Reflective Essay Final

1. Blogging: How has blogging as a writing medium changed the way you write, think, or think about writing? 
2. Statistics: If you check out your blog's "Stats" page to follow your readership, what information do you learn about your audience? What posts have gotten the most/least views—and what does that suggest to you? 
3. Inspiration: Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?

     Blogging was an entirely new experience for me this year.  Although I've had Sutherland's class before as a freshmen, this class took an unexpected yet interesting turn on exposing us to important current issues and improving our own literacy.  In the brief reunion I've had with Sutherland's teaching habits, I feel as though I haven't dramatically improved yet as a writer in the course of one semester through blogging.  This might be because of a lack of criticism on my blog posts to actually improve my writing contrary to the feedback I'm used to receiving from past teachers.  Though I understand reading and thoughtfully critiquing hundreds of posts can be a daunting task for one teacher.  Differentials between blogging and other learning methods could have been reasons as to why I feel as though I could potentially excel more.  Blogging is definitely something different to the norms of progression/learning in an English class.  Be it as it may, I've had the pleasure of using blogging as a medium for my writing first semester.  Blogging has been a fresh new way of expressing ideas aimed at a collective community of my peers.  In the process, it has introduced me to new ways of writing and like-minded people I can connect with.  I've already noticed a steady improvement in certain aspects of my writing from blogging and have taken the initiative to take new steps in how I can convey ideas more concisely.


1.  I think the very first post I made towards the beginning of the school year, Nothing To Lose, really speaks out as to who I was as a writer and initially how I felt about the blogging process upon returning to school.  At the time when I was pondering what I wanted to post, I came across this video I had seen before and thought of it as my own introduction and depiction of my interest of getting to know people including new and familiar faces:

"After watching this video, I realized just how critical it is to break the ice and reach out to someone that you can talk to.  Even the most minuscule of conversations can be considered a treasured experience or window into that person's life.  I hope maybe in some way this video will inspire all you seniors to try and make an engaging conservation with someone you don't know."

  Of course I took my own advice and I actually became comfortable conversing with a couple of people I didn't normally talk to before.  They were people who shared curiosity about our world.  Occasionally, we dabbled our way into complex conversations during group discussions in our class. Since our posts would be viewable by anyone, in particular people of our class, I wanted to make a good impression based on my writing and provide interesting content relative to what other students were posting about.  You could say I was a bit self-conscious since the very beginning of posting, but to no extent would I let that interfere with expressing thoughts that I don't normally share with friends.  I also noticed I developed a tendency to assume my reader (Yes, you!) is my classmate as I did just earlier when I said "our class".  Unfortunately, whoever isn't in Mr. Sutherland's class will probably have no idea why I'm blogging or even who this Sutherland person is!  I developed this mentality that my main audience would just be my classmates, but this couldn't be farther from the truth.


2.  According to my Blogger statistics, I've accumulated 210 views overall so far and what I found most surprising is that a number of my viewers come from users worldwide--some in far off countries like, Latvia, Australia, Greece, Poland, U.K, Germany, and Indonesia, which is a very provocative idea. My most visited post was a two part movie review I did on the movie Drive, while my least visited was a rant I did concerning terrorism, The Real Terrorists, which was published close to the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Well, hopefully, the views don't imply people these days are more concerned about movie opinions than what I felt was an introspective to how America can be seen as a terrorist to other countries.  Jokingly aside, when I did write the first part to The Real Terrorists, I felt as if I was obligated to convey feelings about America based on what I've learned about American History and its mistakes.  My writing seemed brooding and contained pent-up feelings I felt about the country I was living in. In contrast, the movie review I did on Drive was very casual, maybe a bit humorous.  I was delighted to ridicule a movie that I disliked and paid to see on the silver screen.  All in all, I'm just glad someone took the time to actually read from my perspective.  Who knows, maybe my views are mostly people just passing by my blog than actually reading my posts.  Either way, I appreciate the thought that some people took the time to see it.  I think knowing that you have an audience or simply being aware that your thoughts are being noticed is enough incentive to continue writing be it someone you know or a complete stranger. 




3.  Throughout all my years as a student, I've never had the opportunity to have access to such a large amount of my peers' writing and thoughts nor be able to respond with my own ideas directly without having to deal with face to face interaction.  Through writing responses, I found myself being able to process my own thoughts consistently and express them without falter as I would in person.  Blogging also became a major opportunity for me to see what people my around my age were writing, thinking, and talking about on a weekly basis.  I derived most of my topics based on what my classmates were blogging about including class discussions.  I'd say what inspires me to write is writing about something I've mulled about, but never had the chance to talk about.  Topics that are meaningful to me that's worth writing and the possibility that I can engage in deep conversations with others that feel the same way  is enough reason to continue writing.  Seeking recognition for your thoughts has also been an inspiring factor.  I was especially delighted, when my own English teacher decided to use a piece of my own writing as an example.  Most inspiring, however, continues to be my classmates themselves.  


Blogging and being aware that my content could be read, alone has made me more self-conscious about writing fluency, clarity, and word choice.  I often find myself reading posts twice over only to realize I made a grammatical error after publishing and then frantically fixing it.  Quite frankly, I was also surprised and impressed at how well some of the students in my class can articulately express themselves, a trait which I envy.  I've actually gone through lengths to expand my vocabulary in order to keep up with a few of my classmates by keeping track of unfamiliar words I come across and reading more books whenever I have free time. I've become more welcoming to other ideas from reading my classmates' output and hearing what people have to say on certain issues as well.  Thus, I take a great deal of consideration of what I write from them.  


Blogging this past semester, I've realized just how much potentially I could grow in my writing. That through practice, dedication, and more importantly my own desire to become a stronger writer and intellectual is essential to my continued academic growth.  I'm very much grateful to have been able to utilize a modern way of expressing ideas.  Although because of Mr. Sutherland's leaving I may not blog as much, I can assure that I plan on continuing to strive in literacy with the knowledge he left us. 


I'm going to miss Mr. Sutherland along with his presence in the classroom.  I can recall his enthusiasm and enjoyment for teaching my freshmen and the beginning of senior year in which I still consider him by far one of the most vibrant teachers to have impacted my learning experience at AHS.  To me, he introduced and re-thought the common methods of learning in the classroom, opened new ways of thinking, and reminded us that there important questions we should be asking ourselves concerning the complex world we live in.  Although its fills me with melancholy to see him off, I hope he finds a welcoming wherever he decides to teach in the future.

  

[CE] 1 Marine vs. 30 Cops

United States Marine Corps. Sgt. Shamar Thomas from Roosevelt, NY went toe to toe with the New York Police Department. An activist in the Occupy Wall Street movement, Thomas voiced his opinions of the NYPD police brutality that had and has been plaguing the #OWS movement.

Thomas comes from a long line of people who sacrifice for their country: Mother, Army Veteran (Iraq), Step father, Army, active duty (Afghanistan), Grand father, Air Force veteran (Vietnam), Great Grand Father Navy veteran (World War II).

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I feel about this video.  I can definitely sense the underlining frustration Thomas feels behind his words and considering his long family history of serving the military, I'd say his anger is quite justified. The accounts of police brutality in New York are very much real and startling to say the least.  Lawrence O'Donnell did a segment on the police brutality that transpired during the Occupy Wall Streets movement which I highly recommend anyone to see here.  Both O'Donnel and Thomas seem to question the morality and integrity of the police force today.  The question is whether the police are really here to serve/protect the people or comply only to wealthy, including corporate bigwigs of Wall Street.  Although their messages are presented with great vigor and I would full heartily agree with them, I know the police force must have their own perspective on the matter that I'm not hearing despite their silence in the video. 

I'm glad that the Occupy Wall Street is receiving the social media attention it deserves.  Hopefully, as long as protesters remain peaceful and resilient, these police brutality cases will only strengthen the movement.   Perhaps the crimes of the police will also be brought to the public's attention, crimes nonetheless committed against the American people they're sworn to protect.

[Free] Party Problems

Saturday morning, my very close friend/partner called and asked me whether I would be willing to do a public gig with him in San Francisco.  Although hesitant at first, he warmed me up to the idea and I went.  Normally, I'm opposed to running a show publicly because I have no idea how many people will show up and in the past we've had issues dealing with a large crowd.  I tend to be more self-conscious about what I do on stage or whether I have good chemistry with a large audience.  Also, a majority of the people we've preformed for are actually older than me, usually up to 7-10 years older, which at times can be very intimidating.  

Secondly, we usually allow people to crowd around us, so on occasions it has gotten pretty rambunctious on stage. Initially, I've had to individually encase our computers with plastic wrap because I tend to sweat profusely through my palms, but now we've needed to go to more lengths to protect our tech and not just my disgusting sweating habits.  In the few public shows, people have knocked down or accidentally spilled drinks on our equipment.  We've actually have had to end a show prematurely because we couldn't function under such hectic circumstances.  It's a major bummer to disappoint the people who attended.  Now we've both been considering regulations and rules as to what people can do onstage without restricting having fun.  In some cases, we've resorted to bubble wrapping some of the equipment and allowing no drinks.  It's actually has gotten quite fun for us to come up with our own solutions to problems and see how things turn out.

I actually had a really great time preforming in front of maybe over 200 people (which is a LOT more than what I'm used to).   I think coming up with those solutions have put less stress on my mind during performances and worrying about our equipment, so I can better concentrate on the music. Slowly, I'll be easing myself into performing at larger parties.

[Free] A Creed of Greed

Capitalism: A Love Story has brought many problematic issues in our government to my attention.  In particular, the segment in which Micheal Moore asked a bishop whether or not Jesus would approve of capitalism. 

Having grown up in a Christian family, I was educated under the basic premise of Christianity and good morals.  Although I don't consider myself a Christian anymore, I believe capitalism is intrinsically an evil system that goes simply contrary to the teachings of Jesus.  I would think that principles taught in every religion seem to directly oppose the principles of capitalism in that it promotes competition in the free market and corporate greed.  Here in the U.S., I cogitate whether we have lost sight of the original goal and purpose of capitalism, the idea that it's the best system because it raises the standard of living.  Currently, our standard of living is deteriorating even though our capitalistic system seems proficient in keeping the rich wealthier and the poor living in worsening conditions.

Essentially, capitalism continues to play on man's biggest flaw in that we become corrupted by greed.  It's uncanny that the majority of the U.S. demographic consider themselves Christian; approximately 76% according to Wikipedia.  You would think Christians would prefer socialism or at least communist idealism.  I would say socialism promotes well-being, general care, and helping other people.  In contrast, if you're working on developing on your soul and being a good person, capitalism constantly throws obstacles in your way.  Of course each type of economic system has its own pros and cons. 

[Re] Green, but not so peaceful

 I attended the Greenpeace protest that Brandon Ng held during lunch yesterday and overall, I felt like we brought awareness to the issue of finding clean and sustainable energy to our school, even if it was in a small way.  Rarely do you ever see prudent students, especially from our school, who are willing to stand up for a noble cause and take responsibility for our environment.  Perhaps, this is within correlation to Sutherland's question of when students would be aggravated enough to voice their own opinions publicly (especially the Wall Street Protests).  However, the night before, I was a bit skeptical of how the protest would turn out after reading Adam's post concerning the message Greenpeace is trying to promote and its tendencies to use civil disobedience to defend the environment.

Adam says: "GreenPeace is somewhat known to be a bit radical and act in extreme ways, some of you may have seen or heard of the show Whale Wars. To get a result you have to put in a effort of just as much value. The fact that they were attacked after poking around a nuclear testing site shows that GreenPeace will not shy away from any problem that is potentially disastrous towards our home, Earth... I'm finding it hard to find the legality of the radical measures taken by certain members of GreenPeace."

Almost immediately, I was turned off by the mere mention of Whale Wars. As I recall, the television series has received its own criticism and scrutiny for utilizing direct action sabotage against Japanese whalers.  Despite the great reviews the show received for the first season,  the Sea Shepherds on "Whale Wars" have done very little to protect whales where they need protection.  The WWF estimates that 90% of non-natural whale deaths are due to collisions with ships, followed by "by-catch," whales becoming caught in nets, and then lastly, by fishing.  Unlike the aggressive interference Sea Shepherds, changes in shipping lanes around the world and the development of new technologies are making a real difference in reducing the number of whales who die needlessly.  Critics claim that the show is a cheap exploitation in praise of what is nothing less than eco-terrorism and glorification of vigilantism on the high seas.  The show's controversy was even spoofed by South Park in an episode called "Whale Whores" which condemned both the whalers themselves and the activists that fought against them.

Greenpeace was originally formed to protest nuclear power testing and development and  gained attention by creating “mind bombs” or strong, visual messages displaying their position on complex environmental issues.  However, their methods and how much the organization has managed to accomplish over the past years has come into question. The organization has approximately lost 2 million members in the past ten years. One of its most prominent critics is Patrick Moore, one of the founders of the group, who now criticizes the organization for being anti-science after his leave.  Greenpeace has also notably received negative feedback on its main site for taking credit in the endeavor to end Japanese whaling which they allegedly took no part of.

 Like Adam, I too would be hesitant in taking radical measures that would certainly be difficult to justify.  I would prefer taking more peaceful alternatives to send a message rather than use drastic measures.  Although I may have a distaste for Greenpeace, I'm still glad I was able to participate in a protest with peers that shared equal concerns for our environment's future.

[Free] Everythings Amazing & Nobodys Happy

 Louis C.K. is one of my favorite stand-up comedians.  Although sometimes his humor can be a bit crude or vulgar, I think he goes where comedians don't dare to go and he consistently brings great new material that I find hilarious.  In this clip Louis describes to Conan how we may take technology for granted:


"Everything is amazing and nobody is happy" by Meowbay

I find this somewhat true because I find people will often complain and exaggerate the most minuscule problems in their life.  Sometimes we need to take a breather from our technology, drama, and hectic work schedules to really appreciate what we have.  People will often say you don't truly know the value of something until you lose it and I definitely believe that.  Whenever I'm caught up in my work, I find going out running near the Harbor Bay Business Park to be very scenic, relaxing, and I become more grateful that I grew up in such a nice environment.  In general, just being thankful is a way to obtain happiness in life.

I find this quote from Lucrezia L to be incredibly accurate:

"I don't like making comparisons between this and that generation. You just can't do it, because every age is characterized by different trends and political, cultural or social movements. The political and social backgrounds are always different. So, in my opinion, making comparisons and saying ''that was better than this'' is wrong. And if you want to do it, you have to support your thesis with facts, not with empirical impressions."

 I believe we can't keep judging generations that come after us.  I definitely feel spoiled because I'm aware that there are other people my age who are less fortunate than me.  Quite frankly, I'm fed up and annoyed by people who continue to accuse this generation of sucking or that music today is nothing compared to previous years. We all have our own opinions and taste in music. There's no need to shame an entire generation based off mainstream music your growing up with or because not everyone finds your taste in music appealing.

 Here's a quote from Brenda T:

"It is ridiculous what parents are buying for five year olds nowadays. Most kids these days have DS Lites, Wii’s, iTouches, cell phones, and the list goes on. When I was a kid, I was lucky if my parents gave me the Gameboy Color or the Nintendo 64."

 Naturally, humans will always want the most advanced technology.  There's some beauty in that because we tend to have higher expectations growing up, society will makes greater advancements in technology to meet those prospects.  With each new generation comes hypocritical criticism from the generation that precedes it.   It's ridiculous in that we make assumptions and say the new generation is spoiled, when the generation before us can use the same argument and accuse us of being spoiled with whatever things they didn't grow up with that we did.

Here's a quote from Andrew Z:

"What happened to playing outside? What about playing with Legos, or stuffed animals? What happened to imagination? In the past decade, too many things have changed. We grew up with Legos, Barbie, and board games. They grew up with computer games, television, and Eminem. smh"

If you hate this generation, try changing it, or even inspiring it. Help set the trends that the next generation can look up to and be proud of.  Make the things you loved as a child cool to the next generation instead of lecturing your generation is better.

[Monthly Essay] Superficial Obsession

"Retailers defend the approach to hiring based on image as necessary and smart, and industry experts see the point.  In today's competitive retail environment, the methods have changed for capturing the consumers' awareness of your brand, " said Marshall Cohen, a senior industry analyst with the NPD Group, a market research firm. "Being able to find a brand enhancer, or what I call a walking billboard, is critical. It's really important to create an environment that's enticing to the community, particularly with the younger, fashionable market.  A guy wants to go hang out in a store where he can see good-looking gals."

 Hiring someone based on appearances is nothing new in marketing and advertising.  It's a common business technique that allows companies to find someone who fits their brand or image and can sell their product.  Not only is this approach utilized in the retail environment, but many other industries like restaurants, sports, and the media all seem to pride themselves in projecting a certain image.  Marshall Cohen presents a valid argument that competitive companies often resort to this technique to attract customers. When making money is the highest prerogative, choosing the best candidate that can represent a company is well within reason. Companies should be able to hire people who can project their image; however, by no means should they discriminate against ethnicity or race.

 In today's society,  a product must grab your attention within a small margin of allocated time. Advertising and commercials, especially for the Super Bowl, can cost millions while only lasting thirty seconds.  It is within this transient time frame that marketers must target their clientele. The same could be said with an employee of any profession.  The attractiveness or appeal of a "walking billboard" can give extra incentive for the consumer to become interested in the product they represent. Although the presented product is crucial to its success, people are often enticed by appearances.

  In many cases, restaurants will be particular about who they hire to maintain an authentic atmosphere and a sex dominated industry.  Restaurant employers may only hire certain race that complements a cultured style of food.  These hiring practices are primarily noticeable in ethnic/chain restaurants.  Panda Express is notorious for providing unequal opportunities and discrimination in their workforce.  Former Panda Express employee, Aremy Lomely, is part of a federal court filing suit against a San Jose Panda Express restaurant that allegedly forced Latino employees to clean toilets and perform other menial tasks while Asian employees of equal ranking stood by and watched.

Lomely told the Oakland Tribune:

 "I felt so ashamed when the Asians workers watched me obediently run from the bathroom to the tables to the counters, cleaning when they did not have to."

 According to the suit, the manager of the restaurant also punished Latino employees harshly, frequently cutting Latino employee hours and awarding them to Asian employees instead.  Restaurants will often do this for not just discrimination purposes, but also to give an impression that the place sells authentic food.  Since Panda Express serves American Chinese cuisine, hiring someone with an Asian background rather than someone of a different ethnicity enforces the image of the food it's selling.  Workers of different ethnicity may be limited to only working in the back of the restaurant because they don't present the desired image. 

As women try to secure restaurant jobs that could provide them with higher wages and job stability, they face sex discrimination in hiring, promotions, and compensation.  Sex discrimination doesn't fall far behind in the restaurant business.  An University of Pennsylvania study found that in 68 of New York City’s most expensive and elite restaurants, roughly one-third of these restaurants do not hire women for server positions even though there was an available pool of female servers. Another study of 65 high-priced restaurants in Philadelphia had similar findings; the study conducted a “test” and sent 130 comparably qualified pairs of men and women to apply for server jobs.  The report showed that even though the female applicants were as qualified as the male applicants, they experienced discrimination in obtaining interviews and being hired.  I believe that this may be because the restaurant business has traditionally been run and dominated by men.  The shift in gender roles is somewhat alarming and not openly accepted image in many industries and society.

Adolescent girls are also increasingly becoming more conscious about their body in today's media.  Images of female bodies are being used everywhere from selling food to cars.  Popular film and television actresses are more noticeably younger, taller, and thinner.  Unhealthy standards of beauty are being imposed on women, the majority of whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the models who starve themselves to achieve this image.  The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc, says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women's Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6.  American statistics are similar.  Economically, by presenting an ideal that is difficult to maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits.

As an endorser, Tiger Woods is a prime example of how maintaining a strong positive image is important to the sports industry.  Since his alleged extramarital affair, Woods has lost up to $22 million in sponsorships with large shareholders like Nike and Gatorade.  Despite Tiger Woods still being one of the world’s highest paid athletes, his name and reputation will forever be tarnished.  His damaged reputation is something businesses and products don't want to be associated with.  We all make mistakes in our lives, but because Tiger Woods is an established professional golf player who profits from representing an image, many companies will see him as undesirable with a tainted image.

Personally, when I go shopping, I tend to be more focused on the product rather than looking for eye candy.  Although in the long-term, I am more likely to shop at a store that has a friendly environment or employees that leave a good impression.  Society is affixed with different standards of beauty.  While using attractive people in business can be deemed morally wrong, it has continuously brought in income.  Industries will continue to disregard work ethics in exchange for profits because it works.  I don't think these businesses need to change; rather, people need to change.  If we represent a more educated and tolerant society, it is our own responsibility as consumers to know when stores are being selective or discriminating.  The reality is that America has many diverse ethnic backgrounds.  Our population is not solely comprised of one race; America has many faces. If these companies aren't willing to advance from old traditions, we should be able to choose whether they continue to thrive.

[CE] An Apple that Changed the World (Part 2)

Steve Jobs continues to be an incredibly inspirational figure for me growing up with the convenience of technology.  Besides being a genius in pioneering, Jobs was able to follow his passion in advancing humans into the next age of technology. Although he faced many obstacles and setbacks throughout his career, Jobs was able preserve in what he wanted to do and eventually became very successful doing what he loved. Pursuing what you love is incredibly crucial to what you might choose as a career because without that drive or incentive to achieve, you may live the rest of your life in regret and possibly failure.  Even after being fired from Apple and being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jobs was committed to providing/marketing groundbreaking technology because it was something he was passionate about.

 In my opinion, one of Job's most cutting-edge inventions was Macs because it created a medium for artists to express their imagination with ease. Macs interface is more user friendly compared to most computers due to its early design/media software being more readily available for musicians and artists.  Overall, it has created a manageable working space for people with creativity.  Despite the possible advantages a Mac might have over other computers, I still prefer using a PC.  Contrary to how much praise I seem to be giving to Jobs, I actually dislike a couple of products Apple has released.  I think because of the appearance of most Apple products, a majority of people are easily swayed to purchase them. Naturally, society has become greedier because we always want the newest most advance item on the market and Apple is partly responsible for this trend.

 Aside from the differences I have with Apple products, I definitely admire and harbor great respect for Steve Jobs as an artist, visionary, dreamer, and most importantly as a human being.  Jobs gave so much to the world that most people take for granted.  I hope as part of the next generation, we can help continue the legacy he left behind.

 R.I.P. Steve Jobs

[CE] An Apple that Changed the World (Part 1)

 Just two days ago, I passed by an Apple Store in San Francisco whose windows were adorned with flowers, post-its, and pictures in remembrance of Steve job's passing.  Despite there being construction noise emitting from just across the street, people continued to pay tribute to one of the greatest humans of our time.

 Steve Jobs is recognized as an amazing American inventor and entrepreneur who was able nurture many companies like Apple, NeXT, and Pixar into the successful businesses they are today. Through his achievements, Jobs has made endless contributions to society and revolutionized how people think about design and technology.  Since Steve Job's untimely passing, Apple Stores worldwide have become memorials.  His global recognition as an incredibly innovative mind in business has left us with the profound question as to what electronics will become in the future and who will lead us there.

Of course no one will be able to fulfill Steve Job's position both as a CEO of Apple and a father figure for his three children. Steve Jobs was probably one of the most influential people of our time.  People may compare Steve Jobs to being another Thomas Edison or Henry Ford, but I think he was much more than that.  Steve Jobs didn’t just change the world of business, he changed the world. He changed the way we communicate, share information and interact with each other. He was a technological genius, an innovator, a tough and demanding CEO, as well as dynamic and effective public speakers in corporate America.  Steve Jobs was an entirely unique person of the modern age of technology that deserves to be commended as an individual who in many ways represents the American Dream.

[CE] Food Optimism

With the Earth's population rising along with methane gas admissions, Proffesor Arnold van Huis suggests a healthy alternative that may not only help decrease impending word problems, but also satisfy our appetites.  

 Huis has dedicated himself to convincing the world to eat insects. He gives lectures, tastings and cooking classes, highlighting the benefits of an insect-rich diet.  According to Huis, bugs offer more protein than beef, cost less to raise and consume fewer resources. 

Having some cooking experience myself, I think eating insects is a great alternative choice of protein.  In most cases, people only consider eating a tiny fraction of food that is available in the world today, while everything else is considered taboo.  Pigs, cows, goats, and sheep make up most of our meat consumption.  We eat no amphibians, no reptiles, a small number of the fish species, and of course no insects being the most common species.  Insects make up such a vast population of the earth (estimated to be in the billions), that it's a wonder why we wouldn't consider these creatures as delicacies.  Eating insects may be a taboo concept in America and Europe, but serving bugs is nothing new in locations like Latin America and Asia.  People have been eating bugs for centuries, and really we’ve probably more to fear from foodborne infections than from having bugs in our food.

Despite the cultural avoidance of insects, Huis and others are committed to convincing us to eat bugs. It would definitely be challenging to make the consumption of insects less appalling or not limited to being tourist food.  Certainly many Americans would not be open to such a drastic dietary change, but marketing insects to the food industry is a viable source of protein in the near future.
 

Insect dish with crickets (Chapulines), worms (gusanos de mamey) and larvae of ants (escamoles).

[Re] Going Beyond Racism (Part 2)

Because we live in America we have a class system consisting of an upper class, middle class, and a lower class.  Inevitably, a percentage of America's population must fulfill these classes.

Like I've said before:

"In reality, we live in a capitalist government where there are people who are aggressively ambitious and those who are reluctant to compete.  We compete for the best education, the best jobs, and even the best opportunities."

 Thus, there will always be people at the bottom of the totem pole and it's not limited to specific races.  It's a harsh truth, but it's also the foundation of which our government is founded upon in which every citizen of the U.S. is affected by.

Here's a quote from Courtney:

"No race is more superior, smarter or deserving that another of a college opportunity. The education systems CSU or UC are similar; some colleges are harder to get in, more renoun and simply are more expensive depending on location and labeling."

Yes, generally speaking everyone has the potential to excel in an educational system.  Although it becomes evident that because we grow up in different environments and come from diverse cultures, we may not receive equal opportunities.  I think this social hierarchy of discrimination is mostly derived from America's history and its traditions.  (Here's a link to how Racism has played out in the U.S.)

Solving racial inequality is no easy task.  It requires a collective effort as humans to be less judgmental, see through racial profiling, and thoroughly educate children as to why racism is wrong.  We must look past superficial thinking and judge people solely on their character and achievements because it is those traits that truely define us.  A starting point may be stopping ethnic categorization in the SAT and college applications.

Lastly, I'm going to pull out a segment from a 60 Minutes interview with Morgan Freeman and his perspective on how we should deal with racism:

[Re] Going Beyond Racism (Part 1)

So this is a response to both Terrace H. and Courtney W. posts about UC Berkley's "Racist" bake sale as well as the discussion about racism that we had in class today.

As much as I love diversity, I believe that by forcing colleges to offer an equal chance in education to all races is promoting as much discrimination as they are trying to prevent.  At heart, the controversy over affirmative action plays into how we judge the justice of social policy.  The basic premise of social policy is that everyone should be treated with equality and receives equal opportunities unless there is a morally relevant reason why they should be treated differently.  By giving additional benefits or burdens to students based on ethnicity, not only are we judging races based on how well they do academically, but we're also denying equal education for students who work diligently regardless of their background.

 Here's an insightful quote from Terrace's own opinion on stereotypes as an African American:

Terrace: "Mainly because African Americans are constantly being looked down and with having such a negative light it is hard for us to break apart from all the stereo types and having people just respect us as a normal human being. With colleges accepting a black person just because they are black is giving African Americans a step back from respect but at the same time I feel that it in a way is sort of comforting."

I agree with Terrace that African Americans have often been portrayed negatively through the academic system. This is especially apparent in SAT because black students may qualify for admission into National Achievement Program and the National Merit® Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  Although this encourages academic success and support, it also singles out the black population as not meeting the academic quota.  This is incredibly frustrating because there are plenty of students who NEED education benefits such as scholarships to further their education.  However these students aren't given these opportunities because their ethnicity is stereotyped in such a way that they don't need educational support.

Coming from an Asian background, my race has often been stereotyped to have high academic success and achievements.  However, there are people who still harbor hateful feelings towards Asians because of their apparent ascendancy and increasing presence in Western media.  The model minority American news media promotes has given the impression that Asians are geniuses and score amazingly high on SAT.  UC Berkley has been rumored to provide an unfair admittance for Asians considering a majority of students who go there is Asian.  Students are discouraged to enroll in Berkley because they are afraid Asians have set the grading curve too high.   This stereotype has been over hyped in that the media doesn't include that many Asians have taken community college courses or specialized courses to get to the prestigious colleges they attend now.  It is from this gross estimation, that Asians students and especially those who don't meet the stereotype aren't offered as many opportunities.

[BWC] Transitions Draft #1

College Essay Prompt 2:
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Unfortunately, growing up while being assimilated into Western culture has often hindered my ability to connect or be inspired by my family members or relatives.  One of my biggest regrets as a child was not taking the initiative to learn my cultures' language.  Since a majority of my family members spoke Cantonese as a native language, there was an ever-present language barrier that prevented me from learning about my heritage from a wide diverse perspective.  I was more often teased than encouraged to study the language and steadily showed a lack of interest during family conversations.  Having cousins and relatives who have careers as accountants, lawyers, and engineers, I felt anomalous choosing to major in animation/music.  However through the convenience of technology and the Internet, I found inspiration and comfort meeting other people who shared similar interests with me.

I always loved drawing and preforming music since I was a child.  Often I would draw cartoons, portraits, and just about everything I saw. At the same time, I started playing the piano becoming infinitely fascinated by music and took advantage of every opportunity to play at my teacher's recitals. While producing both arts, I realized what I cherished most was seeing the enjoyment of both adults and my peers whenever I revealed my latest creation.  Their enjoyment and recognition had left deep impressions on me, in that both art forms could bring pleasure to all ages.  Although my mother recognized my passion and encouraged it, my father was skeptical and thought pursuing the arts was waste of time.

It was during high school that I started exploring outside my world through meeting other artists online.  It was an eye opener to see so many other people who were experiencing the same situations and struggles as I did.  Soon, I became increasingly optimistic about pursuing both arts.  Eventually it was through an online music hosting site, that I met two very close friends who continue to support and encourage each other's goals as artists.  Overall meeting these two people, have really changed my life and they both have helped improve not only my art, but as a person.  In comparison to who I was a couple years before, I had many insecurities as to whether I was going to continue studying music or art.  Having shared many experiences and collaborations with them over the summer, has helped me become less timid in expressing myself and more undaunted that being an artist is what I want to be.


-414 words

(If I continue this draft I will definately elaborate on the experiences.)

[CE] Educating Inside the Box

       In 2010, Ken Robinson presented a common misconception in the national school system during a TED conversation that I still find very relevant to how we educate kids today. 

 Creativity by Robinson, can be defined as the process of coming up with original ideas that have value in today's society. Children are our future and I agree with Robinson that by continuing to undermine and discourage creativity in a learning environment, we only worsen the situation of our future.  A major issue is that schools today are still utilizing a system where memorization and subjects including literacy and math are prioritized over the creative arts. I believe creativity is just as important as fundamental subjects and should be treated with the same status.  However, within every school system there is this hierarchy of class subjects that assimilates the next generation further away from creative thinking.

In theory, the longitudinal test proves that every child is born an artist with an amazing creative capability and the potential to excel in divergent thinking.  As we grow up to be adults, we slowly lose those capabilities by being educated out of them.  The problem is that the educational system along with society often stigmatizes making mistakes.  As young adults who have endured this standard of education, we increasingly acknowledge the consequences of making mistakes whether it's through doing poorly on a test or in real life situations. It becomes increasingly apparent that as we grow, we become fearful of making mistakes.  Usually I find myself in a classroom where students are either too hesitant in answering a question at the chance that they might be incorrect or brimming with enough ego that they don't bother trying. In many cases, children are more willing to take a chance of being wrong than adults. 

 It's also evident that the purpose of teaching in classrooms has changed in that more importantly than learning or being creative; students are being taught and prepared for standardized testing.  Naturally, I believe students are partly more afraid of failure because some these test scores may dictate their future.  Personally, I'm opposed to the SAT because it sets absurdly high standards and criteria that not everyone can meet.  I find it humorous that colleges and the education system expects people with different learning habits, goals, and techniques to conform and take a test that judges their intellect based on academic questions.  I believe that too often test scores have discouraged adolescents who have tremendous talents and yet we squander their creativity by not providing an educational system that can cater to everyone's intellectual need.

It all starts with each one of us individually working together to insure schools are supportive of the creative process. Our current educational system has served us well to develop our mental abilities.  It's now time to transcend just being "mentally smart" and give the next generation a creative learning environment they can live for.  Robinson proposes that we must rethink the fundamental education for future generations.  Although we may not see this future ourselves, we must properly educate and prepare children so they can face it and make something of it.

[Free] Drive is a terrible movie. (Part 2)

 The Driver is a flawed character because he is so unrealistically portrayed.  He's able to swoon the heart of a married women in such little time, somehow a hand-to-hand combat specialist in between being a driver/stunt-man/garage mechanic, brutally murder people while retaining a straight face, and have a gentle enough heart to carry Irene's son to his bed and willing to save her family from their debt while putting himself in harms way.  We know so little about this character and yet he can pull off such amazing stunts while the audience receives barely any dialogue from him or background information.  There is a lack in complexity and motivation to watch this character because essentially he's invincible and can do whatever he wants.

Some people including critics have come up with the lame excuse that having little dialogue presents more artistic appeal to the movie, silence is golden, or that Ryan is showing not telling. BULLSHIT, he had the same constant serious expression on his face throughout more than half of the entire movie!  If I wanted silence in a movie, I'd watch a Charlie Chaplin film.

There are also embarrassing moments in the movie for instance, the father brings up how he met Irene at a party and to his surprise finds out Irene was under aged.  Then casually says to his young child "That's how you popped out" and they they give each other a bro fist all while there is dramatic music playing in the background, I mean COME ON.  Also it becomes evident that the Driver continues to wear his admittingly really cool jacket in the most public places, irregardless to blood stains left on it from mercilessly beating thugs. Instead of nitpicking all the things I dislike about Drive, you might as well see it for yourself.

[Free] Drive is a terrible movie. (Part 1)

The reason I'd like to talk about this movie is because somehow this film has received so much praise as an artistic, atmospheric, refreshingly intelligent and suspenseful film with a well-nuanced performance by the handsome Ryan Gosling. Supposedly, Drive is one of the most invigorating thrillers of the year and received 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  I can't help but wonder, was I watching the same film?

  I think the main gripe I have with Drive is that the overall story was unbelievable and unrealistic.  The film is well presented with its imagery, cool designer clothing, and plenty of gruesome/cliche horror scenes. Although Driver's story had the potential to be so much more.

Ryan Gosling plays our protagonist, a man of few words, and goes unnamed throughout the entire film.  We don't learn much about his character's background other than that he's a damn good driver.  The opening scene shows him driving through the city at night, picking up burglars from their latest heist and helping them escape from the police. All while this 80's retro themed neon pink cursive text pops up displaying opening credits. I immediately liked the direction the film was going, with the intro song "Nightcall" not surprisingly made by one of my favorite electronic musicians Kavinsky.  The opening scene also reminded me a lot like the opening for the movie Tron Legacy (Which I enjoyed) where Kevin Flynn played by Jeff Bridges, is seen cruising through a the city at night on his motorcycle and out maneuvering a police cop like a badass with music done by another electronic musician Daft Punk.  Not knowing what the film was about and based on the movie title, naturally I expected the rest of the film to have really cool car chase scenes like the one in the intro. However as the movie continued, Drive increasingly became more of a cheesy horror film with predictable swift deaths of almost every unexplained character with little to no dialogue involved.

The main character, portrayed by Ryan, displays a lack of emotion or was limited to only having three facial expressions throughout the entire movie being: charming smile, straight face, and slightly angrier eyebrows with yelling involved.  This is a big problem because despite how few expressions Ryan displays, people believe his performance playing the strong, silent type was adequate.  I believe the talent an actor has can be measured or determined by how great he/she can convey emotions through facial expressions which makes the story all more believable.  Often, directors who are casting important roles will mute audition tapes and see how well the actor can deliver lines based on those facial expressions. Somehow this man is able to attract his apartment neighbor, Irene played Carey Mulligan, and becomes a love interest after just couple of days of short interactions. EVEN THOUGH SHE'S MARRIED AND HAS A SON (I guess the marriage was in a downfall spiral considering the husband was in the slammer and accumulated  debt from "protection" money),  Irene still develops a romantic relationship with the Driver (protagonist) with barely any conversation or dialogue.

[Re] Competition and Creativity

I believe all aspiring young artists have faced this dilemma that Leslie R. describes in her post about creativity and the struggles she faced in the pursuit of becoming an artist. 

"Seeing people who drew better then me use to upset me. It made me feel unconfident so that whenever I drew something I gave up on my work, so I gave up on art.

I felt empty. My dream was always to become an artist and I felt as through I wasn't good enough to be one. I didn't know what to do with myself now. Drawing was my hobbie and it was crushed. I had nights where I layed there on my bed pondering of what I could do. I started to loose interest in art. it became something that just didn't matter to me."

I also think many of us have looked up to someone or has had an influential figure in their life.  We may envy each other others skills or achievements, but that should definitely not stop you from following your dreams.  When I see another person's admirable artwork, I tend to see it as an incentive to keep practicing and improving my own.  Rather than saying: "Wow, my artwork sucks compared to this person." that person should be more of an inspiration to learn from them than to just quit a profession completely.  That kind of negative attitude will never allow you to succeed in life.  In the art world or for any creative field, there is ALWAYS going to be someone better than you.  You can see this as a good thing because without those people, who would we have to learn from?   

Artists continuously strive to prove themselves as individuals, producing art that is unique and intricate to their own aesthetic.  We persevere and improve our own style to create the best artwork that we can.

Competitive nature can be seen either as if the glass is half full or half empty.  Competition can be something feared and discouraging because essentially we must fight for our place in the art industry.  While in retrospect, a competitive environment can bring out the best in humans.  By constantly trying to improve and outdo each other, we can produce some of the best work and amazing advancements in human life this world as ever seen!

In reality, we live in a capitalist government where there are people who are aggressively ambitious and those who are reluctant to compete.  We compete for the best education, the best jobs, and even the best opportunities.  Those who aren't willing to compete will most likely fail while those who do will be able to succeed.  Our world is rapidly changing, in a way that everyone must contribute their best to improve their country.  Since we live in the U.S., which is undergoing an economy crisis, we must do our best in a dog eat dog world.

[Free] The Faintest Memory

In preparation of writing college applications, I had frantically searched my mind for memories that possibly contained the most important clues as to what has influenced my goals and the environment that shaped me into who I am today.  As I thought heavily on what I was going to write, I envisioned almost what was like a movie reel before me, playing snapshots of moments in life that I recall.  This surge of mental images pertained some of the fondest childhood memories I often like to reminisce about.  I believe some of the best memories we have are derived from our adolescence because it was a time when we lived carefree lives.  Whether these memories are melancholy or heartening, I can only wish to retain all of them.

          I find it scary that when we grow older, our memory may not be as accurate or precise as we'd want them to be.  At some point we may even forget memories that help define who we are. Memories are your life experiences, how you perceive your world, and in some cases your best companion.  Without memories, you essentially lose who you are and what you stand for.  I'd like to convince everyone to make as many memories as you can throughout your life because at the end of the day they're all you got.

 

[BWC]: An Artist's Ambition Draft #1

College Essay Prompt 1:

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

 Cultural values and traditions are passed on from one generation to the next through written or oral stories.  So when my parents and older relatives did not share their past with me, I decided to take an independent approach towards learning my roots.  At age thirteen I began this endeavor watching Asian documentaries, which introduced me to stories and lessons that neither my family nor school ever exposed me to. 

  Asian films and music delineated how Chinese culture is truly unique and special. I grew up playing piano, but always complained about how complex it was to understand, learn, and memorize music.  I was enchanted as I watched how young Chinese acrobats dedicate their whole life to train day and night until they master their art, which reflects the daunting courage and diligent charisma of humans.  I was inspired to be patient and opened my devotion to practice.

Throughout my adolescence, I lived somewhat of a sheltered life outside of school and academics.  Having been the son of a CPA for a computer tech corporation, my aesthetic for music was not always appreciated nor fully supported by my father.  Soon after my father's disapprove in pursuing musical arts, I suppressed creative side of my mind and focused my attention on school work.  At critical moment of my childhood, I became very depressed and worried for what I would have as a career in the future.  

When adults share their stories, they inspire me by their approach towards life.  Their stories are often based upon their experiences, which is why they are so appealing to listen to.  It was during my summer in 2008, that I watched a peculiar animated fantasy film called "Spirited Away". The film had been written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and film score composed by Joe Hisaishi, two people who would impact me the most both as a musician and an artist.  Spirited Away combined both the works of these two amazingly talented, well recognized artists into a beautifully animated film. It was a film that exposed me to the sheer magnitude of unhampered, raw imagination, and that was behind innovative works of art.  It provided an overwhelming experience that immersed me into its story with a beautiful blend of music and vivid atmosphere.  

I realized that like many other struggling artists, both Miyazaki and Hisaishi received their own setbacks, criticism, and rejection throughout their careers.  Their stories emphasized that if I follow what I do or am passionate in, I would eventually meet my desired profession to become both an artist and as a musician.  Miyazaki and Hisaishi's success also taught me that more importantly than making your own mistakes whether it's in art or life is learning and moving on from them.  It is behind those words that I continue to persist in my dream of working with animation and providing accommodating music composition during my high school years.  I am constantly refining my craft, in hope of creating a world that can elicit emotions and touch someone's imagination the way Miyazaki and Hisaishi did with mine.  Although I know I will encounter my own struggles and possibly failures along the journey, I have the spirit and courage to face hardships that will arise as an artist. 




-543 words