up my mind to others points of view.

Blog/ RJ week 6

     There are some expressions that are attentively payed attention to, like whether a person is paying attention while speaking to him or her. I am one of those people, I like to pay close attention to and in return I like the same attention. Even though I pay attention, I have the habit of fidgeting with my feet while sitting or when I stand i'll cross one leg over the other, in a slouching position or leaning more towards one side than the other.  I like to give out a positive vibe while speaking to others, I tend to have a positive, outgoing mindset. I've been told by close friends, that it's one of the characteristics they like most about me. I like making people laugh, but I also give out that trustworthy vibe. Many people trust me and I am not capable of ever betraying them.
   My facial expressions play a big role on my personality, I'm very expressive when speaking to people. I show my most inner expressions, so even if I try to hide my anger or sadness, it's nearly impossible because people can tell when I'm mad or sad or even happy.  In a non-conceited way, I am liked wherever I go, and I feel sad when people don't like me. I tend to walk in a happily manner, with my head up high, I give off an easy going attitude with that walk. I would like to say that my style is kind of laid back on some days and other days I like to go a little high end fashion because it's just what makes me happy. Everyday my dress style changes, it depends on my mood when I wake up in the morning.
    My mental attitude has always been outgoing, as long as I have my five senses, hands and feet I am able to do it. As long as I have health I am able to do it. Make the impossible possible, it might sound cliche but it's true. I feel like it's the only way I have gotten through life with succeeding in the things I put my mind to. Having this mindset has helped me help others when they feel helpless, when they feel like all hope is gone.

Blog/RJ Week 5

 The attempt to globalize English is rapidly growing, in many countries English is being adopted into their language. Unfortunately because of this happening throughout the world, many people and countries will eventually become "Americanized" and they will begin to lose they culture and language. Americans want everyone else to learn english, but do they take the time to learn other languages. This will only make people more ignorant towards other languages. Their language, literature, and ethnic personality would be in danger of being lost.  We can already see it happening in all types of cultures. Lets take China for example, they come to this country and the first thing they have to do is learn the English language to communicate with others, same with middle eastern's even though it seems as if they learn some English back in their country. English being the semi-universal language will affect many countries that only know their language and no more than that. It's important that they learn the English language but it's also vital that, us as Americans open ourselves to other languages, other cultures and not only expect for these people to learn our language but us not learn theirs.
 English is the dominant language throughout the internet. Globalization is influencing the evolution of English because it's reaching places, that were never thought of, it's going from natives to japanese people to Indians. India has a billion people of population and a little over ten percent of the population are english speakers. That should say a lot about the country, it's second place after the United States. The evolution of English is changing many places. Not only in the language but to make business it has become quite important to know English because America makes business with all these non-english speaking countries. The evolution is grand and it is making some vast differences throughout the world.

Blog/RJ Week 4

 Time magazine covered an article on the brilliant and very talented Natalie Portman. After her wonderful performance of  the 'black swan'. Time magazine really gave her a name for all the great works she has done. She has done all types of movies, she's so talented, she is capable of performing a role to the best of her ability. Richard Corliss the writer of the article in Time Magazine wrote about her successful career over the seventeen years she's been acting. It also gave some background information on how she was a "dutiful child." While filming with top directors in Hollywood she was also acing all her classes in high school. After high school she attended the very prestigious university, Harvard. Some college students would either intern or flip burger patties at a local burger joint to pay off their college career, instead she played the part of Padmé Amidala in all four Star Wars movie. This was enough to pay for her college career.

On the article cover about her by la weekly that was written by J. Hoberman. He covered her wonderful performance in the 'Black Swan'. The rigorous dance bootcamp and diet she had to go through while making the movie. They say she began to look very skinny, and the Darren Aronofsky told her she needed to start eating again. One article was mostly based on her long successful career and her education and the other one was mostly based on performance in her most recent movie "Black Swan'.
Both journalists gave a positive note about her and the language was easily flowing throughout the articles. It was highly academic and it gave her more prestige in the entertainment world. She's known to be a talented actress, what she does she does well.

Blog/ RJ week 3

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's. speech not only inspired change, but eventually it brought the union in between races. The white and the blacks. After the given speech of Dr. King Jr. many people began to fight for their rights, civil rights that is, they were tired of the suppression in society. His speech changed the life of tons of people. This "I have a dream" speech eventually led to new laws that would end the segregation between the blacks and whites. No more "separate but equal", with his perserverance and strong leadership and a "wanting" to change the way society was set at the time, perspectives and systems began to change.  His power of speech, his courage, his generosity, and his genuinity brought him many followers, black people as well as white people. People that were ready for a change, people that were ready to put an end to such non-sence as the segregation was, as the "separate but equal" law was, they were still segregated and there was no equality between the both of them. His speech was letting people know how unfairly blacks were treated. His speech or speeches were definitely inspirational and life changing. If it weren't for his perserverance and strong speeches like "I have a dream" society wouldn't be what it is today.
   Considering that he was at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., it was a perfect venue to have this speech,  Abraham Lincoln was a man that fought for justice too, he freed the slaves. He wrote what is known as the Emancipation Proclamation. With that being said, Dr. King Jr. could not have chosen a better venue, that had such significance and symbolism to to the black people, if t weren't for Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, perhaps slaves would have still existed at the time of Dr. King Jrs. time. It connects to the level that, here is the statue of a man that had freed the slaves and that fought for the freeing of the slaves. Yet there was still racism and segregation, all they wanted was to be equal to everyone else, to have the rights that whites had, to go to the same school and not have to be separated from classes, not have different water fountains, buses, to drink from to ride from, equality was all they wanted. The venue gave out that significance to the people that were present as well as Dr. King Jr. that was giving the speech.
  People began revolt against the unfair treatments, that were given to them, the unfair and lack of equality. They began to fight for Civil Rights, just like Martin luther King Jr. had been doing for the past years. In the south there were many people that were against Black people wanting to gain Civil Rights. There was also people that approached the Civil rights liberty with such class, tranquility, and peacefulness. They were not ready to be satisfied with the way they were treated and in the words of Mr.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs. speech " I have a Dream",
   "There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We     can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Blog reading/ journal 1

    I remember when I was in my high school English class, it was a Honors class. We had to do plenty of reading and write essays on the readings. It was difficult for me to read and understand the meaning behind the stories. Thinking critically became an important part in my life at the time, to be able to pass that class, I would need to go above and beyond, think outside of the box. It took a couple of C's on my essays before I got better and writing and becoming a better critical thinker.

    Not too long ago I took an English course on Literature and Poetry, that class was the best english course I have taken in my college career. The essays were on Poetry and the student had to some way link their life and the poem together. I can honestly say that writing those essays was better than drinking hot chocolate at a local coffee shop listening to jazz music.

   A personal habit of mine to reading and thinking critically, is to have some of my favorite music in the background and while reading I like to imagine what I read, so I am both reading and thinking at the same time. Well ofcourse, I apply to all areas of my life whether it's reading, thinking of my future, or while listening or reading the news. Most stituations in life require for me to think critically. Politics is one of my favorite subject to analyze, and the media too, sometimes I sit and think if having all this media is necessary, I mean back in the 1920's they only had newspapers and radios, perhaps wealthier people were able to buy televisions. Now days we have internet, social networks such as facebook, twitter, and other blog pages, there is also television, news casts. If we really think about it, we are surrounded by media. I also forgot magazines, we have all these choices, yet do we know that all the information given to us is 100 percent true.

   I hope that by the end of this semester, this class will have helped me become a better analyzer, I always think that there will always be room for learning and I am willing to do what it takes to become a better critical thinker to the point where, when I read I will not have difficulty grasping what the story, article, etc. is trying to tell me. I want to be able to think more in depth. Hopefully I will have more of an open mind and it will definitely help me in any situation. Who knows maybe I can be on a game show and my critically thinking skills will help me be the ultimate winner of the game show. right?